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the method of the present invention for plugging an abandoned well involves the use of a two part plugging composition , which is incorporated into known plugging methods . the system of the present invention is a two - solid - component , pelletized system . the concept is to separate two or more materials that will mix together with water to form a settable mixture into two encapsulated masses . neither of the masses will set alone . the encapsulated solids will not disassociate in water for sufficient time to allow them to be dumped into a well bore and fall to the bottom . once there , the pellets will disassociate and react together with the water in the well to form a settable plug . the present invention will utilize any of the known agglomeration and encapsulation technology to bind and coat powders into pellets that will perform as described . in the present invention , the two powders are pelletized separately to withstand the trip down hole and then release to form a settable mix with water . the encapsulated material is protected from being wetted by well fluids and is of sufficient particle size and density to allow falling through clear well fluids at a rate of at least 1 foot / second . the encapsulation coating degrades with time and / or temp to release components . the table below outlines several pairs sets of two solid components for use in the present invention . while the table is shown with components a and b paired , it is also possible to create pairs by picking one or more from a and one or more from b . acidic or basic conditions are required for some of the reactions . it is possible to encapsulate naoh adsorbed onto de or a salt of an organic acid as a means of providing required ph . examples of suitable compositions include component 1 − 50 % silica flour + 15 % ca ( oh ) 2 + 15 % na 2 sio 3 + 20 % pva binder . component 2 − naoh adsorbed onto de 12 % active . in particular , the two part plugging composition of the present invention comprises one or more components selected from an a - list of components and one or more components selected from a b - list of components . each component is separately encapsulated . in absence of the encapsulation the components will form a cementing plug . the encapsulation on the encapsulated component is designed to degrade upon contact with the well fluid . the timing of the degradation can to tailored to fit the desired well operation . generally , the first placed component will be allowed sufficient time to settle and degrade . the second placed component should be designed to be degraded by the time it is passing thru the first component . in the present invention , the cementing system not only contains the components , but may optionally include additives to improve thermal stability , control set time , generate expansion , and control fluid loss . the additives may be incorporated into the system directly , or into one or both of the components . while any cementing system may be utilized , it is desired that the system exhibit one or more , preferably several if not all , of the following characteristics : no shrinkage upon set up , maintains ( or causes an increase in ) the wellhole pressure ; hydrophobic ; density allows it to fall thru the well fluid at a suitable rate ; and non - gas generating ( so as not to cause micro channels ). in the present invention , accelerated set times are generally less than 12 hours , preferably less than 10 hours , more preferably less than 8 hours , even more preferably less than 6 hours , still more preferably less than 4 hours , and yet more preferably less than 2 hours . the resulting cementing system may bond to the casing and or other formation surfaces in the well . the pipe may have coating of oil or water based drilling mud . the method of the present invention for plugging abandoned wells , includes any of the known plugging methods in which is utilized the two component plugging composition as the cementing material . while a generalized plugging method is described below , it should be understood that any suitable plugging method as is known in the art , including any described above in the background or described in any cited reference ( all of which are herein incorporated by reference ), may be utilized with the plugging composition of the present invention . very commonly , the plug and abandonment method of the present invention will be carried out using one or more of the following steps . a bridge plug or cement plug is first run into the wellbore and set therein , typically by mechanical means whereby some sealing element extends radially outward to seal the annular area formed between the outside of the device and the casing wall . thereafter , a perforating gun is lowered into the wellbore to a pre - determined depth and discharged to perforate the casing . the perforating gun is typically discharged by a firing head . the firing head used may be pressure actuated firing heads or mechanically actuated firing heads . after the perforations are made , the perforating gun may be retrieved . thereafter , a cement retainer is lowered into the wellbore and set above the bridge plug . the cement retainer , like the bridge plug , acts as a packer to seal an annulus between the body of the cement retainer and the casing and isolate the area where the casing will be perforated . the components of the cementing composition of the present invention are then supplied into the cement retainer through a run - in string of tubulars attached thereto . utilizing pressure , cement fills the isolated area of the wellbore and also extends through the perforations into the surrounding areas in the formation . after the cementing composition is squeezed , the run - in string is disengaged from the cement retainer . cement is then typically deposited on the cement retainer as a final plug . generally in the practice of the method of the present invention , one of the components is selected as the first placed component and placed in the well at the desired plugging location , followed by placement of the other component as the second placed component in the well at a position above the first component , to allow the second component to gravity flow into the first component . any suitable apparatus and method for the delivery of the components may be utilized . as non - limiting examples , suitable delivery systems may utilize a dump bailer , coiled tubing and jointed tubing . they require a base to stack up against such as a packer , petal basket or sand plug . while any suitable delivery mechanism can be utilized , more specific non - limiting examples of suitable delivery mechanisms include : dump bailer run on electric line or slick line ; pumping through tubing , drillpipe , work strings or any tubulars ; allowing fall through fluids via gravity ; and pumping into an annullas or pipe without displacing ( i . e ., “ bull heading ”). it is crucial that the first and second components have greater densities than the well fluid density . it is also crucial that the second placed component have a density greater than the first placed component so that the second placed component may displace the first component . in some instances the selected first and second components will not have suitable densities , specifically , the densities of the first and second components may not be greater than that of the well fluid , or they may not have the suitable density for the order in which they are desired to be introduced into the well , or the densities may not have a suitable enough differential to achieve suitable displacement . the present invention provides for the utilization of weighting agent additives to the first and second components to change the density of those components . suitable additives to change the density include metal salts , preferably calcium chloride . other examples of weighting agents include sand , barite , hemitite , calcium carbonate , feo , mgo , and manganese ore . sufficient amounts of the additive are utilized to achieve the desired density . in the plugging method of the present invention first and second components are provided which have densities greater than the well fluid , with the component to be placed second having a greater density than the component to be placed first . should the density of the first or second component need adjustment , a weighting agent as discussed above , will be added as necessary . the component with the greater density is then introduced into the well fluid at a position on top of sand / petal basket , the other component is then placed above the first placed component so that it may spontaneously gravity flow into contact the first placed fluid . the density difference will allow displacement of the first placed fluid by the second placed fluid and allow for in - situ mixing . it should be appreciated that the rate of displacement and thus in - situ mixing will increase with increasing density differential between the first and second components , and decrease with decreasing density differential between the first and second components . it should also be appreciated that at some point , the density differential between the first and second components is so low as to result in too slow of displacement . on the other hand , it should further be appreciated that at some point , the density differential between the first and second components is so great as to result in too rapid of displacement so as to avoid much mixing . thus , the density differential should be selected so as to provide fast enough displacement for the plugging operation , and to facilitate sufficient in - situ mixing , and this differential can be determined on a case by case basis , for example by observation in clear container and trial and error . typical densities for the well fluid will be in the range of about 8 . 33 ppg up to about 20 . 0 ppg , with typical densities for the components in the range of about 8 . 33 ppg up to about 22 . 0 ppg . it should be understood that other well fluid additives as are well known in the art may be incorporated into the first and / or second component , or added before , along with , or after the introduction of the first and / or second component , non - limiting examples of which include surfactants , surface bond enhancers ( non - limiting examples include styrene butadiene latex , polyvinal alcohols , resins , other adhesives ), emulsifiers , ph control agents , fluid loss additives , gas prevention additive , dispersants , expanding agents , and wetting agents . although the present invention has been illustrated by preferred reference to two component encapsulated systems , it should be understood that any plugging composition having two or more components can be encapsulated and utilized in the present invention . all materials cited herein , including but not limited to any cited patents , publications , articles , books , journals , brochures , are herein incorporated by reference . while the illustrative embodiments of the invention have been described with particularity , it will be understood that various other modifications will be apparent to and can be readily made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , it is not intended that the scope of the claims appended hereto be limited to the examples and descriptions set forth herein but rather that the claims be construed as encompassing all the features of patentable novelty which reside in the present invention , including all features which would be treated as equivalents thereof by those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains .	4
fig1 - 5 show a sequential operation of exemplary embodiments , and fig6 illustrates alternative embodiments . fig1 illustrates a configuration of a device 100 according to exemplary embodiments of the present application . fig1 illustrates a vertical shaft 10 ( such as a central support shaft ), horizontal supports 20 ( which may be singular or plural support ( s )), and hinges 41 , 42 ( such as articulating / rotating hinges ). fig1 illustrates positions “ a ”, “ b ”, “ c ” and “ d ” to describe rotation of exemplary embodiments . fig1 also illustrates a direction “ w ” in which a fluid may be flowing , such as a direction in which wind is blowing . although the description of exemplary embodiments throughout fig1 - 5 may describe a rotation of elements of the device 100 in a counter - clockwise direction , sequentially from positions “ a ” to “ b ” to “ c ” to “ d ” to “ a ” and so on , please note that embodiments may be modified to include reversed rotation or changed “ pitch ,” in a similar manner as with an aircraft propeller , to spin in a clockwise direction . fig1 illustrates that a planar element 31 , at about the position “ a ”. the planar element 31 may be a flat plane and is illustrated as a calico cat for example . as the wind pushes against a surface ( such as a flat surface ) of the planar element 31 , a force is applied to a back side towards a tail edge 31 b of the planer element 31 in relation to the hinge 41 . increased force caused by torque ( force through a distance ) from the leading edge 31 a of the planar element 31 in relation to the tail edge 31 b causes the planar element 31 to move the horizontal support 20 counter - clockwise , from position “ a ” towards position “ b ”, around the vertical shaft 10 . in this manner , the planar element 31 has rotated to its maximum “ throw ” angle , against the hinge 41 , such that any force applied on the planar element 31 by the wind is transferred to the horizontal support 20 and causes the rotation . further , at the position “ c ” illustrated in fig1 , the wind pushes a surface of the planar element 32 , which may be a flat plane and is illustrated as a tiger cat , away from the wind such that a back side of the planar element 32 is angled in a manner that the wind also pushes the surface to turn the device 100 counter - clockwise . fig2 illustrates exemplary embodiments in which elements of the device 100 have rotated from the positions illustrated in fig1 . in fig2 , the planar element 31 has moved counter - clockwise to a position in between positions “ a ” and “ b ,” and the planar element 32 has moved counter - clockwise to a position in between positions “ c ” and “ d ”. in fig2 , the planar element 31 is still receiving force from the wind in the direction w and is pushed further counter - clockwise around the vertical shaft 10 . the force of the wind in direction w has caused the planar element 32 to swivel on its hinge 42 to face and “ vane ” into the direction w of the wind . the vaning forces on the planar element 32 are much less than the forces on the planar element 31 in the exemplary embodiments of fig2 . the unequal torque forces on the horizontal support 20 between the planar element 31 and the planar element 32 causes the planar element 31 to turn counter - clockwise , without further rotating about the hinge 41 , while the planar element 32 vanes with less opposing force into the wind and continue to move forward into the wind about the hinge 42 . fig3 illustrates exemplary embodiments in which elements of the device 100 have rotated from the positions illustrated in fig2 . in fig3 , the planar element 32 has moved counter - clockwise to a position in between positions “ d ” and “ a ”, and the planar element 31 has moved counter - clockwise to a position in between positions “ b ” and “ c ”. because the wind has forced the back of the planar element 31 though the swiveling hinge 41 away from the wind , the planar element 31 continues to develop torque and is moved counter - clockwise . the planar element 32 has swiveled on its hinge 42 by the wind &# 39 ; s force to offer less opposing force than the forces on the planar element 31 such that the motion of the elements of the device 100 continues counter - clockwise . fig4 illustrates exemplary embodiments in which elements of the device 100 have rotated from the positions illustrated in fig3 . as the elements of the device 100 continue to travel counter - clockwise from the illustrations in fig3 , fig4 illustrates that the planar element 32 is in a position between the positions “ a ” and “ b ,” and the planar element 31 is in a position between the positions “ c ” and “ d ”. in a similar fashion as in fig1 , the planar element 32 receives more force through the wind than the now “ vaning ” planar element 31 as the elements of the device continue to turn counter - clockwise . the hinge 42 on the planar element 32 has swiveled to its maximum “ throw ” position and results in a large rear surface area towards the tail edge 32 b in which the torque from the wind pushes the horizontal support 20 while the hinge 41 on the planar element 31 swivels so the flat planar element 31 naturally vanes into the wind and receives less opposing force , thereby allowing the elements of the device 100 to continue to turn counter - clockwise . fig5 illustrates exemplary embodiments in which elements of the device 100 have rotated from the positions illustrated in fig4 . as the elements of the device 100 continue to turn counter - clockwise from the positions illustrated in fig4 , fig5 illustrates that the planar element 32 has rotated to a position between positions “ b ” and “ c ” and the planar element 31 has rotated to a position between the positions “ d ” and “ a .” as the planar element 32 continues to turn around the vertical shaft 10 from the position in fig4 to that in fig5 , the wind forces the planar element 32 to swivel on its 42 from one side of the hinge stop to the other . this change in angle of the planar element 32 in relation to the opposing arm applies more force to the side of the planar element 32 opposed to the wind , and the planar element 32 continues to be pushed on by the wind and moves the device 100 in a counter - clockwise rotation about the vertical shaft 10 . as rotation continues from the positions illustrated in fig5 , the elements of the device 100 cyclically return to the positions illustrated in fig1 , and according to exemplary embodiments , the elements of the device 100 will continue to rotate as the wind forces continue . according to exemplary embodiments , the hinge 41 is connected to the planar element 31 at a position unevenly offset from a center along a longitudinal direction of the planar element 31 in a direction from the tail edge 31 b towards the leading edge 31 a . similarly , the hinge 42 is connected to the planar element 32 at a position unevenly offset from a center along a longitudinal direction of the planar element 32 in a direction from the tail edge 32 b towards the leading edge 32 a . the offset of the hinges 41 and 42 is anywhere from respective leading edges 31 a and 32 a of the planar elements 31 and 32 to about 30 % to the planar elements &# 39 ; 31 and 32 horizontal centers . the “ correct ” “ throw ” of the hinge is preferably anywhere below plus and minus about 80 degrees with plus and minus 30 degrees being the setting for the preferred embodiment , with 0 degrees corresponding to a position at which ones of the planar elements 31 and 32 are perpendicular to the horizontal support 20 . as the angles of the flat surfaces of the planar elements 31 and 32 change with the constant direction w of the wind , the net forces around the rotational plan result in rotational motion of elements of the device 100 due to the torque applied by the wind . according to exemplary embodiments , the device 100 can include multiple horizontal supports , with opposing planar elements , which can rotate in opposite directions by shifting the offset of the planar elements on one support in a direction opposite to the offset in the other support . exemplary embodiments are discussed below with respect to fig6 . fig6 illustrates exemplary embodiments in which elements 31 and 32 of a device 200 have rotated from the positions illustrated in fig1 to those in fig2 , and fig6 also illustrates embodiments in which , in addition to the horizontal support 20 and its planar elements 31 and 32 , another horizontal support 20 b , having planar elements 51 and 52 attached thereto by articulating hinges 61 and 62 , is included in the device 200 . the arrangement of hinges 61 , 62 , planar elements 51 , 52 and the horizontal support 20 b mirrors the arrangement of hinges 41 , 42 , planar elements 31 , 32 and the horizontal support 20 , such that the wind w also exerts forces on the planar elements 51 and 52 to rotate the horizontal support 20 b clockwise , from a to d to c to b to a in this example , and opposite to the counter - clockwise rotation of horizontal support 20 , as similarly discussed above with respect to fig1 - 5 . the horizontal supports 20 and 20 b may be attached at respectively different heights along the vertical shaft 10 such that interference is not caused by opposite rotations of the horizontal supports 20 and 20 b and their planar elements 31 , 32 , 51 and 52 . further , while this specification contains many features , the features should not all be construed as limitations on the scope of the disclosure or the appended claims . certain features described in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination . conversely , various features described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable sub - combination . although the drawings describe operations in a specific order and / or show specific arrangements of components , one should not interpret that such specific order and / or arrangements are limited , or that all the operations performed and the components disclosed are needed to obtain a desired result . accordingly , other implementations are within the scope of the following claims .	0
turning first to fig1 there is shown a prior art u - nut 10 having a first thread receiving portion 12 from which a sleeve or collar 14 is drawn in the manner described in the derby patent referred to above . the sleeve 14 contains a plurality of threads 16 which are machined or tapped in the interior of the sleeve and are shaped with a pointed apex at the thread angles in the manner of threads adapted to receive an ordinary screw having pointed apexes at the thread angles . the prior art u - nut of fig1 also has a second portion 18 opposing the first portion 12 and connected to the first portion 12 by a hinge portion 20 . the prior art u - nut also has a resilient retainer ring 22 partially sheared from the second portion 18 and containing a hole 24 through which the screw is passed into engagement with the threads in the sleeve 14 , also in the manner described in the derby patent . fig2 a illustrates another type of prior art u - nut , which is more commonly in use today . the prior art u - nut 30 shown in fig2 a has a first portion 32 containing a hole 34 . the u - nut 30 has a second portion 36 from which is sheared a plate 38 leaving a pair of legs 40 , one of which is shown in fig2 a and 2b . the plate 38 is stamped to form an opening in the shape of a single helix or a portion thereof 42 which also serves the function of the resilient retainer ring 22 shown in fig1 . turning now to fig3 and 4 the improved u - nut of the present invention may be seen . the u - nut 50 has a first thread - receiving portion 52 from which a sleeve 54 is drawn . the sleeve may have a first generally conical portion and a second generally cylindrical portion as is shown in fig4 . the first portion 52 of the u - nut is bent outwardly of the opening forming the u of the u - nut 50 , with this bent portion 56 serving to facilitate receiving the panel of , for example , sheet metal in the u - nut 50 . the u - nut 50 has a second portion 58 containing a hole 60 , with the hole 60 being formed by partially shearing away a resilient retainer ring 62 in the manner described in the derby patent . the retainer ring 62 also has a hole through which the sheet metal screw passes , and is bent at its distal end toward the second portion 58 for the reasons described in the derby patent . the bend 68 in the free end of the retainer ring 62 is shown in fig5 as well as fig4 . the first portion 52 and second portion 58 are connected by a hinge portion 70 . once the u - nut has been stamped from a single piece of sheet metal , and the retainer ring 62 partially sheared and shaped , and the sleeve 54 drawn , the threads may be tapped in the sleeve either before or after the u - nut is bent into the shape shown in fig4 to form the hinge portion 70 . the threads 72 inside the sleeve 74 are formed by a roll - tapping process in which a tap of a shape conforming to sheet metal screws presently being used in conjunction with u - nuts . such a tool roll - taps threads on the inner surface of the collar which have a flattened crest at the apex of the thread angles . it will be seen that the present invention comprises a novel u - nut of great utility for serving as an anchor for sheet metal screws of the kind having a flattened root at the thread angles . the u - nut of the present invention is simple to manufacture and with its multiple threaded collar is a great improvement over the prior art u - nut of fig2 which in the past had been used along with sheet metal screws of the kind with which the present invention is most advantageously employed . turning now to fig6 there is depicted an alternate embodiment of the present invention . as shown there , the u - nut is provided with a double - thread 73 such that when a screw is threaded therein instead of a flat existing on the nut between adjacent screw threads there is a further thread . the use of a double thread insures against improper , and thus structurally poor , threading . for example , in use of a u - nut in accordance with the first described embodiment , occasionally the screw thread becomes wedged onto the nut flats between threads , rather than within the threads , which can cause breakage of the parts and a poor strength connection . by doubling the nut thread , the probability of cross - threading is substantially reduced .	8
experiments were run with a melones crude containing 0 . 59 % nitrogen , 3 . 94 % sulfur , 94 ppm nickel , and 375 ppm vanadium and having a kinematic viscosity at 54 ° c . of 2 , 990 cps . this crude was run through the process equipment shown in the drawing in a series of runs . following the same procedure for each run , crude stream 11 and aqueous stream 25 were fed to visbreaker 13 and heated therein at a selected temperature and pressure , stream 15 was removed and sent to a high - pressure separator 17 where it was combined with a brine solution , viscosity - lowered crude 19 was removed therefrom , and aqueous phase 21 was sent to distillation column 23 from which brine bottoms 27 were removed and circulated back to stream 15 , and aqueous overhead stream 25 was returned to visbreaker 13 . preferably crude 11 is preheated to a temperature at which fouling of the heat - exchange surfaces does not occur , and the ammonia - plus - water stream 25 is heated to a high temperature , such as 1 , 200 ° f . ( 649 ° c . ), in heat exchanger 29 and then mixed with crude 11 within visbreaker 13 . another successful means of avoiding such fouling is the addition of an amine , as a partial substitute for the ammonia , into crude stream 11 before it enters the heat exchanger , this amine being chosen both for its visbreaking usefulness and for its anti - fouling qualities . the invention may be more clearly understood by consideration of the following examples , in which visbreaker 13 is an up - flow , vycor - packed reactor chamber having a free volume of 10 cc and in which high - pressure separator 17 is sufficiently large to allow the crude and aqueous phases to form a clear separation . melones crude at 80 cc / hr was fed as crude stream 11 to visbreaker 13 , and an aqueous treating solution containing 0 . 2 % h 2 s ( 0 . 07 m ) was simultaneously fed as stream 25 to visbreaker 13 and therein both streams were mixed and heated to the operating temperature of 842 ° f . ( 450 ° c .) under 1000 psig . after about 260 seconds of passage through visbreaker 13 , the mixed stream of crude and aqueous solution was fed to high - pressure separator 17 and therein separated into crude 19 and aqueous phase 21 at a separator temperature of 250 ° c . ( 482 ° f .). it produced a coke yield , as shown in the accompanying table , of 3 . 3 %, but its kinematic viscosity could not be measured because it produced an emulsion . ______________________________________ metals coke kinematic removal , run yield viscosity % no . additive % cps ni v s______________________________________1 0 . 2 % h . sub . 2 s ( 0 . 07m ) 3 . 3 emulsion2 h . sub . 2 o 0 . 61 410 12 13 53 1 . 1 % ( nh . sub . 4 ). sub . 2 s ( 0 . 2m ) 0 . 3 -- 27 27 154 0 . 7 % nh . sub . 3 ( 0 . 4m ) 0 . 27 180 26 20 145 14 % nh . sub . 3 -- -- 34 24 8______________________________________ the process of example 1 was repeated except that process stream 25 was pure water . the coke yield was 0 . 61 %, and the kinematic viscosity of crude stream 19 was 410 cps at 54 ° c . analysis of crude 19 showed that 12 % of the nickel , 13 % of the vanadium , and 5 % of the sulfur in the melones crude had been removed by treatment with water only . the process of example 1 was repeated with aqueous stream 25 being a 1 . 1 % solution of ( nh 4 ) 2 s ( 0 . 2 m ). the coke yield was 0 . 3 %. the process of example 1 was again repeated in which aqueous stream 25 was a 0 . 7 % solution of ammonia ( 0 . 4 m nh 3 ). the coke yield was 0 . 27 % and the kinematic viscosity of crude stream 19 was 180 cps at 54 ° c . the process of example 1 was repeated in which aqueous stream 25 was a 14 % solution of nh 3 ( 7 . 5 m ). analysis of crude stream 19 showed that 34 % of the nickel , 24 % of the vanadium , and 8 % of the sulfur had been removed by the visbreaking operation , as given in the table . thus ammonia is nearly three times as effective as pure water with respect to removing nickel and nearly twice as effective as pure water with respect to removing vanadium from a crude . the examples provided hereinbefore unambiguously identify a beneficial role for ammonia in mild thermal processing ( visbreaking ) of heavy hydrocarbon feed stocks with respect to quenching an undesirable acid - catalyzed path to coke , reducing viscosity of the feed stock , and removing deleterious amounts of sulfur and heavy metals . because it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that innumerable variations , modifications , applications , and extensions of examples and principles hereinbefore set forth can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , what is herein defined as such scope and is desired to be protected should be measured , and the invention should be limited , only by the following claims .	2
the present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which 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 . as used herein , the term “ and / or ” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items and may be abbreviated as “/”. it will be understood that , although the terms first , second , etc . may be used herein to describe various elements , these elements should not be limited by these terms . these terms are only used to distinguish one element from another . for example , a first element could be termed a second element , and , similarly , a second element could be termed a first element without departing from the teachings of the disclosure . the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention . as used herein , the singular forms “ a ”, “ an ” and “ the ” are intended to include the plural forms as well , unless the context clearly indicates otherwise . it will be further understood that the terms “ comprises ” and / or “ comprising ,” or “ includes ” and / or “ including ” when used in this specification , specify the presence of stated features , steps , operations , elements , and / or components , but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features , steps , operations , elements , components , and / or groups thereof . unless otherwise defined , all terms ( including technical and scientific terms ) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs . it will be further understood that terms , such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries , should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and / or the present application , and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein . as described above , according to conventional technology , a log block will be discarded ( i . e ., allocated for erasure ) after a simple merge operation involving the log block is completed even if data has been recorded into only a small part of the log block . as such , the erase count of conventional flash memory devices are increased . as discussed herein , pursuant to embodiments of the present invention , non - volatile memory devices are provided which may have increased performance and / or life because these devices re - utilize log blocks that are discarded according to conventional technique in order to reduce the erase count of the device . related methods of managing these non - volatile memory devices are also disclosed . fig4 is a block diagram illustrating a memory cell region of a flash memory device according to some embodiments of the present invention . as shown in fig4 , the memory cell region of the flash memory device may be divided into a map area , a log block area , a data block area , an erasable block area , a reusable block area , and a free block area . each of these areas may be logically defined . thus , it will be appreciated that these areas may be physically mingled and / or discontinuous . the map area may be used to store address conversion information for each block to enable block addressing . the map area may also store tables , lists and / or other data structures that may be used to manage the memory blocks in each area . the log block area includes log blocks , which will be described in more detail herein . the data block area is used to record normal data . the erasable block area includes blocks which are awaiting erasure . herein , these blocks are referred to as erasable blocks or discarded blocks . an eraseable block may become a free block by erasing the data therein . the free block area includes free blocks that may be allocated as log blocks or data blocks . the free blocks may also be allocated to the map area . the free blocks do not include any data ( i . e ., a free block is a block from which any data previously stored therein has been erased ). the reusable block area includes blocks that can be allocated to ( or maintained in ) the log block area without first performing an erase operation thereon . as noted above , data typically cannot be overwritten in an conventional flash memory device such as , for example , a conventional nand flash memory device . as such , when updated data is received , it may be stored in a temporary memory block which is referred to as a log block . as only a finite number of log blocks will be provided in a flash memory device , at some point all of the log blocks may become partially and / or completely filled with data . to ensure that log blocks are available to record new or updated data , periodically data that is stored in a log block may be compared with data stored in a corresponding data block to identify ( 1 ) unchanged information in the data block ( which is valid data since the data has not been updated ) and ( 2 ) updated data in the log block ( which is also valid data that needs to replace the old data in the data block ). once this identification is completed , the data block and the log block may be merged into a single block in order to , for example , empty the log block . this procedure is referred to as a “ data merge ” or simply as a “ merge .” three different types of merge operations may be performed . these three types of merges are referred to as simple merges , copy merges , and swap merges , each of which will be described in further detail below . fig5 is a schematic diagram illustrating three exemplary merges of a log block with a corresponding data block according to some embodiments of the present invention . as shown in fig5 , in a swap merge , all of the data in a data block is replaced or updated with data that is stored in a corresponding log block . as a swap merge does not involve merging selected data from two different blocks ( but instead involves replacing all of the data in a data block with the data stored in a corresponding log block ), the swap merge may be performed by simply modifying the memory block mapping to redesignate the log block as a data block . accordingly , a swap merge may be performed without having to actually copy or rewrite any actual data . a swap merge may only be performed in certain circumstances such as , for example , when every page in the data block has been updated only once , and the log block and the data block have the same page arrangement . the mapping replacement can be accomplished , for example , by updating the address conversion information in the map area of the flash memory device so that the log block is mapped to a logical address requested by a user . since a swap merge only involves block mapping , it does not require an additional memory block to be performed . after the swap merge is completed , the log block becomes a data block and the data block may be discarded ( i . e ., the data block becomes an erasable block that is awaiting erasure ). the copy merge is performed when updated data is received for , by way of example , an upper address portion of a data block . the updated data may be recorded into , for example , an upper address portion of a log block . the copy merge is used to copy the data stored in the remainder of the data block to , for example , a lower address portion of the log block that contains the updated data . as illustrated in fig5 , when only the data at the upper address portion of the data block needs to be updated , the data at the upper address portion of the log block ( i . e ., the updated data ) is valid . on the other hand , the data currently stored at the upper address portion in the data block needs to be updated and hence is invalid , while the data stored at the lower address portion of the data block remains valid ( since updated data has not been received for this data ). thus , with the copy merge , the valid data from both the log block and the corresponding data block are merged together into a single block ( in this example , the log block ) by copying the valid data in the data block to the log block . the copy merge need not involve an additional ( third ) block . the copy merge may then be completed by modifying the memory block mapping to redesignate the log block as a data block . after the swap merge is completed , the data block may be discarded . a simple merge may be performed when data in a data block is discontinuously updated . with a simple merge , a new data block is formed by copying ( recording ) valid data in the log block ( i . e ., received updated data ) and valid data in the corresponding data block ( i . e ., data that has not been updated ) into a third block . after the simple merge is completed , the data block is discarded ( i . e ., it becomes an erasable block ) and the log block transitions to either an erasable block or a reusable block . the simple merge may be performed when the page arrangement in the log block is different from the page arrangement in the data block . fig6 illustrates the state transitions of memory blocks according to some embodiments of the present invention . as shown in fig6 , a log block may transition to a data block through either a swap merge or a copy merge , and may transition to an erasable block or a reusable block through a simple merge . a reusable block may transition to a log block through a program operation . as is also shown in fig6 , a data block is discarded after a swap merge , a simple merge or a copy merge , and thus transitions to an erasable block . an erasable block transitions to a free block through an erase operation . a free block may transition to a log block through a program operation , or to a data block through a simple merge . in order to manage the data merge process , the flash memory device may have an associated processor ( not shown ). this processor needs access to information regarding each block . accordingly , one or more tables for managing each memory area in the flash memory device may be maintained . for example , a free block management table may be maintained that includes a list of free blocks , an erasable block management table may be maintained that includes a list of erasable blocks , a log block management table may be maintained that includes a list of log blocks , and a data block management table may be maintained that includes a list of data blocks . each of the tables may be implemented using a data structure such as , for example , an array , a linked list , a queue or the like , and may , for example , store a physical block number ( pbn ) or other indicia associated with each respective block . such a data structure for managing discarded blocks is referred to herein as a garbage pool . in order to manage flash memory according to some embodiments of the present invention , a reusable block management table may be maintained that includes a list of reusable blocks . the reusable block management table may also be implemented as a data structure such as an array , linked list , queue or the like . the reusable block management table may store both a pbn or other indicia of a reusable block along with a start address of an empty page in the block . the data structure for managing reusable blocks is also referred to herein as a reuse pool . all of the above - described tables may be stored , for example , in the map area of the flash memory device . fig7 is a flowchart of a method of processing a log block after a simple merge according to some embodiments of the present invention . as shown in fig7 , a simple merge is first performed ( block 110 ). after the simple merge , the log block becomes an invalid log block that does not have valid data . next , the amount of empty memory ( i . e ., the number of “ clean ” pages that have not had data written to the page since the last time the page was erased ) in the invalid log block is detected ( block 120 ). then , the detected number of clean pages is compared with a predetermined reference value , e . g ., a reference page count ( block 130 ). when the number of clean pages is greater than the reference page count , the invalid log block is allocated to the reuse pool together with a “ clean page start address ” that specifies the address of the first clean page ( block 140 ). a reusable block that is placed in the reuse pool can be used as a log block without first performing an erase operation thereon . when the number of clean pages is less than or equal to the reference page count , the invalid log block is allocated to the garbage pool ( block 150 ). fig8 is a schematic diagram that illustrates the states of a plurality of exemplary log blocks after simple merge operations are performed according to some embodiments of the present invention . as shown in fig8 , a plurality of log blocks are subjected to simple merge operations . some of the log blocks included a relatively large amount of data , while other of the log blocks included only a relatively small amount of data . using conventional flash memory device memory management techniques , all of the log blocks would be discarded and allocated to the garbage pool , regardless of the amount of programmed data in each log block . however , according to some embodiments of the present invention , the log blocks are classified after the simple merge depending upon the amount of data that was programmed into each log block . in particular , when the number of pages in the log block that includes programmed data exceeds the reference value , the log block is allocated to the garbage pool . when the number of pages in the log block that include programmed data is less than or equal to the reference value , the log block is instead allocated to the reuse pool . referring again to fig8 , the log blocks having pbns of 4 , 20 , 11 and 13 , respectively , are allocated to the garbage pool and the log blocks having pbns of 10 , 1 , 2 , and 5 , respectively , are allocated to the reuse pool . in fig8 , the designations & lt ; 12 & gt ;, & lt ; 10 & gt ;, & lt ; 4 & gt ; and & lt ; 12 & gt ; represent a start address of a clean page in a corresponding block . in this exemplary embodiment , the reference value is set to be 50 % ( i . e ., ½ ) of the total number of pages in a block . however , the reference value may be set to other values . fig9 illustrates a reusable block management table according to some embodiments of the present invention . when a log block is allocated to the reuse pool , the pbn of the log block and a starting address of the first clean page in the log block ( i . e ., a clean page starting number ) are recorded together in the reusable block management table . fig1 is a flowchart illustrating methods of allocating a new log block according to some embodiments of the present invention . as shown in fig1 , a request is received for recording or updating data stored in the flash memory ( block 200 ). in response to this request , a decision is made as to whether or not a new log block is necessary for recording the data ( block 210 ). if a new log block is not necessary , operations return to block 200 where another request to record data will eventually be received . if instead it is determined that a new log block is necessary , it is then determined whether an empty block in which no data has been written ( i . e ., a free block ) is needed ( block 220 ). if an empty block is necessary , next a determination is made as to whether or not a free block is presently available ( block 230 ). if so , a free block is allocated as the new log block into which the updated data is to be recorded ( block 260 ). if instead a free block is not available , then a block is selected from the garbage pool ( block 240 ) and the selected block is then erased to create the free block ( block 250 ), which is then allocated as the log block ( block 260 ). if the request to record data specifies an address corresponding to the first page of a block , it is typically necessary to obtain an empty block at decision block 220 of fig1 . however , in other instances an empty block is not necessary . in this situation , the method of fig1 proceeds from decision block 220 to decision block 270 , where it is determined whether at least one reusable block exists in the reuse pool . if so , a reusable block is selected from the reuse pool ( block 280 ), and the selected block is re - used as a log block ( block 290 ). the log block has an associated clean page start address ( or a clean page starting number ) and data is written starting at the clean page that corresponds to the clean page starting number . the above - described method for managing flash memory according to some embodiments of the present invention can be used for a flash memory based device . the flash memory based device includes at least one flash memory and a processor for managing the flash memory and may be , for example , a smart card or sd ( secure digital ) card . the flash memory based device may further include memory , e . g ., read - only memory ( rom ), for storing a program . for clarity of the description , the memory for storing a program is referred to as a first memory and the flash memory is referred to as a second memory in the flash memory based device . the above - described method for managing flash memory according to some embodiments of the present invention may be implemented as a program stored in the first memory that is run on the processor . the processor may manage the second memory by executing the program stored in the first memory . a method of managing flash memory according to some embodiments of the present invention may be embodied as a program and stored in a recording medium . according to some embodiments of the present invention , among log blocks that become invalid due to a merge operation , log blocks having over a predetermined percent of clean pages are not erased , and instead are reused as new log blocks , so that an erase count of the device is reduced . as a result , the life span of flash memory having a limited program / erase count can be expanded . in addition , a new log block may be selected from the reuse pool and used immediately without performing an erase operation . accordingly , time for the erase is not necessary , and therefore , performance may be improved . when the randomness of a pattern of recorded data increases , the frequency at which simple merge of log blocks that have significant amounts of unused space may increase . the present invention may be particularly effective when the frequency of simple merges is high , when the block size is large , and / or when the number of unused log and free blocks is small . the present invention has been described herein with reference to block diagrams and / or flowchart illustrations of methods , devices and / or computer program products according to embodiments of the invention . it is understood that a block of the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustrations , and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowchart illustrations , can be implemented by computer program instructions . these computer program instructions may be provided to a processor or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine , such that the instructions , which execute via the processor or other programmable data processing apparatus , create means ( functionality ) and / or structure for implementing the functions / acts specified in the block diagrams and / or flowchart block or blocks . these computer program instructions may be stored in a computer - readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner , such that the instructions stored in the computer - readable memory produce an article of manufacture including instructions which implement the function / act specified in the block diagrams and / or flowchart block or blocks . the computer program instructions may also be loaded into a processor or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed to produce a computer - implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the processor or other programmable apparatus provide steps for implementing the functions / acts specified in the block diagrams and / or flowchart block or blocks . accordingly , aspects of the present invention may be embodied in hardware and / or in software ( including firmware , resident software , micro - code , etc .). furthermore , the present invention may take the form of a computer program product on a computer - usable or computer - readable storage medium having computer - usable or computer - readable program code embodied in the medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system . it should also be noted that in some alternate implementations , the functions / acts noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in the flowcharts . for example , two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order , depending upon the functionality / acts involved . moreover , the functionality of a given block of the flowcharts and / or block diagrams may be separated into multiple blocks and / or the functionality of two or more blocks of the flowcharts and / or block diagrams may be at least partially integrated . while the present invention has been shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention , as defined by the following claims .	6
the present invention comprises a new class of compounds , amidine derivatives of 2 - heteroaryl quinazolines and quinolines of formula ( i ), useful in therapy especially for the treatment of various pain conditions such as chronic pain , neuropathic pain , acute pain , cancer pain , pain caused by arthritis and visceral pain . compounds of the invention are also endowed with anti - inflammatory properties acting on the expression and cellular production of several pro - inflammatory mediators such as pge 2 and cytokines , thus can be useful pharmacological agents for the treatment of arthritis , rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis , intestinal inflammatory conditions such as ulcerative colitis and chron &# 39 ; s disease . x is independently selected from a carbon or a nitrogen atom ; z and y are independently selected from an oxygen atom (— o —), a sulphur atom (— s —), or the groups : — so 2 —, — ch 2 —, — chr 2 —, — ch ═, — cr 2 ═, — nh —, — n ═; q is independently selected from the groups : — ch 2 —, chr 2 —, — ch ═, — cr 2 ═, — ch 2 — ch 2 —, — chr 2 — ch 2 —; provided that the combination of y , z , q groups give rise to a benzocondesed hexa - atomic or penta - atomic heterocycles , preferably selected from 1 , 3 - benzodioxole , 1 , 3 - benzodithiol , benzofuran , 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzofuran , benzothiophene , 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzothiophene , 2 , 3 - dihydrobenzothiophene s , s - dioxide , indole , 2 , 3 - dihydroindole , benzimidazole , benzoxazole , benzothiazole , 2h - 3 , 4 - dihydrobenzopyran , 2h - 3 , 4 - dihydrobenzo - thiopyran , 2h - 3 , 4 - dihydrobenzothiopyran s , s - dioxide , [ 1 , 4 ]- benzodioxine , 2 , 3 - dihydro -[ 1 , 4 ]- benzodioxine ( 1 , 4 - benzodioxan ), 1 , 4 - benzothiazine , 2 , 3 - dihydro -[ 1 , 4 ]- benzothiazine , 2 , 3 - dihydro -[ 1 , 4 ]- benzothiazine s , s - dioxide , [ 1 , 4 ]- benzoxazine and 2 , 3 - dihydro -[ 1 , 4 ]- benzoxazine ; r 1 is independently selected from c 1 - c 4 alkyl or c 1 - c 4 cycloalkyl ; the c 1 - c 4 alkyl group being a linear or branched , saturated or unsaturated , hydrocarbon chain ; the c 1 - c 4 cycloalkyl group being a cyclic c 1 - c 4 hydrocarbon ring , optionally substituted with not more than two methyl or ethyl groups ; r 2 is independently selected from c 1 - c 4 alkyl , alkoxy (— or 1 ), phenyl or substituted phenyl , benzyl or substituted benzyl ; the substituted phenyl herein being preferably a phenyl bearing one or two substituents independently selected from fluorine , chlorine , bromine , cyano , nitro , methyl , trifluoromethyl ; the substituted benzyl being preferably a benzyl group where the phenyl is substituted with one or two substituents independently selected from fluorine , chlorine , bromine , cyano , nitro , methyl , trifluoromethyl . according to this invention the compounds of formula ( i ) may be used as the free base or as a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , or as a solvate or hydrate form of such salt . the salts of the compounds of formula ( i ) are pharmaceutically acceptable addition salts with inorganic and organic acids . representative not limiting examples of inorganic salts are : hydrochloride , hydrobromide , hydrogensulphate and sulphate . representative not limiting examples of organic salts are : maleate , fumarate , oxalate , methanesulfonate , succinate , ascorbate , tartrate . for compounds of formula ( i ), tautomers are possible , the present invention is also directed to all possible tautomers of these compounds . p in another embodiment this invention provides methods for the preparation of compounds of formula ( i ). in a further embodiment this invention provides pharmaceutical compositions for compounds of formula ( i ), useful for the treatment of pain and inflammatory disorders as discussed above . within the scope of the present invention the term pharmaceutical composition ( drug product ) refers to any oral , parenteral or topical dosage form , suitable for the treatment of the above pathologies , that contains an effective amount of at least one of the active pharmaceutical ingredients ( drug substances ), compounds of formula ( i ), its salts or solvates , and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier , excipients or diluents as defined below , for oral , parenteral or topic administration . representative not limiting examples of compounds of formula ( i ) are listed in table 1 . compounds of formula ( i ) are prepared by reacting a compound of formula ii with a compound of formula ( iii ) as depicted in scheme 1 , wherein x , y , z , q , r 1 and r 2 have the same meanings as discussed above for compounds of formula ( i ) while w is an alkoxy group ( ethoxy or methoxy ) or an alkylthio group ( thiomethyl or 2 - naphtylthiomethyl ): the reaction of a compound of formula ( ii ) with a compound of formula ( iii ) is performed in a suitable solvent , such as : ethanol or methanol , acetonitrile , n , n - dimethylformamide ( dmf ) or tetrahydrofuran ( thf ), at a temperature between 0 ° c . and reflux temperature , analogously to the described procedures for alkoxyimidates ( j . med . chem ., 1990 , 33 , 2108 - 2113 ) or thioimidates ( tetrahedron letters 1997 , 179 - 182 ). alternatively compounds of formula ( i ) can be obtained from compounds of formula ( ii ) by reaction with the appropriate nitrile ( r 1 — cn ), under dry hydrochloric acid catalysis ; in the case of acetonitrile the nitrile itself can be the reaction solvent , for other cases a suitable inert solvent such as dichloromethane or tetrahydrofurane is used . optionally , the following steps can complete the conversion of a compound of formula ( ii ) into a compound of formula ( i ): removal of any protecting group present conversion of the product into a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or solvate . especially for those cases where in compounds of formula ( i ) the z - q - y substitution pattern is forming an heterocycle containing a basic nitrogen ( typical examples being : 2 , 3 - dihydroindole , 2 , 3 - dihydro -[ 1 , 4 ]- benzothiazine , 2 , 3 - dihydro -[ 1 , 4 ]- benzothiazine s , s - dioxide , 2 , 3 - dihydro -[ 1 , 4 ]- benzoxazine ) protection of this nitrogen is necessary before preparation of compounds of formula ( i ). suitable nitrogen protecting groups are in this case trifluoroacetamide , tert - butoxycarbonyl and benzyloxycarbonyl groups , more preferably the benzyloxycarbonyl protecting group . for these cases the protecting group removal will be the last step in the preparation of compounds of formula ( i ). conversion of a compound of formula ( i ) into one of the above mentioned pharmaceutically acceptable salts or solvates or hydrates thereof , is easily achievable according to methods well known in the art . for example the acid addition salt or its solvate may be obtained by treatment of a compound of formula ( i ) with an appropriate acid , in an inert solvent followed by precipitation , isolation and optionally re - crystallization by known methods . compounds of formula ( ii ) are obtained from compounds of formula ( iii ), as reported in scheme 2 , wherein x , y , z , q , r 1 , have the same meanings as discussed above for compounds of formula ( i ). the nitro group reduction can be carried out by method well known in the art ( p . rylander , catalytic hydrogenation in organic synthesis , academic press , 1979 ), for example using hydrogen and a catalyst such as pd / c or pto 2 , in a suitable solvent ; alternatively the nitro group can be reduced using chemical reducing agents , such as stannous chloride ( bellamy , tetrahedron letters , 1984 , 839 - 842 ) or iron ( merlic , joc , 1995 , 33 - 65 ). alternatively a compound of formula ( ii ) can be obtained from a compound of formula ( iiia ), as reported in scheme 3 , wherein x , y , z , q , have the same meanings as discussed above for compounds of formula ( i ) and t is selected from the groups : phch 2 o — or t but - o —, cf 3 —, ch 3 —, ph -. the suitable conditions for protecting group removal will depend upon the used protecting group , and by the other protecting groups which could be present in the molecule , according to methods well known in the art ( t . w . green . and p . wuts , protective groups in organic synthesis , 1991 , j . w . & amp ; s .). for example , in the case the z - q - y substitution pattern is forming an heterocycle containing a basic nitrogen ( typical examples being : 2 , 3 - dihydroindole , 2 , 3 - dihydro -[ 1 , 4 ]- benzothiazine , 2 , 3 - dihydro -[ 1 , 4 ]- benzothiazine s , s - dioxide , 2 , 3 - dihydro -[ 1 , 4 ]- benzoxazine ) protection of the nitrogen on the heterocycle is preferably achieved using a benzyloxycarbonyl group or a tert - butoxy carbonyl group while the t group will be preferably a — cf 3 or ch 3 group . compounds of formula ( iii ) and ( iiia ) can be prepared by reacting compounds of formula ( iv ) and ( iva ) with compounds of formula ( v ) in the case compounds formula ( iii ) and ( iiia ) are quinolines derivatives , as detailed in scheme 4 : in scheme 4 , y , z , q , have the same meanings as discussed above for compounds of formula ( i ), t is as discussed above , and the substituent in position 2 of the quinoline derivative of formula ( iv ) and ( iva ) is a chlorine atom . in compounds of formula ( v ) the substituent m is a metal containing group such as : boronate [— b ( oh ) 2 ], stannane [— sn ( me ) 3 or — sn ( nbut ) 3 ], zinc (— zncl ). when the m group is a boronate group the coupling reaction between a compound of formula ( iv ) and a compound of formula ( v ) can be carried out using the suzuki diaryl - coupling , well known in the art ( d . g . hall , boronic acids , wiley - vch , 2005 ). when the m group is a stannane , the coupling reaction can be carried out using the stille &# 39 ; s reaction ( analogously to joc , 2000 , 2802 - 2805 or bull . chem . soc . jpn . 1983 , 3855 ). when the m group is zinc (— zncl ) the coupling reaction can be obtained using the known arylzinc diaryl - coupling procedure ( analogously to joc , 1997 , 3158 ). compounds of formula ( v ) are commercially available or can be obtained from commercially available compounds by standard procedures . compound of formula ( iv ) and ( iva ) are prepared as described by literature ( byoung , heterocycles , 1998 , 48 , 12 , 65 ). compounds of formula ( iii ) and ( iiia ), in the case they are quinazoline derivatives , can be prepared by reacting compounds of formula ( vi ) and ( via ) with compounds of formula ( vii ), as detailed in scheme 5 . reaction of compounds of formula ( vi ) and ( via ) with acyl chlorides of formula ( vii ) can be performed in the presence of an organic ( for example triethylamine ) or an inorganic ( for example k 2 co 3 ) base , in a suitable inert solvent such as dichlorometane , dimethylformamide , dioxane , tetrahydrofurane and toluene , to provide the corresponding amides , that can be isolated or directly cyclized to the corresponding 3 , 4 - dihydroquinazoline . cyclization can occur spontaneously in the acylation medium or by heating the amides in the presence of an acid catalyst ( such as para - toluensolfonic acid ), in a suitable solvent ( i . e . toluene ), or by reaction of the amides with pocl 3 in an inert solvent such as toluene or dimethoxyethane . oxidation of the intermediate 3 , 4 - dihydroquinazoline to the corresponding compound of formula ( iii ) and ( iiia ) can be obtained spontaneously by air oxidation or using oxidizing agents such as ddq ( 2 , 3 - dichloro - 5 , 6 - dicyanoquinone ), tcq ( tetracyanoquinone ) or mno 2 depending upon the substrate . compounds of formula ( vi ) can be obtained from commercially available 5 - nitro - anthranilonitrile , by reduction of the nitrile group with a suitable reducing agent such as borane in tetrahydrofurane , sodiumborohydride and nickel chloride or cobaltum chloride in methanol or ethanol , sodiumborohydride and borotrifluoride in ethyl ether or tetrahydrofurane . compounds of formula ( via ) can be prepared from commercially available 5 - nitro - anthranilonitrile by protection of the 2 - aniline group , reduction of the 5 - nitro group , protection of the 5 - anilino group , followed by deblocking of the 2 - amino protecting group . the protecting groups should be suitably selected , for instance a trifluoroacetamido group can be introduced firstly onto the 2 - amino group , then after reduction of the nitro group , the “ orthogonal ” tert - butoxycarbonyl protecting group can be introduced on the 5 - amino group . treatment with potassium carbonate in methanol will give rise to the selective removal of the trifluoroacetamido group . alternatively , quinazolines of formula ( iii ) can be prepared by reacting the compound of formula ( viii ) with compounds of formula ( ix ), as described in scheme 6 . the coupling reaction can be obtained according to standard methods , as reported by literature for analogous substrates ( woohdge , j . med . chem ., 1975 , 1117 ; kotsuki synlett , 1999 , 1993 ). the compound of formula ( viii ) is commercially available , compounds of formula ( ix ) can be prepared from commercially available compounds according to standard procedures . alternatively , quinazolines of formula ( ii ) can be prepared by reduction of tosylhydrazones of formula ( x ) which are in turn obtained by 4 - chloro - 6 - nitro - quinazoline of formula ( xi ), as described in scheme 7 . conversion of a compound of formula ( x ) into a compound of formula ( ii ) can be obtained by using reducing agents such as hydrogen and pd / c in a suitable solvent such as thf and ethanol in the presence of sodiumhydroxide , according to standard procedures , for example as described for analogous substrates ( gomtsyan , j . med . chem ., 2005 , 744 ). compounds of formula ( xi ) can be obtained by treatment of corresponding quinazolinones ( xii ) with socl 2 , or pocl 3 or pcl 3 . quinazolinones of formula ( xii ), as described in scheme 8 , are in turn obtained from bis - amides of formula ( xiii ), by treatment with potassium hydroxide according to standard procedures . amides of formula ( xiii ) are obtained by hydrogen peroxide oxidation in aqueous sodium hydroxide of amido - nitriles of formula ( xiv ), which are in turn obtained by reaction of 5 - nitro - anthranilonitrile with the appropriate acyl - chloride of formula ( vii ) as detailed in scheme 9 . not limiting representative examples for preparations of compounds of formula ( i ) are reported below . a suspension in ethanol ( 80 ml ) of 6 - amino - 2 -( 3 , 4 - methylendi - oxy - phenyl )- quinazoline ( 5 g , 0 . 019 mol ) and s - 2 - naphthylmethyl thioacetimidate bromidrate ( 5 . 63 g , 0 . 019 mol , prepared as described in tetrahedron letters 38 , 179 - 182 ( 1997 ), was stirred at r . t . for 24 hrs . then s - 2 - naphthylmethyl thioacetimidate bromidrate ( 2 . 8 g , 0 . 010 mol ) was added and the mixture was stirred at r . t . for further 24 hrs ., then was concentrated under reduced pressure . the residue was partitioned between ethyl acetate and water . the aqueous layer was basified with na 2 co 3 and extracted with ethyl acetate . the product was extracted with aqueous hcl ( 0 . 001 n ) for three times . the aqueous layers were collected , basified with na 2 co 3 and extracted with ethyl acetate . the organic layer was washed with water and dried over na 2 so 4 , concentrated under reduced pressure , and then the residue was triturated with diethyl ether . the yellow solid was filtered and dried in vacuum to give the titled product ( 2 . 4 g , 42 % yield ). c 17 h 14 n 4 o 2 ; mw : 306 . 33 ; mp 195 . 9 - 196 . 9 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d6 ) 9 . 42 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 13 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 97 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 87 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 44 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 26 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 07 ( d , 1h ), 6 . 46 ( s , 2h ), 6 . 12 ( s , 2h ), 1 . 82 - 1 . 99 ( m , 3h ); ir ( kbr ) 3414 , 1640 , 1444 , 1253 ; tlc ( chcl 3 : meoh : h 2 o : nh 3 85 : 25 : 2 : 1 ) rf = 0 . 65 a suspension of 6 - nitro - 2 -( 1 , 3 - benzodioxole - 5 - yl )- quinazoline ( 37 g , 0 . 126 mol ) and sncl 2 2h 2 o ( 117 . 2 g , 0 . 504 mol ) in ethanol ( 500 ml ) was heated at reflux for 1 h . after cooling to r . t ., the solvent was removed under reduced pressure , chloroform was added and the mixture was basified with ammonia . the precipitate was filtered off and washed with chloroform . the filtrates were collected , washed with water and then dried over na 2 so 4 . the solution was concentrated under reduced pressure , and then the residue was triturated with diisopropyl ether / petroleum ether . the yellow solid was filtered and dried in vacuum ( 21 . 2 g , 64 % yield ). c 15 h 11 n 3 o 2 , mw : 265 . 27 ; mp 191 - 192 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d6 ) 9 . 24 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 05 ( dd , 1h ), 7 . 91 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 73 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 39 ( dd , 1h ), 7 . 03 ( d , 1h ), 6 . 90 ( d , 1h ), 6 . 11 ( s , 2h ), 5 . 93 ( s , 2h ); ir ( kbr ) 3319 , 3203 , 1631 , 1500 , 1446 ; tlc ( chcl3 / meoh 9 / 1 ) rf = 0 . 3 . to a suspension of 5 - nitro - 2 - amino - benzylamine hydrochloride ( 31 g , 0 . 152 mol ) in dichloromethane ( dcm ) ( 450 ml ) was added at 0 ° c . tea ( 52 . 6 ml , 0 . 38 mol ) and a solution of piperonyloyl chloride ( 27 . 3 g , 0 . 16 mol ) in dcm ( 80 ml ). the mixture was stirred for 2 hours at r . t . the solvent was removed under reduced pressure and the residue was triturated with ethanol / water 1 / 9 and then with diisopropyl ether . the obtained solid was dried in vacuum and suspended in toluene ( 900 ml ) and pocl 3 ( 670 ml ). the mixture was heated at reflux for 2 hours and after the removal of solvent the residue was triturated with water / ammonia , washed with water and dried over p 2 o 5 . a mixture of the obtained solid and chloranile ( 32 . 7 g , 0 . 129 mol ) in toluene ( 500 ml ) was heated at reflux for 2 hours . the mixture was concentrated under reduced pressure and the residue was triturated with naoh 1m , washed with water and with methanol . the obtained solid was dried in vacuum ( 37 g , 83 % yield ). c 15 h 9 n 3 o 4 , mw = 295 . 26 . mp : 220 - 222 ° c . a solution of borane in thf ( 1 m , 840 ml ) was added to a suspension of 5 - nitro - anthranilonitrile ( 120 g , 0 . 70 mol ) in thf ( 1 . 2 l ) under nitrogen at 0 ° c . the mixture was stirred for 2 hours at r . t . after cooling at 0 ° c . etoh absolute ( 400 ml ) was added , then hcl was bubbled for 45 minutes . the mixture was concentrated under reduced pressure and the residue was triturated with ethanol and then with diisopropyl ether . the obtained solid was dried in vacuum to give the hydrochloride salt ( 140 g , 99 % yield ). c 7 h 10 n 3 o 2 cl , mw : 203 . 63 . tlc ( chcl 3 : meoh : h 2 o : nh 3 85 : 25 : 2 : 1 ) rf = 0 . 3 . 6 - amino - 2 -( 1 , 3 - benzodioxol - 5 - yl )- quinoline ( 1 . 0 g , 3 . 78 mmol ) is dissolved in acetonitrile ( 30 ml ). the solution is cooled to 0 ° c . and hcl ( gas ) is bubbled for 30 minutes . the reaction mixture is stirred at r . t . for 12 hours . the product is filtered off and washed with acetonitrile and isopropyl ether . 1 . 5 g of yellow solid was obtained . c 18 h 17 cl 2 n 3 o 2 , m . w . : 378 . 26 ; m . p : 261 . 4 - 265 . 5 ° c . ; 1 h - nmr ( d 6 - dmso ): 11 . 93 ( s , 1h ); 9 . 75 ( s , 1h ); 8 . 80 ( s , 1h ); 8 . 57 ( d , 1h ); 8 . 27 - 8 . 23 ( m , 2h ); 8 . 03 ( s , 1h ); 7 . 91 ( d , 2h ); 7 . 88 ( d , 1h ); 7 . 12 ( d , 1h ); 6 . 16 ( s , 2h ); 5 . 90 ( m , 1h ). ir ( kbr ): 3394 , 2772 , 1598 , 1501 , 1345 , 1259 cm − 1 . hplc conditions : supelcosil lc - dp column ; 150 × 46 mm ; eluent kh 2 po 4 10 mm with 25 / 27 / 48 h 3 po 4 / methanol / acetonitrile ( ph = 3 . 7 ); flow 0 . 45 ml / min ; uv detector at 214 . 0 nm . 10 % pd / c ( 0 . 29 g , 0 . 27 mmol ) is added to 2 -( 1 , 3 - benzodioxol - 5 - yl )- 6 - nitroquinoline ( 2 . 0 g , 6 . 80 mmol ) in methanol / thf ( 80 ml / 80 ml ). the mixture is hydrogenated at r . t . for 2 hours . the catalyst is filtered off and the filtrate is concentrated to afford 1 . 31 g ( 73 %) of the titled product . c 16 h 12 n 2 o 2 , m . w . : 264 . 29 . 1 h - nmr ( d 6 - dmso ): 8 . 00 ( d , 1h ); 7 . 83 - 7 . 63 ( m , 4h ); 7 . 20 ( d , 1h ); 7 . 16 ( d , 1h ); 6 . 84 ( s , 1h ); 6 . 07 ( s , 2h ); 5 . 65 ( s , 2h ). rf ( 9 / 1 chloroform / methanol ): 0 . 50 . 2 - chloro - 6 - nitroquinoline ( 5 . 2 g , 25 mmol ) ( prepared according to byoung s . l . et al . heterocycles . 1998 , 48 . 12 , 65 ), 3 , 4 -( methylenedioxy ) phenylboronic acid ( 5 . 0 g , 30 mmol ), palladium dichloride bis ( triphenilphosphine ) ( 350 mg , 0 . 5 mmol ) and barium hydroxide octahydrate ( 18 . 9 g , 60 mmol ) in 150 ml of anhydrous thf are stirred at 65 ° c . for 20 hours . the mixture of reaction is evaporated under vacuum and the residue is chromatographed on silica gel ( ch 2 cl 2 ) to afford 2 . 0 g ( 27 %) of the titled product . c 16 h 10 n 2 o 4 , m . w : 294 . 27 , 1 h - nmr ( d 6 - dmso ): 8 . 95 ( s , 1h ); 8 . 65 ( s , 1h ); 8 . 95 ( d , 1h ); 8 . 40 ( dd , 1h ); 8 . 19 - 8 . 11 ( m , 2h ); 7 . 87 ( d , 2h ); 7 . 05 ( d , 1h ); 6 . 10 ( s , 2h ). rf ( ch 2 cl 2 ): 0 . 50 . this compound was synthesized in 46 % yield , according to the procedure described in example 1 for the synthesis of n -[ 2 -( 1 , 3 - benzodioxole - 5 - yl ) quinazolin - 6 - yl ] acetamidine . c 18 h 16 n 4 o 2 , mw : 320 . 35 , mp 191 . 7 - 192 . 6 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 ) 9 . 42 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 98 - 8 . 05 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 87 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 20 - 7 . 46 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 00 ( d , 1h ), 6 . 40 ( s , 1h ), 4 . 33 ( s , 4h ), 1 . 70 - 2 . 10 ( m , 3h ); ir ( kbr ) 3439 , 1638 , 1558 , 1432 , 1347 ; tlc ( chcl 3 : meoh : h 2 o : nh 3 85 : 25 : 2 : 1 ) rf = 0 . 38 . this compound was synthesized in 67 % yield , according to the procedure described in example 1 for the synthesis of 6 - amino - 2 -( 1 , 3 - benzodioxol - 5 - yl )- quinazoline . c 16 h 13 n 3 o 2 , mw : 279 . 30 , mp 179 . 4 - 181 . 6 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d6 ) 9 . 24 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 92 - 7 . 98 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 72 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 38 ( dd , 1h ), 6 . 89 - 6 . 99 ( m , 2h ), 5 . 91 ( s , 2h ), 4 . 31 ( s , 4h ); ir ( kbr ) 1555 , 1507 , 1286 ; tlc ( chcl 3 / meoh / nh 3 95 / 5 / 0 . 5 ) rf = 0 . 50 . this compound was synthesized in 70 % yield , according to the procedure described in example 1 for the synthesis of 6 - nitro - 2 -( 1 , 3 - benzodioxole - 5 - yl )- quinazoline . c 16 h 11 n 3 o 4 , mw : 309 . 28 . mp . 263 - 265 ° c . ; tlc ( tol / acoet 7 / 3 ) rf = 0 . 80 . a suspension of 6 - amino - 2 -( 2 , 3 - dihydro - 5 - benzofuryl )- quinazoline ( 1 . 4 g , 0 . 0053 mol ) in mecn ( 50 ml ) was satured with hcl at 0 ° c . and stirred at r . t . for 24 hrs . the precipitated was filtered and triturated with acetone / methanol . the light yellow solid was filtered and dried in vacuum at 40 ° c . to give the titled compound , 1 . 3 g , 65 % yield ). c 18 h 18 n 4 ocl 2 , mw : 377 . 27 . mp 186 - 192 ° c . 1 h nmr ( dmso - d6 ) 11 . 93 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 80 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 70 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 84 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 38 - 8 . 46 ( m , 2h ), 8 . 10 - 8 . 15 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 89 ( dd , 1h ), 6 . 95 ( d , 1h ), 4 . 66 ( t , 2h ), 3 . 32 ( t , 2h ), 2 . 44 ( s , 3h ); ir ( kbr ) 3037 , 1611 , 1505 , 1243 ; tlc ( chcl 3 : meoh : h 2 o : nh 3 85 : 25 : 2 : 1 ) rf = 0 . 58 . this compound was synthesized in 73 % yield , according to the procedure described in example 1 for the synthesis of 6 - amino - 2 -( 1 , 3 - benzodioxol - 5 - yl )- quinazoline . c 16 h 13 n 3 o , mw : 263 . 30 . tlc ( chcl3 / meoh 9 / 1 ) rf = 0 . 65 . this compound was synthesized in 15 % yield , according to the procedure described in example 1 for the synthesis of 6 - nitro - 2 -( 1 , 3 - benzodioxol - 5 - yl )- quinazoline . c16h 11 n 3 o 3 , mw : 293 . 28 . 1 h nmr ( dmso - d6 ) 9 . 91 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 17 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 66 ( dd , 1h ), 8 . 42 - 8 . 49 ( m , 2h ), 8 . 15 ( d , 1h ), 6 . 97 ( d , 1h ), 4 . 68 ( t , 2h ), 3 . 28 ( t , 2h ). this compound was synthesized in 19 % yield , according to the procedure described in example 1 for n -[ 2 -( 1 , 3 - benzodioxolyl ) quinazoline - 6 - yl ] acetamidine . the free base was converted into the hydrochloride salt by treating its methanol suspension with isopropyl ether / hcl and evaporating the resulting suspension . the solid was triturated in acetone and dried under vacuum at 40 ° c . mp 190 - 195 ° c . ; 1 h nmr ( dmso - d6 ) 12 . 10 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 89 ( s , 1h ), 9 . 79 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 92 ( d , 1h ), 8 . 60 ( dd , 1h ), 8 . 11 - 8 . 22 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 94 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 79 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 16 ( d , 1h ), 5 . 26 ( s , 2h ), 2 . 47 ( s , 3h ); ir ( kbr ) 2802 , 1678 , 1610 , 1503 ; tlc ( chcl 3 / meoh / h 2 o / nh 3 85 / 25 / 2 / 1 ) rf = 0 . 28 . this compound was synthesized in 59 % yield , according to the procedure described in example 1 for the synthesis of 6 - amino - 2 -( 1 , 3 - benzodioxol - 5 - yl )- quinazoline . 1 h nmr ( dmso - d6 ) 9 . 31 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 77 ( s , 1h ), 8 . 48 ( dd , 1h ), 8 . 06 ( d , 1h ), 7 . 68 - 7 . 80 ( m , 2h ), 7 . 41 ( dd , 1h ), 7 . 10 ( d , 1h ), 6 . 93 ( d , 1h ); tlc ( tol / acoet 7 / 3 ) rf = 0 . 35 this compound was synthesized in 76 % yield , according to the procedure described in example 1 for the synthesis of 6 - nitro - 2 -( 1 , 3 - benzodioxol - 5 - yl )- quinazoline . tlc ( tol / acoet 7 / 3 ) rf = 0 . 80 the efficacy of the compounds of formula ( i ) for the treatment of inflammatory or neuropathic pain along with the inflammatory related disorders mentioned above has been determined using the following in vitro assays and in vivo animal models . compounds of the invention are not effective in inhibiting cycloxygenase enzymes ( cox - 1 and cox - 2 ), since they have been proved not to be effective up to 10 − 5 m concentration , in standard in vitro test either for cox - 1 or for cox - 2 enzyme inhibition . conversely , compounds of the invention are able to inhibit , at micromolar concentration , il - 1β induced pge 2 production in cellular systems . this inhibition effect on the production of the pro - inflammatory mediator pge 2 , instead of to be ascribed to a direct cox - 2 inhibition , as happens with celecoxib and other cox - 2 inhibitors , is in this case due to inhibition of cytokine induced cox - 2 expression as proven in cellular systems . effectiveness in inhibition of pge 2 production induced by il - 1β in chondrocyte cell culture , as well as inhibition in il - 1β induced cox - 2 expression in sw1353 human chondrosarcoma cell line , is summarized in table 2 , for representative compounds of the invention . furthermore compounds of the invention are not effective in inhibiting nitric oxide synthase enzymes , since they have been proved not to be effective even at the higher concentrations , in standard in vitro test for inos and nnos enzyme inhibition . in addition no activity in inhibition of il - 1β induced no production in cellular systems was found , as well as the compounds were found not effective in inhibiting inos expression in il - 1β stimulated sw1353 human chondrosarcoma cell line . the compounds of the invention have been found effective in interfering with cytokine production in several cell lines , representative examples of this effect are reported in table 3 , for two representative cytokines , in il - 1 stimulated human chondrosarcoma cell line . to this cytokine modulator property can be ascribed completely or in part the striking anti - inflammatory and analgesic properties displayed by the compounds of the invention in in vivo models of inflammation and pain ( m . schafer , cytokines and peripheral analgesia , immune mechanisms of pain and analgesia , pg . 41 - 50 plenum publishers , 2003 ). the interplantar injection of zymosan - induced mechanical hyperalgesia was used as a model of inflammatory pain ( meller , neuropharmacology , 1994 , 33 , 1471 - 1478 ). in this model , typically a male sprague - dawley or wistar rat ( 200 - 250 g ) receives an interplantar injection of 3 mg / 100 μl zymosan into one hind paw . a marked inflammation occurs in this hind paw . drugs are administered orally for evaluation of efficacy , 30 min . before the inflammatory insult . the hyperalgesia induced by zymosan administration was evaluated using the randall - selitto method ( arch . int . pharmacodyn ., 1957 , 111 , 409 ). the quantitation of the analgesic effect is achieved by an analgesimeter , which consist in applying to the inflamed paw an increasing weight ( from 130 - 140 g up to 500 g ). the difference in the mechanical pain threshold between the basal value ( generally 230 - 250 g ) and the one tolerated by the animals treated with the drug , determined 4 hours after the inflammatory challenge , is defined as mechanical hyperalgesia . mechanical hyperalgesia is expressed for the compounds of the invention as ed 50 , which is the dose of the administered compound able to increase the pain threshold by 50 % in comparison with the group of control animals . the corresponding ed 100 , representing the dose able of reducing of 100 % the pain threshold , can be calculated for those cases where there is a linear dose - response relationship . in vivo anti - inflammatory effect exerted by the compound of the invention can be assessed in the same zymosan induced inflammation test described above , by measuring the volume of the oedema induced by the inflammatory agent . the oedema was evaluated as the increase in the volume of the zymosan injected paw within a time of 0 - 2 hrs . the measurements of the variation of the oedema volume of the paw were recorded using hydroplethysmometer , which consists of two plastic cuvettes containing a surfactant liquid , the larger one being used for immersion of the paw , connected to the smaller one which contains a trans - ducer capable of recording small displacements of the volume used for the measure . the paw is immersed in the cuvettes up to the tibiotarsal joint . the volume of the liquid displaced is proportional to the extent of the inflammation . the efficacy of the compounds of the invention in preventing oedema formation is expressed as ed 30 , and is measured 2 hours after the inflammatory challenge , and represents the dose able of reducing of 30 %, the zymosan induced paw volume increase in comparison to control animals ( animals treated with zymosan but treated with only distilled water instead of the testing compound ). the corresponding ed 50 , representing the dose able of reducing of 50 % the zymosan induced paw volume increase , can be calculated for those cases where there is a linear dose - response relationship . in both the experiments , for each test compound , at least three doses were used , with 10 animals per group . compounds of the invention were tested at 10 , 20 and 40 mg / kg . the performance of representative compounds of formula ( i ), in the tests described above , is summarized for both the analgesic effect and the anti - inflammatory effect in table 4 , where the activity of the compounds of the invention is compared by the performance in the same test of well known standards . representative compounds of the invention demonstrated efficacy superior or comparable to the standards both in a test of analgesia and for anti - inflammatory effects . in addition , compounds of the invention did not displayed ulcerative side effects comparable to the ones displayed by nimesulide , even at the higher doses tested . analgesic activity of the compounds of formula ( i ) can be further evaluated in an animal model of chronic inflammatory pain . since clinically , inflammatory pain is most often associated with chronic conditions such as arthritis and chronic lower back pain , where any inflammation or plastic neuronal change in the peripheral and central nervous system would have been occurring for long time , chronic animal paradigms in which the inflammatory insult has had time to induce centrally mediate changes , may result more predictive models . the original model of chronic inflammatory pain was based on injection of inflammatory mediator ( adjuvant ) into the base of the tail in rats . as a consequence of this treatment , a polyarthritis comprising profound inflammation and hyperalgesia initially at the site of the injection occurs . however , due to t - cell mediated hypersensivity reaction , the disease develops , in a couple of weeks , in multiple joint involvement and subsequent lesions to eyes , ears , nose and genitals . these global effects are not reflecting those clinically observed in common pathologies characterized by chronic inflammatory pain . more recently , it was shown how the use of complete freund &# 39 ; s adjuvant ( cfa ; mycobacterium tuberculosis ) as triggering agent for the inflammatory response along with the use of an appropriate protocol can give rise to a more suitable model . cfa - induced prolonged inflammation has been used extensively in studies of behavioural pain response ( k . walker , animal models for pain research , mol med today , 1999 , 5 , 319 - 321 ) since it has been considered also suitable for studying involvement of neuronal plasticity in chronic pain ( s , naeini , remodelling of spinal nociceptive mechanisms in an animal model of monoarthritis , eur . j . neuroscience , 2005 , 22 , 8 , 2005 - 2015 ). experiments are performed as described in the literature ( c . j . woolf , cytokine , nerve growth factor and inflammatory hyperalgesia : the contribution of tumor necrosis factor α , br . j . of pharmacology , 1997 , 121 , 417 - 424 ); 8 rats were used for each group , each product was tested at three doses ( 3 , 10 , 30 mg / kg ), the products were administered i . p ., 24 hours after the interplantar challenge , and the analgesic activity was measured starting from the 24 hours following the challenge . in table 5 , results obtained in the cfa model , for representative compounds of formula ( i ) are listed in comparison to piroxicam , a recognized standard . analgesic effect is assessed using the same equipment as before described for the randall - selitto model , results are reported as maximum percent effect ( mpe ) which represents the difference (%) in pain threshold between the animals treated with the drug and the controls that received only the vehicle ( reduction of the nociceptive effect , due to paw loading with increasing weight , in comparison to controls which received cfa treatment ). 100 % protection means that the animal treated with the compound and cfa can tolerate the same stimulus ( weight ) as the control animal which has not received cfa treatment . mpe higher than 100 % mean that the animal treated with the compound and cfa can tolerate stimuli ( weight ) higher than the control animals , which has not received cfa treatment ( hypoalgesia ). the compounds of the invention demonstrated also in this test a pronounced , long lasting analgesic effect , at doses of 10 and 30 mg / kg , being the highest dose characterized with a remarkable hypoalgesic effect . at this dose the representative compounds are much more effective than piroxicam , the reference standard . painful diabetic neuropathy is one of the most common complications of insulin - dependent diabetes in man ; in particular , diabetes can be associated with neuropathic pain which fails to be treated by classical analgesics . streptozotocin ( stz )- induced diabetes in the rat has been increasingly used as a model of painful diabetic neuropathy to assess the efficacies of potential analgesic agents ( c . courteix , pain 1993 , 53 , 81 - 8 ). the compounds of the invention were tested for efficacy in reducing mechanical hyperalgesia associated with stz - induced diabetes in the rat , according to the experimental model as described by the literature . diabetes was produced with the injection of a single dose ( 75 mg / kg i . p .) of stz . in the following four weeks after the induction of diabetes the clinical symptoms ( weight , body and skin temperature , motility and hyperglycemia ) progressively developed by the animals , are strictly monitored . after four weeks , the scores obtained in diabetic rats to various pain stimuli ( in particular mechanical stimuli ) were grater than those in normal rats , indicating hyperalgesia . the hyperalgesia induced by diabetes was evaluated using the randall - selitto method as above described , and quantitated using the analgesimeter . also in this case , the difference in the mechanical pain threshold between the basal value ( generally 230 - 250 g ) and the one tolerated by the animals treated with the drug , is defined as mechanical hyperalgesia . the compounds of the invention were administered i . p . ( solution , tween 80 , 10 % in saline ) at different doses , and mechanical hyperalgesia was measured at the reported time , as maximum percent effect ( mpe ) which represents the difference (%) in pain threshold between the animals treated with the drug and the controls that received only the vehicle , compared with the weight borne by naïf non - diabetic controls . a 100 % protection means that the diabetic animals treated with the compound can tolerate the same stimulus ( weight ) as the naïf non - diabetic animals . mpe higher than 100 % means that the diabetic animal treated with the compound can tolerate stimuli ( weight ) higher than the control non - diabetic animals ( hypoalgesia ). in table 6 , the performance of a representative compound of formula ( i ), in the above described model of neuropathic pain , is compared with some known pharmacological standards used for the clinical treatment of this pathology . whereas the compounds of examples 1 , 2 , and 4 demonstrated to be quite effective , especially at the doses of 30 mg / kg , ( i . e . protection higher than 100 %). all of the standards used exhibited a much lower efficacy , if any , in this paradigm . with the aim of assessing whether the compounds of the invention are able to inhibit responses to peritoneal irritation - induced visceral pain , the acetic acid - induced writhing assay was used in mice to determine the degree of anti - nociception . the writhing test is a model of inflammatory pain that has long been used as a screening tool for evaluation of analgesic and anti - inflammatory agents ( hdj collier , b . j . pharmacol chemother ., 1968 , 32 , 295 - 310 ). the test was performed inducing nociception by an i . p . injection of acetic acid 1 %, 0 . 1 ml / 10 g of body weight . mice were pre - treated ( subcutaneously , s . c ., three different doses : 3 , 10 , 30 mg / kg ) with the tested compounds 30 min . before acetic acid injection , while control animals received a similar volume of saline solution . a group of mice was treated with paracetamol ( 200 mg / kg , s . c .) as reference drug . the number of abdominal writhes ( full extension of both hind paws ) was cumulatively counted every 5 minutes over a period of 20 min . immediately after the acetic acid injection . the anti - nociceptive activity was expressed as inhibition of abdominal writhes as maximum percent effect ( mpe ), which represents the difference (%) in pain threshold between the animals treated with the drug and the ones that received only the vehicle . in order to assess the possible not specific sedative or motor effects of the investigated compounds , and to distinguish analgesia from drug - induced motor changes , the motor activity of the animals that received the tested compounds was compared to mice receiving only the vehicle . in table 7 , the performance of representative compounds of formula ( i ), in the above described test of analgesia and peritoneal irritation - induced visceral pain , are compared with paracetamol . compounds of the invention where found much more effective than the standard in inhibiting peritoneal irritation - induced visceral pain . none of the tested compounds induced significant motor changes , indicating that they give analgesia devoid of non specific sedative or stimulating effects . the formalin test is increasingly used as a model of injury - produced pain ( fv . abbott , pain , 1995 , 60 , 91 - 102 ). the procedure used for the evaluation of the compounds of the invention was similar to that reported by literature ( s . hunskaar , pain , 1987 , 30 , 103 - 104 ), and consisted of the injection of 20 μl of 1 % solution of formalin dissolved in distilled water , in the plantar surface of the right hind paw of the mice . immediately , the animals were placed individually in an observation chamber . the amount of time that the animal spent licking the injected paw , considered indicative of pain , was recorded during 30 min . following formalin injection . the initial nociceptive scores normally peaked 5 min after formalin injection ( early phase ) and 15 - 30 min . after formalin injection ( late phase ), representing both the neurogenic and inflammatory pain responses respectively . animals were treated i . p . with an aqueous solution of the tested compound ( doses : 3 , 10 , 30 mg / kg ), 1 hour before the formalin injection . control animals received only the vehicle . in table 8 , the analgesic effect elicited in this test by a representative compound of formula ( i ), is expressed as ed 50 both for the early and late phase , and compared with the performance of the standard reference , paracetamol . the representative compound of the invention , compound of example 1 , demonstrated also in this test to be much more effective than paracetamol in both the early and late phase of pain . compounds of formula i can be used in the manufacture of a suitable medication for the therapeutic treatment of pain and inflammatory related disorders . especially for treatment of chronic pain disorders and immune - driven inflammatory events , which are a significant cause of many chronic inflammatory diseases where prolonged inflammation causes tissue destruction and results in extensive damage . accordingly , appropriate pharmaceutical composition of compounds of formula ( i ), their salts and solvates thereof can be used for the treatment of acute and chronic pain , including but not limited to inflammatory pain and associated hyperalgesia and allodynia , osteoarthritis pain , postoperative pain , pain associated with metastatic cancer , trigeminal neuralgia , acute herpetic and post herpetic neuralgia , neuropathic pain , diabetic neuropathy . in addition , appropriate pharmaceutical composition of compounds of formula ( i ), their salts , and solvates thereof can be used for the treatment of immune - driven inflammatory events including but not limited to arthritis , inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal tract , inflammatory urinary bladder disorders , inflammatory disorders of the respiratory tract , inflammatory eyes disorders . the compounds of the present invention may be administered orally , parenterally or topically , in a pharmacological effective amount . the term parenteral used herein includes intravenous , intramuscular , subcutaneous , intra - dermal and intra - articular . for all methods of treatment herein discussed for the compounds of formula ( i ), the daily oral dosage regimen will preferably be from about 0 . 1 to about 20 mg / kg of total body weight . it will also be recognised by one of skill in the art that the optimal quantity and spacing of individual dosages of a compound of formula ( i ) will be determined by the nature and extent of the condition being treated . this invention also relates to a composition suitable for the treatment of the above diseases , containing a pharmaceutically effective amount of a compound of formula ( i ), its salts , solvates and prodrugs thereof and its pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or diluent . in order to use a compound of formula ( i ) in therapy , it will normally be formulated into a dosage form in accordance with conventional methods of pharmacy and current guidelines and relevant good laboratory and manufacturing practices . the preferred route of administration for the compounds of the invention is oral . the compounds of the invention can be formulated in a wide variety of oral dosage forms , such as capsules , tablets , pills , powders and dispersible granules . suitable carriers can be one or more substances which may also act as diluents , flavouring agents , solubilizer , lubricants , suspending agents , binders . suitable carriers include but are not limited to magnesium carbonate , magnesium stearate , talc , lactose , pectin , dextrin , starch , methylcellulose , sodium carboxymethyl cellulose , cocoa butter and the like . techniques used to prepare oral formulations are the conventional mixing , granulation and compression or capsules filling . other forms suitable for oral administration include emulsions , syrups and aqueous solutions . emulsions can be prepare using emulsifying agents for example lecithin , propylene glycol or sorbitan monooleate . aqueous solutions can be prepare by dissolving the active component in water and adding suitable colorants , flavours , stabilising agents . the compounds of the present invention may be formulated for parenteral administration ( e . g ., by injection or by continuous infusion ) as a compostion with suitable carriers including aqueous vehicles solutions ( i . e . : saline dextrose ) or and / or oily emulsions . the drug product may be presented in unit dose forms , for example in ampoules or pre - filled syringes . formulation suitable for topical administration include liquid or semi - liquid preparations suitable for the penetration through the skin ( e . g : liniments , lotions , ointments , creams and pastes ) and drops suitable for administration to the eyes .	2
the dominator wire of the present invention is shown generally at 10 in the plan view of fig1 . the dominator wire 10 comprises a plurality of strands 20 , 30 , 40 and 50 . while the number of strands used to make up the wire are not critical , in the preferred embodiment , four strands are used . each strand has the same configuration . for example , first strand 20 has an outer insulation layer 22 and an inner conducting core 24 as shown in fig2 . similarly , second strand 30 has an outer insulation layer 32 and an inner conducting core 34 . again , third strand 40 has an outer insulation layer 42 and an inner conducting core 44 . finally , fourth strand 40 has an outer insulation layer 42 and an inner conducting core 44 . the plurality of strands are arranged in a braided or twisted configuration as shown in fig1 . this braided or twisted configuration enhances the flexibility and strength of the wire . it is often necessary to orient the wire around obstacles or to have the wire turn corners or pass over or under objects . the braided or twisted configuration of the wire allows for about any orientation desired due to the flexibility that a braided or twisted design imparts to the wire . insulating disks 12 are provided at selected , evenly spaced locations along the wire 10 . the distance between each disk 12 is selected so that a bird will not be able to get both of its feet on the wire 10 between two adjacent disks 12 . the disks also serve the additional function of assisting in holding the strands of the wire together . between any two of the disks 12 , one of the strands is provided with an exposed metal conductor segment . for example , between disk 12a and disk 12b , the strand 20 has an exposed metal conductor segment 26a that extends through the insulation layer 22 and is in electrical contact with the inner conducting core 24 . the conductor segment 26a is exposed along the surface of the strand 20 for the entire length of the strand 20 between the disk 12a and the disk 12b . between the next two disks , 12b and 12c , the strand 30 has an exposed metal conductor segment 36 which similarly extends through the surface of the insulation layer 32 and is in electrical contact with the conducting core 34 . between disks 12c and 12d , the strand 40 has an exposed metal conducting segment 46 that extends through the surface of the insulation layer 42 and is in electrical contact with the conducting core 44 . between disks 12d and 12e , the strand 50 has an exposed metal conducting segment 56 that extends through the surface of the insulation layer 52 and is in electrical contact with the conducting core 54 . finally , between disks 12e and 12f , the first strand 20 has rotated back to the top of the wire 10 and another exposed metal conductor segment 26b extends through the surface of the insulation layer 22 . this pattern repeats itself throughout the entire length of the wire 10 . in a preferred embodiment of this invention , the metal conductor segments are exposed on the top of the wire 10 as the wire is oriented with respect to the surface over which the wire is strung . having the exposed metal conductor segments on the top of the wire 10 mitigates the possibility that a bird can land on the wire 10 without physically contacting an exposed metal conductor segment . fig3 shows another preferred embodiment of the present invention . a flexible metal plate 80 is designed to be disposed around the plurality of strands 20 , 30 , 40 , 50 . the plate 80 has a width 84 approximately equal to the distance between adjacent insulating disks 12 . the plate 80 has length 82 just slightly less than the circumference around the plurality of strands . alternatively , the plate could be provided with a length slightly greater that the circumference around the plurality of strands . in this alternative version , the plate when it is formed around the strands will slightly overlap to provide assistance in holding the plurality of strands together as well as locking the plate to the plurality of strands . in order to additionally secure the plate 80 to the strands , the overlocking portions of the plate 80 could be interlocked . this interlocking could be effected by crimping the overlapping portions together . alternatively , the overlapping portions of the plate could be provided with preformed sections or segments that interlock or there could be preformed elements on the edges of the overlapping portions that interfit to held the edges of the plate together . the plate has two electrically conductive prongs 86 that extend from the surface of the plate 80 . these prongs 86 are preferably formed integrally with the surface of the plate 80 when the plate 80 is fabricated to ensure that electrical contact will be present from the plate 80 into the prongs 86 . each prong 86 is preferably formed in a triangular shape with a relatively sharp point to permit the prong to penetrate through the insulating cover disposed around the strand and into the conducting core on the inside of the strand . as shown in fig4 the plate 80 is bent around the plurality of strands 20 , 30 , 40 and 50 between two insulating disks , for example , insulating disks 12a and 12b . the plate 80 forms a band around the plurality of strands . this provides a large contact area for the bird &# 39 ; s foot when the bird lands and grasps onto the wire 10 . as shown in fig4 the prongs 86 penetrate the insulating cover 22 on the strand 20 so that electrical contact is achieved with the current flowing through the conducting core 24 of the strand 20 . between an adjacent two insulating disks , for example , insulating disks 12b and 12c , the prongs 86 of the plate 80 would extend through the insulating cover 32 into the conducting core 34 of the strand 30 . this pattern would repeat itself along the entire length of the wire 10 . because each conducting core 24 , 34 , 44 and 54 carries a different voltage and current , a bird landing on the wire would receive a shock through its body from the coming into contact with the metal plates 80 . this circuit shown in fig5 is representative of a typical circuit that can be used to practice the present invention . alternatively , other circuits could be used as would be apparent to a person skilled in the art . in each embodiment of the present invention , as shown in fig5 the wires 20 , 30 , 40 and 50 are connected through a circuit 100 to a power supply 90 that provides each of the strands with a voltage and current that is different from the voltage and current that is supplied to each of the other strands . in the preferred embodiment , strand 20 is provided with a voltage , v 1 and a current , i 1 . strand 30 is provided with a voltage , v 2 and a current , i 2 where v 2 = 2v 1 and i 2 = 2i 1 . strand 40 is provided with a voltage , v 3 and a current , i 3 where v 3 = 3v 1 and i 3 = 3i 1 . finally , strand 50 is the ground wire and has a zero voltage and a zero current . the configuration of the present invention allows for numerous alternative power supplies . the power supply can be either a continuous direct or alternating current source or a chopped / interrupted direct or alternating current source . the circuitry to obtain these various modes of operation may have inductors , resistors , capacitors and phasing devices to produce leading or lagging power factors , or voltages / currents having limiting or out - of - phase characteristics . the functioning of this wire will necessarily follow the standard natural laws and formulas governing electrical conductivity . discussions presented herewith will deal with current delivered between the bird &# 39 ; s feet when the bird alights on the wire with each foot landing on a separate wire segment defined by the insulating disks . a person of skill in the art will realize , according to the formula i = v / r ( where i is the current measured in amps , v is the voltage measured in volts and r is the resistance measured in ohms ), that for a stated current both the voltage and the resistance can vary under different operating conditions and still deliver the same current . in order to simply repel or scare a bird away without killing it , the bird needs to receive between its feet a current of generally between 1 and 3 milliamps . this level of current will be just above the threshold level for the bird to perceive a shock from the current . at a current of approximately 5 - 10 milliamps , the muscles in the bird &# 39 ; s foot will begin to lock up which may prevent the bird from letting go of the wire . therefore , it is recommended that the current be kept at a level below approximately 5 milliamps if it desired to simply repel the birds away from the wire by only shocking or stunning them . in order to kill a bird which alights on a wire , a higher level of current can be employed . the current delivered between the feet of the bird needs to be in the range of approximately 60 to 250 milliamps , which will be sufficient to kill most small birds . currents in the range of approximately 250 milliamps to 3 amps will be sufficient to kill most any sized birds , but currents this high pose a potential threat to humans which is generally desired to be avoided . these higher currents would certainly be effective but should only be used in areas in which human contact with the wire is not anticipated . the use of chopped direct current would also assist in having the killed birds drop off of the wire since stopping and starting the power would stop the normal muscle contractions that occur at death . as an optional feature of the present invention , a nonconducting filler wire or cord 18 can be provided in the interior of the twisted or braided strands . this filler wire or cord 18 provides internal support and longitudinal strength to the wire 10 and also assists in maintaining the insulation between the various strands that make up the wire 10 . in use , the dominator wire 10 of the present invention works in the following manner . the wire 10 is strung or otherwise arrayed in the area around the house , building , airport or other location where birds have become pests and their removal or discouragement is desired . the dominator wire 10 is connected to an appropriate power supply that will energize the individual strands of the dominator wire 10 in the manner described above . when a bird lands on the dominator wire 10 , the spacing of the insulator disks 12 will cause each of the bird &# 39 ; s feet to alight on a different exposed metal conductor segment . because of the current differences between each segment , current will flow from one foot of the bird , up the bird &# 39 ; s leg , through the body of the bird , down the other leg and out the other foot . this current flow will shock or kill the bird , thus accomplishing the desired result of discouraging the presence of the bird in the area in which the dominator wire 10 is utilized . the spacing between the insulating disks 12 should be selected based on the size of the birds it is desired to dominate . the larger the bird , the larger the space between each disk in order to accommodate the size of the bird &# 39 ; s foot . smaller birds will require smaller spacing to prevent the bird from getting both of its feet between the same two adjacent disks . the dominator wire of the present invention can also be used in a near to the ground environment . often grain is simply stored in a pile on the ground as a temporary measure . the dominator wire can be disposed around the grain pile to inhibit rodents or other ground pests from invading the grain pile . the diameter of the insulating disks can be selected so that the insulating disks will keep the strands of the wire suspended above the ground level to prevent the wire from being shorted out by the ground . while the invention has been illustrated with respect to several specific embodiments thereof , these embodiments should be considered as illustrative rather than limiting . various modifications and additions may be made and will be apparent to those skilled in the art . accordingly , the invention should not be limited by the foregoing description , but rather should be defined only by the following claims .	0
referring to fig1 an isolation test structure in accord with the teachings of this invention is formed on a conventional substrate comprising p - type silicon wafer 10 , n + buffer layer 16 and n - type epitaxial layer 18 . the test structure further comprises at least two devices 11 and 12 separated by isolation trenches 15 , which completely surround each device . although trenches 15 are shown in fig1 as open spaces , the invention contemplates that trenches 15 may be back filled with a dielectric material such as undoped polysilicon , glass , polyimide and the like , whereby such levelized isolations can be quantitatively determined . referring further to fig1 the device 11 comprises first substrate contact pad 20 , which is in electrical contact with n - layer 18 through first substrate metalization 22 and is otherwise insulated from the substrate by insulating oxide 19 . also shown in fig1 is substrate resistor sr1 , which symbolically indicates the equivalent resistance of the substrate for later reference in connection with fig2 . second substrate metalization 24 , which is spaced apart from 22 , makes a second contact to the substrate . first resistor metalization 26 provides electrical connection from the second substrate contact to one end of n - type polysilicon resistor 28 . the other end of resistor 28 is contacted by metalization 30 and device is completed by second contact pad 32 . thus , a circuit comprising substrate contact pad 20 , first substrate metalization 22 , and equivalent substrate resistance sr1 , second substrate metalization 24 , first resistor metalization 26 , polysilicon resistor 28 , second resistor metalization 30 and resistor contact pad 32 in electrical series is formed on test device 11 . test device 12 , which is formed identically to device 11 on wafer 10 and isolated by trenches 15 in accord with the teachings of this invention comprises a corresponding circuit having in series connection : substrate contact pad 40 ; substrate metalization 42 ; equivalent substrate resistance sr2 ; second substrate metalization 44 ; first resistor metalization 46 ; polysilicon resistor 48 ; second resistor metalization 50 and resistor contact pad 52 . referring to the equivalent circuit of fig2 signal generator sg is connected to device 211 at substrate contact 220 and resistor contact 232 , which serve as inputs . signal analyzer sa is connected to device 212 at its substrate contact 240 and resistor contact 252 , which serve as outputs . resistors 228 and 248 , which correspond to resistors 28 and 48 in fig1 are selected to match the output and input impedances of the signal generator and signal analyzer , respectively . in general , a value of 50 ohms , which is standard for high frequency devices is preferred . other values , such as 75 ohms for cable television applications , may also be used . in any case , isolation between devices is quantitatively determined in accord with the teachings of this invention by applying an input signal from sg at a selected frequency to device 211 and the output at device 212 with sg and applying the known methods of analysis such as two port scatter parameter analysis . in practice , commercially available automatic network analyzers such as the model 8510 by hewlett packard can be employed to determine the precise value of isolation when used in conjunction with the structure and method of this invention . fig3 shows the topography of an exemplary implementation of this invention . test devices 301 and 302 are isolated in this example by single trench 310 . also shown is device 303 which is isolated by a double trench , comprising 310 and 313 . bond pad 320 to device 311 corresponds to substrate contact 20 in fig1 . substrate contacts 322 and 324 correspond to substrate metalizations 22 and 24 of fig1 . resistor contacts 326 and 330 , connected to opposite ends of resistor 328 , and terminating at resistor bond pad 332 , correspond to resistor metalizations 26 and 30 to resistor 28 and resistor contact 32 of fig1 . the essential elements of device 312 and device 12 of fig1 correspond in the same way as the aforementioned relations between the elements of 311 in fig3 and of 11 of fig1 . furthermore , application of the teachings of this invention to determining other isolation techniques , such as double trenching as illustrated by device 313 in fig3 should be apparent to those skilled in the art . moreover , in addition to aiding in design and improvement monolithic integrated circuit devices requiring effective isolation , one skilled in the art of semiconductor device fabrication can utilize the structure and methods of this invention to provide more effective wafer scale quality control in the manufacture of monolithic integrated circuit devices . the structure and methods for quantitatively determining isolation are broadly applicable for the design and fabrication of isolation a variety of monolithic integrated circuit devices operating at frequencies ranging from dc to several ghz and utilizing compound semiconductor materials such as gaas , inp and alloys thereof and including both analog and digital circuits .	7
for the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention , reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same . it will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended , such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device , and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates . referring to fig1 there is illustrated a combination snow shoveling and cart device 20 which is oriented as it would be for scooping up snow from a driveway or walkway , for example . device 20 includes a bucket or scoop 21 , a wheeled base 22 and three handles 23 , 24 and 25 . these five major components are interconnected in a unique and novel way which allows the user , by manipulating the three handles , to scoop up snow and easily move it to a remote dumping site and then dump it by forward rotation of scoop 21 . if needed to clear an obstacle , the scoop 21 can be moved into an elevated orientation and dumped from the elevated orientation . scoop 21 , which is constructed out of a high - strength , durable plastic is arranged with an arcuate floor 28 which includes leading edge 29 and rear edge 30 . edge 29 is additionally strengthened with a rigid metal strip 29a which helps to prevent flexing or warpage of edge 29 which could reduce the scraping and cleaning effectiveness of device 20 . sides 31 an 32 are generally triangular with the exception that the rear apex of each is rounded in order to match the arcuate curvature of the floor 28 . the outer edges 33 and 34 of sides 31 and 32 , respectively , define , in combination with edges 29 and 30 , a generally rectangular opening 35 for scoop 21 . by shaping the scoop with the tapering and smoothly curved interior contour , snow can be easily scooped and easily dumped without any corners or edges to impede this process . while the sides 31 and 32 are each preferably separated members from floor 28 and attached thereto by threaded fasteners 36 , it is acceptable to configure scoop 21 as a one - piece , molded member . with either construction approach for scoop 21 , ribs 37 which are disposed on the interior of scoop 21 provide greater strength and rigidity . in fact , in the molded design , ribs 37 can be included as part of the one - piece construction or the ribs can be provided as separate members and assembled to the molded unit . wheeled base 22 includes a generally u - shaped first frame member 41 , a generally u - shaped second frame member 42 , shelf 43 , two front wheels 44 ( one wheel is hidden from view , see fig4 ) and two rear wheels 45 . the first and second frame members are pivotally connected to each other at two locations 46 and 47 by fasteners such as shoulder bolts . rear wheels 45 are independent of each other and assembled to the free ends 48 and 49 of the second frame member 42 and arranged with a swivel connection in order to turn or rotate 360 ° plus , in either direction . front wheels 44 are joined together by axle 50 ( see fig4 ) which is assembled to the free ends 51 of the first frame member 41 . the u - shaped and closed end of member 41 opposite to free ends 51 forms handle 23 . generally rectangular shelf 43 which is attached to free ends 48 , 49 and 51 provides strength and bracing to the assembly of the first and second frame members . although the connection between the frame members is pivotal , there is no relative motion permitted between these members while shelf 43 is in its assembled condition . removal of shelf 43 enables the wheeled base 22 to collapse ( see fig5 ). this reference to partial disassembly is directed to the fact that instead of a complete removal of shelf 43 , it may be disconnected from one pair of free ends and pivoted out of the way so that the two frame members can be collapsed . this ability to collapse enables a knock - down design whereby the scoop is removed so that packaging , shipping and storage of device 20 can be made more efficient and convenient . by connecting the front wheels 44 with an axle , side - to - side stability of the device is enhanced . the front wheels are assembled in a forward - facing direction and are not movable about the longitudinal axis of the free ends to which the axle is attached . consequently , if one is operating device 20 on an incline or hillside , it will not turn downhill uncontrollably and can be turned uphill easier than what would be possible if the front wheels could swivel in a manner similar to the rear wheels 45 . while handle 23 is not used as part of the main or primary means to push the scoop 21 forward so as to scoop up snow , it is an important feature when wheeled base 22 encounters some obstacle . in this situation handle 23 is used to control movement of base 22 so as to move up and over the obstacle . handle 23 also provides a complement to grasping and holding handle 24 in a raised condition whereby the two handles can be conveniently held together to maintain scoop 21 in a raised condition . since handle 24 is used to control the height of scoop 21 by lever action about the fulcrum at location 67 and maintain scraping contact with edge 29 , handle 24 is the primary means used to push the scoop forward . in order to control the pressure of the leading edge 29 against the driveway or walkway to insure a clean and complete pick up of any snow , handle 24 is essential . pushing or pulling handle 25 helps to keep the scoop properly oriented for scooping efficiency . consequently , the user may prefer to grasp bar 56 of handle 24 with one hand , handle 25 with the other hand and push forward while pushing edge 29 against the surface to be cleaned . the abdominal area of the user may be used to push against bar 57 of handle 23 ( first frame member 41 ), if necessary , though in the normal course of operation this will not be required . handle 24 is pivotally connected to scoop 21 by securing free end 58 to side 31 and free end 59 to side 32 . the pivot connections at locations 60 and 61 are by means of fasteners such as rivets or shoulder bolts . also illustrated is a stiffening bar 62 which may be used in order to provide greater strength and rigidity to side 31 . a similar bar is disposed on side 32 in order to maintain the side - to - side symmetry of device 20 . although these two stiffening bars may be an option depending on materials , thickness and other strengthening techniques used for scoop 21 , when the stiffening bars are used they are pivotally connected between the sides 31 and 32 and the free ends of handle 24 at one end and the free ends 63 and 64 of handle 25 at the opposite end of bar 62 . pivot connections at 60 and 61 extend through ends 58 and 59 and through one end of each bar 62 . pivot connections at location 65 and 66 extend through ends 63 and 64 and through the opposite end of each bar 62 . as illustrated , handle 24 is pivotally connected on one side at location 67 to second frame member 42 and at location 68 to handle 25 . this configuration is duplicated on the opposite side . also as illustrated handle 25 is a three - part linkage assembly including handle portion 69 and side arms 74 and 75 . the u - shaped handle portion 69 which functions as a lever operating about its fulcrum at location 68 extends from side to side and the free ends 70 and 71 of this linkage part are pivotally connected at location 72 and 73 to side arms 74 and 75 , respectively . the opposite free end 63 and 64 of side arms 74 and 75 , respectively , are pivotally connected at locations 65 and 66 to bars 62 and to sides 31 and 32 as previously described . now that the basic construction of combination snow shoveling and cart device 20 has been described , its operation and method of use will be addressed . when device 20 is used as a snow shovel or plow , it will typically be used in the illustrated orientation of fig1 . as the preferred method of use , the user grasps bar 56 of handle 24 with one hand and handle portion 69 of handle 25 with the other hand . the scoop 21 is thereby manipulated to forcefully press leading edge 29 against the surface to be cleaned , such as a driveway or walkway . in this manner , snow is scraped from the driveway or walkway up into scoop 21 . after several feet of travel , the actual distance depending on he depth of the snow , the weight of the snow in the scoop is such that the scoop must be emptied . if the snow in the scoop is going to be dumped at the edge of the driveway or walkway close to the area being cleaned , then the user simply plows over to the dumping location and pulls back on handle portion 69 ( toward the user ). this action causes portion 69 to pivot at locations 68 which in turn pushes forward on side arms 74 and 75 which in turn pivots the scoop forward bringing edge 30 up and over edge 29 as is illustrated in fig2 . if the load of snow in scoop 21 cannot be dumped at the edge of the driveway or walkway and needs to be moved to some remote site , the scoop can be elevated as illustrated in fig3 . as should be understood , as the selected areas are cleared of snow , the user can simply plow and scoop to the edge of the area and dump the snow even if the scoop is not full . this is the method of use based on the illustrations of fig1 and 2 . however , if the area to be cleared is large and the scoop fills before reaching the edge of the area for dumping , the scooping action must be stopped and the collected snow moved to the dumping location . the carrying mode for the collected snow under these circumstances is preferably that illustrated in fig3 . this orientation is also used for a partially filled scoop when the snow is to be moved to a remote site for dumping . the orientation of fig3 is achieved by pulling back on bar 56 of handle 24 and in effect bringing bars 56 and 57 together as is illustrated . handle 24 pivots at location 67 , and as bar 56 is drawn back ( toward the user ), the free ends 58 and 59 are elevated . this elevating motion both pivots the scoop bringing edge 29 up and lifts the entire scoop . with device 20 in the fig3 orientation , whatever snow was in the scoop 21 may be moved to any location for dumping . the elevated nature of the scoop allows it to clear and the snow dumped beyond obstacles such as brick , stone or timbers used for borders , edges or curbs which are typically used in landscaping . when the user reaches the dumping site with scoop 21 in the elevated fig3 orientation , handle portion 69 is pulled back toward the user . this action brings bars 56 and 57 and handle portion 69 together ( see fig4 ). the pivoting action of the scoop is the same as that described with regard to fig2 . as handle portion 69 is pulled back it pivots at location 68 which pivotally pushes side arms 74 and 75 forward thereby bringing edge 30 up and over edge 29 . while the basic operation of device 20 has been illustrated and described , there are other features and capabilities of the device which need to be mentioned . for example , device 20 is not limited to use as a snow shovel and plow . device 20 may be used as a hand cart or wheelbarrow . by establishing the fig1 orientation , the scoop may be loaded with any type of trash , debris , leaves , etc . and moved from one location to another . the scoop may also be used to move mulch or fertilizer to a desired location and then dump it allowing the device to be returned to the pickup point for another load . garden supplies and implements may be placed in scoop 21 and moved to a remote location . shelf 43 is an accessory which not only provides stability and strength to the frame and wheel base , it also can be used to carry articles such as hand tools , clothing , gloves , drinking water , radio or bags or seed or fertilizer as well as empty trash bags . in snow , the shelf 43 can be used for carrying a bag of salt so that it will be accessible to the user as areas of the driveway or walkway are cleared of snow . device 20 can also be used for clearing snow from dead ends and corners due to its design and maneuverability . while described as a snow shovel or plow , the fig2 orientation of device 20 is significant because in this orientation edge 29 can be forced tightly against the surface to be cleared . since the angle of the scoop floor 29 is up and away , edge 29 can be used as a scrape to drag or pull snow out of corners and dead ends . device 10 can also be used conventionally in the orientation of fig1 to scoop up snow and then move it for dumping . at any time snow is to be scraped back from an edge or corner , the empty scoop is oriented as in fig2 by pulling back on handle 25 . holding handles 24 and 25 together the user then pulls back on handle 23 without releasing the contact force of edge 29 on the surface . a further option of device 20 is to simply use it as a snow plow without any dumping . by simply pushing the device across the driveway or walkway surface snow will collect in the scoop and even though the scoop may be filled , continued movement will actually plow the snow off of the driveway or walkway pushing it out to the sides if there is no room in the scoop to collect any more snow . related to this particular use is the option of designing the scoop as a flatter blade and using it more as a plow so that there is less snow collected and less weight to move . it should be understood that the linkage design allows a blade to be set at different orientations for the desired plowing action which the user may wish . while the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description , the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character , it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected .	8
in the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention , reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof , and in which is shown by way of illustration specific exemplary embodiments in which the invention may be practiced . these embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention . other embodiments may be utilized , and logical , mechanical , and other changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention . the following detailed description is , therefore , not to be taken in a limiting sense , and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims . various exemplary embodiments provide devices to disrupt electronics using continuous wave electromagnetic emission . preferred embodiments include quantified parameters to maximize efficiency for mobile use . high efficiency reduces size , weight and reduces complexity for ruggedness and reliability . both high average power and high peak power electromagnetic radiation are generated simultaneously utilizing simple continuous wave source . consequently , these embodiments exemplify utility for the disruption of undiscovered hostile electronic devices . the federal communications commission ( fcc ) defines electromagnetic interference as “. . . any unwanted radio frequency signal that prevents you from watching television , listening to your radio / stereo or talking on your cordless telephone . interference may prevent reception altogether , may cause only a temporary loss of a signal , or may affect the quality of the sound or picture produced by your equipment .” see http :// www . fcc . gov / guides / interference - defining - source for further information . the fcc has rules and regulations that limit consumer electronics from transmitting in radio frequency ( rf ) bands that possess sufficiently high energy to disturb other electronic devices in one &# 39 ; s home or a neighbor &# 39 ; s home . in a worst case , such rf transmission could disrupt emergency communication leading to safety hazards or even fatality . high power radio frequency can , depending on total energy imparted , permanently damage sensitive electronic circuits . the military has recognized electromagnetic interference from a defensive point of view , in which electronics must be hardened to prevent interference from disrupting operations , and from an offensive point of view in which the military could use high power microwaves ( hpm ) or rf - weapons to disrupt the electronics of an adversary . see http :// www . fcc . gov / guides / interference - defining - source as well as w . m . arkin , “‘ sci - fi ’ weapons going to war ,” los angeles times , dec . 8 , 2002 ; e . epstein , “ u . s . has new weapon ready ,” san francisco chronicle , feb . 14 , 2003 ; d . a . fulghum , “ microwave weapons may be ready for iraq ,” aviation week & amp ; space technology , 157 ( 6 ), aug . 5 , 2002 ; m . kirkpatrick , “ weapons with a moral dimension ,” wall street journal , jan . 14 , 2003 . these electromagnetic weapons generally come in two flavors : each type can target specific needs , and each could be used to either temporarily disrupt or permanently damage electronic systems . high average power devices can disable via thermal effects . for example , electronics can be disrupted or destroyed by overheating due to the absorption of a large amount of electromagnetic energy to burn out or disrupt an electric current component of a circuit . they can also be used for other applications such as the mobile active denial system ( ads ) in which a beam of non - ionizing radiation is directed at humans to give the sensation of burning pain , but without injury . see http :// en . wikipedia . org / wiki / active_denial_system for further information . ads is thought to be useful for crowd control . high peak power devices carry relatively low energy , but can delivery that energy in a short period of time . these devices can disrupt or destroy electronics due to the high electric field , which for example , might breakdown semiconductor devices . a further advantage of the high peak power systems is that they represent a near delta function in time so the fourier spectrum is wide - band in frequency . thus , if there is frequency dependence in the target electronics , the wideband will most likely cover it . an extreme example of the disruptive effects of high peak power was in 1962 as part of operation fishbowl . starfish was a particular test in that operation in which a nuclear device was detonated at an altitude of 400 kilometers ( km ). the generated electromagnetic pulse knocked out about three - hundred streetlamps , set of burglar alarms and damaged a telephone network in hawaii . to disrupt or destroy unknown electronics , one can use both high average power devices and high peak power devices simultaneously . this can be accomplished using continuous wave ( cw ) devices radiating simultaneously such that the field amplitudes combine to form large peak powers . fig1 shows a graphical view 100 of a power distribution waveform . the abscissa 110 represents time in seconds ( s ), and the ordinate 120 denotes peak power in kilowatts ( kw ). a signal 130 includes functions resembling sine - squared curves of temporally varying peaks at regular intervals . the period 140 of pattern repetition is denoted by t . the highest peak power level 150 is about 1800 kw . for this example in view 100 , the sum of five cw sources , each 40 kw in average power constructively interfering in free space . the five frequencies in this example are equally spaced in 100 mhz steps with the first frequency at 500 mhz and extending to 900 mhz . the peak power level 150 reaches 1800 kw from five concatenated 40 kw sources . concurrently , a high average power is maintained at 40 kw × 5 = 200 kw . another advantage of this technique is the use of many frequencies , providing a higher probability of coupling into an electronic device . of course , once in the electronics , the mixing can be quite different depending on the reception of the device to the various frequencies . thus , for unknown electronics , particular selection of chosen frequencies is not particularly necessary beyond a general knowledge of common equipment . an added advantage of this technique is that drifting frequencies are not important . this necessitates from lack of identification of the electronics being attacked . but even if the electronics were known , there is typically a large amount of outside unknowns . for example , the angle of incidence the radiation has on the electronics is most likely unknown due to the unknown orientation of the electronics , and the surrounding environment might not be known causing specular reflections , unknown absorption and other effects . fig2 shows a graphical view 200 as an example of a summed waveform in which the 600 mhz frequency has drifted to 604 mhz . the abscissa 210 represents time , and the ordinate 220 denotes peak power in comparable units as view 100 . a signal 230 includes staggering spikes at a period 240 and reaching levels of about 2000 kw ( or 2 mw ). shorter spikes 250 , 260 and 270 exhibit complementary periodicity . this scatter view illustrates even more peaks are generated with a maximum peak power reaching 2000 kw . thus , once they mix within the electronics , the same type of effect occurs , and in fact can be even more convoluted due to the heterodyne effects of semiconductor junctions and other non - linear devices that are typically present in electronic circuits . there exist many other advantages to various exemplary embodiments as derived for optimal effects from a mobile platform . in turn , overall efficiency from a system engineering point of view was of prime concern . efficient electromagnetic generation means reductions in prime power and cooling requirements . this in turn reduces system size and weight which are important for mobile platforms . reduction in cooling reduces the prime power needed , and reduction in the required prime power necessitates diminished cooling requirements . thus , all these considerations have a multiplying effect towards a compact efficient mobile system . fig3 shows an elevation view 300 for a depiction of the concept . the simplicity of the scheme is evident and important to enhance ruggedness and reliability . a semi - trailer truck 310 equipped with wheels 320 for road mobility includes a tractor cab 330 , a fore cargo trailer 340 and aft cargo trailer 350 housing an electric generator . the fore cargo trailer 340 provides a cooling unit 360 for temperature conditioning a multiplexer 360 that houses five magnetron source units 370 . each of the five units 370 is housed in the covered rear of the truck 310 and has its own power supply . alternatively , all the units 370 can be powered by a common power supply . the rf output power is fed into a frequency band filter to prevent the magnetron output at one frequency from entering a magnetron at another frequency . at least one circulator can be used to protect the magnetron units 370 from electromagnetic radiation reflecting back therein . the circulator represents a three - port device with rf - in , rf - out and rf - return terminals to shunt feedback energy and thereby avoid contaminating the output signal from feedback . following the filters , the combined electromagnetic power is radiated out through an emitter that represents an electromagnetic radiating element . such an emitter can include an appropriate antenna for transmitting an electromagnetic wave . the generator is conceptually shown on the aft trailer 350 , but could alternatively be disposed in the fore trailer 340 . fig4 shows a tabular listing 400 of the advantages of using an oscillator tube instead of an amplifier . the left column 410 denotes a physical or performance characteristic . the middle column 420 identifies magnetron performance . the right column 430 indicates inductive output tube performance at comparable power output . comparisons between the magnetron and inductive options reveal lower voltages ( 20 kv vs . 38 kv ), higher currents (˜ 6 a vs . 4 a ), higher efficiencies ( 85 % vs . 70 %), and comparable powers ( 100 kw vs . 106 kw ). the reason for the voltage and power difference is that the perveance between these differ by an order of magnitude (˜ 2 pp vs . ˜ 0 . 3 μp ). the comparison is evidenced between a magnetron oscillator from burle ( rca ) model s94608e100 , and an inductive output tube amplifier ( iot ) from communications and power industries model chk2800w . even though both systems have the same output power , the advantages of the magnetron oscillator are clear . the high - perveance cathode of the magnetron means operation at a lower voltage , thereby yielding less voltage stress , and reduced standoff distances . perveance represents a characteristic of electron beam cathodes indicating space charge effect on a beam &# 39 ; s motion . further , the efficiency is considerably higher and the energy loss ( not going into the electromagnetic wave ) is half that of the iots . thus , cooling needs are cut by half , further reducing system size and weight . also , the prime power is reduced , and a smaller generator can be used . comparing the specifications in the tabular listing 400 between a magnetron oscillator and an inductive output tube amplifier favors the magnetron for a mobile compact efficient electronic disruption system . both high peak power and high average power are derived simultaneously for maximum effectiveness . frequency selection is not critical outside of a general knowledge of the electronics of interest . although rf - tubes are assumed in this design , solid state devices can also be used with equipment that satisfies the power and frequency requirements . continuous wave oscillators eliminate the need for input sources and amplifiers , which would be needed if high power rf amplifiers were used instead . this reduces size , weight and complexity , which in turn renders the system more robust and reliable . continuous wave devices eliminate the need for high voltage modulators , which reduces size , weight , increases overall efficiency , and greatly reduces system complexity . the elimination of high - voltage fast modulated pulses reduces problematic ground loops in the system design , which increases stability and reliability . because high voltage modulation is not required , high power rf oscillators can be used instead of high power rf amplifiers . oscillators tend to be more efficient devices ( such as the magnetrons found in kitchen microwave ovens ) because they have higher q - factors . magnetrons typically use permanent magnets to reduce system complexity ( increasing reliability ) and obviate the necessity for electro - magnets and their power supplies . this also increases overall efficiency . magnetrons typically have higher perveance cathodes than other microwave tubes . this means that they run at lower voltages and higher currents . a rule of thumb in high voltage design is that packaging volume goes as voltage cubed due to the necessary stand - off distances in three dimensions . this also reduces weight for mobility , and increases reliability because there is less high voltage stress . to generate a specifically tailored waveform can be produced using the fourier components calculated to conform to the desired pattern . artisans of ordinary skill will recognize that microwave tube oscillators other than magnetrons can be employed and remain within the scope of the invention . while certain features of the embodiments of the invention have been illustrated as described herein , many modifications , substitutions , changes and equivalents will now occur to those skilled in the art . it is , therefore , to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the embodiments .	7
various embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings . it is to be noted that the same or similar reference numerals are applied to the same or similar parts and elements throughout the drawings , and the description of the same or similar parts and elements will be omitted or simplified . as illustrated in fig2 , a semiconductor wafer transportation pod in accordance with the present invention is placed on a wafer pod table 20 located in front of a semiconductor process chamber 26 when semiconductor wafers 10 are carried out from the semiconductor process chamber 26 or are carried in the semiconductor process chamber 26 . in usual cases , 2 to 4 wafer pod tables 20 are assigned to one semiconductor process chamber 26 . the wafer pod table 20 is used to support the semiconductor wafer transportation pod that is transported from the previous semiconductor process chamber 26 for use in the previous manufacturing step . the pod lid 14 is detached from the wafer pod body 12 after placing the wafer pod . the detachment of the pod lid 14 is performed by means of the lid opening / closing control means 22 . the lid opening / closing control means 22 is also used to fix the pod lid 14 to the wafer pod body 12 . in another case , these procedures may be manually conducted . the lid opening / closing control means 22 is provided with a pod lid shutting device 16 so that the detachment and the attachment of the pod lid 14 is performed by coupling the pod lid shutting device 16 with the pod lid 14 . after the detachment of the pod lid 14 is completed , a wafer transfer means 24 provided for the semiconductor process chamber 26 serves to transfer , one after another , the semiconductor wafers 10 located in the wafer pod body 12 to the semiconductor process chamber 26 . the semiconductor process chamber 26 is used to perform a semiconductor manufacturing step such as the ion - implantation step , the diffusion step , the photolithography step , the thin film formation step , the etching step or the like . after completion of the manufacturing step , the semiconductor wafer 10 is then transferred from the semiconductor process chamber 26 to the wafer pod body 12 by means of the wafer transfer means 24 . when all the wafers 10 have been processed in the current manufacturing step and transferred to the wafer pod body 12 , the pod lid 14 is sealingly fixed again to the wafer pod body 12 by means of the lid opening / closing control means 22 . the wafer pod is then transported to the next semiconductor process chamber for the subsequent manufacturing step , for example , by means of operator &# 39 ; s hands , a transportation machine on the floor such as agv ( automated guided vehicle ), rgv ( rail guided vehicle ) or the like , or a transportation machine on the ceiling such as oht ( overhead transpotation ) or the like . fig3 a is a schematic diagram showing the wafer transportation by means of the semiconductor wafer transportation pod which is designed in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention and placed on the wafer pod table 20 for carrying in or out the semiconductor wafers 10 . fig3 b is a schematic diagram showing the semiconductor wafer transportation pod in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention which is transported between the process chambers . as illustrated in fig3 a , the semiconductor wafer transportation pod in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention is composed of the wafer pod body 12 for accommodating and storing the wafers 10 and transporting the semiconductor wafers 10 between the process chambers , and the pod lid 14 a sealingly fixed to the wafer pod body 12 in order to tightly close the interior of the wafer pod body 12 . the wafer pod body 12 is provided with an opening located on a side wall for carrying in / out the semiconductor wafers 10 and composed of an appropriate material which outputs few particles . the opening is adapted to be engaged with the pod lid 14 a in order to sealingly close the interior of the wafer pod body 12 . not shown in the figure , the wafer pod body 12 is provided with a plurality of grooves aligned in the horizontal direction and arranged in parallel to each other with a constant interval in order to directly accommodate a plurality of the wafers 10 , for example , 13 wafers , 25 wafers and so on . the wafer pod body 12 is also provided with a handling grip ( s ) located on the other side walls , the upper wall , or the bottom wall . an operator or a transportation robot can carry the wafer pod for transportation by means of the handling grip . the pod lid 14 a is formed with a gas holding vessel 28 which constitutes the important feature of the present invention . the gas holding vessel 28 is provided for temporarily holding an sealing gas with which the wafer pod body 12 is filled . the sealing gas is injected to the gas holding vessel 28 by the lid opening / closing control means 22 . after the pod lid 14 a formed with the gas holding vessel 28 is detached from the wafer pod body 12 , the attachment 18 is connected to the pod lid 14 a through the pod lid shutting device 16 a . the sealing gas is transferred to the pod lid 14 a from the lid opening / closing control means 22 through the attachment 18 and injected to the gas holding vessel 28 through a conduit formed inside of the pod lid 14 a . the gas holding vessel 28 serves to temporarily hold a sufficient amount of the sealing gas for completely replacing the resident gas in the wafer pod body 12 . the sealing gas is held in the gas holding vessel 28 in a compressed condition at a constant pressure . the sealing gas is an inactive gas such as nitrogen , argon . on the other hand , as illustrated in fig3 b , the sealing gas in the gas holding vessel 28 is then injected to the wafer pod body 12 during the transportation of the wafer pod . while the sealing gas is injected to the wafer pod body 12 through the conduit 30 inside of the pod lid 14 a , the residual gas inside of the wafer pod body 12 is exhausted to the outside through a conduit 32 inside of the pod lid 14 a . by this configuration , the residual gas inside of the wafer pod body 12 is completely replaced by the sealing gas after a certain time elapses . next , the operation of the first embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to fig3 a and fig3 b . the operation of the first embodiment of the present invention consists generally of the following two operations . ( 1 ) injection of the sealing gas to the gas holding vessel 28 . ( 2 ) injection of the sealing gas to the wafer pod body 12 . firstly , in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention , the procedure of the injection of the sealing gas to the gas holding vessel 28 is performed during the step of carrying out the semiconductor wafers 10 from the wafer pod body 12 , the step of processing the semiconductor wafers 10 and the step of carrying the semiconductor wafers 10 into the wafer pod body 12 as illustrated in fig3 a . in the prior art technique , the pod lid 14 a is left supported by the pod lid shutting device 16 a without any operation during the step of carrying out , the step of processing the semiconductor wafers 10 and the step of carrying in . however , in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention , the sealing gas is injected to the gas holding vessel 28 by making use of the inoperative periods in parallel with these steps . the injection step can be completed within the step of processing the semiconductor wafers 10 . accordingly , there is no need for an extra time as required to complete the injection of the sealing gas to the gas holding vessel 28 . next , as illustrated in fig3 b , the injection of the sealing gas to the wafer pod body 12 is then performed during the transportation of the wafer pod . after transferring the semiconductor wafers 10 , the wafer pod is transported to the next process chamber used in the subsequent manufacturing step by means of an appropriate transportation system ( not shown in the figure ). the sealing gas inside of the gas holding vessel 28 is then transferred to the wafer pod body 12 during the transportation . since the sealing gas is held in the gas holding vessel 28 at a certain pressure , it is transferred to the wafer pod body 12 through the conduit 30 by its pressure when a valve is opened . the residual gas inside of the wafer pod body 12 is exhausted to the outside of the wafer pod at the same time so that the interior of the wafer pod body 12 finally becomes in a sealing gas atmosphere . the gas injection time for injecting the sealing gas to the wafer pod body 12 is about 10 minutes in the case that the semiconductor wafer transportation pod has been designed to accommodate 25 wafer having a diameter of 300 mm . accordingly , from the overall view point , the injection step can be recognized as completed just after starting the transportation of the wafer pod . in the prior art technique , the injection to the wafer pod body 12 is conducted before the transportation of the wafer pod . because of this , the transportation of the wafer pod is delayed by the gas injection time and therefore resulting in elongating the cycle time required for completing all the manufacture process . in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention , the wafer pod body 12 is filled with the sealing gas which has been temporarily stored in the gas holding vessel 28 during the transportation of the wafer pod . by this configuration , there is virtually no additional time required for the injection step to the wafer pod body 12 . in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention , the injection of the sealing gas to the wafer pod body 12 is carried out in steps of ( 1 ) injecting the sealing gas to the gas holding vessel 28 inside of the pod lid 14 a in order to temporarily store the sealing gas , and ( 2 ) transferring the sealing gas as stored in the gas holding vessel 28 to the wafer pod body 12 in order to replace the residual gas inside of the wafer pod body 12 . also , in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention , the injection of the sealing gas to the gas holding vessel 28 is performed during the step of carrying out the semiconductor wafers 10 from the wafer pod body 12 , the step of processing the semiconductor wafers 10 and the step of carrying the semiconductor wafers 10 into the wafer pod body 12 . accordingly , there appears no time required for the injection steps ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) to be added to the cycle time required for completing all the manufacture process . by this configuration , the cycle time is shortened resulting in the improvement of the production efficiency and reduction of the production cost . the pod lid 14 a in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention is designed for example as illustrated in fig4 . fig4 is a cross sectional view showing the configuration of the pod lid 14 a in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention . as illustrated in fig4 , the pod lid 14 a in accordance with this embodiment of the present invention is composed therein of the gas holding vessel 28 , the conduit 30 for injecting the sealing gas inside of the gas holding vessel 28 to the wafer pod body 12 , an opening / closing valve 34 and a filter 36 which are provided in the middle of the conduit 30 , a conduit 40 for injecting the sealing gas to the gas holding vessel 28 , an opening / closing valve 42 provided in the middle of the conduit 40 , and a conduit 32 for communicating the side of the pod lid 14 a facing the wafer pod body 12 with the opposite side of the pod lid 14 a , and a pressure valve 38 provided in the middle of the conduit 32 . in fig4 when the opening / closing valve 42 is opened , the gas holding vessel 28 receives the sealing gas through the conduit 40 . the conduit 40 is designed to be able to make connection with the attachment 18 of the lid opening / closing control means 22 through the pod lid shutting device 16 a in order to transfer the sealing gas as supplied from the attachment 18 to the gas holding vessel 28 . these procedures is conducted with the pod lid 14 a being detached from the wafer pod body 12 and fixed to the pod lid shutting device 16 a . on the other hand , when the opening / closing valve 34 is opened , the sealing gas contained inside of the gas holding vessel 28 is injected to the wafer pod body 12 through the conduit 30 . as explained above , since the sealing gas is held compressed in the gas holding vessel 28 , the sealing gas flows by itself into the wafer pod body 12 through the conduit 30 with the opening / closing valve 34 being opened . the filter 36 serves to improve the purity of the sealing gas temporarily stored in the gas holding vessel 28 in advance of the injection to the wafer pod body 12 . by this configuration , the purity of the semiconductor wafers 10 inside of the wafer pod body 12 can be furthermore improved . while the pressure in the wafer pod body 12 is gradually elevated as the sealing gas is flowing into the wafer pod body 12 , the pressure valve is opened when the pressure in the wafer pod body 12 reach a certain level . the residual gas inside of the wafer pod body 12 is exhausted to the outside of the wafer pod through the conduit 32 when the pressure valve 38 is opened . as a result , after a predetermined time elapses , the residual gas inside of the wafer pod body 12 is completely replaced by the sealing gas . these procedures are conducted with the pod lid 14 a being sealingly fixed to the wafer pod body 12 . the procedure as described above is preferably conducted in response to the opening action and the closing action of the pod lid 14 a . namely , when the pod lid 14 a is detached from the wafer pod body 12 , the opening / closing valve 42 is operated to open while the opening / closing valve 34 is operated to close , followed by the injection of the sealing gas to the gas holding vessel 28 . also , when the pod lid 14 a is fixed to the wafer pod body 12 , the opening / closing valve 34 is operated to open while the opening / closing valve 42 is operated to close , followed by the injection of the sealing gas to the wafer pod body 12 . this is an effective sequence . in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention , therefore , it is proposed to control the opening / closing operation of the opening / closing valves 34 and 42 in response to the opening / closing operation of the pod lid 14 a . in practice , the pod lid shutting device 16 a for attaching and detaching the pod lid 14 a is designed , for example , as described in the followings . fig5 is a plan view showing the configuration of the pod lid shutting device 16 b having been used in the prior art technique . also , fig6 a and fig6 b are plan views showing the configuration of the pod lid 14 ( 14 a , 14 b ). fig6 a is a plan view showing the configuration of the pod lid 14 b in accordance with the prior art technique while fig6 b is a plan view showing the configuration of the pod lid 14 a in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention . as illustrated in fig5 , the pod lid shutting device 16 b is provided with a locking / unlocking control mechanism 44 , a gas injection connecting aperture 48 to which the attachment 18 is connected , a gas exhaustion connecting aperture 50 for exhausting the residual gas inside of the wafer pod body 12 , and a valve opening / closing , control mechanism 46 for controlling the opening / closing operation of the gas injection connecting aperture 48 and a gas exhaustion connecting aperture 50 . meanwhile , in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention , there is no need for the gas exhaustion connecting aperture 50 . in accordance with the prior art technique , the opening / closing operation of the pod lid 14 is conducted by means of the locking / unlocking control mechanism 44 of the pod lid shutting device 16 b . when the pod lid shutting device 16 b is engaged with the pod lid 14 b , the locking / unlocking control mechanism 44 is connected to the locking / unlocking mechanism 54 of the pod lid 14 b as illustrated in fig6 a . the locking / unlocking mechanism 54 is rotated by turning the locking / unlocking control mechanism 44 in the same direction . linking bars 56 serves to move locking pins 58 in the vertical direction when the locking / unlocking mechanism 54 rotates . the locking pins 58 are then projected from the pod lid 14 b in order to sealingly fix the pod lid 14 b to the wafer pod body 12 . on the other hand , when the pod lid 14 b is detached from the wafer pod body 12 , the locking pins 58 are controlled to be drawn back into the pod lid 14 b . furthermore , in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention , the opening / closing valves 34 and 42 are controlled by making use of the locking / unlocking mechanism 54 . as illustrated in fig6 b , in the case of the pod lid 14 a according to this embodiment , the opening / closing operation of the opening / closing valves 34 and 42 is controlled by linking bars 62 when the locking / unlocking mechanism 54 rotates . more specifically speaking , when the locking pins 58 are drawn back into the pod lid 14 b by means of the linking bars 56 in response to the rotation of the locking / unlocking mechanism 54 , the linking bars 62 also serve to close the opening / closing valve 34 and open the opening / closing valve 42 at the same time . on the other hand , when the locking pins 58 are projected from the pod lid 14 b by means of the linking bars 56 in response to the rotation of the locking / unlocking mechanism 54 , the linking bars 62 also serve to open the opening / closing valve 34 and close the opening / closing valve 42 at the same time . by this controlling mechanism , when the pod lid 14 a is detached from the wafer pod body 12 , the injection of the sealing gas to the gas holding vessel 28 can be started with the opening / closing valve 42 being opened and the opening / closing valve 34 being closed . also , when the pod lid 14 a is fixed to the wafer pod body 12 , the injection of the sealing gas to the wafer pod body 12 can be started with the opening / closing valve 42 being closed and the opening / closing valve 34 being opened . in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention , the pod lid 14 a is implemented with the gas holding vessel 28 so that the sealing gas can be injected to the gas holding vessel 28 during the period after the semiconductor wafers 10 are carried out from the wafer pod body 12 and before the semiconductor wafers 10 are carried in the wafer pod body 12 . the sealing gas having been injected to the gas holding vessel 28 is then transferred to the wafer pod body 12 during the transportation of the wafer pod . by this configuration , the sealing gas injection step to the wafer pod body 12 can be recognized to virtually disappear . accordingly , there is no need for an extra time as required to inject the sealing gas to the wafer pod body 12 so that the transportation of the wafer pod can be accelerated by the extra time which has been dispensed with . as a result , the cycle time required for completing all the manufacture process can be shortened to realize the improvement of the production efficiency and the reduction of the production cost . next , an exemplary modification of the first embodiment of the present invention will be explained . this exemplary modification is described to show an example which is capable of improving the sealing ability of the wafer pod by enhancing the sealable connection of the pod lid 14 a to the wafer pod body 12 according to the first embodiment . fig7 a and fig7 b are schematic diagrams showing the wafer transportation by means of a semiconductor wafer transportation pod which is designed in accordance with this exemplary modification of the first embodiment of the present invention and placed on the wafer pod table 20 for carrying in or out the semiconductor wafers 10 . as illustrated in fig7 a and fig . 7b , in accordance with this exemplary modification , the pod lid 14 a of the first embodiment is replaced by a pod lid 14 c which is provided with two rubber gaskets on the contact surface at which the pod lid 14 c comes into contact with the wafer pod body 12 . also , in accordance with this exemplary modification , the space defined between the two rubber gaskets and the contact surface is put at a pressure which is lower than the pressure of the atmosphere to some extent , i . e ., “ a negative pressure ” as conventionally and technically expressed . the negative pressure is referred to as “ vacuum condition ” in the following description , unless otherwise described , for convenience . fig7 b is a schematic diagram showing the procedure of exhausting the space defined between the two rubber gaskets and the contact surface by placing , on the wafer pod table 20 , the semiconductor wafer transportation pod in accordance with this exemplary modification of the first embodiment of the present invention . as illustrated in fig7 b , in accordance with this exemplary modification , the space defined between the two rubber gaskets and the contact surface is evacuated in advance of the transportation of the wafer pod into which the semiconductor wafers 10 have been transferred . the evacuation of the space is performed by means of a vacuum pump p located on the lid opening / closing control means 22 . the vacuum pump p is connected to the attachment 18 , which is connected in turn to the conduit inside of the pod lid 14 c through the pod lid shutting device 16 c . meanwhile , while the rubber gaskets are usually made of an o - ring whose cross section is circular , the rubber gaskets may be formed of a semicircular ring , rectangular ring and so on . the pod lid shutting device 16 c and the pod lid 14 c in accordance with this exemplary modification are designed , for example , as illustrated in fig8 a and fig8 b . fig8 a is a plan view showing the configuration of the pod lid shutting device 16 c in accordance with this exemplary modification . fig8 b is a plan view showing the configuration of the pod lid 14 c in accordance with this exemplary modification . as illustrated in fig8 a , the pod lid shutting device 16 c in accordance with this exemplary modification is provided with the locking / unlocking control mechanism 44 in the same manner as the first embodiment of the present invention , and also provided with gas inlet ports 66 , a vent port connector 68 , a valve opening / closing control mechanism 70 for controlling the opening / closing operation of the gas inlet ports 66 and the vent port connector 68 . on the other hand , as illustrated in fig8 b , the pod lid 14 c in accordance with this exemplary modification is provided with the locking / unlocking mechanism 54 and the linking bars 56 in the same manner as the first embodiment of the present invention , and furthermore provided with gas inlet port connectors 72 and a vent port 74 . also , the rubber gaskets made of an o - ring are attached to the contact surface between the pod lid 14 c and the wafer pod body 12 . when the pod lid 14 c and the pod lid shutting device 16 c are aligned with each other , the gas inlet port connectors 72 of the pod lid 14 c and the gas inlet ports 66 of the pod lid shutting device 16 c are coupled with each other while the vent port 74 of the pod lid 14 c and the vent port connector 68 of the pod lid shutting device 16 c are coupled with each other . the evacuation of the space is performed from the gas inlet ports 66 by means of the vacuum pump p through the attachment 18 . on the other hand , when the pod lid 14 c is detached from the wafer pod body 12 , the space is vented to the atmosphere by passing air from the vent port 74 through the vent port connector 68 . in the case of the modification of the first embodiment of the present invention , the sealing ability of the pod lid 14 c to the wafer pod body 12 is effectively enhanced in addition to the advantages of the first embodiment . accordingly , the airtightness of the wafer pod is improved so as to elevate the purity of the interior of the wafer pod . also , the loss of the sealing gas as contained in the wafer pod can be effectively avoided . by this configuration , it is possible to maintain the semiconductor wafers 10 in a highly purified environment to protect the semiconductor wafers 10 from generation of natural oxide films . next , the second embodiment of the present invention will be explained . the second embodiment of the present invention is described to show an example which is capable of improving the sealing ability of the wafer pod and also improving the leak - proof structure of the wafer pod by evacuating the interior of the wafer pod into a vacuum condition . fig9 a is a schematic diagram showing the wafer transportation by means of a semiconductor wafer transportation pod in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention which is placed on a wafer pod table 20 for carrying in or out the semiconductor wafers 10 . fig9 b is a schematic diagram showing the semiconductor wafer transportation pod in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention which is transported between the process chambers . as illustrated in fig9 a , in the case of the semiconductor wafer transportation pod according to the second embodiment of the present invention , the pod lid 14 a according to the first embodiment is replaced by a pod lid 14 d which has a different configuration . the pod lid 14 d in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention is provided with a vacuum chamber 76 located within the pod lid 14 d . the vacuum chamber 76 is evacuated in advance for the purpose of evacuating the wafer pod body 12 . in the first step , the evacuation of the vacuum chamber 76 is performed by the lid opening / closing control means 22 . the attachment 18 is then connected to a conduit located inside of the pod lid 14 d through a pod lid shutting device 16 d by means of the lid opening / closing control means 22 after detaching the pod lid 14 d implemented with the vacuum chamber 76 from the wafer pod body 22 . the attachment 18 is connected to a vacuum pump p provided for the lid opening / closing control means 22 so that the evacuation of the vacuum chamber 76 is performed by means of the vacuum pump p . a vacuum is formed in the vacuum chamber 76 by this procedure . on the other hand , as illustrated in fig9 b , the vacuum chamber 76 serves in turn to evacuate the wafer pod body 12 during the transportation of the wafer pod . the interior of the wafer pod body 12 is therefore rendered to be in a vacuum condition after a certain time elapses . next , the operation of the second embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to fig9 a and fig9 b . the operation of the second embodiment of the present invention consists generally of the following two operations . ( 1 ) evacuation of the vacuum chamber 76 . ( 2 ) evacuation of the wafer pod body 12 . firstly , in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention , the procedure of the evacuation of the vacuum chamber 76 is performed during the step of carrying out the semiconductor wafers 10 from the wafer pod body 12 , the step of processing the semiconductor wafers 10 and the step of carrying the semiconductor wafers 10 into the wafer pod body 12 as illustrated in fig9 a . in the prior art technique , the pod lid 14 d is left supported by the pod lid shutting device 16 d without any operation during the step of carrying out , the step of processing the semiconductor wafers 10 and the step of carrying in . on the other hand , in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention , the vacuum chamber 76 is evacuated in parallel with these steps . the evacuation can be completed within the step of processing the semiconductor wafers 10 . accordingly , there is no need for an extra time as required to evacuate the vacuum chamber 76 . next , as illustrated in fig9 b , the evacuation ( 2 ) of the wafer pod body 12 is then performed during the transportation of the wafer pod . the wafer pod is transported to the next process chamber used in the subsequent manufacturing step by means of an appropriate transportation system ( not shown in the figure ) after transferring the semiconductor wafers 10 to the wafer pod . the vacuum chamber 76 as evacuated is then functioning to evacuate the interior of the wafer pod body 12 during the transportation . since the vacuum chamber 76 is in a vacuum condition , the gas inside of the wafer pod body 12 is transferred to the vacuum chamber 76 through the appropriate conduit by its pressure when the appropriate valve is opened . the evacuation time for evacuating the wafer pod body 12 is about several second or several minutes in the case that the semiconductor wafer transportation pod has been designed to accommodates 25 wafer having a diameter of 300 mm . accordingly , from the overall view point , the evacuation step can be recognized as completed just after starting the transportation of the wafer pod . in the case of the first embodiment of the present invention , the evacuation of the wafer pod body 12 is conducted before the transportation of the wafer pod . because of this , the transportation of the wafer pod is delayed by the evacuation time . in the case of the second embodiment of the present invention , the evacuation of the wafer pod body 12 is performed during the transportation of the wafer pod . by this configuration , there is virtually no additional time required for the evacuation of the wafer pod body 12 . furthermore , in the case of the second embodiment of the present invention , it is possible to improve the leak - proof structure of the wafer pod . generally speaking , the pressure p 1 ( t ) in a sealed box after evacuation is expressed by the following equation , p 1 ( t )=( q / v )× t + p 0 ( t ) where “ v ” is the volume of the box ; “ q ” is the leak volume ; and “ p 0 ( t )” is the pressure just after evacuation . as understood from the equation as described above , the increase in the pressure of p 1 ( t ) in the sealed box is kept limited to a smaller level as the volume v of the sealed box is larger even in the case that the leak volume becomes substantial . namely , the leak - proof characteristic of the sealed box is furthermore improved , as the volume of the sealed box is larger , in order to elongate the time for which the sealed box is maintained in a vacuum condition . fig1 is a graphical diagram showing the leak - proof characteristic in the case of the second embodiment of the present invention in contrast to the leak - proof characteristic in the case of the modification of the first embodiment of the present invention . in the case of the modification of the first embodiment , what is evacuated is the tiny space defined between the two rubber gaskets and the contact surface as illustrated in fig7 b . however , in the case of the second embodiment of the present invention , all the spaces of the vacuum chamber 76 and interior of the wafer pod body 12 are rendered to be in a vacuum condition so that a higher leak - proof characteristic can be obtained . accordingly , in accordance with the second embodiment , it is possible to maintain the sealed structure of the wafer pod for a longer time and therefore the semiconductor wafers 10 as stored in the wafer pod can be maintained in a highly purified environment even if the transportation requires a longer time . also even in the case that the wafer pod is temporarily stored in a stocker , the semiconductor wafers 10 can be maintained in a highly purified environment in the same manner . the pod lid 14 d in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention is designed for example as illustrated in fig1 a . fig1 a is a cross sectional view showing the configuration of the pod lid 14 d in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention . as illustrated in fig1 a , the pod lid 14 a in accordance with the second embodiment is composed therein of the vacuum chamber 76 , a conduit 78 for evacuating the vacuum chamber 76 , an opening / closing valve 80 located in the middle of the conduit 78 , a conduit 84 for drawing the gas inside of the wafer pod body 12 into the vacuum chamber 76 , an opening / closing valve 86 located in the middle of the conduit 84 , a conduit 90 for communicating the side of the pod lid 14 d facing the wafer pod body 12 with the opposite side of the pod lid 14 d , and an opening / closing valve 92 and a filter 96 which are located in the middle of the conduit 90 . in fig1 a , when the opening / closing valve 80 is opened , the vacuum chamber 76 is evacuated through the conduit 78 by means of the vacuum pump p as illustrated in fig9 a . the conduit 78 inside of the vacuum chamber 76 is then communicating with an inlet port 82 , which is connected to the attachment 18 provided for the lid opening / closing control means 22 through the pod lid shutting device 16 d . these procedures is conducted with the pod lid 14 d detached from the wafer pod body 12 and fixed to the pod lid shutting device 16 a . on the other hand , when the opening / closing valve 86 is opened , the vacuum chamber 76 serves to evacuate the wafer pod body 12 through the conduit 84 . as described above , since the vacuum chamber 76 is in a vacuum condition , the gas inside of the wafer pod body 12 is transferred to the vacuum chamber 76 through the conduit 84 when the opening / closing valve 86 is opened . meanwhile , when the pod lid 14 d is detached from the wafer pod body 12 , the wafer pod body 12 and the vacuum chamber 76 are vented to the atmosphere by passing air from the conduit 90 . air is introduced to the wafer pod from the vent port 94 through the conduit 90 when the opening / closing valve 96 is opened . furthermore , the filter 96 is provided for the purpose of improving the purity of air as introduced to the wafer pod body 12 . by this configuration , the purity of the semiconductor wafers 10 inside of the wafer pod body 12 can be maintained in a highly purified environment . the procedure as described above is preferably conducted in response to the opening action and the closing action of the pod lid 14 d . namely , the evacuation of the vacuum chamber 76 is started when the pod lid 14 d is detached from the wafer pod body 12 while the evacuation of the wafer pod body 12 is started when the pod lid 14 d is attached again to the wafer pod body 12 . in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention , therefore , it is proposed to perform two operations in response to the opening / closing operation of the pod lid 14 d . in practice , the pod lid 14 d is designed , for example , as described in fig1 b . fig1 b is a plan view showing the configuration of the pod lid 14 d in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention . as illustrated in fig1 b , in accordance with the pod lid 14 d of the second embodiment , the opening / closing operation of the opening / closing valves 80 , 86 and 92 is performed by linking bars 98 and 100 in response to the rotation of the locking / unlocking mechanism 54 . more specifically speaking , when the locking pins 58 are drawn back into the pod lid 14 d by means of the linking bars 56 in response to the rotation of the locking / unlocking mechanism 54 , the linking bar 98 serves to close the opening / closing valve 86 while the linking bar 100 serves to open the opening / closing valves 80 and 92 at the same time . on the other hand , when the locking pins 58 are projected from the pod lid 14 d by means of the linking bars 56 in response to the rotation of the locking / unlocking mechanism , the linking bar 98 serves to open the opening / closing valve 86 while the linking bar 100 serves to close the opening / closing valves 80 and 92 at the same time . accordingly , when the pod lid 14 d is detached from the wafer pod body 12 , it is possible to start venting the wafer pod body 12 and evacuating the vacuum chamber 76 with the opening / closing valves 80 and 92 being opened and the opening / closing valve 86 being closed . on the other hand , when the pod lid 14 d is fixed to the wafer pod body 12 , the evacuation of the wafer pod body 12 is started with the opening / closing valves 80 and 92 being closed and the opening / closing valve 86 being opened . in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention , the pod lid 14 d is provided with the vacuum chamber 76 so that the vacuum chamber 76 is evacuated in advance during the period after the semiconductor wafers 10 are carried out from the wafer pod body 12 and before the semiconductor wafers 10 are carried in the wafer pod body 12 while the wafer pod body 12 is then evacuated by means of the vacuum chamber 76 during the transportation of the wafer pod . by this configuration , the evacuation step of the wafer pod body 12 can be recognized to virtually disappear . accordingly , there is no need for an extra time as required for the evacuation of the wafer pod body 12 . as a result , the cycle time required for completing all the manufacture process can be shortened to realize the improvement of the production efficiency and the reduction of the production cost . furthermore , in accordance with the second embodiment , it is possible to maintain the sealed structure of the wafer pod for a longer time and therefore the semiconductor wafers 10 as stored in the wafer pod can be maintained in a highly purified environment for a longer time . while the gas holding vessel and the vacuum chamber are described as implemented within the pod lid in accordance with the first and second embodiments of the present invention , it is possible to make use of the structure in which the gas holding vessel and the vacuum chamber are implemented in any other suitable location . for example , the gas holding vessel and the vacuum chamber may be implemented within the wafer pod body . furthermore , not limited to the built - in structure , the gas holding vessel and the vacuum chamber are separately designed to be freely attached or detached to certain positions of the wafer pod . various modifications will become possible for those skilled in the art after receiving the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from the scope thereof .	8
after launch and deployment of the stabilising fins the vehicle will transit via a ballistic trajectory to the point at which it transitions in various stages to its surveillance configuration . the proposed wrap - around fins will damp out the spin of the vehicle within one or two seconds and will provide sufficient directional stability to replace the gyroscopic stabilisation that would have been imparted by the spin rate . in order to provide sufficient directional stability via the proposed fins it will be essential to ensure that the centre of gravity of the components are well forward enough in the vehicle to provide sufficient static margin . upon initiation of the transition to surveillance mode a number of key events take place , such as for example deploy the parawing , uncover the camera lens , deploy the folding propellers and place the platform in a stable circular orbit . this may be controlled by a simple timer , initiated at launch , to signal the deployment sequence . upon initiation of the sequence a mechanism , which may be driven by a small pyrotechnic charge , may unlatch the cylindrical outer casing of the vehicle and drive it rearwards by a distance of approximately 50 mm . at the same time this action will release the drop - out panels covering the bays containing the folding propeller blades and the folded parawing . it is anticipated that these panels will be jettisoned immediately after they are released from the vehicle body . once the panels have been ejected the folding propellers and parawing will be deployed , typically by a simple integrated spring mechanism . the vehicle when it approaches its target may possibly still be travelling quite fast ( up to 40 m / s ) and that it may not be in an upright orientation . it may be convenient to employ a two - stage parawing deployment process . the first step may be the initial deployment of a very small drogue parachute to place the vehicle in a steady descent with an upright attitude , which should take in the order of a few seconds . once this condition has been reached a second phase of deployment is initiated whereby the drogue parachute is used to deploy the parawing . by virtue of the fact that the outer casing of the vehicle moved rearwards for parawing deployment it has also been designed so that this action also exposes the camera in its gimballed mounting . thus , the proposed moving outer casing and ejectable panels provide a means of achieving a robust , hermetically sealed protection for all the internal components , during storage , ground handling and launch . retention of the stabilising fins during the parawing flight phase has significant benefit for stability of the camera platform . the rearward movement of the outer casing also has the effect of moving the stabilising fins further rearward and provides an even greater degree of stability of the camera platform suspended below the parawing . the flying platform may operate at its pivotal altitude , the altitude at which for a given flight speed and constant turn radius the lateral axis of the aircraft points at the location on the ground about which the turn is centred . for a given flight speed there is a single altitude ( the pivotal altitude ) at which the lateral axis of the aircraft points directly at the centre of rotation point on the ground regardless of the radius of the turn . aircraft pilots use this flying technique to carry out coordinated turns with respect to a fixed point on the ground . the vehicle flight control system must maintain constant speed and altitude , a fixed camera angle within the airframe directed at the pre - defined centre - point of ground rotation results in an image that would rotate at the rotation speed of the vehicle &# 39 ; s orbit around a fixed point in the centre of the image . this image would be useful to the operator providing it was not rotating too fast or preferably with the use of image processing software , be artificially made to appear quasi - stationary on the operators display . if the flying platform was operating in a steady crosswind at a pivotal altitude and at constant speed and bank angle it would result in the orbit of the platform drifting with the prevailing wind , making continuous orbit about a fixed ground point difficult . the adoption of a variable bank angle technique is used by aircraft pilots in such circumstances when they wish to fly an orbit around a fixed ground point in such circumstances . as the aircraft flies in a circular orbit the pilot continuously adjusts the aircraft bank angle during the turn such that it is a minimum on the “ into - wind ” leg and at a maximum on the “ down - wind ” leg . therefore the bank angle of the vehicle according to the invention would vary during the turn the camera requires a variable ‘ axis of look ’ preferably controlled by a heading lock gyroscope . once the parawing and folding propeller deployment phase has been completed the platform will be automatically programmed to enter a predetermined circling flight loiter mode , at a predefined altitude above ground with the camera actively pointed at the location on the ground about which the platform is circling . a simple on - board flight controller , based on simplified versions of current micro autopilot technology would provide appropriate station keeping with respect to a fixed ground location . the roll stabilised camera looking sideways and downwards from the vehicle may provide imagery for transmission back to the user . changes in platform bank angle required to operate in windy conditions and due to sway of the platform due to gusts would be expected to be largely eliminated through gyroscopic stabilisation of the camera about the vehicle &# 39 ; s roll axis . the connection between the parawing and the camera may help to decouple the motions of the two components . the vehicle ( and hence camera ) are suspended from the parawing by a pivotal trunion mounting which is able to pivot about the pitch axis of the vehicle . this rigid trunion frame pivots about the centre of gravity of the vehicle ( and camera ) and enables an almost complete decoupling of the relative motions of the camera and the parawing about the pitch axis . roll and yaw coupling between the parawing and the camera ( vehicle ) are minimised through the use of what are effectively “ pin joints ” where the parawing suspension lines attach to the top of the trunion frame . the effective “ pin joints ” decouple the motions of the parawing from the camera ( vehicle ), whereas stability of the camera ( vehicle ) in pitch and yaw is provided by means of its stabilising fins . an embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings of which : fig2 a to 2 d show the deployment sequence of the components , after launch fig3 shows a section through the vehicle in its launch configuration . fig4 shows an area to be surveyed , and a surveillance pattern . turning to fig1 , shows a surveillance device 1 , with a vehicle 3 suspended from a parawing 2 , via control lines 4 . the vehicle 3 comprises a propeller 5 to provide forward flight , in the direction of the arrow . the vehicle 3 comprises a pivotal trunion 7 , which in its deployed position as shown , is exterior to the outer surface of the vehicle casing 3 . control lines 4 are attached to the trunnion 7 , and are held free from the internal components ( not shown ) of the vehicle 3 . the vehicle 3 is stabilised during flight by deployable fins 6 . the vehicle 3 is designed to be fired from a ugl launcher ( not shown ). fig2 a - d show a sequence of deployment from the launch configuration fig2 a , through to a deployed configuration 2 d . in the launch configuration , a vehicle 3 forms a body of a device 1 that is fired from the grenade launcher . there are no additional housings or containers which house the vehicle 3 . the launch propulsion is provided by a standard grenade launcher propellant cartridge 19 , which during storage forms an integral part of the vehicle 3 . during deployment the propellant cartridge 19 is fired by a launcher ( not shown ) which ejects the vehicle 3 , as it would with a typical high explosive payload . most grenade launchers rely on spin stabilisation to control the accuracy of the round , however , the device 1 needs to have the imparted spin removed very quickly , otherwise deployment of the parawing will be unduly delayed . deployable fins 6 , in their launch configuration , are biased such that upon launch they move radially outwards into a deployed state . the fins 6 counteract the spinning moment on the vehicle 3 . at a selected time sacrificial panels 12 and 14 are ejected from the vehicle 3 such as for example by shearing retaining pins , to allow a propeller 5 to be deployed from a folded state to the final deployed state . similarly a pivotal trunion 7 is then able to move to its deployed state . the deployment of the propeller 5 and trunion 7 may be effected by the use of biased components such that when the sacrificial panels 12 , 14 are removed the propeller 5 and trunion 7 are urged into the deployed state . the parawing 2 has been removed for clarity . fig3 shows a section of a device 1 , with the components in their launch configuration . the device 1 comprises a propellant cartridge 19 at the rear end . at the fore end , there is a propeller 5 in a folded state . the propeller 5 is powered by an electric motor 24 , which receives electrical energy from a battery 29 . the battery 29 also provides electrical energy to power a video camera 28 and control servos 27 , which control and steer the parawing 2 when in the deployed state . the control servos 27 are themselves activated by instructions from an autopilot system 26 , which may be based on a gps based technology . fig4 shows an area of interest 35 to be surveyed . a vehicle 3 is made to obtain a pivotal altitude 31 b such that a camera ( not shown ) can provide surveillance of the area 32 b . a parawing may be steered to nudge the vehicle 3 to a new pivotal altitude , such that a new surveillance area 32 a may be surveyed . a series of pivotal altitudes may be set up during the flight , to provide a complete picture of the total area of interest 35 . at the end of the flight the vehicle 3 is bought down and destroyed 36 , preferably remote to the area of interest 35 .	1
for purposes of illustration , the invention will be described primarily in relation to the sequential formation , by hvpe , of a gan epitaxial layer on a non - native substrate . however , it is to be understood that the invention is also applicable to the deposition of materials other than gan . referring now to the drawings , fig1 schematically represents a hvpe system 8 suitable for forming epitaxial layers ( e . g ., 2 , 4 , 5 ) on a non - native substrate ( e . g ., 1 ) ( fig3 a - 3 e ). hvpe systems ( e . g ., 8 ) suitable for forming epitaxial layers are well known in the art . briefly , system 8 includes a growth tube or reactor 21 having inlet 22 , outlet 19 , and a reaction assembly 26 . system 8 may be contained entirely within a furnace 24 for raising the temperature of the reactor . a substrate 14 is arranged on a stage 11 of a susceptor 12 ( fig2 ). epitaxial deposition on substrate 14 proceeds by the vapor - phase reaction of reagent gases which are introduced into reactor 21 . for example , a reagent gas , such as gallium chloride , indium chloride , or aluminum chloride , may be projected towards substrate 14 from reaction assembly 26 ; while ammonia may be introduced into growth tube 21 through reactor inlet 22 . reagent gas , e . g . gacl , may be formed in reaction assembly 26 by passing hcl over liquid metal ( e . g ., gallium ). the direction of gas flow is indicated by arrow 5 . reagent gases ( e . g ., gacl , incl , alcl ) react with ammonia within growth tube 21 to form the respective nitride , gan , inn , aln or alloy thereof , which is deposited on substrate 14 . fig2 schematically represents susceptor 12 of hvpe system 8 of fig1 . substrate 14 is arranged on stage 11 . stage 11 is disposed at an angle with respect to the direction of reagent gas flow ( represented by the arrow ) 5 . this angled arrangement of stage 11 increases the contact area of gas stream 5 with surface 14 ′ of substrate 14 . substrate 14 includes a substrate upper and lower edge 14 a , 14 b , respectively . susceptor 12 includes a region 18 upstream from substrate 14 on which source gases impinge before reaching substrate 14 . the elevated temperature of susceptor 12 ( e . g ., between 700 and 1000 ° c .) allows reagent gases to react on any surface of susceptor 12 . in particular , deposition of a solid material 16 at location 18 , upstream from substrate 14 , is particularly problematic . at region 18 , the concentration of reagents in the incident gas stream 5 is maximal . during hvpe by prior art methods , deposits 16 interfere with the free flow of reagent gases 5 . in addition , deposits 16 can merge with the epitaxial layer , for example , at substrate lower edge 14 b , leading to degradation of surface morphology of the epitaxial layer . also , unwanted deposition of gan may cause accumulation of particles on the substrate during deposition growth steps leading to epitaxial layer with poor surface quality . the instant invention overcomes problems associated with unwanted deposits , e . g ., 16 , on susceptor 12 , and on other components of system 8 , as will be described with reference to fig3 a - d , 4 , and 5 . fig3 a , 3 b , 3 c , 3 d , and 3 e represent stages in the formation of an epitaxial film , according to one embodiment of the invention . fig3 a represents a non - native substrate 1 . according to the invention , substrate 1 is preferably sapphire , silicon , silicon carbide , gallium arsenide , zinc oxide or magnesium oxide . fig3 b represents a first , relatively thin epitaxial layer 2 formed on substrate 1 . according to the invention , layer 2 is formed on substrate 1 by hvpe , at a normal growth temperature , typically between 700 and 1100 ° c . layer 2 may be deposited on substrate 1 to a thickness in the range of from 15 to 75 microns ; more preferably from 20 to 50 microns ; and more preferably to a thickness of 25 microns . herein , substrate 1 having any number of epitaxial layers ( e . g ., 2 , 4 , 5 ) deposited thereon may be referred to as a “ iii - v / substrate sample ”, or more conveniently as a “ sample ”. according to the invention , after formation of layer 2 to the desired thickness , hvpe growth is discontinued or interrupted , and the reactor , and concomitantly the sample , is allowed to cool to a sub - growth temperature . preferably , the sample is allowed to cool slowly . a preferred rate of cooling is between 1 to 100 ° c ./ min , and most preferably between 10 to 25 ° c ./ min . fig3 c represents a sample which has been cooled to a sub - growth temperature . during cooling , stress develops in the sample due to thermal mismatch ( i . e ., differences in coefficient of thermal expansion ) between layer 2 and substrate 1 . typically , such stress leads to the development of small fissures 3 in the epitaxial layer ( e . g ., layer 2 ). after cooling to a suitable sub - growth temperature , the structure of fig3 c is again heated to the growth temperature in the reactor ( e . g ., reactor 21 , fig1 ). fig3 d represents a sample on which an additional , relatively thin epitaxial layer 4 is formed on layer 2 . layer 4 , and each subsequently deposited epitaxial layer , may have a thickness as described for layer 2 , hereinabove . after formation of layer 4 , the reactor and sample is again cooled to a sub - growth temperature . thereafter , the sample is heated once more to the growth temperature , and a further relatively thin epitaxial layer is formed on the sample . this sequence of epitaxial deposition at the growth temperature , followed by cooling to a sub - growth temperature may be repeated until a multi - layered film 5 has been formed on substrate 1 , as is shown in fig3 e . although a total of six epitaxial layers are shown in fig3 e as comprising film 5 , this is not to be construed as limiting the invention as to the number of layers that may be sequentially deposited . because , each epitaxial layer is relatively thin , and stress is relieved after each layer has been deposited , the sample does not shatter when it is finally cooled , e . g ., to ambient temperature . in addition , the strain due to thermal mismatch generated in each newly formed layer decreases as the total number of layers increases . as a result , after a sufficient number of layers have been deposited , fissures no longer form in the uppermost layer ( s ), and the epitaxial film has a uniform surface . according to a currently preferred embodiment of the invention , film 5 comprises a nitride of gallium , indium , aluminum , or one of their alloys . most preferably , film 5 is gallium nitride and the total thickness of the film 5 is preferably in the range of 100 to 500 microns . after each layer ( e . g ., 2 , 4 ) has been formed , epitaxial growth is curtailed , and the reactor and sample are cooled , as described hereinabove . according to one embodiment of the invention , the sample may be removed from the reactor after each sequence of epitaxial growth , and hvpe system 8 may be cleaned by passing etchant gas through reactor 21 at an elevated temperature ( e . g ., the growth temperature ). in particular , by passing hcl through reactor 21 after each sequence of growth , excessive deposits 16 do not build up on susceptor stage 11 . as a result , the sample is not impaired due to contact with unwanted deposits 16 , and a high quality surface morphology of the sample is assured . as described with reference to fig1 hcl is already used in conjunction with system 8 for epitaxial growth of iii - v nitrides , so that system etching can be readily performed using a standard ( unmodified ) hvpe system . after etching has been completed , system 8 may be cooled down and the sample reintroduced for deposition of another epitaxial layer of film 5 . fig4 schematically represents a series of steps involved in a method of forming an epitaxial film , according to the invention , in which step 40 involves arranging a substrate in a hvpe reactor . preferably , the substrate is arranged on a susceptor stage ( fig2 ) within the reactor . the substrate provided in step 40 is preferably a non - native substrate , such as sapphire , silicon , silicon carbide , gallium arsenide , zinc oxide or magnesium oxide . step 41 involves forming a first epitaxial layer of a iii - v compound ( e . g ., gallium nitride ) on the substrate to provide a iii - v / substrate sample . the epitaxial layer may be formed on the substrate by hvpe at a growth temperature in the range of from 700 to 1100 ° c . the epitaxial layer formed in step 41 preferably has a thickness in the range of from 15 to 100 microns ; more preferably from 20 to 50 microns ; and most preferably 25 microns . step 42 involves cooling the epitaxial layer formed in step 41 to a lower , or sub - growth , temperature . in this step ( step 42 ), the heat source for the hvpe system ( e . g ., furnace 24 , fig1 ) may be turned down or turned off . preferably , the sub - growth temperature is not more than 50 % of the growth temperature for epitaxial deposition . for example , where the growth temperature is 1000 ° c ., the sub - growth temperature is preferably not more than 500 ° c . more preferably , the sub - growth temperature is in the range of 10 to 200 ° c . ; and most preferably , in the range of from ambient temperature to 100 ° c . step 43 involves removing the sample from the hvpe reactor . after , the sample has been removed from the reactor , step 44 involves passing an etchant gas through the reactor while the reactor is held at an elevated temperature , e . g ., 1000 ° c ., by the furnace . a preferred etchant gas is hcl . by passing an etchant gas through the reactor , unwanted deposits , which can adversely affect the quality of the epitaxial film , are removed from the hvpe reactor . in particular , step 44 serves to remove excessive deposits , e . g ., of gan , from the susceptor stage located upstream from the substrate / sample . after unwanted deposits have been removed from the hvpe rector by the etchant gas , the reactor is cooled prior to step 45 . step 45 involves arranging the sample on the susceptor stage within the reactor . thereafter , step 46 involves forming a further epitaxial layer , on the sample , at an elevated ( growth ) temperature . the epitaxial layer formed in step 46 may be the same or substantially the same as the first epitaxial layer formed in step 41 . step 47 involves successively repeating steps 42 through 46 until the epitaxial film has attained a desired thickness and quality . step 47 may involve from one ( 1 ) to as many as twenty ( 20 ) or more repetitions of steps 42 through 46 . step 48 involves cooling the sample formed in step 47 to ambient temperature . with each successive epitaxial layer formed , stress in that layer due to thermal mismatch becomes less . consequently , after deposition of an appropriate number of epitaxial layers , fissures no longer form in the upper epitaxial layer ( s ) and the surface of the epitaxial film is uniform . fig5 schematically represents a series of steps involved in a method of forming an epitaxial film , according to another embodiment of the invention , in which step 50 involves providing a substrate . the substrate provided in step 50 may be of the type described hereinabove ( e . g ., in step 40 , fig4 ; fig3 a ). step 51 involves arranging the substrate in a hvpe reactor ( e . g ., reactor 21 , fig1 ). step 52 involves forming an epitaxial layer on the substrate at a growth temperature , essentially as in step 41 described hereinabove ( fig4 ). step 53 involves cooling the sample to a sub - growth temperature , i . e ., to a temperature below the growth temperature , essentially as in step 42 ( fig4 ). step 54 involves forming an additional epitaxial layer on the sample at the growth temperature , essentially as in step 46 ( fig4 ). step 55 involves successively repeating steps 53 and 54 , until an epitaxial film of the desired thickness and quality is attained . for purposes of illustration , the invention has been described primarily in relation to the sequential deposition of a gan epitaxial film . however , the invention is also applicable to sequential deposition of epitaxial layers other than gan , including nitrides of indium , aluminum , and alloys of ga , in , and al . the foregoing embodiments are merely exemplary and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention . the present teaching may be applied to other types of apparatuses and methods . the description of the present invention is intended to be illustrative , and not to limit the scope of the appended claims . many alternatives , modifications , and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art .	7
referring now to the drawings , wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views , in fig1 a to 1c an inner quartz tube 2 is arranged coaxially in an outer quartz tube 1 having a wall thickness of approximately 0 . 5 to 1 . 5 mm and an outside diameter of approximately 20 to 30 mm . the inner surface of the inner quartz tube 2 is provided with an inner electrode 3 , which is produced , for example , by coating with aluminum . an outer electrode 4 in the form of a narrow strip of wire netting extends only over a small part of the circumference of the outer quartz tube 1 . the quartz tubes 1 and 2 are sealed at both ends . the space between the two tubes 1 and 2 , the discharge space 5 , is filled with a gas / gas mixture emitting radiation under discharging conditions . the two electrodes 3 , 4 are connected to the two poles of an alternating current source 6 . the alternating current source basically corresponds to those such as are used to feed ozone generators . typically , it delivers an adjustable alternating voltage of the order of magnitude of several 100 volts to 20 , 000 volts are frequencies in the range of industrial alternating current up to a few 1 , 000 khz -- depending upon the electrode geometry , the pressure in the discharge space and the composition of the fill - gas . the fill - gas is , for example , mercury , a rare gas , a mixture of rare gas and metal vapor , a mixture of rare gas and halogen , possibly with the use of an additional further rare gas , preferably ar , he , ne , as buffer gas . depending on the desired spectral composition of the radiation , it is possible here to use a substance / mixture of substances in accordance with the following table : ______________________________________fill - gas radiation______________________________________helium 60 - 100 nmneon 80 - 90 nmargon 107 - 165 nmargon + fluorine 180 - 200 nmargon + chlorine 165 - 190 nmargon + krypton + chlorine 165 - 190 nm , 200 - 240 nmxenon 160 - 190 nmnitrogen 337 - 415 nmkrypton 124 nm , 140 - 160 nmkrypton + fluorine 240 - 255 nmkrypton + chlorine 200 - 240 nmhg 185 nm , 254 nm , 320 - 370 nm 390 - 420 nmselenium 196 nm , 204 nm , 206 nmdeuterium 150 - 250 nmxenon + fluorine 340 - 360 nm , 400 - 550 nmxenon + chlorine 300 - 320 nmargon + bromine 150 - 190 nmkrypton + bromine 190 - 250 nmxenon + bromine 260 - 340 nmkrypton + iodine 150 - 230 nmxenon + iodine 240 - 330 nmhg + iodine + rare gas 400 - 510 nmhg + bromine + rare gas 490 - 570 nmhg + chlorine + rare gas 530 - 570 nm______________________________________ a rare gas ( ar , he , kr , ne , xe ) or hg with a gas or vapor from f 2 , i 2 , br 2 , c1 2 or a compound which splits off in the discharge one or more atoms of f , i , br or cl ; a rare gas ( ar , he , kr , ne , xe ) or hg with o 2 or a compound which splits off in the discharge one or more o - atoms ; in the silent electrical discharge that is formed , the electron energy distribution can be adjusted optimally by means of the thickness of the dielectrics and their properties of pressure and / or temperature in the discharge space . when an alternating voltage is applied between the electrodes 3 and 4 , a multiplicity of discharge ducts 7 ( partial discharges ) form in the discharge space 5 . these interact with the atoms / molecules of the fill - gas , and this finally leads to uv or vuv radiation . instead of a narrow wire netting as the outer electrode 4 , it is also possible to use two narrow outer electrodes 4a and 4b ( fig1 b ) spaced from each other , or a wider wire netting that extends approximately over a sixth of the tube circumference ( fig1 c ). instead of a wire netting , it is also possible to use a perforated metal foil or a uv - transparent , electrically conductive coating . apart from the solid outer electrodes mentioned above , it is also possible to use a transparent electrolyte . in the embodiment according to fig2 three dielectric tubes 1 having inner dielectric tubes 2 located inside and provided with inner electrodes 3 are immersed in a quartz vessel 8 filled with water 4 &# 39 ;. the size of the triggered segment can be varied via the depth of immersion t . moreover , an additional optical filtering effect can be achieved by appropriate selection of electrolyte : thus , for example , water very effectively blocks from the discharge any infrared radiation present . this is particularly important in the irradiation of substances that are very sensitive to temperature . fig3 illustrates how a plurality of cylindrical radiators in accordance with fig1 c can be combined to form a large - area radiator . a carrier body 9 made of an electrically insulating material , but having a good thermal conductivity , for example on a ceramic base , is provided for this purpose with parallel grooves 10 having a semicircular cross - section , which are spaced from one another by more than an outer tube diameter . the grooves 10 are matched to the outer quartz tubes 1 and by coating with a uv - reflecting material , for example aluminum , which is provided with a protective layer made of mgf 2 . additional bores 11 , which extend in the direction of the tubes 1 , serve to cool the individual radiators . individual radiators can be combined with different gas fillings and thus different ( uv ) wavelengths for special applications . the carrier body 9 need not necessarily be constructed in the shape of a plate . it can also have a hollow cylindrical cross - section having axially parallel grooves regularly distributed over its inner circumference , in which one radiator element is inserted in each case according to fig1 a to 1c . the irradiating device in accordance with fig4 basically corresponds to that according to fig3 with additional ducts 12 extending in the longitudinal direction of the carrier body 9 . these ducts are connected to the outer space 13 via a multiplicity of bores or slots 14 in the carrier body 9 . the ducts 12 are connected to an inert gas source ( not represented ), for example a nitrogen or argon source . the pressurized inert gas passes from the ducts 12 into the outer space 13 along the path described . in addition , fig . illustrates a particularly simple and economic embodiment for the outer electrode . this outer electrode is common to all radiators . it consists of a continuous wire netting or wire fabric 15 having semicircular bulges extending in the longitudinal tube direction , which cling to the outer quartz tubes 1 . obviously , numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings . it is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims , the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein .	7
referring now to the drawings , which illustrate some preferred embodiments of the present invention , and are not for limiting the same , a uniquely configured umbrella 10 is provided . as will be shown with reference to the drawings , a preferred embodiment of the umbrella 10 can be adjusted between a closed position , an open position , and an extended position utilizing innovative mechanisms and techniques which are discussed in greater detail below . according to an embodiment illustrated in fig1 , the umbrella 10 can include a support pole assembly 12 . the support pole assembly 12 can be configured to include at least one pole , and preferably comprises a lower pole 16 and an upper pole 18 . the upper pole 18 can be translatable relative to the lower pole 16 . in addition , the lower pole 16 can be configured to include at least one first elongate channel 20 . although it is contemplated that the first elongate channel 20 can be formed separately from the lower pole 16 , the elongate channel 20 can be at least partially recessed in an outer surface 22 of the lower pole 16 , as shown in fig1 , and 5 . referring still to fig1 , the umbrella 10 can further include a canopy support frame 14 that can be configured to include a first hub 30 , a second hub 32 , and an intermediate hub 34 . additionally , the canopy support frame 14 can include a first plurality of ribs 40 that can each define a first end 42 and a second end 44 . according to an implementation of the present invention , the first ends 42 of the first plurality of ribs 40 can be coupled with the first hub 30 such that the second ends 44 are disposed away from the first hub 30 . furthermore , the canopy support frame 14 can further include a second plurality of ribs 50 . each of the second plurality of ribs can define a first end 52 and a second end 54 . in this regard , it is contemplated that the first ends 52 of the second plurality of ribs 50 can be coupled to the second hub 32 . additionally , the second ends 52 of the second plurality of ribs can each be coupled to a respective rib of the first plurality of ribs 40 such that the first plurality of ribs 40 can be operatively coupled to the second plurality of ribs 50 in forming the canopy support frame 14 , according to an implementation of the present invention . in accordance with an aspect of the present invention , the canopy support frame 14 of the umbrella 10 can be moved from a closed position 60 ( shown in fig2 ) to an open position 62 ( shown in fig1 and 3 ). in some implementations , the canopy support frame 14 can be operative to move to an extended position 64 ( shown in fig4 ). additionally , as shown in hidden lines in fig1 , the canopy support frame 14 can be used to support a canopy 66 , which can be coupled to the canopy support frame 14 in such a manner as to ensure that the canopy 66 can be manipulated in shape in response to the movement of the canopy support frame 14 . in this regard , the canopy 66 can comprise one or more individual canopy portions that collectively form the canopy 66 . it is contemplated that the canopy 66 can therefore have a variety of possible configurations , shapes , and other features that may be beneficial in using the umbrella 10 . such modifications are contemplated as being within the scope of embodiments of the present invention . referring still to fig1 , the umbrella 10 can comprise at least a first actuating handle 70 that is operative to manipulate the configuration of the canopy support frame 14 . according to an implementation , movement of the first actuating handle 70 can produce a corresponding movement of the canopy support frame 14 from the closed position 60 to the open position 62 . for example , the first actuating handle 70 can be vertically translated along the lower pole 16 in order to effectuate movement of the canopy support frame 14 from the closed position 60 to the open position 62 . in this regard , according to an embodiment of the present invention , it is contemplated that the first actuating handle 70 can be at least partially disposed within the first elongate channel 20 of the lower pole 16 in order to facilitate translatable vertical movement of the first actuating handle 70 along the lower pole 16 . the lower or main pole 16 extends downwardly into a base ( not shown ). according to another aspect of the present invention , the umbrella 10 can further comprise a second actuating handle 72 . as illustrated in fig1 , the second actuating handle 72 can be separate from the first actuating handle 70 . for example , the first actuating handle 70 can be disposed opposite the second actuating handle 72 . in an implementation of the present invention , movement of the second actuating handle 72 can produce a corresponding movement of the canopy support frame 14 from the open position 62 , shown in fig1 and 3 , to the extended position 64 , shown in fig4 . similar to the first actuating handle 70 , although the movement of the second actuating handle 72 can be any one of a variety of movements , it is contemplated that the second actuating handle 72 can be configured to be vertically translatable in order to effectuate the corresponding movement of the canopy support frame 14 from the open position 62 to the extended position 64 . in particular , the lower pole 16 can further include a second elongate channel 74 . similar to the first elongate channel 20 , the second elongate channel 74 can be separate from the lower pole 16 . in an implementation of the present invention , the second elongate channel 74 can be at least partially recessed in the outer surface 22 of the lower pole 16 . therefore , in accordance with an aspect of the present invention , the second actuating handle 72 can be sized and configured to be at least partially disposed within the second elongate channel 74 in order to facilitate translatable movement of the second actuating handle 72 along the lower pole 16 . referring now to fig2 , the umbrella 10 is shown in the closed position 60 . further , fig2 provides a partial cross - sectional view along an axis of the support pole assembly 12 . as shown therein , the umbrella 10 can further include a first elongate member 80 . the first elongate member 80 can be disposed in parallel relation relative to the support pole assembly 12 . however , the first elongate member 80 can preferably be at least partially disposed within the first elongate channel 20 . according to an implementation of the present invention , the first elongate member 80 can define an upper end 82 and a lower end 84 . the lower end 84 of the first elongate member 80 can be coupled with the first actuating handle 70 , and the upper end 82 of the first elongate member 80 can be coupled to the first hub 30 . the first elongate member 80 can be made of a variety of materials , such as metal , plastic , and can be elastic or inelastic . however , in a preferred embodiment , the first elongate member 80 can be fabricated from a substantially rigid material such that a position of the first hub 30 can be fixed relative to a position of the first actuating handle 70 . therefore , as illustrated in fig2 , and as further described below with reference to fig5 , the first elongate member 80 can preferably be a compression member such as a cylindrical or other shaped rod that provides a coupling between the first hub 30 and the first actuating handle 70 in order to ensure that the distance between the first hub 30 and the first actuating handle 70 is relatively constant . in this regard , vertical displacement of the first actuating handle 70 can therefore result in a corresponding vertical displacement of the first hub 30 . as described further below , upon translating the first actuating handle 70 downwardly along the lower pole 16 , the first hub 30 can likewise be translated downwardly , and due to the configuration of the canopy support frame 14 , the canopy support frame can be moved from the closed position 60 to the open position 62 . according to another aspect of the present invention , the upper pole 18 of the support pole assembly 12 can be configured to provide stability to the first hub 30 and to ensure that the first hub 30 translates axially relative to the support pole assembly 12 . as illustrated in fig2 , the upper pole 18 can define an upper end 86 and a lower end 88 . the upper end 86 can be coupled to the first hub 30 and the lower end 88 can be slidable within a central passage 90 of the lower pole 16 . in this regard , the upper pole 18 is preferably sized and configured to ensure that the lower end 88 is maintained within the central passage 90 of the lower pole 16 during all translational movement of the first hub 30 . according to yet another aspect of the present invention , the umbrella 10 can further comprise a pulley assembly 100 . the pulley assembly 100 can be used to operatively interconnect the second actuating handle 72 with the second hub 32 in order to facilitate movement of the canopy support frame 14 from the open position 62 to the extended position 64 . as shown in fig2 , the second actuating handle 72 can be interconnected to the second hub 32 via a tension member 102 . the tension member 102 can define a first end 104 that can be coupled to the second actuating handle 72 , and a second end 106 that can be coupled to the second hub 32 . according to an implementation of the present invention , the tension member 102 can be a wire or other flexible cord and can extend upwardly from the second actuating handle 72 to engage the pulley assembly 100 and then descend downwardly toward the second hub 32 . a more detailed description of an exemplary configuration and operation of the pulley assembly 100 and the tension member 102 are provided below . referring still to fig2 , the umbrella 10 can further comprise a second elongate member 82 . the second elongate member 82 can define an upper end 108 and a lower end 110 . as mentioned above with respect to the first elongate member 80 , the second elongate member 82 can also be fabricated from a similar variety of materials . preferably , the second elongate member 82 is fabricated from a material . thus , as shown in fig2 , the second elongate member 82 can be utilized to ensure that an axial position of the pulley assembly 100 is in fixed relation relative to at least a portion of the second hub 32 . in this regard , the lower end 110 of the second elongate member 82 can be coupled to at least a portion of the second hub 32 and the upper end 108 of the second elongate member 82 can be coupled to the pulley assembly 100 . as described in greater detail below , such an embodiment of the present invention can be beneficially used with a “ split ” or “ nested ” second hub 32 , which will be described further below . nevertheless , it is contemplated that other embodiments of the present invention can be fabricated without the use of the second elongate member 82 . further , in such alternative embodiments , the pulley assembly 100 can be fixed relative to the lower pole 16 in order to ensure that the second hub 32 can be moved in response to the movement of the second actuating handle 72 . as illustrated in fig2 , it is contemplated that at least one of the first hub 30 , the second hub 32 , and the intermediate hub 34 can be sized and configured to be vertically translatable relative to the support pole assembly 12 . for example , as mentioned above , the first hub 30 can be vertically translatable relative to the lower pole 16 of the support pole assembly 12 , with the upper pole 18 tending to ensure that the first hub 30 can be stabilized and axially translated with respect to the lower pole 16 . in addition , it is contemplated that at least a portion of the second hub 32 can be vertically translatable along the lower pole 16 . as will be described in greater detail below , various embodiments of the present invention can incorporate different configurations of the second hub 32 which can provide varying degrees of relative movement of portions of the second hub 32 . according to a preferred embodiment , the intermediate hub 34 can be positioned in a fixed relationship relative to the lower pole 16 . for example , the intermediate hub 34 can be coupled to a top end 112 of the lower pole 16 . nevertheless , it is contemplated that other configurations of the umbrella 10 can provide that the intermediate hub 34 be vertically translatable with respect to the lower pole 16 . exemplary operation of the first hub 30 , the second hub 32 , and the intermediate hub 34 are described in greater detail below . referring now to the front plan view of fig3 , the umbrella 10 is shown in the open position 62 . the view of the umbrella in fig3 provides only a partial illustration of the canopy support frame 14 . in accordance with an aspect of the present invention , the canopy support frame 14 can be configured such that the first and second pluralities of ribs 40 , 50 can combine to form a non - uniform configuration . in this regard , as shown in fig3 , the canopy support frame 14 can be configured to include at least one up member 120 and at least one down member 130 . each of the up and down members 120 , 130 can be individually comprised of at least one of the first plurality of ribs 40 and at least one of the second plurality of ribs 50 . in one implementation , the canopy support frame 14 can include two up members 120 ( both shown in fig3 ) and six down members 130 ( wherein only two are visible in fig3 ). as shown in fig3 , in the open position 62 , the second ends 44 of each of the up members 120 can be positioned at a same or greater height or elevation than the second ends 44 of the down members 130 . according to an aspect of the present invention , movement of the first actuating handle 70 can cause the canopy support frame to move from the closed position 60 to the open position 62 illustrated in fig3 . for example , upon being raised to the open position 62 , the second ends 44 of the first plurality of ribs 40 can be raised to a first elevation 132 . the term “ first elevation 132 ” can refer broadly to the general positioning of the second ends 44 of the canopy support frame 14 when the canopy support frame 14 is in the open position 62 . with regard to the first elevation 132 , where the canopy support frame 14 is configured in a uniform fashion , each of the second ends 44 of the first plurality of ribs 40 can be raised to substantially the same elevation or height . however , in another embodiment , which has been described above , the canopy support frame 14 can be configured in a non - uniform fashion , wherein the second ends 44 of the respective ones of the up members 120 and the down members 130 can be positioned at different heights . in this regard , although the second ends 44 of the up members 120 and the down members 130 may be positioned at different heights when the canopy support frame 14 is in the open position 62 , each of these second ends 44 can be considered to be at the first elevation 132 . additional description and comparison will be provided below with regard to the extended position 64 of the canopy support frame 14 . with reference now to the side plan view of fig4 , the umbrella 10 is illustrated as being in the extended position 64 . as shown therein , each of the second ends 44 of the first plurality of ribs 40 can be positioned at a second elevation 134 . the term “ second elevation 134 ” can refer broadly to the general positioning of the second ends 44 of the canopy support frame 14 when the canopy support frame 14 is in the extended position 64 . according to one implementation of the present invention , the second ends 44 of the first plurality of ribs 40 can be positioned at approximately the same height when in the extended position 64 . further , the first plurality of ribs 40 can collectively define a common plane when in the extended position 64 . similar to the first elevation 132 , the second elevation 134 is not limited to a configuration wherein each of the second ends 44 are at exactly the same height . however , when in the extended position 64 , each of the second ends 44 can preferably be at approximately the same height at the second elevation 134 . nevertheless , other configurations are contemplated , wherein the second ends of the first plurality of ribs 40 can be positioned at substantially different heights when positioned at the second elevation 134 . such a concept is similar to that discussed above with respect to the first elevation 132 . according to an aspect of the present invention , it is contemplated that the second elevation 134 can be generally higher than the first elevation 132 . thus , when the canopy support frame 14 moves from the open position 62 to the extended position 64 , at least one of the second ends 44 of the canopy support frame 14 should be raised from the first elevation 132 to the second elevation 134 . preferably , each of the second ends 44 can be moved from the first elevation 132 upwardly to the second elevation 134 when the canopy support frame 14 moves from the open position 62 to the extended position 64 . referring still to fig4 , it is contemplated that the canopy support frame 14 can further comprise at least one support strut 140 . the support strut can define a first end 142 and a second end 144 . the first end 142 of the support strut 140 can be coupled to the intermediate hub 34 , as illustrated in fig4 . the second end 144 of the support strut 140 can be coupled to one of the second plurality of ribs 50 . fig4 is an exemplary illustration wherein two support struts 140 can operatively interconnect two of the second plurality of ribs 50 with the intermediate hub 34 . additional configurations can be provided , wherein more than two support struts 140 , such as four or six , can be used in the canopy support frame 14 . thus , more than two of the second plurality of ribs 50 can be interconnected to the intermediate hub 34 . in this regard , the combination of one of the second plurality of ribs 50 with one of the support struts 140 can be collectively referred to as a strut pair 150 . as illustrated in fig4 , it is contemplated that the second hub 32 can comprise at least a first hub component or runner 152 and a second hub component or runner 154 , in what was previously referred to as a “ split ” or “ nested ” second hub 32 . according to an implementation of the present invention , the first and second runners 152 , 154 can each be coupled to at least one of the second plurality of ribs 50 at the first ends 54 thereof . as mentioned above , although it is contemplated that the second plurality of ribs 50 can be coupled to a common second hub 32 , the first and second runners 152 , 154 can be provided such that selected ones 156 of the second plurality of ribs 50 are coupled to the first runner 152 and remaining ones 160 of the second plurality of ribs 50 are coupled to the second runner 154 . the selected ones 156 can be those of the second plurality of ribs 50 that are not coupled to the second runner 154 , and are shown in hidden lines in fig4 . in fig4 , an embodiment is illustrated wherein two remaining ones 160 of the second plurality of ribs 50 are coupled to the second hub component or runner 154 . as illustrated in fig4 , the two remaining ones 160 can each respectively be part of the illustrated strut pairs 150 coupled to the second runner 154 , the intermediate hub 34 , and a respective one of the first plurality of ribs 40 . such a configuration can be repeated for additional strut pairs 150 . thus , as shown in fig4 , at least two strut pairs can be operatively connected in such a manner . fig4 also illustrates that the first hub component or runner 152 can be coupled to the remaining ones 160 of the second plurality of ribs 50 . with reference to fig4 and to fig3 , it is contemplated that the selected ones 160 of the second plurality of ribs 50 can be respectively coupled to the up members 120 and the down members 130 . various other configurations can be implemented utilizing the teachings herein . with reference now to fig2 and 3 , it is contemplated that the first actuating handle 70 can be moved from a first position 166 to a second position 168 in order to move the canopy support frame from the closed position 60 to the open position 62 . referring now to fig3 and 4 , it is contemplated that the second actuating handle 72 can be moved from a first position 170 to a second position 172 in order to move the canopy support frame 14 from the open position 62 to the extended position 64 , respectively . in this regard , it is contemplated that the first positions 166 , 170 of the respective ones of the first and second actuating handles 70 , 72 can be higher than the second positions 168 , 172 , respectively . thus , the first and second actuating handles 70 , 72 can be vertically translatable along the lower pole 16 and can be at least partially disposed within the respective ones of the first and second elongate channels 20 , 74 , according to an implementation of the present invention . referring now to fig5 , an exemplary cross - section of the lower pole 16 , as called out in fig2 , is illustrated . as mentioned previously , the lower pole 16 can define a substantially circular cross - sectional periphery . further , the first and second elongate channels 20 , 74 , can be at least partially recessed in the outer surface 22 of the lower pole 16 . the first and second elongate channels 20 , 74 can define substantially rectangular cross - sections that can be sized and configured to retain at least a portion of the respective ones of the first and second actuating handles 70 , 72 therewithin while permitting the first and second actuating handles 70 , 72 to be translatable therewithin . the position of the cross - section illustrated in fig5 , as called out in fig2 , is adjacent the top end 112 of the lower pole 16 . therefore , the cross - sectional illustration of fig5 further illustrates a cross - section of the first elongate member 80 , which can be sized and configured to be translatable within the first elongate channel 20 . further , fig5 also illustrates a cross - section of the upper pole 18 that can be disposed within the central passage 90 of the lower pole 16 . as shown , the upper pole 18 can have a substantially rectangular cross - section . nevertheless , the configurations and sizes of the elements shown in the embodiment of fig5 can be variously modified and can further include additional features that compliment and / or facilitate the implementation of such an embodiment of the present invention . referring now to fig6 , a cross - section of the umbrella 10 , as called out in fig2 , is provided . fig6 illustrates an exemplary configuration of the pulley assembly 100 . as shown , the pulley assembly 100 can include a pulley block 180 and at least a first roller 182 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig6 , the pulley assembly 100 can further include a second roller 184 . the first and second rollers 182 , 184 can be rotatably coupled to the pulley block 180 . further , the pulley block 180 can be sized and configured such that the tension member 102 can be introduced therethrough and disposed onto the first and second rollers 182 , 184 . as shown in fig2 and 6 , in an exemplary embodiment , the first end 104 of the tension member 102 can be coupled to the second actuating handle 72 . the tension member 102 can then extend upwardly from the second actuating handle 72 toward the pulley assembly 100 . as shown in fig6 , the tension member 102 can then engage the first roller 182 and extend downwardly toward the second hub 32 . the tension member 102 can then engage a third roller ( not shown ) that is rotatably coupled to the second hub 32 ( such as on the first runner 152 ) and then extend upwardly again toward the pulley assembly 100 . finally , the tension member can then engage the second roller 184 and extend downwardly toward the second hub 32 , where the second end 106 of the tension member 102 can be coupled . thus , in such a configuration , with the pulley assembly 100 being fixed relative to the second runner 154 of the second hub 32 , the first runner 152 can be vertically translated along the lower pole 16 upon vertical translation of the second actuating handle 72 . according to another aspect of the present invention , the pulley assembly 100 can be sized and configured to be vertically translatable along the lower pole 16 . in this regard , it is contemplated that the second elongate channel 74 , or another channel similarly disposed , can be disposed along the lower pole 16 at least intermediate the second hub 32 and the intermediate hub 34 , such that the pulley assembly 100 can be vertically translatable along the channel . in such a configuration , as described below , the second runner 154 and the pulley assembly 100 can both move along the lower pole 16 in response to the movement of the first actuating handle 70 . in some embodiments , the second runner 154 and the pulley assembly 100 can move together along the lower pole 16 . for example , the space between the second runner 154 and pulley assembly 100 can remain constant as the translation occurs . fig6 illustrates an exemplary spacing and configuration of the first elongate member 80 , the upper pole 18 , and the second elongate member 82 . referring now to fig7 , it is contemplated that the second hub 32 can be configured such that the first and second runners 152 , 154 can be nested . as shown in fig7 , a plurality of coupling pins can be used to couple the second plurality of ribs 50 to the second hub 32 . preferably , when in a nested position , the coupling pins 190 ′ of the first runner 152 can be disposed at substantially the same height as the coupling pins 190 ″ of the second runner 154 . in this regard , as shown in fig7 , the second runner 154 can be configured to include a pair of opposing shoulders 192 whereat the respective ones of the second plurality of ribs 50 can be coupled to the second runner 154 . the shoulders 192 preferably can be sized and configured with the coupling pins 190 ″ disposed therein being at substantially the same height as the coupling pins 190 ′ of the first runner 152 when the second hub 32 is in the nested position . the first and second runners 152 , 154 can be variously configured and modified utilizing the teachings herein . in accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention , it is contemplated that the first and second actuating handles 70 , 72 can further define an engagement surface and include a tightening element that allows the engagement surfaces of the first and second actuating handles 70 , 72 to frictionally engage the lower pole 16 . for example , the tightening element can be a clamp or screw that allows the first and second actuating handles 70 , 72 to clamp onto the outer surface 22 of the lower pole 16 , such as onto a ridge formed by the first and second elongate channels 20 , 74 . additionally , the tightening element can cause the first and second actuating handles 70 , 72 to expand within the first and second elongate channels 20 , 74 to thereby frictionally engage the lower pole 16 . thus , the first and second actuating handles 70 , 72 can be positioned in a fixed position relative to the lower pole 16 . using this feature , once the umbrella 10 has moved to the open position 62 and the extended position 64 , the frictional engagement of the first and second actuating handles 70 , 72 can maintained the position of the first and second actuating handles 70 , 72 at the respective second positions 168 , 172 . as discussed above with respect to fig4 and 7 , the second hub 32 can comprise at least the first hub component or runner 152 and the second hub component or runner 154 . as such , the second hub 32 can be referred to as a “ split ”, “ nested ” or “ embedded ” hub . as shown in a bottom perspective view of fig8 , the second hub 32 is “ split ” in that it comprises more than one component , and is “ nested ” in that at least a portion of the second runner 154 can be fitted to within a cavity or recess of the first runner 152 . alternatively , the second hub 32 can be configured such that the first runner 152 fits to within a recess of second runner 154 . further , the first and second runners 152 , 154 can each include cavities or recesses into which certain portions of the other respective runners 152 , 154 can be received . this type of fitting between the first and second hub components or runners 152 , 154 can have several aesthetic and mechanical advantages . for example , not only will the first and second runners 152 , 154 create a streamlined and integrated appearance , but the integrated fit of some embodiments can tend to create greater structural rigidity of the umbrella rib structure . referring now to fig9 , a side cross - sectional view of the second hub 32 of fig8 is shown . as illustrated therein , the second runner 154 can include a pair of opposing shoulders 192 , which can be diametrically opposed on the second runner 154 . the opposing shoulders 192 can be received to within a nesting cavity 210 of the first runner 152 . accordingly , the first runner 152 can include a corresponding number of nesting cavities 210 such as required by the configuration of the second runner 154 . the nesting cavities 210 and the opposing shoulders 192 can be configured to provide a very close fit when the second runner 154 is nested with the first runner 152 . although sides of the nesting cavity 210 and opposing shoulders 192 are illustrated in the embodiment of fig9 as being straight , it is contemplated that other interlocking features can be present in the configurations of the nesting cavity 210 and the shoulders 192 . further , as shown in fig9 , the first runner 152 can include opposing abutments 212 that can be configured to abut top surfaces 214 of the opposing shoulders 192 . in some embodiments , the top surfaces 214 of the opposing shoulders 192 can be configured to include features that mate with corresponding features of the opposing abutments 212 . other various modifications can be implemented in order to facilitate interconnection and stability of the second hub 32 . in accordance with some embodiments , the second hub component or runner 154 and the first hub component or runner 152 can include corresponding surfaces that mate in order to facilitate nesting of the first and second runners 152 , 154 with each other . these structures can maintain a generally fixed orientation of the second runner 154 with respect to the first runner 152 when in the nested position . for example , as discussed above , the top surface 214 of the second runner 154 can mate with the opposing abutment 212 when the opposing shoulders 192 are received to within the nesting cavities 210 . in other embodiments , the nesting cavities 210 can be configured with a depth corresponding to a height of the opposing shoulders 192 . accordingly , the top surface 214 can mate with the abutment 212 and a lower surface 216 of the first runner 152 can abut an upper surface 218 of the second runner 154 when the first and second runners 152 , 154 are in the nested position . in such embodiments , the first and second runners 152 , 154 can be configured to allow vertical forces to be evenly distributed intermediate the first and second runners 152 , 154 . as such , some embodiments can therefore provide that when the second runner 154 is in a fixed position along the pole of the umbrella , the weight or downward force exerted by the first runner 152 can be evenly born along the upper surface 218 and the top surface 214 of the second runner 154 rather than creating point loads at discrete locations on the second runner 154 . failure and warpage of the components of the umbrella can thereby be mitigated and / or prevented . fig1 a - c illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the second runner 154 . as shown in the perspective view of fig1 a , the opposing shoulders 192 can be configured to include a pair of vertical side walls 230 . each of the opposing side walls can include an aperture 232 configured to receive a pin in order to interconnect an umbrella rib with one of the opposing shoulders 192 . although the embodiment illustrated in fig1 a - b shows the apertures 232 disposed along an upper area of the opposing side walls 230 , the apertures 232 can be disposed at any appropriate location based on the configuration of the opposing shoulders 192 . in some embodiments , the opposing shoulders can also include tapered sections 240 . as discussed above , the tapered sections can represent a feature of the opposing shoulders 192 that can assist in maintaining a generally fixed orientation of the second runner 154 relative to the first runner 152 when in the nested position . the tapered sections 240 , as noted further below , can mate with a corresponding structure of the first runner 152 . as shown in fig1 b , the tapered sections can extend generally vertically along an interior area of the opposing shoulders 192 . as shown in fig1 c , in some embodiments , the tapered sections 240 can be generally flat and can extend generally perpendicularly from a perimeter 250 of a center 252 of the second runner 154 . in accordance with other embodiments , the opposing shoulders 192 can include recesses 260 for accommodating distal ends of the ribs connected thereto . the recesses 260 preferably correspond to the width of the ribs received therein . furthermore , the recesses 260 should further be configured to allow the distal end of the rib to pivot with respect to the pin . it is also contemplated that embodiments can be provided wherein the distal ends of the rib can be shaped as fork members whereinto the opposing shoulders 192 can be pivotably coupled . furthermore , as shown in fig1 c , the second runner 154 can also include a guide 270 for coupling the second runner 154 to the pole of the umbrella . in some embodiments , the guide 270 can be used to generally fix at least one of the vertical or rotational orientations of the second runner 154 relative to the pole . for example , as discussed above , some embodiments of the umbrella can be configured such that the second runner 154 is fixed relative to the pole . alternatively , the guide 270 could be used to effectuate movement of the second runner 154 therealong . as shown in the embodiment of fig1 c , the guide 270 can be configured as a t - shaped member and can optionally include a connection aperture 272 . the connection aperture 272 can be configured to receive a screw , bolt , a vertical rod , or other structure to secure the guide 270 to within the pole of the umbrella . as such , depending on the configuration of the pole , which may include a longitudinal slot or an aperture through which the guide 270 can be received , and further depending on whether the second runner 154 is fixed , the attachment means can fix the longitudinal position and / or the rotational position of the second runner 154 relative to the pole . referring now to fig1 a - b , an exemplary embodiment of the first runner 152 , as illustrated in fig8 , is shown . the first runner 152 can include a coupling aperture 280 . the coupling aperture 280 can be disposed adjacent the inner perimeter of the first runner 152 . as such , as described above , when the first runner 152 slides relative to the pole , the coupling aperture 280 can be used to receive a guide pole or rod that can be used to maintain the relative axial orientation of the first runner 152 relative to that of the pole to maintain the relative axial or rotational orientation substantially constant relative to that of the pole . however , in other embodiments , it is contemplated that the inner perimeter 282 can include a guide such as that illustrated with respect to the second runner 154 or other means in order to maintain the structural rigidity and alignment of the first runner relative to the pole . as shown best in fig1 b , the bottom view of the first runner 152 illustrates that the nesting cavity 210 can tend to be larger than rib connection cavities 290 in order to accommodate the size of the opposing shoulders 192 . further , the nesting cavities 210 can also include tapered sections 292 configured and corresponding to the tapered sections 240 of the second runner 154 . further , as discussed above , with respect to fig9 , the opposing abutments 212 and the lower surface 216 preferably include a sufficient surface area to mate with the respective ones of the top surfaces 214 and the upper surface 218 of the second runner 154 . in such embodiments , the configuration of the opposing abutments 212 , the opposing shoulders 192 , and the general configuration of the top and bottom mating areas of the first and second runners 152 , 154 can tend to reduce stress concentrations in any portion of the first and second runners 152 , 154 . now , according to a first embodiment and operation of embodiments discussed herein , the umbrella 10 can be configured to include only the first actuating handle 70 . the first actuating handle 70 , as taught herein , can be utilized to move the canopy support frame 14 from the closed position 60 to the open position 62 . in such an embodiment , the first actuating handle 70 can be vertically translatable along the first elongate channel 20 , and in response to the vertical translation of the first actuating handle 70 , at least the first hub 30 can experience a corresponding vertical translation in order to move the canopy support frame 14 from the closed position 60 to the open position 62 . according to a second embodiment and operation of the present invention , the umbrella 10 can include both the first and second actuating handles 70 , 72 . in such an embodiment , vertical displacement of the first actuating handle 70 can cause a corresponding vertical translation of the first hub 30 to move the canopy support frame 14 from a closed position 60 to an open position 62 . further , vertical translation of the second actuating handle 72 can cause a corresponding vertical translation of the second hub 32 in order to move the canopy support frame 14 from the open position 62 to the extended position 64 . the first and second actuating handles 70 , 72 can travel along the lower pole 16 and be at least partially disposed within the respective ones of the first and second elongate channels 20 , 74 . according to a third and preferred embodiment and operation , the umbrella 10 can comprise the first and second actuating handles 70 , 72 . as with the second embodiment , vertical translation of the first and second actuating handles 70 , 72 can cause corresponding vertical translation of the respective ones of the first and second hubs 30 , 32 . however , in the third and preferred embodiment , the second hub 32 can comprise the first and second runners 152 , 154 . thus , vertical translation of the second actuating handle 72 can cause relative movement between the first and second runners 152 , 154 . for example , the first runner 152 can rise at a faster rate than the second runner 154 during movement of the second hub 32 . the third and preferred embodiment can also include the first and second elongate members 80 , 82 . as mentioned above , the first elongate member 80 can be coupled to the first hub 30 and the first actuating handle 70 in order to ensure that the position of the first hub 30 is fixed relative to the position of the first actuating handle 70 . thus , downward vertical translation of the first actuating handle 70 can directly result in corresponding downward vertical translation of the first hub 30 . such exemplary movement can be made when moving the canopy support frame 14 from the closed position 60 to the open position 62 . in accordance with another aspect of the third and preferred embodiment , the second elongate member 82 can be coupled to the pulley assembly and the second hub 32 . it is contemplated that the lower end 110 of the second elongate member 82 can be coupled to either the first or second runners 152 , 154 of the second hub 32 . however , in the third and preferred embodiment , the second elongate member 82 can be coupled with the second runner 154 . thus , the position of the pulley assembly 100 can be fixed relative to the position of the second runner 154 , and allow the first runner 152 to be vertically translated along the lower pole 16 upon vertical translation of the second actuating handle 72 . furthermore , the third and preferred embodiment can also include two strut pairs 150 which can be coupled to the second runner 154 , the intermediate hub 34 , and respective ones of the first plurality of ribs 40 . when the first actuating handle 70 is downwardly vertically translated , the first hub 30 can be correspondingly downwardly vertically translated which can result in the expansion of the canopy support frame 14 from the closed position 60 toward the open position 62 . during this expansion , the first ends 42 , 54 of the first and second pluralities of ribs 40 , 50 can be moved towards each other ( with the second ends 44 , 54 thereof moving radially outwardly ) due to the coupling of the strut pair 150 with the intermediate hub 34 , which can be fixedly mounted to the lower pole 16 . thus , the first hub 30 and the second hub 32 can tend to relatively converge toward each other during the movement of the canopy support frame 14 from the closed position 60 to the open position 62 . additionally , during this expansion , the position of the pulley assembly 100 can be fixed relative to the position of the second hub 32 . thus , the upward vertical translation of the second hub 32 can be at least partially limited by the size of the second elongate member 82 which can interconnect the pulley assembly 100 and the second hub 32 and the distance between the pulley assembly 100 and the intermediate hub 34 . in operation , the open position 62 can be achieved once the pulley assembly 100 has been moved to a position adjacent to or just lower than the intermediate hub 34 . in the third embodiment , when the canopy support frame 14 has reached the open position 62 , the second actuating handle 72 can be downwardly vertically translated in order to draw the tension member 102 through the pulley to thereby raise the first runner 152 from the nested position of the second hub 32 . this movement of the first runner 152 can cause a corresponding movement of the remaining ones 160 of the second plurality of ribs 50 . such movement can cause the first plurality of ribs 40 has to be raised to the extended position 64 . finally , the first and second actuating handles 70 , 72 can be fixed in position relative to the lower pole 16 using the tightening elements . although these inventions have been disclosed in the context of certain preferred embodiments and examples , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present inventions extend beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodiments and / or uses of the inventions and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof . in addition , while several variations of the inventions have been shown and described in detail , other modifications , which are within the scope of these inventions , will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art based upon this disclosure . it is also contemplated that various combination or sub - combinations of the specific features and aspects of the embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of the inventions . it should be understood that various features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be combined with or substituted for one another in order to form varying modes of the disclosed inventions . thus , it is intended that the scope of at least some of the present inventions herein disclosed should not be limited by the particular disclosed embodiments described above .	0
fig1 is a block diagram showing the first embodiment of this invention that uses frequency - emphasizing processing . the apparatus shown in the diagram generates unsharp image signals of multiple frequency hands or an original image signal consisting of multiple pixels and obtains processed image signals by adding a differential image signal with the unsharp image signal to the original image signal or a lowest frequency image signal . in the diagram , 6 indicates a filter - processing section that applies the filtering processing , 10 indicates an unsharp image signal generating section that generates unsharp image signals after receiving output from filter processing section 6 , 11 indicates a conversion processing section that applies conversion processing to unsharp image signals that were generated in unsharp image generating section , 12 indicates a differential processing section that finds a difference between an original image signal and a converted image signal and a difference between an unsharp image signal and a converted unsharp image signal , 13 indicates an addition processing section that adds differential image signals that were obtained in the differential processing section . filter processing section 6 , unsharp image generating section 10 , conversion processing section 11 , differential processing section 12 , and addition processing section 13 can be implemented by hardware or software . operation of the apparatus in this configuration is described below . filter processing section 6 applies filtering processing as described before after receiving an original image signal . unsharp image - generating section 10 receives output from filter processing section 6 and generates unsharp image signals using a pyramid algorithm , for example . unsharp image - signal generating section 10 generates unsharp image signals of multiple frequency bands of different frequency characteristics . conversion processing section 11 performs conversion processing for the unsharp image signals that were obtained . all the conversion processing technologies that are publicly available can be used for the conversion processing . differential processing section 12 produces a difference between the converted unsharp image signal that was obtained as described above and the original image signal , and a difference between the unsharp image signal and the converted unsharp image signal . the differential image signal that is obtained here is a difference between two unsharp image signals in a pair of adjacent frequency bands or a difference between the original image signal and the converted unsharp image signal . addition processing section 13 obtains a high frequency component signal by adding the differential image signal that was obtained in differential processing section 12 . a processed image signal can be obtained by adding the high frequency component signal to the original image signal or the lowest frequency image signal , one of the actual processing units in conversion processing section 11 is described below . fig2 shows compensation functions of unsharp images . horizontal axis x represents signal values that indicate differences between signal values before application of unsharp processing and signal values after application of unsharp processing . vertical axis y represents compensating component signals , where the upper section is allocated for a function that indicates compensating component signals in a low frequency band and the lower section is allocated for a function that indicates compensating component signals in a high frequency band . these characteristics have a feature for compensating more in an area of greater contrast . the compensating component signal that is obtained consequently is processed by image conversion by being added to an unsharp image signal . as shown in fig3 , the function varies according to the density of unsharp image signals . in fig3 , horizontal axis x represents signal values that indicate a difference between a signal value before application of unsharp processing and a signal value after application of unsharp processing and vertical axis y represents compensating component signals . the upper section is allocated for the function that indicates compensating component signals in a low density area and the lower section is allocated for the function that indicates compensating component signals in a high density area . conversion in conversion processing 11 in the embodiment has both characteristics shown in fig2 and fig3 . as a result , the lower the density or the lower the frequency band , the closer the image signal is to the unsharp image signal one above or the original image signal . as a result , the frequency emphasis in the low density area is weakened and consequently grain deterioration can be controlled . when the pixel difference with the unsharp image signal or the original image signal becomes large by averaging , overshoot / undershoot of the emphasizing image signal can be controlled by adding processing that controls averaging that approximates the pixel to the image one above or the original image . by increasing the enhancement of the compensation as the frequency band becomes lower , sharper and better image signals can be obtained . the configuration in fig1 that is shown above is actualized as the configuration excluding filter processing section 6 . according to the configuration excluding filter processing section 6 a differential image signal that is added to an original image signal is adjusted by conversion of an unsharp image signal and consequently , a processed image signal with edge emphasis and control of noise and artifacts may be generated . since said differential image signal is a difference between two unsharp image signals of a pair of adjacent frequency bands or a difference between an original image signal and a converted unsharp image signal , frequency band overlapping sections of differential image signals decrease , enabling operation of each band by matching conversion processing to the unsharp image signal . in the conversion processing that is applied to said unsharp image signals of said multiple frequency bands can perform effective edge emphasis and control of noise and artifacts , by converting pixel values of unsharp image signals based on non - linear conversion . since the conversion processing that is applied to unsharp image signals of said multiple frequency bands is determined through the original image signal or the unsharp image signals of the multiple frequency bands , processing according to the unsharping tendency of image signals can be performed , enabling more effective edge emphasis and control of noise and artifacts . since the conversion processing that is applied to unsharp image signals of said multiple frequency bands is determined by unsharp image signals of a pair of adjacent frequency bands or an original image signal , processing according to the unsharping tendency of image signals can be performed , enabling more effective edge emphasis and control of noise and artifacts . since the conversion processing that is applied to unsharp image signals of said multiple frequency bands vary according to the other unsharp image signal that is used for generating said differential image signal or the pixel value of original image signal , processing can be performed according to the pixels before application of unsharp processing , enabling conversion considering high frequency component signals and thus more effective edge emphasis and control of noise and artifacts . since the conversion processing that is applied to unsharp image signals of said multiple frequency bands varies according to said unsharp image signals , adjustments can be made according to the frequency band , enabling more effective edge emphasis and control of noise and artifacts . since conversion processing that is applied to said unsharp image signals controls averaging of image signals , unsharping in the high contrast section , which is the cause of overshoot / undershoot , is controlled , enabling more effective edge emphasis and control of noise and artifacts . since conversion processing that is applied to said unsharp image signals varies according to the pixel values of the unsharp image signals , processing can be performed according to the signal values of the unsharp image signals and by enhancing control of artifacts of the signal areas with noticeable noise ( density ), more effective edge emphasis and control of noise and artifacts are enabled . since conversion processing that is applied to said unsharp image signals varies according to the pixel value of the unsharp image of lowest frequency band , conversion variations of the unsharp image signals may follow the major structure of the original image signal . since conversion processing of said unsharp image signals varies according to the pixel value of the original image signal , variations of the unsharp image signals faithfully follow the original image signal . in the conversion processing that is applied to said unsharp image signals , by increasing the tendency of averaging control as the frequency band of the unsharp image signal becomes lower , averaging suppression can be increased as the frequency band becomes lower , enabling generation of sharper image signals with noise and artifacts control in the conversion processing that is applied to said unsharp image signals , by increasing the averaging control as the frequency band of the unsharp image signal becomes higher , averaging supression can be increased as the number of noise component signals contained in the high frequency component containing becomes higher , enabling effective edge emphasis and control of noise and artifacts . the block diagram in fig4 shows the first embodiment of this invention using dynamic range compression processing . this apparatus configures an image processing apparatus that obtains a processed image signal by calculating a compensation signal from the low frequency component signal that is obtained by producing a difference between an original image signal and an added result of said differential image signals , and adding the compensation signal to the original image signal or a lowest frequency image signal . for the same items as the items in fig3 , the same signs in fig3 are assigned . in the diagram , 6 indicates a filter processing section that applies filtering processing to an original image signal as described above , 10 indicates an unsharp image generating section that receives output from filter processing section 6 and generates unsharp image signals from the original image signal , 11 indicates a conversion processing section that applies conversion processing to the image signals that were generated in unsharp image generating section 10 , 12 indicates a differential processing section that indicates a different between an image signal and converted unsharp image signal and a difference between unsharp image signal and a converted unsharp image signal , 14 indicates a compensation signal calculation section that calculates a compensation signal from the low frequency component signal that is obtained by subtracting the high frequency component signal obtained by summing the differential image signals that was obtained in differential processing section 12 from the original image signal , 15 indicates a compensation signal adding section that adds the compensation signal that was obtained in compensation signal calculating section 14 . filter processing 6 , unsharp image signal generating section 10 , conversion processing section 11 , differential processing section 12 , compensation signal calculating section , compensation signal calculation section 14 , and compensation signal adding section 15 can be processed by hardware or software . the operation of the apparatus in this configuration is described below . filter processing section 6 applies filtering processing after receiving an original image signal as described above . unsharp image signal generating section 10 generates receives output from filter processing section 6 and generates by unsharp image signals through a pyramid algorithm , for instance . unsharp image signals of multiple frequency bands of different frequency characteristics are obtained from unsharp image signal generating section 10 . conversion processing 11 coverts unsharp image signals that were obtained . all the conversion processing technologies available publicly can be used for the conversion processing . differential processing section 12 obtains signal values that indicate a difference between the conversion image signal that is obtained as described above and the original image signal and a difference between the unsharp image signal and the conversion image signal . the differential image signal indicates a signal value that indicates a difference between the two unsharp image signals of a pair of adjacent frequency bands or a difference between the original image signal and the converted unsharp image signal . then , compensation signal calculating section 14 calculates compensation signals for the differential image signals that were obtained in differential processing section 12 . compensation component signals are determined as shown in fig2 , for instance . fig2 shows compensation component signals in dynamic range compression of a low density section . in the diagram , the horizontal axis is allocated to signal values ( x ) of unsharp image signals and the vertical axis is allocated to compensation component signals f ( x ). as shown in fig2 , the lower the signal value , the larger the compensation component signal is calculated and the signal is added to the original image signal . compensation signal adding section 15 adds the compensation signal that was obtained in compensation signal calculating section 14 and obtains a processed image signal by adding the signal to the original image signal . for this embodiment also , each unsharp image signal can be converted to the function that is shown in fig2 . horizontal axis x represents a signal value that indicates a difference between the signal value before application of unsharp processing and the signal value after application of unsharp processing . this function varies according to the density of the unsharp image signal as shown in fig3 . in fig3 , horizontal axis x represents signal values that indicate differences and vertical axis y represents compensation component signals . as described above , by enhancing a compensation component as the density becomes lower , the unsharp image signal becomes an image signal with a high frequency component signal added at a low density area . as a result , the differential image signal no longer contains high frequency component signals in the area equivalent to a low density . therefore , a low frequency image signal that is obtained by subtracting the differential signal from the original image signal contains a high frequency in a low density section . when the dynamic range of the low frequency image signal is compressed , the high frequency component signal is also compressed and consequently , grain deterioration by dynamic range compression in the low density section can be controlled . when the pixel value with the image signal one above or with the original image signal is large due to averaging , overshoot / undershoot after processing can be controlled by adding processing for controlling averaging that approximates the pixel value to that of the image signal one above or the original image signal . by enhancing this compensation as the frequency band becomes lower , sharper and better image signals with less artifacts and noise can be obtained . the averaging adjustment in the low density section described above is not required for all the unsharp image signals . by making the adjustment for only unsharp image signals of comparatively high frequency , noise control and emphasis of edge component signals can be adjusted . the adjustment depending on the density can be varied according to the unsharp image signal . for instance , by enhancing averaging control in the low density section as the frequency of unsharp image signals becomes higher , image signals can be generated by emphasizing the edge portions included in the original image adequately and controlling grain deterioration . filter processing section 6 can also be excluded from the configuration shown in fig4 , creating another configuration . in the embodiment excluding filter processing section 6 , the compensation section that is added to the original image signal or the super low frequency image signal is adjusted by converting the unsharp image signal , enabling generation of processing image signals by applying both dynamic range compression of image signals and control of noise and artifacts . since said differential image signal indicates a difference between two unsharp image signals of a pair of adjacent frequency bands or between an original image signal and a converted unsharp image signal , frequency band overlapping sections of each differential image signal are reduced by producing a difference between adjacent unsharp signals , enabling operation of each band by matching conversion processing to the unsharp image signal . since the conversion processing that is applied to the unsharp image signals of said multiple frequency bands converts pixel values of the unsharp image signals , noise and artifacts can be controlled effectively . since the conversion processing that is applied to the unsharp image signals of said multiple frequency bands are determined by the original image signal or the unsharp image signals of the multiple frequency bands , processing according to the unsharping tendency of image signals can be performed , enabling more effective control of noise and artifacts . since the conversion processing that is applied to the unsharp image signals of said multiple frequency bands are determined by the unsharp image signals of adjacent frequency bands or the original image signal , processing according to the unsharping tendency of image signals can be performed , enabling more effective control of noise and artifacts . since the conversion processing that is applied to the unsharp image signals of said multiple frequency bands varies according to the pixel value of the other unsharp image signal that is used for generating said differential image signal or the original image signal , processing according to the pixel before application of unsharping processing can be performed , enabling conversion processing considering higher frequency components signals and consequently enabling more effective edge emphasis and control of artifacts and noise . since the conversion processing that is applied to the unsharp image signals of said multiple frequency bands varies according to the said unsharp image signals , adjustments according to the frequency bands can be made , enabling more effective control of noise and artifacts . since the conversion processing that is applied to the said unsharp image signals controls averaging of image signals , unsharpness is controlled in the high contrast area , which is the cause of overshoot / undershoot , enabling more effective control of noise and artifacts . since the conversion processing that is applied to said unsharp image signals varies according to the pixel values of the unsharp image signals , the processing according to the signal values of the unsharp image signals can be performed , enabling averaging control in the signal area with noticeable noise and thereby enabling more effective control of noise and artifacts . since the conversion processing that is applied to said unsharp image signals varies according to the pixel values of the unsharp image signals of the lowest frequency band , conversion variation of the unsharp image signals can follow the major structure of the original image signal . since the conversion processing that is applied to said unsharp image signals varies according to the pixel value of the original image signal , conversion variation of the unsharp images can follow the original image signal faithfully . in the conversion processing that is applied to said unsharp image signals , averaging suppression can be enhanced as the frequency band becomes lower by enhancing the averaging suppression tendency as the frequency band of the unsharp image signals become lower , thereby enabling more effective generation of sharper images with control of noise and artifacts . since in the conversion processing that is applied to said unsharp image signals , averaging suppression is enhanced as the frequency band becomes higher , the averaging suppression is more enhanced as a higher frequency band that tends to contain more noise component signals , enabling more effective control of noise and artifacts . this invention enables linear conversion for differential image signals that are a difference between an original image signal and an unsharp image signal and a difference between two unsharp image signals , using the density information of the unsharp image signals or the original image signal . the block diagram in fig5 shows the second embodiment of this invention using frequency emphasizing processing . for the items identical to the items in fig1 , the same signs are assigned . the apparatus shown in the diagram configures an image processing apparatus that obtains processed image signals by generating unsharp image signals of multiple frequency bands for an original image consisting of multiple pixels , applying conversion processing for the differential image signals of said differential image signals , and adding to the original image signal or the lowest frequency . in the diagram , 6 indicates a filtering processing section that applies filtering processing to an original image signal as described above , 10 indicates an unsharp image signal generating section that generates unsharp image signals from an original image signal , 12 indicates a differential processing section that produces a difference between an original image signal and an unsharp image signal and a difference between a pair of two adjacent unsharp image signals , 16 indicates a density - dependent conversion processing section that performs density - dependent conversion processing for the differential image signals that were obtained in said differential processing section 12 , 17 indicates an addition processing section that adds the conversion image signal obtained in said density - dependent conversion processing 16 . filter processing section 6 , unsharp image signal generating section 10 , differential processing section 12 , density - dependent conversion processing section 16 , and addition processing section 17 can be achieved either by hardware or software . the operation of the apparatus with this configuration is described below . filter processing section 6 applies filtering processing as described above after receiving an original image signal . after receiving output from filter processing section 6 , unsharp image signal generating section 10 generates unsharp image signals using a pyramid algorithm . unsharp image signal generating section generates unsharp image signals of multiple frequency bands of different frequency characteristics . differential processing section 12 obtains a difference between the original image signal and the unsharp image signal that were obtained as described and a difference between a pair of adjacent unsharp image signals . density - dependent conversion processing section 16 performs density - depending conversion processing for the differential image signal that is provided from differential processing section 12 . fig6 and fig7 illustrate conversion characteristics of density - dependent conversion processing 16 and fig6 illustrates changes of frequencies by the conversion function of differential image signals and fig7 illustrates changes by the density . in fig6 , horizontal axis x is allocated to pixel values that indicate the differences and vertical axis y indicates pixel values of converted differential image signals . in fig7 , horizontal axis x is allocated to signal values that indicate the differences and vertical axis y is allocated to pixel values of converted differential image signals . density - dependent conversion processing section 16 has a function containing both the characteristics shown in fig6 and the characteristics shown in fig7 . in fig6 , the function that indicates conversion in high frequency characteristics belong to the upper function and the function that indicates conversion in low frequency characteristics belong to the lower function . in fig7 that indicates a conversion function , the upper function indicates the characteristics , whereby unsharp images for generating differential image signals are in a high density and the lower function indicates the characteristics , whereby unsharp images used for generating differential image signals are in a low density . in this case , since the image size of the differential image signal and the image size of the unsharp image signal match , the pixel value of the unsharp image signal corresponding to the pixel value of the differential image signal can be obtained easily . in this case , in the non - linear function , artifacts such as overshoot and undershoot can be eliminated by suppresing the signals in the section with large differential values as shown in fig6 and 7 . by enhancing supress of differential component signals in sections where the frequency bands and the density become lower , sharper and better image signals can be obtained with less artifacts and noise . addition processing section 17 performs addition processing for the signal that was converted as described above . then , the section adds the addition signal to the original image signal . as a result , by applying density - dependent linear conversion to the differential image signal , the high frequency component signal that is added to the original image signal is adjusted , enabling generation of processing image signals with edge emphasis and control of noise and artifacts . fig8 shows a block diagram of the second embodiment of this invention that uses dynamic range compression processing . for the same items as the items in fig4 and fig5 , the same signs in fig4 and fig5 are assigned . the apparatus that is shown in the diagram configures an image processing apparatus that obtains a processed image signal by adding the compensation signal that is obtained from an original image signal to said original image signal consisting of multiple pixels or a low frequency image signal . in the diagram , 6 indicates a filtering processing section that applies filtering processing to an original image signal as described above , 10 indicates an unsharp image signal generating section that generates unsharp image signals from an original image signal , 12 indicates a differential processing section that produces a difference between an original image signal and an unsharp image signal and a difference between a pair of two adjacent unsharp image signals , 16 indicates a density - dependent conversion processing section that performs density - dependent conversion processing for the differential image signals that were obtained in said differential processing section 12 , 14 indicates a compensation signal calculating section that calculates a compensation signal from the high frequency component signal obtained by subtracting from the original image signal the high frequency signal that is obtained by multiplying the conversion image signal that was obtained in the density - dependent conversion processing section 16 , 15 indicates a compensation signal adding section that adds the compensation signal that is obtained in the compensation signal calculating section . filter processing section 6 , unsharp image signal generating section 10 , differential processing section 12 , density - dependent conversion processing section 16 , compensation signal calculating section 14 , and compensation signal adding section 15 can be achieved by either hardware or software . the operation of the apparatus in this configuration is described below . filter processing section 6 applies filtering processing as described above after receiving an original image signal . unsharp image signal generating section 10 generates unsharp image signals for the original image signal 10 , using a pyramid algorithm for instance . unsharp image signal generating section generates unsharp image signals of multiple frequency bands of different frequency characteristics . differential processing section 12 obtains a difference between the conversion image signal that was obtained as described above and the original image signal and a difference between a pair of adjacent unsharp image signals . density - dependent conversion processing section 16 performs density - dependent conversion processing for the differential image signal that was passed from differential processing section 12 . the conversion characteristics that are shown in fig6 and fig7 are used for this section . compensation signal calculating section 14 calculates a compensation signal from the low frequency component signal that is obtained by subtracting the high frequency component signal that is obtained by multiplying the conversion image signals that were obtained by density - dependent conversion processing 16 from the original image signal . compensation signal adding section 15 adds the compensation signal that is obtained in this way . a processed image signal is obtained by adding the compensation signal to the original image signal . according to this embodiment , an adjustment is made to the high frequency component signal that is added to the compensation component signal that is added to the original image signal or the super low frequency image signal by converting the differential image signal and controlling the component signal , and as a result , a processing image signal can be obtained by applying both image signal dynamic compression and control of noise and artifacts . this invention enables adjustments of more delicate frequency characteristics for processing image signals by changing the mask frequency characteristics . since said mask processing is specific filter repetition processing , frequency characteristics can be adjusted at a high speed without using multiple filters . since the mask of said repetition processing is a simple average , frequency characteristics can be changed at a high speed . since the mask of said repetition processing is a simple average of 2 pixels × 2 pixels , unsharp image signals can be generated at a higher speed and according to normal distribution . frequency characteristics of said processing image signal are specified by the repetition count of said repetition processing , enabling specification of frequency characteristics easily . since frequency characteristics of said processing image signal are specified by specifying the weight of the mask used at generation of an unsharp image signal with a variance value of normal distribution , frequency characteristics can be specified easily by performing processing by calculating the mask processing repetition count close to the normal distribution of said specified variance value . since said interpolation - processing varies depending on the unsharp image signal , frequency characteristics can be adjusted according to the frequency band . since said interpolation - processing varies depending on the original image signal , frequency characteristics can be adjusted according to the type of the original image signal , for instance body parts examined . since said interpolation - processing varies depending on the frequency characteristics of said original image signal , adjustments are enabled according to the frequency of the original image signal such as suppression of frequency bands with many noise signals . since this invention performs addition or subtraction between image signals of different resolution , frequency characteristics of processed image signals can be changed by changing the interpolation - processing method . in this configuration , more delicate adjustments of frequency characteristics of processed signals can be made by changing the frequency characteristics of interpolation - processing . in this case , since said interpolation - processing is specific filter repetition processing , frequency characteristics can be adjusted at a high speed without using multiple filters . since the mask of said repetition processing is a simple average , frequency characteristics can be adjusted at a high speed . since the mask of the repetition processing is a simple average of 2 pixels × 2 pixels , interpolation - processing is enable at a high speed according to normalized distribution . by specifying the frequency characteristics of said processed image signals through the repetition count of said repetition processing , frequency characteristics can be specified easily . since said interpolation - processing is based on the sampling function , frequency characteristics of the unsharp image signals can be reproduced more faithfully . since said interpolation - processing is linear interpolation - processing is enabled at a thigh speed without making a major change in frequency characteristics of unsharp image signals . since said interpolation - processing varies depending on the frequency band of the interpolation of image signal , frequency characteristics can be adjusted for each frequency band . since said interpolation - processing varies depending on the original image signal , frequency characteristics can be adjusted according to the type of the original image signal . for instance , frequency characteristics can be adjusted according to the body part . since said interpolation - processing varies depending on the frequency characteristics of the original image signal , adjustments can be made according to the frequency characteristics of the original image signal such as suppression of frequency bands with many noise signals in this invention , a reduction rate of an unsharp image signal by down sampling of an image signal performed by said pyramid algorithm varies depending on the frequency characteristics of the mask . by applying this configuration , a processing speed can be increased more efficiently by changing the reduction rate of the image signal through the frequency characteristics of the mask . in this case , since said mask processing is specific filter repetition processing , processing can be simplified . since the mask of said repetition processing is a simple average , the processing speed can be increased . since the mask of said repetition processing is a simple average of 2 pixels × 2 pixels , unsharp image signals can be generated at a high speed according to the normal distribution . since said mask processing varies depending on the unsharp image signal , frequency bands can be divided according to the processed image signal . since said mask processing varies depending on the original image signal , frequency characteristics can be adjusted according to the type of the original image , for instance , body parts examined . since said mask processing varies according to the frequency characteristics of the original image , adjustments can be made according to the frequency characteristics of the original image such as suppress of frequency bands with many noise signals . since said differential image signal represents a difference between two unsharp image signals of a pair of adjacent frequency bands or a difference between an original image signal and a converted unsharp image signal , frequency band overlapping sections of each differential image signal are reduced and operation for each band is enabled by employing conversion processing to the image signal . since the unsharp image signal on which said conversion processing depends is the image signal used for obtaining the differential image signal , an unsharp image signal of the same image size as the converted image signal can be used when a pyramid algorithm is used also , enabling processing simplification . since the conversion processing that is applied to said multiple differential image signals varies depending on the differential image signal , adjustments can be performed according to the frequency band , enabling more effective edge emphasis and control of noise and artifacts . since the conversion processing that is applied to said differential image signal controls the absolute value of the pixel value in a part of the image signal , emphasis in a high contrast section , which is the cause of overshoot / undershoot is suppressed , enabling more effective edge emphasis and control of noise and artifacts . since in the conversion processing that is applied to said differential image signals , the lower the frequency band of the differential image signal , the greater the suppression of the absolute value of the image signal becomes , suppression of the absolute value increases as the frequency band of the component signal of the differential image signal becomes lower and as a result , sharer and better image signals with less artifacts and noise can be obtained . since in the conversion processing that is applied to said differential image signals , the higher the frequency band of the differential image signal , the greater the control of absolute value of the image signal becomes , control of the absolute value increases as the frequency band becomes higher , which tends to contain many noise signals , enabling more effective edge emphasis and control of noise and artifacts . the high - frequency component signal in this invention refers to the signal that is obtained by summing differential image signals . the user interface functions that are provided to users are described below . fig9 shows an example of a specification method of frequency characteristics in this invention . in the diagram , the horizontal axis represents frequency bands and the vertical axis represents emphasizing degrees . as shown in fig9 , the emphasizing degree of each frequency band is specified by a to f in the diagram . the parameters can be specified using the mouse or entering values . the ‘ adjacent ’ that is described in the claim item refers to adjacent images when images containing unsharp image signals or differential image signals are arranged from the highest frequency band . the frequency components that are contained in differential image signals are not separated completely and component signals that are contained may overlap . alternatively , some frequency bands are not included , and mutually adjacent in terms of a distance . emphasizing degrees regarding density can be specified in a graph as shown in fig1 . in the graph , the horizontal axis represents densities and the vertical axis represents emphasizing degrees . frequency characteristics and density emphasizing degrees can be set in each band or by determining the frequency characteristics of the entire area , the relationship between the density and emphasis common to all the frequency bands that are emphasized can be set . in this graph , for instance , emphasizing degrees in a and b are specified . by specifying frequency characteristics in this way , a conversion function that achieves specified frequency characteristics is determined and processing is performed by said conversion function , and consequently users need simply to specify required frequency characteristics only , without having to be aware of various parameters to be set , enabling processing simplification . since said frequency characteristics can be changed according to the density , users can specify processing according to the signal value more easily , such as suppressing noise emphasis by manipulating frequency characteristics of the image signal area corresponding to the density with noticeable noise . since said frequency characteristics can be changed according to the density for each unsharp image signal or differential image signal , users can easily set the emphasis of processing according to the image signal value corresponding to the density . by preparing a set of parameters required for said frequency characteristic processing and selecting the set of parameters , users can select the most suitable parameter set easily without having to handle many parameters . through this invention , an image processing apparatus that generates processed image signals by generating multiple unsharp image signals for an original image signal consisting of multiple pixels , applying conversion processing to the differential image signal generated from said unsharp image signals or the original image signal , and adding the compensation signal that is obtained by adding said differential image signal to the original image signal or a lowest frequency image signal or producing a difference of sum of said differential image signals . in this case , specific filter repetition processing for generating said unsharp image signals is repetition of filters . as a result , processing can be simplified . in this invention , the mask of said repetition processing can be a simple average . by applying this configuration , processing can be simplified and the speed can be increased . in this invention , the mask of said repetition processing can also be a simple average of 2 pixels and 2 pixels . as a result , effects equivalent to the processing by the weighting mask according to gaussian distribution can be achieved . in this invention , said mask processing can be varied according to the unsharp image . as a result , processing can be performed according to the body part . in this invention , said mask processing can be varied according to the original image signal . as a result , frequency characteristics can be adjusted according to the type of the original image , such as body parts examined . in this invention , said mask processing can be varied according to the frequency of said original image signal . as a result , processing can be varied according to the frequency of the image signal characteristics such as suppression of frequency bands with many noise signals . in this invention , said repetition count of simple average of 2 × 2 can be 16 or more . as a result , the frequency bands that are contained in each unsharp image signal are reduced to about a half of the image signal before application of mask processing , enabling disassembling to an optimum frequency band . in this invention , said repetition count of simple average of 2 × 2 can be 8 or more . as a result , the frequency bands contained in each unsharp image signal are reduced to about a half of the image signal before application of mask processing , enabling disassembling to an optimum frequency band . in the embodiment that is described above , a pyramid algorithm was used as the decomposing method to multi - resolution space . this invention is not restricted to the method only . for instance , a scaling function or wavelet transformation / inverse transformation can be used . when wavelet conversion is used , emphasizing processing can be performed in any direction ( vertical direction , horizontal direction , or diagonal direction ). a pyramid algorithm is described below . fig1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a decomposing section that executes a pyramid algorithm . in the diagram , symbol ↑ indicates interpolation - processing , symbol 75 indicates down sampling , and f indicates filter processing . this sample shows processing for obtaining differential image signals b 0 to bl - 1 . in the embodiment , conversion processing that is described later is applied to unsharp image signals or differential image signals through a pyramid algorithm . the pyramid algorithm is to generate image signals of the resolution according to the frequency component signal by down - sampling images and to perform processing with the image signals . therefore , in this invention , varying in the resolution refers to varying in the resolution of the images obtained through the pyramid algorithm . as shown in the diagram , when digital image signal s that indicates an original image signal is input in processing method 30 , the signal is filtered by low pass filters in filtering method 20 . these low pass filters roughly correspond to the two dimensional gaussian distribution on a 5 × 5 grid as shown in fig1 . image signal s that is filtered by low pass filters as described above sampled at every second pixel in filtering method 20 , generating low resolution approximate image signal g 1 . low resolution approximate signal g 1 is ¼ of the original image signal in size . in interpolation method 21 , a pixel with value 0 is interpolated at the sampling interval of low resolution approximation image signal g 1 . this interpolation is performed by inserting a row and column of value 0 at every column and every row of low resolution approximation image signal g 1 . in this way , since a pixel of value 0 is inserted in every second pixel , changes of the signal value of low resolution approximation image signal g 1 , which is interpolated with interpolation by pixel of value 0 , are not smooth although the image is blurred . after interpolation is performed as described above , low resolution image signal g 1 ′ is obtained by applying filtering processing again for low resolution approximation image g 1 through the low pass filters that are shown in fig1 . changes of the signal value of low resolution approximation image signal g 1 ′ are smoother than low resolution approximation image signal g 1 that was interpolated as described above . instead of using low pass filters after applying interpolation of 0 as described above , interpolation - processing can be performed by initially applying linear interpolation , spline interpolation , or interpolation - processing by weighting according to the sampling function and applying the same processing subsequently . in comparison to the original image signal , the image signal appears in such a way where the frequencies higher than the half way is eliminated . this is because the image size is reduced to ¼ , interpolation is applied with a pixel of value 0 for every second pixel , and filtering processing is applied through the flow pass filters that are shown in fig1 , creating the condition where the image of the frequency bands whose spacial frequency is higher than the half way is blurred by the gaussian function . low resolution approximation image signal g 1 ′ is subtracted from the original image signal by subtracter 22 , generating differential image signal b 0 . this subtraction is performed between the original image signal and low resolution approximation image signal g 1 ′ regarding mutually corresponding pixels . here , for low resolution approximation signal g 1 ′, the image of frequency bands higher than the half way of the space frequencies of the original image signal is blurred , differential image signal b 0 is an image signal that indicates only the frequency bands higher than the half way among the original image signals . that is , differential image signal b 0 indicates the image signal of frequency bands n / 2 to n among nyquist frequency n of the original image signal as shown in fig1 . low resolution approximation image signal g 1 is input to filtering method 20 and is processed by filtering processing by low pass filters that are shown in fig1 . after being processed by filtering processing , low resolution approximation image signal g 1 is sampled at every second pixel in filtering method 20 and as a result , low resolution approximation image g 2 is obtained . low resolution approximation image signal g 2 is ¼ of low resolution approximation image signal g 1 in size , that is , 1 / 16 of the original image signal . in interpolation method 21 , a pixel with value 0 is interpolated at the sampling interval of low resolution approximation signal g 2 . this interpolation is performed by inserting a row and a column of value 0 in every column and row of low resolution approximation signal g 2 . in this way , since low resolution approximation image signal g 2 with pixels of value 0 interpolated is blurred , changes of the signal value are not smooth since a pixel of value 0 is inserted at every second pixel . as shown in fig1 , after application of interpolation , low resolution approximation image signal g 2 ′ is obtained by applying filtering processing again to low resolution approximation image signal g 2 . changes of the signal value of low resolution approximation image signal g 2 ′ are smoother than the those of low resolution approximation image signal g 2 that was interpolated . in comparison to low resolution approximation image signal g 1 , the image signal of frequency bands higher than the half way appears to have been eliminated . in subtracter 22 , low resolution approximation image signal g 2 ′ is subtracted from low resolution approximation image signal g 1 and as a result differential image signal b 1 is obtained . this subtraction is performed between low resolution approximation signal g 1 and low resolution approximation image filter g 2 ′ for mutually corresponding pixels . as described above , for low resolution approximation image signal g 2 ′, since the image of the frequency bands higher than the half way of the space frequencies of low resolution approximation image signal g 1 is blurred , differential image signal b 1 represents only the frequency higher than the half way among the frequency bands of low resolution approximation image signal g 1 . that is , as shown in fig1 , differential image signal b 1 indicates only the frequency hands higher than the half way of the frequency bands of low resolution approximation image signal g 1 , that is an image signal of frequency bands from n / 4 to n / 2 among the nyquist frequency n of the original image signal . in this way , differential image signals are obtained by applying filtering processing through low pass filters of gaussian distribution . since the image signal with filtering processing applied is subtracted from a low resolution approximation image signal , practically the same result as for applying filtering processing through laplacian filters is achieved . as shown in fig1 , by repeatedly processing low resolution approximation image signal gk ( k = 0 to l - 1 ) that was generated by filtering and sampling in method 20 the result obtained by the processing described above , n number of differential signal bk ( k = 0 to l - 1 ) and residual signal gl of the low resolution approximation image signal are obtained . the resolution of differential image signal bk deteriorates gradually starting from b 0 . that is , the frequency bands of the image signal become lower and differential image signal bk indicates frequency bands of n / 2 k + 1 to n / 2 k for nyquist frequency n of the original image signal and the image size becomes ½ 2k of the size of the original image . that is , the size of differential image signal b 0 with the highest resolution , is the same as the original image signal and the size of differential image signal b 1 with the second highest resolution following differential image signal b 0 is ¼ of the size of the original image signal . in this way , since sizes of differential image signals become smaller starting form the same size as the size of the original image signal and differential image signals are practically the same image signals that are generated by applying laplacian filters , multiple resolution conversion in this embodiment is also referred to as a laplacian pyramid algorithm . residue image signal gl can be assumed to be an approximation image signal , which is an original image signal with extremely low resolution and in an extreme case , residue image signal gl ( equivalent to a lowest frequency image signal , which is the result generated by executing a pyramid algorithm for the original image signal and applying the final filer processing of multiple times of filter processing performed ) consists of only one image signal that represents an average value of the original image signal . differential image signal bk that is obtained in this way is stored in the memory that is not shown in the diagram . the image signal conversion processing in this invention as described above is performed for g 1 ′, g 2 ′, g 3 ′ . . . , which are the output of interpolation method 21 that is shown in fig1 . alternatively , the image signal conversion processing is performed for b 0 , b 1 , b 2 , . . . . these unsharp image signals , g 1 ′, g 2 ′, g 3 ′ . . . , are nusharp image signals of multiple frequency bands of different frequency characteristics . this invention performs the image processing using these unsharp image signals as described above . the following method may also be used instead of using 0 interpolation and low pass filters . initially , linear interpolation , spline interpolation , or interpolation - processing by weighting according to the cardinal sign ( sampling function ) is performed for columns and the same processing is performed for rows . inverse transformation is performed for differential image signal bk that is processed by image conversion processing by this invention and differential image signals of other frequency bands . an example of inputting signals b 0 to bl - 1 is shown here . this inverse transformation is performed in reconstruction processing method 40 . fig1 is a block diagram that shows an example of the configuration of the restoration section that executes a pyramid algorithm . initially , image signal bl - 1 is converted to image signal bl - 1 ′, which is 4 times of the size of the original size by applying interpolation between each pixel in interpolation method 24 . then , addition image signal ( bl - 1 ′ 30 bl - 2 ) by performing addition of corresponding pixels between interpolated image signal bl - 1 ′ and differential image signal bl - 2 . addition image signal ( bl - 1 ′+ bl - 2 ) is input to interpolation method 24 and interpolation is applied to each pixel in interpolation method 24 , generating image signal bl - 2 ′, which is 4 times the size of the original size . for image signal bl - 2 ′, by adder 25 , addition processing is performed for mutually corresponding pixels with differential image signal bl - 3 , which has resolution one method higher than that of differential image signal bl - 2 , interpolation is applied to an interval of each pixel of added signal ( bl - 2 ′+ bl - 3 ′), generating image signal bl - 3 ′, which is 4 times the size of that of differential image signal bl - 3 . same processing is repeated subsequently . by applying this processing to differential image signals of higher frequency bands sequentially , finally the processing image signal sout is obtained ( frequency emphasizing processing ) by multiplying the result of addition of interpolation image signal b 1 ′ and differential image signal b 0 of the highest resolution through adder 25 by β with multiplier 26 , adding the result to original image signal s with adder 29 . alternatively , processed image sout is obtained ( dynamic range compression processing ) by adding a density compensation to the result of subtraction of b 0 ′ from original image signal s and adding the result to original image signal s by adder 29 . processed image signal s ′ that was obtained in this way is input to an image signal output method and is displayed as a visual image . this image signal output method may be a display method such as crt . the method may also be a storage apparatus that performs optical scan recording on a sensitized film . in the embodiment , a pyramid algorithm was used as the disassembly method to multiple resolution space , however , other algorithms may also be used . for instance , a scaling function or wavelet conversion / inverse transformation may be used . when wavelet conversion is used , emphasizing processing can be performed for any direction ( vertical direction , horizontal direction , or diagonal direction ). in the embodiment that was described above , the conversion function varies according to the density of the unsharp image signal to be converted . the conversion function may be an unsharp image signal or an original image signal in the lowest frequency band . this invention is related to configuration of filtering method 20 or interpolation method 21 that executes a pyramid algorithm as descried above . this invention may also use simple average filters ( binomial filters ) of 2 × 2 . when a simple average filter is applied to an image signal repeatedly , the weight of the filter becomes close to that of gaussian distribution . by using this factor , unsharp image signals can be generated in frequency processing at a high speed and easily . by changing the number of times filter processing is performed , frequency characteristics can be adjusted easily . by manipulating filter frequency characteristics , more delicate frequency manipulations of processing images are enabled . the concept of filtering processing in this invention is described below . fig1 illustrates filtering processing . here , filtering processing by one - dimensional filters is explained . initially , weighting filters that are shown at the bottom of the diagram are discussed . as show in the diagram , filter coefficients are ¼ , ½ , and ¼ . application of these filters to pixels a , b , and c , will be represented as ( ¼ )× a +( ½ )× b +( ¼ )× c and the operation result will be ( a + 2b + c )/ 4 . application of simple filters of weighting coefficients ½ and ½ to pixels a , b , and c is represented as ( ½ )×( a + b ) and ( ½ )×( b + c ) respectively in the first operation . application of simple average ½ and ½ these values is represented as ( a + 2b + c )/ 4 . this result matches the value produced at the first operation performed using weighting filters ¼ , ½ , and ¼ . the above result indicates that repeated operation of simple average filters fluctuate weighting , producing a non - simple - average weighting value . fig1 shows a simple average filter of 2 × 2 . as shown in the diagram , the weight of each value is ¼ , indicating that the filter is a simple average . after the simple average filter is repeated multiple times , the weight becomes no longer a simple average . fig1 shows the relationship ( condition in which normalization is not performed ) between distribution of 8 simple average filter repetitions and gaussian distribution . the upper row contains filter weights after 8 repetitions of simple average and the lower row indicates gaussian distribution when variance value = 2 . the comparison between the values in the upper rows and the values in the lower row indicates that the weight coefficients indicate the values close to gaussian distribution . in this invention , by using repeatedly a simple average filter that is shown in fig1 , high - speed filtering processing can be performed in comparison to the case where conventional weighting filters are used and processing can be performed at a high speed also for the algorithm that requires filtering processing in multiple times such as a pyramid algorithm . when a mask needs to be changed to change frequency characteristics in the conventional method , in this invention , frequency characteristics can be changed simply by changing the number of times filtering is performed for a simple average filter . that is , by specifying a simple average repetition count , frequency characteristics can be manipulated . assuming that the mask used is a simple average of 2 × 2 as shown in fig1 , unsharp image signals can be generated by applying this filter repeatedly . this mask has a feature of becoming rapidly close to a gaussian mask as the application increases . for instance , two applications of this mask is equivalent to application of the mask with the weighting as shown in fig1 . as the mask application count increases , averaging increases , consequently , generating frequency characteristics of the unsharp image signal with the high frequency bands truncated . fig1 illustrates the relationship between the number of filtering stages and the response . the vertical axis represents frequency f and the horizontal axis represents response . when the number of filtering stages is low , the characteristics represented by f 1 are shown . when the number of filtering stages is high , the characteristics represented by f 2 are shown . when the number of filtering stages is high , high frequency component signals are truncated , lowering the frequency characteristics . in a pyramid algorithm , interpolation - processing is performed to reconstruct an image size . in this case , the closer the shape of the filter used for interpolation - processing to a cardinal sign function ( sampling function or sinc function ), the closer the frequency characteristics of the interpolated image signal becomes to the frequency characteristics of the pre - interpolation image signal . for instance , if the interpolation - processing is simple interpolation , the pre - interpolation image signal has frequency characteristics with high frequencies truncated . by combining these types of processing , delicate adjustments are enabled for frequency characteristics of differential image signals . by changing a down sampling rate of an image signal by changing frequency characteristics of an unsharp image signal through a mask change , and changing the number of frequency segments through an image signal , adjustments such as reduction of the number of segments according to the image signal are enabled , simplifying processing . by adjusting the contents of each mask processing such as number of filtering stages , the processing time can be easily reduced and a processing algorithm can be structured easily considering both the picture quality and the processing time . ( 1 ) since said high - frequency component signal is obtained that by adding a differential image signal obtained by applying conversion processing to unsharp image signals of multiple frequency bands that are generated from said original image signal and adding a difference between said unsharp image signal and said converted image signal , a differential image signal that is added to an original image signal is adjusted by converting an unsharp image signal and , consequently , a processing image signal can be created with controlling noise and artifacts together with an edge emphasis . ( 2 ) since said differential image signals derive from either differences between said unsharp image signals in adjacent pairs of frequency bands or differences between said original image signal and said converted unsharp image signals , frequency band overlapping sections of differential image signals are reduced by taking differences between adjacent pairs of unsharp image signals and by applying conversion processing to said unsharp image signals , operation in band units is enabled . ( 3 ) since said conversion processing applied to said unsharp image signals of said multiple frequency bands converts pixel values of said original image signals of said unsharp image signals based on non - linear conversion , edge emphasis and control of noise and artifacts are enabled by performing non - linear conversion . ( 4 ) since conversion processing that is applied to unsharp image signals of said multiple frequency bands is determined by said original image signal or said unsharp image signals of said multiple frequency band , processing depending on an unsharp tendency of image signals can be performed , and consequently , effective edge emphasis and noise and artifacts control are enabled . ( 5 ) since said conversion processing applied to said unsharp image signals of said multiple frequency bands is determined by said unsharp image signals in adjacent pairs of frequency bands or said original image signal , processing depending on an unsharp tendency of image signals can be performed , and consequently , effective edge emphasis and noise and artifacts control are enabled . ( 6 ) since said conversion processing that is applied to said unsharp image signals of said multiple frequency bands varies according to a pixel value of either one of said unsharp image signals or said original unsharp image signal that is used for generating said differential image signals , processing depending on pixels prior to unsharp processing can be performed , enabling conversion with more consideration to high frequency component signals , and consequently , more effective edge emphasis and suppress of artifacts and noise are enabled . ( 7 ) since said conversion processing that is applied to said unsharp image signals of said multiple frequency bands vary according to said unsharp image signals , adjustments depending on frequency bands can be made and more effective edge emphasis and suppress of noise and artifacts are enabled . ( 8 ) since said conversion processing that is applied to said unsharp image signals suppress averaging of image signals , unsharpness is suppressed in a high contrast area , which is a cause of overshoot / undershoot and consequently , effective edge emphasis and control of noise and artifacts are enabled . ( 9 ) since said conversion processing that is applied varies depending on pixel values of said unsharp image signals to be processed by said conversion processing , processing depending on signal values of unsharp image signals become possible and by enhancing control of artifacts of signals with noticeable noise ( density ), more effective edge emphasis and control of noise and artifacts are enabled . ( 10 ) since said conversion processing that is applied to said unsharp image signals varies depending on pixel values of said unsharp images at lowest frequency band , changes of conversion of unsharp image signals may follow a major configuration of an original image signal . ( 11 ) since said conversion processing that is applied to said unsharp image signals varies depending on pixel values of said original signal , changes of conversion of unsharp images may follow an original image signal faithfully . ( 12 ) since a degree of averaging control of said conversion processing that is applied to said unsharp image signals increases as frequency bands of said unsharp images become lower , a degree of averaging suppression increases as frequency bands become lower and consequently , image signals of higher quality may be obtained . ( 13 ) since a degree of averaging control of said conversion processing that is applied to said unsharp image signals increases as frequency bands of said unsharp image signals become higher , averaging suppression increases for high frequency component signals that tend to contain many noise component signals and consequently effective edge emphasis and control of noise and artifacts are enabled . ( 14 ) since compensation signals are obtained by applying conversion processing to unsharp image signals of multiple frequency bands that are generated from said original signal , generating high - frequency image signals that are obtained adding differential image signals that are obtained by differences between said unsharp image signals and said image signals generated after said conversion processing , and obtaining differences of said low frequency image signals from results of conversion of low frequency image signals that are obtained from differences between said high frequency image signals and said original image signal , a compensation section that is added to an original image signal or super low frequency image signal , processing image signals can be generated by applying both image signal dynamic range compression and control of noise and artifacts . ( 15 ) since said conversion processing varies depending on pixel values of said unsharp image signals , emphasis of bands containing many noises in signal areas where noises are noticeable can be controlled by adjusting differential image signals that are added to an original image signal or lowest frequency band image signals , depending on signal values of unsharp images and consequently , more effective edge emphasis and control of noise and artifacts are enabled . ( 16 ) since said differential image signal indicate a difference between unsharp image signals of a pair of adjacent frequency bands or a difference between an original image signal and a converted unsharp image signal , a frequency band overlapping section of each differential signal is reduced by determining a difference between a pair of adjacent image signals and operation by band units is enabled by employing conversion processing to unsharp image signals . ( 17 ) since said unsharp image signal on which said conversion processing depends is said image signals used when said differential signals were obtained , an unsharp image signal of an image size identical to a converted image signal can be used when a pyramid algorithm is used also and consequently , processing can be simplified . ( 18 ) since conversion processing that is applied to said multiple differential image signals varies depending on said differential image signals , adjustments depending on frequency bands are enabled and consequently more effective edge emphasis and control of noise and artifacts are enabled . ( 19 ) since conversion processing that is applied to said differential image signals absolute values of pixel values in at least some image signals , emphasis on a high contrast area , which is a cause of overshoot / undershoot is suppressed and consequently , more effective edge emphasis and control of noise and artifacts are enabled . ( 20 ) since control of absolute values of image signals by conversion processing that is applied to said differential image signals increases as frequency bands of said differential image signals become lower , the lower the frequency band in the differential image signal , the greater the control of the absolute value becomes , enabling generation of sharper image signals with control of noise and artifacts more effectively . ( 21 ) since control of absolute values of image signals by conversion processing that is applied to said differential image signals increase as frequency bands of said differential image signals become higher , suppression over absolute values increases as a frequency band that tends to contain many noise component signals becomes high and consequently , more effective edge emphasis and suppression of noise and artifacts are enabled . ( 22 ) since a conversion function that actualizes given frequency characteristics is determined by specifying frequency characteristics and processing is performed by said conversion function that was determined , users only need to specify required frequency characteristics without having to be aware of various parameters to be set and consequently , processing is simplified . ( 23 ) since specification of said frequency characteristics can be changed according to a density , users can easily specify processing depending on signal values such as suppression of noise emphasis by operating frequency characteristics of signal areas containing noticeable noise . ( 24 ) since specification of said frequency characteristics can be changed depending on a density for each of unsharp image signals or differential image signals , users can easily set an intensity of processing depending on signal values for each frequency band . ( 25 ) since a set of parameters is specified in said frequency characteristic processing and processing can be specified by selecting said set of parameters , users can select an optimum parameter set easily without manipulating many parameters . ( 26 ) since frequency characteristics of processing image signals are changed by changing mask frequencies used for mask processing for generating said unsharp image signals , more delicate frequency characteristic adjustments are enabled for processing images by changing mask frequency characteristics . ( 27 ) since said mask processing is specific filter repetition processing , frequency characteristics can be adjusted at high speed without using multiple filters . ( 28 ) since a mask of said repetition processing is a simple average , frequency characteristics can be adjusted at high speed . ( 29 ) since a mask of said repetition processing is a simple average of 2 pixels × 2 pixels , unsharp image signals can be generated at high speed and also according to normal distribution . ( 30 ) since frequency characteristics of said processing image signals are specified by a processing repetition count of said repetition processing , frequency characteristics can be specified easily . ( 31 ) since frequency characteristics of said processing image signals are specified by designating a weight of a mask at generation of unsharp image signals using a variance value of normal distribution and processing is performed by calculating said mask processing repetition count approximating with normal distribution of said variance value that was specified , frequency characteristics can be specified easily . ( 32 ) since said mask processing varies depending on said unsharp image signal , frequency characteristics may be adjusted according to a frequency band . ( 33 ) since said mask processing varies depending on an original image signal , frequency characteristics may be adjusted according to a type of an original image signal , for instance , body parts examined . ( 34 ) since said masking processing varies depending on frequency characteristics of said original image signal , adjustments according to frequency characteristics of an original image signal are enabled for suppressing frequency bands with excessive noise . ( 35 ) since frequency characteristics of image processing signals are changed by a changing interpolate - processing method for addition or subtraction of said image signals of different resolutions , more delicate frequency characteristic adjustments of processing image signals are enabled by changing frequency of interpolation - processing . ( 36 ) since said interpolation - processing is performed based on a sampling function of an original image signal , frequency characteristics of unsharp image signals can be reproduced more faithfully . ( 37 ) since said interpolation - processing performs linear interpolation , processing can be preformed at a high speed without making major changes in frequency characteristics of unsharp image signals . ( 38 ) since said interpolation - processing is spline interpolation , smooth interpolation is achieved . ( 39 ) since said interpolation - processing varies depending on frequency bands of interpolation image signals , frequency characteristics may be adjusted for each frequency band . ( 40 ) since said interpolation - processing varies depending on an original image signal , frequency characteristics may be adjusted according to a type of an original image signal , for instance body parts examined . ( 41 ) since said interpolation - processing varies according to frequency characteristics of an original image signal , adjustments may be made according to frequency characteristics of an original image signal such as suppression of frequency bands with many noise signals . ( 42 ) since unsharp image signals are generated by mask processing through said pyramid algorithm and a reduction rate of unsharp image signals by down sampling changes according to frequency characteristics , a processing speed may be increased efficiently by changing a reduction rate of image signals through frequency characteristics of a mask . ( 43 ) since said mask processing varies depending on unsharp image signals , frequency characteristics may be adjusted according to a frequency band . ( 44 ) since said mask processing varies depending on an original image signal , frequency characteristics may be adjusted according to a type of an original image , for instance , body parts examined . ( 45 ) since said mask processing varies depending on frequency characteristics of an original image signal , adjustments may be made according to frequency characteristics of an original image signal such as controlling of frequency bands with many noise signals . ( 46 ) since changes of said frequency characteristics of a mask or changes of interpolation - processing are determined by specified frequency characteristics , users may easily generate image signals of required frequency characteristics by determining characteristics of filters from said frequency characteristics . ( 47 ) since specification of said frequency characteristics may be changed according to a density of an original image signal or an unsharp image signal , frequency characteristics may be adjusted effectively such as suppression of emphasis on signal areas where noise is noticeable . ( 48 ) since specification of said frequency characteristics may be changed according to a density of an original image signal or an unsharp image signal for each of said unsharp image signals or a differential image signal , frequency characteristics may be adjusted efficiently such as controlling of emphasis of signal areas where noise is noticeable in a frequency area containing many noise signals . ( 49 ) since the image processing apparatus retains a set of parameters required for processing said frequency characteristics , wherein processing is specified by selecting said set of parameters , users may achieve optimum processing by specifying a set of parameters without setting detailed parameters . ( 50 ) since filtering processing for generating said unsharp image signals is repetition of specific filters , processing may be simplified . ( 51 ) since a mask of said repetition processing is a simple average , processing may be simplified and a processing speed may be increased . ( 52 ) since a mask of said repetition processing is a simple average of 2 pixels × 2 pixels , effects equivalent to those achieved from processing by a weighting mask according to gaussian distribution may be obtained . ( 53 ) since said mask processing varies depending on an unsharp image , frequency characteristics may be adjusted according to a frequency band . ( 54 ) since said mask processing varies depending on an original image signal , frequency characteristics may be adjusted according to a type of an original image , for instance , body parts examined . ( 55 ) since said mask processing varies depending on frequency characteristics of said original image signal , processing may be varied according to frequency characteristics of an original image signal such as suppression of frequency bands containing many noise signals . ( 56 ) since a repetition count of said single average of 2 × 2 is 16 or greater , frequency band areas contained in each unsharp image signal are reduced to about a half of frequency bands before application of mask processing , enabling disassembly to an optimum frequency band . ( 57 ) since a repetition count of said simple average of 2 × 2 is 8 or greater , frequency bands contained in each unsharp image signal are reduced to about a half of frequency band before application of mask processing , enabling disassembly to an optimum frequency band . disclosed embodiment can be varied by a skilled person without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .	7
referring to the drawings more particularly by reference numbers , number 10 refers to a packaged laser including a resonator base plate 12 with the elements of laser assembly 14 mounted thereon . the laser assembly 14 includes a crystal or other gain medium 16 and pump means including an array of laser diodes 18 mounted on associated heat sinks 19 and positioned on the base plate 12 to pump energy into the side of the gain medium 16 . the additional elements mounted on the base plate 12 include spaced mirrors 20 and 22 including respective mirror mounting means 24 and 26 . the laser also includes electrical connection means to the pump sources 18 shown in the form of strip line connector 32 mounted on or in the base plate 12 adjacent to one side in position to have connections made to laser diodes or sets of the laser diodes in the array 18 . the connections can be made in a manner such as shown in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 864 , 584 . it is contemplated to have a similar strip line connector located in each opposite side of the base plate 12 in which case a similar but opposed set or array of laser diodes would be mounted on each opposite side of the gain medium 16 to pump energy into the medium from opposite directions as shown in fig6 . alternatively one or more sides of the gain medium can be flattened and positioned adjacent to a polished surface to reflect the pump energy impinging thereon and passing therethrough back through the gain medium 16 to increase the absorption and hense the pumping efficiency . such a construction is shown in martin u . s . pat . no . 4 , 805 , 177 . the strip line connector 32 may be bonded to the resonator base plate 12 using an adhesive to make it more secure and the base plate 12 can have a groove 34 or opening for the strip line 28 to extend through . usually this is done after the conductors in the strip line 32 have been connected to the respective sets of laser diodes in the array 18 . the strip line 32 is shown having elongated support portions or wings 36 and 38 which extend in both opposite directions therefrom along the base plate 12 and are shown attached to the base plate to make them secure , by adhesive or by threaded screws or other members 40 as shown . the base plate 12 as shown in fig1 has spaced elongated aligned countersunk portions or channels 42 and 44 which extend endwardly along the axis of the laser medium or crystal 16 . this means that an elevated space 46 will be formed between the channels 42 and 44 , and this space 46 is available to be used to support the laser elements or a mounting member 48 on which the laser medium 16 and the pump source 18 are mounted . threaded members 50 may be used for attaching the mounting member 48 to the base plate 12 . the base plate 12 also has a larger shallower recessed area 52 which extends from adjacent opposite sides and ends thereof , and the channels 42 and 44 are formed in the recessed area 52 . this construction for the base plate provides a relatively large flat peripheral area 54 around the upper surface of the base plate 12 . the flat peripheral surface 54 mates with a complementary flat surface area on a closure member which will be described later . the space between the recessed area 52 and the left end surface 56 of the resonator base plate 12 as shown has an opening or window 58 formed therethrough which is aligned with the axis of the medium 16 and the output of the laser is projected through the window 58 . the opposite or right end 60 of the laser base plate 12 is closed since no laser energy is emitted from this end . it is also contemplated to reduce in size or eliminate altogether the recesses 42 and 44 and in the alternative mount the laser elements on a raised portion or platform on the recess 52 ( see fig6 and 7 ). the important thing is that the axis 62 of the laser medium 16 be provided with sufficient space taking into account how broad or divergent the beam is as it passes back and forth before exiting through the window 58 . to complete the assembly of the package for the laser 10 there is provided a cover or closure member 64 shown in fig2 which has a surface 66 , that mates with the flat peripheral surface 54 of the laser base plate 12 forming a sealed or substantially sealed condition therebetween a gasket or other sealant can be used between the surfaces 54 and 66 if desired . the cover 64 may have a similar recessed or countersunk portion 68 which matches in outline the recessed area 52 in the base plate 12 to form a substantially closed space for accommodating the laser elements including the mirrors when the device is closed . the cover 64 can be fixedly attached to the base plate 12 by means of a plurality of spaced threaded members 70 which extend into aligned bores 72 , positions for which are shown in fig1 . the mirror mounting means 24 and 26 for mounting the respective mirrors 20 and 22 include adjustable means 74 ( fig3 ) for aligning the respective mirrors . these can include threaded adjustment means 74 . positions for three such adjustment means are shown in fig3 . automatic adjustment means can also be provided , if desired . in fig4 a modified form 10a of the construction is shown with the base member identified by number 12a and the cover by number 64a . except for modification in the shape of these members , the structure is basically the same and operates the same as the structure shown in fig1 and 2 . as explained , the present invention resides in a novel package or housing for a laser device such as for a side pumped laser device , which packaging is rugged , sealed , easily adjustable , relatively compact and flat for ease of stacking and storage , and it has improved means for attaching or making the electrical connections to the active elements by means of a multiple - lead electrical cable , such as the strip line cable 32 . lasers of the type to be packaged by the present packaging means are usually relatively small fragile devices and the packaging provided by the present construction lends itself to being made to be physically small and rugged so as to protect the elements from damage and to make it usable in small spaces . once the entire package has been assembled and bolted or otherwise connected , and sealed if desired , it can be mounted on well known thermoelectric coolers or like devices ( see cooler 76 in fig5 ) in association with heat sink means ( not shown ) which can be installed at one or more convenient locations for maintaining a desired operating temperature . lasers packaged according to the invention can be operated intermittently or in a continuous wave ( cw ) mode as required . the present construction also lends itself to use without a heat sink or special cooling means being required , the only limitation when so operating is the ability to connect the strip line connector to a suitable power source . this is a significant advantage because it means that the subject packaged lasers can be operated in satellites and in space vehicles where space is limited and where portable power sources are all that is available . the openings 72 through the base plate 12 may also be extended through the closure members 64 so that when arranged in a stacked condition the same threaded members can be used to hold together and mount a plurality of similar laser assemblies in a small compact space . the same threaded members can also be used to attach one or more of the laser assemblies to thermoelectric cooler means and associated heat sinks which can be mounted at suitable locations on the laser assemblies . fig6 and 7 show a modified construction 80 in which the base plate 82 has a raised central platform 83 on which gain medium 84 and the rows or arrays of diode lasers which form pump sources 86 and 88 are mounted on opposite sides of the medium . in this construction similar strip line connections 90 and 92 are provided and extend through suitable openings or grooves 94 and 96 in the respective opposite side walls 98 and 100 of the base plate 82 . the laser medium 84 in this case as in the other construction can be a single elongated crystal medium such as a medium formed of nd / yag , nd glass and ylf or it can be formed by two such mediums arranged in back to back condition and separated by a layer of reflective material therebetween . the advantage of such a two element crystal medium is to enable the laser to produce two distinctly different laser beam outputs from the same device . thus there has been shown and described a novel laser housing or packaging construction which fulfills all of the objects and advantages sought therefor . it will become apparent to those skilled in the art , however , that many changes , modifications , variations and other uses and applications for the subject device are possible , and all such changes , modifications , variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention which is limited only by the claims which follow .	7
fig1 illustrates a system architecture 100 allowing for the online and social creation of music and musical thoughts in real - time or near real - time . the system architecture 100 of fig1 includes an application front end 110 , a web infrastructure 120 , a musical information and retrieval engine 130 , and a composition and production engine 140 . the system architecture 100 of fig1 may be implemented in a public or private network . fig1 illustrates application front end 110 . application front end 110 provides an interface to allow users to make social contributions to a musical thought like those discussed in the context of fig2 and 3 . examples of application front ends 110 are disclosed in the context of fig7 below . a first and second user offer their individual social contributions of musical thoughts ( e . g ., a “ hum ” or a “ tap ” or a “ hum ” responsive to a “ tap ” or vice versa ). such social contributions of musical thought may occur on a mobile device 600 like that descripted in fig6 and as might be common amongst amateur or non - professional content creators . social contributions may also be provided at a professional workstation executing an enterprise version of the present invention as might occur on a hardware device 500 like that described in fig5 . a web infrastructure 120 communicatively couples the first and second computing device with a musical information retrieval engine 130 and a composition and production engine 140 . musical retrieval engine 130 and composition and production engine 150 may each be operating on an individual hardware device 500 like that described in fig5 or may all operate on the same piece of computer hardware . any number of load balancers may be implemented to ensure proper routing of various social contributions of musical thought to the proper web server executing the proper retrieval engine 130 and / or composition and production engine 140 . musical retrieval engine 130 executes at a hardware device 500 communicatively coupled to the web infrastructure 120 to extract data from the first and second social contributions of musical thought as provided over the web infrastructure 120 . the composition and production engine 140 is likewise executed at a hardware device 150 communicatively coupled to the web infrastructure 120 and processes the data extracted from the first and second social contributions of musical thought in order to generate socially co - created musical content . the socially co - created musical content is provided over the web infrastructure to the application front end 110 of the first and second computing device for playback as is illustrated in the likes of interfaces 730 , 740 , 770 , and 780 . fig2 illustrates a method 200 for the creation of a first social contribution of a musical thought . in step 210 of fig2 , a first musical thought is provided by a first user . that contribution may be a “ hum ” or a “ tap .” in step 220 , the user is allowed to playback the contribution to ensure that it meets whatever personal musical standards might be possessed by the user . at step 230 , that first musical contribution is communicated to a second user for audible observation and feedback . in an alternative embodiment , the user in fig2 may be provided with a pre - existing piece of content ( either a “ hum ” or a “ tap ”) in order to provide their music contribution outside of a vacuum . the process would then continue as normal , with the first user contribution being communicated to the second user for an offering of the other “ half ” of the musical equation . the original ‘ inspiration ’ in such an embodiment might be disregarded from the process . in optional step 240 , the first user is allowed to communicate a musical genre that will be used in the course of extracting data from the musical contribution and subsequently composing and producing musical output . in step 250 , after the second user has contributed their musical thought to the socially co - created work , the user is allowed playback the create work . in step 260 , the first user is allowed to offer feedback on the socially co - created work , which may include saving the work , deleting the work , changing the genre , sharing the work , or offering a new contribution of a “ hum ” or a “ tap .” fig3 illustrates a method for the creation of a second social contribution of a musical thought . in step 310 , a second user is prompted to provide a second musical though responsive to the first contribution , for example a “ hum .” that is , in the course of fig3 , a “ hum ” is recorded responsive to an originating “ tap .” the second user is allowed to listen to the first musical contribution for context and inspiration . in step 320 , the second user is allowed to determine whether they are satisfied with their contribution to the overall musical thought . in optional step 330 , the second user is allowed to select a musical genre if the first user did not select the same . at step 340 , and following receipt of the first and second social contributions of musical thought ( i . e ., the hum and the tap ) by the musical information retrieval engine and extraction of certain data for processing by composition and production engine as generally described in fig4 , the second user is allowed playback the created work . in step 350 , the second user is allowed to offer feedback on the socially co - created work , which may include saving the work , deleting the work , changing the genre , sharing the work , or offering a new contribution of a “ hum ” or a “ tap .” fig4 illustrates a method 400 for the creation of a collaborative musical thought based on the first and second social contribution . in step 410 of fig4 , a first social music contribution is received from a user . the first social musical contribution could be , for example , a “ hum ” or a “ tap .” in step 420 , a second music contribution is received . the second contribution is received from a second user and is the responsive pairing to the contribution received in step 410 . for example , if a “ hum ” was received in step 410 , then a “ tap ” is received in step 420 . if a “ tap ” is received in step 410 , then a “ hum ” is received at step 420 . in step 430 , various audio features are extracted from the first and second social contributions ( i . e ., the “ hum ” and the “ tap ”). these features , in the case of the “ hum ” can include essential melodic extracts such as fundamental frequency , pitch , and measure information . in the case of a “ tap ,” extracted data might include high frequency content , spectral flux , and spectral difference . in step 440 , an identification of genre is received . the genre might be indicative of electronica . the genre might alternatively be indicative reggae . the identified genre of music is used to generate a blueprint from the extracted musical data : the user provided “ hum ” and “ taps .” the genre blue print operates as compositional grammar and rules that applies various grammar and rules to the extracted musical data in a manner similar to the operation of natural language processing . for example , while the contributed musical thoughts from the first and second user will not change , the blue print developed for a reggae genre versus a electronica genre will cause the resulting musical co - creation to differ in presentation . in step 450 , a collaborative musical thought is rendered though application of instrumentation to the musical blueprint . the instrumentation is consistent with the musical genre . again , the instrumentation that might be present in an electronica type musical production will differ from that in pop , rock , or reggae . the availability of various effects will also differ as will mixing and mastering options . in step 460 , a rendered musical composition of collaborative musical thought is output as individual tracks or an entire composition . that output may be provided through a front end application 110 at a work station like that described in fig5 . the output might also be provided on a mobile device like that described in fig6 . various options may follow the rendering of the musical composition such as saving the composition or tracks for future use or playback , sharing the tracks or files , or deleting the rendered product and trying again with a different “ hum ,” “ tap ,” or indication of genre . fig5 illustrates an exemplary hardware device 500 that may be used in the context of the aforementioned system architecture as shown in fig1 as well as the implementation of various aspects of the methodologies disclosed in fig2 and 3 . hardware device 500 may be implemented as a client , a server , or an intermediate computing device . the hardware device 500 of fig5 is exemplary . hardware device 500 may be implemented with different combinations of components depending on particular system architecture or implementation needs . for example , hardware device 500 may be utilized to implement the musical information retrieval 130 and composition and production engines 140 of fig1 while a mobile device like that discussed in the context of fig6 is used for implementation of the application front end 110 . alternatively , a hardware device 500 might be used for engines 130 and 140 as well as the application frond end 110 as might occur in a professional , studio implementation . still further , engines 130 and 140 may each be implemented on a separate hardware device 500 or could be implemented as a part of a single device 500 . hardware device 500 as illustrated in fig5 includes one or more processors 510 and non - transitory main memory 520 . memory 520 stores instructions and data for execution by processor 510 . memory 520 can also store executable code when in operation . device 500 as shown in fig5 also includes mass storage 530 ( which is also non - transitory in nature ) as well as non - transitory portable storage 540 , and input and output devices 550 and 560 . device 500 also includes display 570 and well as peripherals 580 . the aforementioned components of fig5 are illustrated as being connected via a single bus 590 . the components of fig5 may , however , be connected through any number of data transport means . for example , processor 510 and memory 520 may be connected via a local microprocessor bus . mass storage 530 , peripherals 580 , portable storage 540 , and display 570 may , in turn , be connected through one or more input / output ( i / o ) buses . mass storage 530 may be implemented as tape libraries , raid systems , hard disk drives , solid - state drives , magnetic tape drives , optical disk drives , and magneto - optical disc drives . mass storage 530 is non - volatile in nature such that it does not lose its contents should power be discontinued . as noted above , mass storage 530 is non - transitory in nature although the data and information maintained in mass storage 530 may be received or transmitted utilizing various transitory methodologies . information and data maintained in mass storage 530 may be utilized by processor 510 or generated as a result of a processing operation by processor 510 . mass storage 530 may store various software components necessary for implementing one or more embodiments of the present invention by loading various modules , instructions , or other data components into memory 520 . portable storage 540 is inclusive of any non - volatile storage device that may be introduced to and removed from hardware device 500 . such introduction may occur through one or more communications ports , including but not limited to serial , usb , fire wire , thunderbolt , or lightning . while portable storage 540 serves a similar purpose as mass storage 530 , mass storage device 530 is envisioned as being a permanent or near - permanent component of the device 500 and not intended for regular removal . like mass storage device 530 , portable storage device 540 may allow for the introduction of various modules , instructions , or other data components into memory 520 . input devices 550 provide one or more portions of a user interface and are inclusive of keyboards , pointing devices such as a mouse , a trackball , stylus , or other directional control mechanism . various virtual reality or augmented reality devices may likewise serve as input device 550 . input devices may be communicatively coupled to the hardware device 500 utilizing one or more the exemplary communications ports described above in the context of portable storage 540 . fig5 also illustrates output devices 560 , which are exemplified by speakers , printers , monitors , or other display devices such as projectors or augmented and / or virtual reality systems . output devices 560 may be communicatively coupled to the hardware device 500 using one or more of the exemplary communications ports described in the context of portable storage 540 as well as input devices 550 . display system 570 is any output device for presentation of information in visual or occasionally tactile form ( e . g ., for those with visual impairments ). display devices include but are not limited to plasma display panels ( pdps ), liquid crystal displayus ( lcds ), and organic light - emitting diode displays ( oleds ). other displays systems 570 may include surface conduction electron emitters ( seds ), laser tv , carbon nanotubes , quantum dot displays , and interferometric modulator displays ( mods ). display system 570 may likewise encompass virtual or augmented reality devices . peripherals 580 are inclusive of the universe of computer support devices that might otherwise add additional functionality to hardware device 500 and not otherwise specifically addressed above . for example , peripheral device 580 may include a modem , wireless router , or otherwise network interface controller . other types of peripherals 580 might include webcams , image scanners , or microphones although the foregoing might in some instances be considered an input device fig6 illustrates an exemplary mobile device 600 that may execute an application to allow for the creation and submission of contributions to a musical thought like those disclosed in fig2 and 3 and otherwise processed by the system architecture of fig1 . an example of such an application is front end application 110 as illustrated in the system of fig1 . while front end application 110 is presently discussed in the context of mobile device 600 , front end application 110 may likewise be executed on a hardware device 500 as might be relevant to professional musicians or audio recording engineers . mobile device 600 is inclusive of at least handheld devices running mobile operating systems such as the ios or android as well as tablet devices running similar operating system software . mobile device 600 includes one or more processors 610 and memory 620 . mobile device 600 also includes storage 630 , antenna 640 , display 650 , input 660 , microphone or audio input 670 , and speaker / audio output 680 . like hardware device 500 , the components of mobile device 600 are illustrated as being connected via a single bus but may similarly be connected through one or more data transport means as would be known to one of ordinary skill in the art . processor 610 and memory 620 function in a manner similar to that described in the context of fig5 : memory 620 stores programs , instructions , and data in a non - transitory , volatile format for execution by processor 610 . storage 630 is meant to operate in a non - volatile fashion such that data is maintained notwithstanding an accidental or intentional loss of power . for example , storage 630 might maintain one or more applications or ‘ apps ’ including an ‘ app ’ that would implement the functionality of front end application 110 . differing from hardware device 500 is the presence of antenna ( s ) 640 in mobile device 600 . antenna ( s ) 640 allow for the receipt and transmission of transitory data by way of electromagnetic signals that may comply to one or more data transmission protocols including but not limited to 4g , lte , ieee 802 . 11n , or ieee 802 . 11ac as well as bluetooth . while data may be transmitted to and received by antennas 640 in a transitory format , the data is ultimately maintained in non - transitory storage 630 or memory 620 for use by processor 610 . antenna may be coupled to a modulation / demodulation device ( not shown ) allowing for processing of wireless signals . in some instances , wireless processor functionality may be directly integrated with processor 610 or be a secondary or ancillary processor from amongst the group of one or more processors 610 . display 650 of mobile device 600 provides similar functionality as display system 570 in fig5 but in a smaller form factor . display 650 in mobile device 600 may also allow for delivery of touch commands and interactions such that display 650 also integrates some input features not otherwise capable of being managed by input 660 . such a display may utilize a capacitive material arranged according to a coordinate system such that the circuitry of the mobile device 600 and display 650 can sense changes at each point along the grid thereby allowing for detection and determination of simultaneous touches in multiple locations . input 660 allows for the entry of data and information into mobile device 600 by a user of the mobile device 600 . components for input might include physical “ hard ” keys or even an integrated physical keyboard , including but not limited to a dedicated home key or series of selection and entry buttons . input 660 may also include touchscreen “ soft ” keys as discussed in the context of display 650 . voice instructions might also be provided by way of built - in microphone or audio input 670 operating in conjunction with voice recognition and / or natural language processing software . microphone / audio input 670 is inclusive of one or more microphone device that transmit captured acoustic signals to processing software executable from memory 620 by processor 610 . microphone / audio input 670 various forms of social contributions of musical thought . output may be provided visually through display 650 as textual or graphic information . the information may be presented in the form of a query . output may audibly be provided through speaker component 680 . output may request confirmation of an instruction , seek acceptance of a sample , or may simply allow for playback of socially co - created musical content . the specific nature of any output and the particular means in which it is presented — audio or video — may depend upon the software being executed and the end result generated through execution of the same . fig7 illustrates a series of application end interfaces 700 as referenced in fig1 ( 110 ) and that may provide for the creation and submission of contributions to a musical thought like those disclosed in fig2 and 3 . through the series of application end interfaces 700 as shown in fig7 , a first user provides one musical thought that is presented to a second user for a further contribution of musical thought . the combined musical thought , which reflects both that of the first and second user , is then presented for approval by one or both users . in interface 710 of fig7 , a first musical thought — a “ tap ”— has been received from a first user ( dick ). the user of mobile device 600 has been prompted by interface 710 to provide a second musical though responsive to the first contribution , specifically a “ hum .” in interface 720 , a “ hum ” is recorded responsive to dick &# 39 ; s “ tap .” instructions related to the rendering of the application may be retrieved from storage 630 of mobile device 600 and then executed from memory 620 by processor 610 . the resulting interface 710 and 720 is displayed on display 650 . playback of dick &# 39 ; s “ tap ” may occur through engaging display 650 and / or input 660 , which allows for the playback of the “ tap ” through speakers 680 . a “ hum ” from the user of mobile device 600 may be recorded by microphone 670 operating in conjunction with display 650 . following receipt of the first and second social contributions of musical thought ( i . e ., the hum and the tap ), the musical information retrieval engine is executed at a computing device . a composition and production engine executed at a computing device processes the data extracted from the first and second social contributions of musical thought in order to generate socially co - created musical content that corresponds to a particular genre . the socially co - created musical content is provided over the web infrastructure to the application front end 730 and is played back in interface 740 . following playback of the socially co - created musical content , any number of decisions may be made including whether to save the socially co - created musical content , to share the content , or to re - attempt the social co - creation . a similar process is displayed in the context of interfaces 750 - 780 . interfaces 750 - 780 , however , reflect the first musical thought contribution being a “ hum ” versus a “ tap ” ( 750 ). the user of mobile device 600 provides their “ tap ” by way of interface 760 operating in conjunction with display 650 as well as microphone 670 and as was generally described in the immediately prior reverse operation flow . following processing of the first and second musical thoughts ( i . e ., the “ hum ” and the “ tap ”), the musical information retrieval engine is executed at a computing device . a composition and production engine executed at a computing device processes the data extracted from the first and second social contributions of musical thought in order to generate socially co - created musical content that corresponds to a particular genre . the combined creation is provided for playback in interface 770 and actually played back in interface 780 . like the “ tap - to - hum ” process above , the combined social contributions may be saved , shared , or attempted again . other embodiments of the invention might include content creators making music together in any form , such as a virtual dj or concatenating musical thoughts . more generalized musical ideas , too , may be correlated to more specific musical contexts to assist in content creation . the iterative process may , in some embodiments , go beyond a first and second contribution and involve multiple contributions from multiple users , the user of social influencers and weighting as may be driven by a user profile , and contributing to an already combined work product ( e . g ., adding a further drum beat through a series of taps to an already exist tap track ). the present invention is not meant to be limited to musical content . the concepts disclosed herein may be applied to other creative contexts , including video , the spoken word , or even still images / digital photography . the fundamental underlying concepts of contribution of individual thoughts that are melded together in light of various considerations of genre nevertheless remains applicable . the foregoing detailed description has been presented for purposes of illustration and description . the foregoing description is not intended to be exhaustive or to the present invention to the precise form disclosed . many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above description . the embodiments described were chosen in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to allow others of ordinary skill in the art to best make and use the same . the specific scope of the invention shall be limited by the claims appended hereto .	7
[ 0039 ] fig1 is a plan view of an intellectual properties game board 10 according to the invention . fig5 - 8 are enlarged views of portions of the game board in fig1 and [ 0040 ] fig9 shows all game peripherals including playing cards , pieces , dice and play money used during play of the game of the present invention . in the illustrated embodiment , the present game can be played by up to fifteen players . the player with the highest amount of money , most inventions , plus highest number of purchases of consumer products wins the game , e . g ., received the highest amount of fees and royalties , bought the highest amount of consumer products and visited theme parks , public restrooms , airports , shopping mall most often , etc . in the embodiment of fig1 a game board 10 features a game track including fifty two playing spaces . the game board 10 also has a start space 1 at the beginning of the track . playing spaces of the game track are divided into two main categories . the first category is retail stores and commercial places . the second category of playing spaces is inventions and creations . the present game begins by providing each player with a playing piece drawn from a bag ( fig9 ). each player places his game piece at start space 1 ( fig5 ). a deck of “ drawing ” cards ( fig9 ) and a deck of “ court ” cards ( fig9 ), are placed on the open space of the game board 10 . one player is selected to be the “ game banker ”, and she provides each player with , for example , $ 1 , 000 start money ; distributes invention cards and copyright cards , etc . the game banker gets one free airline ticket for the game . examples of instructions or notices provided on the undersides of the drawing cards ( fig9 ) may include , but are not limited to , the following : 1 . you have won a free cup of coffee . ( if land on coffee and donut house , pay only the inventor of donuts .) 4 . a free bag of french fries the next time . ( if land on french fries and soda palace , pay only the inventor of soda drinks .) 5 . you look great ! please continue to have fun and win the game . 6 . you don &# 39 ; t have to pay for public restroom once . isn &# 39 ; t it great ? 10 . a bad hair day ? no more ! try a new hair - dryer for free . ( use this card once .) the following are examples , without limitation , of instructions or notices provided on the court cards ( fig9 ): 2 . settled down a copyright infringement lawsuit out of court . pay : $ 50 . 4 . your product name infringes on someone else &# 39 ; s trademark . fine : $ 200 . 5 . split up your company into two and pay fines . fine : $ 400 . 6 . you are protected by bankruptcy . payment to your banker is reduced . pay $ 40 . to start the game , each player rolls two dice . the player with the highest number begins . the player with the second highest number plays next and so forth . then , players may rearrange their seating according to their playing sequence , e . g ., rotating toward the right of the starting player . the starting player rolls the dice again , and moves forward from the start space 1 . one or more players may occupy any one space on the game board 10 at the same time during the game . playing method for invention spaces , for example space 18 ( fig6 ): if a playing piece lands on an invention space 18 ( fig6 ), the player , say player a , can make an invention , namely roller coaster , by possessing the associated invention card of the invention space . fig2 - a and fig2 - b show both sides of a sample invention card . if player a &# 39 ; s playing piece lands on the same invention space again during the game , player a may then patent his invention by paying a fee . the fee is according to the incremental fee schedule for patents printed on the associated invention card ( fig2 - a ). player a can patent new inventions for up to four times for the same invention space . however , if such an invention has been invented , meaning another player , say player b , possesses the associated invention card , player a has to pay a royalty to player b . associated royalties schedule is printed on one side of the associated invention card ( fig2 - b ). each new patent represents a new invention under the item name of each invention space . for example , four patents can be applied for soda invention space 24 ( fig7 ) since each new patent represents new formula for a unique taste of soda . the same method applies to all other invention spaces on the game board . playing method for copyright spaces , for example space 16 ( fig6 ): if a playing piece lands on a copyright space 16 ( fig6 ), the player , say player , c can make a copyright material by possessing the associated copyright card of the copyright space . fig2 - c and fig2 - d show both sides of a sample copyright card . if player c &# 39 ; s playing piece lands on the same copyright space again during the game , player c may then create his copyright material , namely novel , by paying a fee . the fee is shown in the incremental fee schedule for creation printed on the associated copyright card ( fig2 - c ). player c can create new copyright materials for up to four times for the same copyright space . however , if such a copyright material has been created , meaning another player , say player d , possesses the associated copyright card , player c has to pay a royalty to player d . associated royalties schedule is printed on one side of the associated copyright card ( fig2 - d ). the same method applies to all other creation spaces on the game board . playing method for consumer spaces , for example space 25 ( fig7 ): if a playing piece lands on a consumer space , for example “ soda and fries palace ” 25 ( fig7 ), the corresponding player , say player e , will have to pay royalties to the all associated inventors , namely the inventor of soda and the inventor of fries . for example , if player f possesses invention card for playing space 23 ( fig7 ) and player g possesses invention card for playing space 24 ( fig7 ), player e has to pay royalties to both players f and g . the royalties are paid according to the royalties schedules of the invention cards possessed by player f and player g respectively . the same method applies to other consumer spaces , such as shopping mall spaces , theme park spaces and theatre spaces . as far as payments of royalties are concerned , the worst case happens when a player &# 39 ; s playing piece lands on playing space 52 ( fig5 ). that is a computer and electronic store space stimulating a retail store in a real shopping mall . the player has to pay royalties to all associated inventors , namely players who possess invention cards for space 44 , 43 , 42 , 41 and 40 ( fig8 ) respectively . if a playing piece lands on such court space 38 ( fig8 ), the player has to draw a court card . the player may get a penalty or a favorable court result depending on his luck . a sample court card is in the drawing ( fig3 - a ) and ( fig3 - b ). if a playing piece has traveled the game track for one round and is passing the start space again , the associated player can get a “ drawing card ”. an example of a drawing card is shown ( fig4 ). a player may be awarded with a free usage of certain inventions , such as a free airline ticket , or a free bag of donut , etc . that is to exclude the associated player to pay royalties to related inventors once . the player with the biggest sum of royalties , inventions and consumption wins the game . this is usually the player who can remain in the game for the longest time . such a player will be the best inventor and consumer in the game .	0
now it has been found that the new compounds of the formula ( i ) and their acid addition salts possess valuable therapeutic properties . these compounds can also be used as starting substances in the synthesis of other biologically active ergoline derivatives . the new compounds of the formula ( i ) are prepared according to the invention as follows : a compound of the formula ( ii ), ## str11 ## wherein r 2 is tosyl or mesyl is reacted with dry ( anhydrous ) hydrazine , and , if desired , ( a ) the resulting compound is reacted with an acyl halide of the formula ( iii ), ## str12 ## wherein q is lower alkyl di -( lower )- alkylamino or a group of the formula ( vi ), and in this latter formula z 1 , z 2 and z 3 are as defined above , or with an acid anhydride of the formula ( iv ), ## str13 ## wherein q is as defined above , to obtain a compound of the general formula ( i ) wherein r 1 is lower acyl di -( lower )- alkylaminocarbonyl or of the formula ( vi ), or ( b ) the resulting compound is reacted with an isothiocyanate derivative of the formula ( v ), ## str14 ## wherein y is lower alkyl , allyl or phenyl to obtain a compound of the formula ( i ), wherein r 1 is a group of the formula ( vii ). if desired , the resulting compounds of the formula ( i ) are converted into their acid - addition salts by contacting them with a pharmaceutically acceptable acid . according to a preferred method of the invention one proceeds as follows : the starting substance of the formula ( ii ) is suspended in dry hydrazine , the suspension is boiled for 30 minutes in a nitrogen atmosphere on an oil bath heated to 150 ° c ., thereafter the separated crystals are filtered off and dried in vacuo . the resulting compound is dissolved in chloroform , a tertiary base is added , and the acyl chloride of the formula ( iii ) is introduced into the mixture with cooling . the progress of the acylation is monitored by thin - layer chromatography ( tlc ). the resulting product can be purified by crystallization or by column chromatography . if desired , the product can be converted into its acid - addition salt . as salt - forming agent preferably maleic acid or hydrochloric acid is used . according to another method the appropriate acid of the formula q -- cooh is reacted first with isobutyl chloroformate in the presence of n - methyl - morpholine , and the resulting mixed anhydride of the formula ( iv ) is reacted then with a dimethyl formamide solution of a compound of the formula ( i ), wherein r 1 is hydrogen . the compounds of the formula ( i ), wherein r 1 is a group of the formula ( vii ), are prepared so that a compound of the formula ( i ), wherein r 1 is hydrogen , is dissolved in dry tetrahydrofuran , and the solution is treated with an isothiocyanate of the formula ( v ). the compounds of the formula ( ii ), used as starting substances in the process of the invention , can be prepared as described in the hungarian pat . no . 170 , 271 . as mentioned above , the new compounds according to the invention possess valuable therapeutic activity . the new compounds can antagonize the serotonine receptors , and exert antidepressant or hypotensive effect . the antiserotonine effect of the new compounds was examined under in vitro and in vivo conditions . the in vitro tests were performed on isolated rat uterus sensitized with diethylstibestrol ( see j . h . gaddum ; brit . j . pharmacol . 9 , 240 ; 1954 ). the in vivo tests were performed according to the method of i . l . bonta ( arch . int . pharmacodyn . 132 , 147 ; 1961 ), by injecting 50 μg of serotonine into the plantar region of rats and measuring the oedema inhibiting effects of the compounds under examination . in these tests methysergide ( 1 - methyl lysergic acid butanolamide ) was used as reference substance . the test results are summarized in table 1 . table 1______________________________________antiserotonine activity in vivo testscompound ed . sub . 50 ( 50 % inhibition of ( example in vitro test the oedema ) mg / kgno .) ed . sub . 50 g / ml s . c . p . o . ______________________________________4 10 . sup .- 6 to 10 . sup .- 9 0 . 3 3 . 06 10 . sup .- 6 to 10 . sup .- 9 0 . 05 3 . 07 10 . sup .- 6 to 10 . sup .- 9 0 . 03 3 . 0 - 10 . 08 10 . sup .- 9 0 . 160 3 . 09 10 . sup .- 9 0 . 055 0 . 780methysergide 5 × 10 . sup .- 9 0 . 026 0 . 640______________________________________ the data of table 1 indicate that all of the compounds tested competitively block the smooth muscle contracting effect of serotonine on isolated organs , and exert this blocking effect in very small concentrations . furthermore , the compounds strongly inhibit the serotonine - induced oedema upon both parenteral and oral administration . 6 - methyl - 8β -[( n &# 39 ;- acetyl - hydrazino )- methyl ]- ergol - 9 - ene . the compound prepared according to example 9 , proved to be outstandingly effective . the new 8β - hydrazinomethyl - ergoline derivatives show antidepressant effects as tested on mice suffering from reserpine - induced depression . an intraperitoneal dosage of 5 mg / kg of reserpine was applied to induce depression . 18 hours later the body temperature of the animals was measured , 30 mg / kg of the compound under examination were administered intraperitoneally into the animals , and the body temperature of the animals was measured hourly for 5 hours . the maximum increase in temperature ( i . e . the maximum body temperature measured after administering the compound minus the initial value ) was considered as the measure of the antidepressant activity . in these tests imipramine was used as a reference substance . the results are listed in table 2 . table 2______________________________________antidepressant activitycompound ( example no .) δt ° c . ______________________________________ 1 + 2 : 8 5 + 1 : 5 6 + 2 : 5 7 + 2 : 4 8 + 1 : 614 + 7 : 8imipramin [ 5 -( 3 - dimethylamino - propyl )- + 5 : 010 , 11 - dihydro - 5h - dibenzo ( b , f ) azepin ] ______________________________________ 6 - methyl - 8β -([ n &# 39 ;- methylthiocarbamoyl - hydrazino ] methyl )- ergol - 9 - ene , the compound prepared according to example 14 , proved to be outstandingly effective in the above test . the antidepressant activity of this compound is superior to that of imipramine . the hypotensive effect on anaesthetized animals in low dosages was tested on cats anaesthetized with an intraperitoneal dosage of 30 mg / kg of pentothal . the arterial blood pressure was measured in the right carotid artery , and it was registered by a hellige type polygraph . the compounds under examination were administered in an intravenous dosage of 0 . 5 mg / kg . dihydroergotamine , used as a reference substance , was administered in an intravenous dosage of 2 . 0 mg / kg . the results of the tests are listed in table 3 . table 3______________________________________hypotensive activitycompound decrease of blood duration of the ( example no .) pressure , mm hg effect , hours______________________________________6 20 to 30 0 . 5 to 1 . 014 50 to 60 1 . 0 to 1 . 58 50 to 70 2 . 0 to 3 . 09 20 to 40 1 . 0 to 2 . 0dihydroergot - amine 30 to 40 1 . 0 to 1 . 5______________________________________ as the table shows , some of the new compounds are superior to dihydroergotamine both in activity and with respect to the duration of the effect . the new compounds of the formula ( i ) and their pharmaceutically acceptable acid - addition salts can be used in therapy directly or in the form of pharmaceutical compositions , such as tablets , coated tablets , capsules , suppositories , injectable solutions , etc ., suitable for enteral or parenteral administration . of the salts , the water - soluble ones are preferred . the pharmaceutical compositions are prepared by conventional methods , utilizing conventional inert , organic or mineral carriers ( such as lactose , starch , talc , stearic acid , water , alcohols , natural and hardened oils , waxes , etc .) and / or auxiliary agents ( such as preservatives , stabilizing agents , wetting agents , solubilizing aids , sweetening agents , dyestuffs , flavoring agents , etc .). the invention is further elucidated with the aid of the following non - limiting examples . 5 g ( 0 . 0146 moles ) of 6 - methyl - 8β - mesyloxymethyl - ergoline are suspended in 25 ml of dry hydrazine distilled from sodium hydroxide . the suspension is refluxed under a nitrogen atmosphere on an oil bath heated to 150 ° c . for 20 minutes after the complete dissolution of the solids . in this operation atmospheric moisture should be excluded carefully . the mixture is cooled and allowed to stand in a refrigerator . the separated crystals are filtered off , washed with water , and then dried in vacuo . 2 . 8 g ( 71 %) of 6 - methyl - 8β - hydrazinomethyl - ergoline are obtained ; m . p . : 171 °- 172 ° c ., [ α ] d 20 =- 62 . 8 ° ( c = 0 . 2 , in tetrahydrofuran ). one proceeds as described in example 1 with the difference that 5 g of 6 - methyl - 8β - mesyloxymethyl - ergol - 9 - ene are used as a starting substance . 2 . 7 g ( 68 %) of 6 - methyl - 8β - hydrazinomethyl - ergol - 9 - ene are obtained ; m . p . : 162 °- 163 ° c ., [ α ] d 20 = 0 ° ( c = 0 . 2 , in tetrahydrofuran ). the process is as described in example 1 with the difference that 5 . 4 g of 1 , 6 - dimethyl - 8β - tosyloxymethyl - ergoline are used as starting substance . 2 . 2 g ( 56 %) of 1 , 6 - dimethyl - 8β - hydrazinomethyl - ergoline are obtained ; m . p . : 102 °- 103 ° c ., [ α ] d 20 =- 60 . 4 ° ( c = 0 . 2 , in tetrahydrofuran ). 0 . 6 g ( 0 . 0021 moles ) of 6 - methyl - 8β - hydrazino - methyl - ergoline are introduced , under vigorous stirring , into a solution of 0 . 28 ml ( 0 . 0025 moles ) of n - methyl - morpholine in 60 ml of dry chloroform . when the solid dissolves completely , a solution of 0 . 184 g ( 0 . 0023 moles ) of acetyl chloride in 2 ml of acetonitrile is added dropwise , within 5 minutes , to the mixture . after the addition the ph of the mixture is checked , and when it is lower than 6 , n - methyl - morpholine is introduced . the reaction mixture is stirred at room temperature for one hour , thereafter it is diluted with 30 ml of water , and the ph of the mixture is adjusted to 8 with aqueous ammonia . the mixture is shaken , the phases are separated from each other , the organic phase is washed twice with water , dried , and evaporated to dryness in vacuo . the dry residue is crystallized from ethanol . the separated crystals are filtered off , washed with a small amount of cold ( 5 ° c .) ethanol , and dried in vacuo . 0 . 5 g ( 72 . 4 %) of 6 - methyl - 8β -([ n &# 39 ;- acetyl - hydrazino ]- methyl )- ergoline are obtained ; m . p . : 213 °- 215 ° c ., [ α ] d 20 =- 38 . 7 ° ( c = 1 , in 96 % ethanol ). the process is carried out as described in example 4 with the difference that 1 . 1 g ( 0 . 0039 moles ) of 6 - methyl - 8β - hydrazinomethyl - ergoline and 0 . 68 g ( 0 . 0047 moles ) of 4 - fluorobenzoyl chloride are used as the starting substances . the resulting base is treated with an alcoholic solution of maleic acid to form the salt . 0 . 7 g ( 45 . 6 %) of 6 - methyl - 8β -[( n &# 39 ;-{ 4 &# 39 ;- fluorobenzoyl }- hydrazino )- methyl ] ergoline hydrogenmaleate are obtained ; m . p . : 215 °- 217 ° c ., [ α ] d 20 =- 27 . 5 ° ( c = 1 , in 96 % ethanol ). the process is carried out as in example 4 with the difference that 0 . 6 g ( 0 . 00213 moles ) of 6 - methyl - 8β - hydrazinomethyl - ergoline and 0 . 25 g ( 0 . 00234 moles ) of dimethylcarbamoyl chloride are used as the starting substances . 0 . 5 g ( 69 %) of 6 - methyl - 8β -([ n &# 39 ;- dimethylcarbamoyl - hydrazino ]- methyl )- ergoline are obtained ; m . p . : 205 °- 206 ° c ., [ α ] d 20 =- 36 . 2 ° ( c = 1 , in 96 % ethanol ). 0 . 6 g of acetic acid are dissolved in 25 ml of acetonitrile with stirring . the solution is cooled to - 15 ° c ., and 1 . 39 ml of isobutyl chloroformate and 1 . 1 ml of n - methyl - morpholine are added . after 5 minutes of stirring a solution of 2 . 8 g of 1 , 6 - dimethyl - 8β - hydrazinomethyl - ergoline in 10 ml of acetonitrile is added to the mixture . the mixture is slowly ( within 30 minutes ) warmed to room temperature , stirred at room temperature for 2 hours , then evaporated in vacuo . the residue is dissolved in 200 ml of chloroform , and 100 ml of water are added . the ph of the aqueous phase is adjusted to 8 with 10 % aqueous ammonia , and the mixture is shaken . the organic phase is separated , and the aqueous phase is extracted thrice with 100 ml of chloroform . the chloroform fractions are combined and evaporated to dryness in vacuo . the residue is subjected to column chromatography in order to remove the occasional impurities . 60 g of silica gel are used as adsorbent , and the column is eluted with a 30 : 0 . 3 : 9 mixture of chloroform , water and methanol . the effluent is analyzed by thin layer chromatography . the fractions containing a substance with an r f value of 0 . 75 are combined , evaporated in vacuo , and the residue is crystallized from alcohol . 1 . 9 g ( 60 . 4 %) of 1 , 6 - dimethyl - 8β -[( n &# 39 ;- acetyl - hydrazino )- methyl ]- ergoline are obtained ; m . p . : 190 °- 192 ° c ., [ α ] d 20 =- 29 . 7 ° ( c = 1 , in 96 % ethanol ). the process is carried out as described in example 4 with the difference that 1 . 2 g ( 0 . 0043 moles ) of 6 - methyl - 8β - hydrazinomethyl - ergol - 9 - ene and 0 . 51 g ( 0 . 0047 moles ) of dimethylcarbamoyl chloride are used as starting substances . 0 . 75 g ( 49 . 5 %) of 6 - methyl - 8β -([ n &# 39 ;- dimethylcarbamoyl - hydrazine ]- methyl )- ergol - 9 - ene are obtained ; m . p . : 185 °- 187 ° c . the process is carried out as in example 7 with the difference that 1 . 2 g ( 0 . 0043 moles ) of 6 - methyl - 8β - hydrazinomethyl - ergol - 9 - ene and 0 . 25 ml of acetic acid are used as starting substances , and the chromatographic purification is omitted . the dry residue obtained after evaporating the chloroform solution is crystallized from alcohol . 0 . 6 g ( 43 . 4 %) of 6 - methyl - 8β -([ n &# 39 ;- acetyl - hydroazino ]- methyl )- ergol - 9 - ene are obtained ; m . p . 158 °- 160 ° c ., [ α ] d 20 =+ 116 ° ( c = 1 , in 96 % ethanol ). the process is carried out as described in example 4 with the difference that 1 . 5 g ( 0 . 0054 moles ) of 6 - methyl - 8β - hydrazinomethyl - ergol - 9 - ene and 1 . 13 g ( 0 . 0059 moles ) of 3 - trifluoromethyl - benzoyl fluoride are used as starting substances . the resluting base is treated with an alcoholic solution of maleic acid to form the salt . 1 . 3 g ( 53 %) of 6 - methyl - 8β -[( n &# 39 ;-{ 3 &# 39 ;- trifluoromethyl - benzoyl }- hydrazino )- methyl ]- ergol - 9 - enehydrogenmaleate are obtained ; m . p . : 159 °- 160 ° c ., [ α ] d 20 =+ 81 ° ( c = 1 , in 96 % ethanol ). 1 . 2 g ( 0 . 0043 moles ) of 6 - methyl - 8β - hydrazinomethyl - ergoline are dissolved in 120 ml of dry tetrahydrofuran , the solution is cooled to 0 . 5 ° c ., and 0 . 38 g ( 0 . 0052 moles ) of methyl isothiocyanate are added with stirring . the reaction mixture is stirred for one hour , and the solvent is distilled off in vacuo . the residue is subjected to chromatography on a column packed with 40 g of silica gel ; a 100 : 0 . 3 : 20 mixture of chloroform , water and methanol is applied as eluting agent . the eluents which contain a single compound with an r f value of 0 . 45 are combined and evaporated , and the dry residue is crystallized from ethanol . 1 . 1 g ( 76 . 8 %) of 6 - methyl - 8β -([ n &# 39 ;- methylthiocarbamoyl - hydrazino ]- methyl )- ergoline are obtained ; m . p . : 220 °- 221 ° c ., [ α ] d 20 =- 45 . 7 ° ( c = 1 , in 96 % ethanol ). the process is carried out as described in example 11 with the difference that 0 . 7 g ( 0 . 0025 moles ) of 6 - methyl - 8β - hydrazinomethyl - ergoline and 0 . 38 g ( 0 . 0028 moles ) of phenyl isocyanate are applied as the starting substances . the fractions containing a single substance with an r f value of 0 . 60 are combined and evaporated , and the dry residue is crystallized from ethanol . 0 . 85 g ( 81 . 5 %) of 6 - methyl - 8β -([ n &# 39 ;- phenylthiocarbamoyl - hydrazino ]- methyl )- ergoline are obtained ; m . p . : 205 °- 206 ° c ., [ α ] d 20 =- 54 . 5 ° ( c = 1 , in 96 % ethanol ). the process is carried out as in example 11 with the difference that 4 g ( 0 . 142 moles ) of 6 - methyl - 8β - hydrazino - methyl - ergoline and 1 . 68 g ( 0 . 0170 moles ) of allyl isothiocyanate are used as starting substances . the fractions containing a single substance with an r f value of 0 . 70 are combined and evaporated , and the dry residue is crystallized from alcohol . 3 . 8 g ( 72 . 6 %) of 6 - methyl - 8β -([ n &# 39 ;- allylthiocarbamoyl - hydrazino ]- methyl )- ergoline are obtained ; m . p . : 207 °- 208 ° c ., [ α ] d 20 =- 53 . 2 ° ( c = 1 , in 96 % ethanol ). the process is carried out as described in example 11 with the difference that 1 . 0 g ( 0 . 0036 moles ) of 6 - methyl - 8β - hydrazino - methyl - ergol - 9 - ene and 0 . 31 g ( 0 . 0043 moles ) of methyl isothiocyanate are used as starting substances . 0 . 9 g ( 70 . 7 %) of 6 - methyl - 8β -([ n &# 39 ;- methylthiocarbamoyl - hydrazino ]- methyl )- ergol - 9 - ene are obtained ; m . p . : 218 °- 220 ° c . oral tablets containing 1 mg . of active agent can be prepared for therapeutical purposes from the following components : ______________________________________6 - methyl - 8β -[( n &# 39 ;- methyl - thiocarbamoyl - hydrazino )- methyl ]- ergolene 1 mg . milk sugar 246 . 5 mg . corn starch 25 mg . polyvinyl pyrrolidone 10 mg . talcum 15 mg . magnesium stearate 2 . 5 mgaverage weight 300 . 0 mg . ______________________________________	2
the description following refers directly to , and shows , in fig1 - 9 , a prior version of my rotating ring game , as described in bean u . s . pat . no . 4 , 836 , 540 . features of an improved version of my rotating ring game are also described , in particular with reference to fig1 et seq . referring first to fig1 - 9 , and more particularly to fig1 a , 1 b and 1 c , the configuration of one of the rotatable game rings 10 is apparent . any number of these rings , within reason , may be assembled side - by - side , as will later be explained , on the center shaft 30 ( fig4 a and 4 b ), depending on the version of the game . the game ring 10 can be made by an injection molding process . it is provided with a circular array of radially inwardly directed molded teeth 12 , in this case ten , but any number of teeth may be used depending on the version of the game , i . e . how many different spaces 66 ( fig9 ) are to appear on the peripheral surface of each ring to be aligned by the players . the number of teeth determines the arc through which the rings can be turned to the left or right at each play . the teeth 12 are rounded so as to accept the spring clips 14 ( as seen in fig3 ). the teeth 12 of each game ring 10 are recessed axially inwardly as indicated at 19 . the circular array is recessed slightly less than one - half the thickness of the stationary ring so as to allow a slight gap between the game ring array when the rings and spacers 18 are assembled to prevent their binding against each other . ridge 20 on the game ring 10 is added to strengthen the part . referring to fig2 a , 2 b and 2 c , it will be seen that each spacer ring 18 may be made in one piece by injection molding . as already mentioned , these interfitting stationary spacer rings separate the rotating rings 10 from each other and are so dimensioned in an axial direction as , when assembled , to allow the rings 10 to rotate freely and independently . these spacer rings connect together , when assembled , into one continuous chain by inserting studs 24 into corresponding holes 26 of the next spacer ring . two studs 24 are formed on portion 17 a of each ring and one stud 24 on portion 17 b . a radially inwardly extending extension 28 within each spacer 18 fits longitudinal groove 42 of central shaft 30 ( fig4 a and 4b ) whereby all the spacer rings can be aligned for sliding onto and rigidly attaching the spacers to the shaft once the rotating rings and spring clips are in place ( fig3 a and 4 b ). structural members 32 , 34 strengthen the spacers and allow for efficient molding . structural members 34 serve an additional function that of providing a stop , limiting movement of the spring clips 14 in the axial direction . center ring 52 of each spacer is present not only to provide a stronger part , but , more importantly , to define an axially spaced aligned series of internal radially outwardly facing ridges ( fig9 ) for receiving and accurately positioning the radially inwardly facing ridges 36 formed opposite the actuating tab 39 at the inner end of handle extension 38 ( fig5 ). this simplified and greatly improved construction replaces the ball and guide positioning assembly of my u . s . pat . no . 4 , 723 , 776 . turning to fig3 a spacer ring 18 , game ring 10 and spring clips 14 are shown assembled . the spring clip 14 essentially free floats , engaging between the spacer 18 and the teeth 12 of the rotating ring 10 . the engagement of tab 39 of each handle extension 38 with the teeth 12 is as shown . the center shaft itself 30 is illustrated in fig4 a and 4b . it can be molded in one piece in an extrusion process . the longitudinal groove 42 covers an arcuate distance twice that which separates the teeth 12 of ring 10 . for example , teeth 12 are arcuately spaced every 36 °. hence , in this case , the center shaft groove would cover a 72 ° arc . this relationship is important to the functioning of the game for it permits the proper left and right rotation of the two handles . also , the rotating ring assembly is assembled with radially inward extensions 28 of spacers 18 in alignment to be slid into this groove . turning now to fig5 there is shown an exploded side view of one of the two identical handle assemblies . each is comprised of five components . the first of these is integrally molded handle guard 44 . it is the piece on which the rest of the assembly is assembled . to receive the shaft 30 it has an opening 46 that is slightly larger than the diameter of the center shaft 30 . the opening 46 is also provided with an internal keyway 48 covering the same arcuate distance as that which separates teeth 12 . this allows the handle and , accordingly the rings 10 , to rotate one interval at a time to the left or right , the spring clips 14 snapping into place and holding the teeth 12 until another move is made . a bore 50 in handle guard 44 is set 90 ° to the keyway 48 to receive handle extension 38 . each handle extension 38 is molded of a suitable resilient plastic in an injection mold . while relatively rigid , this part is sufficiently flexible to bend when the two players have engaged the same rotating ring 10 but to spring back to its original position when the ring has been disengaged . the selection of suitable plastic is within the skill of the art . handle extension 38 carries tab 39 ( fig5 a ), which engages the teeth 12 . opposite tab 39 , as mentioned above , three ridges 36 are formed on extension 38 , so spaced and sized as to cooperate with rings 52 of the spacers 18 to locate the linear positions of the tab extension within the ring assembly properly with respect to whichever rotating ring or rings 10 the player wishes to engage . as the extension is reciprocated , these ridges ride over and snap into place over the rings 52 as seen in the cutaway view of fig9 for properly positioning the handle assembly in use . the system just described replaces the ball and guide assembly of my u . s . pat . no . 4 , 723 , 776 . the ridges 36 and ring 52 are shown having 30 ° bevels , but several other configurations could be used , such as rounds , within the discretion of the designer . the handle 40 ( fig5 ) is also made in an extrusion process . it is a simple tube of such a diameter as to be press - fitted and glued onto handle guard 44 . a foam rubber grip 56 is slid onto the handle . it may be of the bicycle grip variety for comfort and appearance . the assembled handle guard 44 , handle extension 38 and handle 40 can be slid onto the center shaft 30 before the handle stop 54 is pressed and glued onto the end of center shaft 30 . the handle assembly itself is then free to slide back over the handle plug 58 until the end of the handle guard 44 hits the end of handle stop 54 . this prevents the handle assembly from coming off the shaft 30 and also stops the assembly in the proper position for tab 39 to engage the end - most rotating ring 10 . handle plug 58 is then glued into the end of handle 40 . a bore 60 in the end of the plug 58 permits attachment of a strap to encircle the player &# 39 ; s wrist while playing the game . turning to fig6 an end view of the handle guard 44 is shown . the relationship of keyway 48 to core hole 50 can be seen . one end of the rubber boot 64 shown in fig7 is attached to flat 62 on guard 44 . the other end of the rubber boot is attached to an outermost spacer 18 by gluing or by means of another small retaining ring on the inside ( not shown ). the boot 64 may thus yield flexibly in torsion and compress and expand axially with rotational and reciprocating movements of the handle guard 44 . three views of the spring clip 14 are shown in fig8 a , 8 b and 8 c , respectively . the clip 14 is used to retain the rotating rings 10 in their proper adjusted positions as shown in fig3 . the clips 14 may be metal , stamped out in a metal stamping process , or possibly resilient plastic formed by injection molding . tabs 15 hold the spring clips 14 onto structural members 34 of the spacing rings 18 . the convex side of the clips rest on portions 17 a and 17 b of the spacer rings ( fig3 ). as a rotating game ring 10 is rotated one step to the left , the tabs on the right side of the spring clip hold the clip in place while the rest of the clip is flexed to the left and downwardly ( as seen in the upper portion of fig3 ) to clear the tooth 12 of the rotating ring . once the tooth is past the spring clip , the latter snaps and forces itself back into its normal position thereby holding the just rotated ring in its new position . an assembled cutaway view of the game device is shown in fig9 disclosing the relationship of the assembled components . the surfaces of the rotating game rings may be divided into any number of spaces 66 and any number of icons may be displayed . also any number or size of rings may be used depending on the version of the game . the basic functioning and assembly of the game would remain the same . referring to fig1 - 15 , another embodiment of a rotating ring game 100 of my invention will now be described . improvements found in this embodiment include the addition of electronic circuitry to the game for enhanced game play . the basic configuration of the improved embodiment of the game consists of two circuit boards 102 , 104 ( fig1 b and 13a , respectively ) placed at the opposite ends of the rotating ring assembly 133 . these boards are housed in circuit board covers 106 , 108 ( fig1 and fig1 , respectively ). circuit board 102 has two inwardly facing infrared emitters 110 , 112 ( fig1 ). circuit board 104 has two inwardly facing infrared detectors 114 , 116 ( fig1 ) in line with infrared emitters 110 , 112 , respectively . light emitting diodes ( leds ) 118 , 120 are soldered to the circuit boards 102 , 104 , as shown in fig1 b and fig1 a , respectively . during assembly , the leds are bent 90 ° and pushed through apertures provided in the sidewalls of the circuit board covers 106 , 108 . additional components mounted to the circuit board 104 include a controller chip 122 ( e . g ., a motorola programmable ic ), a battery spring terminal 124 , assorted driver components ( i . e . resistors and capacitors ), and a 90 °- facing switch 126 mounted on the outer edge of the board . this switch 126 also protrudes through the side of circuit board cover 108 . an important feature of the circuit board assembly is the location and function of the infrared emitter and detector pairs 110 / 114 , 112 / 116 . infrared emitter 110 and corresponding infrared detector 114 are placed on the circuit board 102 , 104 , respectively , at a predetermined , unique radial dimension , dim 1 , as shown in fig1 a and 13b . due to space and other limitations , the first pair 110 / 114 is placed as far out board as possible . the second pair ( infrared emitter 112 and corresponding infrared detector 116 ) are then placed at a different location , rotated about the center , at an angular dimension equal to the angular dimension on the rotating ring / pattern design , e . g ., 36 °. in addition , this emitter / detector pair 112 / 116 is located at a unique radial dimension , dim 2 , different from dim 1 , e . g . typically 0 . 100 inch less than dim 1 . the path between emitter / detector pairs 110 / 114 , 112 / 116 is blocked by the rotating ring 132 of rotating ring assembly 133 , spaced between the circuit boards 102 , 104 . in conjunction with this arrangement , there are unique patterns of holes 128 / slot 130 molded into the rotating rings 132 , as shown in fig1 . different labels and colors or the like are placed on the outside of the rings 132 so that when a row of like or corresponding icons are lined up , a complete row of corresponding holes 128 in the rotating rings 132 line up between the emitter / detector pairs 110 / 114 , 112 / 116 , thus allowing a complete circuit to be made , which in turn signals a win for the player achieving the desired line up . to provide this result , the different emitter / detector pairs 110 / 114 and 112 / 116 are offset in unique radial dimensions dim 1 , dim 2 , i . e ., so the holes 128 that signal a win for “ red ” ( player 1 ) will not signal a win for “ blue ” ( player 2 ) as they pass the emitter / detector pair for player 2 . the exact location and position of the holes 128 / slot 130 patterns in the rotating rings 132 is a function of the number of labels and their position on the game , as determined , e . g ., by marketing and desired game play considerations . the rest of the driver circuits , power supply ( i . e ., battery 134 ) and circuitry are standard state of the art technology . this circuit board configuration allows for the following game play : player 1 starts the game by depressing switch 126 . this starts the game by flashing the led &# 39 ; s 118 , 120 , playing a musical tone or voice recording , and energizing the emitter / detector pairs 110 / 114 , 112 / 116 . game play continues until one of the two players lines up his corresponding “ color ”, completing the emitter / detector circuit , and achieving indication of the win , e . g ., with a preprogrammed sequence of flashing led &# 39 ; s and audible tones , e . g . from piezo buzzer 136 . at this point , the game shuts itself off until the next game is started ( by pressing switch 126 ). the game may also be programmed for a finite amount of time for play ( e . g ., approximately 2 minutes ) after which an indication of a draw sequence is initiated . referring again to fig1 , and also to fig1 , a handle or hilt 140 is another enhancement to the playability of this embodiment of the rotating ring game 100 of the invention . the hilt 140 provides a rigid structure for the players to grasp while playing the game . this feature allows the players to move the respective operating handles 142 , 144 , and the rotating rings 132 , independently of actions by the other player . the hilt also permits much more precise and controlled engagement of the rotating rings 132 . the hilt may be formed by gas assist injection molding as one piece . two snap retention features 146 , 148 are integrally molded at the top of the hilt 140 , as shown in fig1 . these snap features are molded with a slight pre - load so to snap fit securely in place to the snap retention channels 147 of circuit board covers 106 , 108 ( only cover 106 is shown ), with assembly 133 of rotating rings 132 therebetween . guards 150 , 152 are safety features that prevent the players &# 39 ; fingers from being caught or pinched between the ring assembly and handle guard . the rest of the hilt 140 is designed for ergonomics , styling and durability . the hilt may also be molded as a two - piece component , e . g ., with a cavity to provide a housing for additional electronics and / or power supply . snap retention slots 154 are also defined for precise location and retention of the hilt 140 to the circuit board covers 106 , 108 and assembly 133 of rotating rings 132 . referring to fig1 , an external visual indicator 156 ( only one of two is shown ) is attached to each of the handle guards 158 , 160 to allow the players to accurately position their respective handles 142 , 144 ( and the associated extension tab component 162 , described below ) during play by visually lining up the tip of the external visual indicators 156 with the specific ring or rings 132 they choose to control . the indicators 156 have a base element 157 for snap fit to the outside surfaces of the handle guards 158 , 160 and they are interchangeable with different styles and designs . the indicators 156 are preferably positioned near the top of the handle assembly 170 so the players can see them clearly during game play . referring to fig1 , each cantilevered extension tab component 162 , which preferably is formed by molding with its respective handle guard 158 or 160 and handle 140 or 142 as an integral handle assembly 170 , engages the rotating rings 132 ( only one is shown ). the extension tab component 162 is designed to engage the rotating ring teeth 172 , e . g . similar to the earlier embodiment of the game , as described above . however , the extension component 162 is injection molded using a material having durable spring properties , thus to allow the extension component 162 to flex up and down ( arrow , t ). the extension component 162 is molded with a pre - load , so it applies with continuous pressure into the teeth 172 of the rotating rings 132 . as the extension component 162 is slid forward or backward ( arrow , u ), i . e ., via the handle assembly 170 , it acts as a spring , flexing down under the teeth 172 of the rotating rings 132 and snapping back up into the teeth 172 of the next rotating ring 132 ( not shown ). in conjunction with this operation , the extension component 162 is designed to nest into the rotating ring teeth 172 . this design allows each player to engage one or two rings 132 simultaneously with equal force and control . the extension component 162 also disengages and slides under the rotating ring 132 when another player is engaging the same ring 132 , thus allowing a player that gets to a specific ring 132 first to make the move . this feature provides for smooth game play by reducing or eliminating the blocking or jamming affect sometimes experienced with the earlier version of the game . while there has herein been disclosed and described presently preferred embodiments of the novel game , it will nevertheless be understood that the same is susceptible of modification and change by those skilled in the art and , therefore , it is not intended the scope of the invention be limited . a number of embodiments of the invention have been described . nevertheless , it will be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . for example , the concept of the game of the invention may be embodied in an electronic game , e . g ., without rotating rings , or in a computer game . accordingly , other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims .	0
in the transparent material made of polylactic acid according to the invention , the entire amount of the polylactic acid molecules is crosslinked in a non - crystalline state by irradiation with ionizing radiation or incorporation of a chemical initiator and thus are unified in a restrained state where the polylactic acid molecules cannot freely move , so as to attain a gel fraction of 100 %. thus , by crosslinking the entire amount of the polylactic acid molecules in a non - crystalline state , the polylactic acid molecules are restrained and cannot freely move even when heated to a temperature equal to or higher than the glass transition temperature of polylactic acid ( about 60 ° c .). as a result , the molecules are not crystallized and a random arrangement of the polylactic acid molecules as shown in the aforementioned fig1 ( a ) is maintained , so that maintenance of transparency at a high temperature can be achieved . in this connection , the “ entire amount ” in the phrase that the entire amount of the polylactic acid molecules is crosslinked or the “ 100 %” in gel fraction has an admissible error upon measurement of + 3 %. the above gel fraction means a ratio of unified molecules by radiation crosslinking and is a measure that evaluates the degree of crosslinking . with regard to the gel fraction , a predetermined amount , for example , 0 . 5 g of a sheet crosslinked by irradiation with ionizing radiation is wrapped in a 200 mesh stainless woven wire and boiled in chloroform for 48 hours , and then remaining gel matter is obtained by removing sol matter dissolved in chloroform . chloroform in the gel matter is removed by drying at 50 ° c . for 24 hours and the dry weight of the gel matter is measured , followed by calculation of the gel fraction according to the following equation . moreover , the transparent material made of polylactic acid according to the invention exhibits no heat absorption due to crystal melting at a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point of the polylactic acid in the melting point heat absorption analysis by means of a differential scanning calorimeter . namely , as shown by the line ( a ) in the graph of fig2 , in the case that the entire amount of polylactic acid is crosslinked , no heat evolution due to crystallization occurs even when it is heated to a temperature equal to or higher than the glass transition temperature of polylactic acid since no crystallization occurs , and also no heat absorption due to crystal melting at a temperature of the melting point or higher occurs . on the other hand , in the case that polylactic acid is not crosslinked , as shown by the line ( b ), when temperature reaches the glass transition temperature , heat absorption once occurs and then heat evolution due to recrystallization occurs as temperature elevates . furthermore , when temperature reaches a temperature of the melting point or higher , heat absorption due to the melting of crystals occurs . namely , the measured values in the melting point heat absorption analysis by means of a differential scanning calorimeter is a barometer for the maintenance of transparency at a high temperature . in the melting point heat absorption analysis by means of a differential scanning calorimeter , no heat absorption shows that no recrystallization occurs at a high temperature environment and transparency can be maintained . the polylactic acid for use in the invention may be l - form , d - form or a mixture thereof , and they may be employed singly or as a mixture of two or more thereof . as the monomer having two or more double bonds in its molecule to be mixed with polylactic acid , an acrylic or methacrylic monomer , e . g ., 1 , 6 - hexanediol diacrylate , trimethylolpropane trimethacryalte ( hereinafter referred to as tmpt ), or the like exhibits some effect but , in order to attain a high degree of crosslinking at a relatively low concentration , a monomer having an allyl group is effective . namely , polylactic acid , which has hitherto been considered to be radiodegradable and not to be crosslinked with a common monomer in a non - crystalline state , can be sufficiently crosslinked by radiation at non - crystalline parts using an ally monomer in only a small amount . thus , by unifying the polylactic acid molecules through crosslinking almost the entire amount of them in a non - crystalline state , as mentioned above , the non - crystalline parts cannot freely move even when heated to a temperature equal to or higher than the glass transition temperature and hence decrease in transparency due to crystallization can be inhibited . the monomer having an allyl group includes triallyl isocyanurate , trimethallyl isocyanurate , triallyl cyanurate , trimethallyl cyanurate , diallylamine , triallylamine , diacryl chlorendate , allyl acetate , allyl benzoate , allyl dipropyl isocyanurate , allyl octyl oxalate , allyl propyl phthalate , vinyl allyl maleate , diallyl adipate , diallyl carbonate , diallyldimethylammonium chloride , diallyl fumarate , diallyl isophthalate , diallyl malonate , diallyl oxalate , diallyl phthalate , diallyl propyl isocyanurate , diallyl sebacate , diallyl succinate , diallyl terephthalate , diallyl tartrate , dimethyl allylphthalate , ethyl allyl maleate , methyl allyl fumarate , methyl methallyl maleate , and the like . in particular , preferred is triallyl isocyanurate ( hereinafter referred to as taic ), which exhibits a high effect on polylactic acid at a low concentration . moreover , triallyl cyanurate , which is mutually transformable with taic by heating , also exhibits substantially the same effect . the above monomer is preferably added in an amount of from 4 % by weight to 8 % by weight based on the weight of the polylactic acid . when the above monomer is mixed in an amount of 0 . 5 % by weight or more , crosslinking is observed but it is not sufficient to crosslink the entire amount of polylactic acid to achieve a gel fraction of 100 % for ensuring the maintenance of transparency at a high temperature . according to the experiments by the inventors , it is recognized that an amount of 4 % by weight or more is necessary . moreover , when the amount exceeds 8 % by weight , it becomes difficult to mix the entire amount thereof homogeneously with polylactic acid and substantially a remarkable difference in the effects is not observed . therefore , the monomer is desirably added in an amount of from 4 % by weight to 8 % by weight based on the weight of the polylactic acid as mentioned above . in particular , when the use as a biodegradable plastic is considered , it is desirable to use a larger amount of the polylactic acid which is sure to degrade and thus use of around 5 % by weight of the monomer is most suitable when certainty of the effects is also considered . furthermore , as an additive to them , for the purpose of enhancing flexibility , a plasticizer that is liquid at ambient temperature , such as glycerin , ethylene glycol , or triacetylglycerin or a palsticizer that is solid at ambient temperature , such as polyglycolic acid or polyvinyl alcohol may be added , but the addition is not essential . as mentioned above , the transparent polylactic acid material according to the invention is produced by molding a mixture obtained by homogeneously mixing the polylactic acid with the monomer having two or more double bonds in its molecule , preferably a monomer having an allyl group such as triallyl isocyanurate or triallyl cyanurate , under heating at a temperature of from the melting point of polylactic acid ( about 160 ° c .) to 200 ° c ., quenching the molded article to a temperature of about 60 ° c . or lower to maintain polylactic acid molecules in a non - crystalline state , and crosslinking and unifying almost the entire amount of the polylactic acid molecules in the non - crystalline state by irradiation with ionizing radiation in this state . specifically , the polylactic acid is first made be in a state where it is heated to a softening temperature or in a state where it is dissolved or dispersed in a soluble solvent such as chloroform or cresol . then , the above - described monomer is added thereto and they are homogeneously mixed as far as possible . thereafter , the mixture is again softened by heating or the like and molded into a desired shape . the molding may be carried out continuously after the softening by heating or in the solvent - dissolved state . alternatively , the mixture may be once cooled or the solvent may be removed by drying and then the resulting mixture may be again softened by heating and molded into a desired shape through injection molding or the like . in view of the object of the invention , it is important in the present invention to obtain a transparent molded article through thermal molding , in other words , to conduct cooling so as to reduce opaque crystalline parts and increase transparent non - crystalline parts . crystallization from a heated and molten state proceeds more as the rate of the cooling is slower . hence , slow cooling tends to induce crystallization . on the other hand , the degree of crystallization becomes smaller as the cooling is carried out more rapid , thus making the resulting product transparent . with manufacturing speeds for industrial products that attach much value to productivity , polylactic acid is generally cooled below its glass transition temperature within several seconds to several dozen seconds . therefore , such a general manufacturing speed makes the molded article sufficiently transparent . next , the molded article is crosslinked by irradiation with ionizing radiation . the exposure dose is preferably from 30 kgy to 150 kgy . the reason why the exposure dose is 30 kgy or more is that crosslinking is observed at an exposure dose of from 5 to 10 kgy depending on the monomer concentration but the crosslinking effect and the transparency - maintaining effect at a high temperature are observed at an exposure dose of 30 kgy or more . the exposure dose is more desirably 100 kgy or more , where the effects are certainly observed . on the other hand , since polylactic acid per se has a property of being degraded with radiation , excessive irradiation may cause degradation contrary to crosslinking . therefore , the upper limit of the exposure dose is desirably about 150 kgy . specifically , the entire amount of the polylactic acid molecules can be crosslinked to achieve a gel fraction of 100 % when the exposure dose of ionizing radiation is 100 kgy or more in the case that the above - described monomer having an ally group is mixed in an amount of 4 % by weight or when the exposure dose of ionizing radiation is 30 kgy or more in the case that the above - described monomer is mixed in an amount of 8 % by weight . as the ionizing radiation to be used , γ - ray , x - ray , β - ray , or α - ray may be employed but , for industrial production , a γ - ray irradiation with cobalt - 60 or an electron beam by an electron beam accelerator is preferred . instead of the method of crosslinking by irradiation with ionizing radiation , crosslinking may be achieved using a chemical initiator . in that case , after polylactic acid is heated and melted at a temperature of the melting point or higher , the above - described monomer and a chemical initiator are added thereto , followed by thorough kneading . after homogeneously mixed , the mixture is molded and , after molding , the molded article is heated to a temperature where the chemical initiator is thermally decomposed . the chemical initiator usable in the invention may be any of peroxide catalysts or catalysts capable of initiating polymerization of monomers , such as dicumyl peroxide , peroxypropionitrile , benzoyl peroxide , di - t - butyl peroxide , diacyl peroxide , pelargonyl peroxide , myristoyl peroxide , t - butyl perbenzoate , or 2 , 2 ′- azobisisobutyronitrile . crosslinking is preferably conducted under an inert atmosphere from which air is removed or under vacuum as in the case of irradiation with radiation . in addition , it is also possible to effect crosslinking by irradiation with ultraviolet ray . however , since polylactic acid absorbs ultraviolet ray as shown below in fig4 to 6 , a similar crosslinking effect can be expected even by irradiation with ultraviolet ray in the case that a product is an extremely thin film but it is difficult to crosslink the entire product in the case that the product is thick . therefore , ionizing radiation is superior to ultraviolet ray for use in the present invention . there may be the case where the molded article contains an unreacted residue of taic because of the use of an excessive amount of taic for fully crosslinking polylactic acid . in such a case , the molded article after irradiation may become to have a pale brown color by activation of the unreacted residue of taic through the irradiation . although the pale brown color gradually disappears with time , it can be accelerated by conducting an annealing treatment after the irradiation . the annealing treatment inactivates the activated , unreacted residue of taic , thereby the molded article after irradiation is made transparent . although an annealing time of 5 minutes exhibits some effect , it is preferred to conduct the annealing treatment for at least 1 hour . fig1 shows an example of the absorbance characteristic of an annealed ( 100 ° c ., 1 hour ) product ( b ) relative to that of a corresponding non - annealed product ( a ) which is a 50 - kgy irradiated product . as mentioned above , since the transparent material made of polylactic acid according to the invention is obtained by crosslinking the entire amount of polylactic acid molecules in a non - crystalline state where the molecules take a random arrangement , the polylactic acid molecules are unified by crosslinking and cannot freely move to effect crystallization even when they are placed under a high - temperature environment of 60 ° c . ( i . e ., the glass transition temperature ) or higher . therefore , the disadvantage of polylactic acid that it gradually loses transparency and is whitened can be remarkably improved and thus transparency can be maintained . moreover , the transparent material made of polylactic acid has an extremely small influence on ecosystem in nature because of its biodegradability , so that the material can be suitably used as a substitute material for entire plastic products produced and discarded in a large scale . the present invention will be illustrated in greater detail with reference to the following examples and comparative examples , but the invention should not be construed as being limited thereto . as polylactic acid , pellet polylactic acid lacea h - 400 manufactured by mitsui chemicals , inc . was used . the polylactic acid was melted at 180 ° c . and thoroughly kneaded to be transparent in an almost closed kneader , laboplastomill . taic , which is an allyl monomer , was added thereto in an amount of 4 % by weight based on the weight of the polylactic acid , followed by thorough kneading and mixing at a rotation number of 40 rpm for 5 minutes . thereafter , the kneaded product taken out of the kneader is hot - pressed at 180 ° c . and then quenched with water to prepare a sheet having a thickness of 500 μm . the sheet was irradiated with an electron beam in an amount of 100 kgy or 150 kgy by means of an electron beam accelerator ( acceleration voltage of 2 mev , current of 1 ma ) under an inert atmosphere from which air was removed . the radiation - crosslinked products obtained by the above method were referred to as example 1 . the same operations as in example 1 were conducted except that the concentration of taic was changed to 5 % by weight , and the products were referred to as example 2 . further , the same operations as in example 1 were conducted except that the concentration of taic was changed to 8 % by weight and the exposure dose of the electron beam was changed to 30 kgy , 50 kgy , 100 kgy or 150 kgy , and the products were referred to as example 3 . the same operations as in example 1 or 2 were conducted except that the exposure dose of the electron beam was changed to 0 kgy , 10 kgy , 30 kgy or 50 kgy , and the products were referred to as comparative example 1 or 2 , respectively . the same operations as in example 3 were conducted except that the exposure dose of the electron beam was changed to 0 kgy or 10 kgy , and the products were referred to as comparative example 3 . the same operations as in example 1 were conducted except that taic was not mixed and the exposure dose of the electron beam was changed to 0 kgy , 10 kgy , 30 kgy , 50 kgy , 100 kgy or 150 kgy , and the products were referred to as comparative example 4 . the same operations as in example 1 were conducted except that the concentration of taic was changed to 2 % by weight or 3 % by weight and the exposure dose of the electron beam was changed to 0 kgy , 10 kgy , 30 kgy , 50 kgy , 100 kgy or 150 kgy , and the products were referred to as comparative example 5 or 6 , respectively . the following table 1 summarizes the differences of production conditions in the above examples 1 to 3 and comparative examples 1 to 6 . taic exposure dose of electron beam concentration 0 , 10 kgy 30 , 50 kgy 100 , 150 kgy 4 % comparative example 1 example 1 5 % comparative example 2 example 2 8 % comparative example 3 example 3 0 % comparative example 4 2 % comparative example 5 3 % comparative example 6 on each of examples and comparative examples , the following evaluation of gel fraction ( 1 ) and evaluation of transparency maintenance at high temperature ( 2 ) to ( 4 ) were carried out . as mentioned above , 0 . 5 g of each sheet was wrapped in a 200 mesh stainless woven wire and boiled in chloroform for 48 hours , and then remaining gel matter was obtained by removing sol matter dissolved in chloroform . chloroform in the gel matter was removed by drying at 50 ° c . for 24 hours and dry weight of the gel matter was measured , followed by calculation of a gel fraction according to the following equation . the gel fractions obtained by the above method are shown in fig3 . fig3 shows relation between the exposure dose of electron beam and the gel fraction at each monomer concentration in each of the examples and comparative examples . as shown in fig3 , in comparative examples 5 and 6 where the taic concentration was less than 4 % by weight , the gel fraction increased only to about 80 % even when the electron beam was applied in an increased amount . from the results of comparative examples 1 to 3 , even when the taic concentration was 4 % by weight or more , the gel fraction was found to be insufficient in the case that the exposure dose of radiation was about several tens kgy . it was also found that , even when the concentration was 8 % by weight that was considered to be a saturated concentration of taic in polylactic acid , the gel fraction did not reach 100 % in the case that the exposure dose of radiation was 10 kgy . in examples 1 to 3 , when the taic concentration was 4 or 5 % by weight , the gel fraction reached about 100 % with the exposure dose of radiation of 100 kgy or more , and when the concentration was 8 % by weight , the gel fraction reached about 100 % with the exposure dose of radiation of 30 kgy or more . furthermore , when the exposure dose of radiation went beyond 150 kgy , the gel fraction gradually decreased . in comparative examples 5 and 6 , when the exposure dose of radiation was 150 kgy , it was found that the gel fraction decreased as compared with the case of 100 kgy . this result indicates that crosslinking by irradiation with the electron beam has completed and the effect of the irradiation has turned to the direction of degradation of the polylactic acid at around 100 kgy . in the examples , even when the exposure dose of radiation was 150 kgy , the gel fraction was still 100 % but it was considered that the degradation was similarly initiated and thus a tendency that the samples were readily cracked was observed . a sample was molded into a rectangle having a width of 1 cm and a length of 10 cm and then was allowed to stand in a constant - temperature bath at 100 ° c . for a definite period of time . thereafter , it was quenched to room temperature and the absorbance thereof in the wavelength range of from 190 nm to 900 nm corresponding to ultraviolet light to visible light was measured on a spectrophotometer uv - 265fw manufactured by shimadzu corporation . fig4 to 6 show the results of three examples : comparative example 4 where polylactic acid is used alone with no taic ( the exposure dose of radiation of 0 kgy ), comparative example 5 where the taic concentration is 2 % by weight ( the exposure dose of radiation of 50 kgy , the gel fraction of about 80 %), and example 1 where the taic concentration is 4 % by weight ( the exposure dose of radiation of 100 kgy , the gel fraction of 100 %). first , in comparative example 4 of polylactic acid alone containing no taic shown in fig4 , it was found that mere exposure of the sample at a temperature of 100 ° c . for 3 minutes caused decrease of transmittance of visible light to about 1 / 10 ( absorbance = 1 ). thereafter , when the sample was still placed in the constant - temperature bath at 100 ° c ., it was found that the sample of comparative example 4 was rapidly whitened and the transmittance of visible light became 1 / 100 ( absorbance = 2 ). it was recognized from the figure that this change was saturated at about 80 minutes . in comparative example 5 where the taic concentration was 2 % by weight ( the exposure dose of radiation of 50 kgy , the gel fraction of about 80 %) shown in fig5 , it was found that both of the rate of whitening and the saturation value were diminished but the transmittance of visible light was decreased to almost several percent of its original value . therefore , it was found that there was observed substantially no effect on the maintenance of transparency . contrary to these results , in example 1 where the taic concentration was 4 % by weight and the gel fraction was 100 % ( the exposure dose of radiation of 100 kgy ) shown in fig6 , no change in absorbance was observed over the period of 80 minutes and thus transparency was maintained . the same results were observed in the other examples 2 and 3 . contrarily , in comparative examples other than the above comparative examples 4 and 5 , whitening was observed even visually in all cases although there were some differences depending on the gel fraction . a change of the absorbance with time was measured in the same manner as in the ( 2 ) evaluation of transparency maintenance at high temperature 1 except that the absorbance was measured with fixing the wavelength at 600 nm . the results are shown in fig7 to 11 . fig7 shows the results of comparative example 4 containing no taic , fig8 shows the results of comparative example 5 where the taic concentration is 2 % by weight , fig9 shows the results of comparative example 6 where the taic concentration is 3 % by weight , fig1 shows the results of example 1 and comparative example 1 where the taic concentration is 4 % by weight and example 2 and comparative example 2 where the taic concentration is 5 % by weight , and fig1 shows the results of example 3 and comparative example 3 where the taic concentration is 8 % by weight . first , in comparative example 4 of polylactic acid alone containing no taic shown in fig7 , the transmittance of light was decreased to 1 % or less of its original value after 20 minutes in the constant - temperature bath at 100 ° c . in comparative example 5 where the taic concentration was 2 % by weight shown in fig8 , an inhibitory effect on whitening was observed but the transmittance of light was decreased to 10 % or less of its original values in all cases . in comparative example 6 where the taic concentration was 3 % by weight shown in fig9 , an inhibitory effect on whitening , i . e ., the transmittance of up to about 30 %, was observed when the exposure dose of radiation was 150 kgy but the effect contrarily became worse when the exposure dose of radiation was 200 kgy . contrary to these results , when the taic concentration was 4 % by weight or 5 % by weight shown in fig1 , the transmittance of light could be maintained at a level of several tens percent of its original values when the exposure dose of the electron beam was 30 or 50 kgy and no change in absorbance was confirmed in examples 1 or 2 where the exposure dose of the electron beam was 100 or 150 kgy . furthermore , also in example 3 where the taic concentration was 8 % by weight , it was confirmed that inhibition of decrease in the transmittance of light , i . e ., the maintenance of transparency was possible even when the exposure dose of the electron beam was 30 kgy . a heat absorption curve of each of examples and comparative examples was measured on a differential scanning calorimeter . the measurement was carried out for three examples shown in fig4 to 6 . the results are shown in fig1 . in comparative example 4 where no crosslinking was conducted , as shown in fig1 , there were observed an absorption peak based on the glass transition point at around 60 ° c ., a heat absorption peak based on the melting point at around 160 ° c ., and heat evolution due to recrystallization between both peaks . contrary to the results , in comparative example 5 where the gel fraction was about 80 %, the calorie of each of the heat evolution and heat absorption decreased as compared with that in the case of comparative example 4 . to the contrary , both the heat evolution peak due to recrystallization and the heat absorption peak due to crystal melting disappeared in example 1 as shown in fig1 . this fact indicates that in example 1 where the gel fraction is 100 %, the polylactic acid molecules are crosslinked in such a state that they cannot freely move to effect recrystallization even when heated to a temperature of its glass transition point or higher . the transparent material made of polylactic acid according to the invention is applicable to a wide range of fields where transparency of plastics is utilized , including agricultural films , lighting windows for greenhouse , electric appliances such as mobile phones and liquid crystal panels , window materials for automobile meters , content - viewable packaging materials , and the like . in addition , owing to no influence on living body , the material is also a suitable material for application to medical equipments such as injection syringes and catheters to be utilized in vivo or in vitro . while the present invention has been described in detail and with reference to specific embodiments thereof , it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof . the present application is based on japanese patent application no . 2004 - 123461 and the contents thereof are herein incorporated by reference .	2
the memory cell of an mram includes selection transistors , an mtj element , upper and lower electrodes coupled so as to have the mtj element therebetween , and a magnetic field - generating layer for magnetization reversal by generating a magnetic field in the mtj element . a spin - injection mram may not include the magnetic field - generating layer . in the spin - injection mram , a current is allowed to flow between an upper electrode and a lower electrode in the direction perpendicular to the mtj element ( positive direction or negative direction ), causing magnetization reversal ( current scalability ) due to electron spin torque passing through a junction surface of the mtj element . since the memory cell of the spin - injection mram does not have the magnetic - field - generating layer , the area of the memory cell may be reduced . in the memory cell of an mram , the area of the lower electrode may be larger than that of the upper electrode and than that of the mtj element . a lower electrode film , an mtj film , and an upper electrode film are sequentially formed . the upper electrode film and the mtj film are patterned by etching to form the upper electrode and the mtj element , and the lower electrode film is patterned to form the lower electrode . when the lower electrode film is patterned in the state that the side surface of the mtj element is exposed , the mtj element will be damaged by , for example , plasma in an ashing process of a resist used as a mask for the etching and may be damaged by etching gas in the etching . after patterning of the lower electrode film by etching , the resist mask used in the etching is removed by ashing to expose a surface covered by the lower electrode film and the surface of a lower layer wiring or a conductive plug . by the ashing , the conductive member such as the lower layer wiring or the conductive plug may be oxidized . fig1 a to 1c , 2 a to 2 c , 3 a to 3 d , 4 a to 4 d , 5 a to 5 d , 6 a to 6 d , 7 a to 7 c , 8 a to 8 c , and 9 illustrates an exemplary method of manufacturing an mram . as illustrated in fig1 a , mos transistors 20 corresponding to the selection transistors of a memory cell are formed on a silicon semiconductor substrate 10 . element - separating structures 11 are formed on the surface layer of the silicon semiconductor substrate 10 by , for example , a shallow trench isolation process ( sti process ) to define an element active region . an impurity is injected into the element active region . for example , a p - type impurity is ion - injected in an n - type mos transistor , and an n - type impurity is ion - injected in a p - type mos transistor . for example , in an n - type transistor , boron ( b ) is ion - injected as a p - type impurity , for example , under conditions of a dose of 3 . 0 × 10 13 / cm 2 and an acceleration energy of 300 kev . a well 12 may be formed . in the element active region , for example , a thin gate insulating film 13 having a thickness of about 3 . 0 nm is formed by , for example , thermal oxidation , and , for example , a polycrystalline silicon film having a thickness of about 180 nm and a silicon nitride film having a thickness of about 29 nm are deposited on the gate insulating film 13 by a cvd process . the silicon nitride film , the polycrystalline silicon film , and the gate insulating film 13 are patterned into an electrode shape by lithography and dry etching . thus , a gate electrode 14 is formed on the gate insulating film 13 . contemporaneously , a cap film 15 made of the silicon nitride film may be formed on the gate electrode 14 . an impurity is injected into the element active region using the cap film 15 as a mask . for example , an n - type impurity is ion - injected for forming an n - type mos transistor , and a p - type impurity is ion - injected for forming a p - type mos transistor . for example , arsenic ( as ) is ion - injected as a p - type impurity , for example , under conditions of a dose of 5 . 0 × 10 14 / cm 2 and an acceleration energy of 10 kev . thus , extension regions 16 are formed . for example , a silicon oxide film is deposited on the entire surface by a cvd process , and the silicon oxide film is etched back . the silicon oxide film remains on the side surfaces of the gate electrode 14 and the cap film 15 to form a side wall insulating film 17 . an impurity , for example , an n - type impurity such as p is ion - injected into the element active region using the cap film 15 and the side wall insulating film 17 as masks under conditions such that the concentration of the impurity in the element active region is higher than that in the extension region 16 . thus , a source / drain region 18 partially superimposed on the extension region 16 is formed , and an mos transistor 20 is formed . as illustrated in fig1 b , a protective film 21 of the mos transistors 20 and an interlayer insulating film 22 may be sequentially formed . the protective film 21 and the interlayer insulating film 22 may be sequentially formed so as to cover the mos transistors 20 . the protective film 21 may include , for example , a silicon nitride film and be deposited by a cvd process to have a thickness of about 130 nm . the interlayer insulating film 22 , for example , a plasma teos film having a thickness of about 1300 nm is deposited . the surface of the interlayer insulating film 22 is planarized by polishing to have a thickness of about 700 nm by chemical mechanical polishing ( cmp ). as illustrated in fig1 c , conductive plugs 19 to be coupled to the source / drain regions 18 of the mos transistors 20 are formed . the interlayer insulating film 22 and the protective film 21 are patterned by lithography and dry etching using the source / drain regions 18 as an etching stopper till the surfaces of the source / drain regions 18 are each partially exposed . for example , contact - holes 19 a each having a diameter of about 0 . 3 μm are formed . a base film , for example , a glue film 19 b is formed by depositing , for example , a ti film having a thickness of about 20 nm and a tin film having a thickness of about 50 nm by sputtering so as to cover the inner surface of each contact - hole 19 a . then , for example , a w film is deposited by a cvd process so as to plug the contact - hole 19 a through the glue film 19 b . the w film and the glue film 19 b are polished by cmp using the interlayer insulating film 22 as a polishing stopper . thus , a conductive plug 19 that plugs the contact - hole 19 a with w through the glue film 19 b is formed . wirings 25 are formed by a damascene process , for example , a single - damascene process . as illustrated in fig2 a , an interlayer insulating film 23 is formed by depositing an insulating film , for example , a silicon oxide film having a thickness of about 150 nm on the interlayer insulating film 22 by , for example , a cvd process . the interlayer insulating film 23 is patterned by lithography and subsequent dry etching so that the surface of the conductive plug 19 for wiring connection is exposed to form a wiring gutter 23 a having a wiring shape in the interlayer insulating film 23 . as illustrated in fig2 b , a glue film 24 is formed by , for example , depositing a ta film having a thickness of about 5 nm on the interlayer insulating film 23 so as to cover the inner surface of the wiring gutter 23 a by , for example , sputtering . a plating seed layer ( not shown ) is formed on the glue film 24 , and the wiring gutter 23 a is plugged with cu ( or a cu alloy material ) through the glue film 24 by plating . the cu ( or the cu alloy material ) on the interlayer insulating film 23 and the glue film 24 are polished and planarized by cmp using the interlayer insulating film 23 as a polishing stopper . by the planarization , the wiring gutter 23 a is filled with cu ( or the cu alloy material ) to form a wiring 25 coupled to the conductive plug 19 . wiring structures 36 are formed by a damascene process , for example , a dual - damascene process . in fig2 c and 3a to 3 c , the interlayer insulating film 23 and portions above the interlayer insulating film 23 may be illustrated . as illustrated in fig2 c , an insulating film as a diffusion - preventing film 26 for preventing diffusion of cu ( or the cu alloy material ) in the wirings 25 is formed by , for example , depositing a sic film having a thickness of about 30 to 70 nm on the interlayer insulating film 23 by , for example , a cvd process . an interlayer insulating film 27 is formed by depositing an insulating film , for example , a sioc film having a thickness of about 400 to 700 nm on the diffusion - preventing film 26 by , for example , a cvd process . an etching stopper film 28 is formed by depositing an insulating film , for example , a sic film having a thickness of about 30 to 70 nm on the interlayer insulating film 27 by , for example , a cvd process . an interlayer insulating film 29 is formed by depositing an insulating film , for example , a sioc film having a thickness of about 300 to 600 nm on the etching stopper film 28 by , for example , a cvd process . a diffusion - preventing film 31 is formed by depositing , for example , a sic film having a thickness of 50 to 100 nm on the interlayer insulating film 29 . as illustrated in fig3 a , via - holes 32 passing through the diffusion - preventing film 31 , the interlayer insulating layer 29 , the etching stopper film 28 , and the interlayer insulating film 27 are formed by lithography and dry etching , and the surface of the diffusion - preventing film 26 is exposed . a resin material layer 33 ( embedded material layer ) is formed on the diffusion - preventing film 31 so as to plug each via - hole 32 . the entire surface of the resin material layer 33 is dry - etched , for example , in such a manner that the resin material layer 33 with a certain thickness remains in the via - hole 32 . the thickness of the resin material layer 33 may be smaller than the thickness of the interlayer insulating film 27 . the resin material layer 33 having a certain thickness may remain in the via - hole 32 by being developed . as illustrated in fig3 b , the diffusion - preventing film 31 and the interlayer insulating layer 29 are patterned by lithography and dry etching to form wiring gutters 34 having a wiring shape . the wiring gutter 34 is formed using the etching stopper film 28 as a stopper so as to be communicated with the via - hole 32 provided in the etching stopper film 28 and the interlayer insulating film 27 . the resin material layer 33 remaining in the via - hole 32 is removed by , for example , ashing . as illustrated in fig3 c , a glue film 35 is formed by , for example , depositing a ta film having a thickness of about 5 nm on the diffusion - preventing film 31 by , for example , sputtering so as to cover the inner surfaces of the via - hole 32 and the wiring gutter 34 . a plating seed layer ( not illustrated ) is formed on the glue film 35 , and the via - hole 32 and the wiring gutter 34 are plugged with cu or a cu alloy material through the glue film 35 by plating . the cu or the cu alloy material and the glue film 35 on the diffusion - preventing film 31 are polished and planarized by cmp using the surface of the diffusion - preventing film 31 as a polishing stopper . the insides of the via - holes 32 and the wiring gutters 34 are filled with cu or the cu alloy material through the glue film 35 to form wiring structures 36 electrically coupled to the wirings 25 . the insulating layer form a wiring layer 37 a includes an insulating layer having the diffusion - preventing film 26 , the interlayer insulating film 27 , the etching stopper film 28 , the interlayer insulating layer 29 , and the diffusion - preventing film 31 , and the wiring structures 36 in the insulating layer . the dual - damascene process illustrated in fig2 c and 3a to 3 c may be repeated a certain number of times , for example , three times . as illustrated in fig3 d , three wiring layers 37 b , 37 c , and 37 d each having a structure that is substantially the same as or similar to that of the wiring layer 37 a are stacked on the wiring layer 37 a illustrated in fig3 c so as to be coupled to the wiring structures 36 . the wiring structure may be a multiple - wiring structure . as illustrated in fig4 a , a lower electrode film 41 , an mtj film 42 , and an upper electrode film 43 are sequentially formed by , for example , sputtering . in fig4 a to 4d , 5 a to 5 d , 6 a to 6 d , 7 a to 7 c , and 8 a to 8 c , the wiring layer 37 d and portions upper than the wiring layer 37 d may be illustrated . for example , a ru film and a ta film are deposited so as to have thicknesses of about 20 nm and about 40 nm , respectively , so as to cover the wiring layer 37 d . thus , a lower electrode film 41 is formed . on the lower electrode film 41 , for example , a ptmn film having a thickness of about 15 nm , a cofe film having a thickness of about 3 nm , a cofeb film having a thickness of about 2 nm , a mgo film having a thickness of about 1 nm , and a cofeb film having a thickness of about 2 nm are deposited . the ptmn film may correspond to an antiferromagnetic layer . the cofe film and the cofeb film may correspond to pinned magnetic films . the mgo film may correspond to a tunnel oxide film . the cofeb film may correspond to a free magnetic film . thus , a magnetic film ( mtj film ) 42 is formed . on the mtj film 42 , for example , a ru film having a thickness of about 10 nm and a ta film having a thickness of about 50 nm are sequentially deposited . thus , an upper electrode film 43 is formed . the lower electrode film 41 , the mtj film 42 , and the upper electrode film 43 are formed by sputtering , for example , using ar as the sputtering gas at a pressure of 0 . 5 pa and an input power of 500 w . as illustrated in fig4 b , a resist pattern 44 is formed on the upper electrode film 43 . the resist pattern 44 may be formed by , for example , applying a resist for arf exposure on the upper electrode film 43 so as to have a thickness of about 200 nm and patterning the resist by photolithography into a shape and a size corresponding to the upper electrode . the resist pattern 44 may be a rectangular pattern , for example , with a size of about 100 × 150 nm . as illustrated in fig4 c , the upper electrode film 43 is etched . the upper electrode film 43 may be dry - etched using the resist pattern 44 as a mask . the dry etching may etch the ta film included in the upper electrode film 43 without etching the ru film . the etching may be performed , for example , using a gas mixture of cl 2 ( at a flow rate of 20 sccm ) and bcl 3 ( at a flow rate of 60 sccm ) as the etching gas at a pressure of 2 pa and an rf input power of 500 w . as illustrated in fig4 d , the resist pattern 44 is removed . the resist pattern 44 is removed by , for example , ashing using oxygen plasma . the ashing may be performed , for example , using o 2 at a flow rate of 100 scm at a pressure of 10 pa and an rf input power of 300 w . the ashing etches by about 5 nm of the ru film exposed in the outside of the region where the upper electrode film 43 is formed . since the ashing is performed in the state that the mtj film 42 is covered by the ru film included in the upper electrode film 43 , oxidation of the mtj film 42 due to the ashing is reduced . as illustrated in fig5 a , the ru film and the mtj film 42 exposed in the outside of the region where the upper electrode film 43 is formed are etched . the exposed ru film and mtj film 42 are dry - etched using the patterned upper electrode film 43 as a mask . the dry etching may etch the ru film and the mtj film 42 without etching the lower electrode film 41 . the dry etching may be performed , for example , using ch 3 oh ( at a flow rate of 100 sccm ) as the etching gas at a pressure of 2 pa and an rf input power of 800 w . the upper electrode film 43 is etched to form an upper electrode 43 a , and the mtj film 42 is etched to form an mtj 42 a . since the etching of the ru film and the mtj film 42 is performed without using a resist mask , ashing of a resist after the etching may not be performed . therefore , oxidization due to ashing may be reduced on the side surfaces of the mtj 42 a . as illustrated in fig5 b , a protective film 45 a is formed by depositing an insulating film , for example , a sic film having a thickness of about 20 to 60 nm on the lower electrode film 41 so as to cover the mtj 42 a and the upper electrode 43 a by , for example , a cvd process . the protective film 45 a may include , for example , sin , sicn , or carbon instead of sic . as illustrated in fig5 c , a resist pattern 46 is formed . the resist pattern 46 covering the mtj 42 a and the upper electrode 43 a through the protective film 45 a is formed by , for example , applying on the protective film 45 a a trilevel resist for arf exposure having a thickness of about 200 nm or a resist for krf exposure having a thickness of about 500 nm and patterning the resist by photolithography into a shape and a size corresponding to a lower electrode . the resist pattern 46 may be a rectangular pattern , for example , with a size of about 200 × 400 nm . as illustrated in fig5 d , the protective film 45 a is etched . the protective film 45 a may be dry - etched using the resist pattern 46 as a mask . the dry etching may etch the protective film 45 a without etching the lower electrode film 41 . the dry etching may be performed using cf 4 ( at a flow rate of 100 sccm ) as the etching gas at a pressure of 5 pa and an rf input power of 400 w . as illustrated in fig6 a , the resist pattern 46 is removed . the resist pattern 46 is removed by ashing using oxygen plasma . the ashing may be performed , for example , using o 2 at a flow rate of 100 scm at a pressure of 10 pa and an rf input power of 200 w . the ashing may be performed in the state that the side surface of the mtj 42 a is covered by the protective film 45 a . therefore , oxidation of the side surface of the mtj film 42 due to the ashing may be reduced . since the ashing is performed in the state that the surface of the wiring structure 36 of the wiring layer 37 d is covered by the lower electrode film 43 , oxidation due to ashing of the surface of the wiring structure 36 of the wiring layer 37 d may be reduced . as illustrated in fig6 b , the lower electrode film 41 is etched . the lower electrode film 41 may be dry - etched using the patterned protective film 45 a as a mask . the dry etching may etch the lower electrode film 41 without etching the wiring layer 37 d , for example , the diffusion - preventing film 31 . the etching may be performed , for example , using a gas mixture of cl 2 ( at a flow rate of 20 sccm ) and bcl 3 ( at a flow rate of 60 sccm ) as the etching gas at a pressure of 2 pa and an rf input power of 500 w . by the etching , the lower electrode film 41 is etched to form a lower electrode 41 a , and an mtj element 40 having the lower electrode 41 a , the mtj 42 a , and the upper electrode 43 a is formed . the protective film 45 a is etched ( etched back ) and remains as a side wall film 45 a covering the side surfaces of the mtj 42 a and the upper electrode 43 a . since the etching of the lower electrode film 41 is performed without using a resist mask , ashing of a resist after the etching may not be performed . therefore , oxidization due to ashing may be reduced on the surface of the wiring structure 36 of the wiring layer 37 d . as illustrated in fig6 c , a protective film 45 b is formed . the protective film 45 b may be formed as an insulating film by , for example , depositing a sic film having a thickness of about 15 to 50 nm , for example , a thickness of about 30 nm on the wiring layer 37 d so as to cover the mtj 42 a , the upper electrode 43 a , and the protective film 45 a by , for example , a cvd process . the protective film 45 b may include , for example , sin , sicn , or carbon instead of sic . the protective films 45 a and 45 b may include the same material or different materials selected from sic , sin , sicn , and carbon . the protective film 45 b is stacked on the protective film 45 a , and the protective films 45 a and 45 b having a total thickness of about 60 nm cover the side surfaces of the mtj 42 a and the upper electrode 43 a . the mtj 42 a and the upper electrode 43 a are covered by the protective film 45 b at regions other than the side surfaces . since the side surface of the mtj 42 a is covered by the protective films 45 a and 45 b , process damage to the mtj 42 a may be reduced . the regions other than the side surface , such as the upper surface of the upper electrode 43 a , are covered by the protective film 45 b for providing conduction to the upper electrode 43 a . for example , the upper surface of the upper electrode 43 a may be exposed by , for example , etching . the protective film 45 b may reduce diffusion of cu in the wiring structure 36 of the wiring layer 37 d . as illustrated in fig6 d , an interlayer insulating film 47 is formed . the interlayer insulating film 47 is formed by , for example , forming a sioc film having a thickness of about 100 to 500 nm , for example , a thickness of about 250 nm so as to cover the protective film 45 b by , for example , a cvd or application process . the interlayer insulating film 47 may include , for example , a low - dielectric film ( low - k film ) or sio 2 instead of sioc . as illustrated in fig7 a , the surface of the interlayer insulating film 47 is planarized , and a diffusion - preventing film 48 is formed thereon . the interlayer insulating film 47 is planarized by polishing its surface layer by cmp . an insulating film as the diffusion - preventing film 48 , for example , a sic film having a thickness of about 30 to 70 nm , for example , a thickness of about 30 nm is deposited on the interlayer insulating film 47 having the planarized surface . the diffusion - preventing film 48 may reduce diffusion of cu in the wiring structure . the wiring structure and the wiring are formed by a damascene process , for example , a dual - damascene process . as illustrated in fig7 b , in the wiring structure 36 not being provided with the lower electrode 41 a on the upper portion of the wiring layer 37 d , the diffusion - preventing film 48 and the interlayer insulating film 47 are patterned by lithography and dry etching . the diffusion - preventing film 48 and the interlayer insulating film 47 are etched using the protective film 45 b as an etching stopper till the surface of the protective film 45 b on the wiring structure 36 is partially exposed . a via - hole 49 passing through the diffusion - preventing film 48 and the interlayer insulating film 47 is formed . a resin material layer 51 ( embedded material layer ) is formed on the diffusion - preventing film 48 to plug the via - hole 49 . the resin material layer 51 is dry - etched in such a manner that the resin material layer 51 with a certain thickness remains in the via - hole 49 . as illustrated in fig7 c , a resist pattern 52 is formed by applying a resist on the diffusion - preventing film 48 and patterning the resist by lithography . in the resist pattern 52 , an opening 52 a having a wiring shape is formed at a position where the via - hole 49 is formed on the diffusion - preventing film 48 and an opening 52 b having a wiring shape is formed at a position corresponding to the upper position of the upper electrode 43 a . as illustrated in fig8 a , the diffusion - preventing film 48 and the interlayer insulating film 47 are dry - etched till the surface of the protective film 45 b is partially exposed using the resist pattern 52 as a mask and the protective film 45 b on the upper electrode 43 a as an etching stopper . the etching gas for the dry etching may be , for example , cf 4 . a wiring gutter 53 a communicating with the via - hole 49 and a wiring gutter 53 b having a bottom on which a portion of the surface of the protective film 45 b on the upper electrode 43 a is exposed may be contemporaneously formed . the resist pattern 52 and the resin material layer 51 remaining in the via - hole 49 are removed by ashing . since the ashing is performed in the state that the upper surface of the upper electrode 43 a is covered by the protective film 45 b , oxidation of the upper electrode 43 a due to the ashing may be reduced . as illustrated in fig8 b , the protective film 45 b exposed at the bottom surface of the via - hole 49 and the protective film 45 b exposed at the bottom surface of the wiring gutter 53 b are dry - etched using the diffusion - preventing film 48 as a mask . the etching gas for the dry etching may be , for example , a gas mixture of ch 2 f 2 , o 2 , and n 2 . the surface of the wiring structure 36 of the wiring layer 37 d is partially exposed at the bottom surface of the via - hole 49 , and the surface of the upper electrode 43 a is partially exposed at the bottom surface of the wiring gutter 53 b . since the etching of the protective film 45 b is performed without using a resist mask , ashing of a resist after the etching may not be performed . therefore , no oxidization due to ashing occurs in the upper electrode 43 a . the protective film 45 b on the upper electrode 43 a may be etched using the diffusion - preventing film 48 as a mask . as illustrated in fig8 c , a glue film 54 is formed by , for example , depositing a ta film having a thickness of about 5 nm on the diffusion - preventing film 48 by , for example , sputtering so as to cover the inner surface of the unified via - hole 49 and the wiring gutter 53 a and the inner surface of the wiring gutter 53 b . a plating seed layer ( not illustrated ) is formed on the glue film 54 , and the via - hole 49 and the wiring gutter 53 a and the wiring gutter 53 b are plugged with cu or a cu alloy material through the glue film 54 by plating . the cu or the cu alloy material on the diffusion - preventing film 48 and the glue film 54 are polished and planarized by cmp using the surface of the diffusion - preventing film 48 as a polishing stopper . the via - hole 49 and the wiring gutter 53 a are filled with cu or the cu alloy material through the glue film 54 by the planarization to form a wiring structure 55 being electrically coupled with the wiring structure 36 . the wiring gutter 53 b may be contemporaneously filled with cu or the cu alloy material through the glue film 54 to form a wiring 56 being electrically coupled with the upper electrode 43 a . the wiring layer 57 may include an insulating layer having the protective films 45 a and 45 b , the interlayer insulating film 47 , and the diffusion - preventing film 48 and include a structure having the mtj element 40 formed in the insulating layer , the wiring structure 55 , and the wiring 56 . in the wiring layer 57 , the mtj element 40 may be coupled to the wiring 56 without through the via - hole portion . the wiring structure 55 and the wiring 56 may be contemporaneously formed in one process , thereby reducing a number of manufacturing processes . as illustrated in fig9 , by the dual - damascene process illustrated in fig2 c and 3a to 3 c , a wiring layer 37 e , having a structure that is substantially the same as those of the wiring layers 37 a to 37 d and having a wiring structure 36 that is electrically coupled with at least one of the wiring structure 55 and the wiring 56 on the wiring layer 57 , is formed . an upper wiring layer , a protective film , and a pad electrode are formed , and thereby an mram is formed . fig1 illustrates an exemplary mram . as illustrated in fig1 , the mtj element 40 is coupled to the wiring 56 without passing through the via - hole portion in the wiring layer 57 . the upper surface of the mtj element 40 and the upper surface of the via - hole portion 55 a of the wiring structure 55 are substantially the same level , and the upper surface of the wiring 56 and the upper surface of the wiring gutter portion 55 b of the wiring structure 55 are substantially the same level . the thickness “ a ” of the lower electrode 41 a of the mtj element 40 , the thickness “ b ” of the mtj 42 a , the thickness “ c ” of the upper electrode film 43 before patterning , the thickness “ c ′” of the upper electrode 43 a considering the selection ratio in etching of the ru film of the upper electrode film 43 and the mtj film 42 , and the height ( thickness ) “ d ” of the via - hole portion 55 a of the wiring structure 55 satisfy the following relational expression : since the thickness of the mtj 42 a is about 20 to 30 nm , the thickness “ a ” of the lower electrode 41 a and the thickness “ c ′” of the upper electrode film 43 when they are formed are determined so as to satisfy the relational expression . damage to the mtj element 40 when the mram having the mtj element 40 is manufactured may be reduced . since ashing is not performed when the lower electrode film 41 is patterned , oxidation of the wiring structures 36 lying under the lower electrode film 41 , which include the conductive member , may be reduced . as a result , an mram having high reliability may be provided . via - holes may be formed in the upper electrode 43 a . fig1 a to 11c illustrate an exemplary method of manufacturing an mram . in fig1 a and 11c , substantially the same elements as those of fig1 a to 1c , 2 a to 2 c , 3 a to 3 d , 4 a to 4 d , 5 a to 5 d , 6 a to 6 d , 7 a to 7 c , 8 a to 8 c , 9 , and 10 are given the same reference numerals , and descriptions thereof may be omitted or reduced . as illustrated in fig1 a , a resist pattern 61 is formed by applying a resist on the diffusion - preventing film 48 and patterning the resist by lithography . the resist pattern 61 is provided with an opening 61 a at the position corresponding to the wiring structure 36 not having the lower electrode 41 a in the wiring layer 37 d and an opening 61 b having a wiring shape at the position corresponding to the upper electrode 43 a . as illustrated in fig1 b , the diffusion - preventing film 48 and the interlayer insulating film 47 are dry - etched till the surface of the protective film 45 b is partially exposed using the resist pattern 61 as a mask and the protective film 45 b as an etching stopper . the etching gas for the dry etching may be , for example , cf 4 . a via - hole 62 a is formed so that the surface of the protective film 45 b on the wiring structure 36 is exposed , and a via - hole 62 b is formed so that the surface of the protective film 45 b on the upper electrode 43 a is exposed . the resist pattern 61 is removed by ashing . since the ashing is performed in the state that the upper surface of the upper electrode 43 a is covered by the protective film 45 b , oxidation due to ashing of the upper electrode 43 a may be reduced . as illustrated in fig1 c , the protective film 45 b exposed at the bottom surfaces of the via - holes 62 a and 62 b is dry - etched using the diffusion - preventing film 48 as a mask . the surface of the wiring structure 36 is partially exposed at the bottom surface of the via - hole 62 a , and the surface of the upper electrode 43 a is partially exposed at the bottom surface of the via - hole 62 b . since the protective film 45 b is etched without using a resist mask , ashing of a resist after the etching may not be performed . therefore , oxidization due to ashing may not occur in the upper electrode 43 a . since the protective film 45 b on the upper electrode 43 a is thin , the protective film 45 b may be etched using the diffusion - preventing film 48 as a mask . for example , the via - holes 62 a and 62 b are each filled with , for example , w through a glue film to form conductive plugs , and wirings coupled to the corresponding conductive plugs are formed by a single damascene process . an upper wiring layer , a protective film , and a pad electrode are formed , and then an mram is formed . damage to the mtj element 40 when the mram having the mtj element 40 is manufactured may be reduced . since ashing is not performed when the lower electrode film 41 a is patterned , oxidation of the wiring structures 36 lying under the lower electrode film 41 a , which include the conductive member , may be reduced . as a result , an mram having high reliability may be provided . fig1 a and 12b illustrate an exemplary mram . as illustrated in fig1 a , the wiring structure 36 of the wiring layer 37 d , which is coupled to the lower surface of the lower electrode 41 a , and the mtj 42 a and the upper electrode 43 a of the mtj element 40 , which are coupled to the upper surface of the lower electrode 41 a , may be formed not to overlap in a plan view . the upper portion of the wiring structure 36 may not be planarized on the lower electrode 41 a . when the mtj 42 a and the upper electrode 43 a are formed on the lower electrode 41 a , the element performance of the mtj element 40 may be decreased . accordingly , the mtj 42 a and the upper electrode 43 a may be formed on the planarized portion on the lower electrode 41 a so as not to overlap the wiring structures 36 in a plan view . as a result , the mtj element 40 may have high performance . as illustrated in fig1 b , the wiring structure 36 and the mtj 42 a / the upper electrode 43 a , which are respectively coupled to the lower surface and the upper surface of the lower electrode 41 a , may be formed to be parallel to each other in the longitudinal direction . in such a case , the mtj 42 a and the upper electrode 43 a are formed on the planarized lower electrode 41 a so as not to overlap the wiring structure 36 in a plan view . the area of the lower electrode 41 a may be reduced . damage to the mtj element 40 when the mram having the mtj element 40 is manufactured may be reduced . since ashing is not performed when the lower electrode film 41 a is patterned , oxidation of the wiring structure 36 lying under the lower electrode film 41 a , which includes the conductive member , may not occur . as a result , an mram having high reliability may be provided . fig1 a to 13c , 14 a to 14 c , 15 a to 15 c , 16 a to 16 c , 17 a to 17 c , 18 a to 18 c , and 19 illustrate an exemplary a method of manufacturing an mram . in these figures , substantially the same elements as those of fig1 a to 1c , 2 a to 2 c , 3 a to 3 d , 4 a to 4 d , 5 a to 5 d , 6 a to 6 d , 7 a to 7 c , 8 a to 8 c , 9 , 10 , 11 a to 11 c , 12 a , and 12 b are given the same reference numerals , and descriptions thereof may be omitted or reduced . as illustrated in fig1 a , a lower electrode film 41 , an mtj film 42 , and an upper electrode film 43 are formed as in fig4 a . as illustrated in fig1 b , a resist pattern 44 is formed on the upper electrode film 43 as in fig4 b . as illustrated in fig1 c , the upper electrode film 43 is etched as in fig4 c . as illustrated in fig1 a , the resist pattern 44 is removed as in fig4 d . since the ashing is performed in the state where the mtj film 42 is covered by the ru film contained in the upper electrode film 43 , oxidation of the mtj film 42 may be reduced . as illustrated in fig1 b , the ru film and the mtj film 42 exposed in the outside of the region where the upper electrode film 43 is formed are etched as in fig5 a . since the ru film and the mtj film 42 are dry - etched without using a mask , ashing is not performed after the etching . therefore , oxidation due to ashing of the side surface of the mtj 42 a may not occur . as illustrated in fig1 c , a protective film 45 a is formed as in fig5 b . as illustrated in fig1 a , a resist pattern 46 is formed as in fig5 c . as illustrated in fig1 b , the protective film 45 a is etched as in fig5 d . as illustrated in fig1 c , the resist pattern 46 is removed as in fig6 a . since the ashing is performed in the state where the side surface of the mtj 42 a is covered by the protective film 45 a , oxidation due to ashing of the side surface of the mtj film 42 may be reduced . since the ashing is performed in the state where the surface of the conductive plug 19 formed in the interlayer insulating film 22 is covered by the lower electrode film 43 , oxidation of the surface of the conductive plug 19 may be reduced . as illustrated in fig1 a , the lower electrode film 41 is etched as in fig6 b . since the lower electrode film 41 is etched without using a resist mask , ashing of a resist is not performed after the etching . therefore , oxidation due to ashing of the surface of the conductive plug 19 formed in the interlayer insulating film 22 may not occur . as illustrated in fig1 b , a protective film 45 b is formed as in fig6 c . the side surfaces of the mtj 42 a and the upper electrode 43 a are covered by the stacked protective films 45 a and 45 b having a total thickness of about 60 nm . the mtj 42 a and the upper electrode 43 a may be covered by the protective film 45 b at regions other than the side surfaces . since the side surface of the mtj 42 a is covered by the protective films 45 a and 45 b , process damage to the mtj 42 a may be reduced . the regions other than the side surfaces such as the upper surface of the upper electrode 43 a covered by the protective film 45 b may be exposed by subsequent etching . as illustrated in fig1 c , an interlayer insulating film 47 is formed as in fig6 d . as illustrated in fig1 a , the surface of the interlayer insulating film 47 is planarized , and the diffusion - preventing film 48 is formed thereon , as in fig7 a . as illustrated in fig1 b , the diffusion - preventing film 48 and the interlayer insulating film 47 are patterned by lithography and dry etching , as in fig7 b , to form via - holes 49 above the conductive plugs not being provided with the lower electrode 41 a on the upper portion . a resin material layer 51 is formed on the diffusion - preventing film 48 so as to plug the via - holes 49 . the resin material layer 51 may be dry - etched so that the resin material layer 51 with a certain thickness remains in each via - hole 49 . as illustrated in fig1 c , a resist pattern 52 is formed on the diffusion - preventing film 48 as in fig7 c . as illustrated in fig1 a , the diffusion - preventing film 48 and the interlayer insulating film 47 are dry - etched using the resist pattern 52 as a mask as in fig8 a . the dry etching may be performed till the surface of the protective film 45 b is partially exposed using the protective film 45 b on the upper electrode 43 a as an etching stopper . the wiring gutters 53 a communicating with the via - holes 49 and the wiring gutter 53 b having the bottom surface where the surface of the protective film 45 b on the upper electrode 43 a is partially exposed may be substantially contemporaneously formed . the resist pattern 52 and the resin material layer 51 remaining in the via - hole 49 are removed by ashing . since the resist pattern 52 and the resin material layer 51 are ashed in the state where the upper surface of the upper electrode 43 a is covered by the protective film 45 b , oxidation due to ashing of the upper electrode 43 a may be reduced . as illustrated in fig1 b , the protective film 45 b exposed at the bottom surface of the via - hole 49 and the protective film 45 b exposed at the bottom surface of the wiring gutter 53 b are dry - etched using the diffusion - preventing film 48 as a mask as in fig8 b . the surface of the conductive plug 19 is partially exposed at the bottom surface of the via - hole 49 , and the surface of the upper electrode 43 a is partially exposed at the bottom surface of the wiring gutter 53 b . since the protective film 45 b is etched without using a resist mask , ashing of a resist after the etching may not be conducted . therefore , oxidation due to ashing may not occur in the upper electrode 43 a . since the upper electrode 43 a is covered by the protective film 45 b , the upper electrode 43 a is etched using the diffusion - preventing film 48 as a mask . as illustrated in fig1 c , a glue film 54 is formed so as to cover the inner surfaces of the unified via - hole 49 and the wiring gutter 53 a and the inner surface of the wiring gutter 53 b , as in fig8 c . a plating seed layer ( not shown ) is formed on the glue film 54 , and the via - holes 49 and the wiring gutters 53 a and the wiring gutter 53 b are plugged with cu or a cu alloy material by plating through the glue film 54 . the cu or the cu alloy material on the diffusion - preventing film 48 and the glue film 54 are polished and planarized by cmp using the surface of the diffusion - preventing film 48 as a polishing stopper . the via - hole 49 and the wiring gutter 53 a are filled with cu or the cu alloy material through the glue films 54 to form a wiring structure 55 being electrically coupled to the conductive plug 19 . the wiring gutter 53 b is filled with cu or the cu alloy material through the glue film 54 to form a wiring 56 being electrically coupled to the upper electrode 43 a . the wiring structures 55 and the wiring 56 may be substantially contemporaneously formed . the protective films 45 a and 45 b , the interlayer insulating film 47 , and the diffusion - preventing film 48 form an insulating layer . the wiring layer 57 may include the insulating layer and a structure having the mtj element 40 formed in the insulating layer , the wiring structures 55 and the wiring 56 . as illustrated in fig1 , a dual - damascene process substantially the same as or similar to that illustrated in fig2 c and 3a to 3 c is repeated a plurality of times , for example , four times . the wiring layers 63 a to 63 d each having a structure that is substantially the same as or similar to that of the wiring layer 37 a where the wiring structures 55 and the wiring 56 are electrically coupled to each other may be sequentially formed on the wiring layer 57 . an upper wiring layer , a protective film , and a pad electrode are formed , and then an mram is formed . damage to the mtj element 40 when the mram having the mtj element 40 is manufactured may be reduced . since ashing is not performed in the patterning of the lower electrode film 41 , the conductive member of the layer lying under the lower electrode film 41 , for example , the conductive plug 19 including w , may not be oxidized . therefore , an mram having high reliability may be provided . example embodiments of the present invention have now been described in accordance with the above advantages . it will be appreciated that these examples are merely illustrative of the invention . many variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art .	7
embodiments of the connectors we describe may be fabricated in either plastic or metal , among other materials . in the following description references are to either except where otherwise stated . thus , referring to fig1 to 3 , these show a mated connector 100 according to an embodiment of the invention , comprising a first connector part 102 and a second connector part 104 , as illustrated latched together . the first connector part 102 comprises a body 106 providing an aperture for housing , for example , a set of electrical contacts 101 as illustrated in fig1 c . the first connector part body 106 bears a disengaging sleeve 108 in the form of a ring around the connector body comprising first and second portions 110 , 112 screwed together by a reverse thread 114 . alternatively first and second portions 110 , 112 may be fixed together using adhesive , ultrasonic welding , snap lock or the like — for example in an embodiment of a plastic connector they press together and are fastened with adhesive . the sleeve 108 is moveable longitudinally along the axis of the connector and is biased in a mating direction 116 of the connectors , against a stop 118 . in embodiments the sleeve is clipped into a groove 119 within which it is able to move longitudinally . a distal end of the sleeve in the mating direction is provided with a lip 120 having an internal camming surface 122 . the body 106 of the first connector part is also provided with a plurality of fingers 124 disposed circumferentially around the perimeter of the first connector part . in a plastic connector these may be one - piece moulded with the body 106 of the connector ; in a metal connector they may comprise flexible , resilient strips of metal 124 b attached to the connector body . at the end of a finger there is provided an ear 126 , tooth , or similar , having a part or surface 128 which engages with ( and latches into ) a groove 130 in a body 132 of the second connector part 104 . the first and second connector parts are mated using a “ push - to - latch ” action such that pushing the second connector part into the first connector part results in the ear 126 of the flexible fingers 124 becoming latched into the groove 130 of the second connector part . no further action is necessary to latch the two connectors together . the ear 126 ( and / or finger 124 ) also has a camming surface 134 which matches surface 122 of the sleeve 108 . in this way , motion of the sleeve 108 against the mating direction pulls ear 126 from groove 130 for each finger , thus releasing the first connector part from the second connector part and enabling the connector parts to be disengaged from one another . because the sleeve is on an outer part of the connector a user pulling the connectors apart whilst holding the sleeve will automatically perform this action ; optionally sleeve 108 may include a grip on its outer surface for example as illustrated in fig1 c and 2 . in embodiments each of the first and second connector parts 102 , 104 includes a respective wire clamp 136 , 138 and , optionally , a respective rubber grommet 140 , 142 to seal against moisture , dirt and the like . preferably an o - ring 144 is also included between the first and second connector parts , to seal the electrical connections inside . if the sleeve 108 is moved against the mating direction finger 124 is pushed radially outwards against its inherent resilience , and the action of the two camming surfaces 122 and 134 against one another thus results in a resilient bias of the sleeve 108 along mating direction 116 . this keeps the sleeve in the position where the ears lock against the latching surface 128 when the connector parts are engaged without the need for any additional spring . referring now to fig4 and 5 , these illustrate a set of longitudinal extending ribs 150 provided on an interior surface of the ( second portion 112 ) of the sleeve 108 . as can be seen , one rib 150 is provided for each finger . the ring 112 of sleeve 108 is rotatable about the axis of the connector so that the ribs are either located so as to inhibit outward radial movement of the fingers 124 , lying against the fingers as shown in fig4 , or so that the ribs 150 lie between the fingers 124 , as shown in fig5 . in this way , when the sleeve 108 is rotated into its locking position not only are the ears of the fingers latched into groove 130 , they are prevented from moving out of their latched configuration by ribs 150 . the skilled person will appreciate that many variations on the precise form of protuberances 150 are possible . in principle , because rotation of sleeve 108 locks the ears of the fingers in position the engagement of the ears with groove 130 need not be as positive as with an arrangement in which this latching alone is relied upon to hold the connectors together . it is nonetheless preferable that the ears engage positively with their corresponding latching surface ( s ) for improved reliability . although not shown in the drawings , preferably sleeve 108 includes a detent , such as an indenter , which acts to inhibit undesired movement between the locked and unlocked positions of the ring due to vibration and the like . preferred embodiments of the above described connector are used to make electrical connection between conductive contacts . for example embodiments of the connector may be used for a usb ( universal serial bus ) connection , an ethernet connection , or some other form of multi - pin connection for example employing removable contact carriers holding either 2 , 3 , 8 , 16 or 22 electrical contacts . nonetheless the skilled person will appreciate that , in principle , connects of the type described above may also be employed for connections between hoses carrying fluids ( liquid or gas ). the illustrated example coupling mechanism employs an arrangement of six latching fingers and incorporates a 30 ° twist action to lock the mechanism thereby inhibiting disengagement of the mating connectors and breaking of the seal . the described embodiment employs an array of six latching fingers , but the skilled person will appreciate that any number of fingers may be employed . similarly , although a locking ring is straightforward to implement on a cylindrical connector body , in principle other connector shapes may also be employed including , for example , rectangular / square , and oval , connector shapes . the described embodiment is an in - line connector but the skilled person will appreciate that other configurations of the mechanism may also be employed , for example configurations in which one or both of the connector parts are chassis - mounted . broadly speaking we have described a quick - release locking connector including a latching mechanism which disengages by pulling back on a coupling ring , forcing an array of latching fingers outwards , moving ears or clips on the ends of the fingers out of a groove in the mating connector body . a twist - lock mechanism is provided which works by moving ribs or similar protuberances on the coupling ring from being in - between the fingers to being behind the fingers to inhibit their outward movement , and hence lock the connector parts together . in summary , we have described embodiments of a connector that advantageously combines two ( independent ) mechanisms . firstly , a push / pull action to latch the connectors together , that is : a ) push the connectors to latch (“ push - to - latch ”); and b ) pull the outer sleeve of one connector back and ( independently ) pull the connectors apart to release . here , the spring force on the clamps / fingers is provided by the clamps / fingers themselves , thereby in embodiments requiring no separate spring device . secondly , a twist lock mechanism (“ rotate - to - lock ”) that prevents the push / pull action from operating . in embodiments , the connector mechanism is a “ two part ” mechanism that requires both twisting of the sleeve and pulling back of the sleeve to release the connectors . the connector is locked by rotating the coupling ring / sleeve . this prevents the fingers from being deflected outward by the pulling action on the coupling ring . the rotation is a separate action to the pulling — the rotation does not involve any longitudinal movement of the connector parts : the connector parts are mated and latched once the two connector halves are pushed together . in some preferred embodiments , the fingers are turned inwards and are integrally formed with a body part of the connector . no doubt many other effective alternatives will occur to the skilled person . it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the described embodiments and encompasses modifications apparent to those skilled in the art lying within the spirit and scope of the claims appended hereto .	7
reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings , wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout . the embodiments are described below to explain the present invention by referring to the figures . although the following text sets forth a detailed description of at least one embodiment or implementation , it is to be understood that the legal scope of protection of this application is defined by the words of the claims set forth at the end of this disclosure . the detailed description is to be construed as exemplary only and does not describe every possible embodiment since describing every possible embodiment would be impractical , if not impossible . numerous alternative embodiments and / or implementations are both contemplated and possible , using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this patent , which would still fall within the scope of the claims it is to be understood that , unless a term is expressly defined in this application using the sentence “ as used herein , the term ‘ ’ is hereby defined to mean . . . ” or a similar sentence , there is no intent to limit the meaning of that term , either expressly or by implication , beyond its plain or ordinary meaning , and such term should not be interpreted to be limited in scope based on any statement made in any section of this patent ( other than the language of the claims ). to the extent that any term recited in the claims at the end of this patent is referred to in this patent in a manner consistent with a single meaning , that is done for sake of clarity only so as to not confuse the reader , and it is not intended that such claim term by limited , by implication or otherwise , to that single meaning . finally , unless a claim element is defined by reciting the word “ means ” and a function without the recital of any structure , it is not intended that the scope of any claim element be interpreted based on the application of 35 u . s . c . § 112 , sixth paragraph . fig1 . is a cutaway view of an in - ground swimming pool overflow prevention device 100 . the exterior of device 100 is preferably constructed of a vinyl or polyvinyl chloride forming a vertically elongated box 101 with a cap 103 and bottom plate 105 . the elongated box in at least one embodiment is constructed of a five - inch by five - inch fence post , the post having an exterior surface 110 and interior 111 . the device 101 is installed in the ground 107 in proximity to an in - ground swimming pool 109 . the interior 111 ( alternatively tank ) of the vertically elongated box 101 contains a pump 113 , an adjustable switch 115 , interior output pipe 117 , exterior output pipe 119 and valve 121 . in operation the device 101 receives water 123 from the in - ground swimming pool 109 through exterior input pipe 124 . the water 123 fills the interior 111 of the vertically elongated box 101 . the water 123 fills the interior 111 of the vertically elongated box 101 to the water level 125 . as the device 100 and the in - ground swimming pool 109 are in proximity to each other , the water level 125 will be the same in the in - ground swimming pool 109 and device 100 . if during a rainstorm or other activity that causes the in - ground swimming pool 109 to receive water 123 , the water level 125 rises to the level 126 in both the in - ground swimming pool 109 and in the interior 111 of the device 100 . as the water level 125 rises the water 123 comes into contact with the adjustable switch 115 . the adjustable switch 115 contains a flood free switch ( not shown ) that receives power via insulated electrical cord 127 . when the flood free switch comes into contact with water 123 the switch is open and a signal is sent via signal cord 129 to the pump 113 to begin pumping water 123 . alternatively , the device 100 has only two electrical cords 127 and 131 and no signal cord 129 . in this configuration , the electrical cord 131 for the pump 113 plugs into a unit ( not shown ) of the flood free switch , which has a female power adapter for receiving the plug at the end of the electrical cord 131 . when the flood free switch opens , power is send via electrical cord 131 to the pump 113 and the pump begins to pump water 123 . as long as the flood free switch is open , the pump 113 receiving power via electrical cord 131 continues to pump water 123 up through the interior output pipe 117 . when the water 123 reaches the exterior output pipe 119 it is diverted out towards a pipe or hose ( not shown ) attached to the exterior output pipe 119 , which takes the water 123 away from the area of the in ground swimming pool 209 . advantageously , the pipe or hose takes the water 123 to a spillway ( not shown ), dry - well ( not shown ), sewage system ( not shown ) or other means of carrying away unwanted water . as the pump 113 continues to pump the water 123 out of the interior 111 of the device 100 , water flows from the in - ground swimming pool 109 through the exterior input pipe 124 thereby reducing the water level 125 in the in - ground swimming pool 109 . it will be understood that the water level 125 will be lowered at the same rate in the interior 111 of the device 100 as in the in - ground swimming pool 109 by the pump 113 . when the water level 125 falls below a predetermined maximum water level 133 on the adjustable switch 115 , the flood free switch closes causing the pump 113 to stop pumping . the exterior output pipe 125 feeds a pipe or hose to carry the water away from the pool and it is assumed that the pipe will carry the water down hill . as such , even though pump 113 is not running water 123 can continue to be siphoned from the interior 111 of the device 100 . to prevent siphoning , the valve 121 attached above the exterior output pipe 125 is spring loaded to change the pressure in the interior output pipe 117 to prevent syphoning . in other words , during pumping the pressure in the interior output pipe 117 is positive , but when the pump 113 stops , the pressure in the interior output pipe 117 becomes negative . the valve 121 is spring loaded and set to open when the pressure becomes negative allowing air to enter the interior output pipe 117 , thereby preventing the syphoning . the cap 103 on the top of the elongated box 101 is detachable such that the handle 134 on the adjustable switch 115 can be rotated to either raise or lower the flood free switch in order to change predetermined maximum water level 133 . fig2 . is a cutaway view of an above - ground swimming pool overflow prevention device 200 . the exterior of device 200 is preferably constructed of a vinyl or polyvinyl chloride forming a vertically elongated box 101 , a horizontally elongated box 201 with a cap 103 and bottom cap 205 ( a ) and ( b ) and end cap 206 . the a horizontally elongated box 201 is attached through the vertically elongated box 101 at a right angle near the top of the vertically elongated box 101 . the device 200 is installed by placing the vertically elongated box 101 into the above ground swimming pool 209 until the horizontally elongated box 201 meets a deck or lip 243 of the swimming pool 209 . the vertically elongated box 101 will rest against the side 241 of the above ground swimming pool 209 . the vertically elongated box 101 is further constructed with a set of rubber or nylon bumpers 245 to keep the vertically elongated box 101 from rubbing against the side 241 of the above ground swimming pool 209 . it will be understood that the set of rubber or nylon bumpers 245 may be adjustable to ensure the vertically elongated box 101 ( alternatively post ) is kept on a true vertical plane . the horizontally elongated box 201 ( alternatively arm ) may also include a further set of rubber or nylon bumpers ( not shown ) to keep the horizontally elongated box 201 on a true horizontal plane . to aid in determining whether the horizontally elongated box 201 and vertically elongated box 101 are on their respective true planes , a pair of bubble levels 247 and 249 are respectively placed on the x and y axis of the horizontally elongated box 201 . the interior 111 ( alternatively tank ) of the vertically elongated box 101 contains a pump 113 , an adjustable switch 115 , interior output pipe 117 , exterior output pipe 219 and valve 221 . in operation the device 200 receives water 123 from the swimming pool 209 through bottom cap 205 ( a ). the bottom cap 205 ( a ) is show in a bottom view 205 ( b ) having a set of non - clogging inlet ports 251 on each face of the bottom cap 205 ( b ). the water 123 fills the interior 111 of the vertically elongated box 101 . the water 123 fills interior 111 of the vertically elongated box 101 to the water level 125 . it will be understood as the device 200 is inserted into the above ground swimming pool 209 , the water level 125 will be the same in the above ground swimming pool 209 and device 200 . if during a rainstorm or other activity that causes the above ground swimming pool 209 to receive water 123 , the water level 125 rises to a level 126 in both the above ground swimming pool 209 and in the interior 111 of the device 200 . as the water level 125 rises the water 123 comes into contact with the adjustable switch 115 . the adjustable switch 115 contains a flood free switch ( not shown ) that receives power via insulated electrical cord 127 . when the flood free switch comes into contact with water 123 the switch is open and a signal is sent via signal cord 129 to the pump 113 to begin pumping water 123 . as long as the flood free switch is open , the pump 113 receiving power via electrical cord 131 continues to pump water 123 up through the interior output pipe 117 . when the water 123 reaches the exterior output pipe 219 it is diverted out towards a pipe or hose ( not shown ) attached to the exterior output pipe 219 , which takes the water 123 away from the area of the above ground swimming pool 209 . advantageously , the pipe or hose takes the water 123 to a spillway ( not shown ), dry - well ( not shown ), sewage system ( not shown ) or other means of carrying away unwanted water below the grade of the exterior output pipe 219 . as the pump 113 continues to pump the water 123 out of the interior 111 of the device 100 , water flows from the above ground swimming pool 209 through the exterior input pipe 124 thereby reducing the water level 125 in the above ground swimming pool 209 . it will be understood that the water level 125 will be lowered at the same rate in the interior 111 of the device 200 as in the above ground swimming pool 209 by the pump 113 . when the water level 125 falls below a predetermined maximum water level 133 on the adjustable switch 115 , the flood free switch closes causing the pump 113 to stop pumping . the exterior output pipe 219 feeds a pipe or hose to carry the water 123 away from the above ground swimming pool 209 it is assumed that the pipe will carry the water down hill . as such , even though pump 113 is not pumping , water 123 can continue to be siphoned from the interior 111 of the device 100 . to prevent siphoning , the valve 121 attached above the exterior output pipe 119 is spring loaded to change the pressure in the interior output pipe 117 to prevent syphoning . it will be understood that the cap 103 on the top of the elongated box 101 is detachable such that the handle 134 on the adjustable switch 115 can be rotated to either raise or lower the flood free switch in order to change predetermined maximum water level 133 . fig3 . is a perspective view of an adjustable switch 115 for setting a predetermined maximum water level 133 for the swimming pool overflow protection devices 100 and 200 . the adjustable switch 115 is constructed from horizontal members 361 and 363 . the horizontal members 361 and 363 are connected via vertical members 365 and 367 . a threaded rod 368 extends through and between the horizontal members 361 and 363 . on the top of the threaded rod 368 is a handle 134 . twisting the handle 134 causes the sled 369 to be lowered or raised along the threaded rod 368 in respect to the vertical members 365 and 367 . a flood free switch 371 as in the type produced by intellishield ™ is attached to the sled 369 and has a set of arms 373 to hold onto the horizontal member 367 . however , any type of switch that can turn on or cause power to be sent to a pump may be used . the vertical member 367 has affixed thereon a series of horizontal lines that indicate the point at which the flood free switch 373 will open and signal or power the pump 113 . the lines roughly correlate to the predetermined maximum water level 133 . fig4 a - b are perspective views of the in - ground and above - ground swimming pool overflow prevention devices ( 100 , 200 ) in use . fig4 a shows the in - ground swimming pool overflow prevention device 100 buried in the ground 107 in proximity to the in - ground swimming pool 109 . the device 100 receives water 123 via an exterior input port 124 and if the water 123 is above a predetermined maximum water level 133 , then the water is pumped out of the exterior output pipe 119 . the system described above uses a 1200 gallon - per - hour ( gph ) pump 113 to quickly reduce the amount of water in a standard twenty by forty foot pool . however , it will be understood that larger pumps and a larger interior output pipe 117 could be used where the pool contains greater amounts of water 123 . additionally , instead of increasing the size of a pump 113 and interior output pipe 117 , a series of the device 100 may be installed in proximity to the in ground swimming pool 109 . fig4 b shows the above ground swimming pool overflow prevention device 200 having the horizontally elongated box 202 sitting across the lip 445 of the above ground swimming pool 209 and the attached deck 443 and the vertically elongated box 101 inserted into the water 123 of the above ground swimming pool 209 . in use , the end cap 206 is open as it pivots on a hinge ( not shown ). in this position , the male plugs ( not shown ) for electrical cords 127 and 131 can be retrieved from horizontally elongated box 201 and plugged into a ground fault interrupt ( gfi ) outlet ( not shown ). in an alternative embodiment , then above ground swimming pool overflow prevention device 200 can be used in an in - ground swimming pool 109 when the device 100 is not available when the in ground swimming pool 109 is installed . the device 200 receives water 123 via a bottom cap 205 and if the water 123 is above a predetermined maximum water level 133 , then the water is pumped out of the exterior output pipe 219 attached to a hose 419 that carries the water 123 away from the above ground swimming pool 209 . examples of various features / aspects / components / operations have been provided to facilitate understanding of the disclosed embodiments of the present invention . in addition , various preferences have been discussed to facilitate understanding of the disclosed embodiments of the present invention . it is to be understood that all examples and preferences disclosed herein are intended to be non - limiting . although selected embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described individually , it is to be understood that at least aspects of the described embodiments may be combined . although selected embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described , it is to be understood the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments . instead , it is to be appreciated that changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention , the scope of which is defined by the claims and the equivalents thereof .	4
a number of exemplary systems and methods for assuring proper loading of an inkjet pen into the carriage apparatus of an inkjet fluid dispenser are disclosed herein . more specifically , a plurality of datum features are added to the inkjet pen body and to the carriage assembly of an inkjet fluid dispenser to improve the front loading of the pens into a carriage , to fool proof the swapping of color and black pens by a user , and to enhance the fool proofing of backwards insertion by a user . that is , according to one exemplary embodiment , the novel datum features of the inkjet pen work in conjunction with a number of datum features of the printer carriage assembly to assure proper loading of the pen into the inkjet fluid dispenser . details of the exemplary systems and methods will be explained in further detail below . as used in the present specification and the appended claim , the term “ jettable fluid ” is meant to be understood broadly as any fluid composition that is configured to be selectively emitted from an inkjet dispenser . additionally , the term “ datum ” is meant to be understood broadly as any reference surface or other point of reference against which measurements can be made and proper installation can be measured or enhanced . in the following description , for purposes of explanation , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present system and method for assuring proper pen loading in a carriage component . it will be apparent , however , to one skilled in the art , that the present method may be practiced without these specific details . reference in the specification to “ one embodiment ” or “ an embodiment ” means that a particular feature , structure , or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment . the appearance of the phrase “ in one embodiment ” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment . fig1 illustrates an exemplary inkjet printer ( 100 ) configured to incorporate the present system and method . as show in fig1 , the exemplary inkjet printer ( 100 ) includes a housing ( 110 ) and a print medium ( 120 ) disposed on the housing ( 110 ). additionally , the exemplary inkjet printer ( 100 ) includes a pivoting access cover ( 125 ) forming a portion of the housing ( 110 ). the housing ( 110 ) of the exemplary inkjet printer ( 100 ) illustrated in fig1 may be any shape or size sufficient to house an inkjet fluid dispenser and any associated carriage or hardware used to perform a fluid dispensing operation . the housing ( 110 ) may contain one or more fluid dispensers , print medium positioning rollers or belts , servo mechanisms , and / or computing devices such as a microprocessor . the print medium ( 120 ) used in connection with the present exemplary inkjet printer ( 100 ) may be any type of suitable printable sheet material such as paper , card - stock , transparencies , mylar , and the like . however , for convenience only , the illustrated embodiments described in the context of using paper as the exemplary print medium ( 120 ). as illustrated in fig1 , the inkjet printer ( 100 ) may be communicatively coupled to a computing device ( 130 ) configured to communicate print commands in the form of a print job to the inkjet printer . the inkjet printer ( 100 ) may receive the print job from the communicatively coupled computing device ( 130 ) wherein the print job includes a digital description of a desired image . the print job may be converted into motion and dispensing commands that are then be used by the inkjet printer ( 100 ) to deposit image forming fluid onto the print medium ( 120 ) to create a desired image . fig2 is a schematic perspective view further illustrating the internal components of the exemplary inkjet fluid printer ( 100 ). as illustrated in fig2 , the inkjet fluid printer ( 100 ) includes a media feed tray ( 200 ) and a print job reception tray ( 210 ). according to one exemplary embodiment , the media feed tray is configured to house a specified quantity of print medium ( 120 ; fig1 ) until it is drawn into the inkjet fluid printer ( 100 ) to receive a desired image . as illustrated in fig2 , the print medium ( 120 ; fig1 ) may be drawn into the inkjet fluid printer ( 100 ) and into a print zone ( 250 ). once a print job has been performed , the print medium ( 120 ; fig1 ) is expelled from the inkjet fluid printer ( 100 ) into the print job reception tray ( 210 ) where it may be accessed by a user . the internal components of the inkjet fluid printer ( 100 ) that are adjacent to the print zone ( 250 ) are also illustrated in fig2 . as illustrated , the inkjet fluid printer ( 100 ) includes a carriage assembly ( 220 ) housing a number of inkjet pens ( 230 ). additionally , as illustrated in fig2 , the carriage assembly ( 220 ) is moveably coupled to the inkjet fluid printer ( 100 ) by a number of servo / stepper mechanisms ( 240 ). according to one exemplary embodiment , the servo / stepper mechanisms are configured to selectively position the carriage assembly ( 220 ) over the print zone ( 250 ) where jettable fluid is selectively dispensed onto a print medium ( 120 ; fig1 ) during a print operation . the servo / stepper mechanisms ( 240 ) may include , but are in no way limited to , rollers , belts , shafts , motors , gears , solenoids , actuators , and the like . as mentioned above , the present inkjet printer ( 100 ) is configured to selectively dispense jettable fluid from a number of inkjet pens ( 230 ) onto a print medium ( 120 ; fig1 ). however , inkjet pens ( 230 ) contain a limited quantity of jettable fluid . due to the limited quantity of jettable fluid , the inkjet pens ( 230 ) are often replaced . the inkjet pent ( 230 ) may be replaced by either a front - loading or a top loading operation . faulty replacement of the inkjet pens ( 230 ) many times results in frustration to the user and potential damage to the inkjet fluid printer ( 100 ). consequently , the present exemplary systems and methods include a number of elements that reduce and / or prevent the likelihood of erroneous insertion of an inkjet pen ( 230 ) into either a front loading or a top loading carriage . while the exemplary elements disclosed herein are described in the context of a thermal or piezoelectric inkjet pen , the thermal inkjet pen may be any removable inkjet pen capable of performing print on demand applications including , but in no way limited to , thermally actuated inkjet fluid dispensers , mechanically actuated inkjet fluid dispensers , electrostatically actuated inkjet fluid dispensers , magnetically actuated fluid dispensers , and / or piezoelectrically actuated fluid dispensers . fig3 illustrates an exemplary inkjet pen ( 230 ) having a number of insertion members configured to reduce and / or prevent the likelihood of erroneous insertion of the inkjet pen . as illustrated in fig3 , the inkjet pen ( 230 ) includes a y datum feature ( 300 ) formed in a bottom surface of the inkjet pen . as shown , the y datum feature is formed in the surface of the inkjet pen and includes an orifice or a groove configured to receive a corresponding carriage datum feature , as will be illustrated below with reference to fig4 . the y datum feature ( 300 ) is meant to receive a corresponding datum feature formed in an exemplary carriage assembly , thereby precisely and correctly situating and securing the y position of the inkjet pen ( 230 ). while specific attention is given herein to the y datum feature ( 300 ) of the exemplary inkjet pen ( 230 ), a number of x and z datum features may also be formed on the body of the exemplary inkjet pen according to the present systems and methods . for ease of reference to fig3 and subsequent figures , the following description is expressed with reference to an x , y , and z coordinate system . this system is described with reference to the origin being at the center of a properly inserted inkjet pen wherein the y axis represents the direction of insertion . although , the x , y , and z axis are described herein as orthogonal ( such as in rectangular coordinates ), other axes could be used that are non - orthogonal such as with a cylindrical or polar coordinate system . continuing with fig3 , a plurality of extrusions ( 320 , 330 ) are illustrated as being coupled to or formed in the upper surface of the inkjet pen ( 230 ) in the z direction . according to the exemplary inkjet pen ( 230 ) illustrated in fig3 , a color keying member ( 340 ) is extruded from a side surface of the inkjet pen on the front or positive y portion of the inkjet pen . the color keying member ( 340 ) of the inkjet pen ( 230 ) is configured to be a point of contact for a guide or a track system associated with a carriage assembly , as will be further developed below . according to one example , the color keying member ( 340 ) is configured to follow a guide , thereby directing the path of travel , as well as the resulting position of the inkjet pen ( 230 ) during installation . fig3 also illustrates a color keying stop ( 330 ) disposed on top of the inkjet pen ( 230 ) substantially adjacent to the color key member ( 340 ). the color keying stop ( 330 ) is an extrusion extending from the top of the inkjet pen ( 230 ) in a positive z direction . according to one exemplary inkjet pen ( 230 ) construction , the length and position of the color keying stop ( 330 ) in relation to the color keying member ( 340 ) may vary depending on whether the inkjet pen is a color or monochromatic inkjet pen ( 230 ). a number of extrusions are also present on the negative y portion of the inkjet pen ( 230 ). as illustrated in fig3 , the inkjet pen ( 230 ) includes a backward insertion member ( 310 ) and a backward insertion stop ( 320 ) extruding in the positive z direction . the backward insertion member ( 310 ) is configured to ride on a guide during the insertion of the inkjet pen ( 230 ). the backward insertion stop ( 320 ), disposed adjacent to the backward insertion member ( 310 ), is configured to establish a backwards datum height that spans from the bottom of the backward insertion member ( 310 ) to the top of the backward insertion stop ( 320 ). according to the exemplary inkjet pen ( 230 ) configuration illustrated in fig3 , the backwards datum height is configured to cause an interference fit in a corresponding carriage assembly when inserted backwards , as will be further explained in detail below with reference to fig1 . the interference fit produced by the backward insertion stop ( 320 ) will provide immediate feedback to a user by resisting a potentially damaging backward insertion of the inkjet pen ( 230 ). fig4 is a partially cut - away perspective view of an exemplary carriage assembly ( 220 ) having one inkjet pen ( 230 ) disposed therein . as illustrated in fig4 , the exemplary carriage assembly ( 220 ) includes a pen cavity ( 400 ) bounded on a plurality of sides by the carriage assembly ( 220 ). as shown , a number of functional elements are formed in the side walls ( 460 ) of the carriage assembly ( 220 ) to prevent or reduce the likelihood of an erroneous insertion of an inkjet pen ( 230 ). the exemplary functional elements formed in the side walls ( 460 ) of the carriage assembly ( 220 ) include , but are in no way limited to , a plurality of carriage datum features ( 440 ), a pen guide track ( 410 ), a backwards installation member ( 430 ), and a number of color keying track depressions ( 450 ). the pen cavity ( 400 ) formed in the carriage assembly ( 220 ) is configured to readily receive a properly inserted inkjet pen ( 230 ). as illustrated in the exemplary carriage assembly ( 220 ) of fig4 , a plurality of carriage datum features ( 440 ) are extruded from the side walls ( 460 ) near the end wall ( 470 ) of the carriage assembly ( 220 ). according to the exemplary carriage assembly ( 220 ) illustrated in fig4 , the carriage datum features ( 440 ) are configured to receive at least a corresponding y datum feature ( 300 ; fig3 ) of a properly inserted inkjet pen ( 230 ) and securely couple the inkjet pen at a proper y location until removal is desired . according to the exemplary carriage assembly illustrated in fig4 , the carriage datum features ( 440 ) include a plurality of lateral extrusions extending from the side walls ( 460 ) of the carriage assembly ( 220 ) into the pen cavity ( 400 ) at a desired y location of the exemplary carriage assembly ( 220 ). while the exemplary carriage assembly ( 220 ) illustrated in fig4 shows the carriage datum features ( 440 ) as having an inclined cross - section leading to a 90 degree drop off or lip , any extruded shape may be implemented as the carriage datum features ( 440 ) with a corresponding mating shape being formed in the y datum feature ( 300 ; fig3 ) of an inkjet pen ( 230 ). fig4 also illustrates an exemplary guide track ( 410 ) that forms a portion of the side wall ( 460 ). the exemplary guide track ( 410 ) is associated with the color keying member ( 340 ; fig3 ) of the inkjet pen ( 230 ) illustrated above . according to the exemplary carriage assembly ( 220 ) illustrated in fig4 , the guide track ( 410 ) includes an extruded ridge extending in the positive y direction while varying in elevation in the positive z direction . the guide track ( 410 ) spans a substantial portion of the side wall ( 460 ) to aid in the insertion and translation of a pen ( 230 ) in the pen cavity ( 400 ). according to one exemplary carriage assembly ( 220 ), the guide track ( 410 ) is configured to facilitate a smooth insertion of a pen ( 230 ) by slideably receiving the color keying member ( 340 ; fig3 ) of the inkjet pen ( 230 ) and guiding the pen into a desired position within the pen cavity ( 400 ). a color keying track depression ( 450 ) is also formed in the guide track ( 410 ) in the exemplary carriage assembly ( 220 ) illustrated in fig4 . the color keying track depression ( 450 ) is a depression formed in the guide track in the negative z direction . as shown , the dimensions and the relative location of the color keying track depression ( 450 ) in the guide track ( 410 ) may be adjusted by the manufacturer to correspond with a color keying member ( 340 ) located on the pen ( 230 ). a backwards installation member ( 430 ) is also be formed on the sidewall ( 460 ) portion of the exemplary carriage assembly ( 220 ) illustrated in fig4 . the backwards installation member ( 430 ) is an extrusion formed in the sidewall ( 460 ) of the present exemplary carriage assembly ( 220 ) configured to selectively restrict the amount of passable distance between the profile of the guide track ( 410 ) and an upper surface . according to the exemplary carriage assembly illustrated in fig4 , the backwards installation member ( 430 ) may form an upper surface by which an inserted pen must pass during installation . as shown , the backwards installation member ( 430 ) extends toward the guide track ( 410 ) to only permit pens ( 230 ) having the appropriately positioned color keying stops ( 330 ; fig3 ) and members ( 340 ; fig3 ) to pass , while causing an interference fit that prevents the passage of a backward insertion stop ( 320 ; fig3 ) and / or a backward insertion member ( 310 ; fig3 ). fig5 further illustrates a number of components of the present exemplary carriage assembly ( 220 ). as illustrated in fig5 , a color key extrusion ( 500 ) in the form of an extruding member may be formed on the sidewall ( 460 ) of the exemplary carriage assembly ( 220 ). according to one exemplary carriage assembly ( 220 ), the color key extrusion ( 500 ) is selectively extruded relative to the color keying track depression ( 450 ) of the guide track ( 410 ). accordingly , the size , shape , and relative orientation of the color keying track depression ( 450 ) and the color key extrusion ( 500 ) may be modified to selectively accept a desired color keying member ( 340 ; fig3 ) and an associated color keying stop ( 330 ; fig3 ), while preventing the unrestricted passage of undesired color keying stops ( 330 ; fig3 ). according to one exemplary configuration , an undesired color keying stop ( 330 ; fig3 ) will be positioned relative to its corresponding color keying member ( 340 ; fig3 ) to produce an interference fit when passed by the color key extrusion ( 500 ) of the carriage assembly ( 220 ). accordingly , when a user attempts to insert an inkjet pen ( 230 ; fig3 ) being filled with a wrong color or a wrong fluid type , the relative position of the color keying stops ( 330 ; fig3 ) and the color keying extrusion ( 500 ) will generate an interference and a hard stop during insertion , thereby notifying the user of an erroneous fit . fig6 further illustrates a perspective view of one exemplary carriage assembly ( 220 ). as illustrated in fig6 , a plurality of sidewalls ( 460 ) form a pen cavity ( 400 ) that is configured to receive an inkjet pen ( 230 ; fig3 ). as mentioned previously , the guide track ( 410 ) and other components of the exemplary carriage assembly ( 220 ), in conjunction with formed insertion components of the inkjet pen ( 230 ; fig3 ) provide for improved front loading of inkjet pens into the pen cavity ( 400 ) of the carriage assembly , thereby fool proofing the swapping of color and black pens by a customer , and enhancing the fool proofing of backwards insertion by the customer . fig7 illustrates an exemplary method for inserting an inkjet pen into an exemplary carriage assembly . as shown in fig7 , the present exemplary method begins by first beginning the insertion of an inkjet pen into an exemplary carriage assembly ( step 700 ). once started on the guide track , the pen is then advanced until it is placed adjacent to the backwards installation features of the exemplary carriage assembly ( step 710 ). once adjacent to the backwards installation features of the exemplary carriage assembly , a user may determine immediately whether the current inkjet pen can be easily advanced past the backwards installation features ( step 720 ). if the inkjet pen cannot be easily advanced beyond the backwards installation feature ( no , step 720 ), a backwards loading of the inkjet pen is indicated and the pen should be removed and reversed ( step 730 ) prior to further insertion ( step 700 ). if , however , the inkjet pen is easily advanced beyond the backwards installation feature ( yes , step 720 ), the inkjet pen may be further advanced along the guide track into the carriage assembly until it meets the color keying feature ( step 740 ). once in contact with the color keying feature , a user may determine whether the inkjet pen is easily advanced past the color keying feature ( step 750 ). if the inkjet pen is not easily advanced past the color keying feature ( no ; step 750 ), the inkjet pen does not correspond to the carriage assembly and another inkjet pen should be selected ( step 760 ) and inserted into the carriage assembly . if , however , the inkjet pen easily advances past the color keying feature ( yes , step 750 ), an inkjet pen containing the correct color of jettable fluid is being inserted and the pen may be advanced into its final position on the carriage datums ( step 770 ). if the inkjet pen does not rest properly on the carriage datums ( no , step 770 ), a different pen should be selected ( step 760 ) and installed . if , however , the pen is able to rest in the final position on the carriage datums ( yes , step 770 ), the correct inkjet pen is properly installed into the carriage assembly and the insertion process is complete . further details of the above - mentioned exemplary method will now be described in further detail below with reference to fig7 through 12 . as illustrated in fig7 , the present method begins by presenting a desired inkjet pen ( 230 ; fig2 ) to a carriage assembly ( 220 ; fig2 ) and beginning the insertion of the pen ( step 700 ). fig8 illustrates the start of an exemplary insertion of the inkjet pen ( 230 ) into a carriage assembly ( 220 ). as shown in fig8 , the insertion of the inkjet pen ( 230 ) into a carriage assembly ( 220 ) is initiated by placing the color keying member ( 340 ) on the pen guide track ( 410 ). as mentioned previously , the color keying member ( 340 ) is extruded from the side of the desired inkjet pen ( 230 ; fig2 ) such that it may be slideably coupled to the inwardly extruding pen guide track ( 410 ). according to this exemplary configuration , the profile of the pen guide track is configured to modify the z position of the inkjet pen ( 230 ) as the inkjet pen is translated in the positive and / or negative y direction . as the color keying member ( 340 ) is slideably translated across the pen guide track ( 410 ), the color keying stops ( 330 ) and members ( 340 ) will first encounter the backwards installation member ( step 710 ; fig7 ), as illustrated in fig9 . according to the exemplary carriage assembly ( 220 ) illustrated in fig9 , the backwards installation member ( 430 ) extruding down from the carriage assembly ( 220 ) towards the pen guide track ( 410 ) restricts the height of the passage along the pen guide track ( 410 ). consequently , any extrusions that exceed the restricted height of the passage between the pen guide track ( 410 ) and the backwards installation member ( 430 ) will experience an interference with the backwards installation member ( 430 ) upon insertion . this feature allows for the fool proofing of backward insertion of pens by customers . fig1 illustrates how the restricted passage height created by the backwards installation member ( 430 ) works in conjunction with the backwards insertion stop ( 320 ) and the backward insertion member ( 310 ) to prevent the potentially damaging backwards insertion of an inkjet pen ( 230 ). as illustrated in fig1 , the backwards insertion stop ( 320 ) and the backward insertion member ( 320 ) of the exemplary inkjet pen ( 230 ) have a combined height that substantially exceeds the restricted height of the passage between the pen guide tack ( 410 ) and the backwards installation member ( 430 ). consequently , when the exemplary inkjet pen is inserted as illustrated in fig1 , the backward insertion member ( 310 ) follows the pen guide track ( 410 ), forcing the backwards insertion stop ( 320 ) into an interference with the backwards installation member ( 430 ). the interference will provide a user with immediate feedback that the inkjet pen ( 230 ) is not oriented properly to be inserted into the exemplary carriage assembly ( 220 ) and must consequently be removed and reversed prior to insertion ( step 730 ; fig7 ). returning again to fig9 , if a properly oriented inkjet pen ( 230 ) is placed in contact with the restricted passage height created by the backwards installation member ( 430 ), the offset and relative height of the color keying member ( 340 ) and the color keying stop ( 330 ) will be configured to pass by the restricted passage height without interference as the color keying member ( 340 ) traces the profile of the pen guide track ( 410 ). this will allow the inkjet pen ( 230 ) to freely advance to the color key extrusion ( 500 ) portion of the carriage assembly ( step 740 ; fig7 ). as illustrated in fig1 , the inkjet pen ( 230 ) is advanced so as to place the color keying stop ( 330 ) adjacent to the color key extrusion ( 500 ). as the inkjet pen ( 230 ) approaches the color key extrusion ( 500 ), the height and placement of the color keying stop ( 330 ) relative to the color keying member ( 340 ) and the location of the color key extrusion ( 500 ) with respect to the color keying track depression ( 450 ) will dictate whether the inkjet pen will be permitted to be fully inserted into the exemplary carriage assembly ( 220 ). as previously mentioned , inkjet pens having varying colors will have analogous varying configurations of the color keying stop ( 330 ) and the color keying member ( 340 ). similarly , the carriage assemblies ( 220 ) configured to receive the varying color pens will have varyingly positioned color keying stops ( 330 ) and color key extrusions ( 500 ). as illustrated in fig1 , if an inkjet pen ( 230 ) containing a wrong color of fluid is inserted into the exemplary carriage assembly ( 220 ), a color keying stop ( 330 ) will contact the color key extrusion ( 500 ) portion of the carriage assembly ( 220 ) before the color keying member is allowed to submerge into the color keying track depression ( 450 ). this interference between the color key extrusion ( 500 ) and the color keying stop ( 330 ) will prevent complete insertion of the inkjet pen ( no , step 750 ; fig7 ) containing a wrong color . the interference between the color key extrusion ( 500 ) and the color keying stop ( 330 ) will provide immediate feedback to the user clearly indicating that the inkjet pen ( 230 ) being inserted into the carriage assembly ( 220 ) is not a correct color or type . as a result , the user will know that a different pen should be selected ( step 760 ; fig7 ). however , if the height and placement of the color keying stop ( 330 ) relative to the color keying member ( 340 ) correspond to the location of the color key extrusion ( 500 ) with respect to the color keying track depression ( 450 ), the inkjet pen will easily advance past the color keying feature ( yes , step 750 ; fig7 ) without interference and be readily positioned onto the carriage datum features ( 440 ). also illustrated in fig1 , as the inkjet pen ( 230 ) is advanced along the pen guide track ( 410 ) in the positive y direction , the pen is elevated in the positive z direction . as illustrated , a number of inclines are formed in the profile of the inwardly extruding guide track ( 410 ). as the color keying member ( 340 ) is translated across the profile of the inwardly extruding guide track ( 410 ) in the positive y direction , the entire inkjet pen ( 230 ), including the y datum feature ( 300 ), is elevated in the positive z direction . as illustrated in fig1 , the increased elevation of the inkjet pen ( 230 ) allows the y datum feature ( 300 ) to be transported up and over corresponding carriage datum features ( 440 ) until the inkjet pen is seated in the color keying track depression ( 450 ). fig1 illustrates an exemplary inkjet pen ( 230 ) correctly seated in the color keying track depression ( 450 ). as shown , when the color keying member ( 340 ) drops into the color keying track depression ( 450 ), the y datum feature ( 300 ) receives the carriage datum ( 440 ). according to the exemplary carriage assembly ( 220 ) shown in fig1 , by seating the y datum feature ( 300 ) onto the carriage datum features ( 440 ), correct and secure placement of the inkjet pen ( 220 ) is assured . in conclusion , the present system and method allow the customer to install the pen with one smooth frontward motion . additionally , if a wrong pen is being inserted into a carriage , and / or the carriage is being installed with an erroneous orientation , the customer receives immediate feedback , in the form of a physical stop , indicating that the pen is being inserted in an inappropriate manner . this immediate feedback is provided to the user before the pen can be plugged into a cavity , thereby preventing a potentially damaging result . the preceding description has been presented only to illustrate and describe exemplary embodiments of the present system and method . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the system and method to any precise form disclosed . many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching . it is intended that the scope of the system and method be defined by the following claims .	1
referring now to the drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts through the several views , fig1 a - 2 illustrate various embodiments of the system and method for forming laminated cartons according to the principles of the present invention . the system generally comprises a laminating line or system , indicated at 10 in fig1 a - 2 . a series of material webs or sheets , generally including at least a first web 11 , and a second web 12 , may be conveyed through the laminating line of system 10 , with each of the first and second web being conveyed along a separate path of travel indicated by arrows 13 and 14 , respectively , toward a laminating station 16 . the first and second webs each can be formed from various types of carton materials including paperboard , cardboard , and other paper products , as well as plastics or other synthetic materials as will be known and understood by those skilled in the art . typically , the first web 11 may be a printed web having graphics , text , or combinations thereof , typically printed along an upper or first surface 17 , as indicated in fig1 b , typically separated or repeated in sections or segments , as indicated at 18 in fig1 b , corresponding to carton blanks that will be later formed . the first web also can include printing or graphics along its lower , second or bottom surface 19 as so desired . other indicia such as ink marks or registration marks , indicated at 21 in fig2 and 3 , also can be applied in white or unprinted spaces 22 along the upper surface of the first web , at points corresponding to flap portions along which the later formed cartons will be folded and attached together . as illustrated in fig1 a - 2 , a sensor 25 generally may be mounted along the path of travel 13 of the first web 11 in a position to read the print , registration marks , or other indicia printed on at least one surface , typically on the upper surface 17 , of the first web 11 . for example , in addition to reading print or registration marks , the sensor can be programmed to detect on the first web changes in color ( e . g ., a transition from a white , unprinted section 22 of the web to a printed section 18 ), color blocks , or various other indicia that would indicate side edges , fold points , and / or leading or trailing edges of what will later be the assembled cartons . the sensor may be a photoelectric sensor , such as manufactured by eltromat , or other similar type sensor or detector , and may be mounted on a carriage or support so as to enable movement or adjustment of the position across the width of the first web as desired or needed . approximately simultaneously with the movement of the first web 11 toward the laminating station 16 , the second web 12 ( fig1 a - 2 ) may be conveyed along its path of travel 14 toward the laminating station 16 . the second web 12 can be formed from the same or similar materials to the first web , i . e ., a paperboard , cardboard or similar product , and / or also can be formed from various synthetic or other known reinforcing materials . it is not necessary , however , that the first and second webs be formed of the same or similar materials , and can include other types of materials such as plastic strips , etc . as indicated in fig1 a and 1b , the second web may be of a size or width approximately equal to that of the first web , although it also can be of a smaller or lesser size , and will include an upper surface 27 and a lower surface 28 . as a further alternative , as shown in fig2 , the web can be formed as a series of one or more strips or ribbons that can be selectively attached to desired portions or sections of the first web for providing reinforcement or support at such desired areas . as indicated in fig1 a - 2 , one or more various operative assemblies or stations , generally indicated at 30 , can be positioned along the path of travel 14 of the second web . typically , such operative stations 30 may include at least an adhesive station 21 , including one or more adhesive applicators or nozzles 32 . as shown in fig1 a - 2 , the adhesive applicators may be controlled to selectively apply beads or lines 33 of an adhesive material or glue , such as a cold set or hot melt adhesive as is conventionally used in the art , to the upper surface 27 of the second web . typically , the adhesive application station 31 may be positioned as close as possible to the laminating station 16 so as to minimize the drying or setting of the adhesive before the first and second webs are laminated together . those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that any adhesive material that will adhere two webs together may be used in the present invention . other operative stations 30 can include a print station 36 ( fig1 b ), which typically includes a print head 37 that is mounted on a carrier or guide and which can be moveable laterally across the lower surface 28 of the second web 12 in the direction of arrows 38 and 38 ′. the print head 37 may comprise an ink jet or similar type printer head that can apply graphics , text , or other printing at desired locations along the lower surface 28 of the second web . it is also possible for the second web to be pre - printed with text , graphics , etc . still further , a cutting station 40 ( fig2 ), typically including a die cutter 41 or similar cutting mechanisms such as a knife blade or rotary cutter , can be positioned upstream from the adhesive station 31 in a position for engaging and cutting away selected portions 42 of the second web as indicated in fig2 . the cutaway portions 42 generally may correspond to portions or sections ( shown in dashed lines 43 ) of the first web 11 that will be later cut and stripped away upon forming the carton blanks after the first and second webs have been laminated together . the operation of the cutter 41 may be controlled based upon tension of the second web to stamp or cut the web quicker or slower ( i . e ., after a delay ) to ensure registration of the cut portions of each web downstream . the operation of adhesive station 31 , printing station 36 , and cutting station 40 may be controlled by a system control for the laminating line 10 in response to detection or reading of various indicia such as registration or print marks 21 , transitions between printing sections 18 , or other indicia along the upper surface 17 of the first web 11 by the sensor 25 . thus , in the system of the present invention , the sensor 25 may be used to read and control the application of adhesive , as well as for controlling various other operations , including cutting , printing , and / or other operations along the second web , which is moving in timed relationship and registration with the first web . each of the webs further will be under tension control , as understood in the art , to match the tension of each web within a close range with respect to the other web , based upon the weight of the web substrate , to substantially reduce or minimize curl in the webs and help ensure proper registration of the webs downstream . adjustments to the tension of the webs generally will be made as needed during operation of the laminating line by control and adjustment of the feeding of the webs from their upstream supply roll . as indicated in fig1 b and 3 , the adhesive applicators 32 may be controlled by the sensor 25 reading various programmed indicia printed along the first web so as to selectively apply the beads or lines 33 of the adhesive material at desired or selected points along and across the second web prior to lamination of the first and second webs together . for example , the adhesive applicators may apply a consistent line or band of adhesive , e . g ., ¼ to 1 inch thick line of adhesive along portions of the second web corresponding to the cut , leading , and trailing edges and along the side edges of later formed carton blanks , so as to ensure against separation of the two webs or plies after lamination and cutting . at other points , such as in the middle of the second web , the adhesive may be applied more sporadically , such as by stopping and starting operation of the adhesive applicators to limit the application of the adhesive , in spots or along portions where a significantly reduced amount of adhesive is required to secure the laminated webs together in order to conserve or minimize the amount of adhesive used and thus avoid waste of the adhesive . additionally , at areas that will be stripped or cut away from the later formed laminated carton blanks , the adhesive applicators can be controlled to stop the application of adhesive so that no adhesive will be applied to such areas or portions , such as indicated at 44 in fig3 to further avoid waste or unnecessary application of adhesive . the amount of adhesive needed , as well as the locations for applying the adhesive , can be varied , and may be determined based on a variety of factors , including carton materials , adhesive materials , and desired strength of the carton . the reading of the print or other indicia on the first web of the sensor also may be used in the present invention to control cutting and / or printing along the second web as needed or desired , typically in addition to the application of adhesive to the second web . it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various combinations of adhesive , cutting , and printing stations may be utilized in the present invention with the operation of each of the stations being controlled by the reading of print or other indicia along the upper surface of the first web by sensor 25 . a laminating station , as defined herein , includes any structures or process that can urge the first and second webs into adhesive contact . for example , as indicated in fig1 a - 2 , the laminating station 16 may include a pair of compression or nip rolls 46 that apply a compression force so as to urge the first and second webs into tight adhesive contact . in this arrangement , a laminated sheet of carton material is formed , from which reinforced carton blanks 50 ( fig3 ) may be stamped or otherwise formed at a downstream cutting or stamping station ( not shown ). the process of the present invention further enables the reduction and conservation of adhesive material required for forming the resultant reinforced laminated cartons . the reduction may be achieved by controlling the application of the adhesive to the second web in response to detection of print or other indicia printed along the first web by a sensor . the sensor readings can also be used to control further operations conducted on the second web , including cutting or printing , with the second web thereafter being moved in timed relation into registration with the first web . it will be understood by those skilled in the art that while the present invention has been discussed above with respect to various preferred embodiments and / or features thereof , numerous changes , modifications , additions and deletions can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims .	1
the focus of early wireless systems , particularly first - generation analog systems , was primarily voice communication . with second - generation wireless systems , including cdma , tdma and global system for mobile communications ( gsm ), came varying degrees of improvement in terms of voice quality , network capacity and enhanced services . however , while second - generation systems are suitable to the provision of voice , low rate data , fax and messaging , they are generally not able to effectively address requirements for high - speed mobile data rates . the evolution to third - generation wireless communications represents , essentially , a paradigm shift to the world of multimedia mobile communications , where users will have access not just to voice services but also to video , image , text , graphic and data communications . the third - generation networks are expected to provide mobile users with data rates of between 144 kbps and 2 mbps . nonetheless , in wireless networks supporting higher speed data communications applications , burst transmissions must be managed very carefully to avoid power overload or unacceptable interference when handling higher speed applications and other applications ( e . g ., voice calls ). as will be shown hereafter , the invention provides a novel methodology that increases the performance of wireless communication systems by managing the assignment of burst transmissions with respect to such higher speed data applications so as to reduce intra - system interference . although the invention will be hereafter described in terms of a preferred embodiment based on cdma encoding of the wireless signals , it should be apparent that the methodology of the invention can also be applied for other wireless channelization arrangements , including tdma and gsm . in the establishment of a wireless communication system , system designers may configure various cell sizes ( such as macrocells and microcells ) and different transmission power levels , depending on coverage considerations . for example , in an area such as a valley where there is a shortfall in coverage , microcells of small sizes and relatively lesser transmission power may be installed to ensure satisfactory transmission quality . in a high - traffic area such as an airport terminal , microcells may be configured within macrocells to enhance transmission capacity . furthermore , specific cells may be configured to operate at reduced power levels because of power optimization considerations . as a result , base transceiver stations ( btss ) in neighboring cells ( or sectors ) may be transmitting at significantly different power levels due to power optimization and / or coverage enhancement considerations . as can thus be seen , it is not unusual for neighboring cells / sectors to be using different maximum forward - link transmit power . however , the reverse link for each of the neighboring btss , being established by an ms radiating the same power in an essentially omni - directional pattern , can still have roughly the same coverage in a cell having low forward - link power and a neighboring cell having high forward link power . the phenomenon of forward and reverse link coverage being non - symmetric among neighboring cells is often characterized as link imbalance . for the low - power cell , this reverse - link power transmission from an ms in a link - imbalance situation can cause serious interference problems for other mss served by that cell &# 39 ; s bts . specifically , such a link - imbalanced ms may be within the same proximity of the low - power bts as for mss served by that bts , but transmitting at substantially higher power than those other mss . in that circumstance , the transmitted power from the link - imbalance ms is likely to jam the reverse - link signals of the other mss and thereby substantially diminish the signal quality of transmissions from those mss to their serving bts . this problem will be particularly acute when the link - imbalance ms is actively transmitting high - speed data , which uses a higher transmitting power than voice or other lower data - rate signals , and is thus even more likely to cause reverse - link jamming for mss in a low - power cell . fig1 illustrates an exemplary link imbalance scenario with a macrocell ( served by a bts named bts 1 ) and a microcell ( served by a bts named bts 2 ) whose coverage areas overlap . referring to the figure , mobile stations ( ms ) are located throughout the coverage areas of bts 1 and bts 2 . in particular , ms 1 is situated within the coverage area of bts 1 but outside of the coverage area of bts 2 . bts 2 , serving the microcell , has lesser transmission power because of its small coverage area . even though ms is physically closer to the microcell ( served by bts 2 ), the signal strength received by ms 1 from bts 2 can be quite low relative to that received from bts 1 . since bts 1 ( serving the macrocell ) operates with higher transmission power , the relative signal strength received by ms 1 from bts 1 may well be stronger than that received from bts , even though msis considerably closer to bts 2 . consider , for example , the case of the forward transmission power of bts 2 , serving the microcell , being 10 db ( decibel ) lower than that of bts 1 , serving the macrocell . consider further that bts 2 has 6 db less path loss to the ms compared to that from bts 1 because ms 1 is physically closer to bts 2 . therefore , in terms of relative signal strength , ms 1 receives a signal from bts 2 ( microcell ) which is 4 db less than that received from bts 1 ( macrocell ). based on signal strength measurements in the forward link , ms 1 thus appears to be far away from bts 2 and therefore may not be included in the active set of btss serving ms 1 . in that circumstance , bts 2 will not have any power control relationship with ms 1 and accordingly no basis for directing ms 1 to use a lower transmit power ( not withstanding that ms 1 may be transmitting with sufficient power to seriously degrade communications between bts 2 and its served mss ). according to the methodology of the invention , an evaluation set ( e - set ) of btss is selected , which is a super set of an active set of btss serving a particular ms . the impact of reverse - link jamming is then evaluated with respect to each of the btss in the e - set . because of link imbalance , monitoring and detecting the relative signal strength in the forward link cannot accurately reflect the actual physical location of the ms with respect to a particular bts . path loss in the reverse link is a better and more accurate indication of the physical location of the ms with respect to the btss . btss having relatively less reverse link path loss ( such as bts 2 serving the microcell in fig1 ) are included in the e - set . the methodology of the invention is hereinafter described in further detail . fig2 is a flow diagram illustrating the methodology of the invention . referring to the figure , the relative signal strength received at the ms from neighboring btss is detected in step 201 . by monitoring and measuring the reverse jamming effect in the btss , the path loss of a transmission path is evaluated in step 202 . in step 203 , btss which are not in the active set of btss in communication with the particular ms are combined with the active set , to produce a super set of btss called an evaluation set , or e - set . in step 204 , an affordable data rate is determined for each of the btss in the e - set in communication with the ms . in step 205 , a data rate is determined for transmission of data between the btss in the e - set and the ms by selecting the minimum affordable data rate of btss in the e - set . referring to step 206 , a reverse link transmission may be terminated — particularly a high - power , high - data - rate transmission — or a power reduction directed , if reverse channel jamming for a bts in the e - set is detected . interference problems when transmitting high - speed data in the reverse link may thereby be largely avoided . referring to step 201 of fig2 the relative signal strength is detected by monitoring and reporting the forward pilot e c / i o , ( or relative signal strength ) received at the ms from neighboring btss . the neighboring btss are btss in the geographical proximity of the ms , but may or may not be in the active set of btss that are in communication with the ms . a particular criterion for incorporating a bts into the e - set is the path loss threshold . in an illustrative embodiment , the path loss threshold may be determined in relation to measuring the reverse jamming effect . the bsc ( base station controller ) can instruct the ms to report the power measurements which are above a certain threshold ( e . g ., t_report ) along with a burst transmission request in the reverse link . for the described illustrative embodiment in a case where a threshold set for soft handoff ( t_add ) is established at − 14 db , the threshold ( t_report ) might be selected to be − 19 db . referring to step 202 of fig2 the bsc then performs the calculation of the reverse jamming effect for the btss in evaluating the path loss . one way of defining the reverse jamming effect is to measure the relative reverse net path loss for the btss , which is : j — k = rxe c / i o − bts _ktx − bts — k floor where j_k is the jamming effect in the transmission path between a particular bts ( k ) and the ms , j_max is the maximum jamming effect in the transmission path between the bts ( k ), rx e c / i o is the relative signal strength received at the ms , bts_k tx is the transmission power of the bts ( k ), and bts_k floor is the noise floor of the bts ( k ) including the injected noise for desensitization purposes . the reverse jamming effect of the btss is measured in db . referring to step 203 of fig2 an evaluation set ( e - set ) of btss is determined from a super set of btss that include the active set of btss in communication with the ms . using the jamming effect calculated for the bts ( k ), the e - set can be expressed in the following : where δ is the relative jamming effect threshold . in general , the relative jamming effect threshold is in the range of 2 to 5 db . the e - set includes btss in the active set , and any bts with a maximum jamming effect within the range of the relative jamming effect threshold ( δ ). referring to step 204 of fig2 an affordable data rate is determined for each of the btss in the e - set in communication with the ms . for each bts in the e - set , the bsc calculates the affordable data rate as follows : r max =  ( l up - l )   w · finger   efficiency ( adjusted   e b n t )  where l is the current reverse link loading estimation , w is the frequency bandwidth ( e . g ., 3 . 75 mhz ), l up is the tolerable upper bound of reverse loading , finger efficiency is the ratio of energy received by the rake receiver in the ms to the actual total energy , and adjusted e b / n t is the power adjustment . note that all terms in this requirement are linear ( not in db ). conversion from log value to linear value is required for expressing the terms in db . the adjusted e b / n t , is determined as follows : if the bts is in the active set , adjusted   e b n t =  measured   pilot   sir   pilot_rate ch_rate · ch_power pilot_ch  _power · 10 0 . 1 * offset_rp  where pilot_rate is the inverse of the pilot integration period , measured pilot sir is for the reverse link pilot , offset_rp ( in db ) is a parameter to account for the difference in reverse power requirement due to the difference in target fer ( frame error rate ) and coding structure and the channel rate . if the bts is not in the active set , adjusted   e b / n t = ( adjusted   e b / n t   at   the   strongest   bts   in   the   active   set ) * adjusted   e b n t =  measured   pilot   sir   pilot_rate ch_rate · ch_power pilot_ch  _power · 10 0 . 1 * offset_rp  referring to step 205 of fig2 the minimum of the affordable data rates of btss in the e - set is selected as the data rate for transmission of data between the btss in the e - set and the ms . operation of the method of the invention can be described in terms of an exemplary active set of { a , b }, where a and b are btss serving a particular ms . according to the invention , btss in the geographical area proximate to the ms are monitored for reverse jamming effect . for this example , it is determined that the reverse link jamming effect at c is significant and over a predetermined path loss threshold . an e - set is then constructed , which comprises the set of btss { a , b , c }. a reverse link data rate is selected for the e - set as the minimum of the data rate which each bts in the e - set can tolerate with experienced reverse - link jamming . algebraically , that acceptable data rate would be stated as : referring to step 206 of fig2 in the event that a bts in the e - set is experiencing problems due to strong interference in the reverse link for served mss , the bts can notify the base station controller ( bsc ) in the wireless system to adjust the transmission power of the offending ms or cause it to terminate the particular burst transmission . note that the method of the invention applies not only to burst transmissions but also to resolving channel interference with mss operating at lower power output . interference problems of reverse data transmissions with mss which do not have any power control relationship with the bts due to link imbalance are thus avoided . those skilled in the art will recognize that there are many configurations of wireless systems not specifically described herein but for which the methodology of the invention may be applied . although the invention is described in its preferred embodiments , it is not intended to limit the invention to the precise embodiments disclosed herein . in particular , the invention can be utilized for third - generation mobile or personal communication systems that offer a multitude of data services in different operating scenarios , such as telephony , teleconference , voice mail , program sound , video telephony , video conference , remote terminal , user profile editing , telefax , voiceband data , database access , message broadcast , unrestricted digital information , navigation , location and internet access services . the methodology of the invention can also be utilized in second - generation systems , or any system that has burst transmission capability . accordingly , this description is to be construed as illustrative only . those skilled in this technology can make various alterations and modifications without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention . therefore , the scope of the invention shall be defined and protected by the following claims and their equivalents . the invention is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein . the exclusive use of all modifications within the scope of the claims is reserved .	8
the drawing figures are intended to illustrate the general manner of construction and are not necessarily to scale . in the detailed description and in the drawing figures , specific illustrative examples are shown and herein described in detail . it should be understood , however , that the drawing figures and detailed description are not intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed , but are merely illustrative and intended to teach one of ordinary skill how to make and / or use the invention claimed herein and for setting forth the best mode for carrying out the invention . with reference to the drawing figures and with particular reference to fig1 , ejection seat 10 comprises a seat frame 12 having a seat pan portion 14 and a seat back portion 16 . seat frame 12 is formed of any suitable material including aluminum alloys , titanium alloys and / or composite materials but in the embodiment of fig1 is composed of aluminum alloy . ejection seat 10 is launched conventionally by means of a catapult and a solid rocket motor which propels ejection seat 10 out of the aircraft along launch rail 18 . a lower support arm 20 is attached to frame 12 by means of a ratcheting hinge 24 , the purpose of which will be explained more fully herein after . lower support arm 22 is similarly attached to frame 12 by means of a ratcheting hinge ( not shown ). an upper support arm 26 is attached to frame 12 with a conventional non - ratcheting hinge 30 . upper support arm 28 is similarly attached to frame 12 by means of a non - ratcheting hinge ( not shown ). upper and lower support arms 20 , 22 , 26 , 28 may be formed of any suitably strong , rigid and lightweight material such as carbon fiber , titanium or aluminum alloy but in the illustrative embodiment of fig1 , arms 20 , 22 , 26 and 28 are formed of high - strength aluminum alloy having an i - beam cross section to maximize the area moment of inertia of the arms . a primary cable 32 is secured at its upper end 34 to seat frame 12 . the lower end 36 of primary cable 32 is spliced to a lower support cable 38 which is secured at its ends 40 , 41 to seat frame 12 . primary cable 42 is similarly secured to seat frame 12 at its upper end 44 and is secured at its lower end 46 to a lower support cable 48 which is secured at its ends to seat frame 12 . primary cable 32 is routed through an eye at the free end 50 of lower support arm 20 and through an eye located at the free end 52 of upper support arm 26 . primary cable 42 is similarly routed through eyes in the free ends 54 , 56 of lower support arm 22 and upper support arm 28 , respectively . a secondary cable 60 is attached to frame 12 at an upper end 62 . the lower end 64 of secondary cable 60 is attached to one of a plurality of tertiary cables 66 that run between frame 12 and a plurality of eyes located at free end 50 of lower support arm 20 . secondary cable 68 is of substantially identical construction as secondary cable 60 and therefore will not be discussed in detail herein . as can be determined from an inspection of fig1 , the cables discussed hereinbefore form a net - like backstop 70 , 72 composed of a plurality of shrouds having very little frontal area that would cause wind resistance as compared with the area contained within the perimeter of primary cables 32 and 42 . the cables forming backstops 70 and 72 may be of any suitable material having sufficiently low elongation such that the force of the occupant &# 39 ; s arm striking the backstop does not deform the backstop a sufficient distance for the occupant &# 39 ; s arms to impact the support arms 20 , 22 , 26 , 28 . in the embodiment of fig1 , the cables comprise a woven aramid fiber having an elongation of approximately five percent ( 5 %). the length of the cables are chosen such that as the arms deploy , the cables are tensioned to approximately 200 lbs . such that upon impact with a 90 th percentile occupant &# 39 ; s arms at 600 knots , the backstop deforms and recovers no more than 3 inches , preferably between 1 - 2 inches and most preferably approximately one inch at its maximum deflection . fig2 - 4 show the operation of ejection 10 . with reference to fig2 , backstop 70 is shown in its undeployed condition with arms 20 , 22 , 26 , 28 folded against seat back 16 within container 74 . attenuator 78 is attached via deployment cable 80 which is attached to anchor 82 secured to the aircraft frame . as shown in fig3 , as ejection seat 10 is propelled out of the aircraft , attenuator 78 pulls lower support arm 20 out of container 74 and along with it primary cable 32 and the remaining components of backstop 70 . a splice , cable stop or similar device 84 is attached to primary cable 32 at a predetermined location . as lower support arm 20 is deployed by attenuator 78 cable stop 84 deploys upper support arm 26 to its deployed position . this method of deployment causes primary cable 22 and lower support cable 38 to tension before secondary cable 60 . thus , the section below lower support arm 20 is fully tensioned when lower support arm 20 is at an angle 10 degrees above horizontal while the section above lower support arm 20 is fully tensioned when lower support arm 20 is about 20 degrees below horizontal ( relative to the seat back ). the function of cable stop 86 acting on upper support arm 28 is substantially identical and therefore will not be discussed in detail herein . attenuator 88 acts in a similar manner as attenuator 78 to deploy lower support arm 22 . as show in fig4 , as ejection seat 10 exits the aircraft , deployment cable 80 continues to pull lower support arm 20 downward thereby tensioning the cables that form backstop 70 . at a predetermined tension , a rip stitch in attenuator 78 fractures allowing deployment cable 80 to separate from attenuator 78 . the ratcheting hinge 24 attaching lower support arm 20 to frame 12 then locks lower support arm 20 in position against the tension of primary , secondary and tertiary cables , 32 , 60 , 66 . lower support arm 22 is similarly locked in position by means of its ratcheting hinge . as ejection seat 10 enters the windblast , the occupant &# 39 ; s arms flail backwards until they impact backstops 70 , 72 , which safely arrest the rearward motion of the occupant &# 39 ; s arms . because the frontal area of backstop 70 and 72 is less than ten percent ( 10 %), preferably less than five percent ( 5 %) of the area contained within the perimeter of primary cables 32 , 42 , the windblast itself safely holds the occupant &# 39 ; s arms against the backstop until the ejection seat has slowed to a speed enabling safe separation from the seat . as can be determined from an inspection of fig1 , although backstops 70 and 72 deploy outward , they do not deploy perpendicular to the forward direction of ejection seat 10 but are deployed forward approximately 15 degrees from perpendicular . accordingly , the invention is not intended to be limited to a backstop in which the entirety of the structure is rearward of the occupant . any structure in which the occupant &# 39 ; s arms are allowed to intentionally flail backwards until the rearward motion is arrested by a backstop with the occupant &# 39 ; s arms at a sufficiently oblique angle to the windblast that the windblast itself holds the occupant &# 39 ; s arms safely against the backstop is considered within the scope of the invention . accordingly , although in the illustrative embodiment the forward angle of the backstop is approximately 15 degrees , a forward deployment of zero up to 30 , 35 or even 40 degrees forward of perpendicular is considered within the scope of the invention as is any angle of deployment in which the entirely of the structure is rearward of the occupant &# 39 ; s elbows at the moment of initiation of the ejection sequence . although certain illustrative embodiments and methods have been disclosed herein , it will be apparent from the foregoing disclosure to those skilled in the art that variations and modifications of such embodiments and methods may be made without departing from the invention . accordingly , it is intended that the invention should be limited only to the extent required by the appended claims and the rules and principles of applicable law . additionally , as used herein , unless otherwise specifically defined , the terms “ substantially ” or “ generally ” when used with mathematical concepts or measurements mean within ± 10 degrees of angle or within 10 percent of the measurement , whichever is greater .	1
the various features of the invention will now be described with respect to the figures , in which like parts are identified with the same reference characters . these and other aspects of the invention will now be described in greater detail in connection with a number of exemplary embodiments . to facilitate an understanding of the invention , many aspects of the invention are described in terms of sequences of actions to be performed by elements of a computer system . it will be recognized that in each of the embodiments , the various actions could be performed by specialized circuits ( e . g ., discrete logic gates interconnected to perform a specialized function ), by program instructions being executed by one or more processors , or by a combination of both . moreover , the invention can additionally be considered to be embodied entirely within any form of computer readable storage medium having stored therein an appropriate set of computer instructions that would cause a processor to carry out the techniques described herein . thus , the various aspects of the invention may be embodied in many different forms , and all such forms are contemplated to be within the scope of the invention . for each of the various aspects of the invention , any such form of embodiment may be referred to herein as “ logic configured to ” perform a described action , or alternatively as “ logic that ” performs a described action . the invention provides methods and apparatuses that enable a peak value of an analog signal to be estimated from only two sample points , one on each side of the peak . more particularly , the peak value of the analog signal is estimated by selecting two sample points that are considered to be on either side of the peak , and then determining a peak value estimate as a function of the relative magnitudes between the two selected sample points . various embodiments of the invention will now be described in greater detail . in the following discussion , the notation y 1 shall be used to denote the largest value of a set of signal samples , and y 2 shall be used to denote the second largest value of the set of signal samples that is adjacent ( i . e ., just before or just after ) the first largest value . the samples y 1 and y 2 are considered to have been determined at respective sampling times s 1 and s 2 , where \| t \|=\| s 1 − s 2 \| is the known interval between consecutive sample points . for the sake of simplicity , only positive valued signals ( and hence positive valued sample points ) are considered here . however , the invention is equally applicable to negative valued samples , in which case the terms “ largest ” and “ second largest ” refer to the absolute magnitudes of those negative valued samples . referring back now to fig1 it may be assumed that the impulse responses g 1 ( t ) and g 2 ( t ) of the two bandpass filters 105 , 115 are known . it may also be assumed that the channel impulse response , h ( t ) is a constant ( i . e ., h ( t )= a , where a is a constant ) during the length of the impulse responses of g 1 ( t ) and g 2 ( t ). transforming the various impulse responses from the time domain to the frequency domain yields a schematic picture of the system as shown in fig3 and permits the system output to be expressed as follows : y ( τ )= g 1 ( p ) h ( p ) g 2 ( p ) { tilde over ( s )} ( t ) + g 2 ( p ) ñ ( t )\| τ = t 1 , t 2 , ( 1 ) assuming that it is possible to compensate for the noise ( so that the second term in the summation drops out ), and substituting a constant for the more general expression of the channel impulse response yields : y ( τ ) = ag 1 ( p ) g 2 ( p ) { tilde over ( s )} ( t )\| τ = t 1 , t 2 , ( 2 ) denoting the combined filter g 1 ( p ) g 2 ( p ) by g ( p ) yields : y ( τ ) = ag ( p ) { tilde over ( s )} ( t )\| τ = t 1 , t 2 , ( 3 ) y ( τ ) = ag ( t ) \| τ = t 1 , t 2 , . . .= ag ( τ ) ( 4 ) thus , the problem can be formulated as follows . assume that the function g ( τ ) is known , that it is symmetric around the peak , g ( s p ), and that the function g ( τ ) is monotone in the intervals [ s p − t ), ( s p + t ]. the problem , then is to find the peak value of y ( τ )= ag ( τ ) when two sample points ( y ( s 1 ) and y ( s 2 )), one on each side of the peak , are known . the distance t between the two sample points is also assumed to be known , that is , s 1 = s 2 ± t . given the above assumptions , and in accordance with an aspect of the invention , it is observed that the ratio r 1 = g ( s 1 )/ g ( s 2 ) is indicative of the distance that the sample time s 1 is from the unknown sample time of the peak , s p , which can be expressed as \| s p − s 1 \|. ( the ratio r 1 does not indicate the sign of this distance , due to the assumed symmetry of the signal .) for example , when g ( s 1 ) and g ( s 2 ) are the same distance from the peak , g ( s p ), the assumption that the signal is symmetrical about the peak means that g ( s 1 )= g ( s 2 ), so that r 1 = 1 ( its lowest value ). similarly , if the sample value g ( s 1 ) is equal to the peak value , g ( s p ), the difference between g ( s 1 ) and g ( s 2 ) will be at its maximum , which means that the first ratio , r 1 , will also be at its maximum value . it is also observed that the time difference \| s p − s 1 \| uniquely determines a second ratio , r 2 = g ( s p )/ g ( s 1 ). since , as shown above , \| s p − s 1 is a function of s 1 and s 2 , the second ratio can also be expressed as r 2 = f ( s 1 , s 2 ), that is , r 2 is a function of the two sample times , s 1 , and s 2 , where f (·) is known since g ( t ) is known . when \| s p − s 1 \|= 1 , s p = s 1 , so r 2 = 1 ( its minimum value ). similarly , when \| s p − s 1 \| is at its maximum value we have \| s p − s 1 \|= t / 2 , due to the assumption that the signal is symmetrical about its peak so that s 1 , and s 2 are equally distant from s p . what this means is that , like the first ratio r 1 , the second ratio r 2 has a predefined range of values for a given function g (·), and that knowing the first ratio , r 1 makes it possible to determine the second ratio , r 2 . the peak value of the signal , y ( s p ), can then be estimated as follows : measure the values y ( s 1 ) and y ( s 2 ) and calculate : y  ( s 1 ) y  ( s 2 ) = ag  ( s 1 ) ag  ( s 2 ) = r 1 ( 5 ) given a value for the first ratio r 1 , it is then possible to determine a corresponding value for the second ratio r 2 . this in turn makes it possible to calculate a value for y ( s p ) as follows : y ( s p ) ag ( s p ) = ar 2 g ( s 1 ) = r 2 y ( s 1 ) ( 6 ) the calculated value , y ( s p ) will be a more accurate estimate of the peak value of the sampled signal . this , in turn , means that values that are a function of the peak value , such as sir in communications systems ( including but not limited to w - cdma systems ), will also be more accurate , resulting in better system performance . an exemplary embodiment of the invention utilizes a table lookup operation to determine a value of r 2 from a measured value of r 1 . the value of r 2 is then used as shown in equation ( 6 ) to determine the estimated peak signal value , y ( s p ). to create the table , we start with the fact that g ( t ) ( see equation ( 4 )), s 1 , and s 2 are all known . with a fixed sampling period , t , we know that s 1 = s 2 + t . now consider the case in which s 1 = s 2 + t ( the case in which s 1 = s 2 − t is treated analogously ). as noted previously , r 1 = g  ( s 1 ) g  ( s 2 ) . hence , r 1 = g  ( s 1 ) g  ( s 2 ) = g  ( s 1 ) g  ( s 1 + t ) = f 1  ( s 1 ) . it is observed that f 1 is known because g (·) is known . now consider the case in which f 1 is invertible . this means that s 1 = f 1 − 1 ( r 1 ). this gives r 2 = g  ( s p ) g  ( s 1 ) = g  ( s p ) g  ( f 1 - 1 + ( r 1 ) ) . the value of g ( s p ) is known because it is the maximum value of g ( t ). hence there is an analytic relationship between r 1 and r 2 that can be used to create a table or to be used directly to calculate r 2 from values of r 1 . now consider the case in which f 1 is not invertible . in this case , a table having a number , k , of entries , each relating a value of r 1 to a corresponding value of r 2 , can be constructed in the following way : for each k , calculate the corresponding value of r 1 : r 1 1 , . . . , r 1 k and r 2 : r 2 1 , . . . , r 2 k , using the relationships : r 1 j = g  ( s 1 j ) g  ( s 1 j + t ) ,  r 2 j = g  ( s p ) g  ( s 1 j ) ,  j = 1 , …  , k it can be seen that the table is arranged such that each calculated value of r 1 is stored in a manner that associates it with its corresponding value of r 2 . an exemplary table 401 is shown in fig4 . it will be observed that the first entry in the table 401 is for the case in which r 1 = 1 , which as explained above , is the minimum value of r 1 and occurs when s 1 and s 2 are equidistant from s p . the last entry in the table 401 covers all cases for which r 1 is greater than 50 . 00 . in this example , it is unnecessary to store a plurality of entries for values of r 1 greater than 50 . 00 because the corresponding values of r 2 do not differ very much from one another , but instead approach closer and closer to a value of 1 . 00 . the relationship between r 1 and r 2 is depicted in the graph shown in fig5 in which r 2 is plotted as a function of r 1 . fig6 is a flowchart that shows the steps to be performed in accordance with the invention . during the design of the system , a table relating values of r 1 to r 2 is formed . next , when the system is put into use ( i . e ., “ during normal operation ), the received set of signal samples are analyzed to determine the two samples ( y ( s 1 ) and y ( s 2 )) that surround a peak ( step 601 ). this can be done by identifying the two highest magnitude samples , as described earlier . in practice , it is useful to remove a noise level , { overscore ( y )}, from the received sample values , y ( s 1 ) and y ( s 2 ) ( step 603 ). the noise level , { overscore ( y )} can be estimated by determining the mean value based on the samples that are not peak values in the impulse response of the channel . this gives the two highest magnitude received signals as : y 1 ( s 1 ) = y ( s 1 ) −{ overscore ( y )}, y 1 ( s 2 ) = y ( s 2 ) −{ overscore ( y )} ( 7 ) a value for the first ratio , r 1 , is then determined as ( step 605 ): r 1 = y ′  ( s 1 ) y ′  ( s 2 ) ( 8 ) a value for r 2 is then determined from the table ( e . g ., the table 401 of fig4 ), using r 1 as a key for finding a table entry ( step 607 ). in some embodiments , the value of r 2 may be taken as the one associated with the entry having a value of r 1 that most closely matches the computed value of r 1 . in alternative embodiments , a more accurate value for r 2 may be estimated by interpolating between those values of r 2 that are associated with the two table entry values of r 1 that lie immediately above and below the computed value of r 1 . it is noted that , since one has full control over the table , it can be created with any accuracy . in order to reduce the size of the table , linear interpolation can be used . as an alternative , one could fit a function to the values in the table ( e . g ., to use splines ). in yet other alternatives , no table is used , and the value of r 2 is calculated dynamically from the value of r 1 . having determined a value of r 2 from the table ( either with or without interpolation as explained above ), the estimated peak value of the signal can then be determined in accordance with ( step 609 ): y ( s p ) = r 2 y 1 ( s 1 ) +{ overscore ( y )} ( 9 ) it will be observed that in equation ( 9 ), the noise estimate , { overscore ( y )}, has been added back so that the estimated peak value , y ( s p ), will more accurately reflect what a received sample value would have been . an exemplary use of the invention will now be described . assume that a set of received sample points are collected such as those having the values depicted in the graph of fig7 . the highest and next - highest magnitude values are identified as : y ( s 1 )≈ 9 . 57 * 10 6 , y ( s 2 )≈ 8 . 14 * 10 6 ( 10 ) the noise level can also be determined from the figure as { overscore ( y )}≈ 3 . 5 * 10 5 . y 1 ( s 1 )= y 1 ( s 1 ) −{ overscore ( y )}= 9 . 22 * 10 6 , y 1 ( s 2 ) = y 1 ( s 2 ) −{ overscore ( y )}= 7 . 79 * 10 6 ( 11 ) the first ratio can now be determined as : r 1 = y ′  ( s 1 ) y ′  ( s 2 ) = 9 . 22 7 . 79 ≈ 1 . 18 ( 12 ) from the table ( see , e . g ., table 401 in fig4 ) we find r 2 ≈ 2 . 18 . hence , y ( s p ) = r 2 * y 1 ( s 1 ) +{ overscore ( y )} = 9 . 22 · 10 6 * 2 . 18 + 3 . 5 · 10 5 = 2 . 04 · 10 7 ( 13 ) one could then use this value in determining , for example , a sir . it is noted that the values used in equation ( 13 ) were found empirically . in other tests , there were instances in which s 1 ≈ s p . from these cases , it was shown that the actual peak value was approximately 2 . 1 · 10 7 . the invention has been described with reference to a particular embodiment . however , it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that it is possible to embody the invention in specific forms other than those of the preferred embodiment described above . this may be done without departing from the spirit of the invention . for example , it is possible that in some embodiments , further improved estimates can be obtained by determining an estimated peak value in accordance with : y ( s p ) = r 2 α y ( s 1 ) +{ overscore ( y )}, 0 . 9 & lt ; α & lt ; 1 . 1 ( 14 ) selection of a suitable value for α should be made empirically . thus , the preferred embodiment is merely illustrative and should not be considered restrictive in any way . the scope of the invention is given by the appended claims , rather than the preceding description , and all variations and equivalents which fall within the range of the claims are intended to be embraced therein .	7
in the following description , numerous specific details are set forth , such as particular structures , components , materials , and dimensions , in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention . however , it will be readily appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that the invention may be practiced without these specific details . in other instances , well - known structures or processing steps have not been described in detail in order to avoid obscuring the invention . it will be understood that when an element as a layer , region or substrate is referred to as being “ on ” another element , it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may also be present . in contrast , when an element is referred to as being “ directly on ” another element , there are no intervening elements present . it will also be understood that when an element is referred to being “ connected ” or “ coupled ” to another element , it is directly connected or coupled to the other element or intervening elements may be present . in contrast , when an element is referred to as being “ directly connected ” or “ directly coupled ” to another element , there are no intervening elements present . fig4 shows a cross - sectional view of a cmos device according to one embodiment of the present invention . the present invention provides an improved cmos device that includes at least one n - fet and at least one p - fet with a dielectric stressor , preferably a nitride layer , directly connected to the gate of each of the fet devices , hereinafter referred to as a “ cap ”. the dielectric stressor caps provide the desired stresses on the n - fet and the p - fet devices . more specifically , the cmos device comprises an n - fet that is located over an n - fet active region 2 and a p - fet that is positioned over a p - fet active region 4 . the n - fet active region 2 and p - fet active region 4 are located in the same semiconductor substrate ( not shown ), separated from each other by isolation region 11 . the n - fet active region 2 contains n - type source and drain doping regions ( not shown ) with source and drain silicide contacts 21 and 23 . similarly , the p - fet active region 4 contains n - type source and drain doping regions ( not shown ) with source and drain silicide contacts 41 and 43 . both , the p - fet and n - fet are separated from each other by a common dielectric layer 65 . separate gate structures , one of which is formed by : ( 1 ) a first gate conductor 24 , ( 2 ) a gate metal silicide 25 , and ( 3 ) and at least one spacer 27 , and the other that includes : ( 1 ) a second gate conductor 44 , ( 2 ) a second gate metal silicide 45 , and ( 3 ) at least one spacer 47 , which are formed over n - fet active region 2 and p - fet active region 4 , respectively . gate dielectrics 22 and 42 respectively isolate the n - fet active region 2 and the p - fet active region 4 from the first and second gate conductors 24 and 44 . the respective gates of the n - fet and p - fet are capped by stress layers , preferably by a compressively stressed nitride cap on top of the n - fet , and either by a compressively nitride cap or a tensilely nitride cap or a compressively stressed nitride cap that includes implant relaxation . the dielectric stressor cap layers 50 and 60 preferably includes any suitable dielectric material whose stress profiles can be modulated or adjusted . preferably , but not necessarily , the continuous dielectric stressor layer 50 includes sin . the above - described stressor layers 50 and 60 is advantageously formed by a selective uv - treatment process , which has been found by the inventors of the present invention to be particularly effective in converting compressive stress of a dielectric film into tensile stress . exemplary processing steps that can be used for forming the dielectric stressor cap 50 and 60 in the cmos device structure illustrated by fig4 will now be described in greater detail . note that in the drawing , which is not drawn to scale , like and / or corresponding elements are referred to by like reference numerals . it is further noted that in the drawings only one n - fet and one p - fet are shown . although illustration is made to such an embodiment , the present invention is not limited to the formation of any specific number of n - fets and / or p - fet devices , and can easily include an array formation of such devices . referring to fig4 , the semiconductor structure after depositing and patterning a stress liner layer ( layer c in the drawing ) is shown where the patterned layer is centered over the gate electrode . the edges of stress liner c in fig4 impart a mechanical stress on the channel that can increase the mobility of the carriers . the stress liner can be any dielectric used in semiconductor processing ( sin , sio 2 , sicoh , hfo 2 , zro 2 , sicn ), although sin is preferred . the thickness of the stress liner ranges from 10 nm to 800 nm , but 40 nm is preferred . the stress liner create either compressive or tensile stress ; however , compressive stress is preferred since higher magnitudes of stress can be achieved for compressive sin stress liners compared to tensile stress liners . typical compressive sin stress liners preferably have a stress value of 3 gpa or greater , while tensile sin stress liners have a stress value of 1 . 5 gpa . the larger compressive stress liner has been found to impart more stress , translating to a higher mobility gain . the compressively stressed dielectric layer , as mentioned previously , is made , e . g ., of sin , which can be readily formed by plasma - enhanced chemical vapor deposition ( pecvd ) process or a high - density plasma ( hdp ) process that is carried out at a temperature ranging from about 300 ° c . to about 450 ° c ., a pressure ranging from about 0 . 5 torr to about 6 torr , and a plasma power level ranging from about 100 w to about 1500 w , using processing gases that include trimethylsilane , nh 3 , and n 2 . still referring to fig4 , a compressive stress liner ( liner c ) results in providing tensile mechanical stress in the transistor channel ; therefore , it is best to pattern the stress liner c over the n - fet transistor to produce the desired gains in performance . referring back to previously described fig1 b , a tensile stress liner on the n - fet was illustrated and a compressive stress liner on the p - fet . the tensile ( compressive ) nitride on the source drain regions of the n - fet ( p - fet ) induces a tensile ( compressive ) stress in the channel region , which in turn improves the electron ( hole ) mobility within the channel . the magnitude of the stress induced in the silicon depends on ( among other factors ) the lateral extent of the nitride away from the silicon channel . during scaling , due to the ground rule shrink , adjacent gates become closer to each other . this results in the lateral extent of the nitride becoming smaller and so the stress induced in the channel also reduces . still referring to fig1 b , while the nitride film on top of the source and drain regions induced tensile stress in the channel , the tensile nitride on top of the gate , in contrast , induced a compressive stress in the channel reducing the stress caused by the nitride film at the bottom . further , as the height of the gate is reduced , the top nitride comes closer to the channel and the compressive stress induced by this nitride film increases . thus , reducing the gate height also reduces the stress induced by the whole tensile nitride film ( for a given stress in the nitride film ). now referring to fig4 , the tensile nitride is removed only from the top of the n - fet and is replaced with a compressive nitride layer . the compressive liner is then etched , creating an edge force at each of the compressive liner sidewalls , as indicated in the drawing . the compressive nitride on top of the gate induces a tensile stress in the silicon channel ( opposite of what the tensile nitride film on top of the gate earlier induced ). this adds to the tensile stress being induced by the tensile nitride over the source - drain regions , increasing the stress in the channel . bringing the compressive nitride on top of the gate closer to the channel , ( i . e ., by reducing the gate height ) increases the tensile stress induced in the channel . finally , it is observed that the lateral extent ( or the length ) of the compressive nitride does not need to scale as the pitch ( distance between two adjacent devices ) is reduced . the present inventive method circumvents the problem related to the reduction of the improvement when the pitch is scaled downward . finally , the use of a compressive nitride film is of particular benefit to n - fet devices having compressive nitride films of approximately 3 . 5 gpa . this has been demonstrated experimentally . in contrast , the highest stress that has been obtained for tensile films is of the order of 1 . 5 gpa . although the above invention has been described for n - fet devices , the conclusions are equally applicable to p - fets , but the stress of the various stress films is reversed . thus , the stress film over the source and drain would optimally be compressive in nature , while the stress film over the gate is tensile in nature . for optimal performance , one would simultaneously form tensile stressed liner caps on p - fets and compressive stressed liner caps on n - fets . however , performance advantage can be obtained with at lower cost or complexity by selectively capping either the n - fets or the p - fets , and performing an implant relaxation into the stressed cap covering the sub - optimally configured device ( i . e ., p - fet with compressive cap , or n - fet with tensile cap ). alternatively , one can employ silicon substrates in which one fet type is relatively insensitive to stress , and employ a single stressed liner cap to improve the performance of the other . for example , ( 001 ) silicon wafers , with gates oriented along & lt ; 100 & gt ; axes result in p - fets which are rather insensitive to stress . in this case , a compressive cap on the n - fet and p - fet would be preferred and most economical implementation of this structure , as illustrated in fig5 . one advantage of patterning a compressive liner c , illustrated in fig4 , is the increase in mechanical stress that arises from the vertical edge force of the patterned film . the stress from the edge force adds to the mechanical stress in the channel already present from stress liner b . in addition , current state of the art compressive liners achieve much higher levels of stress compared to tensile liners ( 3 . 5 gpa for compressive versus 1 . 5 gpa for tensile ). using the compressive liner on the n - fet transistor is not possible in the conventional dual stress liner approach illustrated in fig1 a - 1 b ( prior art ) as it would result in an undesirable compressive stress in the channel of the n - fet ( since the compressive stress degrades n - fet mobility but enhances the hole mobility ). however , creating a planarized flat surface using cmp ( fig3 ) with a patterned compressive liner on the flat surface ( fig4 ) gives rise to an edge force that imparts tensile stress in the channel of the mosfet , and which has shown to be very beneficial for n - fet device improvement . therefore this structure enables the use of higher magnitude compressive stress films on n - fet transistors to help maximize performance . an additional advantage of the structure illustrated in fig4 is that it reduces the sensitivity to spacing between gate electrodes . one of the problems with using the known prior art of dual stress liners as illustrated in fig1 a - 1 b is the reduction of stress as the spacing between the gate electrodes diminishes . practitioners of the art will recognize that under certain constraints , the drive current can decrease as the spacing between the gate electrodes shrinks . this degradation arises because there is less volume of the stress liner material for applying stress in the channel of the mosfet . since the length ( or volume ) of the liner c depends only weakly on the distance between the 2 gates — i . e ., the length is pitch insensitive — then the stress it applies is independent of the technology pitch . finally , the present structure shows that the stress increases as the thickness of the gate electrode is reduced . reducing the thickness in advanced cmos technology is desirable and can only enhance the stress gained from the patterned stress liner c . referring to fig6 , another embodiment of the invention shows the p - fet device without any cap atop the gate of the device . this is valid as long as the other ( i . e ., complementary ) device is provided with an appropriate stressed cap on its corresponding gate . the benefit obtained is comparable to the compressive + implant solution , but it clearly saves the cost of the relaxation implant and added lithography . while the present invention has been particularly described , in conjunction with a specific preferred embodiment , it is evident that many alternatives , modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the present description . it is therefore contemplated that the appended claims will embrace any such alternatives , modifications and variations as falling within the true scope and spirit of the present invention .	7
before the embodiments of the present invention it must be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims , the singular forms “ a ”, “ an ”, and “ the ” include plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise . thus , for example , reference to “ a virus ” includes a plurality of such viruses , reference to the “ cell ” is a reference to one or more cells and equivalents thereof known to those skilled in the art , and so forth . unless defined otherwise , all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs . although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention , the preferred methods , devices , and materials are now described . all publications mentioned herein are incorporated herein by reference for the purpose of describing and disclosing the cell lines , vectors , and methodologies which are reported in the publications which might be used in connection with the invention . nothing herein is to be construed as an admission that the invention is not entitled to antedate such disclosure by virtue of prior invention . the invention relates to an artificial chromosome vector characterized in that it comprises essentially the entire genome of an ehv strain from which infectious progeny can be reconstituted after transfection into a permissive cell . with the artificial chromosome vectors according to the present invention , safe ehv - vaccines comprising ehv with defined attenuations can be generated . such viruses are useful for the preparation of a safe live vaccine for use in the prevention and / or treatment of ehv infections ( see infra ). the invention provides the possibility for a fast and efficient manipulation of the ehv genome which remains fully infectious for eukaryotic cells or is modified into a replication - deficient virus . there was a long lasting need in the art for such a tool to handle and manipulate the huge genome of ehv . lastly , the ehv nucleic acid can be used as a polynucleotide vaccine which is applied either topically or systemically to naive or primed horses and may also be applied in utero . the present invention is illustrated in example 1 showing the cloning of the entire genome of ehv - 1 as an infectious mini f plasmid (‘ bacterial artificial chromosome ’, bac ) into escherichia coli . the generation of said bac was not trivial and was posed many difficulties , including the preparation and extraction of sufficient amounts of circular dna . the circularized form of recombinant viral dna was needed to transform dh10b cells with the recombinant dna in order to prepare the mini f plasmid - cloned ehv dna . to obtain sufficient amounts of circular viral dna , early viral transcription was blocked by the addition of 100 μg per ml of cycloheximide after infection of cells . viral dna was then prepared and used for transformation of dh10b cells . only from cells treated with cycloheximide was it possible to extract sufficient amounts of circular dna and to obtain dh10b clones containing the enitre rach genome . “ essentially ” means that the ehv genome is complete with the exception that it may carry a mutation as set out infra . “ artificial chromosome ” relates to any known artificial chromosomes , such as yeast , or preferably bacterial artificial chromosomes . preferably , a bacterial artificial chromosome ( bac ) according to the invention is a vector used to clone large dna fragments ( 100 - to 300 - kb insert size ) in escherichia coli cells which is based on naturally occurring f - factor plasmid found in the bacterium e . coli ( shizuya , h ., b . birren , u . j . kim et al . 1992 . cloning and stable maintenance of 300 - kilobase - pair fragments of human dna in escherichia coli using an f - factor - based vector . proceedings national academy of science 89 : 8794 - 8797 ). the type of vector is preferably based on a f - plasmid replicon containing the origin of replication ( oris ) and its own dna polymerase ( repe ) as well as the genes para and parb involved in maintaining its copy number at a level of one or two per e . coli . the antibiotic resistance marker is preferably cm - resistance . the invention preferably relates to an artificial chromosome vector according to the invention , characterized in that the ehv is ehv - 1 . the invention preferably relates to an artificial chromosome vector according to the invention , characterized in that the ehv is ehv - 4 . the invention preferably relates to an artificial chromosome vector according to the invention , characterized in that the ehv strain is rach . according the invention , any type of mutation can be introduced into the ehv genome , in order to obtain a replication - deficient and / or attenuated ehv virus . such mutations include , but are not limited to any mutation ( e . g . deletion , insertion , substitution ) relating to the glycoproteins gb , gc , gd , ge , gg , gi , gj , gl and gm , gp1 / 2 and any combination thereof . preferably , said mutations are deletion mutations , i . e . the respective glycoproteins such as e . g . gm are completely deleted . thus , the invention preferably relates to an artificial chromosome vector according to the invention , characterized in that the ehv strain is lacking the glycoprotein gb . the invention preferably relates to an artificial chromosome vector according to the invention , characterized in that the ehv strain is lacking the glycoprotein gc . the invention preferably relates to an artificial chromosome vector according to the invention , characterized in that the ehv strain is lacking the glycoprotein gd . the invention preferably relates to an artificial chromosome vector according to the invention , characterized in that the ehv strain is lacking the glycoprotein ge . the invention preferably relates to an artificial chromosome vector according to the invention , characterized in that the ehv strain is lacking the glycoprotein gg . the invention preferably relates to an artificial chromosome vector according to the invention , characterized in that the ehv strain is lacking the glycoprotein gh . the invention preferably relates to an artificial chromosome vector according to the invention , characterized in that the ehv strain is lacking the glycoprotein gi . the invention preferably relates to an artificial chromosome vector according to the invention , characterized in that the ehv strain is lacking the glycoprotein gk . the invention preferably relates to an artificial chromosome vector according to the invention , characterized in that the ehv strain is lacking the glycoprotein gl . the invention preferably relates to an artificial chromosome vector according to the invention , characterized in that the ehv strain is lacking the glycoprotein gm . the invention preferably relates to an artificial chromosome vector according to the invention , characterized in that the ehv strain is lacking the glycoprotein gp1 / 2 . the invention preferably relates to an artificial chromosome vector according to the invention , characterized in that the artificial chromosome is a bacterial artificial chromosome ( bac ). said bac &# 39 ; s can be propagated in any bacterium known to the skilled person , e . g and preferably escherichia coli . the invention preferably relates to an artificial chromosome vector according to the invention , characterized in that the artificial chromosome is a yeast artificial chromosome ( yac ). the invention preferably relates to an artificial chromosome vector rach - bac according to the invention , characterized in that the artificial chromosome as deposited under the accession number ecacc 01032704 with the ecacc in porton down , uk ( european collection of cell cultures , camr , salisbury , wiltshire sp4 0jg , uk ). another important embodiment of the present invention is a polynucleotide vaccine encoding an an artificial chromosome vector or ehv contained therein according to the invention . yet another important embodiment of the present invention is the use of an artificial chromosome vector according to the invention for the generation of infectious ehv . the invention furthermore relates to a method for the generation of an infectious ehv , characterized in that an artificial chromosome vector according to the invention is used to infect a suitable cell line and the shedded virus is collected and purified . the invention furthermore relates to a method for the generation of an attenuated ehv , characterized in that the ehv sequence contained in an artificial chromosome vector according to the invention is specifically modified by molecular biology techniques . said modifications may be carried out by methods known in the art , e . g . site directed mutagenesis see e . g . sambrook et al . ( 1989 ) molecular cloning : a laboratory manual , 2 nd ed ., cold spring harbor laboratory press , cold spring harbor , n . y . furthermore , the invention relates to a ehv obtainable by a method according to the invention . another very important embodiment is a pharmaceutical composition comprising a polynucleotide according to the invention and optionally pharmaceutically acceptable carriers and / or excipients . such a polynucleotide according to the invention may also be used in a pharmaceutical composition within the scope of this invention , e . g . for dna vaccination . one example of a targeted system of administration , e . g . for polynucleotides according to the invention is a colloidal dispersion system . colloidal dispersion systems comprise macromolecule complexes , nanocapsules , microspheres and lipid - based systems including oil - in - water emulsions , micelles , mixed micelles and liposomes or liposome formulations . liposomes are the preferred colloidal system according to the invention . liposomes are artificial membrane vesicles which are useful as carriers in vitro and in vivo . these formulations may carry a cationic , anionic or neutral charge . it has been shown that large unilamellar vesicles ( luv ) ranging from 0 . 2 - 4 . 0 μm in size may enclose a major part of an aqueous buffer solution with large macromolecules . rna , dna and intact virions can be encapsulated in the aqueous phase inside and transported to the target in a biologically active form ( fraley r et al ., 1981 , trends biochem sci 6 , 77 - 80 ). in addition to mammalian cells , liposomes have also proved suitable for the targeted transporting of nucleotides into plant , yeast and bacterial cells . in order to be an efficient gene transfer carrier the following properties should be present : ( 1 ) the genes should be enclosed with high efficiency without reducing their biological activity ; ( 2 ) there should be preferential and substantial binding to the target cell compared with non - target cells ; ( 3 ) the aqueous phase of the vehicle should be transferred highly efficiently into the target cell cytoplasm ; and ( 4 ) the genetic information should be expressed accurately and efficiently ( mannino r j et al ., 1988 , biotechniques 6 , 682 - 690 ). the composition of the liposomes usually consists of a combination of phospholipids , particularly high phase transition temperature phospholipids , e . g . combined with steroids such as cholesterol . other phospholipids or other lipids may also be used . the physical characteristics of the liposomes depend on the ph , the ion concentration and the presence of divalent cations . the pharmaceutical composition according to the invention may also contain a vector according to the invention , e . g . a bac vector comprising an ehv genome as described supra , as a naked “ gene expression vector ”. this means that the vector according to the invention is not associated with an adjuvant for targeted administration ( e . g . liposomes , colloidal particles , etc .). a major advantage of naked dna vectors is the absence of any immune response caused by the vector itself . the ehv nucleic acid can be used as a polynucleotide vaccine ( see pharmaceutical composition , supra ) which is applied either topically ( e . g . intranasally ) or systemically to naive or primed horses and may also be applied in utero . another very important embodiment is a pharmaceutical composition comprising an ehv virus according to the invention and pharmaceutically acceptable carriers and / or excipients . a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier can contain physiologically acceptable compounds that act , for example , to stabilize or to increase the absorption or form part of a slow release formulation of the ehv virus or the polynucleotide according to the invention . such physiologically acceptable compounds include , for example , carbohydrates , such as glucose , sucrose or dextrans , antioxidants , such as ascorbic acid or glutathione , chelating agents , low molecular weight proteins or other stabilizers or excipients ( see also e . g . remington &# 39 ; s pharmaceutical sciences ( 1990 ). 18th ed . mack publ ., easton ). one skilled in the art would know that the choice of a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier , including a physiologically acceptable compound , depends , for example , on the route of administration of the composition . furthermore , the invention relates to the use of a polynucleotide according to the invention in the manufacture of a vaccine for the prevention and / or treatment of ehv infections . furthermore , the invention relates to the use of an ehv virus according to the invention in the manufacture of a vaccine for the prevention and / or treatment of ehv infections . furthermore , the invention relates to the use of the bac technology to establish a highly virulent and genetically well characterized ehv which can be used for immunization and challenge studies for use e . g . in vaccine potency studies . furthermore , the invention relates to the use of ehv bacs according to the invention to generate mutant bacs that are generated taking into account appearing genetic or antigenetic variants of ehv . this relates to one or more mutations present withing , new variants &# 39 ; of ehv which can be easily introduced in the existing ehv bac . the following example is intended to aid the understanding of the invention and should in no way be regarded as limiting the scope of the invention . a genetically uniform population of rach ( 256 th passage ) was isolated . with rach , passage 257 , rk13 cells were infected and a mother pool was established . virus of one additional passage on rk13 cells was used to infect rk13 cells , from which viral dna was prepared . ten micrograms ( μg ) of viral dna were co - transfected with 10 μg of plasmid p71 - pha2 ( fig1 ) into rk13 cells . for construction of plasmid p71 - pha2 , 2 . 0 and 2 . 4 kbp fragments on either side of the ehv - 1 gene 71 ( fig1 ; table 1 ) were amplified by polymerase chain reaction ( pcr ) using primers containing appropriate restriction enzyme sites ( table 1 ). both fragments were subsequently cloned into ptz18r ( pharmacia - amersham ) to obtain plasmid p71 ( fig1 ). a bac vector ( pha2 ; messerle et al ., 1997 ) containing the eco - gpt and gfp ( green flourescent protein ) genes under the control of the hcmv ( human cytomegalovirus ) immediate early promoter was released as a paci fragment from plasmid pha2 and inserted into the paci sites of the 2 . 0 and 2 . 4 kbp fragment cloned in p71 ( fig1 ; table 1 ). virus progeny was harvested and individual plaques expressing the green fluorescent protein ( gfp ) were isolated and subjected to three rounds of plaque purification until virus progeny stained homogenously green under the fluorescent microscope ( seyboldt et al ., 2000 ). similarly , co - transfections of p71 - pha2 and dna of ehv - 1 strain kentucky a ( kya ) were performed and the recombinant virus was purified to homogeneity . recombinant virus dna was prepared ( schumacher et al ., 2000 ) and electroporated into escherichia coli strain dh10b ( messerle et al ., 1997 ; schumacher et al ., 2000 ). electrocompetent bacteria were prepared as described ( muyrers et al ., 1999 ; narayanan et al ., 1999 ; zhang et al ., 1998 ) and electroporation was performed in 0 . 1 cm cuvettes at 1250 v , a resistance of 200 ω , and a capacitance of 25 μf ( easyject electroporation system , eurogenentec ). transformed bacteria were incubated in 1 ml of luria - bertani ( lb ) medium ( 28 ) supplemented with 0 . 4 % glucose for 1 hr at 37 ° c ., and then plated on lb agar containing 30 μg / ml chloramphenicol . single colonies were picked into liquid lb medium , and small scale preparations of bac dna were performed by alkaline lysis of escherichia coli ( schumacher et al ., 2000 ). large scale preparation of bac dna was achieved by silica - based affinity chromatography using commercially available kits ( qiagen , macherey & amp ; nagel ). from the chloramphenicol - resistant bacterial colonies , one colony each was chosen and named rach - bac which contained the ehv - 1 rach genome . rach - bac dna was cleaved with restriction enzymes bamhi , ecori and hindiii and the restriction enzyme patterns were compared to those of parental viral dna . ( schumacher et al ., 2000 ). the calculated and expected changes in the banding pattern after insertion of the mini f plasmid into the gene 71 locus were observed in rach - bac . in contrast , no other differences in restriction enzyme patterns as compared to the parental virus were obvious ( fig2 ). after purification of rach - bac dna using affinity chromatography , rk13 cells were transfected with 1 μg of recombinant dna . at one day after transfection , foci of green fluorescent cells were visible which developed into plaques on the following days after infection ( fig3 ). from these results we concluded that the rach strain of ehv - 1 was cloned as an infectious full - length viral dna in escherichia coli . deletion of gene 71 in rach - bac resulted in a less than 10 % reduction in plaque size ( fig3 ). for mutagenesis of rach - bac dna in escherichia coli , rece - and rect - catalyzed reactions promoting homologous recombination between linear dna fragments , also referred to as e / t cloning , was performed ( muyrers et al ., 1999 ; zhang et al ., 1999 ). plasmid pgetrec ( kindly provided by dr . panos ioannou , murdoch institute , melbourne , australia ) harboring the rece , rect and bacteriophage λ gam gene ( narayanan et al ., 1999 ) was transformed into rach - bac - containing dh10b cells . after induction of rece , rect and gam by addition of 0 . 2 % arabinose , electrocompetent cells were prepared essentially as described ( muyrers et al ., 1999 ). to delete the gd and gm gene in rach - bac , the kanamycin resistance gene ( kan r ) of plasmid pacyc177 ( stratagene ) was amplified by pcr . the designed primers contained 50 nucleotide homology arms bordering the desired deletion within gd or gm and 20 nucleotides for amplification of kan r ( table 1 ). the resulting 0 . 95 kbp fragment was purified from an agarose gel ( qiagen ) and electroporated into pgetrec - containing rach - bac cells . colonies harboring the cam r and kan r genes were identified on plates containing both antibiotics . h - bacδgd and h - bacδgm dna were isolated from escherichia coli by chromatography and subjected to restriction enzyme digestion and southern blot analysis ( fig4 ) transfection studies were performed . whereas rach - bac and h - bacδgm were able to induce viral plaques on rk13 cells , h - bacδgd was able to induce plaques on cells expressing gd in trans only . the gd cells transiently expressed ehv - 1 gd after transfection of a recombinant plasmid in which gd is under control of the hcmv immediate early promoter / enhancer . these observations indicated that ehv - 1 gd is essential for virus growth in vitro . adler h ., m . messerle , m . wagner , and u . h . koszinowski u h . 2000 . cloning and mutagenesis of the murine gammaherpesvirus 68 genome as an infectious bacterial artificial chromosome . j . virol . 74 : 6964 - 6974 . borst , e . m ., g . hahn , u . h . koszinowski , and m . messerle . 1999 . cloning of the human cytomegalovirus ( hcmv ) genome as an infectious bacterial artificial chromosome in escherichia coli : a new approach for construction of hcmv mutants . j . virol . 73 : 8320 - 8329 flowers , c . c . and o &# 39 ; callaghan , d . j ., 1992 . the equine herpesvirus type 1 ( ehv - 1 ) homolog of herpes simplex virus type 1 us9 and the nature of a major deletion wethin the unique short segment of the ehv - 1 kya strain genome . virology 190 , 307 - 315 . hübert , p . h ., birkenmaier , s ., rziha , h . j . and osterrieder , n ., 1996 . alterations in the equine herpesvirus type - 1 ( ehv - 1 ) strain rach during attenuation . j . vet . med . b 43 , 1 - 14 . marshall k r , sun y , brown s m , field h j . an equine herpesvirus - 1 gene 71 deletant is attenuated and elicits a protective immune response in mice . virology . 1997 28 ; 231 ( 1 ): 20 - 7 . mayr , a ., pette , j ., petzoldt , k . and wagener , k ., 1968 . untersuchungen zur entwicklung eines lebendimpfstoffes gegen die rhinopneumonitis ( stutenabort ) der pferde . j . vet . med . b 15 , 406 - 418 . meindl , a . and osterrieder , n ., the equine herpesvirus 1 us2 homolog encodes a nonessential membrane - associated virion component j . virol ., 73 ( 4 ): 3430 - 7 , 1999 . messerle , m ., i . crnkovic , w . hammerschmidt , h . ziegler , and u . h . koszinowski . 1997 . cloning and mutagenesis of a herpesvirus genome as an infectious bacterial artificial chromosome . proc . natl . acad . sci . u . s . a . 94 : 14759 - 14763 . mumford , j . a ., hannant , d . a ., jessett , d . m ., o &# 39 ; neill , t ., smith , k . c . and ostlund , e . n ., 1995 . abortigenic and neurological disease caused by experimental infection with liquid herpesvirus - 1 . in “ proceedings 7 th international conference of equine infectious disease ” ( h . nakajima and w . plowright , eds .) pp . 261 - 175 . r & amp ; w publ ., newmarket , u . k . united kingdom . muyrers , j . p ., y . zhang , g . testa , and a . f . stewart . 1999 . rapid modification of bacterial artificial chromosomes by et - recombination . nucleic acids res . 27 : 1555 - 1557 . narayanan , k ., r . williamson , y . zhang , a . f . stewart , and p . a . ioannou . 1999 . efficient and precise engineering of a 200 kb beta - globin human / bacterial artificial chromosome in e . coli dh10b using an inducible homologous recombination system . gene ther . 6 : 442 - 447 . neubauer , a ., beer , m ., brandmüller , c ., kaaden , o .- r . and osterrieder , n ., 1997 . equine herpesvirus 1 mutants devoid of glycoprotein b or m are apathohenic for mice but induce protection against challenge infection . virology 239 , 36 - 45 . osterrieder , n ., neubauer , a ., brandmüller , c ., braun , b ., kaaden , o .- r . and baines , j . d ., 1996 . the equine herpesvirus 1 glycoprotein gp21 / 22a , the herpes simplex virus type 1 gm homolog , is involved in virus penetration and cell - to - cell spread of virions . journal of virology , june 1996 , p . 4110 - 4115 . osterrieder , n ., wagner , r ., brandmüller , c ., schmidt , p ., wolf , h . and kaaden , o .- r ., 1995 . protection against ehv - 1 challenge infection in the murine model after vaccination with various formulations of recombinant glycoprotein gp14 ( gb ). virology 208 , 500 - 510 . peeters , b ., biendowska - szewcyk , k ., hulst , m ., giellens , a . and kimman , t ., 1997 . biologically safe , non - transmissible pseudorabies virus vector vaccine protects pigs against both aujeszky &# 39 ; s disease and classical swine fever . j . gen . virol . 78 , 3311 - 3315 . sambrook , j ., fritsch , d . f . and maniatis , t ., 1989 . molecular cloning : a laboratory manual . 2 nd ed . cold spring harbor laboratory press , cold spring harbor , n . y . sun y , maclean a r , dargan d , brown s m . identification and characterization of the protein product of gene 71 in equine herpesvirus 1 . j gen virol . 1994 november ; 75 ( pt 11 ): 3117 - 26 . telford , e . a . r ., watson , m . s ., mcbride , k . and davison , a . j ., 1992 . the dna sequence of equine herpesvirus - 1 . virology 189 , 304 - 316 . tewari , d ., whalley , j . m ., love , d . n . and field , h . j ., 1994 . characterisation of immune responses to baculovirus expressed equine herpesvirus type i glycoproteins d and h in a murine model . j . gen . virol . 75 , 1735 - 1741 . wagner , m ., s . jonjic , u . h . koszinowski , and m . messerle . 1999 . systematic excision of vector sequences from the bac - cloned herpesvirus genome during virus reconstitution . j . virol . 73 : 7056 - 7060 . zhang , y ., f . buchholz , j . p . muyrers , and a . f . stewart . 1998 . a new logic for dna engineering using recombination in escherichia coli . nature genet . 20 : 123 - 128 .	2
fig1 shows an embodiment of a device 1 according to the invention . the system is composed of frames made of standard profiled elements . in selecting which components to use , particular attention is given to ease of replacement , temperature resistance up to at least approximately 200 ° c ., acetone resistance , and very gentle of handling of material during the production process . furthermore , the entire system can be lubricant - free , and therefore no limits are placed on the material selection . the framework has a modular design , and the installations for the related functional carriers are located inside the individual frames . as a result , the system can be adapted in an optimal manner to various requirements regarding the preform that is produced , and regarding the installation site . the system shown in fig1 has a length of 8 m , a width of 2 . 5 m , and a height of 2 m , for example . the individual modules have a unit height of 625 mm and a unit width of 500 mm . the length of the individual modules varies depending on the unit installed , wherein the modules are provided in a grid arrangement of 125 mm in this case . the system according to the invention is used to manufacture preforms or structural elements having complex geometries in one continuous process . this is achieved by manufacturing at least two sections in the system and then assembling them to form the complex structural element . to ensure that the process is rapid and continuous , at least two sections , which can have different cross sections , of course , can be manufactured in parallel / simultaneously in the system . this is shown as an example in fig1 - 3 using the three production levels 17 , 18 , 19 shown . the system shown in fig1 has a stockpiling unit 2 containing a total of 10 modules . in this example , each module can accommodate two bobbins 15 having fiber layers 16 . bobbins are provided for the +/− 45 ° and the 0 ° layers of the sections . the method of bobbin replacement is designed such that bobbins can be replaced as quickly and in the most user - friendly manner possible . the +/− 45 ° layers are particularly suited for draping , since a longitudinally lying strip can be reshaped into a curve without fibers being stretched or compressed in the inner or outer radius . in each production level 17 , 18 , 19 , a plurality of fiber layers from different bobbins can be introduced into the production process . to ensure that material is transported without delay and in a controlled manner , it is advantageous to provide ud portions in the fiber layers . moreover , the bobbins are advantageously designed to be braked , thereby preventing the fiber layers from being introduced too quickly . for this purpose , the bobbins have a hollow core which is clamped between two displaceable , rotatably supported conical pieces . braking takes place by way of a spring - loaded frictional element on one of the conical pieces , for example . other braking systems are feasible , of course , such as magnetic powder or hysteresis brakes . every module of the stockpiling unit has at least one rotatable removal device for safely unwinding the fiber layers from the bobbin . rollers for levelling the material processions are provided at the end of each module of stockpiling device 2 . to ensure that the material is guided in a straight manner during unwinding , insertion rings are used as shoulder rings . another possible method for the controlled unrolling of the individual fiber layers from the bobbins is a module which is not depicted in fig1 - 3 , the strain relief unit . in that particular case , permanently levelled rollers are disposed at the entrance and the exit of the module . the function of strain relief is performed by rollers disposed therebetween in a displaceable manner on common vertical guides , which function as compensation elements depending on the tensile load . the individual fiber layers are thereby prevented from travelling at different speeds . this module can also be used in addition to the braked rollers . the next module in fig1 - 3 is conveyor unit 3 . it is used to bring the individual fiber layers into their correct orientation . for this purpose , set collars are provided on rotatable rollers , which guide the individual fiber layers in terms of direction and can also specify the desired material width . at the end of this module the fiber layers that are used are combined to form one stack . in fig1 - 3 an additional module is installed in the lowermost level 19 of the system . inductor unit 4 is required for a special profile property . the device according to the invention , and the method according to the invention are described with reference to a system for manufacturing a special lcf section . this lcf section ( preform ) 30 is described in greater detail with reference to fig7 and 8 . a section for this preform has a c shape and comprises unidirectional fiber layers in the two reshaped flange sides . they cannot be extended in a subsequent longitudinal reshaping , i . e . when a curvature is applied to the component . therefore , the fiber layers for the c - shaped section must not be set completely . inductor unit 4 is required for this purpose since it can be used to locally connect the fiber layers . as a result , the individual layers can still become displaced relative to one another in the region of the eventual outer radius . the required inductors are positioned using a pneumatic gripping mechanism . the module that contains heating unit 5 is used to join the fibers layers still moving loosely on top of one another such that deviations in direction are ruled out in the subsequent transverse reshaping . in the embodiment presented here , each of the sections that are ultimately assembled to form the preform comprises unidirectional fiber layers at least on one side in the ultimate flange region . they can be heated from both sides in heating unit 5 since they are still in the flat position in heating unit 5 . various heat sources are feasible and possible . however , infrared radiators are used in the embodiment described herein , which heat only the unidirectional layers of the fiber layer stack in the process shown here . the infrared radiators can be swivelled , preferably through an angle of approximately 90 °. they can also be swivelled away at any other angle , or they can be tilted away , moved laterally outwardly , or covered by metal plates , for example . overheating of the fiber layers can therefore be prevented if the system should come to a standstill . the heated fiber layer stacks are then pressed together using pressure rollers at desired points to form a secure composite structure . the layered structure , which is otherwise still loose , is held in the desired shape using specially shaped guides , thereby also preventing individual layers from sliding off laterally . the following module , transverse reshaping unit 6 , brings the fiber layer stack into the correct cross section . the detailed mode of operation of this module is described with reference to fig4 a and 4 b . the next module is a conveyor unit 7 ( see fig3 ). it is responsible for transporting the material within the production process . in the embodiment described , a pair of knurled , stainless steel rollers in the region of the segment of the component conveys the strand through the system . in that particular case , one roller is driven by a frequency - dependent servo gearbox motor , and the other , as a counter - roller , is controlled in a spring - loaded or pneumatic manner . the counter - roller can also be displaced in the vertical axis , thereby enabling the conveyance process to be adjusted such that optimal straight - ahead running and stress - free transfer of the section to the subsequent longitudinal reshaping unit 8 are ensured . the process speed can also be controlled by regulating the motor of the first roller . longitudinal reshaping unit 8 is described in detail with reference to fig5 a - c . as soon as the sections have been curved in a predetermined manner in longitudinal reshaping unit 8 , they are cut to the desired length in the subsequent module , cutting unit 9 . in the embodiment shown here , the pneumatic feed cylinder is mechanically coupled to the cutoff wheel drive . the cutoff wheel is also pneumatically controlled . the cutting unit can be disposed on a displacement table so it can be moved to the predetermined points for cutting the sections . it is possible to stop the continuous process briefly to perform the cutting . however , it is feasible and particularly preferable for the cutting unit to be synchronized with the section feed , so that the production process need not be interrupted . in this case , the cutting unit moves on the displacement table in a synchronized manner with the section feed , thereby enabling the section to also be cut during forward motion . the final module of the machine is a handling unit 10 . it comprises a positioning device ( e . g . a robot ) 11 and a handling device ( assembly / compacting unit ). robot 11 transfers the individual sections into assembly unit 38 , in which the sections are assembled to form the finished preform . for transferring , robot 11 uses a robot gripper 14 attached to an arm 13 which can have movable joints . the robot can also stand on a base 15 . robot gripper 14 has individual gripping elements which have a fixed distance in the longitudinal direction and are adjustable in the transverse direction . it is therefore possible to grip sections having a certain radius of curvature using the holding force of a vacuum . in the embodiment shown here , the radius of curvature can be between 1500 mm and 2500 mm . fig4 a and 4 b show an embodiment of reshaping device 6 . the schematic depiction presented in fig4 a shows various driven and non - driven pressure rollers . some rollers 21 press vertically onto fiber layers 16 . other rollers 22 press fiber layers 16 around a cnc - machined mold core 20 . rollers 23 are also provided at a 90 ° angle relative to the original fiber layers . rollers 21 , 22 , 23 can have a shape that is convex , concave , or straight . it is also possible in particular for all rollers to be adjustable into certain contact angles . all shaping elements and all conveying elements used in the system are made of stainless steel material . fig4 b shows a similar reshaping device 6 in a schematic depiction . fig5 a - c show embodiments according to the invention of longitudinal reshaping unit 7 . fig5 a shows a module having a longitudinal reshaping device 7 , in a perspective view from the side . longitudinal reshaping unit 7 is shown from above in fig5 b . radiant heaters 24 can also be assigned to longitudinal reshaping unit 7 . they can also be designed to be displaceable , swivellable , or tiltable , to prevent overheating . in this case as well , shielding can be used to keep heat away from the material . cooling also takes place in this module . it may be accelerated by introducing cold air . in the embodiment described here , a toothed belt unit conveys the section through longitudinal reshaping unit 7 . the section moves over reshaping and guiding plates 25 which , in this embodiment , can be brought into a certain radius by way of a plunger 26 which can be displaced by a spindle 27 . spindle 27 can be used to change a specified radius during production as well , and therefore a different radius can be formed along a section . flexible conveyor belts , which in this embodiment can adapt to the radii of curvature of the section in the range of 1500 mm to 2500 mm , grip a flange of the section on both sides . other radii are also feasible and possible , of course . the parallel guidance also results in a large working region for set up when the system is being started up . fig6 shows a binder application module 28 according to the invention , in a perspective side view . in this module , fiber layers 16 can be provided with a binder system completely or only locally . for this purpose , a rotating carriage 29 , to the underside of which a perforated plate is attached , is used to apply a powdery binder to fiber layers 16 passing through . a shaft comprising guide vanes installed on the longitudinal side is supported in rotating carriage 29 and enables the vanes to rotate when the shaft is rotated , and delivers a consistent quantity of the binder onto the perforated plate . the rotational speed of rotating carriage 29 is matched to the feed rate of fiber layers 16 , thereby ensuring that a defined quantity of the powdered binder drops through the perforated plate onto fiber layers 16 . to bond the binder to the fiber layers , radiant heaters , in particular infrared radiators 24 in this case , are assigned to binder application module 28 . fig7 and 8 show a preform 30 that can be manufactured using an embodiment according to the invention . fig7 shows a schematic depiction with lateral surfaces 32 , 33 , 34 , and horizontal surface 31 . the special layered structure of this structural section is shown in a section in fig8 . in that particular case , three manufactured sections 35 , 36 , 37 are assembled in an assembly device 38 ( see fig9 ). two sections , 35 and 36 , have an s shape , and one section 37 has a c shape . large s section 35 lies over small s section 36 and c section 37 , and forms horizontal surface 21 . lateral surface 34 is composed of large and small s sections 35 , 36 , respectively , lateral surface 33 is composed of small s section 36 and c section 37 , and lateral surface 32 is composed of large s section 35 and c section 37 . by connecting the three individual sections 35 , 36 , 37 , a highly complex and dimensionally stable structural component is obtained . fig9 a to 9 g show the assembly of a preform 30 ( lcf section ), according to the invention , out of three sections 35 , 36 , 37 . an assembly unit 38 having a base plate 42 and three rigid metal molds 39 , 40 , 41 is provided for this purpose . metal mold 39 is securely connected to base plate 42 . the three sections are now inserted by robot 11 one after the other into assembly unit 38 . first , c section 37 is placed onto metal mold 39 ( fig9 a ). next , small s section 36 is placed onto metal mold 40 . metal mold 40 can be displaced on the base plate and is slid directly against the c section on metal block 40 ( fig9 b , c ). next , large s section 35 is placed onto the two sections ( fig9 d ). metal mold 41 , which is designed as a displaceable lever , is now moved next to sections 35 , 36 , 37 and folded down to secure sections 35 , 36 , 37 ( fig9 e , f ). all metal blocks 39 , 40 , 41 are equipped with heating cartridges and activate the binder in the fiber layers , thereby joining the sections to form a preform . a vacuum diaphragm 43 provides the required process pressure ( fig9 g ). the compacting carried out in assembly unit 38 minimizes the set - up time of the actual rtm curing device . it will be understood that each of the elements described above , or two or more together , may also find a useful application in other types of constructions and methods differing from the types described above . while the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a method and device for manufacturing preforms of fiber reinfoced plastic , it is not intended to be limited to the details shown , since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention . without further analysis , the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can , by applying current knowledge , readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that , from the standpoint of prior art , fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention .	8
the following description is of the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention . this description is not to be taken in a limiting sense , but is made merely for the purpose of describing one or more preferred embodiments of the invention . the scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the claims . a restraint system according to the present invention is shown adjusted to a first position for a small soldier without gear in fig1 a , and adjusted to a second position for a large soldier wearing substantial gear in fig1 b . the restraint system may further be adjusted to intermediate positions . soldiers often wear ( or carry ) gear such as backpacks , body armor , guns , canteens radios and maps . soldiers may further wear arctic gear or chemical gear , both of which may substantially add to the overall girth of the soldier . soldiers wearing such gear may be hampered by thick multiple layer gloves and experience constrained body movements . the restraint system according to the present invention is designed to ease both ingress ( buckling up ) and egress from a combat vehicle , and in particular to facilitate ingress and egress in a hostile environment , while safely securing a soldier when the vehicle is underway . an adjustable buckle assembly 10 according to the present invention is shown in a lowered ( or retracted ) position attached to a mount 16 in fig1 a , and the buckle adjuster 10 is shown in a raised ( or extended ) position in fig1 b . the buckle adjuster 10 is positioned on the side of a vehicle seat comprising a seat back 12 and a seat bottom 14 . the buckle adjuster 10 may be extended as shown by arrow 18 between approximately 2 . 5 inches and between approximately seven inches , and preferably may be extended approximately 2 . 5 inches . the buckle adjuster 10 may be rotated in the mount 16 approximately 30 degrees as shown by arc 20 . the restraint system is thereby able to accommodate small female soldiers by moving the buckle to a rear position to insure a snug fit to restrain small stature individuals and the buckle may be adjusted forward for a soldier wearing substantial battle gear . a large easy to operate buckle 24 is connected to the adjustable buckle assembly 10 . the buckle 24 which is preferably a dual buckle which independently accepts a shoulder belt 11 a and a separate lap belt 11 b . troops wearing full battle , arctic & amp ; chemical gear may be hampered by thick multiple layer gloves and constrained body movements . the large easy to operate buckle 24 facilitates both ingress ( buckling up ) and egress . the belts 11 a and 11 b are preferably very long straps to accommodate large soldiers wearing substantial equipment such as backpacks , body armor , guns , canteens radios and maps , and may be up to approximately 80 inches long . grabs 15 a and 15 b are attached to the belts 11 a and 11 b respectively . the grabs 15 a , 15 b allow a soldier to more easily locate and grasp the belts 11 a and 11 b in a dark or smokey environment and allow gloved occupants the ability to handle the belts 11 a and 11 b day or night . each of the belts 11 a and 11 b include separate connectors 72 ( see fig9 a ) which are small and narrow so the belts don &# 39 ; t catch on military gear to slow the occupant &# 39 ; s exit from the vehicle . the separate connectors 72 do not create a loop to catch on the occupant &# 39 ; s arm or gear during vehicle exit . the belts 11 a and 11 b pay out from reels 13 a and 13 b respectively which are preferably locking inertial reels which lock during a crash event . further , the shoulder belt reel 13 a and the lap belt reel 13 b are more preferably latching inertial reels which latches in the presence of specified accelerations and remains latched until released . such latching inertial reel is described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 378 , 578 filed mar . 17 , 2006 and assigned to the assignee of the present application . the reels 13 a and 13 b most preferably latch and remain latched in the presence of a large vertical acceleration . the shoulder inertial reel 13 a preferably has a special high locking calibration to allow for comfortable off road and on road operation . the calibration of the shoulder inertial reel 13 a is preferably set to approximately 0 . 85 g ( instead of the typical 0 . 3 g to 0 . 7 g for normal restraints ) for momentary locking to allow freedom of movement during off road operations . the reel 13 a remains momentarily locked until the sensed acceleration drops below the calibration level . additionally , the unlocking preferably requires that the vehicle must be level plus or minus approximately 20 degrees ( stays locked in roll over ) and that the load on the retractor strap must be zero ( occupant not applying load to the seatbelt ). in some instances , the shoulder reel 13 a may be a latching reel which remains locked following a high sensed acceleration , until manually un - locked . a typical inertial reel may lock during normal off - road driving , thereby unnecessarily restraining an occupant to their seat . such a locked shoulder inertial reel would not allow leaning forward to operate controls or positioning to shoot weapons while underway . additionally , a locked inertial reel may cause the occupant to be chaffed , choked and / or bruised by the shoulder strap during rough or bouncy off road operation . the lap inertial reel 13 b preferably momentarily locks at between approximately 0 . 3 g and approximately 0 . 7 g , and more preferably at approximately 0 . 45 g to securely hold an occupant in the seat during rough off road operations . the reel 13 b remains momentarily locked until the sensed acceleration drops below the calibration level . additionally , the unlocking preferably requires that the vehicle must be level plus or minus approximately 20 degrees ( stays locked in roll over ) and that the load on the retractor strap must be zero ( occupant not applying load to the seatbelt ). the reel 13 b is preferably a latching reel which remains locked following a high sensed acceleration , until manually un - locked . the reels 13 a and 13 b further preferably include fast retract springs to retract the belts quickly for rapid egress in a combat situation . the reels 13 a and 13 b preferably retract the belts 11 a and 11 b in less than approximately two seconds and more preferably retract the belts 11 a and 11 b in less than approximately one second . such rapid retraction allows a soldier to quickly exit the vehicle without the belts catching on equipment or clothing . the mount 16 may be attached to the vehicle and are preferably attached to the vehicle floor or to the vehicle seat . a detailed view of the buckle adjuster 10 and buckle 24 is shown in the lowered position in fig2 a , and in the raised position in fig2 b . the buckle adjuster 10 includes a lower portion 10 a which is attached to the mount 16 ( see fig1 ) and an upper portion 10 b which extends and retracts with respect to the lower portion 10 a . the buckle 24 is connected to the upper portion 10 b . a latching mechanism 30 is fixedly attached to the lower portion 28 and cooperates with a slide 26 to adjust the position of the buckle 24 . the buckle 24 may be retracted as shown by arrow 22 and may be extended as shown by arrow 18 . the lower portion 10 a of the buckle adjuster 10 is shown alone in fig3 . the lower portion 10 a comprises the latching mechanism 30 shown in fig4 a , the connector plate 32 shown in fig4 b , and the arm 28 shown in fig4 c . the arm 28 has a mount end 28 a , a body 28 b , and a latch end 28 c . the mount end 28 a may rotate approximately 30 degrees in the mount 16 to allow angular ( or front / rear ) adjustment of the buckle 24 . the body 28 b is preferably a flexible body , and more preferably a heavy wire cable . the connecting plate 32 is connected to the arm 28 by a rivet 29 , and the latching mechanism 30 is connected to the connecting plate 32 by small rivets 46 . a detailed top view of the latching mechanism 30 is shown in fig5 a , a detailed front view of the latching mechanism 30 is shown in fig5 b , a detailed end view of the latching mechanism 30 is shown in fig5 c , and a view of the latching mechanism 30 in an unlatched position is shown in fig5 d . the latching mechanism 30 includes a top plate 38 and a base plate 40 forming a housing which contains a spring 42 biasing a pin 36 in a latched or inward position . the housing is preferably formed by a raised center portion of the top plate 38 and is preferably an open housing which is open on two sides to prevent or reduce material from becoming trapped in the housing . a knob 34 is attached to a knob end of the pin 36 for pulling the pin 36 to unlatch the latching mechanism 30 to allow the buckle 24 to be extended and to be retracted . the knob 34 is preferably an oversized knob and preferably a non slipping knob and more preferably a knurled knob . the knob 34 is thus easily used by a vehicle occupant wearing gloves , or with muddy slippery fingers . the pin 36 has an engaging end opposite the knob end for engaging adjusting pin holes 60 in the slide 26 ( see fig9 b ). the spring 42 resides over the pin 36 and inside the housing . a spring stop 44 on the pin 36 provides a seat for the spring 42 to bias the pin 36 inward . a top view of the connecting plate 32 is shown in fig6 a , a front view of the connecting plate 32 is shown in fig6 b , and an end view of the connecting plate 32 is shown in fig6 c . the connecting plate 32 includes small holes 54 for the rivets 46 ( see fig5 b and 7 ), an adjusting pin hole 48 , and a large rivet hole 50 for connecting the connector plate 32 to the arm 28 . two first lateral stops 52 reside on opposite sides of the arm 28 when the connector plate 32 is connected to the arm 28 . the latching mechanism 30 is shown attached to the connecting plate 32 in fig7 . the latching mechanism 30 preferably forms a guide 39 , and more preferably , spacers 41 reside between the latching mechanism 30 and the connecting plate 32 to form the guide 39 for the slider 26 ( see fig8 ). the small rivets 46 pass through the top plate 38 , the base plate 40 , the spacers 41 , and the connecting plate 32 to connect the top plate 38 , base plate 40 , spacers 41 , and connecting plate 32 and to form the guide 39 . the upper portion 10 b of the buckle adjuster 10 is shown alone in fig8 . the buckle 24 is shown with the connectors 72 in fig9 a , and the slider 26 alone is shown in fig9 b . the buckle 24 is connected to the slider 26 by a large rivet 58 . the rivet 58 passes through the large rivet holes 62 b in the buckle 24 and the large rivet hole 62 a in the slider 26 , thereby attaching the buckle 24 to the slider 26 . the buckle 24 includes a release 67 pivotally attached to a buckle body 66 by a pin 68 . the release 67 is larger than known buckle releases to allow a soldier wearing gloves and / or on a dark , smoky , or muddy environment , or with limited vision , to find and actuate the release 67 . the buckle 24 preferably independently accepts the two connectors 72 which are inserted along arrows 74 . the release 67 preferably rotates approximately 90 degrees before releasing the connectors 72 and actuation of a single release 67 releases both connectors 72 , at which time the reels 13 a and 13 b quickly retract the belts 11 a and 11 b . the connectors 72 are preferably narrow and more preferably tapered toward the ends and preferably do not have edges or any similar feature which might snag on clothing , gear , arms , etc . the slider 26 includes a stop end with two opposing second lateral stops 64 and an adjusting pin hole 60 , and a buckle end 26 b with a large rivet hole 62 a and a second adjusting pin hole 60 . a top view of the buckle 24 is shown in fig1 a , a front view of the buckle 24 is shown in fig1 b , and a side view of the buckle 24 is shown in fig1 c . the buckle body 66 includes the large rivet hole 62 b for connecting the buckle 24 to the slider 26 and third lateral stops 70 which reside on opposite sides of the buckle end 26 b of the slider 26 when the slider is connected to the buckle 24 by the rivet 58 . connection latches 69 engage the connectors 72 to retain the belts 11 a and 11 b in the buckle 24 unless the release 67 is lifted . each of the connection latches 69 are independently biased into a locked position wherein each of the connection latches 69 holds a respective one of the connectors 72 , thus each connectors 72 may be independently inserted into the buckle 24 and caught ( or retained ) by one of the connection latches 69 . a detailed view of the buckle adjuster mount 16 is shown in fig1 and the cooperation of the mount end 28 a of the arm 28 with a cover piece 16 a of the mount 16 is shown in fig1 a . a cross - sectional view of the mount 16 and mount end 28 a of the arm 28 taken along line 12 - 12 of fig1 is shown in fig1 . a front view of the cover piece 16 a of the mount 16 is shown in fig1 a , a top view of the cover piece 16 a is shown in fig1 b , and a side view of the cover piece 16 a is shown in fig1 c . the mount 16 comprises the cover piece 16 a , a flat piece 16 b , and a bolt 17 . the cover piece 16 a includes side flanges 80 which limit the rotation of the arm 28 along the arc 20 , and which butt up against the flat piece 16 b to form a pocket for the arm 16 . the bolt 17 may engage threads in a vehicle to attach the mount 16 . when donning the restraint , if the buckle 24 requires adjustment due to body size or battle gear , such adjustment may be achieved by pulling and lifting the adjuster knob 34 until the buckle 24 is free to slide . when correctly adjusted , the knob 34 is then released and the buckle 24 position is fixed and may no longer move . this adjustment allows the buckle 24 to stay positioned to the occupant &# 39 ; s hips as he moves forward relative to the seat back 12 due to any body - mounted equipment . such relative positioning makes it easier for the occupant to don and doff the restraint and to find the buckle 34 in an egress situation . while the buckle adjuster 10 is described herein as having two positions , a buckle according to the present invention may also have three or more positions . further , the arm 28 may be connected to a vehicle using any type of mount . the buckle adjuster may also be used with a single shoulder belt 11 a or a single lap belt 11 b . while the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments and applications thereof , numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the claims .	1
the following descriptions of the preferred embodiments are provided to understand the features of the present invention . the present invention provides a light emitting diode ( led ) with nanoparticles 10 , please referring to the fig1 a , which comprises a first electrode 12 for electric conduction , a substrate 11 for said led to be grown thereon , a luminescent nanoparticles layer 13 for emitting light , and a second electrode 14 for electric conduction . wherein said first electrode 12 may be an n - type electrode or a p - type electrode made by metal material , such as au , ag , al , or mg . said substrate 11 may be a semiconductor substrate or an insulator substrate , typically , said substrate 11 is a silicon substrate . similarly , said first electrode 14 may be an n - type electrode or a p - type electrode that is different to said first electrode 12 , made by metal material , such as au , ag , al , or mg . furthermore , said luminescent nanoparticles layer 13 substantially is an oxide luminescent nanoparticles layer , a semiconductor luminescent nanoparticles layer ( such as cds nanoparticles layer ), or a macromolecule luminescent nanoparticles layer . in a preferred embodiment example , each nanoparticle 131 of said luminescent nanoparticles layer 13 has a specific diameter between 5 nm to 500 nm , particularly , when the diameter of nanoparticle 131 is smaller than 10 nm , the light emitting performance will be better . in addition , each luminescent nanoparticle of said luminescent nanoparticles layer 13 substantially is spreading uniformly for having high performance of emitting light . referring to the fig1 b , current flows through said luminescent nanoparticles layer 23 by said first electrode 21 and said second electrode 24 for emitting light . the luminescent nanoparticles provided in accordance with this invention is embodied as following example . first , redissolvable nanoparticles powder of cds has been synthesized by modifying pietro &# 39 ; s method . next , cadmium acetate dihydrate [ cd ( ch 3 coo ) 2 . 2h 2 o , 0 . 80 g , 3 . 0 mmole ] was dissolved in a 20 ml mixed solvent of acetonitrile , methanol , and water with a volume ratio of 1 : 1 : 2 to form a first solution . a second solution containing disodium sulfide nanohydrate ( na 2 s . 9h 2 o , 0 . 36 g , 1 . 5 mmole ) and p - hydroxy thiophenol ( 0 . 56 g , 4 . 4 mmole ) in the same solvent system was added into vigorously stirred cadmium acetate solution . the first solution and the second solution were putting together to stir for 18 hours without light illumination . after centrifuging and washing with deionized ( di ) water for several times , it can be obtained that a 0 . 70 g yellow powder of cds nanoparticles encapped by p - hydroxy thiophenol . by replacing part of cadmium acetate with manganese acetate , we prepared mn doped cds nanoparticles with different concentrations of manganese ( 5 %, 10 % and 20 % in molar ratio ). the diameter of the cds nanoparticles is about 5 nm . with ultrasonic vibration and percolation , solutions for spin - coating purpose were produced by dissolving the nanoparticles in ethanol with a concentration of 1 % ( w / v ). here is a preferred embodiment for fabricating cds light emitting diode on si wafer as follows in accordance with the present invention . first , a low resistivity ( doping ˜ 10 15 cm 3 ) silicon wafer was used as the substrate . acetone , methanol , and di water were used for subsequently cleaning procedure . the wafer was placed on spinner with several dips of the previously mentioned four cds and cds : mn nanoparticle solutions . a spin speed of 4 , 000 rpm for 60 sec was used . the general fabrication steps of cds light emitting diodes ( leds ) are as follows . there are three different treatments with the devices : [ sample 1 ]: the wafer was placed in a chamber , in which 75 - mmhg air pressure and room temperature were maintained for 5 minutes to remove ethanol solvent . [ sample 2 ]: the samples were subsequently treated by rapid thermal annealing ( rta ) at 425 ° c . for 5 minutes . the annealing process took place with 75 - mmhg air pressure . at this temperature , the organic chemical was decomposed . [ sample 3 ]: the cds nanoparticles are immersed into high oxygen concentration environment . the nanoparticle solutions ( 1 %) had been separately mixed with sog ( spin - on - glass ) 315fx and sio 2 nanoparticles ( 6 % by volume , average diameter of 12 nm , dissolved in isopropyl alcohol ). the cleaned silicon substrate was spin coated with these two kinds of mixture solutions . both samples were treated by rta at 425 ° c . subsequently , both top and bottom metal contacts were defined by thermal evaporation . the top semi - transparent contact layer was 10 nm gold , and the bottom layer was 150 nm gold . before the deposition of au layer , a 3 - nm adhesion layer of chromium had been evaporated for both contacts . after 0 . 3 voltage bias was applied , el through top thin layer can be seen by naked eyes . monochromator ( cvi cm110 ) and photomultiplier were used to record the spectra . please refer to the fig2 which shows i - v curve of devices on n - type and p - type si respectively when turning point at around 3v . in the case of [ sample 1 ], both spectra of cds and cds doped with mn are the same , as illustrated in fig3 a . the emission peak at 526 . 5 nm ( 2 . 355 ev ) is red - shifted from bulk cds a - exciton transition energy , 2 . 441 ev ( 508 nm ) at room temperature . the el spectrum of [ sample 2 ] depicted in fig3 b shows two peaks . one is at 513 . 7 nm and another is at 571 . 5 nm . the former peak stands for bulk cds signal ( a - exciton ) that has been decreased from 526 . 5 nm to 513 . 7 nm with increasing processing temperature from room temperature to 450 ° c . this spectral lobe can be fitted by lorentzian shape with scattering time of 8 fs and fwhm 40 nm . the peak at 571 . 5 nm results from the trapped carriers in oxygen - impurity levels . high temperature environment and the decomposition of p - hydroxy thiophenol group cause the diffusion process of oxygen into the nanoparticles to occur . for investigating the luminescent phenomenon of oxygen impurity level , we used sog and sio 2 nanoparticles as oxygen source and mixed them respectively with cds nanoparticles . their el spectra [ sample 3 ] are shown in fig3 c . the peak at 513 . 7 nm ( 2 . 414 ev ) is the a - exciton signal of bulk cds at 65 ° c . a new light emits at 571 . 5 nm that corresponds to radiative transition due to carriers trapped in oxygen - impurity levels , as mentioned previously . the magnitude of light emission in these samples is ten times stronger than that from unheated samples ( sample 1 ) for the same carrier injection condition . these unusual changes in the wavelength and intensity of light emission from the diodes provide a useful and simple way to fabricate tunable light emitting sources . the cds nanoparticles prepared by chemical method are ready for spin - coating and el device fabrication . the observed a spectral shift of free exciton transition of 86 mev is due to the passivation of p - hydroxy thiophenol group around nanoparticles . process modifications such as heat treatment and oxygen - rich environment are influential to intrinsic green emission of cds nanoparticles . the p - hydroxy thiophenol molecule has shown a protection effect to avoid the diffusion of contaminants into nanoparticles , but it cannot resist temperature deterioration above 400 ° c . radiative recombination of carriers trapped in oxygen - impurity levels presents a 273 mev of below bandgap energy of bulk cds . with the oxygen - impurity levels formed at the surface of cds nanoparticles , luminescence increases by an order of magnitude . in addition , luminescent nanoparticles formed by chemical methods have many advantages . first , it can be dissolved in the solvent to become a solution . second , it can be applied on any substrates by any process such as spray , dip coating , or spin coating . third , the speed can be very fast ( several micrometers per second ); therefore , area or volume density of the material can be very high . therefore , the led with nanoparticles provided by this invention may reduce the production cost and increase the size of led . the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit of the essential attributes thereof ; therefore , the illustrated embodiment should be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive , reference being made to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention .	8
referring to fig1 the compound lens consists of four elements , 10 , 20 , 30 and 40 respectively . lenses 10 and 40 are essentially identical to each other . lenses 20 and 30 are essentially identical to each other . each lens surface is characterized by a radius of curvature and a conic constant . the left - most surface of lens 20 and the right - most surface of lens 30 are substantially planar . for imaging in the near infrared , lenses 10 and 40 are advantageously chosen to be fabricated from polystyrene whereas lenses 20 and 30 are chosen to be fabricated from acrylic . a representative example is presented wherein the focal length of the compound lens is about 12 mm . in fig1 , each surface is numbered from 1 - 8 . in table i . the properties of each surface are defined , where the curvature is in mm − 1 , and the thickness and semi - diameter are in mm . where a material is not specified , there is an air space present . the lens presented in fig1 was designed to have a numerical aperture of at least 0 . 3 and total field of view of at least 4 mm . two such lenses can be deployed back to back such that the first is a collimator whereas the second refocuses the collimated light to an image . the modulation transfer function of such an arrangement is presented in fig2 . the curves designated by t and s are the modulation transfer function for the tangential and sagittal rays respectively . curves are presented for a field point on axis 201 and for a field point 2 mm off axis 202 . the curves 201 overlap because for a symmetric system there is no distinction between the tangential and sagittal modulation transfer function for light originating on axis . the calculation was performed at a wavelength of 890 nm . it can be seen that for the on - axis radiation , the modulation transfer function is & gt ; 0 . 5 for spatial frequencies & lt ; 160 mm − 1 . for a field point 2 mm off axis , the modulation transfer function is & gt ; 0 . 5 for spatial frequencies & lt ; 45 mm − 1 , indicating good off - axis performance , hence , this compound lens has a good total field of view of at least 4 mm . the modulation transfer function of a single compound lens in the angular domain is presented fig3 where the abscissa is in angular frequency per milliradian . it can be observed that the modulation transfer function is & gt ; 0 . 5 for frequencies & lt ; 0 . 4 cycles per milliradian . it should be recognized that designs different from the example which is provided but still within the framework of this invention may exhibit frequencies significantly less than 0 . 4 cycles per milliradian for the frequency at which the modulation transfer function is & gt ; 0 . 5 , for instance 0 . 3 cycles per milliradian . it is understood that the entire compound lens can be scaled uniformly and appreciably similar characteristics to the lens presented , consistently scaled , can be expected to be obtained . the compound lens presented in fig1 is readily distinguished from the prior art because it achieves all the following characteristics simultaneously with only two distinct elements which are duplicated : a . a numerical aperture in excess of 0 . 25 . b . a total field of view which exceeds 0 . 25 of the focal length of the lens . c . the product of the spatial frequency at which the modulation transfer function exceeds 0 . 5 , and the focal length of the lens exceeds 400 , which is a measure of resolution . conventionally , lenses which obtained the aforementioned characteristics have had a least four distinct lens elements . when lenses are formed by molding , the cost of the mold may be high and it can be very advantageous to require a reduced number of distinct molds . further , economies of scale are realized by producing a larger number of identical elements for the same number of compound lenses required . compensation of chromatic aberrations in the near infrared was achieved by choosing appropriate plastics for the two distinct lens elements and this gives rise to a particularly advantageous spectrometer design based on these lenses . the spectrometer design is presented in fig4 . assemblies 60 and 70 are compound lenses of the same form as that in fig1 . item 50 is an input slit and item 80 is a volume phase hologram . in this embodiment , the volume phase hologram has a line density of 1850 lines / mm . in other embodiments , the diffraction grating has a frequency of greater than 1000 mm − 1 . the grating is deployed at an angle of 56 ° with respect to the optical axis of the input lenses . for compound lenses having a focal length of 12 mm , the nominal dispersion is 0 . 04 mm / nm . in this example , the range of wavelengths desired is 800 to 1000 nm . the total height of the input slit is 4 mm . the modulation transfer function of the spectrometer can be calculated as a function of wavelength and of field position . as the slit height is 4 mm , the modulation transfer function is calculated at a field position of 2 mm off - axis and for a field position on - axis . the modulation transfer function versus spatial frequency for input wavelengths of 850 , 890 and 940 nm respectively is presented in fig5 a , b , and c . the tangential modulation transfer function is represented by the letter t and the sagittal transfer function by the letter s . the sagittal function directly affects the wavelength resolution of the spectrometer whereas the tangential function affects its spatial resolution , which is often less important . in fig5 a - c , the coordinates of the field points for each curve are given adjacent to the designation of the transfer function as tangential or sagittal . the sagittal modulation transfer function is greater than 0 . 5 for all wavelengths at spatial frequencies less than 60 mm − 1 , hence for input slit widths much greater than the 1 / 60 mm , the wavelength resolution of the instrument will not be significantly impaired . this performance was enabled , in part by the advantageous choice of lens materials . although the detailed description contains many specifics , these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention , but merely as illustrating different examples and aspects of the invention . it should be appreciated that the scope of the invention includes other embodiments not discussed in detail above . various other modifications , changes and variations which will be apparent to those skilled in the art may be made in the arrangement , and details of the apparatus of the invention disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .	6
referring now to the drawings , wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views , and more particularly to fig1 and 2 thereof , there is illustrated a system for implementing the process for treatment of substrates using ions from low - voltage arc discharge , according to the invention . the customary method of preventing a gas discharge from spreading involves a magnetic field whose field lines run parallel to the discharge . such a field , with flux density b , constrains electrons ( mass m , elementary charge e ) with a radial velocity component v r to helical paths with the radius r =( m × v r )/( e × b ). an alternative method would be to use a guide tube with negatively charged walls or with electrically insulating or insulated walls , which automatically become negatively charged by the plasma . for the sake of completeness , the focusing effect of the magnetic field produced by the plasma current itself ( pinch effect ) should also be mentioned . this effect cannot in principle be avoided , but when there is no magnetic focusing , it has no demonstrable effect in the context described here . the field strength of magnetic fields whose field lines run parallel to the low - voltage arc discharge should be less than 0 . 0005 tesla . the avoidance according to the invention of any avoidable hindrance to the spreading of the plasma to the substrates has the effect that , if they are sufficiently negatively charged relative to the plasma or at least are electrically insulated , the substrates forming the cavity themselves form these walls . this makes the cavity a kind of plasma bottle . the spreading of the low - voltage arc discharge can be observed through a window in the vacuum container when the focusing magnetic field is switched off . if the current of the low - voltage arc discharge is sufficient , the plasma penetrates the three - dimensional structures of the substrate support and the individual substrates . as a consequence of this , a more uniform surface treatment is achieved when etching and ion - plating complexly shaped substrates . this advantage can be seen with the naked eye when observing substrates which exhibit tarnishing colors after heating . if the penetration capacity of the plasma is insufficient , the tarnishing colors of the unetched oxide layers can be seen after etching at the bottom of drilling grooves or other indentations . they cause the adhesion of the layers deposited thereon to be unsatisfactory . the practical observation that the penetration capacity can be a critical quantity is supported by the following theoretical consideration : the distance from which ions are extracted from a plasma and accelerated onto the substrates can be estimated using the schottky - langmuir space charge formula ( see , for example , the text book gertheen , kneser , vogel : physik , 15th edition , page 431 , formula 8 . 30 ). it gives the space charge - limited current density j as a function of the extraction distance d and the difference u between the electrode and plasma potentials . for a planar electrode : in the process according to the invention , the extraction distance calculated with this formula is less than 1 mm . on account of the complicated geometry , it is at best a realistic estimate . the relative values calculated with the schottky - langmuir space charge formula are very much more meaningful . the calculation shows , in particular , the effect of an increase in the substrate current density on the capacity of the plasma to penetrate the geometrical structures : for a given power , the extraction distance decreases superproportionally as the current density increases . for example , when the current density is doubled and the voltage is halved , an extraction distant which is less by a factor of 2 . 4 is obtained in spite of an equal etching rate . this is an important advantage with deep and fine structures , as occur , for example in twist drills , taps , milling cutters as well as pressing and punching tools . an explanation is given below of how the process according to the invention can not only improve quality but also increase the etching rate . sparks are arc discharges . unlike glow discharges , they do not cover an extended cathode surface , but use a small , hot , continuously moving cathode spot . the properties of sparks are therefore determined not by the current density but by the total current . the probability of a spark discharge being ignited increases strongly as the total current onto the substrates rises . there is therefore a current limit at about 10 a which should not be exceeded . when the etching current is distributed over parts of the substrate support , this current limit no longer holds for the total current , but for the current onto the individual parts . the desired increase in the etching power , with the associated reduction in the length of the etching phase , can be achieved by distributing the etching current over all the individual trees / substrate holders and by using current - limiting cutouts in the lines to the individual trees . the achievable improvement factor corresponds to the surface area ratio between the inside of the cavity and the externally applied etching device . it is noteworthy that the objects of the invention were achieved precisely by not adhering to the teaching formulated in german patent 2823876 , which was hitherto generally accepted and adhered to in practice . namely , in that the low - voltage arc discharge pinched through the opening of the chamber is , in the evaporation space , neither additionally guided by a magnetic field onto the anode nor ( in order to achieve a sufficient power density for the evaporation ) focused onto the surface of the anode by a magnetic field . furthermore , the requirement established in german utility model 29615190 for a distance between the substrates and the discharge is , by the present invention , not only typically not adhered to , but typically turned around . during trials of the evaporation of material using the unfocused low - voltage arc according to the invention , the latter was supplied from a high performance power source in order ( according to accepted teaching ) to achieve the power density needed for a sufficient evaporation rate . it was found in these trials that an unexpectedly small increase in the power of the low - voltage arc is sufficient to achieve the same evaporation weight as with the focused low - voltage arc . the power density , calculated by dividing the total power of the low - voltage arc discharge by the surface area , acting as an anode , of the crucible and the material which it contains , is in this case considerably less than 10 mw / m 2 (= 1 kw / cm 2 ), i . e . more than a factor of 10 less than the lower limit of 10 kw / cm 2 specified in german patent 2823876 . the surprise over this result was further increased by the apparently particularly unfavorable geometrical conditions under which the trials were carried out : the distance between the opening and the material to be evaporated can , without detrimental consequences , be increased up to the geometrically determined limits ( 0 . 7 m ) of the available system , a distance which has hitherto been regarded as possible only with magnetic guiding . further advantages result as a direct consequence of the absence of the magnetic field , and therefore the elimination of the following three problems : ( 1 ) the magnetic field causes permanent magnetization on substrates made of ferromagnetic materials , for example tools made of steel and hard metal . after coating , substrates of this type need to be demagnetized in an additional working step . in the case of lightweight substrates , it is even possible that they will be pulled out of their holders by the magnetic field . a further problem is the feedback of magnetizable substrates on the profile of the magnetic field , and therefore the profile of the low - voltage arc discharge . ( 2 ) props made of magnetically permeable steel which are vertical and therefore parallel to the field lines , can lead to attenuation and / or distortion of the magnetic field . these parts of the substrate support must therefore be made from austenitic steel , which is more expensive and more difficult to process . since , in industry , substrate supports are used in a wide variety of contexts , and often need to be manufactured on at short notice , this disadvantage is one which has economic impact . ( 3 ) the magnetic coils themselves are also a problem . they are usually fitted outside the vacuum container . however , external magnetic coils are correspondingly large and therefore substantially dictate the design of the system , in particular the vacuum container . systems for carrying out the known process according to de 2823876 therefore usually have a design which is unusual for pvd systems : a cylindrical container which has a vertical axis and is surrounded by magnetic coils , and in which the often very heavy substrate holders are arranged on a lowerable base which , in the lowered position , can be moved horizontally . magnetic coils fastened inside the vacuum container , as proposed in german patent 3615361 , would also permit the use of containers with a front door . although coils of this type have smaller dimensions , the outlay associated with them is greater than in the case of external magnetic coils , on account of the required high - vacuum compatibility or high vacuum - tight encapsulation of the coils . furthermore , internal coils either prevent the vapor from spreading or lead to the size of the container being increased . the elimination of the 3rd problem is particularly important . the technical progress resides in this case less in saving the outlay on the coils ( including the supply unit and control system ), than in the gain in freedom when designing a new system . one benefit is , for example , the possibility of use of a vacuum container with a front door . front doors have the advantage that they can be integrated in a wall . by virtue of this measure , the oil - free , but often dusty workplace of the coater is separated from the maximally dust - free , but not oil - free machine space . even when flange openings need to be made on the walls of the container , for example , for arc sources or cathodic sputtering sources , it is very helpful if the system does not also need to be surrounded by coils . examples of preferred embodiments of the process according to the invention will be described below . these process examples are carried out in a preferred version of the system according to the invention which is chosen as an example . the fig1 and 2 show respective schematic representations of a side and top view of the system according to the present invention . in fig1 and 2 , the vacuum container 1 has the shape of a cylinder around a vertical axis 2 . it has a front door 3 fitted over its full width and height . the system does not have any coils for producing a magnetic field with field lines directed parallel to the axis 2 . the interior of the vacuum container 1 is the treatment space . it has a diameter of 0 . 9 m . heating radiators are fastened on the inner walls of the container 1 and the door 3 . they are not represented in the drawing , neither is the high - vacuum pump . the cathode chamber 4 with the noble gas inlet 5 can be seen at the top on the vacuum container 1 . the cathode chamber contains the hot cathode 6 , namely a wire heated by means of an electrical feed - through . the inside of the cathode chamber 4 is connected to the treatment space through an opening 7 . the substrate support comprises 12 substrate holders 8 , of which only the substrate holders located in the section plane are shown in the side view fig1 . each substrate holder is mounted with electrical insulation . in practice , they are usually vertical shafts with parts fitted on to accommodate substrates . the substrate holders 8 are for this reason referred to as trees . each tree has an insulated gear 9 and can rotate about its own axis . the 12 substrate holders 8 are arranged in a circle around the axis 2 , and together form an axisymmetric substrate arrangement around an axisymmetric cavity 10 . instead of the 12 trees 8 with 130 mm diameter , 6 circularly arranged trees with 260 mm diameter could also form the cavity 10 . the vertical axis of the cavity 10 formed by the substrate arrangement 8 is identical to the axis 2 of the cylindrically shaped part of the vacuum container 1 . the part 11 of the substrate support which can be rotated about the axis 2 is referred to as the carousel . it contains the insulating mounts and the electrical supplies ( not shown ) to the trees . the carousel is mounted on rollers 12 and is driven via the shaft 13 using a gear . the rotation of the carousel serves ( 1 ) to balance out azimuthal asymmetries in the plasma density or in he geometry of the source arrangement , ( 2 ) to drive the trees via the toothed ring 15 and the gears 9 , and ( 3 ) to carry the trees past the door opening for loading and unloading . if the shaft 14 , and therefore also the toothed ring 15 , are kept fixed , then the rotational movements of the carousel and the trees are coupled . if , however , the shaft 13 is fixed and the shaft 14 , and therefore also the toothed ring 15 , are rotated , then the carousel is stationary and the trees rotate only about their own axis . if both shafts are rotated , the rotational movements of the carousel and the trees can be arbitrarily adjusted . in the central region of the cavity 10 formed by the twelve holders , a vertically displaceable , water - cooled , electrically insulated evaporator crucible 16 is fitted in the region of the axis 2 . its distance from the opening 7 of the cathode chamber 4 can be varied over the entire height of the substrate support and further . the crucible 16 is open at the top and is filled with the material to be evaporated . the side surfaces 17 of the crucible and the rod for displacing it are shielded against the low - voltage arc plasma by floating - potential tubes which move with them . the shielding limits the electron bombardment of the material to be evaporated . although typically essential , it has not been represented for the sake of simplicity . the crucible , with its tubular shield , is surrounded at the lower end of the cavity 10 by a stationary electrode 18 . the latter is used during inactivated ion plating with noble gas ions , as the anode of the low - voltage arc discharge . the hot cathode 6 is heated using alternating current until it is typically white hot . this current is produced by the supply unit 19 , which forms part of the ungrounded low - voltage arc circuit with the dc supply unit 20 . it delivers up to 420 a . either the etching anode 18 or , if material is to be evaporated from a crucible , the crucible 16 may be used as the anode of the low - voltage arc discharge . during etching , switch a is closed , and switch b is closed during evaporation . using the supply unit 21 , the substrate holders are brought to a negative potential in order to produce a bias voltage between the substrates and the plasma . during etching , this voltage is about 200 v , and has a lower value during coating . the substrate potential is , separately for each tree , applied firstly to the carousel via slip rings ( not shown ) and from there to the trees . each of the 12 lines contains an electronic cutout 22 . the supply unit 23 supplies the laterally flanged - mounted coating source 24 . if the source 24 is an arc source , the supply unit 23 delivers , for example , 300 a at a discharging voltage of about 20 v . if it is a cathodic sputtering source the supply unit 23 delivers , for example , 20 a at a discharge voltage of about 400 v . the coating sources 25 to 27 each have their own supply unit ( not shown ). the first example describes an etching process , that is to say a substrate treatment according to the invention by bombardment with noble gas ions from a low - voltage arc discharge before coating . the substrates are drills with 6 mm diameter made of high - speed steel ( hss ) or hard metal . three round discs , with tubes in between as spacers , are fitted on the trunks of the trees 8 . the discs are provided at their periphery with 20 parts each for accommodating individual drills . the drills are fitted upright ( like candles ) in the 12 × 3 × 20 = 720 accommodating parts which can be rotated about their vertical axes , then the container door 3 is closed and the container 1 is pumped free of air using vacuum pumps . after a residual gas pressure of 0 . 003 pa is reached , the tools are heated in known fashion using heating radiators to a temperature of 400 ° c ., in order to accelerate the resorption of water molecules and air molecules . during etching , an argon flow of 0 . 133 pa × m 3 / s ( i . e ., 80 sccm , sccm = standard cubic centimeters per minute ) is maintained through the line 5 into the cathode chamber 4 , and from there through the opening 7 into the interior of the container 1 . argon is pumped out of the container using a high - vacuum pump . in steady state , this leads to a pressure drop from the cathode chamber to the interior of the container 1 . the argon pressure in the container 1 is 0 . 127 pa . the low - voltage arc discharge can be ignited if ( 1 ) the hot cathode 6 , heated using the supply unit 19 through direct electrical feed - through , is at high temperature , ( 2 ) the crucible 16 is down , and ( 3 ) the switch a is closed . on its way from the hot cathode 6 to the electrode 18 which serves as the anode , the low - voltage arc discharge passes through the cavity 10 of the substrate arrangement and fills it with its plasma . the current is 280 a and the discharge voltage is 39 v . the low - voltage arc circuit is at floating potential . the hot cathode 6 is in this case at about - 19 v and the anode 18 at about + 20 v . the plasma potential of the low - voltage arc discharge in the cavity 10 is at approximately 0 v . these , and subsequent potentials are always given with respect to the potential of the grounded container 1 . the substrate holders with the drills are placed at a potential of - 200 v using the supply unit 21 . this gives , relative to the plasma , a bias voltage of - 200 v which extracts positive argon ions diffusing out of the plasma and accelerates them to the substrates . the substrate current is substantially independent of the bias voltage , but strongly dependent on the arc current . for an arc current of 280 a , a substrate current of about 1 . 8 a is measured for each tree . this makes a total of 21 . 6 a . the etching phase lasts 15 minutes . sparks are not observed . for a bias voltage of - 200 v , the kinetic energy of the argon ions accelerated in the direction of the substrates is about 200 ev , and the power imparted to the substrates and their support by ion bombardment is 4 . 32 kw . further to the etching , this power causes additional heating of the substrates from 400 ° c . to about 420 ° c . the etching phase is terminated by switching off the supply units 20 and 19 of the low - voltage arc , and by switching off the argon feed . the parameters used in this example lead to a good etching result . if the process is terminated after the etching , no tarnishing colors due to unetched oxide layers can be seen in the drilling grooves . the coated drills also do not exhibit any flaking in their grooves . these observations are supported by an estimate of the extraction distance for ions from a plasma . the schottky - langmuir space charge formula gives an extraction distance d & gt ;& gt ; 0 . 78 mm for argon ions of mass m = 40 × 1 . 67 × 10 - 26 kg = 6 . 7 × 10 - 26 kg for u = 200 v and j = 21 . 6 a / 0 . 55 m 2 = 39 . 3 a / m 2 . in this calculation , the lateral area of the cavity formed by the trees is fixed , with a diameter of about 0 . 44 m and a height of about 0 . 4 m , as a current - sink area of 0 . 55 m 2 . the described etching process is typically suitable for the preparation of all coatings which can be carried out in the described system . three examples of known coating processes are given below : ( 1 ) for the production of titanium aluminum nitride ( tialn ) using arc sources , the bias voltage is reduced and nitrogen is introduced as a process gas into the treatment space . up to 4 arc sources 24 to 27 can then be connected up . when the full number is used , the production of a 3 mm thick tialn layer takes about 1 hour . ( 2 ) for the production of a layer sequence consisting of tialn and titanium nitride ( tin ) using arc sources , the arc source 24 is equipped with a ti cathode and the arc source 25 is equipped with a tial cathode . with fast rotation of the shaft 14 and the ring 15 , and slow rotation of the shaft 13 , an alternating layer with sharp boundaries is obtained , even when the two arc sources are operated at the same time . ( 3 ) for the production of a layer of molybdenum sulphide ( mos 2 ) using a cathodic sputtering source , the argon feed is maintained and a planar magnetron with an mos 2 cathode is brought into use . the second example describes an ion plating process , that is to say a treatment of substrates according to the invention by bombardment with noble gas ions from a low - voltage arc discharge , during coating with aluminum oxide ( al 2 o 3 ) sputtering sources . four planar magnetrons with aluminum cathodes are used as the cathodic sputtering sources . the substrates , substrate support , pumps and etching correspond to the description in the first example . the change from etching to ion plating is carried out as gradually as possible : the anode current of 280 a , the argon introduction rate of 0 . 133 pa × m 3 / s , and the argon partial pressure of 0 . 127 pa produced in this way , are maintained . alteration to the substrate bias voltage : the voltage of the supply unit 21 is pulsed with a mean frequency of , for example , 10 khz , and the amplitude is reduced to 20 v . alteration to the gas feed : for the production of oxides , oxygen gas is introduced through a specially suitable hot anode 18 into the treatment space . the oxygen , already reactive as gas molecule , is additionally dissociated and excited by the gas discharge . the oxygen activated in this way reacts when it first comes into contact with a metal wall . the oxygen flow is metered in such a way that aluminum from the substrates is oxidized but , nevertheless , the cathodes of the magnetrons in the regions with high erosion remain metallic . together with the plasma potential which is at about + 25 v , the negative substrate potential produces an average bias voltage of about 45 v . positively charged noble gas ions diffusing out of the plasma thus impinge on the substrate with an average kinetic energy of about 45 ev . the substrate current flowing over the 12 trees in total is about 21 a . whether or not the known ion plating effects can be brought about uniformly over the entire surface , even in the case of three - dimensionally structured substrates , depends , as in the case of etching , on the capacity of the plasma to penetrate the geometrical structures of the substrate . for argon ions of mass m = 40 × 1 . 67 × 10 - 27 kg = 6 . 6 × 10 - 26 kg with u = 45 v and j = 21 a / 0 . 55 m 2 = 38 a / m 2 , the schottky - langmuir space charge formula gives an extraction distance d & gt ;& gt ; 0 . 26 mm . the third example describes an arip process , that is to say a treatment of substrates according to the invention by bombardment with metal ions from a low - voltage arc evaporator during coating with tin . the substrates , substrate support , pumps and etching correspond to the description in the first example . the change from etching to ion plating is carried out as gradually as possible : the argon introduction rate of 0 . 133 pa × m 3 / s , and the argon partial pressure of 0 . 127 pa produced in this way , are maintained . alteration to the electrical circuit and parameters : the voltage of the supply unit 21 is reduced to 25 v . the crucible 16 is connected up as the anode by closing the switch b , and the electrode 18 is then switched off by opening the switch a . the hot cathode 6 is grounded by connecting the output of supply unit 19 to the container . the current of low - voltage arc discharge is increased from 280 a to 420 a . alteration to the gas feed : for the production of tin , nitrogen gas is introduced directly into the treatment space . the nitrogen flow is increased until , in addition to the existing argon pressure of 0 . 127 pa , a nitrogen partial pressure of 0 . 04 pa and therefore a total pressure of 0 . 167 pa are set up . with the existing high - vacuum pump , this situation requires a nitrogen flow of about 150 sccm . the material to be evaporated is located in the crucible 16 , which has a diameter of 80 mm . in order to obtain a uniform layer thickness and temperature on the drills in all 3 stages , the crucible is moved slowly up and down in the region of the cavity 10 along the axis 2 . the low - voltage arc discharge bums between the hot cathode 6 and the material which is to be evaporated and is contained in the copper crucible 16 . the plasma of the low - voltage arc discharge spreads freely inside the cavity 10 of the substrate arrangement . the arc voltage fluctuates between about 46 v ( crucible up ) and 60 v ( crucible down ). the average arc power is 420 a × 53 v = 22 . 3 kw . the power density is 443 w / cm 2 , that is to say considerably less than the value of 10 kw / cm 2 specified as a lower limit in german patent 2823876 . nevertheless , about 30 g of titanium are evaporated per hour . together with the plasma potential which is at about + 25 v , the substrate potential of - 25 v produces a bias voltage of about 50 v . positively charged ions diffusing out of the plasma will thus impinge with an average kinetic energy of about 50 ev on the substrate . the substrate current flowing over all 12 trees varies in step with the displacement of the crucible , between about 23 a ( crucible up ) and 92 a ( crucible down ). the substrate current has a time average value of about 57 . 5 a . even at the substrate current maxima of 92 a , the current on the individual trees remains less than 8 a , so that the risk of igniting sparks on the substrates still no longer arises . whether or not the known ion plating effects can be brought about uniformly over the entire surface , even in the case of three - dimensionally structured substrates , depends , as in the case of etching , on the capacity of the plasma to penetrate the geometrical structures of the substrate . for titanium ions of mass m = 48 × 1 . 67 × 10 - 27 kg = 8 × 10 26 kg with u = 50 v and j = 57 . 5 a / 0 . 55 m 2 = 105 a / m 2 , the schottky - langmuir space charge formula gives an extraction distance d & gt ;& gt ; 0 . 22 mm . the coating phase lasts 2 hours . after the coating process has been turned off and the batch has been cooled , the container is flooded with air and then opened . on their uncovered surfaces , the drills have an about 3 mm thick tin layer with the yellow - gold color characteristic of stoichiometric tin ( a ratio of 1 : 1 in terms of numbers of atoms ). the drills are subjected to a standardized test procedure . this test is carried out by drilling 24 mm deep blind holes in a 42crmo4 table at a speed of 1592 rpm . the drills , ion - plated according to this example , are found to be better in the drilling test than the same bores which are ion - plated using the customary process according to de 2823876 . with the 3 mm thick tin coating , it is possible to drill at least 400 holes , instead of 300 , before the drill fails . obviously , numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings . it is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims , the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein .	2
a sstr - 5 agonist which can be used to practice the therapeutic method of the present invention is a somatostatin receptor ligand which is more selective for sstr - 5 than for sstr - 2 . selectivity of a sstr - 5 agonist for a particular receptor is determined by receptor binding assays , in which its respective binding inhibition constants ( k 1 ′ s ) for sstr - 5 and sstr - 2 are determined . the sstr - 5 agonists which are capable of inhibiting amylin secretion are those compounds having either ( i ) a k i for the human sstr - 5 , as determined by utilizing cho - k1 cells transfected with the human sstr - 5 , which is lower than that for the human sstr - 2 , as determined by utilizing cho - k1 cells transfected with the human sstr - 2 , or ( ii ) a k i for the rat sstr - 5 , as determined by utilizing rat olfactory bulb cells , which is lower than that for the rat sstr - 2 , as determined by utilizing ar42j rat pancreatic acinar tumor cells . the just - mentioned four binding assays are described in detail in the working examples below . a preferred sstr - 5 agonist is at least 3 times as selective for sstr - 5 as for sstr - 2 ; in other words , its ratio of k i for sstr - 2 to k i for sstr - 5 is 3 or higher ( e . g ., 10 , 000 ) in either the human system or the rat system . an even more preferred sstr - 5 has a selectivity for sstr - 5 10 times or higher ( e . g ., 10 , 000 ) that of that for sstr - 2 . preferably , the above - mentioned sstr - 5 agonists are linear peptides . examples of such linear peptides include , but are not limited to , those covered by the following generic formula : a 1 is a d - or l - isomer of ala , leu , ile , val , nle , thr , ser , β - nal , β - pal , trp , phe , 2 , 4 - dichloro - phe , pentafluoro - phe , p - x - phe , or o - x - phe , wherein x is ch 3 , cl , br , f , oh , och 3 , or no 2 ; a 2 is ala , leu , ile , val , nle , phe , p - nal , pyridyl - ala , trp , 2 , 4 - dichloro - phe , pentafluoro - phe , o - x - phe , or p - x - phe , wherein x is ch 3 , cl , br , f , oh , och 3 , or no 2 ; a 3 is pyridyl - ala , trp , phe , p - nal , 2 , 4 - dichloro - phe , pentafluoro - phe , o - x - phe , or p - x - phe , wherein x is ch 3 , cl , br , f , oh , och 3 , or no 2 ; a 6 is val , ala , leu , ile , nle , thr , abu , or ser ; a 7 is ala , leu , ile , val , nle , phe , β - nal , pyridyl - ala , trp , 2 , 4 - dichloro - phe , pentafluoro - phe , o - x - phe , or p - x - phe , wherein x is ch 3 , cl , br , f , oh , och 3 , or no 2 ; a 8 is a d - or l - isomer or ala , leu , ile , val , nle , thr , ser , phe , β - nal , pyridyl - ala , trp , 2 , 4 - dichloro - phe , pentafluoro - phe , p - x - phe , or o - x - phe , wherein x is ch 3 , cl , br , f , oh , och 3 , or no 2 ; each r 1 and r 2 , independently , is h , lower acyl or lower alkyl ; and r 3 is oh or nh 2 ; provided that at least one of a 1 and a 8 and one of a 2 and a 7 must be an aromatic amino acid ; and further provided that a 1 , a 2 , a 7 , and a 8 cannot all be aromatic amino acids . examples of linear sstr - 5 agonists to be used in the therapeutic method of this invention include : if desired , one or more chemical moieties , e . g ., a sugar derivative , mono or poly - hydroxy c 2 - 12 alkyl , mono or poly - hydroxy c 2 - 12 acyl groups , or a piperazine derivative , can be attached to a sstr - 5 agonist , e . g ., to the n - terminus amino acid . see pct application wo 88 / 02756 , european application 0 329 295 , and pct application wo 94 / 08875 . an example of a sstr - 5 agonist which contains an n - terminal chemical substitution is : note that , unless indicated otherwise , for all amino acid sequence formulas described herein , each amino acid residue , e . g ., a 1 or lys , represents the structure of nh — c ( r ) h — co —, in which r is the side chain . lines between amino acid residues represent peptide bonds which join two amino acids . also , where the amino acid residue is optically active , it is the l - form configuration that is intended unless d - form is expressly designated . the uncommon abbreviations β - nal , β - pal , nle , and abu stand for , respectively , 3 -( β - naphthyl ) alanine , 3 -( β - pyridyl ) alanine , norleucine , and α - aminobutyric acid . without further elaboration , it is believed that one skilled in the art can , based on the description herein , utilize the present invention to its fullest extent . indeed , unless defined otherwise , all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs . methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention . all publications , patent applications , patents , and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference . in addition , the materials , methods , and examples are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting . synthesis of short amino acid sequences is well established in the peptide art . for example , synthesis of bim - 23052 , structure of which is described above , can be achieved by following the protocol set forth in example i of european patent application 0 395 417 a1 . the synthesis of somatostatin analogs with a substituted n - terminus can be achieved , for example , by following the protocol set forth in wo 88 / 02756 , european patent application no . 0 329 295 , and pct application no . wo 94 / 08875 . sstr - 5 agonists such as analogs i and ii can be synthesized in an similar manner . the synthesis of radiolabeled somatostatin receptor ligands is well documented and are within the ability of a person of ordinary skill in the art . see , e . g ., czernick , et al ., j . biol . chem . 258 : 5525 ( 1983 ). for example , the sstr - 2 radioligand , cyclo ( n - me - ala - tyr [ i 125 ]- d - trp - lys - val - phe ) or [ 125 i - tyr ] mk - 678 , was synthesized in the manner set forth below : the uniodinated cyclic hexapeptide was first synthesized according to the procedure set forth in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 310 , 518 . the hexapeptide was then iodinated utilizing the chloramine - t method . more specifically , 50 nm of sodium phosphate buffer ( ph 7 . 4 , 50 μl ), a solution of mk - 678 ( 1 mm in phosphate buffer , 10 μl ), and na 125 i ( 1 mci in approximately 10 μl of h 2 o ) were added to a polypropylene tube . the reaction was started by addition of a freshly prepared chloramine - t solution ( 1 mg / ml in h 2 o ; 10 μl ). the mixture was agitated for 30 sec and then a solution of cysteine in phosphate buffer ( 2 mg / ml ; 100 μl ) was added to stop the reaction . the material was purified by hplc . fractions containing the desired product were identified by uv detection at 214 nm on a 20 - 50 % gradient for 30 min , pooled , diluted with 10 % ethanol , and stored at − 20 ° c . another radiolabeled somatostatin receptor ligand [ 125 i - tyr 11 ] somatostatin - 14 can be prepared following a similar procedure . [ 125 i - tyr 11 ] somatostatin - 14 is also commercially available . crude membranes were prepared by homogenizing ar42j cells ( atcc , rockville , md . ; atcc no . crl1992 ) in 20 ml of ice - cold 50 mm tris - hcl ( buffer a ) with a polytron homogenizer ( brinkmann instruments , westbury , n . y .) at setting 6 , for 15 sec . additional buffer a was added to obtain a final volume of 40 ml , and the homogenate was centrifuged in a sorval ss - 34 rotor ( dupont , newtown , conn .) at 39 , 000 g for 10 min at 0 - 4 ° c . the resulting supernatant was decanted and discarded . the pellet was rehomogenized in ice - cold buffer a , diluted , and centrifuged as before . the final pellet was resuspended in the 10 mm tris hcl and held on ice for the receptor binding assay . aliquots of the membrane preparation were incubated for 90 min at 25 ° c . with 0 . 05 nm [ 125 i - tyr ] mk - 678 ( 2000 ci / mmol ) in 50 mm hepes ( ph 7 . 4 ) containing a test peptide of various concentrations ( e . g ., 10 − 11 to 10 − 6 m ), 10 mg / ml bovine serum albumin ( fraction v ) ( sigma chemical co ., st . louis , mo . ), mgcl 2 ( 5 mm ), trasylol ( 200 kiu / ml ), bacitracin ( 0 . 02 mg / ml ), and phenylmethyl - sulphonyl fluoride ( 0 . 02 mg / ml ). the final assay volume was 0 . 3 ml . the incubations were terminated by rapid filtration through gf / c filters ( pre - soaked in 0 . 3 % polyethylenimine for 30 min ) using a filtration manifold ( brandel , gaithersburg , md .). each tube and filter was then washed three times with 5 ml aliquots of ice - cold buffer a . specific binding was defined as the total [ 125 i - tyr ] mk - 678 bound somatostatin - 14 bound minus that bound in the presence of 200 nm somatostatin - 14 . the following somatostatin analogs were assayed : somatostatin - 14 , analog i ( structure shown above ), analog ii ( structure shown above ), bim - 23052 ( structure shown above ), bim - 23014 ( h - d - p - nal - cys - tyr - d - trp - lys - val - cys - ser - nh 2 ; lanreotide or somatuline ), and sms 201 - 995 ( h - d - phe - cys - phe - d - trp - lys - thr - cys - threoninol ; sandostatin or octreotide ). the k i values for these test somatostatin analogs were calculated by using the following formula : k i = ic 50 /[ 1 +( lc / lec )] where ic 50 is the concentration of test compound required to inhibit 50 percent of the specific binding of the radioligand [ i 125 - tyr ] mk - 678 , lc is the concentration of the radioligand ( 0 . 05 nm ), and lec is the equilibrium dissociation constant of the radioligand ( 0 . 155 nm ). the k i values calculated for the tested peptides are shown in the column under the heading “ sstr - 2 ” in table i . crude membranes were prepared by homogenization of rat olfactory bulb cells ( zivic - miller laboratory , inc ., zellenople , pa .) in 20 ml of ice - cold 50 mm tris - hcl with a polytron homogenizer ( setting 6 , 15 sec ). buffer was added to obtain a final volume of 40 ml , and the homogenate was centrifuged in a sorval ss - 34 rotor at 39 , 000 g for 10 min at 0 - 4 ° c . the resulting supernatant was decanted and discarded . the pellet was rehomogenized in ice - cold buffer , diluted , and centrifuged as before . the final pellet was resuspended in the 10 mm tris hcl and held on ice for the receptor binding assay . aliquots of the membrane preparation were incubated for 30 min at 30 ° c . with 0 . 05 nm [ 125 i - tyr 11 ] somatostatin - 14 ( 2000 ci / mmol ; amersham corp ., arlington heights , ill .) in 50 mm hepes ( ph 7 . 4 ) containing a test peptide of various concentrations ( e . g ., 10 − 11 to 10 − 6 m ), 10 mg / ml bovine serum albumin ( fraction v ) ( sigma chemical co ., st . louis , mo . ), mgcl 2 ( 5 mm ), trasylol ( 200 kiu ml ), bacitracin ( 0 . 02 mg / ml ), and phenylmethylsulphonyl fluoride ( 0 . 02 mg / ml ). the final assay volume was 0 . 3 ml . the incubations were terminated by rapid filtration through gf / c filters ( pre - soaked in 0 . 3 % polyethylenimine for 30 min ) using a brandel filtration manifold . each tube and filter were then washed three times with 5 ml aliquots of ice - cold buffer . specific binding was defined as the total [ 125 i - tyr 11 ] somatostatin - 14 bound minus that bound in the presence of 1000 nm bim - 23052 . the k i values for the tested somatostatin - 14 and its analogs were calculated by using the following formula : k i = ic 50 /[ 1 +( lc / lec )] where ic 50 is the concentration of test compound required to inhibit 50 percent of the specific binding of the radioligand [ 125i - tyr 11 ] somatostatin - 14 , lc is the concentration of the radioligand ( 0 . 05 nm ), and lec is the equilibrium dissociation constant of the radioligand ( 0 . 16 nm ). the k i values for the tested somatostatin analogs are shown in the column under the heading “ sstr - 5 ” in table i . table i also shows the respective ratios of the k i ′ s for the rat sstr - 2 and the k i ′ s for the rat sstr - 5 . thus , those somatostatin analogs with such ratios greater than one ( e . g ., bim - 23052 , analog i , and analog ii ) are more selective for the rat sstr - 5 than for sstr - 2 . the human sstr - 2 cdna clone has been described ( yamada , et al ., proc . natl . acad . sci . usa ., 89 : 251 - 255 ( 1992 )) and is available from atcc ( atcc no . 79046 ). a 1 . 7 kilobase bamhi - hindiii fragment containing the entire coding region of the human sstr - 2 receptor has been isolated by restriction endonuclease digestion and is available from new england biolabs ( beverly , mass .). this cdna fragment was inserted into the mammalian expression vector , pcmv ( russell , et al ., j . biol . chem ., 264 : 8222 - 8229 ( 1989 )) using standard molecular biology techniques to produce the expression plasmid , pcmv - human sstr - 2 . other mammalian expression vectors include pcdna1 / amp ( invitrogen , sandlesy , calif .). see , e . g ., maniatis , et al ., molecular cloning , a laboratory manual , cold spring harbor laboratory , 1982 . the expression plasmid was introduced into the suitable bacterial host , e . coli hb101 ( stratagene , la jolla , calif .) and plasmid dna , for transfection , was prepared on a cesium chloride gradient . cho - k1 ( ovary , chinese hamster ) cells were obtained from the american type culture collection , rockville , md . ( atcc no . ccl 61 ). the cells were grown and maintained in ham &# 39 ; s f12 media ( gibco brl , grand island , n . y .) supplemented with 10 % fetal bovine serum under standard tissue culture conditions . for transfection , the cells were seeded at a density 1 × 10 6 / 60 cm 2 plate ( baxter scientific products , mcgaw park , ill .). dna mediated transfection was carried out using the calcium phosphate co - precipitation method ( ausubel , et al ., current protocols in molecular biology , john wiley & amp ; sons , 1987 ). the plasmid prsv - neo ( atcc ; atcc no . 37198 ) was included as a selectable marker at { fraction ( 1 / 10 )} the concentration of the expression plasmid . cho - k1 clonal cell lines that have stably inherited the transfected dna were selected for growth in ham &# 39 ; s f12 media containing 10 % fetal bovine serum and 0 . 5 mg / ml of g418 ( sigma chemical co ., st . louis , mo .). the cells were ring - cloned and expanded in the same media for analysis . expression of the human sstr - 2 receptor was be detected by northern blot analysis of total rna prepared from the cells ( sambrook , et al ., molecular cloning — a laboratory manual , ed . 2 ., cold spring harbor laboratory , cold spring harbor , n . y ., 1989 ) and by receptor binding using [ 125 i - tyr 11 ] somatostatin - 14 as a ligand . transfected cell lines expressing the human sstr - 2 receptor were clonally expanded in culture and used in the rat sstr - 2 binding protocol described above . the k i for the test somatostatin analogs are listed in table ii ( where lc is 0 . 05 nm and lec is 0 . 15 nm ). the human sstr - 5 cdna clone has been described in the literature . see panetta , et al ., mol pharmacol ., 45 : 417 - 427 ( 1994 ); o &# 39 ; carroll , et al ., mol pharmacol , 46 : 291 - 298 ( 1994 ); yamada , et al ., biochem . biophys . res . commun ., 195 : 844 ( 1993 ) [ fig1 depicts the dna sequence of the human sstr - 5 .] using a sense 5 ′- oligonucleotide primer , immediately preceeding the start codon ( residue 30 - 50 ), and an antisense 3 ′- oligonucleotide primer , immediately preceeding the stop codon ( residues 1180 - 1200 ), a 1170 base pair fragment comprising the full - length coding sequence of the receptor was obtained by standard reverse - transcription pcr . see yamada , et al ., biochem . biophys . res . commun ., 195 : 844 ( 1993 ) [ fig1 depicts the dna sequence of the human sstr - 5 ]; innis , et al ., pcr protocols , a guide to methods and applications , academic press , 1990 . the identity of the cdna fragment was verified by dna sequencing using the dideoxy - chain termination method [ sanger , et al ., proc natl acad sci usa ., 74 : 5463 ( 1977 )] with the sequenase kit ( united states biochemicals , arlington heights , ill .). the human sstr - 5 cdna fragment was inserted into a mammalian expression vector , pcmv to generate the expression plasmid pcmv - human sstr - 5 by blunt - end ligation . see e . g ., maniatis , et al ., molecular cloning — a laboratory manual , cold spring harbor laboratory , cold spring harbor , n . y ., 1982 . the expression plasmid was transfected into cho - k1 cells as described in example 3 and clonal cell lines were selected and characterized for the expression of the human sstr - 5 receptor by northern blot analysis and ligand - binding using [ 125 i - tyr 11 ] somatostatin - 14 . a cell line , cho - k1m , was shown to express the human sstr - 5 . membranes from the stably transfected cell line were used in the rat sstr - 5 binding protocol described above . the k i for the test somatostatin analogs are listed in table ii ( where lc is 0 . 05 nm and lec is 0 . 18 nm ). sprague - dawley rats ( male , 200 - 300 g ) ( harlan - olac , bicester , oxon , uk ) were anaesthetized with sodium pentobarbitone ( 60 mg / kg ). the pancreases of the rats were isolated as previously described in dunmore , et al ., j . endocrinol . 92 : 15 - 20 ( 1982 ). the pancreases were perfused , as described in dunmore , et al ., j . endocrinol ., 1993 , 137 , 375 - 381 , with modified krebs - ringer bicarbonate buffer containing 3 % dextran t40 ( pharmacia , milton keynes , bucks , uk ) and 1 % high purity bovine serum albumin ( sigma , poole , dorset , uk ). after an initial 15 - min period to allow for stabilization , the isolated pancreases were perfused at sequential 10 min . intervals , at a rate of 4 . 5 - 5 . 0 ml / min , with the following buffer compositions : 1 ) buffer 1 : krebs - ringer bicarbonate buffer containing 5 . 6 mm glucose ( to examine baseline amylin secretion ); 2 ) buffer 2 : krebs - ringer bicarbonate buffer containing 16 . 7 mm glucose ( to examine high glucose stimulated secretion ); 3 ) buffer 3 : krebs - ringer bicarbonate buffer containing 16 . 7 mm glucose in the presence of 10 nm of test compound ( to examine the activity of test compounds on high glucose stimulated amylin secretion ); and 4 ) buffer 2 : krebs - ringer bicarbonate buffer containing 16 . 7 mm glucose ( to re - examine high glucose stimulated amylin secretion in order to assess the reversibility of the activity of the test compounds ). fractions of the perfusate were collected on ice every minute in the presence of 400 kiu / ml aprotinin ( bayer , hayward &# 39 ; s heath , w . sussex , uk ). fractions were stored at − 20 ° c . until assay . perfusates collected were divided into 3 × 1 . 5 ml aliquots and assayed for amylin by radioimmunoassay as described in dunmore , et al ., j . endocrinol ., 1993 , 137 : 375 . amylin was assayed using reagents supplied by peninsula laboratories ltd . ( st . helens , merseyside , uk ). these reagents include 125 i - labelled amylin , rabbit anti - rat amylin antibody , and rat amylin . bound amylin was precipitated using goat anti - rabbit second antibody — coupled cellulose ( sac - cal , ids , boldon , tyneawear , uk ). somatostatin - 14 , bim - 23014 , and bim - 23052 were used as test compounds in the above assay . the results of the assay are presented in fig1 - 3 . in all cases , perfusion of the isolated rat pancreas with 16 . 7 mm glucose produced a significant increase in amylin secretion . somatostatin - 14 , which possesses a high affinity for sstr - 5 , inhibited glucose - induced amylin secretion at 10 nm ( fig1 ). somatostatin analog bim - 23014 , which possesses a low affinity for sstr - 5 , had no effect at the same concentration ( fig2 ). in sharp contrast , bim - 23052 , which possesses a high affinity for sstr - 5 and a low affinity for sstr - 2 , produced a 78 % decrease in glucose stimulated amylin secretion at the same concentration ( fig3 ). the above assay can also be performed using rat pancreases isolated from female zucker fatty rats ( harlan - olac , bicester , oxon , uk ). the establishment and culture of the rat β - cell line rinm5f cells has been previously described . see gazdar , et al ., proc . natl . acad . sci . usa ., 77 : 3519 ( 1980 ); praz , et al ., biochem . j ., 210 : 345 ( 1983 ). for an in vitro amylin release inhibition assay , rinm5f cells , passage 19 - 21 are used . the cells , available from the national institute of health , bethesda , md . ), are maintained under standard tissue culture conditions in rpmi - 1640 medium supplemented with 2 % fetal bovine serum and 2 mm of glutamine . for the assessment of amylin release , cells are seeded at 3 × 10 5 cells / well in 24 - well plates ( baxter scientific products , mcgaw park , ill .). after 36 - 48 hours in culture at 37 ° c ., the media is removed and replaced with 500 μl of kreb - ringer buffer containing 2 mm glucose , 1 mg / ml bsa ( sigma a - 4378 , sigma chemical co ., st . louis , mo .) at a ph of 7 . 4 for 30 min . moore , et al ., biochem . biophys . res . commun ., 179 : 1 ( 1993 ). at the end of that period , the buffer is replaced with 1 ml of fresh buffer containing either 15 mm d - glyceraldehyde or 50 mm dl - glyceraldehyde ( sigma chemical co ., st . louis , mo .) in the presence or absence of test compounds . at the end of a two - hour incubation at 37 ° c ., the buffer is recovered , centrifuged at 700 rpm for 5 min , and assayed for amylin content as previously described . dunmore , et al ., j endocrinol ., 137 : 375 ( 1993 ). the foregoing description has been limited to specific embodiments of this invention . it will be apparent , however , that variations and modifications may be made to the invention , with the attainment of some or all of the advantages of the invention . such embodiments are also within the scope of the following claims .	6
referring now specifically to the drawings , the assembly 10 is shown to include a cabinet 12 within which one or more drawers 14 ( fig2 ) are to be mounted by a pair of drawer rail assemblies 16 of conventional type , e . g . those shown in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 243 , 247 . the cabinet defines an inner recessed area encompassed by a bottom 12a , a top 12b , a pair of sides 12e , a rear 12f and a front having one or more openings to receive one or more drawers . each drawer rail assembly 16 typically includes a drawer rail 16a mounted to the outside face of vertical panel 14a of the drawer 14 , and a case rail , i . e . support rail 16b having integrally secured thereto an upstanding frontal bracket 16c with a roller member 16d thereon to allow the drawer and drawer rail to be shifted into and out of the cabinet enclosure . the assembly may include an intermediate rail in some instances , as in the drawer rail assemblies of u . s . pat . no . 3 , 278 , 250 or 3 , 298 , 768 . mounted to the inside walls 12e of both sides of the cabinet are two pairs of slotted vertical standards or pilaster strips , one pair of which is shown at 18 in fig1 . these each include vertically spaced slots 18a . the standards are spaced horizontally from each other and spaced horizontally inwardly from the cabinet front , being mounted to the cabinet walls by screws or other suitable fastening means . the pair of drawer rail assemblies are mounted to the two pairs of slotted vertical standards by special mounts 20 , there being a pair of mounts for each drawer rail assembly , i . e . one mount per vertical standard for each drawer , such that a typical drawer would have four mounts for its two pairs of drawer rail assemblies and four vertical standards . each mount includes a metallic clip element 22 and a slide block element 24 interfitted with the clip element . each clip 22 , preferably of metal , has a main body 22a with an upstanding portion having an upper rearwardly protruding offset tab projection 22b thereon for interfitting with one slot 18a of standard 18 , the lower end of the clip body having a second rearwardly protruding tab projection 22c for interfitting with lower slot of vertical standard 18 . the lower slot and tab interfit provide vertical and lateral compressive support while the upper tab and slot interfit restrain the assembly in tension against rotational movement , the upper tab engaging against the inner surface of the standard immediately above the slot into which it interfits ( see fig4 ). this clip also defines a special slide channel on the front thereof . more specifically , a plurality of integral ears , i . e . upper ears 22d of inverted l - shaped configuration , and lower ears 22e of l - shaped configuration , cooperatively define a slide channel of configuration like the periphery of slide block element 24 . in the embodiment depicted , element 24 is basically rectangular or square in cross section such that slide element 24 can , prior to final assembly , move forward and rearwardly as depicted by the double arrow in fig3 i . e . in the same direction as the main dimension of the drawer rail assembly and the normal drawer movement . slide block element 24 is formed of a material which will readily slide within the slide channel , being dimensioned to have sufficient clearance for this purpose , preferably being of a lubricious material such as a polymer , e . g . nylon , but also being potentially formable of wood or other suitable substitute . it basically has a cross - sectional configuration matching that of the slide channel , but including stop means on each end to limit the sliding movement thereof relative to the clip . in the specific embodiment depicted , stop shoulder surfaces 24a are formed on opposite ends of elongated recesses 24b on the outer face of the slide block , for cooperative abutment with the terminal portions of ears 22d and 22e . each of these slide blocks also includes fastener receiving orifices , in the face of the block toward the drawer rail . the slots 24c are elongated in the main dimension of the slide block , i . e . in the direction of the main dimension of the drawer rail assemblies and drawer movement , to receive fasteners 26 ( fig2 ) projecting through openings in the drawer rail 16b . these fasteners are preferably self - tapping screws which , when installed , secure rail 16b to the mount , and when doing so , press the terminal portions of ears 22d and 22e into abutment with slide block 24 by being squeezed between rail 16b and slide block 24 ( fig2 ) to thereby lock the slide element into position and against further sliding on clip 22 . the slidability of element 24 relative to the clip and thus relative to the vertical standards , prior to this tightening down step with fasteners 26 , as well as the slotted shape of openings 24c in the slide block to allow variation in the position of the screws therein , offer distinct advantages for assembly . more specifically , these advantages include the use of a possible variety of screw hole locations on the drawer slide without limiting the position of the vertical standards , accommodation of variations in the spacing between the front and rear standards , and adjustability of the drawer slide cabinet member relative to the front of the cabinet to enable proper opening and closing of the drawer with various styles and dimensions of drawer fronts and cabinet fronts . the novel mounts provide tremendous flexibility in assembly , rendering the use of a conventional drawer rail assembly in a fashion to allow vertical adjustability of the drawer as desired or necessary , yet without exacting requirements for positions of the vertical standards in the cabinet relative to each other and to the cabinet front . mounting of the drawer and drawer rail assemblies is relatively simple . specifically , four standards 18 are secured to the cabinet side walls , four of the novel mounts 20 are interfitted with the four vertical standards 18 by simply sliding the upper tab 22b into an appropriate slot , and projecting the lower tab 22c into the corresponding downwardly spaced slot while placing all four of the mounts at the same elevation within the cabinet . then the case rail 16b of the drawer rail assembly is attached by inserting screws 26 through the openings provided in the case rail and into the slots 24c of each mount , and specifically the slide block thereof , but not tightening such securely . next the drawer 14 to which a pair of drawer rails 16a have been attached on opposite sides thereof is slidably inserted with the case rail and moved to the desired open and closed positions of the drawer . the self - tapping screws within the slots 24c , and the movement of the slide block within its slide channel of the clip enables this to be easily achieved . then the drawer and drawer rails are removed momentarily from the case rails and fasteners 26 are tightened securely , causing each case rail 16b to lock the vertical terminal portions of the ears 22d and 22e against its respective pair of slide blocks to secure the slide block against further sliding motion in the clip and to anchor the screw fasteners 26 in a particular location in slots 24c . finally the drawer and drawer rails are slidably replaced and the unit is ready for operation . if at any time it is desired to vertically move the drawer rail assemblies and drawer , the operation is simply reversed , the new location is selected , and the assembly is resecured in the fashion described above . certain additional advantages and minor changes in construction will be apparent to those in the art upon studying this disclosure . thus , the invention is intended to be limited by the claims attached rather than to the specific preferred embodiment set forth herein .	0
in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention , it has been demonstrated that formation of microemulsion of a lyotropic chromonic liquid crystal , “ lclc ” in a low dielectric isotropic liquid crystal enables a substantial increase in the dielectric constant to several orders of magnitude . compared to the dielectric constant of less than 100 of conventional nematic or ferroelectric liquid crystals , the discovery has led to the present invention relating to the use of the complex fluids as high density capacitors when laminated between conductive substrates with a few microns gap separation . furthermore , the real part of dielectric constant and dielectric relaxation frequency can be further tuned or tailored to a desired value by the incorporation of a surfactant or surfactant system at a low concentration to form micelles of a particular size or structure in a further embodiment , a second composite system is provided in which the low dielectric oil of the first embodiment is replaced with polymer to form dispersions . as used herein a “ composite ” refers to any mixture , such as for example , a dispersion , an emulsion or more broadly , a mixture . finally , it is anticipated that the dielectric constant or electric permittivity can be influenced by the addition of nano additives such as nanotubes , nanowires , nanoparticles and ferroparticles . the dissipation factors as a function of applied voltage of the resultant capacitors have been dramatically improved and the capacitor has been made independent of the bias of the polarity of the applied voltage . the present invention relies on the dispersion of the lyotropic liquid crystal ( llc ) in a dispersion media which is sandwiched between two electrodes . to provide good wetness , the electrodes are coated with a wetting agent such as polyimide layers . optimally , alignment materials which contain glass fiber or bead spacers are sprayed between the substrates in order to control the gap of the capacitor device . preferably , the llc is selected from a chromonic liquid crystal ( see , for example , j . e . lydon , in handbook of liquid crystals , edited by d . demus , j . goodby , g . w . gray , h . - w spiess , v . vill , vol . 2b ( willey - vch , new york , 1998 )) and the dispersion media is selected from a wide variety of materials from liquid to solid materials including polymers and optionally including additives which influence the structure and size of the micelles or otherwise influence the dielectric permittivity , such as nanotubes , nanowires nanoparticles and ferro particles . the llc and the dispersion media may , for example , be miscible at one temperature , but immiscible at a lower temperature of the llc and dispersion media because of the opposite physical natures which are water - like and oil - like , respectively . upon phase separation , the llc may be the minority and form the discontinuous phase , while the dispersion media is the majority and form the continuous phase . the addition of a non - ionic type surfactant selected from the commercially available products enables the change of domain size of the llc and possibly influences the micelle structure . the design of the parallel - plate capacitor is simple and straightforward . to assemble the body of the capacitor 10 as shown in fig1 ( a ) and 1 ( b ), two glass substrates 12 , 14 covered with plane electrodes 16 , 18 of the indium tin oxide ( ito ) were used . the substrates may be replaced with thin plastic films . to provide good wetness of the surfaces , ito electrodes were covered with polyimide layers . the gap thickness of 5 micron was insured with glass spacers placed between glass substrates . sides of glass or plastic substrates were glued with epoxy after the capacitor was filled with complex fluid 20 . to charge the capacitor , two wires were attached to the ito electrodes by using an ultrasonic solder . in contrast with electrolytic capacitors , the designed capacitor is polarity independent and shows high capacitance because of dispersed guest droplets and can be adjusted to work in the broad frequency range ( 0 . 1 hz - 2 khz ). in the experiments , hewlett packard 4284a precision lcr meter ( 20 hz - 1 mhz ) and shlumberger sl1260 impedance / gain - phase analyzer were used to charge and measure the capacitor parameters . in general , the complex electrolyte system of the present invention comprises a dispersion media , surfactant and llc . the composition may be varied for the purpose of adjusting the dielectric relaxation frequency for charging and discharging the capacitor at a desired rate . the llc is prepared by dissolving a disk - shaped compound with polar groups , a disodium cromoglycate , at a concentration of 14 %( this needs to be a range , i . e . from about 5 to about 40 %, and more preferably from about 10 to about 25 %, and most preferably from about 10 to about 15 %) by weight in water . the disk - shaped cromolyn molecules aggregate and self - assemble into a lyotropic phase the concentration of llc solution in the complex system may be from 1 % to 90 % in the dispersion media . preferably , the concentration may be from 5 % to 60 % and more preferably , the concentration may be from 10 % to 25 %. the dispersion media may be selected from a very low dielectric material such as a silicon fluid or polymeric material . a surfactant is served for the purpose of dispersing the conductive electrolyte homogenously in the media . the surfactant is preferably selected from a non - ionic base and may be low or high molecular weight . the concentration of surfactant may be from about 0 . 01 to about 10 %, and preferably from about 0 . 01 to about 7 %, and preferably from about 0 . 01 % to 5 %. complex fluids include polymeric and surfactant solutions as well as colloidal suspensions and biomolecular assemblies . these “ soft materials ” are distinguished by collective structure on both local and mesoscopic scales , which plays a crucial role in determining their often unique materials properties . the complex fluid is prepared by mixing a lyotropic ionic conducting electrolyte , surfactant and dispersion media in a container and the container is submerged in an ultrasonic cleaner bath for an hour to ensure good dispersion . the electrolytic fluids are filled in the cells with the cell gap of from about 0 . 5 to about 25 microns , and preferably from about 1 to about 10 microns , and most preferably about 3 to 7 microns , between plane electrodes which are separated by glass bead spacers . in this case , the conductive electrodes are indium - tin oxide layers with a surface resistance around from about 10 to about 50 , and preferably about 25 to about 40 , and most preferably about 25 to about 35 ohm / square inch . in accordance with the present invention , the samples were investigated by measuring both the real and imaginary part of dielectric permittivities as a function of frequency of applied voltage using a schlumberger 1260 impedance gain - phase analyzer ( schlumberger technologies , england ). the relative capacitance is defined by the ratio of the measured capacitances of sample over empty cell . the dielectric relaxation frequencies are obtained as the maximum from the cole - cole plots for the imaginary dielectric permittivities versus the real dielectric permittivies . to demonstrate the effectiveness of the present invention , the electrolytic capacitors were constructed according to the method described above . the resulting device provides relative high capacitance and different dielectric relaxation frequencies suitable for different power storage purposes . in the foregoing preliminary study , oil based complex fluids were studied as the capacitor liquid in reference to fig2 , the silicon oil fluid as a host material exhibits a low dielectric permittivity ( re [ ε oil ]= 2 . 75 ) in broad range of frequencies ( 0 . 1 hz - 240 khz ). furthermore , the well - known cole - cole ( cole , k . s ., cole , r . h ., j . chem . phys ., 9 , 341 ( 1941 )) equation was used to ensure that both the dielectric and phase parameters are rational . the cole - cole plot is often used to obtain quick info about the nature of absorption and the susceptibility of the mode . in real systems , when a symmetric distribution of relaxation times exists , the complex permittivity is described by the function : where ε * is complex permittivity , ω is the relaxation frequency , τ is relaxation time . a number of quantitative information can be collected from this representation . although it has no frequency axis , because ε ′ is monotonously decreasing with increasing frequency , it is known that the higher is the ε ′, the lower is the frequency . since the maximum absorption occurs at the relaxation ( or maximum absorption ) frequency , it is also known that the top of the semi - circle corresponds to this frequency . to increase the capacitance , the value of the oil dielectric permittivity was increased by dispersing a guest water solution of the lclc inside the oil host . the lyotropic liquid crystal of disodium chromoglycate has a disk shape molecular structure . at certain concentration in water solution , the charge distributed and the disk shaped molecules of the lyotropic liquid crystal maintain a nematic phase of columnar aggregates . fig1 is a representation of a liquid crystal fuel cell in accordance with the invention in which fig1 ( a ) illustrates micelle formation at no applied dc field and fig1 ( b ) illustrates the elongation and alignment of the droplets upon the application of a dc field . in this representation , a phase separation of water solution and oil liquid was observed . the dispersed water solution of lyotropic liquid crystal forms the guest droplets inside of oil host . the size of the guest droplets is determined by a surface tension between liquid phases . at no applied dc field ( top left photo ) the droplet tends to form micelles while upon the application of dc field ( bottom left ), the shape of droplets tends to be elongated and align in the direction of electric field . it is not yet exploited regarding the ionic and dipole contributions to the high dielectric constant of the complex fluid . in the experiments with the lyotropic liquid crystal additive , an increment up to five orders in dielectric permittivity of the doped mixture ( re [ ε oil + cromolyn ]= 1 . 3 × 10 5 ) were measured . the size of the guest droplets affects the relaxation frequency at f r = 260 hz as shown in fig3 . the capacitor filled with complex fluid showed an increased capacitance by five orders of magnitude . fig4 shows a three component system with the addition of 0 . 1 % of a 3m novec ® fc4434 water soluble polymeric nonionic fluorinated surfactant into the binary system . the type of surfactant provides very good surface wetting property and is commonly used by coating industry for forming latex . the relative capacitance remains closely to that of the binary systems . in the present experiments , a fluorinate surfactant was used as a third component of the complex mixture to reduce the size of guest droplets . the fluorinated mixture demonstrated a higher relaxation frequency resulting from smaller electrolytic droplets . for example , the relaxation frequency of 2 khz of the complex fluid doped with the 3m &# 39 ; s surfactant fc - 4430 was measured as shown in fig4 . with fixed lclc concentration , a significant decrease in dielectric constant with the addition of fluorinated surfactant is clearly seen compared to the system using a block copolymer surfactant . in the meantime , a second relaxation frequency around 5 . 6 hz is designated to a larger conglomerate of lclc droplets . it should be understood that a microemulsion is a very complex dynamical system and it is expected that different types of surfactants will give different size and distribution of dispersed spheres of water droplets in a continuum oil medium . if the droplets retain their discrete character in responding to applied electric field , high density capacitance may be achieved . the dielectric relaxation frequency of the complex fluids depends not only on the concentration but also the type of surfactant . for example , by replacing surfactant fc4430 with fc4432 , a drop in magnitude of about half in magnitude of relative capacitor and a relaxation frequency at 158 hz is observed . the lower in relative capacitance may be due to the increase in mobility of the micelles . in another case an alkyl polyglucoside nonionic based surfactant from dow chemical surfactant yields relative capacitance is fairly high and the relaxation frequency is around 237 hz . when a block copolymer surfactant of silicon - b - polyethylene oxide ( polysciences , inc ) is used , the relaxation frequency is found to increase as the increase in surfactant concentration , while the dielectric permittivity decreases as the increase in surfactant concentration because of the reduction in domain size of conductive electrolyte . as the capacitor is charged the capacitance reaches the maximum of 300 nf with the applied voltage of 3v . the may be due to the charged micelles coalesced and the capacitor discharged as the increase in applied voltage . in general , the relative capacitance is still fairly high the capacitance versus applied voltage at 1 khz is fairly stable as is the dissipation factor versus applied voltage . as the voltage increases , the capacitance is found to be stable with the applied voltage until about 4 . 5 v / μm , where saturation situation occurs . the capacitance remains constant beyond 3 v / μm the composite of lclc and photopolymer enables the control of the size of phase - separated droplets by controlling the rate of phase separation by changing conditions of light intensity , monomer / initiator ratio , and temperature of polymerization . further optimization in composition of composite and process conditions will lead to the development of high density capacitors . lclc - based capacitors based on the composite with polymer were also developed without sacrificing the storage / cycle life and power performance at elevated temperature . the lclc capacitors are suitable for high - current and low - frequency electrical circuits and energy storage . in reference to fig5 a , the epoxy - based polymer composite film consisting of epoxy polymer ( 66 . 85 %), lclc ( 33 %) and surfactant ( 0 . 15 %) shows a decrease in dissipation factor with small applied voltage and stabilizes at the further increase of applied voltage up to 4 . 5 v /□ m ( a limit of our system ) the dissipation factor is defined by the equation of d = ½πfcr , where f is the frequency , c is the capacitance , and r is the resistance . the dissipation factor is a measure of electric power lost in all dielectric materials , usually in the form of heat the dissipation factor is expressed as the ratio of the resistive ( loss ) component of the current to the capacitive component of current , and is equal to the tangent of the loss angle . by confining the lclc in a few microns size ( fig5 b ) of droplets with the epoxy resin capacitors were obtained with low dissipation factors . the relative capacitance of the composite polymer , lclc and surfactant as a function of applied voltage at 1 khz is shown in fig5 c . the resulting device provides relatively stable capacitance as the increase of applied voltage . in reference to fig6 , a composite consisting of photo - cured polymer ( 80 %), the lclc ( 19 . 8 %) and surfactant ( 0 . 2 %), the composite material exhibits a very high dielectric relaxation frequency with micron - sized droplets and very good relative capacitance versus applied voltage . the droplets of lclc in photopolymer matrix are much more uniform and smaller than that of the composite with epoxy . while in accordance with the patent statutes the best mode and preferred embodiment have been set forth , the scope of the invention is not limited thereto , but rather by the scope of the attached claims .	8
turning first to fig1 and 2 , perspective outside views of the dental mirror 10 of the present invention is shown . a handle 12 is interfittingly connected to a mirror stem 14 onto which a mirror housing 16 is interfittingly connected . a valve assembly , generally referred to as 18 , is provided preferably in the handle 12 to control the flow of air that is introduced into and travels through the dental mirror 10 and onto the reflective mirror surface 20 of the dental mirror 10 , as will be described in detail below . a flexible boot 22 provides an outer member for protection of the valve assembly 18 residing therein , as will be described in detail below . fig3 and 4 show perspective views of the dental mirror 10 of the present invention with the flexible protective boot 22 removed for illustration purposes . as can be seen a valve actuator 24 , in the form of a rocker button , resides under the flexible protective boot 22 . the valve actuator 24 is pivotally and slidably connected to the handle 12 to interface with the valve assembly 18 , which will be discussed in detail below . also shown in fig3 and 4 is a valve connector 26 , with an open aperture 26 a , that encircles the handle 12 in the region of the valve assembly 18 , which also will be discussed in detail below . fig5 shows an environmental view of the dental mirror 10 of the present invention in use . a source of compressed air 28 , such as an air tank , supplies air at a desired pressure , such as about 50 psi and which is common in a dental office . the compressed air is supplied to a known dental hand piece manifold 30 via an air conduit 32 where multiple hand pieces ( not shown ) are typically connected . for example , drills , air blowers and the like are typically connected to this air manifold 30 via an air hose 34 . the air hose 34 is connected to the first end 12 a of the handle 12 via known connection structures , such as a threaded connection or quick - disconnected structure . this enables compressed air to be provided in the direction of the arrows through the handle 12 , mirror stem 14 and out through an aperture 36 proximal to the reflective mirror surface 20 . fig6 - 8 show the interconnection of the handle 12 and mirror stem 14 . in fig6 , the handle 12 and valve assembly 18 is shown in solid lines and the mirror stem 14 in shadow for illustration purposes only . the free end 12 b of the handle 12 includes a male multi - sided interconnection 38 . for the example , it can have 12 sides or any other desired number of sides or other configurations . fig7 shows an end perspective view of the mirror stem 14 where a complementary multi - walled female seat 40 can be seen in a free end of the mirror stem 14 . the multi - walled female seat 40 is configured to be the same number of walls as the male multi - sided interconnection 38 . for example , if the male interconnection 38 has 12 sides , the female seat 40 will have 12 walls . the male interconnection 38 is received in the female seat end 40 and secured by the spring - biased ball detent member 42 , which is shown in fig1 . for example , a spring - biased ball 42 resides in the body of the handle , such on the interconnect member 38 , whereby the ball 42 releasably resides in a seat 44 on an inner surface 46 of the conduit of the mirror stem 14 . the spring - biased ball 42 can also be seen in fig8 . such an interconnection is one way of many to releasably secure the mirror stem 14 to the handle 12 . preferably two 0 - rings 41 are provided in circumferential seats 43 in spaced apart relation to one another to seal the interconnection between the handle 12 and mirror stem 14 , as can be seen in fig6 . more or less than two o - rings 41 may be provided . by providing such an interconnection with multiple sides and multiple mating walls , fine tuned rotational adjustment of the handle relative to the mirror stem 14 about the longitudinal axis of the device 10 is possible to customize the device 10 to the desired comfort of the user . with the handle 12 and mirror stem 14 interconnected , a continuous air supply path 48 is maintained via an aperture 50 in the handle 12 and port 52 in the mirror stem 14 . the aperture 50 in the handle 12 can also been seen in detail in fig8 and 9 . the multi - sided connection interface 38 , 40 between the handle 12 the mirror stem 14 and , as a result , the mirror housing 16 itself , enables the direction of the mirrored surface 20 , which is angled , to be adjusted relative to the location of the valve assembly 18 for control of the flow of air through the dental mirror 10 . this enables the use to place the valve assembly 18 at a number of locations rotationally relative to the face 20 of the mirror to achieve the most comfortable position for efficient use of the device 10 . for example , this enables the dental mirror 10 to be easily customized for both right and left handed use . while it is shown that the handle 12 includes the male side 38 of the interconnection and the mirror stem 14 includes the female seat 40 , it should also be understood this configuration can be reversed where in the mirror stem 14 provides a male member and the handle provides the female seat . it should also be noted that a multi - sided configuration interconnection is just one example . other types of connections , such as those greater than or fewer than twelve sides can be used , such as a hexagon , octagon or square and still be within the scope of the present invention . referring now to fig1 - 15 , further details of the flow control and valving of the dental mirror 10 of the present invention is shown . in fig1 , a cross - sectional view through the line 10 - 10 of fig1 shows the dental mirror 10 in a closed position where the flow of air through the dental mirror 10 is travelling from left to right . the conduit 50 inside the handle carries the air to a preferably smaller conduit 52 that interfaces with a spring - biased valve 56 , such as a normally closed barrel valve . as can best been seen in fig1 - 14 , a pair of coil springs 75 are located on opposing sides of the device 10 with each coil spring 75 corresponding to a downwardly depending leg 72 a and 72 b of the actuator 24 . fig1 shows a detailed view of actuator 24 . in fig1 - 14 , only one side can be seen , however , the opposing side is a mirror image thereof . the coil springs 75 pass through respective apertures 77 through the handle 12 and are fixed against bottom plug secured in the bottom of the through aperture 66 in which the barrel valve 56 slidably resides . thus , springs 75 urge upwardly in the direction of the arrow in fig1 respectively against the legs 72 a and 72 b of the actuator 24 to spring - bias the actuator upwardly . as in fig1 , the actuator includes a pair of inwardly extending bosses 74 a and 74 b , which respectively slidably reside in vertical slots 76 in the handle . further , pins 81 extend laterally outward from a top portion of barrel valve 56 . pins 81 can be individual members or a single pin routed through an aperture through the top of the barrel valve and then fixed in place . the pins 81 respectively slidably reside in slots 83 on opposing sides of the actuator . the slots 83 are preferably arcuate in shape to control the reciprocation of the barrel valve 56 , namely , the up and down movement thereof . the slots 83 may be of any other configuration , such as straight . therefore , the barrel valve 56 is spring - biased upwardly and reaches an upward limit when the bosses 74 a , 74 b reach the top of the slot 76 . in fig1 , the barrel valve 56 is provided with preferably two o - rings 85 are provided about the cylinder 62 , above and below an intermediate portion 70 of the cylinder 62 to prevent air from travel thereby and to the right of the valve assembly 18 . thus , the travel of valve 56 is sealed within aperture 66 . more or less than two o - rings 85 may be used . as seen in fig1 , a valve actuator 24 , in the form of a rocker button , is provided to assist the user when controllably depressing downwardly on the cylinder 62 against the forces of the coil springs 75 . the protective boot 22 is not shown for illustrations purposes only in this figure . moreover , valve actuator 24 is of a substantially inverted u - shaped configuration with two opposing downwardly depending legs 72 a and 72 b . bosses 74 a , 74 b emanate inwardly to pivotally communicate with a slots 76 on opposing sides of the handle 12 , as seen in fig1 . it should be understood that the valve actuator may be of a different configuration . for example , the valve actuator may be of a substantially t - shaped or l - shaped configuration with one downwardly depending leg . it should be understood that the slidable interconnection of pins 81 on barrel valve 56 within slots 83 of valve actuator 24 shown are just one example of a slidable interconnection that is envisioned in accordance with the present invention . other interconnection structures and methods that provide such controlled slidable interconnection between the barrel valve 56 and actuator 24 may be used and are within the scope of the present invention . for example , the interconnection may be reversed where the valve actuator 24 has pins that engage with slots formed in the barrel valve 56 ( not shown ). further , such a slidable interconnection need not include pins and slots but may employ a different mating interconnection structure to carry out the same function . in fig1 , when moisture and / or debris is desired to be removed from the surface of the mirror 20 , the valve actuator 24 ( through the protective boot 22 ) is depressed to cause the cylinder 62 of valve 56 to travel downwardly against the forces of the coil springs 75 thereby opening up the passageways 50 , 52 , 54 in the handle 12 and the conduit 78 in the mirror stem 14 . the travel of the compressed air is indicated by the arrows in fig1 . as can be understood , flow of air through the handle 12 and mirror stem 14 can be finely controlled by varying the amount of downward pressure , such as by a thumb or finger , on the valve actuator 24 ( through the protective boot 22 ) and on to the cylinder 62 of the barrel valve 56 of valve assembly 18 . thus , the degree of how much the valve 18 is open is controlled thereby controlling air flow and , as a result , how much air is delivered proximal to the reflective mirror surface 20 . fig1 shows that the handle 12 includes a vertical slots 76 on each side thereof ( not visible on the opposite side ) to respectively receive the inwardly facing bosses 74 a , 74 b of the valve actuator 24 . thus , when the valve actuator 24 is pushed rocked forwardly toward the mirror housing 16 , the valve actuator 24 pivots in the slots 76 ( clockwise in fig1 ) and the valve 18 is gradually opened by urging the barrel valve 56 downwardly due to the interconnection of the pins 81 with slots 83 and the angled orientation of the slots 83 . during such pivoted rocking of the actuator 42 , the springs 75 continue to maintain the bosses 74 a , 74 b in their respective locations at the top of slots 76 . after the actuator 24 is pivoted to its desired location with the associated amount of air pressure to the mirror surface 20 , the actuator 24 can be fully released and it will stay in this set position to continue to deliver the set amount of compressed air pressure due to the retained interconnection of the pins 81 in their respective slots 83 . if there is a desire to deliver a full blast of air to the reflective mirror surface 20 , a direct downward pressure on the valve actuator 24 , regardless of the current pivotal position of the actuator 24 , causes the bosses 74 a , 74 b in their respective vertical slots 76 on opposing sides of the handle to travel downwardly against the forces of springs 75 to fully open the barrel valve 56 to a condition as seen in fig1 to provide the maximum possible downward pressure to the cylinder 62 . as a result , of a fully opened up valve 18 with barrel valve 56 moved fully downward , a full blast of air is delivered to the reflective mirror surface 20 . this may be useful when there is a large amount of moisture and / or debris on the mirror surface 20 that needs to be removed . when the activator 24 is released , it will return back up to its previous position with the bosses 74 a , 74 b back at the top of their respective slots 76 while maintaining the previously set positioning of the pins 81 in their respective slots 83 so that the device returns to the previously set adjusted level of compressed air delivery . therefore , the device 10 of the present invention can easily switch between a custom level delivery and a fully blast of air without needing to reset the custom level each time after a fully blast of air is executed . this greatly improves the efficiency of use of the device in practice . as to the full blast feature of the present invention , it should be understood that the slidable interconnection of bosses 74 a and 74 b within their respective slots 76 in the handle , as shown , are just one example of a slidable interconnection that is envisioned in accordance with the present invention to carry out the inventive blast function described above . other structures and methods that provide such a blast function , by permitting the actuator 24 to slide relative to the handle 12 , may be used and are within the scope of the present invention . for example , this interconnection may be reversed where bosses are provided on the handle and respective slots are carried on the actuator 24 ( not shown ). further , such a slidable interconnection need not include bosses and slots but may employ a different mating interconnection structure to carry out the same function . the dental mirror 10 of the present invention is preferably made of material that is durable and suitable for being cleaned and sterilized using an autoclave or the like to permit reuse . for example , the parts and components , such as the handle 12 , mirror stem 14 and mirror housing 16 can be made of stainless steel or other similar material . the protective boot 22 can be made of rubber , or the like . for the mirror surface 20 of the mirror , the appropriate coating can be used , which is well known in the art , can be used to provide a reflective surface . in view of the above , a dental mirror 10 of the present invention has the capability of delivering air flow proximal to the surface 20 of the reflective mirror to effectively remove moisture and debris therefrom for more effective and efficient use of the dental mirror 10 during a dental procedure . it is also possible that the dental mirror 10 of the present invention be disposable . in that case , it may be desirable to make many parts , such as the handle 12 , stem 14 and mirror housing 16 , of the dental mirror 10 of the present invention out of less expensive materials , such as plastic . it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made to the illustrated embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention . all such modifications and changes are intended to be covered by the appended claims .	0
it is well known that a wide range of biological functions are mediated by the formation of noncovalent , macromolecular complexes . examples include enzyme - substrate binding , antigen - antibody interactions , leukocyte - endothelial cell adhesion events , drug - receptor binding , and protein - protein interactions . however , utilization of macromolecular complexes as drug delivery systems is relatively new and uninvestigated . the present application discloses a novel drug delivery system which utilizes a pal containing a liposome and a naturally occurring or synthetic anionic polymer . the pal is useful for the oral , parenteral , sublingual , transdermal , conjunctival , intraocular , intranasal , aural , intrarespiratory , rectal , vaginal , or urethral delivery of therapeutic agents . the therapeutic agent can be , for example , but not limited to , genes , peptides , proteins , antibacterials , antifungals , antineoplastics , antiprotozoals , antiarthritics , and antiinflammatory agents . in a preferred embodiment , the therapeutic agent is a gene , a polypeptide , or a protein . in especially preferred embodiments , the therapeutic agent is insulin . as will be discussed in detail hereafter , the physicochemical properties of the present pals were investigated . the interactions of liposomes with anionic polymers were monitored using particle size analysis , and by zeta potentials . the physical evidence confirmed the presence of a pal , wherein an anionic polymer is electrostatically associated , i . e ., noncovalently complexed , with a liposome . in accordance with an important feature of the present invention , the anionic polymer is intertwined through the bilayer structure of the liposome , and , accordingly , is present on the external surface of the liposome , the internal surface of the liposome , and within the phospholipid bilayer that forms the liposome . analysis of an aqueous suspension of a pal indicated that the physicochemical properties of a pal are different from a conventional liposome mixture and from a liposome that is surface coated with an anionic polymer . furthermore , data indicates that pal formation results from kinetic and thermodynamic equilibria . these studies show that a pal is well suited for oral delivery of therapeutic agents . the following discussion is particularly directed to pals containing a liposome prepared from lecithin and an anionic polymer based on a salt form of polyvinylsulfonic acid or polyvinylphosphonic acid . however , persons skilled in the art are aware that other phospholipids and anionic polymers similarly can be used to provide a pal of the present invention . as previously discussed , a drug , like insulin , can treat and control a disease , like diabetes , but cannot prevent , attenuate , or rectify complications associated with the disease , such as vascular problems , like heart disease and &# 34 ; diabetic foot .&# 34 ; therefore , it would be advantageous to administer insulin to a diabetic in a form that not only treats the disease , but also prevents , alleviates , or reverses complications associated with the disease . a composition containing a drug , like insulin , and a pal provides these advantages . an important additional advantage would be to provide a method of administering a drug , like insulin , orally . insulin , and other drugs , and especially genes and many protein and polypeptide - based drugs , cannot be administered orally because the drug is altered in the stomach , and , therefore , is unavailable to the body in a form to combat or control a disease . with respect to diabetes , it is known that glucose can complex with proteins to produce toxic by - products . such toxic by - products have been theorized as the cause of the complications associated with diabetes . it also has been observed that diabetics have elevated levels of gags in serum and urine , and a lower gag content in their kidney cell membranes . it also is known that administration of gags to diabetic animals inhibited and / or reversed some vascular abnormalities associated with diabetes . diabetics also have altered blood chemistries , including elevated levels of various enzymes in addition to glucose . therefore , the following has been hypothesized , but is not relied upon , as a cause for the complications associated with diabetes . in particular , the interior of vascular walls are lined with endothelial cells . branching from the endothelial cells are proteoglycan molecules . glucose is able to bond with these surfaces of the endothelial cells . however , gags also are known to be present on the proteoglycan branches on the surface of endothelial cells . in addition , insulin also is known to have the capability to complex with the gag compounds . it is hypothesized , therefore , that insulin complexes with the gags present on the branches of the endothelial cells , and that the gags - insulin complexes are removed from the cell by enzymatic activity , thereby leaving the surfaces endothelial cells devoid of gags compounds . an increased insulin dosage provides sufficient insulin to account for the insulin lost as a result of the insulin - gags interaction . but the sloughing of gags from endothelial cells exposes the vascular surface to numerous unwanted reactions , including repeated glycosylation . repeated glycosylation can be exacerbated by the naturally elevated levels of serum glucose in a diabetic . therefore , it has been found that the interaction between insulin and the gags on the endothelial cells can be circumvented by complexing insulin such that the insulin is unavailable to interact with the gags on the surface of endothelial cells . since the present investigators have found evidence of a gags complex with insulin , the present investigators considered complexing insulin with a gag , and thereby protect vascular endothelial cells from the harmful effects of constant exposure to insulin . then , the insulin would not be available to complex with gags on the surface of endothelial cells . as a result , the endothelial cells would not be vulnerable to glycosylation as a result of a sloughing off of the gags - insulin complex . however , gags are well known anticoagulants and their long term effects on a diabetic are unknown . as a result , a gag could not be administered to an individual on a long term basis because , for example , the blood of the individuals would be thinned too greatly . in accordance with the present invention , insulin , and other drugs , can be administered with a suitable pal to provide a drug delivery system that avoids the interaction between insulin and a gag on the surface of an endothelial cell . it is hypothesized that the vascular endothelial cells therefore are spared from undesirable reactions , like glycosylation , and vascular complications associated with diabetes can be eliminated or attenuated . furthermore , the present pals make the insulin available to the individual , such that diabetes is controlled . similarly , other drugs , in addition to insulin , can be administered in conjunction with a pal , and are available to treat the disease of concern . the use of a pal containing a suitable naturally occurring or synthetic anionic polymer as a drug delivery system also avoids the harmful side effects of gags ( e . g ., anticoagulation ), and insures the quality , reproducibility , and uniformity of the drug delivery system because the anionic polymers have a reproducible chemical makeup , and the molecular weight can be controlled . furthermore , by a proper selection of an anionic polymer , the in vivo behavior of insulin can be controlled to optimize the pharmacologic response of insulin , and the route of administration can be regulated . the proper selection of an anionic polymer also provides a drug delivery system that is site specific because different anionic polymers have an affinity to different specific cell surfaces . a drug administered with a pal can be essentially any drug or therapeutic agent . the drug can be a naturally occurring or synthetic drug . the drug can be monomeric , or oligomeric or polymeric , like a gene , a polypeptide , or a protein . in addition , the drug can be water soluble or water insoluble , or a mixture thereof . water - soluble drugs are microencapsulated by the pal . water - insoluble drugs reside in the hydrophobic bilayer of the liposome of the pal . preferred drugs are polypeptide or protein based . preferably , the drug has at least one positively charged site . the positively charged site usually is a quaternary ammonium nitrogen atom . if the drug is a synthetic drug , the drug often contains a nitrogen atom that can be quaternized . if the drug is a naturally occurring drug , the drug often contains an amino acid having a positively charged site . these quaternized nitrogen atoms and positively charged sites are available to complex with the neutralized acid moieties of the anionic polymer . other drugs that can be administered with a pal of the present invention include , but are not limited to , genes ; antiinflammatory drugs , like tereofenamate , proglumetacin , tiaramide , apazone , benzpiperylon , pipebuzone , ramifenazone , and methotrexate ; antiinfective drugs , like isoniazid , polymyxin , bacitracin , tuberactionomycin , and ethryomycin ; antiarthritis drugs , like penicillamine , chloroquine phosphate , glucosamine , and hydroxychloroquine ; diabetes drugs , like insulin , and glucagon ; and anticancer drugs , like cyclophosphamide , interferon a , interferon β , interferon γ , vincristine , and vinblastine . a pal is prepared from a liposome and an anionic polymer having a plurality of acid moieties in a salt form . the anionic polymer in the salt form , therefore , has a plurality of negative charges . the liposome is prepared from a phospholipid . a liposome is a membrane vesicle prepared from a phospholipid . structurally , a liposome is a bilayer spherical membrane having polar ends of phospholipids in one layer forming the external surface of the spherical membrane and the polar ends of phospholipids in a second layer forming the internal surface of the spherical membrane . the nonpolar , hydrophobic tails of the phospholipids in the two layers align to form the interior of the bilayer membrane . the bilayer liposomes can microencapsulate compounds , and transport the compounds through environments wherein the compound normally is degraded . liposomes , therefore , have been suggested for use in drug delivery systems . however , liposomes typically are broken down in the liver , and , therefore , exist in the circulatory system for only a very short time , generally for a period of minutes . liposomes , therefore , have not served as a good delivery system for drugs because a liposome - drug complex does not survive for a sufficiently long time in the vascular system to reach the target site for the drug . liposomes have been modified to avoid rapid clearance in the liver . for example , stealth ® liposomes , available from liposome technologies , remain in the vascular system for about 48 to about 96 hours , and have the ability to deliver drugs . these modified liposomes have polyethylene glycol ( peg ) molecules covalently bound to the external surface of the liposome . however , these peg - modified liposomes are difficult and expensive to manufacture . a second type of modified liposome is a conventional liposome coated with a polymer . a polymer - coated liposome is prepared by simply adding a polymer to an aqueous dispersion of a liposome . the polymer is merely coated on the exterior surface of the liposome . however , when the coated liposome is diluted in water or saline , the polymer and liposome dissociate to regenerate a conventional liposome and the polymer . as illustrated in detail hereafter , the present pals , containing an anionic polymer that is electrostatically , i . e ., not covalently , bound to a liposome , do not dissociate to a liposome and an anionic polymer upon water dilution . the first step in the preparation of a pal is formation of a conventional liposome from phospholipids . the phospholipids used to form a liposome useful in the present invention are not limited . the liposome , therefore , can be prepared by conventional techniques from phosphatidylethanolamine ( i . e ., cephalin ), phosphatidylcholine ( i . e ., lecithin ), phosphatidylserine , phosphatidylinositol , phostidylglycerol , 3 &# 39 ;- o - lysylphosphatidylglycerol , cardiolipin , sphingomyelin , and mixtures thereof , for example . in general , the phospholipid can be any glyceride esterified by c 6 - c 24 fatty acids at the 1 , 2 - positions and having a phosphoric acid ester residue at the 3 - position . preferred phospholipids have a phosphoric acid ester residue containing a positive charge , typically a quaternary ammonium nitrogen . such preferred phospholipids include , but are not limited to phosphatidylethanolamine , phosphatidylcholine , phosphatidylserine , and 3 &# 39 ;- o - lysylphosphatidylglycerol . the positive charge on the preferred phospholipids permits an increased electrostatic binding between the liposome and the negatively charged sites on an anionic polymer . in accordance with an important feature of the present invention , it is not necessary to use a purified phospholipid to form the liposome . commercial phospholipids , like commercial lecithin , can be used in the present invention , and , therefore , provide economies in providing a pal of the present invention . surprisingly , it also has been found that a crude commercial phospholipid , which contains a mixture of phospholipids , can provide a pal having greater efficacy than a pal prepared from a purified phospholipid . an anionic polymer used to prepare a pal has a plurality of acid moieties . any physiologically acceptable anionic polymer can be used as long as the anionic polymer contains sufficient acid moieties in the salt form to complex with the liposome . the anionic polymer is prepared by adding a base to an aqueous solution in the polymer . the base typically is an alkali metal hydroxide , like sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide . however , other physiologically acceptable alkalis can be used to neutralize the polymer . the acid moieties are present substantially , i . e ., 30 % or greater , in a salt form . preferably , at least 50 % of the acid moieties are present in the salt form . to achieve the full advantage of the present invention , at least 70 % of the acid moieties are present in the salt form . typically , the anionic polymer has sufficient acid moieties if the polymer can be solubilized in water by neutralizing the polymer with a base . such polymers are prepared from a monomer , or mixture of monomers , wherein at least 25 % of the monomers , by weight of the polymer , contain an acid moiety . preferably , at least 40 % of the monomers , by weight of the polymer , contain an acid moiety . to achieve the full advantage of the present invention , at least 60 % of the monomers , by weight of the polymer , contain an acid moiety . if the polymer is a homopolymer , the monomers containing an acid moiety can be 100 % by weight of the polymer . by proper selection of the anionic polymer , persons skilled in the art are able to regulate the site - specific delivery of the drug , the pharmacologic response of the drug , and the route of administration of a drug formulated with the pal . the anionic polymer can be a synthetic polymer or a naturally occurring polymer . in general , the anionic polymer has an m w of about 1 , 000 to about 1 , 000 , 000 and preferably about 2 , 000 to about 100 , 000 . to achieve the full advantage of the present invention , the polymer has an m w of about 6 , 000 to about 50 , 000 . with respect to synthetic polymers , preferred anionic polymers are linear polymers . however , lightly cross - linked anionic polymers also can be used . a lightly crosslinked polymer has one to about five crosslinks crosslinking the linear chains of the polymer molecule and is soluble in water . an important feature of the polymer is that the polymer is water soluble , and contains acid moieties , such as carboxyl , phosphate , phosphonate , sulfate , sulfonate , phenolic , or any other moiety having a labile hydrogen that can be removed from the moiety to provide a negatively charged site on the polymer . the anionic polymer typically is an acrylic polymer containing a sufficient amount of acid - containing monomers , like acrylic acid , methacrylic acid , vinylsulfonic acid , or vinylphosphonic acid . the acid - containing monomer can be , but is not limited to , acrylic acid , methacrylic acid , maleic acid , fumaric acid , itaconic acid , mesaconic acid , citraconic acid , vinylsulfonic acid , vinylphosphonic acid , and similar α , β - unsaturated carboxylic acids and α , β - unsaturated dicarboxylic acids . the polymer is in a salt form when utilized to prepare a pal . the anionic polymer can be a homopolymer of an acid - containing monomers , like α , β - unsaturated carboxylic acids , or can be a copolymer . for example , a suitable copolymer can be an acid - containing monomer that is copolymerized with ethylene , propylene , or a similar c 4 - c 5 alkene , or a c 1 - c 12 ester of an α , β - unsaturated carboxylic acid , vinyl propionate , acrylamide , or methacrylamide , or that is copolymerized with an aromatic monomer , like styrene , α - methyl toluene , or vinyl toluene . other comonomers include vinylpyrrolidone , vinyl alcohol , vinyl acetate , and vinyl alkyl ethers . examples of anionic polymers include , but are not limited to , polyacrylic acid , polyvinylphosphonic acid , polyvinylsulfonic acid , polystyrenesulfonic acid , polymaleic acid , polymethacrylic acid , polyvinylsulfuric acid , poly ( 2 - methacroyloxyethane - 1 - sulfonic acid , poly ( 4 - vinylbenzoic acid ), poly ( 3 -( vinyloxy ) propane - 1 - sulfonicacid ), poly ( 3 -( vinyloxy )- propane - 1 - sulfonic acid ), poly ( 3 - methacryloxypropane - 1 - sulfonic acid ), polymethacrylic acid , poly ( 4 - vinylphenol ), poly ( 4 - vinylphenyl sulfuric acid ), and poly ( n - vinylsuccinamidic acid ). in other embodiments , an anionic polymer containing an aromatic monomer can be sulfonated or sulfated to position acid groups on the aromatic monomer . preferred anionic polymers are salt forms of polyacrylic acid , polyvinylsulfonic acid , and polyvinylphosphonic acid . with respect to naturally occurring anionic polymers , the above - discussed disadvantages resulting from using a gag limits the naturally occurring polymers to those that do not adversely effect an individual over the long term , i . e ., a strong anticoagulant should not be used as the polymer . however , gags that act as anticoagulants have a relatively high molecular weight of about 12 , 000 or greater . therefore , analogs of gags that do not act as strong anticoagulants can be used as the polymer . such polymers have a structure that is similar to a gag compound , but have a lower m w , i . e ., less than about 12 , 000 . therefore , useful naturally occurring anionic polymers have an m w of about 1 , 000 to about 12 , 000 , and preferably about 2 , 000 to about 8 , 000 , and do not act as coagulants at the level they are administered in the pal , i . e ., about 2 mg / day . this dose is less than the 20 mg / day dose required to observe anticoagulation effects and , therefore , mild anticoagulants can be used as the polymer . furthermore , the low m w , naturally occurring polymers have a greater bioavailability . for example , heparin having an m w of about 6 , 000 is 85 % bioavailable , but as the m w increases , bioavailability decreases exponentially . suitable naturally occurring anionic polymers therefore include , but are not limited to , heparin , dermatan sulfate , chondroitin sulfate , keratan sulfate , heparan sulfate , hyaluronic acid , the various forms of carrageenan , and mixtures thereof , having a molecular weight ( m w ) of about 1 , 000 to about 12 , 000 . overall , a synthetic anionic polymer is preferred over a naturally occurring anionic polymer because synthetic polymers are more uniform chemically , and a desired m w is more easily achieved . a pal of the present invention , therefore , is a novel drug delivery system containing a synthetic or a natural anionic polymer electrostatically complexed with a liposome . in general , a pal is manufactured by first preparing a conventional liposome from phospholipids by techniques known in the art . then a liposome / polymer complex is formed by incubating the liposome with an anionic polymer in an aqueous medium . during this step , the anionic polymer electrostatically binds to the exterior surface of the liposome . the liposome / polymer complex is isolated , then solubilized in an organic solvent and dried . the pal is formed by adding an aqueous medium to the dried liposome / polymer complex . it should be noted that a pal is formed only when an anionic polymer is incubated with a liposome . the addition of an anionic polymer to a phospholipid prior to formation of a liposome does not result in a pal . the organic solvent used to solubilize the liposome / polymer complex is a nonpolar solvent , preferably having a low boiling point . useful organic solvents include hydrocarbons and chlorinated hydrocarbons , like pentane , heptane , benzene , toluene , chloroform , carbon tetrachloride , methylene chloride , trichloroethane , and perchloroethylene , for example . as illustrated in detail hereafter , a pal is substantially different from the liposome / polymer complex . the liposome / polymer complex is a liposome having its exterior surface coated with a polymer . this complex dissociates when dissolved in aqueous media . in contrast , a pal does not dissociate in water . it is theorized that , during hydration of the dried liposome / polymer complex to form a pal , the polymer no longer merely coats the exterior surface of the liposome , but is intertwined throughout the two layers of the liposome . accordingly , a portion of the polymer is electrostatically bound to the external surface of the liposome , and a portion of the polymer is electrostatically bound to the internal surface of the liposome . in addition , the polymer chain extends from the external surface , through the two layers of the liposome , to the internal surface of the liposome . the pal structure , therefore , is analogous to a thread of anionic polymer that is repeatedly strung to and from the external surface of the liposome , through the phospholipid bilayer , and to and from the internal surface of the liposome . the polymer , therefore , is unable to dissociate from the liposome when the pal is diluted in water . the following example illustrates the preparation of a pal of the present invention . conventional liposomes were prepared according to the film cast method by placing about 150 mg ( milligrams ) of egg yolk lecithin ( available from sigma chemical co ., st . louis , mo .) in a 50 ml ( milliliter ) round - bottomed flask , then dissolving the lecithin in 20 ml of chloroform . the chloroform was evaporated from the lecithin solution using a rotary evaporator , leaving a dried film of lecithin on the bottom of the flask . then , 10 ml of pure water was added to the flask , and the resulting suspension was sonicated in a bath sonicator for about 5 - 7 minutes to provide conventional lecithin liposomes . next , about 10 ml of an aqueous solution containing 5 mg / ml of polyvinylsulfonic acid was added to 10 ml of the lecithin liposome suspension containing 15 mg / ml of the liposome to form a liposome / polymer complex . the resulting suspension was mixed on a magnetic stirrer , under a constant flow of nitrogen , for an incubation time of about 1 to about 96 hours at about 25 ° c . water then was removed from the suspension by rotary evaporation , and the liposome / polymer complex was dried to form a film . next , about 10 ml of chloroform was added to the liposome / polymer complex to dissolve the liposome / polymer complex . the resulting solution was filtered through a 5 μm syringe filter to remove uncomplexed polyvinylsulfonic acid that precipitated from the solution . the chloroform filtrate was evaporated by rotary evaporation , and the liposome / polymer complex was dried to a film under nitrogen . the pal was prepared by hydrating the liposome / polymer complex film with about 10 ml of pure water , and bath sonicating the resulting suspension for about 5 minutes . the pals , having a diameter of about 10 microns , were reduced in size to about 5 microns , by extruding the suspension through a 100 nm polycarbonate filter . the size - reduction step provides a pal of sufficiently small size ( e . g ., about 0 . 1 to about 5 microns ) to pass through the vascular system . the pals also can be reduced in size by sonication . in addition , if desired , an aqueous isotonic buffer solution , rather than pure water , can be used to hydrate the liposome / polymer complex and form a pal . the isotonic buffer solution has a ph of 7 . 4 , and contains 10 mm hepes buffer , 140 mm sodium chloride , and 10 mm potassium chloride . the pal prepared in the above example can be formulated with a water - soluble drug , a water - insoluble drug , or a mixture thereof . a water - soluble drug is encapsulated by the pal , whereas a water - insoluble drug is positioned in the hydrophobic bilayer of the pal . a present pal also provides negatively charged sites on the anionic polymer chain to electrostatically bind a drug having a positive charge . as illustrated hereafter , the pal remains intact in the vascular system for up to several hours , thereby allowing the drug to reach its target site . the pal also is capable of releasing the drug such that the drug can perform its intended function . studies were performed to elucidate the structure of a pal . in one experiment , a test was performed to determine if the anionic polymer could be detected in an aqueous dispersion of the pal of the above example . in this test , an aqueous suspension of the lecithin - polyvinylsulfonic acid pal of the above example was prepared , and an aqueous solution of polyvinylsulfonic acid was prepared in a separate vessel . each mixture was evaporated to dryness , and a volume of chloroform then was added to each residue . the chloroform solutions were filtered through 5 μm syringe filters and the filtrates were evaporated to dryness . a known volume of water was added to each residue and the resulting aqueous solutions analyzed for the presence of polyvinylsulfonic acid . the presence of a polymer was not found in the aqueous solution derived from polyvinylsulfonic acid . the polyvinylsulfonic acid was precipitated by the chloroform . in contrast , polyvinylsulfonic acid was detected in the solution derived from the pal . this test showed that anionic polymers can interact with liposomes to form noncovalent , chloroform soluble , pals . another test was performed to determine the relationship between the weight of anionic polymer added to the liposome and the weight of anionic polymer in the pal . in this test , about 40 ml of a solution of conventional liposomes containing 15 mg / ml phospholipids was prepared as described in the above example , and divided into four equal portions . individual polyvinylsulfonic acid solutions containing 0 . 12 , 1 . 2 , 6 . 2 , and 12 . 5 mg of polymer , respectively , were added to individual portions of the liposome , and each resulting solution was processed to form a pal . the pal was extracted into chloroform and analyzed for amount of anionic polymer . each pal was analyzed for the presence of polymer by a standard azure dye - binding assay . the results are summarized in fig2 . for each data point in fig2 the liposomes were incubated with the polymer for 48 hours at room temperature . fig2 shows that the concentration of a pal increases as the amount of anionic polymer allowed to incubate with the liposome increase , as dictated by the kinetic binding constant for the particular liposome and polymer . therefore , to achieve a pal containing about 5 % to about 20 % by weight of an anionic polymer , the weight ratio of anionic polymer to liposome used in the preparation of a pal is at least about 2 : 1 , and preferably at least about 5 : 1 . to achieve the full advantage of the present invention , the weight ratio of anionic polymer to liposome is at least about 10 : 1 . any excess , uncomplexed anionic polymer is removed when the liposome / polymer complex is dissolved in an organic solvent . the complex is soluble in the organic solvent , whereas the anionic polymer precipitates from the solvent , thereby allowing a facile separation by filtration . the data in fig2 confirm that an anionic polymer is present in a pal , and that the total amount of anionic polymer in the pal is related to the initial concentration of anionic polymer incubated with the liposome . another test examined the effect of incubation time on formation of the lipid / polymer complex . in this test , a stock solution containing 15 mg / ml conventional liposomes was incubated with polyvinylsulfonic acid for 96 hours . aliquots were removed from the mixture periodically , then processed into pals . the pals were analyzed for anionic polymer content . the results are summarized in fig3 . the data in fig3 indicate that the amount of anionic polymer in a pal increases as incubation time increases , thereby showing that the lipid / polymer complex is a thermodynamically favored species . the above experiments show that the amount of anionic polymer in a pal can be adjusted to a desired level by judiciously selecting the phospholipid and anionic polymer , by judiciously selecting the amount of anionic polymer added to the liposome , and by varying the incubation time . useful pals contain about 2 % to about 30 %, and preferably about 5 % to about 20 %, by weight of an anionic polymer . the particle size and zeta potential ( i . e ., charge on the liposome ) of conventional liposomes , polymer - coated liposomes , and pals , also were determined . as described above , polymer - coated liposomes consist of a simple mixture of conventional liposomes and an anionic polymer , like polyvinylsulfonic acid . a comparison among the three liposome forms is summarized in tables 1 and 2 . table 1______________________________________particle size analysis of various liposomesliposome type diameter ( nm ). sup . 1 ) ______________________________________conventional 131 . 9 ± 35 . 5pal 120 . 1 ± 37 . 8polymer coated 138 . 9 ± 45 . 1______________________________________ . sup . 1 ) all size determinations were performed using a nicomp model 270 submicron particle sizer . table 2______________________________________comparison of zeta potentials of various liposomesliposome type zeta potential ( mv ). sup . 2 ) ______________________________________conventional - 28 . 7 ± 1 . 4polymer coated - 35 . 0 ± 1 . 3pal - 50 . 8 ± 1 . 3______________________________________ . sup . 2 ) all zeta potentials were measured using a pen kem lazer zee meter model 501 . the particle size analysis shows that the pals are the smallest of the three liposome types . the small pal particle size suggests that the processing conditions used to prepare the conventional and polymer - coated liposomes have no effect on particle size . however , the small size of a pal is consistent with the anionic polymer in a pal threading in and out of the liposome shell , thereby making the pal smaller in size compared to the two other liposome forms . a comparison of the zeta potentials for the three forms of liposomes strongly indicates that the surface charge of a pal is significantly different from the surface charge of the other two liposome forms . the polymer - coated liposomes are only slightly more negatively charged than the conventional liposomes , where the pals are more than 50 % more negatively charged than the coated liposomes . this data suggests that the pals are fundamentally different from both conventional and polymer - coated liposomes , and have a greater ability to bind to drugs , particularly drugs having a positive charge . as previously stated , conventional liposomes and polymer - coated liposomes are broken down in the liver within minutes , and , therefore , are unable to effectively deliver a drug to a target site . such liposomes also are unable to direct a drug to a specific target site . however , a pal is not broken down in liver quickly , but exists for several hours in the vascular system . therefore , a pal is an excellent delivery system to deliver a drug to a target site . in addition , a pal can be designed to direct a drug to a specific target site . the pals also have an ability to release the drug so that the drug can perform its intended function . to illustrate that pals remain the vascular system for extended time periods , the lecithin - polyvinylsulfonic acid pal of the example was admixed with a fluorescent tag and the resulting composition was administered to rabbits by injection . as a comparison , conventional liposome was administered to different rabbits . at various time intervals , a blood sample was taken from the rabbits and the blood was assayed for relative fluorescent intensity . the data is summarized in fig4 which contains a pharmokinetic profile showing that a pal , in vivo , exists in a circulatory system for a much longer time than a conventional liposome . for example , about 75 % of a conventional liposome was consumed one hour after injection , whereas only about 50 % of a pal was consumed one hour after injection . it also was observed that about 20 % of the pal remained in the circulatory system about 6 hours after in vivo injection . the results summarized in fig4 show both the stability of a pal and the effectiveness of a pal as a drug delivery system . fig4 shows that the pals remain intact for a relatively extended time period , and do not dissociate immediately after intravenous in vivo administration . therefore , in addition to demonstrating that a pal can be formed , it also was demonstrated that a pal is stable in the vascular system in vivo . the data also shows that a pal has the ability to release a drug in vivo to treat a disease . in particular , an aqueous drug composition containing a drug and a pal can be formed by admixing the drug and a pal . such aqueous compositions can be administered by injection or orally . another important embodiment of the present invention is a solid drug composition containing a drug and a pal , in a lyophilized form , that can be used to administer the drug orally . in this embodiment , an aqueous drug composition is formed , and the liquid composition then is lyophilized by conventional techniques . the present invention , therefore , discloses a novel drug delivery system for the oral , parenteral , sublingual , transdermal , conjunctival , intraocular , intranasal , aural , intrarespiratory , rectal , vaginal , or urethral delivery of therapeutic agents . the drug delivery system comprises a pal , which contains a liposome and a salt form of a polymer having a plurality of acid moieties . the therapeutic agent can be , but is not limited to , genes , peptides , proteins , antibacterials , antifungals , antineoplastics , antiprotozoals , antiarthritics , and antiinflammatory agents . the polymers can be naturally occurring or synthetic , and are commercially available or can be readily synthesized . the specific physicochemical properties of the pal can be adjusted by a judicious selection of the phospholipid used to form the liposome , the polymer , the m w of the polymer , and the number and type of anionic moieties on the polymer , by the weight ratio of liposome to polymer in the pal , and by the incubation time . the proper selection of a pal also permits the delivery of a drug to a particular target site . by selecting anionic polymer that has an affinity to the specific cell surface at the target site of interest , the drug delivery system can more effectively deliver a drug or therapeutic agent to the target site to act against the disease of concern . many modifications and variations of the invention as hereinbefore set forth can be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof , and only such limitations should be imposed as are indicated by the appended claims .	0
with reference to fig1 to 7 of the drawings , and in particular fig1 , spatial modulation of a control beam cross - section 10 is achieved by ( 1 ) rotating a laser beam in a direction f about the central axis 11 of a circular control pattern area 12 having radius r , ( 2 ) pulsing the laser beam at a frequency which varies with its angular displacement ( e . g . θ after time t ) from a vertical or other reference direction 13 in the plane of the control pattern . each revolution of the laser beam takes time t . during it , the pulse repetition frequency ( or pulse interval ) is varied between two limits , and the cycle is continually repeated at a pre - determined rate . measurement by a sensor d of the time interval t θ between received laser pulses provides a measure of the position of the sensor in terms of an angular displacement 9 from the reference direction 13 , and ( 3 ) so shaping the control beam that the total time tr during which a sensor receives electromagnetic waves per revolution of the beam pattern provides a measure of the position of the sensor in terms of a radial displacement r from the axis of rotation 11 of the beam . fig1 to 4 illustrate the simple case of a beam so shaped that during rotation thereof at a steady angular velocity w , the proportion tr of the total time t for one revolution of the beam during which laser radiation is incident upon a point varies strictly linearly with the radial distance r of that point from the rotational axis 11 of the beam 10 , and varies from 25 % for a point just off the axis of the beam to 0 % for a point on the very edge of the beam . this has been termed a “ rotating leaf ” beam modulation system . fig1 and 2 illustrate schematically the variation in a series of electromagnetic ( laser ) pulses 14 received for various sensor positions ( d1 , d2 , d3 and d4 ) within the area 12 controlled by the beam 10 . referring to fig3 , 4 and 5 , a range of beam shapes governed by the expression possess the characteristic that the time tr during which electromagnetic waves are received by a sensor d decreases linearly with increasing radial co - ordinate r . these shapes are identified herein as shape i . with k = 0 . 125 the second curve illustrated in fig5 is generated . however , other values of k within the range 0 - 0 . 25 could be chosen , these curves all providing a linear change ( with radial position ) of the time during which electromagnetic waves are received by the sensor . an alternative range of shapes ( shape ii ) may be generated , and these are characterizes in that the time during which electromagnetic waves are received by the sensor d increases with increasing radial co - ordinate r . these shapes correspond to those generated when the first set shape i are subtracted from a quadrant of a circle to yield , for example , the unshaded area in fig5 . a third set of shapes ( shape iii ) may be generated by the rotation of a beam of rectangular cross - section about one corner of the rectangle . fig6 illustrates the beam shape and the variation of time of receipt of electromagnetic radiation with radial co - ordinate r . it will be seen from fig7 that in a circular region radius d around the centre 11 of the pattern no precise radial co - ordinate information is available though angular information may be derived from the pulse interval t θ in the same way as the first and second sets of shapes . outside this central region the detector will receive both radial and angular co - ordinate information . the relative size of the central region is determined by the width / length ratio d / l of the rectangular shape . various d / l ratios may be considered for example ratios from 1 to 0 . 067 and below may be easily employed in practical beamriding transmitters . the use of a rectangular beam has the advantage of simple beam shaping ( with particular laser sources ). this system would be useful in special beamriding systems wherein the body being guided is required to either remain in the general region ( x & lt ; d ) around the center of the control pattern and / or be guided to precise points outside this central region x & gt ; d . although a multitude of rotating beam shapes are suitable for position definition these three particular shapes are of special significance in missile beamriding systems because of factors such as the ease of generation of particular shapes of beams of electromagnetic waves or the linearity of the sensor response to the modulated radiation received . of the three types already identified , shape i has the most general application to missile beamriding systems , while shapes ii and iii may find application in particular situations . referring again to fig3 , it will be seen that the beam shape comprises a straight radial edge 16 which , when θ = 0 is co - incident with the reference direction 13 , a curved edge 17 and a short circumferential edge 18 extending in a circumferential direction to complete the shape but which is , in the fig3 limiting case , of zero length . the beam generated by an aperture or other means may be arranged to rotate in either direction by the beam rotation system . the nature of the curved edge 17 and the relative length of the short circumferential edge 18 may be varied to mould the linearity of the radial information provided to the missile guidance system . in this first example , shape ia , tr decreases linearly with increasing radial co - ordinate value r , in accordance with the expression : where d and r are defined in fig3 . the shape may be chosen such that the length of the circumferential edge 18 is finite thereby ensuring that the receipt time of electromagnetic radiation by the sensor does not approach zero at the edge r of the controlled space 12 . the following are examples of ways which may be used to achieve this :— ( 1 ) a simple removal of the aperture tip illustrated by the dashed circumferential edge 19 in fig3 . ( 2 ) design of a curved edge which satisfies a general expression of which equation ( 1 ) is a particular example . the resolution of the detecting apparatus for beam shapes i and ii in both the angular and radial directions varies with the angular coordinate . with beam shape iii , the resolution of the detecting apparatus in both angular and radial directions again vary with the angular position from the reference angle . see the specification of british patent application no . 8219395 from which this description derives . referring to fig8 the illustrated embodiment of optical beam transmitting apparatus comprises a divergent laser source s providing a laser beam 20 which is collimated by a fibre optic integrating system 21 . alternatively the diverging beam can be collimated by a collimating lens , the collimated beam being partially diffused by a diffusing plate or optical scrambler rod . the resultant substantially parallel beam 22 is then passed through a fixed shaped aperture 23 which is provided in a housing ( not shown ) which has an interior matt black finish . the shape of the aperture 23 corresponds to the shape of the transmitted laser beam 20 . arranged in front of the fixed aperture 23 is a beam rotation optical system 24 ( in this case a pechan prism ) which is driven by a motor ( not shown ) so as to rotate the shaped beam normally at a constant angular velocity on an axis 25 passing through the center of the beam rotation optical system and one end of the aperture . the beam then passes to a main optical system indicated by a zoom lens 26 which focuses the laser beam as required . the lens is of the “ flick on ” type , in that it features step changes in optical gain to match what would be for the maximum and minimum optical gain of a normal zoom lens . a laser trigger mechanism linked to the beam rotation system pulses the laser as the beam is rotated . the laser trigger consists of a light source 27 and light sensor 28 . the light transmitted by the source 27 is modulated by a pulsing pattern comprising alternate opaque and transparent regions provided around the periphery of a reticle 29 mounted to the beam rotation system . the sensor produces , in response to the pulsed light signals , a pulsed output signal which triggers a solid state switch 30 to intermittently connect a source 31 of high power to the laser source to produce corresponding pulses of the laser beam . a progressive increase or decrease in the width of the opaque areas around the circumference of the reticle will produce during each rotation an increase or decrease in the time interval between pulses of the laser beam within an upper and lower limit . with reference to fig9 to 12 of the drawings and in particular fig9 , spatial modulation of the control pattern cross - section is achieved by ( 1 ) sweeping a first beam component 40 across a rectangular control pattern area 41 in a first scanning direction x and at a first scanning frequency ( no . of scans in unit time ), ( 2 ) sweeping a second beam component 42 across the same control pattern area 41 in a second scanning direction y which is perpendicular to direction x and at the same scanning frequency , the scans of the second beam component 42 being arranged to illuminate points within the control pattern area 41 at times which alternate with the times of illumination of the point by the first beam component 40 , and ( 3 ) pulsing each beam component at a frequency which varies with its displacement ( x or y ) from the origin 43 of the x , y scanning axes in the plane of the control pattern . during each sweep of a beam component , the pulse repetition frequency ( or pulse interval ) is varied between two limits , with alternate sweeps preferably possessing different limits and non - overlapping ranges , and the two sweep cycles being continually repeated at a predetermined rate . a sensor is actuated by laser radiation of the pulse train of each sweep of a beam component . measurement by the sensor of the time intervals ( tx , ty ) between received laser pulses in two consecutive pulse trains provides a measure of the position of the sensor relative to mutually perpendicular reference axes . fig1 illustrates schematically the variation in a series of electromagnetic ( laser ) pulses received for various sensor positions ( p 1 , p 2 , p 3 , p 4 ) within the control beam . generation of the control pattern by alternate sweeps of a rectangular shaped beam in orthogonal directions may be achieved by a variety of optical systems , for example , a single or double scanner , a single or double source and a single or double lens ( i . e . aperture ). fig1 and 12 respectively illustrate two optical arrangements selected from the range of possible scanner / source / lens combinations . the choice of arrangement for a particular application will be governed by overall system design considerations . see the discussion in british patent application no . 8231532 from which this description derives . referring to fig1 , the illustrated embodiment of optical beam transmitting apparatus comprises a first 50 and a second 51 divergent laser source ( for example laser diodes ) providing first 52 and second 53 laser beams which are coupled into first 54 and second 55 fibre optic elements possessing rectangular cross - section output faces . the divergent beams from the shaped rectangular sources then pass to a main optical system indicated by first 56 and second 57 lenses which focus the beams as required . alternatively ( 1 ) the diverging beams from the laser sources can be collimated by collimating lens systems , the collimated beams being partially diffused by diffusing plates or optical scrambler rods . the resultant substantially parallel beams are then passed through fixed rectangular shaped apertures to the main optical system or ( 2 ) the diverging beams can be both collimated and shaped by double cylindrical lens systems within the main optical system . arranged between the rectangular shaped sources 54 and 55 and the main optical system 56 and 57 or alternatively after the main focussing lenses 56 and 57 are first 58 and second 59 scanning mirrors which are driven by first 60 and second 61 torque or other motor so as to sweep the beam usually at a constant angular velocity alternatively in orthogonal directions about the control region . fig1 shows a modification in which a single , double sided , scanning mirror 80 replaces the two scanning mirrors 58 and 59 , being driven by a single motor 81 . after reflection at the mirror 80 , the beam 52 is directed to the lens system 56 by a pair of mirrors 82 , and the beam 53 by mirrors 83 . laser trigger mechanisms linked to the beam scanning systems pulse the appropriate laser as the beam is scanned . each laser trigger consists of a ‘ pick - off ’ or sensor 90 , 91 which senses the position of the scanning mirror and feeds information thereon to a control device 92 which produces a pulsed output signal to trigger a solid state switch 30 , in phase with the scanning mirror positions , intermittently connecting a source 31 of high power to the laser source to produce corresponding pulses of the laser beam . during each scan of the mirrors each control device 92 will produce a progressive increase or decrease in the time interval between pulses of the laser beam within upper and lower limits . a continuous wave laser ( or a non - lasing pulsed or continuous source ) may be used instead of a laser pulsed at source . the output from a continuous wave laser could be pulsed i . e . its intensity modulated before or after beam shaping using for example : ( a ) mechanical shutters for example a rotating reticle comprising alternate transparent and opaque sectors , in which the width of the opaque sectors increases or decreases around the reticle . in fig1 and 12 the scanning mirrors are driven appropriately in phase with the beam shuttering . ( b ) electro - optic , acousto - optic or other shutter triggered from the beam rotation system or main control device . ( c ) direct laser cavity ( length ) modulation inducing wavelength modulation ( and received intensity modulation ) by end mirror displacement using piezoelectric elements . alternative trigger mechanisms may be considered . these may be triggered directly from the beam scan by electromechanical or electro - optic means or from the beam by electro - optic means for example :— ( a ) electronic pulse interval variation using an electronic ramp triggered pulse per beam scan from a light source / reticle / light sensor system . ( b ) monitoring the generated beam position ( i . e . direction by means of a quadrant detector or other optical position sensitive device . furthermore r and θ , or x and y positional information could be provided by changing a different characteristic of the beam other than the time interval between pulses of electromagnetic radiation for example : ( i ) the wavelength ( colour ) of the beam may be varied as the beam is scanned across the control region , by means of a tunable laser source or optical filter . ( ii ) the intensity may be varied using a variable density optical filter or variable input laser drive power . ( iii ) the axis of polarization of a linearly polarised laser beam may be varied as the beam is scanned across the control region ( e . g . the axis may be varied by 180 ° as the beam is rotated by 360 °) and a polarization , sensitive detector ( s ) mounted on the moving body .	6
fig1 is a diagram illustrating exemplary methodology 100 for growing a nanowire forest . the term “ nanowire forest ,” as used herein , refers to a plurality of nanowires attached to a substrate . as will be described in detail below , the growth of the nanowire forest is conducted in a chemical vapor environment . nanowires are highly - anisotropic , rod - like crystals with diameters d of between about ten nanometers ( nm ) and about 70 nm and lengths l of between about 0 . 1 micrometers ( μm ) and about 100 μm . due to the nanowires having large l to d ratios , the surface area of the substrate is increased by a factor ( 4l / d ) f , wherein f denotes the fraction of the substrate area covered by nanowires . by way of example only , for a five percent substrate areal coverage , nanowires of diameter d = 40 nm and length l = five μm will provide a surface area that is 25 times greater than that of the substrate alone . while the present description is directed to nanowires being a preferred nanostructure for use herein , any other suitable nanostructures may be similarly employed . other suitable nanostructures include , but are not limited to , nanoparticles , quantum dots and other nanoscale materials . in step 102 of fig1 , at least a portion of substrate 110 is coated with a catalyst metal to form catalyst layer ( film ) 112 . catalyst layer 112 can be deposited on substrate 110 using chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ) techniques . substrate 110 can comprise any suitable substrate material , including , but not limited to , one or more of glass , quartz and a semiconductor material , such as silicon ( si ) or germanium ( ge ). optionally , when substrate 110 comprises a semiconductor material , substrate 110 can be doped with either an n - type or a p - type doping agent , so as to be conductive . suitable doping agents include , but are not limited to , diborane ( b 2 h 6 ) ( a p - type doping agent ) and phosphine ( ph 3 ) ( an n - type doping agent ). according to an exemplary embodiment , substrate 110 comprises si and is doped with an n - type doping agent . catalyst layer 112 deposited onto substrate 110 , can comprise any suitable catalyst metal , including , but not limited to , one or more of gold ( au ), gallium ( ga ) and indium ( in ). according to one exemplary embodiment , catalyst layer 112 comprises au and is deposited on substrate 110 to a thickness of up to about ten angstroms ( å ). in step 104 , substrate 110 is annealed to cause catalyst layer 112 to form small droplets 114 . according to an exemplary embodiment , substrate 110 is annealed at a temperature of between about 400 degrees celsius (° c .) and about 500 ° c . to form droplets 114 having diameters of between about ten nm and about 30 nm . further , as shown in fig1 , droplets 114 of varying diameters are typically formed by the annealing process . in step 106 , substrate 110 is exposed to an ambient of one or more volatile precursors 116 . suitable precursors include , but are not limited to , one or more of silane ( sih 4 ) and germane ( geh 4 ). the specific precursor used will dictate the nanowire composition . for example , if sih 4 is employed as the precursor , then si nanowire growth ( as described in step 108 , below ) will result . similarly , if geh 4 is employed as the precursor , then ge nanowire growth ( as described in step 108 , below ) will result . a combination of sih 4 and geh 4 will result in sige nanowire growth , wherein the relative concentration of si and ge will depend on the ratio of partial pressures of sih 4 and geh 4 in the growth ambient , as well as , on the growth temperature . suitable partial pressures of the precursor ( s ) and temperature parameters are provided below . by way of example only , suitable growth conditions for si nanowires include a temperature of between about 400 ° c . and about 500 ° c . and a partial pressure of the precursor of between about 0 . 1 torr and about 100 torr . suitable growth conditions for ge nanowires include a temperature of between about 250 ° c . and about 300 ° c . and a partial pressure of the precursor of between about 0 . 1 torr and about 100 torr . optionally , an n - type and / or a p - type doping agent may be introduced to the ambient during nanowire growth . for example , some embodiments , described below , include n - type and / or p - type doped nanowires . suitable doping agents include , but are not limited to , b 2 h 6 and ph 3 . by way of example only , if substrate 110 is exposed to an ambient of geh 4 and b 2 h 6 , boron - doped ( b - doped ), p - type ge nanowire growth will result . similarly , if substrate 110 is exposed to an ambient of geh 4 and ph 3 , phosphorous - doped ( p - doped ), n - type ge nanowire growth will result . in step 108 , droplets 114 will mediate cvd growth of crystals , namely nanowires 118 . according to an exemplary embodiment , when droplets 114 comprise au as the catalyst metal , and the growth conditions outlined above are employed , highly anisotropic si or ge nanowires are produced . the diameters of the nanowires produced are determined by the diameters ( i . e ., sizes ) of the respective droplets 114 . the lengths of the nanowires produced are determined by the growth time and growth pressure . for example , at a partial pressure of geh 4 in the cvd reactor of 0 . 5 ton and a temperature of 285 ° c ., the longitudinal growth rate for ge nanowires is about five μm / hour . at constant temperature , e . g ., 285 ° c ., the nanowire growth rate depends linearly on the partial pressure of geh 4 in the growth ambient . at constant pressure , the growth rate depends exponentially on the temperature ( i . e ., in a limited temperature window , because at higher temperatures the nanowire growth can be complicated by conformal growth ). as described above , the nanowires produced can have diameters of between about ten nm and about 70 nm and lengths of between about 0 . 1 μm and about 100 μm . for example , the nanowires produced can have diameters of between about 20 nm and about 50 nm and lengths of between about one μm and about ten μm . fig2 is scanning electron micrograph image 200 of exemplary nanowire forest 202 , e . g ., produced according to methodology 100 , described in conjunction with the description of fig1 , above . nanowire forest 202 comprises ge nanowires grown predominately in a vertical direction . the substrate employed is an n - type doped si wafer . as will be described in detail below , the nanowire forests possess a very high absorption coefficient of incident , visible electromagnetic waves ( light ). according to the present techniques , these high light - absorptive properties can be utilized by incorporating the nanowire forests into photovoltaic devices , such as photocells , to convert light into electricity with enhanced efficiency and to reduce the overall size of the devices to minimize use of costly production materials . fig3 is a diagram illustrating exemplary methodology 300 for forming a photovoltaic device . as will be described in detail below , the photovoltaic device is formed using cvd growth techniques . in step 302 , the starting structure for the photocell is a nanowire forest formed in accordance with exemplary methodology 100 , described above , and comprises nanowires 301 on substrate 303 . substrate 303 comprises a semiconductor material doped with a doping agent , so as to be conductive . the doping of a semiconductor substrate material is described , for example , in conjunction with the description of fig1 , above . according to one exemplary embodiment , substrate 303 comprises an n - type doped si wafer and nanowires 301 comprise ge . the use of ge nanowires , in particular , significantly decreases reflectivity ( e . g ., to below 10 − 4 across the whole visible light spectrum ), i . e ., rendering the nanowire forest a black body , and thus enhances the desirable light absorptive properties of the nanowire forest . in step 304 , doped semiconductor layer 310 , which may comprise either a p - type or an n - type doped layer , is formed over the nanowire forest by conformal cvd growth ( so as to have the same relative shape as the underlying structure , i . e ., the nanowire forest ). according to one exemplary embodiment , wherein doped semiconductor layer 310 comprises a p - type doped layer , doped semiconductor layer 310 is formed by exposing the nanowire forest to an ambient of geh 4 and b 2 h 6 . this results in b - doped , p - type ge layer growth . at a temperature of about 350 ° c ., a geh 4 partial pressure of about 0 . 33 torr and a b 2 h 6 / geh 4 ratio of about 0 . 0001 , the growth rate of a p - type doped semiconductor layer 310 will be on the order of about 200 nm / hour , with a doping concentration of about 10 18 cm − 3 . according to another exemplary embodiment , wherein doped semiconductor layer 310 comprises an n - type doped layer , doped semiconductor layer 310 is formed by exposing the nanowire forest to an ambient of geh 4 and ph 3 . this results in p - doped , n - type ge layer growth . at a temperature of about 350 ° c ., a geh 4 partial pressure of about 0 . 33 ton and a ph 3 / geh 4 ratio of about 0 . 0001 , the growth rate of an n - type doped semiconductor layer 310 will be on the order of about 210 nm / hour , with a doping concentration of about 10 18 cm − 3 . the growth rates and doping concentrations given can vary based on temperature and gas flow ratios , and therefore are merely exemplary . in step 306 , doped semiconductor layer 312 , which may comprise either a p - type or an n - type doped layer , is formed over doped semiconductor layer 310 by conformal cvd growth . the doping of doped semiconductor layer 310 has to be different from the doping of doped semiconductor layer 312 . namely , if doped semiconductor layer 310 comprises a p - type doped layer , then doped semiconductor layer 312 must comprise an n - type doped layer . similarly , if doped semiconductor layer 310 comprises an n - type doped layer , then doped semiconductor layer 312 must comprise a p - type doped layer . according to one exemplary embodiment , wherein doped semiconductor layer 312 comprises a p - type doped layer , doped semiconductor layer 312 is formed by exposing the nanowire forest / doped semiconductor layer 310 structure to an ambient of geh 4 and b 2 h 6 . as described above , this results in b - doped , p - type ge layer growth . at a temperature of about 350 ° c ., a geh 4 partial pressure of about 0 . 33 torr and a b 2 h 6 / geh 4 ratio of about 0 . 0001 , the growth rate of a p - type doped semiconductor layer 312 will be on the order of about 200 nm / hour , with a doping concentration of about 10 18 cm − 3 . according to another exemplary embodiment , wherein doped semiconductor layer 312 comprises an n - type doped layer , doped semiconductor layer 312 is formed by exposing the nanowire forest / doped semiconductor layer 310 structure to an ambient of geh 4 and ph 3 . as described above , this results in p - doped , n - type ge layer growth . at a temperature of about 350 ° c ., a geh 4 partial pressure of about 0 . 33 torr and a ph 3 / geh 4 ratio of about 0 . 0001 , the growth rate of n - type doped semiconductor layer 312 will be on the order of about 210 nm / hour , with a doping concentration of about 10 18 cm − 3 . the growth rate and doping concentration given can vary based on temperature and gas flow ratios , and therefore are merely exemplary . in step 308 , the nanowire forest / doped semiconductor layer 310 / doped semiconductor layer 312 structure is capped with transparent electrode layer 314 . transparent electrode layer 314 may be disposed using cvd . according to an exemplary embodiment , transparent electrode layer 314 comprises indium tin oxide ( ito ). as a result of methodology 300 , a p - n junction is formed over the nanowire forest . as will be described , for example , in conjunction with the description of fig5 , below , the resulting structure can be used as a photocell . fig4 is a diagram illustrating exemplary methodology 400 for forming a photovoltaic device . as will be described in detail below , the photovoltaic device is formed using cvd growth techniques . in step 402 , the starting structure for the photovoltaic device is a nanowire forest formed in accordance with exemplary methodology 100 , described above , and comprises nanowires 401 on substrate 403 . substrate 403 comprises a semiconductor material and is doped with a doping agent , so as to be conductive . the doping of a semiconductor substrate material is described , for example , in conjunction with the description of fig1 , above . according to one exemplary embodiment , substrate 403 comprises an n - type doped si wafer . nanowires 401 are doped with either a p - type or an n - type doping agent and thus are conductive . namely , nanowires 401 may comprise either p - type or n - type doped nanowires . according to one exemplary embodiment , nanowires 401 comprise p - type or n - type doped ge nanowires . the doping of nanowires is described , for example , in conjunction with the description of fig1 , above . in step 404 , doped semiconductor layer 410 , which may comprise either a p - type or an n - type doped layer , is formed over the nanowire forest by conformal cvd growth ( so as to have the same relative shape as the underlying structure , i . e ., the nanowire forest ). the doping of doped semiconductor layer 410 has to be different from the doping of nanowires 401 . namely , if nanowires 401 comprise p - type doped nanowires , then doped semiconductor layer 410 must comprise an n - type doped layer . similarly , if nanowires 401 comprise n - type doped nanowires , then doped semiconductor layer 410 must comprise a p - type doped layer . according to one exemplary embodiment , wherein doped semiconductor layer 410 comprises a p - type doped layer , doped semiconductor layer 410 is formed by exposing the nanowire forest to an ambient of geh 4 and b 2 h 6 . this results in b - doped , p - type ge layer growth . at a temperature of about 350 ° c ., a geh 4 partial pressure of about 0 . 33 torr and a b 2 h 6 / geh 4 ratio of about 0 . 0001 , the growth rate of a p - type doped semiconductor layer 410 will be on the order of about 200 nm / hour , with a doping concentration of about 10 18 cm − 3 . according to another exemplary embodiment , wherein doped semiconductor layer 410 comprises an n - type doped layer , doped semiconductor layer 410 is formed by exposing the nanowire forest to an ambient of geh 4 and ph 3 . this results in p - doped , n - type ge layer growth . at a temperature of about 350 ° c ., a geh 4 partial pressure of about 0 . 33 torr and a ph 3 / geh 4 ratio of about 0 . 0001 , the growth rate of an n - type doped semiconductor layer 410 will be on the order of about 210 nm / hour , with a doping concentration of about 10 18 cm − 3 . the growth rates and doping concentrations given can vary based on temperature and gas flow ratios , and therefore are merely exemplary . in step 406 , the nanowire forest / doped semiconductor layer 410 structure is capped with transparent electrode layer 414 . transparent electrode layer 414 may be disposed using cvd . according to an exemplary embodiment , transparent electrode layer 414 comprises ito . as a result of methodology 400 , a p - n junction is formed with the doped nanowires . as will be described , for example , in conjunction with the description of fig5 , below , the resulting structure can be used as a photocell . fig5 is a diagram illustrating exemplary photocell 502 . photocell 502 comprises , e . g ., n - type , doped substrate 504 , nanowire - based p - n junctions 506 and transparent electrode layer 508 . the use of nanowire - based p - n junctions in a photocell increases the surface area of the p - n junctions , which is beneficial in enhancing light absorption . further , the use of nanowire - based p - n junctions in a photocell takes advantage of the single crystal structure of a nanowire . namely , the performance of a photocell can be degraded if the underlying material has defects . for example , grain boundaries enhance minority carrier recombination , thus reducing carrier lifetime and increasing the dark current . the grain boundaries also reduce majority carrier mobility and increase the series resistance of the photocell . see , for example , h . c . card et al ., electronic processes at grain boundaries in polycrystalline semiconductors under optical illumination , ieee t rans . e lectron d evices ed - 24 , 397 - 402 ( 1977 ), the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein . as such , single crystal structures , such as nanowires , can minimize or eliminate the presence of material defects and the decrease in performance associated therewith . photocell 502 may be fabricated using either methodology 300 or methodology 400 described , for example , in conjunction with the description of fig3 and 4 , respectively , above . thus , for example , if photocell 502 is fabricated using methodology 300 , then nanowire - based p - n junctions 506 comprise two doped semiconductor layers formed , i . e ., disposed conformally , over a nanowire forest . similarly , if photocell 502 is fabricated using methodology 400 , then nanowire - based p - n junctions 506 comprise a single doped semiconductor layer formed , i . e ., disposed conformally , over a doped nanowire forest . one of the challenges in photovoltaic device , i . e ., photocell , applications is to maximize solar light absorption . the design of photocell 502 incorporating a plurality of nanowire - based p - n junctions is based on the discovery that a plurality of nanowires enables very high light absorption . specifically , the absorption spectrum of various films of ge nanowires have been measured , and showed 99 percent absorption over most of the relevant spectral range . photocell 502 can be configured to optimize the absorption of incoming light . one way to achieve this is by employing an irregular configuration of nanowire - based p - n junctions 506 . such an irregular configuration is shown in fig5 , wherein some of nanowire - based p - n junctions 506 are oriented perpendicular to substrate 504 , e . g ., at an angle θ 1 between about 75 degrees to about 90 degrees relative to substrate 504 , and others of nanowire - based p - n junctions 506 are oriented nearly parallel to substrate 504 , e . g ., at an angle θ 2 up to about 45 degrees relative to substrate 504 . this irregular configuration helps optimize the orientations of nanowire - based p - n junctions 506 with respect to the angles of incoming light . for example , the nanowire - based p - n junctions 506 oriented nearly parallel to substrate 504 enhance absorption by aligning with the electric field vectors of the incoming light . an irregular nanowire configuration can be produced using either a non - crystalline substrate , or a crystalline substrate with a rough , faceted surface ( i . e ., a crystalline si substrate with a rough , faceted surface ). a certain degree of irregularity is typically observed due to the ubiquitous imperfections of the substrate surface . however , according to an exemplary embodiment , the substrate surface is intentionally roughened or rendered non - crystalline ( for example , by ion treatment ) to increase irregular nanowire growth . preferably , the spatial wavelengths of the surface roughness are smaller than the wavelength of the absorbed light ( the wavelengths of absorbed light can be , e . g ., between about 400 nm and about 800 nm ). further , while most of the enhanced light absorption is caused by “ roughness ” of the nanowire film ( see , for example , h . kaplan , black coatings are critical in optical design , 31 p hoton . s pectra 48 - 50 ( 1997 ) and c . amra , from light scattering to the microstructure of thin film multilayers , 32 a ppl . o pt . 5481 - 5491 ( 1993 ), the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein ) a plurality of nanowires also show altered absorption / reflection properties due to coupling between the nanowires , which is not found with individual nanowires . these coupling modes can be further exploited for optimum light absorption . for example , the optical properties of a plurality of nanowires ( or clusters of nanowires ) can be governed by dipole - dipole interactions . for example , the individual nanowires can interact as “ quasi - antennas ” with the incident electrical field . the radiation field from these antennas will interact with other nanowires , thus altering the collective optical properties of the nanowire film . further , the wavefunction of nanowires can overlap ( couple quantum mechanically ), which will alter the optical properties of nanowire films . in addition , the dielectric constants can be a function of the size , e . g ., length and / or diameter , of the nanowire . although illustrative embodiments of the present invention have been described herein , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments , and that various other changes and modifications may be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention .	8
the cleaning composition is used to maintain the fresh appearance and scent of clean carpet or other textile products . the composition is preferably used on a periodic frequency , such as once a month or , more preferably , once every two weeks , to prevent the generation of odor from decomposition of organic contaminants by enzymes in the environment . the cleaning composition can be used in a spray , in a carpet shampoo , as a liquid charge to a powder cleaning composition , and as a cleaning solution for water or steam extracting equipment . the treatment composition used in manufacturing the carpet is preferably applied to the pile layer of the carpet , by application techniques such as impregnation , coating , foam coating , spraying , or the like . the treatment composition could also be incorporated in the barrier layer or backing layer of the carpet . the treatment composition includes an antimicrobial agent , an enzyme inhibitor , and , optionally , an odor - absorbing compound and / or an odor - reacting compound . in one spray embodiment of the cleaning composition , an exemplary relative proportion of components is as follows : ( a ) from between 0 . 01 % to about 10 % by weight of an antimicrobial agent ; ( b ) from between 0 . 01 % to about 10 % by weight of an enzyme inhibitor ; ( c ) from between 0 . 01 % to about 10 % by weight of odor - reacting compound ; and ( d ) the percentage by weight of water is such that the total is 100 %. in one powder - like embodiment of the cleaning composition , an exemplary relative proportion of components is as follows : ( a ) from between 0 . 01 % to about 10 % by weight of an antimicrobial agent ; ( b ) from between 0 . 01 % to about 10 % by weight of an enzyme inhibitor ; ( c ) from between 0 % to about 10 % by weight of odor - reacting compound ; ( d ) from between 0 % to about 7 % by weight of an aldehyde - containing aroma ; ( e ) from between 10 % to about 50 % by weight of water ; and ( f ) the percentage by weight of powder is such that the total is 100 %. it should also be noted that some compounds as are useful herein may perform dual functions . for example , some antimicrobial agents ( such as 2 - bromo - 2 - nitro - 1 , 3propanediol ) also act as enzyme inhibitors . likewise , some odor - absorbing compounds ( such as zinc ricinoleate ) also act as enzyme inhibitors . it should also be noted that , although one compound may perform two functions , a synergistic effect is observed from the use of different compounds and , therefore , at least two different compounds are preferably used as the antimicrobial agent and the enzyme inhibitor . the cleaning composition and the treatment composition contain an antimicrobial agent . the antimicrobial agent mainly acts as a preservative to prevent the cleaning composition from spoiling . the antimicrobial agent can also allow the contaminant to be removed ( for example , during regular cleaning or maintenance ) before the contaminant decomposes and generates odor . the antimicrobial component includes any organic or inorganic compound that effectively controls or inhibits the growth of odor - causing microorganisms , such as bacteria and fungus . examples of such materials include silver zirconium phosphate , zinc oxide , imidazolidinyl urea , cationic quaternary ammonium salt , sodium sorbate , potassium sorbate , sorbic acid , grapefruit seed extract , and polyhexamethylene biguanide . certain alcohols , such as benzyl alcohol , ethyl alcohol , n - propyl alcohol , isopropyl alcohol , and amyl alcohols , also are useful for this purpose . preferably , the antimicrobial agent is a formaldehyde - donor antimicrobial , such as n , n ′- dimethylol 5 , 5 - dimethyl hydantoin or n - methylol 5 , 5 - dimethyl hydantoin . aldehyde - based antimicrobial agents , such as glutaraldehyde , may also be used . it has been found that aldehyde - donor antimicrobials are most effective at eliminating microbes and preventing contaminant decomposition that leads to unpleasant odors , especially those odors associated with urine decomposition . it is believed that the aldehyde functionality of this class of antimicrobial agents reacts with amines and thiols of the odor source to form imine and thioacetal , respectively . formaldehyde - donor and aldehyde - containing antimicrobial compounds , therefore , can provide odor - controlling and odor - reducing properties in addition to preservation of the composition . when formaldehyde - donating antimicrobial compounds are used , it is preferable to minimize the free formaldehyde level to prevent potential irritation effects . the type of antimicrobial agent and the usage level should be chosen such that the free formaldehyde content in the final composition is less than 50 ppm , and preferably less than 5 ppm . salts of transitional metals ( e . g ., zinc , copper , and silver ) are also effective as antimicrobial agents , but are less preferred because of their potential to adversely affect the carpet color and their deleterious environmental effects . the cleaning composition and the treatment composition also include an enzyme inhibitor , typically present at no more than about 1 % by weight of the cleaning composition . enzyme inhibitors , such as urease inhibitors useful for controlling odorous ammonia generation from urine contamination due to urease - catalyzed decomposition of urea in human and animal urines , are desirable . enzyme inhibitors include organic and inorganic salts of zinc , copper , zirconium , aluminum , silver , and tin , as well as organic compounds such as certain aldehydes ( e . g ., p - hydroxybenzyl aldehyde ) and quaternary ammonium compounds . although there are many urease inhibitors reported , many of them either do not provide adequate urease - inhibiting performance on carpet or they discolor the textile material . for example , violuric acid is effective in inhibiting urease when incorporated in the present composition . however , because it discolors carpet and other textile materials , it would not be suitable for use herein . acetohydroxamic acid is a well - known urease inhibitor in the biological field , but it failed to exhibit urease - inhibiting properties when tested on carpet as part of the present compositions . suitable non - discoloring urease inhibitors include ( a ) salts or complexes containing silver ions , zinc ions , or copper ions ; ( b ) the acid and salt forms of boric acid , citric acid , sorbic acid , salicylic acid , and acetylsalicylic acid ; ( c ) aldehydes , such as glutaraldehyde , p - hydroxybenzaldehyde , phthalic dicarboxaldehyde , and benzaldehyde ; ( d ) bromo - nitro organic compounds , such as 2 - bromo - 2 - nitro - 1 , 3 - propanediol ; ( e ) phosphoamide compounds , such as phenyl phosphorodiamidate ( ppda ); and ( f ) quinones , such as hydroquinone . at concentrations of greater than 1 % by weight , phenyl phosphorodiamidate and hydroquinone discolor most carpet substrates ; however , these compounds are effective urease inhibitors at concentrations of 0 . 1 % or less . because of concern over the potential toxicity and environmental effect of transitional metal salts , bromo - nitro compounds and organic acid compounds are preferably used as enzyme inhibitors . specifically , 2 - bromo - 2 - nitro - 1 , 3 - propanediol , sodium sorbate , and p - hydroxybenzaldehyde are preferred due to their effectiveness , low toxicity , and non - discoloring properties . odor - reacting compounds are an important feature of the compositions described herein . ammonia , amines , and thiol compounds are common odorants found in urine , vomit , and other organic contaminants . odor - reacting compounds are those that are capable of chemically reacting with one or more of these odorants , thereby reducing or eliminating these odors . preferably , odor - reacting compounds are selected from those compounds that do not inherently have strong odors or aromas and those that are not used as perfumes , fragrances , or aromas . odor - reacting compounds suitable for use in the liquid or powder compositions described herein include aldehyde compounds , formaldehyde - donating compounds , ketones , and oxidizing agents . aldehyde compounds can react with odorous amine compounds to form an imine structure . aldehyde compounds can also react with thiol compounds to form a thioacetal structure . formaldehyde - donor compounds , which have similar reactivity with amines and thiols , can be used in combination or interchangeably with aldehyde compounds . the reaction of odorous amines and thiols with either the aldehyde compound or the formaldehyde - donor compound results in the products of imine and thioacetal , both of which are larger molecules than their odorous substituents . as such , these resulting structures are less volatile than their predecessors and have little to no smell . examples of suitable aldehyde compounds include benzyl aldehyde , formaldehyde , p - hydroxybenzaldehyde , glyoxal , glutaraldehyde , formylbutanoic acid , formylcyclopentane , phenylacetaldehyde , octanal , m - tolualdehyde , o - tolualdehyde , p - tolualdehyde , salicylaldehyde , and isobutyraldehyde . examples of suitable formaldehyde - donor compounds include methylol acrylamide , n , n - dimethylol - 5 , 5 - dimethylhydantoin , n - methylol derivatives of amino acids , trihydroxymethyl melamine , and dimethylol dihydroxyethylene urea . ketones react with odorous amines to form enamines and with thiols to form thioacetals . examples of ketones include 3 , 3 - dimethyl - 2 - butanone , 2 - heptanone , 5 - methyl - 2 - hexanone , 2 - octanone , diacetone alcohol , diethylketone , dipropylketone , diisobutylketone , isophorone , 2 - 3 butanedione , 2 , 5 - hexanedione , benzophenone , hydroxybenzophenones , phenylacetone , phenyl ethylketones , 1 , 4 - cyclohexanedione , and acetylacetone . oxidizing agents are those that are capable of oxidizing amines to amine oxide and thiols to a sulfur salt such as sulfate , thiosulfate , and the like . when using an oxidizing agent in the present composition , care must be taken to ensure that the oxidizing agent is compatible with the antimicrobial agent and the enzyme inhibitor and that it is used at suitably low concentrations . otherwise , discoloration and / or a reaction between components may occur , adversely affecting the substrate to be cleaned or the efficacy of the cleaning composition . examples of oxidizing agents are hydrogen peroxide ; non - transitional metal salts of perborate , percarbonate , persulfate , perophosphorate , peroxyacetic acid , and their salts ; m - chloroperoxybenoic acid ; dibenzoyl peroxide ; chloramines ; bromamines ; chlorine oxide ; and hypochloride compounds . by way of example , if hydrogen peroxide is used as the oxidizing agent , the active hydrogen content of the solution should be less than 2 % by weight and , more preferably , less than 0 . 5 % by weight . an odor - absorbing compound may be included in the treatment composition . the odor - absorbing compound is selected from activated carbon , zeolites , zinc oxide , cyclodextrin , and zinc ricinoleate . the preferred odor - absorbing compounds are zinc ricinoleate and cyclodextrin . in the treatment composition , the antimicrobial agent , the enzyme inhibitor , the optional odor - reacting compound , and the odor - absorbing compound are prepared for application to the carpet by combining the components with an amount of water appropriate for the application method . the treatment composition may be applied onto the carpet surface by spraying , by coating , by foam coating , by impregnation or the like . in cases where the treatment composition is applied as a foam , a foam stabilizing agent may also be used . the treatment composition can be applied to a carpet as part of the finishing process at the manufacturing location or as a post - treatment after the carpet has been installed . preferably , the treatment composition is applied to a textile during manufacturing , where an elevated temperature in the range of 60 ° c . to about 220 ° c . is used to remove water and provide durable bonding to , and penetration of , the carpet structure . the treatment composition is applied to a textile ( particularly a carpet or an upholstery fabric ) at an add - on level of about 5 oz / yd 2 to about 100 oz / yd 2 , depending on the weight and construction of the textile material , such that the treated textile will exhibit durable antimicrobial and urease inhibiting properties without noticeable discoloration . it is believed that antimicrobial and enzyme - inhibiting properties are inherent to the finished carpet , because of the incorporation of these components into the fibers and / or the backing of the carpet . optionally , but preferably , a resin binder and a cross - linking agent may be further included in the composition to provide more durability . the optional odor - reacting compounds should be chosen such that the composition will not cause adverse discoloration , when applied at the elevated temperatures mentioned above . the cleaning composition , as used by persons tasked with carpet cleaning and / or maintenance , can be sprayed directly onto the carpet surface in a concentrated form . this method of use is particularly desirable when the contaminants have created a stubborn stain . in this instance , the concentrated cleaning composition is applied to the area of the stain . the composition is allowed to penetrate the stain before being removed by blotting with an absorbent material ( such as a paper towel or towel ). alternatively , where cleaning of a larger area is necessary or desired , the composition can be applied across the surface of the carpet . in this instance , the user may prefer to employ the cleaning composition as part of a water - or steam - extraction process . the cleaning composition is then applied to the carpeting . after a few minutes , an extraction machine is used to remove the majority of the composition from the carpet . whereas residual amounts of conventional surfactant - based cleaners tend to attract dirt that is subsequently applied , causing stains and odors to seemingly reappear , an opposite effect is observed with the present cleaning composition . residual amounts of the present cleaning composition have been found to aid in maintaining the fresh appearance of the carpet . it is believed that this phenomenon results from the tendency of the antimicrobial and the enzyme inhibitor to actually prevent the decay of contaminants ( especially the chemical break - down of urea ). by preserving the contaminants until they can be removed with a subsequent routine cleaning , the present composition prevents their decomposition and the foul odors associated with decomposition . alternatively , and perhaps more preferred , a smaller , but more concentrated , amount of liquid cleaning composition is charged onto a powder composition ( that is , sprayed onto the powder composition until the powder composition is damp ). one particularly suitable powder composition for this purpose is described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 434 , 067 to malone , assigned to milliken research corporation and incorporated herein by reference . the preferred , patented powder composition contains an absorbent and / or adsorbent particulate polymeric material , an inorganic salt adjuvant , and an aqueous or organic fluid component . the powder - like cleaning composition has liquid absorbing properties and the ability to adhere to dirt and contaminant particles . ( a ) about 100 parts by weight particulate polymeric material having an average particle size of from about 37 to about 105 microns in diameter , an oil absorption value of no less than about 90 , and a bulk density of at least about 0 . 2 g / cc ; ( b ) from about 5 to about 400 parts by weight of an inorganic salt adjuvant having an average particle size of from about 45 to about 60 microns in diameter ; and ( c ) from about 5 to about 400 parts by weight of a fluid consisting essentially of 0 to 100 percent water containing sufficient surfactant to give a surface tension of less than about 40 dynes per centimeter and 100 to 0 percent of organic liquid selected from high boiling hydrocarbon solvents , tetrachloroethylene , methylchloroform , 1 , 1 , 2 - trichloro - 1 , 2 , 2 - trifluoroethane , an aliphatic alcohol containing from 1 to about 4 carbon atoms , and mixtures thereof . it has been found that this particular compound is highly effective at removing a variety of contaminants from carpet , without creating any of the problems associated with wet cleaning techniques in which the carpet is saturated . in use , the powder - like composition ( as described above to which the present liquid composition is incorporated ) is applied to a textile substrate , by hand or by using a sieve - like material . typically , between 0 . 1 inches and 1 . 0 inches of powder - like material is used to cover the contaminated area . a brush is then used to rub the powder - like material into the carpet ( or other textile material , such as upholstery fabric ) to allow the powder - like material to absorb and adhere to contaminants . the powder - like material is then removed by vacuuming the area , usually between one and two hours after the application of the powder . when the powder - like cleaning composition is removed by vacuuming , the contaminants ( and their associated odors ) are also removed . because the majority of the composition does not remain on the textile article being cleaned , odor - reacting compounds are not necessary , although preferred , to provide odor - removing performance . antimicrobial and non - discoloring enzyme inhibitors , and optionally odor - absorbing compounds and aldehyde aroma compounds , are suitable for incorporation in the powder - like cleaning composition described above . further , the residual amounts of the powder - like cleaning composition to which an antimicrobial and an enzyme inhibitor have been added provide the same benefits as were described above in preventing the decay ( and subsequent odor generation ) of contaminants . an aldehyde - containing aroma is preferred as an optional fragrance component in the powder - like cleaning composition , when a certain aroma characteristic is desired . examples of preferred fragrances include citral , cinnamic aldehyde , hexyl cinnamic aldehyde , benzyl aldehyde , benzyl salicylate , amyl cinnamic aldehyde , and vanillin . the most preferred of these is hexyl cinnamic aldehyde , which is commonly used to create a “ fresh ” scent in many consumer products , such as fabric softeners . also optionally included in either the aqueous or powder - like cleaning composition are surfactants that enhance cleaning properties . useful surfactants are ones that do not discolor the carpet , but that provide emulsifying properties for the other components in the cleaning composition . it is also preferred that the final ph of the cleaning composition ( whether liquid or powder - like form ) is less than 8 and , more preferably , in the range of 3 to 7 . ph values of higher than 8 can cause potential discoloration of some of the components in the composition , and particularly discoloration of the carpet . low ph values ( that is , less than 3 ) are corrosive to many metals and are potential skin irritants . acids , such as citric acid , acetic acid , oxalic acid , formic acid , sulfuric acid , phosphoric acid , and nitric acid , can be used to adjust the final ph of the composition . even though the compositions disclosed herein are effective in cleaning and controlling malodors on textile materials , it is also contemplated that these compositions may be used for cleaning and controlling odors on hard surfaces , such as vinyl , ceramic tile , concrete , hardwood , and laminated composites surfaces . the following examples , and testing thereof , are intended to be representative of various embodiments of the present invention . the following tests were conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the present cleaning composition at controlling human urine odor . the test procedure is described as follows . for each sample , 40 ml of fresh human urine was applied to the carpet pile that had been cleaned with a cleaning composition . each sample was sealed inside a 2 mil thick plastic bag to prevent evaporation of moisture and odors . the samples were stored inside the sealed bags for ten days , after which human judges were asked to evaluate , on a scale of 1 to 10 , the odor in the headspace of the bag . using this scale , 1 indicated the worst odor and 10 indicated the most pleasant odor . after being assessed by the judges , the carpet samples were removed from the bags and cleaned with the same cleaning composition . another 40 ml of fresh human urine was applied to each carpet sample . each sample was then placed in a clean 2 mil thick plastic bag , where the sample remained for a total of 5 days . at the end of the 5 days , the human judges again evaluated the odor in the headspace of the bags using the same 1 to 10 scale . the ph of the headspace was also evaluated , using a ph indicator strip moist with distilled water , to detect the presence of ammonia ( ph values higher than 7 indicate the presence of ammonia ). in this experiment , human urine was collected and stored for 10 days in a sealed bottle . strong ammonia and other odors developed . 10 ml of the aged urine was applied to an 8 ″× 8 ″ carpet sample , and the carpet was allowed to sit for 2 hours before being cleaned with the present liquid cleaning composition as used with the powder cleaning composition described herein . the powder cleaning composition was dampened with the present liquid cleaning composition and then sprinkled onto the carpet . the cleaning composition was brushed into the carpet and then removed by vacuuming . the odor of the carpet sample was evaluated following cleaning and two weeks after cleaning to determine whether the cleaning composition was effective at removing odor . no ammonia or other offensive odors were detected at either time . having been evaluated , the recently cleaned sample was subjected to another round of testing , in which an additional 10 ml of human urine were added to the carpet . the carpet sample was then placed into a sealed plastic bag to prevent evaporation of the moisture and dispersion of any generated odors . after ten days storage at room temperature , the sample was evaluated to determine whether the residual cleaning composition remaining in the carpet was effective at preventing the generation of odors from later - applied contaminants . no ammonia or other odors were detected , proving that the cleaning composition was effective in preventing the generation of odors . this example was created as a comparative example for the compositions described in examples 2 and 3 . in this composition , the antimicrobial component was purposely omitted . the comparative treatment composition comprised : ( a ) as an odor - absorbing agent ( and also as enzyme inhibitor ), 3 % by weight of zinc ricinoleate , available as 30 % active ingredient from degussa sold under the trade name “ tego sorb 30 ”; ( b ) as an ph adjuster , 0 . 3 % by weight of citric acid ; ( c ) as solvent , water such that the total percentage equaled 100 %. this example describes a first embodiment of a treatment composition useful for application to the carpet surface during manufacturing or after installation . the treatment composition comprises : ( a ) as antimicrobial compound ( and also an enzyme inhibitor ), 2 - bromo - 2 - nitro - 1 , 3propanedial ; ( b ) as a ph adjuster , 0 . 3 % by weight of citric acid ; ( c ) as solvent , water such that the total percentage equaled 100 %. this example describes a second embodiment of a treatment composition useful for application to the carpet surface during manufacturing or after installation . the treatment composition comprises : ( a ) as an enzyme inhibitor , 0 . 02 % by weight of 2 - bromo - 2 - nitro - 1 , 3propanediol ; ( b ) as an odor - reacting compound and preservative , 0 . 5 % by weight of monomethylol dimethyl hydantoin , a formaldehyde - donor antimicrobial agent sold as a 55 % active solution under the trade name “ dantogard 2000 ” by lonza corporation of fair lawn , n . j . ; ( c ) as a ph adjuster , 0 . 3 % by weight of citric acid ; and ( d ) as solvent , water such that the total percentage equaled 100 %. 20 ml of examples 1 , 2 , and 3 were allowed to soak into 4 ″× 4 ″ square carpet samples . the carpet samples were dried at about 110 ° c . for 20 minutes to evaporate the water , leaving ( on examples 2 and 3 ) a thin coating of antimicrobial compound and enzyme inhibitor on the yarns and base of the carpet pile . other trials in which samples were dried at about 300 ° f . and at about 370 ° f . showed decreased efficacy , but the samples were still functional . when tested using test 1 , as described above , the three carpet treatments prevented the generation of detectable amounts of ammonia . when tested using test 2 , only examples 2 and 3 were successful at preventing the generation of odor for one month , thus supporting the hypothesis that the combination of an antimicrobial component and an enzyme - inhibiting component is most effective . further , five cycles of cold water extraction were performed on example 3 , using a commercially available carpet extractor . the odor - control performance did not change noticeably after the extractions , thereby indicating the durable nature of the treatments achieved by penetration of the treatment solution into the carpet and bonding of the components to the carpet . one embodiment of the liquid cleaning composition was created comprising the following ingredients : ( a ) as an antimicrobial agent , 0 . 5 % by weight of monomethylol dimethyl hydantoin , a formaldehyde - donor antimicrobial solution sold as a 55 % active aqueous solution under the trade name “ dantogard 2000 ” by lonza corporation of fair lawn , n . j . ; ( b ) as a urease inhibitor and preservative , 1 % by weight of sodium sorbate ( formed by mixing equivalent amounts of sorbic acid and sodium hydroxide solution ); ( c ) as a urease inhibitor , 0 . 1 % by weight of hydroquinone ; ( d ) as an odor - reacting compound , 0 . 2 % by weight of p - hydroxybenzaldehyde ; ( e ) as a ph - adjuster , 0 . 2 % by weight of citric acid , to adjust the ph of the solution to about 6 ; and ( f ) as solvent , water such that the total percentage by weight equaled 100 %. the ingredients were combined and used to saturate a 2 ″ circle of carpet . the carpet was then blotted dry with paper towel such that the carpet circle retained about one gram of the solution . then , 4 milliliters ( ml ) of 10 % urea and 3 drops of 0 . 005 % urease ( type iii , purchased from sigma ) were added separately to the treated carpet and to an untreated “ control ” carpet . urease is an enzyme that causes urea to decompose and release ammonia , which is responsible for the characteristic pungent smell of urine odor . each carpet samples was sealed in a 250 ml plastic beaker . a small piece of nonwoven fabric impregnated with bromothymol blue indicator water solution was then used to monitor the presence of ammonia in the headspace of each beaker . this indicator solution is light yellow in the absence of ammonia , but turns to dark blue in the presence of ammonia . observations were made 1 hour , 2 hours , and 4 hours after the addition of the urea and urease solutions . after approximately only 10 minutes , the control carpet sample ( untreated ) showed the presence of ammonia . at no time during the observation period did the treated sample indicate the presence of ammonia . this result indicates that the chemical cleaning compound described above is capable of inhibiting urease activity and preventing ammonia generation from the decomposition of urea . also worth noting , the untreated control sample generated significant ammonia odor in the headspace of the beaker after 2 hours . in comparison , commercially available products , such as febreeze ( from proctor & amp ; gamble of cincinnati , ohio ); syon 5 ( from collins & amp ; aikman floorcoverings of dalton , ga . ); and woolite pet stain & amp ; upholstery cleaner ( from platex , inc .? ), mask the odor of ammonia , but the presence of ammonia is detectable by this method after less than half an hour on average . an alternate embodiment of the liquid cleaning composition was created comprising the following ingredients : ( a ) as an antimicrobial agent and enzyme inhibitor , 3 % by weight of sodium sorbate ; ( b ) as an antimcrobial agent , 0 . 5 % by weight of monomethylol dimethyl hydantoin , a formaldehyde - donor antimicrobial solution sold as a 55 % active aqueous solution under the trade name “ dantogard 2000 ” by lonza corporation of fair lawn , n . j . ; ( c ) as a ph adjustment , 0 . 3 % by weight of citric acid ; ( d ) as an odor - reacting compound , 0 . 1 % by weight of n , n ′- dimethylol 5 , 5 - dimethylhydantoin ; ( e ) as an odor - absorbing agent ( and also as enzyme inhibitor ), 3 % by weight of zinc ricinoleate , available as 30 % active ingredient from degussa sold under the trade name “ tego sorb 30 ”; and ( f ) as solvent , water such that the total percentage equaled 100 %. the addition of zinc ricinoleate was found to be effective at absorbing some of the odor associated with urine as a contaminant . yet another embodiment of the liquid cleaning composition was created comprising the following ingredients : ( a ) as an antimicrobial agent and urease inhibitor , 1 % by weight of sodium sorbate ; ( b ) as an enzyme inhibitor , 0 . 05 % by weight of 2 - bromo - 2 - nitro - 1 , 3 - propanediol ; ( c ) as an odor - reacting compound , 0 . 2 % by weight of n , n ′- dimethylol - 5 , 5 - dimethylhydantoin ; ( d ) as a ph adjuster , 0 . 3 % by weight of citric acid , such that the ph of the solution was about 6 ; ( e ) as surfactants to aid in suspending the components in solution and to aid in cleaning , 1 % by weight of “ tween 40 ” sold by uniqema of new castle , n . j ., and 1 % by weight of “ pluronic l62lf ” sold by basf corporation ; and ( f ) as solvent , water such that the total percentage equaled 100 %. this composition completely prevented the generation of detectable ammonia odors when tested according to test 1 and test 2 . the composition also inhibited ammonia generation in the urease inhibition test . a liquid cleaning composition was created similar to that of example 5 , which was added to a urea formaldehyde resin powder having 30 % moisture content , thereby creating a damp powder - like cleaning composition comprising the following ingredients : ( a ) as an antimicrobial agent and a urease inhibitor , 3 % by weight of sodium sorbate ; ( b ) as an antimicrobial agent , 0 . 5 % of monomethylol dimethyl hydantoin , a formaldehyde - donor antimicrobial agent sold as a 55 % active aqueous solution under the trade name “ dantogard 2000 ” by lonza corporation of fair lawn , n . j . ; ( c ) as a ph adjustment , 0 . 3 % of citric acid ; ( d ) as an odor - absorbing agent ( and also as enzyme inhibitor ), 3 % by weight of zinc ricinoleate , available as 30 % active ingredient from degussa sold under the trade name “ tego sorb 30 ”; ( e ) as an odor - reacting aroma compound , 1 % by weight of hexyl cinnamic aldehyde , 1 % by weight of a fragrance blend sold as “ green downy - type fragrance h20 - type ” from berge &# 39 ;; ( f ) 5 % by weight of water ; and ( g ) as carrier , urea formaldehyde resin powder such that the total percentage equaled 100 %. examples 4 through 7 are effective in urease inhibition and odor prevention when tested using test 1 . three carpet samples , having been cleaned using different methods , were used in this test . all of the samples were 15 ″× 15 ″ carpet squares , constructed with a liquid barrier layer between the pile face yarns and the foam backing and a silver zirconium phosphate antimicrobial agent in the back - coating . test sample a was cleaned using the composition of examples 5 and 7 described above . the carpet was sprayed with in a fine mist of the composition of example 5 . the powder composition of example 7 was then brushed into the carpet . then , the carpet was vacuumed , using a commercially available vacuum cleaner . test sample b was cleaned using a commercially available liquid cleaning solution for carpet , which includes as its active ingredient an australian tea tree extract . the carpet was saturated with the cleaning solution and then subjected to cleaning with an extraction - type vacuum cleaner . test sample c was cleaned using only water with an extraction - type vacuum cleaner . no cleaning compositions were used . the three samples were tested according to the procedure described above for test 1 . table 1 shows the results of comparative test . the results above indicate that the present cleaning composition and composition are effective in controlling human urine odors on carpet and in preventing ammonia generation . the tests conducted indicate that the compositions described herein , which comprise an antimicrobial compound and an enzyme inhibitor , are effective at removing existing contaminants and their odors from carpet , at preventing recurrence of odors from degeneration of later applied contaminants , and at maintaining the desired appearance and smell of carpet cleaned according to the teachings herein . for these reasons , the present compositions represent a useful advance over the prior art .	2
fig1 ( a ) shows a light - emitting semiconductor device 1 comprising two terminals defined as a first terminal 2 and a second terminal 3 , an led unit 4 and a switch 7 for bypassing . the led unit 4 includes several led dice 10 as shown in fig2 , and has a first electrode 5 and a second electrode 6 respectively connected to the first terminal 2 and the second terminal 3 . in a normal condition , the circuit involving the led unit 4 is electrically connected and the led dice can be lit by applying a current to the terminals 2 and 3 . however , if the circuit is open , the led unit 4 cannot be lit . the switch 7 is made with an integrated circuit and also has a first electrode 8 and a second electrode 9 respectively connected to the terminals 2 and 3 . the switch 7 includes a voltage detection circuit 11 and a switch circuit 12 , as shown in fig3 . the switch 7 is electrically open and in an “ off ” state , but closed and in an “ on ” state when triggered by a first signal received from the electrodes 8 and 9 . this first signal is a voltage equal to or higher than a predetermined value and generated when the circuit involving the led unit 4 is open . fig1 ( b ) shows the led unit 4 connected to the switch 7 through a common contact and thus controlled by the switch 7 . the voltage detection circuit 11 has an anode , a cathode and a gate , wherein the anode and the cathode are respectively connected to the electrodes 8 and 9 . the switch circuit 12 also has an anode , a cathode and a gate , wherein the anode and the cathode are also respectively connected to the electrodes 8 and 9 . the gates of the circuits 11 and 12 are connected to each other . by detecting voltage of the circuit , the circuit 11 can generate a second signal to drive the gate of the switch circuit 12 through the gate of the voltage detection circuit 11 . then the switch circuit 12 enters into the “ on ” state . in this invention , the switch circuit can be designed as follows : ( 1 ) one pnpn thyristor having a p anode and an n cathode respectively connected to the anode and cathode of the switch circuit . ( 2 ) two bipolar junction transistors the first bipolar junction transistor has a first emitter , a first base and a first collector ; the second bipolar junction transistor has a second emitter , a second base and a second collector . the first emitter and the second emitter are respectively connected to the anode and the cathode of the switch circuit . the first base is connected to the second collector . the first collector is connected to the second base . the first mosfet has a first source , a first gate and a first drain ; the second mosfet has a second source , a second gate and a second drain . the first source and the second source are respectively connected to the anode and the cathode of the switch circuit . the first gate is connected to the second drain . the first drain is connected to the second gate . the bipolar junction transistor has an emitter , a base and a collector ; the mosfet has a source , a gate and a drain . the emitter and the source are respectively connected to the anode ( or the cathode ) and the cathode ( or the anode ) of the switch circuit . the base is connected to the drain . the collector is connected to the gate . ( 1 ) if electrical connection of the led unit 4 is abnormally open , the current can not be conducted through the led unit 4 ; and the switch 7 will be in the “ on ” state and enable the current to flow through , as shown in fig4 . ( 2 ) if electrical connection of the led unit 4 is normal , a current can be conducted through the led unit 4 for lighting it ; and the switch 7 is in the “ off ” state without current flowing through , as shown in fig5 . fig6 shows the electrical connection of the device . the electrode 5 of the led unit 4 and the electrode 8 of the switch 7 are commonly connected to the first terminal 2 of the device 1 . the electrode 6 of the led unit 4 and the electrode 9 of the switch 7 are commonly connected to the second terminal 3 of the device 1 . the terminals of the light - emitting semiconductor device can be attached to a substrate by wire bonding and surface mount technology . fig7 shows a series circuit . the terminal 3 of the device 1 is connected to the terminal 2 ′ of the device 1 ′; and the terminal 2 of the device 1 and the terminal 3 ′ of the device 1 ′ are individually connected to a current source 13 . fig8 shows a parallel circuit . the terminal 2 of the device 1 and the terminal 2 ′ of the device 1 ′ are commonly connected to a current source ; and the terminal 3 of the device 1 and the terminal 3 ′ of the device 1 ′ are commonly connected to the current source . that is , the devices and the current source can form a series or parallel circuit always conductive by providing the bypass switch .	7
the preferred embodiment of the present invention , as illustrated in fig1 and 2 of the drawings , shows a data transfer system utilizing a pair of differential lines and appropriate interface circuitry at both the sending and the receiving ends of the differential lines . fig1 shows the interface circuitry between a source of serial data and control signals located at the sending end of the differential lines . the control signal and serial data are supplied to the gating network and the output of the logical gates is used to drive the pair of differential lines 11 , 12 , respectively . the logical gating circuitry of fig1 includes a first pair of logical nand gates 13 , 15 and a second pair of logical nand gates 14 , 16 . the logical gating network further includes a first pair of logical and gates 17 , 19 and a second pair of logical and gates 18 , 20 . each of the logical gates has two inputs and an output . a control signal ( in the preferred embodiment , a tri - state control signal ) is generated by any conventional means at the sending station and supplied via lead 21 to one input of each of the logical gates 13 through 20 . serial data generated by any conventional means at the sending location is supplied to the interface circuitry via lead 22 to input node 23 . node 23 is connected to a second input of each of the nand gates 13 , 15 and to the second inputs of each of the and gates 18 , 20 . similarly , the serial data input node 23 is connected to the input of an inverter 24 whose output supplies data to the second inputs of the second pair of logical and gates 17 , 19 into the second input of each of the second pair of logical nand gates 14 , 16 . the output of the first pair of logical nand gates 13 , 15 are commonly connected together and are coupled through a resistor 25 to the base electrode of a first pnp transistor 26 . the pnp transistor 26 has its emitter connected to a source of positive potential and its collector connected to the anode of a first diode 27 whose cathode is connected to one terminal of a cold filament electric light bulb 28 . the opposite terminal of the light bulb 28 is connected to a positive data output node 10 which outputs a signal to the first differential output line 11 . the outputs of the first pair of logical and gates 17 , 19 are commonly connected together and supplied through a resistor 29 to the base of a npn transistor 30 . the emitter of the npn transistor 30 is connected to ground and to the emitter of the first pnp transistor 26 via capacitor 31 . the collector of npn transistor 30 is connected to the cathode of a second diode 32 whose anode is connected to one terminal of a second cold filament electric light bulb 33 . the second terminal of the light bulb 33 also connects to the positive data output node 10 which supplies the &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; positive data out signals to the first differential output line 11 . similarly , the outputs of the second pair of logical nand gates 14 , 16 are commonly connected together and the common connection is connected through a resistor 34 to the base electrode of a second pnp transistor 35 . the emitter of transistor 35 is connected directly to a source of positive potential while the collector is connected to the anode of a third diode 36 . the cathode of diode 36 is connected to a second or negative output node 37 through a third cold filament light bulb 38 . the negative data output node 37 supplies a signal to the data out or second differential line 12 . the output of the second logical and gates 18 , 20 are commonly connected together and then through a resistor 39 to the base electrode of a second npn transistor 40 . the emitter of the transistor 40 is connected directly to ground and through a capacitor 43 is connected to the emitter of transistor 35 . the collector of transistor 40 is connected to the cathode of a fourth diode 41 . the anode of diode 41 is connected through a fourth cold filament electric light bulb 42 to the negative data output node 37 . in the embodiment of the interface circuitry of fig1 the and gates 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 and the nand gates 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 are cmos gates having both an active high state and an active low state . the diodes 27 , 32 , 36 , and 41 insure that at least a finite voltage drop of approximately two volts exist between the output transistors 26 , 30 , 35 and 40 and the lines 11 , 12 for protecting those transistors even if the power is turned off or switched to a high impedance state . the diodes insure that the transmission lines can still swing the full voltage . in other words , the diodes 27 , 32 , 36 and 41 insure that there is no way to load the line with more than a few micro amps of current . the cold filament electric light bulbs 28 , 32 , 38 , and 42 serve as temperature compensation means . these light bulbs effectively act as temperature - compensated resistors , and they also serve to absorb current surges which could otherwise harm the output transistors . the operation of the output interface circuit of fig1 will now be briefly described . wherever the tri - state control signal on lead 21 is in a high impedence state , a low is provided to one input of each of the gates 13 through 20 . with a low at any input of nand gates 13 , 15 and 14 , 16 their outputs will go high . a high signal is supplied to the base of pnp transistors 26 and 35 will turn the transistors 26 , 35 off . similarly , the low at the first input of logical and gates 17 , 19 and 18 , 20 will cause their outputs to go low and when this low signal is supplied to the base of transistors 30 and 40 , transistors 30 and 40 will be turned off . therefore , whenever the control lead carries a high impedance control signal ( a &# 34 ; low &# 34 ;) all four of the drive transistors 26 , 30 , 35 and 40 are turned off causing the differential output lines 11 , 12 to &# 34 ; float &# 34 ; regardless of the status of the data signals . conversely , whenever the tri - state control signal on lead 21 goes high , each of the gates 13 through 20 are enabled and their outputs will be determined by the state of the serial data on line 22 . the serial data from the input node 23 is connected to the second inputs of the logical nand gates 13 , 15 and the second input of the second pair of logical and gates 18 , 20 . when serial data is true , indicating a logical &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; or high signal , the enabled nand gates 13 , 15 have a high signal present at both of their inputs and this causes their output to go low . the low at the output of nand gates 13 , 15 which is supplied to the base of pnp transistor 26 through resistor 25 , causes transistor 26 to switch to a conductive state . with transistor 26 on , the source of positive potential is applied to the output node 10 via the conducting transistors 26 , diode 27 , and the light bulb 28 . while transistor 26 conducts , node 10 and therefore the first differential output line 11 will be pulled high . the node 10 cannot be pulled low since transistor 30 remains non - conductive . the positive or true data signals at the input node 23 are inverted by inverter 24 to supply low signals to one input of the logical and gates 17 causing the output to go low to insure that transistor 30 remains non - conductive . simultaneously , the high or true data signal at node 23 is supplied to the second inputs of logical and gates 18 , 20 causing their outputs to go high . with a high supplied to the base of npn transistor 40 through resistor 39 , transistor 40 will conduct and provides a ground path for node 37 . the second differential output line 12 is therefore pulled low through node 37 , the light bulb 42 , diode 41 and the conducting npn transistor 40 . therefore , whenever true data is received on the serial data line 22 , the logical gating network comprising gates 13 through 20 output a second set of gating signals which hold transistors 30 and 35 non - conductive while allowing transistor 26 to pull the first differential data line 11 high while transistor 40 conducts to pull the second differential output line 12 low toward ground . conversely , whenever data is received at node 23 , the low signal supplied to the second inputs of nand gates 13 , 15 will cause a high signal to be passed through resistor 25 to the base of pnp transistor 26 . a high signal at the base of transistor 26 shuts the transistor off . simultaneously , the low signal at the inputs of and gates 18 , 20 cause their outputs to go low to insure that transistor 40 remains non - conductive . however , the data signal at node 23 is inverted by inverter 24 to provide a high signal to the second inputs of nand gates 14 , 16 . with a high at both inputs , the nand gates 14 , 16 outputs a low signal through resistor 34 to the base of the pnp transistor 35 switching transistor 35 to a conductive state . with transistor 35 conducting , the second differential output line 12 will be pulled high via node 37 , light bulb 38 , diode 36 , and the conducting pnp transistor 35 . simultaneously , the high signal from the output of inverter 24 is supplied to the inputs of and gates 17 , 19 causing their outputs to go high . the high at the output of and gates 17 , 19 is supplied through a resistor 29 to the gate electrode of the npn transistor 30 causing it to conduct . with transistor 30 conducting , the first differential output line 11 is pulled low via node 10 , light bulb 33 , diode 32 , and the conducting npn transistor 30 . therefore , it can be said that the logical gates 13 through 20 control the way in which the differential output lines 11 , 12 are driven . the logical gates 13 through 20 respond to a first condition whenever the tri - state control signal on line 21 is low so that the gates 13 through 20 output a first set of gating signals for insuring that all of the output transistors 26 , 30 , 35 and 40 remain non - conductive thereby allowing the differential output lines 11 and 12 to &# 34 ; float .&# 34 ; further , whenever the tri - state control signal is high , each of the gates 13 through 20 are enabled and will generate gated signals depending upon the state of the serial data . when the serial data is true , nand gates 13 , 15 cause pnp transistor 26 to conduct and pull the first differential output line high while the and gates 18 , 20 can pass a high signal to switch transistor 40 on thereby pulling the second differential output lead low . lastly , whenever the serial data received at node 23 is data , the output of nand gates 14 , 16 will go low causing pnp transistor 35 to conduct to pull the second differential output line 12 high while the output of and gate 17 , 19 goes high to turn the npn transistor 30 on so as to pull the first differential output line 11 toward ground . it is to be understood , that the transistor pairs could be reversed or that single gates could replace the gate pairs described , if desired . regardless , the interfacing circuitry of fig1 can be used to convert serial data into a differential signal which is transmitted over a pair of differential lines 11 , 12 to a receiver station . the receiver station is then interfaced between the differential lines 11 , 12 and the utilization device or storage media requiring the serial data input . the interface at the receiver end of the differential pair comprising lines 11 , 12 will now be described with reference to fig2 . in fig2 the first differential line 11 is connected to the non - inverting input of a differential amplifier 50 through a resistor 51 . the second differential line 12 is connected to the inverted input of the differential amplifier 50 through a resistor 52 . the non - inverting input of differential amplifier 50 is also connected to a reference node 53 through a resistor 54 , and the inverted input of amplifier 50 is connected through a resistor 55 to the voltage reference node 53 . node 53 is connected through a resistor 56 to a positive source of potential and through a resistor 57 to ground so as to establish a voltage divider comprising resistors 56 , 57 with their junction serving as the voltage reference point 53 . node 53 is further connected to ground through capacitor 58 . the output of the differential amplifier 50 is determined by the difference between the signals on the differential lines 11 , 12 with respect to one another . the output of the interface circuitry is lead 59 which supplies the reconstructed data signals to whatever utilization exists at the receiver station . since data is determined by the differences in current on the two differential lines and not by differences with respect to a varying ground , highly accurate data is reconstructed . the potentiometer 61 is connected to the biasing inputs of amplifier 50 so that when the inputs 11 , 12 are shorted , the potentiometer is adjusted so that the amplifier output on lead 59 is normally high . the operation of the receiver interface circuitry of the data transfer system of the present invention will now be described with reference to fig2 . the data is received as a difference signal between the differential lines 11 and 12 . a first pair of resistors 51 , 52 serve to isolate the amplifier inputs from the lines 11 , 12 . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the values of resistors 51 and 52 are approximately equal and the value of resistors 54 and 55 are equal . resistors 51 and 54 comprise a first matched pair of resistors while resistors 52 and 55 constitute a second matched pair . the ratio of the resistor 51 to resistor 54 and similarly of resistor 52 to resistor 55 determine the rail - to - rail range of operation of the amplifier 50 . the voltage reference potential established at node 53 by the resistors 56 , 57 which , in the preferred embodiment of the present invention has six volts , times the ratio of the resistors 51 and 55 determine the amount of ground swing which can be tolerated by the system . theoretically , in the preferred embodiment wherein a six volt reference was established and the ratio of resistor 51 to resistor 54 was approximately eight , the system should tolerate a shift in ground potential of as much as 48 volts . practically , however , the system will more likely tolerate shifts in ground potential of as much as 20 to 30 volts thereby insuring highly accurate data . the amplifier 50 measures the difference between the signals on the differential lines 11 , 12 by measuring current differences and these differences are used to &# 34 ; produce serial data in &# 34 ; signals which are supplied from the output of amplifier 50 to a lead 59 . even if large differences of potential exist , such as between the top and bottom floors of the building or between a remote station and receiver connected by thousands of feet of line , the interface circuitry of the present invention will insure that the data communication system is able to tolerate even large swings in ground potential and reconstruct , with accuracy , the serial data which was originally generated at the transmitting or output station . the foregoing is a description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention and , as known in the art , various changes may be made in the circuitry illustrated and in the uses described without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention which is limited only by the appended claims .	7
with reference to fig1 - 10 , preferred embodiments of the slotted necktie will be described . there are numerous , non - limiting embodiments of the invention . all embodiments are intended to be non - limiting ( that is , there may be other embodiments in addition to these ), unless they are expressly described as limiting the scope of the invention . any of the embodiments described herein can also be combined with any other embodiments to form still other embodiments . the term “ vertically ” when used herein in reference to an orientation of a portion of the necktie relative to the body of the wearer shall refer to an orientation approximately parallel to the vertical midline of the wearer &# 39 ; s chest or spine . when used herein in reference to an orientation relative to the necktie itself , the term “ vertically ” shall mean approximately parallel to the adjustable centerline of the necktie itself . it is noted that , for uniformity , the description of the embodiments of the invention and the manner in which they are donned is made in terms of a traditional donning in which the wearer initially dons the necktie with its wider end situated on the wearer &# 39 ; s left - hand - side . it will be understood that all such descriptions apply equally to wearers who don the tie with the wide end initially to the right , and that any modifications to the design of the embodiments of the invention necessary for such wearers are easily made in the manufacture of the embodiments . in a preferred embodiment of the invention , as depicted in fig1 , the necktie is constructed in most respects in one of the forms well known in the art . the length of such a necktie is typically approximately 52 - 58 inches for men of average height and 60 - 62 inches for men of substantially above - average height . the necktie has a front side 101 that ordinarily faces outwards from the body of the wearer when the necktie is donned and is typically made of some fabric featuring a color , or printed or woven design intended to be aesthetically pleasing when the necktie is worn in combination with other clothing colors and designs . the back side of the necktie 102 may have the same or a different fabric , color or design . the necktie , again in the traditional manner , has a relatively narrower end 103 , called the “ tail ” and a relatively wider end 104 , called the “ blade ”. in the most common forms , the tail and blade each feature a pointed tip . however , in certain designs the tip may have a flat edge or other configuration . as with the relative width of the tail and the blade , the shapes of the tips are determined largely on an aesthetic basis . a novel aspect of each embodiment of the invention , as seen in the fig1 embodiment , is the inclusion of an opening 105 ( the “ slot ”) cut through the material of the body of the necktie at approximately the lengthwise and crosswise midpoint of the necktie and with its longitudinal axis oriented approximately parallel to the longitudinal centerline of the necktie . in some preferred embodiments , the slot opening is in the form of a slit through the body of the necktie . in alternate preferred embodiments , the slot opening is an approximately rectangular region cut or punched out the body of the necktie . whether it is a slit or a rectangle , the slot , preferably , is cut so that the length of its opening is slightly less than the width of the necktie at that point and its width is approximately the same as the thickness of the necktie . the position of the slot 105 may be seen to demark the border between the tail portion 103 and the blade portion 104 of the necktie and where the tail ends , the blade begins . in one preferred embodiment , the slot is positioned so that the length of the blade portion 104 is approximately two - fifths of the overall length of the necktie and the length of the tail portion 103 is approximately three - fifths of the overall length of the necktie . the way in which the presence of the slot 105 provides for a novel manner of tying the necktie is shown in fig2 a through 2 e , which depict one preferred series of steps in which the most simple tying of the slotted necktie may be accomplished . it will be understood that , while these and subsequent related figures depict the necktie as being placed initially on the wearer &# 39 ; s body with the blade portion 104 of the necktie to the wearer &# 39 ; s left , and all structures and steps are described in that manner , all depicted configurations may be mirrored as where the necktie is initially placed with the blade on the wearer &# 39 ; s right and all structures and steps are similarly mirrored . in the first step , depicted in fig2 a , the tie is donned so that the slot 105 is on that portion of the necktie that is hanging to the wearer &# 39 ; s left , and positioned approximately in front of the wearer &# 39 ; s neck . as depicted in fig2 b , the tail 103 is then passed trough the slot 105 from the rear . because the position of the slot 105 is fixed , the length of the portion of the tail 103 passed through the slot 105 entirely determines how tightly the necktie is tied , and this tightness may be adjusted at any time without affecting any other aspect of the appearance or placement of the necktie . in the third step , depicted in fig2 c , the tip of the blade 104 is passed upwards behind the upper portion of the tail 103 . in a fourth step , depicted in fig2 d , the tip of the blade is brought forward and downward and passed through the slot 105 in front of ( or above ) the portion of the tail 103 previously passed through the slot 105 . in the final step , depicted in fig2 e , the various segments of the necktie have been pulled into their final configuration and adjusted to fall neatly and so that the necktie presents the traditional dimple at the neck . because the position of the slot 105 is fixed , the length of the portion of the blade 104 that is passed through the slot and which then hangs down in front of the wearer &# 39 ; s torso is also fixed . because of this , the aesthetic arrangement of the necktie is reliably obtained without the repeated re - orientation and re - tying often required with traditional neckties . fig3 a through 3 e , depict an alternative preferred series of steps in which the most simple tying of the slotted necktie may be accomplished . it will be noted that the first and fourth steps are depicted as related to the wearer &# 39 ; s shirt collar in order to provide further context to the depiction . it will be further noted that the necktie depicted in fig3 a to 3 e features a tail that terminates in a single diagonal cut rather than a more typical point . this is an example of a stylistic variation in the appearance of the necktie that does not affect the functioning of the disclosed embodiments . in the first step , depicted in fig3 a , the necktie is wrapped around the wearer &# 39 ; s neck as in fig2 a , however in fig3 b the tail 103 is passed behind the body of the necktie approximately at the position of the slot 105 , rather than being passed trough the slot 105 . the remainder of the steps proceed essentially as those depicted in fig2 c through 2 e . in the third step , depicted in fig3 c , the tip of the blade 104 is passed upwards behind the upper portion of the tail 103 . in a fourth step , depicted in fig3 d , the tip of the blade is brought forward and downward and passed through the slot 105 in front of ( or above ) the portion of the tail 103 previously passed behind the body of the necktie , trapping the tail 103 and fixing its position . in the final step , depicted in fig3 e , the various segments of the necktie have been pulled into their final configuration and adjusted to fall neatly and so that the necktie presents the traditional dimple at the neck . it is not possible or desirable to depict here all of the alternative possible methods of tying the slotted necktie of this invention . however , the advantages of the invention will generally be obtained where the final step of the tying consists of passing the blade 104 through the slot 105 from back to front , allowing it to emerge from the slot and fall vertically against the torso . it is expected that , in most embodiments , the slot 105 will be reinforced in some manner so as to prevent undue wear on the fabric and possible fraying or tearing of the fabric of the necktie adjacent to the slot 105 . in some preferred embodiments , the slot 105 may be reinforced by stitching around its edges in the manner well known in the art to be used as for buttonholes . in alternate preferred embodiments , the slot 105 may be reinforced by the use of a separate insert , grommet or eyelet fixed through the slot . such separate reinforcement may be made of plastic , metal or other appropriate semi - rigid material , and such material may be chosen to provide an additional aesthetic variation to the appearance of the necktie . in some such embodiments , the separate reinforcement may be detachable and interchangeable by the wearer , and may further provide a connection point for additional aesthetic accessories . as depicted in fig4 and 5 , in alternate preferred embodiments , the overall length of the necktie is shortened , or cropped , by the elimination of the tail portion of the necktie . in such embodiments , only a short tab of fabric 203 extends beyond the slot 205 opposite the blade 204 . the tying of such a cropped , slotted necktie can be accomplished simply by passing the blade 204 through the slot 205 and pulling to adjust the tightness as well as the corresponding length of the blade 204 hanging down in front . it should be noted that in this embodiment the slot 205 is positioned further from the tip of the blade portion 204 than in the fig1 embodiment because , as seen in fig4 , when the necktie is donned , the slot 205 is part of the portion of the necktie that is hanging to the right of the wearer &# 39 ; s neck , rather than to the left , as it is when the fig1 embodiment is donned as described above in reference to fig2 a . thus , in this embodiment , the blade portion 204 will preferably account for approximately nine - tenths of the length of the overall tie . as seen in fig5 , when donned , the cropped slotted necktie without a tail achieves a unique aesthetic appearance not present in traditional neckties or in alternate embodiments of this invention . in a cropped slotted necktie , the body of the necktie terminates near the slot 205 , providing a unique finished look . in some preferred embodiments , the cropped end 203 that extends beyond the slot 205 may show at the collar ; in alternative preferred embodiments , it may be concealed behind the collar , as decided by the wearer . the length of the cropped end 203 may be varied in manufacture to support these different aesthetic choices , but will typically be from one - half inch to three inches . in the preferred methods of tying a slotted necktie , as a segment of the necktie passes through the slot , it is typically folded perpendicular to the slot , changing its orientation from generally horizontal to generally vertical . this may be seen , for example , in fig2 a and 2 b . as depicted in fig6 , in some preferred embodiments , the slot 305 is not aligned strictly parallel to the sides of the necktie , but , rather , is set at an acute angle , α , from the longitudinal centerline of the necktie . this angle , α , will preferably be in the range of 15 °- 30 ° though in alternative embodiments it may be less than 15 ° or greater than 30 °. by employing an angled slot , the way in which a segment of the necktie transitions from one orientation to another as it is folded upon passing through the slot 305 and its configuration after passing through the slot are varied . in particular , this may result in the tail 303 and the blade 304 obtaining a truer vertical orientation with less manual adjustment required than when the slot is parallel to the longitudinal centerline of the necktie . it will be understood that the angled slot may be incorporated into other preferred embodiments independent of the other features of those embodiments . thus , for example , fig7 depicts an embodiment featuring both a cropped tail 403 and an angled slot 405 . as depicted in fig8 , alternate preferred embodiments of the invention include two slots 505 a , 505 b positioned approximately side - by - side on the body of the necktie and with their longitudinal axes approximately parallel to the longitudinal centerline of the necktie . such double - slotted necktie may be tied in much the same manner as the fig1 embodiment , except that the tail portion and the blade portion are passed through separate slots . as depicted in fig9 a - 9 e the tying process is much the same as depicted in fig1 a - 1 e . in the first step , depicted in fig9 a , the tie is donned around the wearer &# 39 ; s neck just as in fig1 a . it will be seen that of the two side - by - side slots 505 a and 505 b , one slot 505 b is nearer to the tail 503 , which is hanging in front of the other side of the wearer &# 39 ; s chest , and the other slot 505 a is farther from the tail 503 . in the second step , depicted in fig9 b , the tail 503 is passed through slot 505 a , while , in the fourth step , the blade 504 is passed through slot 505 b . it will be noted that , when the tie is donned with the blade 504 and tail 503 on the opposite sides from those depicted in fig9 a , the identification and role of the two slots 505 a and 505 b as nearer and farther from the tail is reversed . the principal functional advantage of the double - slotted embodiment of fig8 is that , in certain fig1 embodiments , depending on the thickness of the necktie and the form of the slot , it may be difficult to pass both the tail and the blade through a single slot . the double - slotted embodiment provides a solution to this problem . in addition , by varying the relative positions of the slots , novel configurations of the tied necktie may be obtained , wherein the tail is partially visible to one side of the blade , for example . in all of the embodiments presented thus far , the position of the slot is fixed at the time of manufacture of the tie . as depicted in fig1 , however , in another preferred embodiment , the slot 605 may be formed by a grommet , or similar rigid structure , mounted to a conventional zipper mechanism 606 , as is well known in the apparel manufacturing field . by means of this arrangement , the position of a slot can be varied over a predetermined range , providing flexibility to the precise final configuration of the necktie . it will be understood that the novel features of other embodiments may be incorporated into the double - slotted necktie independently . for example , the method of reinforcing each of the two slots may be different , one from the other , with one slot being reinforced in the manner of a buttonhole while the other is reinforced with a grommet or similar rigid structure . similarly , either one of the slots may be at an angle while the other is aligned vertically , or at the same or a different angle from the vertical as compared to the other slot . one or the other slot may be in a fixed position and the other varied using the zipper mechanism .	0
the acidic component according to the present invention may be water - soluble acidic polymer . the polymer may be used in the compositions according to the present invention to coat , bind or act as cogranulent to the air bleaching catalyst . in a preferred embodiment of the present invention , the air bleaching catalyst , with or without cogranulant , is agglomerated , preferably with a water - soluble acidic polymer in one embodiment of the invention the binder material and the coating material are different water - soluble acidic polymers , but in another , preferred embodiment of the present invention , the binder material and the coating material are the same water - soluble acidic polymer . in determining the scope of the present invention one skilled in the art will appreciate that a coating agent , a binder and a cogranulent may be regarded as providing overlapping functions . nevertheless , a single function is all that is required to provide the advantage of the present invention . obviously , if the acidic component is applied so that all three roles are fulfilled a greater stability may be conferred . suitable water - soluble monomeric or oligomeric carboxylate builders include lactic acid , glycolic acid and ether derivatives thereof as disclosed in belgian patent nos . 831 , 368 , 821 , 3609 and 821 , 370 . polycarboxylates containing two carboxy groups include the water - soluble salts of succinic acid , malonic acid , ( ethylenedioxy ) diacetic acid , maleic acid , diglycolic acid , tartaric acid , tartronic acid and fumaric acid , as well as the ether carboxylates described in german offenlegenschrift 2 , 446 , 686 , and 2 , 446 , 687 and u . s . pat . no . 3 , 935 , 257 and the sulfinyl carboxylates described in belgian patent no . 840 , 623 . polycarboxylates containing three carboxy groups include , in particular , water - soluble citrates , aconitrates and citraconates as well as succinate derivatives such as the carboxymethyloxysuccinates described in british patent no . 1 , 379 , 241 , lacoxysuccinates described in british patent no . 1 , 389 , 732 , and aminosuccinates described in netherlands application 7205873 , and the oxypolycarboxylate materials such is 2 - oxa - 1 , 1 , 3 - propane tricarboxylates described in british patent no . 1 , 387 , 447 . polycarboxylates containing four carboxy groups include oxydisuccinates disclosed in british patent no . 1 , 261 , 829 , 1 , 1 , 2 , 2 - ethane tetracarboxylates , 1 , 1 , 3 , 3 - propane tetracarboxylates and 1 , 1 , 2 , 3 - propane tetracarboxylates . polycarboxylates containing sulfo substituents include the sulfosuccinate derivatives disclosed in british patent nos . 1 , 398 , 421 and 1 , 398 , 422 and in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 936 , 448 , and the sulfonated pyrolysed citrates described in british patent no . 1 , 439 , 000 . another preferred polycarboxylate builder is ethylenediamine - n , n ′- disuccinic acid ( edds ) or the alkali metal , alkaline earth metal , ammonium , or substituted ammonium salts thereof , or mixtures thereof . preferred edds compounds are the free acid form and the sodium or magnesium salt thereof . examples of such preferred sodium salts of edds include naedds , na2edds and na4edds . examples of such other magnesium salts of edds include mgedds and mg2edds . the magnesium salts are the most preferred for inclusion in compositions in accordance with the invention . edds can be synthesised , for example , from readily available , inexpensive starting material such as maleic anhydride and ethylene diamine . a more complete disclosure of methods for synthesising edds from commercially available starting materials can be found in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 158 , 635 , kezerian and ramsay , issued nov . 24 , 1964 . the synthesis of edds from maleic anhydride and ethylene diamine yields a mixture of three optical isomers , [ r , r ],[ s , s ), and ( s , r ], due to the two asymmetric carbon atoms . the biodegradation of edds is optical isomerspecific , with the [ s , s ] isomer degrading most rapidly and extensively , and for this reason the ( s , s ) isomer is most preferred for inclusion in the compositions of the invention . the [ s , s ] isomer of edds can be synthesised by heating l - aspartic acid and 1 , 2 - dibromoethane in the presence of sodiun hydroxide . a more complete disclosure of the reaction of l - aspartic acid with 1 , 2 - dibromoethane to form the ( s , s ) isomer of edds can be found in neal and rose , stereospecific ligands and their complexes of ehtylenediaminediscuccinic acid , inorganic chemistry , vol 7 ( 1968 ), pp . 2405 - 2412 . alicyclic and heterocyclic polycarboxylates include cyclopentane - cis , cis , cis - tetracarboxylates , cyclopentadienide pentacarboxylates , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 - tetrahydrofuran - cis , cis , cis - tetracarboxylates , 2 , 5 - tetrahydrofuran - cis - dicarboxylates , 2 , 2 , 5 , 5 - tetrahydrofuran - tetracarboxylates , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 - hexane - hexacarboxylates and carboxymethyl derivatives of polyhydric alcohols such as sorbitol , mannitol and xylitol . aromatic polycarboxylates include mellitic acid , pyromellitic acid and the phthalic acid derivatives disclosed in british patent no . 1 , 425 , 343 . of the above , the preferred polycarboxylates are hydroxycarboxylates containing up to three carboxy groups per molecule , more particularly citrates . the parent acids of the monomeric or oligomeric polycarboxylate chelating agents or mixtures thereof with their salts , e . g . citric acid or citrate / citric acid mixtures are also contemplated as components of builder systems of detergent compositions in accordance with the present invention . other suitable water soluble organic salts are the homo - or co - polymeric polycarboxylic acids or their salts in which the polycarboxylic acid comprises at least two carboxyl radicals separated from each other by not more than two carbon atoms . polymers of the latter type are disclosed in gb - a - 1 , 596 , 756 . examples of such salts are polyacrylates of mwt 2000 to 5000 and their copolymers with maleic anhydride , such copolymers having a molecular weight of from 20 , 000 to 70 , 000 , especially about 40 , 000 . such builder polymeric materials may be identical to the polymeric materials as binder materials and coating materials , as described hereinabove . these materials are normally used at levels of from 0 . 5 % to 10 % by weight more preferably from 0 . 75 % to 8 %, most preferably from 1 % to 6 % by weight of the composition . organic phosphonates and amino alkylene poly ( alkylene phosphonates ) include alkali metal ethane 1 - hydroxy diphosphonates , nitrilo trimethylene phosphonates , ethylene diamine tetra methylene phosphonates and diethylene 1 , 12 triamine pentamethylenephosphonates , although these materials are less preferred where the minimisation of phosphorus compounds in the compositions is desired . suitable polymers for use herein are water - soluble . by water - soluble , it is meant herein that the polymers have a solubility greater than 5 g / l at 20 ° c . suitable polymers for use herein are acidic . by acidic , it is meant herein that a 1 % solution of said polymers has a ph of less than 7 , preferably less than 5 . 5 . suitable polymers for use herein have a molecular weight in the range of from 1000 to 280 , 000 , preferably from 1500 to 150 , 000 , preferably , suitable polymers for use herein have a melting point above 30 ° c . suitable polymers which meet the above criteria and are therefore particularly useful in the present invention , include those having he following empirical formula i wherein x is 0 or ch2 ; y is a comonomer or comonomer mixture ; r1 and r2 are bleach - stable polymer - end groups ; r3 is h , oh or c1 - 4 alkyl ; m is h , and mixtures thereof with alkali metal , alkaline earth metal , ammonium or substituted ammonium ; p is from 0 to 2 ; and n is at least 10 , and mixtures thereof . the proportion of m being h in such polymers must be such as to ensure that the polymer is sufficiently acidic to meet the acidity criteria as hereinbefore defined . polymers according to formula i are known in the field of laundry detergents , and are typically used as chelating agents , as for instance in gb - a - 1 , 597 , 756 . preferred polycarboxylate polymers fall into several categories . a first category belongs to the class of copolymeric polycarboxylate polymers which , formally at least , are formed from an unsaturated polycarboxylic acid such as maleic acid , citraconic acid , itaconic acid and mesaconic acid as first monomer , and an unsaturated monocarboxylic acid such as acrylic acid or an alpha - c1 - c4 alkyl acrylic acid as second monomer . referring to formula i , therefore , preferred polycarboxylate polymers of this type are those in which x is cho , r3 is h or c1 - 4 alkyl , especially methyl , p is from about 0 . 1 to about 1 . 9 , preferably from about 0 . 2 to about 1 . 5 , n averages from about 10 to about 1500 , preferably from about 50 to about 1000 , more preferably from 100 to 103 , especially from 120 to 400 and y comprises monomer units of formula ii such polymers are available from basf under the trade name sokalan ® cp5 ( neutralised form ) and sokajan ® cp45 ( acidic form ). a second category belongs to the class of polycarboxylate polymers in which referring to formula i , x is ch2 , r3 is oh , p is from 0 to 0 . 1 , preferably 0 and n averages from about 50 to about 1500 , preferably from about 100 to 1000 . y , if present , can be a polycarboxylic acid such as ii above , or an ethylene oxide moiety . a third category belongs to the class of acetal polycarboxylate polymers in which , referring to formula i , x is ( or4 ) 2 , where r4 is c1 - c4 alkyl , r3 is h , p is from 0 to 0 . 1 , preferably 0 and n averages from 10 to 500 . if present , y again can be a polycarboxylic acid such as ii above or an ethyleneoxide moiety . a fourth category belongs to the class of poolycarboxylate polymers in which referring to formula i , x is ch2 , r3 is h or c1 - 4 alkyl , p is 0 and n averages from about 10 to 1500 , preferably from about 500 to 1000 . a fifth category of polycarboxylate polymers has the formula i in which x is ch2 , r3 is h or c1 - 4 alkyl , especially methyl , p is from 0 . 01 to 0 . 09 , preferably from 0 . 02 to 0 . 06 , n averages from about 10 to about 1500 , preferably from about 15 to about 300 and y is a polycarboxylic acid formed from maleic acid , citraconic acid , mitaconic acid or mesaconic acid , highly preferred being maleic acid - derived comonomers of formula ii above . suitable polymer end groups in formula i suitably include alkyl groups , oxyalkyl groups and alkyl carboxylic acid groups and salts and esters thereof . in formula i above , m is h or mixtures thereof with alkali metal , alkaline earth metal , ammonium or substituted ammonium . the proportion of m which is h is such as to ensure that the polymer meets the ph criteria described herein above . in the above , n , the degree of polymerization of the polymer can be determined from the weight average polymer molecular weight by dividing the latter by the average monomer molecular weight . thus , for a maleic - acrylic copolymer having a weight average molecular weight of 15 , 500 and comprising 30 mole e of maleic acid derited units , n is 192 ( i . e . 15 , 00 /( 116 × 0 . 3 + 72 × 0 . 7 ). in case of doubt , weight - average polymer molecular weights can be determined herein by gel permeation chromotography using water [ mu ] porasil ( rtm ) gpc 60 a2 and ( mu ) bondage ( rtm ) e - 125 , e - 500 and e - 1000 in series , temperature - controlled columns at 40 ° c . against sodium polystyrene sulphonate polymer standards , available from polymer laboratories ltd ., shropshire , uk , the polymer standards being 0 . 15m sodium dihydrogen phosphate and 0 . 02m tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide at ph 7 . 0 in 80 / 20 water / acetonitrile . mixtures of polycarboxylate polymers are also suitable herein , especially mixtures comprising a high molecular weight component having an n value of at least 100 , preferably at least 120 , and a low molecular weight component having an n value of less than 100 , preferably from 10 to 90 , more preferably from 20 to 80 . such mixtures are optimum from the viewpoint of providing excellent bleach stability and anti - incrustation performance in the context of a zerophosphate detergent formula . in mixtures of this type , the weight ratio of high molecular weight component to low molecular weight component is generally at least hi , preferably from about 1 : 1 to about 20 : 1 , more preferably from about 1 . 5 : 1 to about 10 . 1 , especially from about 2 : 1 to about 8 : 1 . preferred polycarboxylate polymers of the low molecular weight type are polycarboxylate polymers of the fourth category ( homopolyacrylate polymers ) listed above . of all the above , highly preferred polycarboxylate polymers herein are those of the first category in which n averages from 100 to 800 , preferably from 120 to 400 and mixtures thereof with polycarboxylate polymers of the fourth category in which n averages from 10 to 90 , preferably from 20 to 80 . other suitable polymers for use herein include polymers derived from amino acids such as polyglutamine acid , as disclosed in co - pending application gb 91 - 20653 . 2 , and polyaspartic acid , as disclosed in ep 305 282 , and ep 351 629 . alternatively , the binder component may be a component together with an acid e . g ., polyvinyl alcohol and a liquid acid . it is essential that the air bleaching catalyst is close to or in contact with an acidic material . the air bleaching catalyst is in the form of a particle that is amorphous or crystalline . the size of particle may be in the range of 0 . 01 to 3000 μm . it is most preferred that the air bleaching catalyst has a particle size in the range of 5 to 1000 μm , most preferably 50 μm to 100 μm . the size as given is the maximum length in any one direction of the particle . the air bleaching catalyst may be pre - mixed with a water - soluble salt to form a first granule that is coated with an acidic material or mixed therewith . generally , the air bleaching catalyst is present in the first granule in the range 1 to 10 %, preferably 1 to 5 %, and most preferably 1 to 2 %. referred water - soluble salts are sodium sulphate and sodium chloride , most preferred is sodium sulphate . the coating of the co - agglomerated material with the coating material can be carried out in several ways and the process itself is not critical to the present invention . the coating material may be sprayed on as a molten material or as a solution or dispersion in a solvent / carrier liquid that is subsequently removed by evaporation . the coating material can also be applied as a powder coating e . g . by electrostatic techniques although this is less preferred as the adherence of powdered coating material is more difficult to achieve and can be more expensive . molten coating is a preferred technique for coating materials of mpt & lt ; 80 ° c . but is less convenient for higher melting point acids ( i . e . & gt ; 100 ° c .). for coating materials of mpt & gt ; 80 ° c ., spray on as a solution or dispersion is preferred . organic solvents such as ethyl and isopropyl alcohol can be used to form the solutions or dispersions , although this will necessitate a solvent recovery stage in order to make their use economic . however , the use of organic solvents also gives rise to safety problems such as flammability and operator safety and thus aqueous solutions or dispersions are preferred . within the context of the present application an acidic component that has been applied by spraying or otherwise on a granule containing the air bleaching catalyst or air bleaching catalyst per se will form part of the granule or granule to be formed hence the acidic component applied in this manner , in form and function , is a cogranulant or binder . aqueous solutions are particularly advantageous as the coating materials herein have a high aqueous solubility , provided the solution has a sufficiently low viscosity to enable it to be handled . preferably a concentration of at least 25 % by weight of the coating material in the solvent is used in order to reduce the drying / evaporation load after surface treatment has taken place . the treatment apparatus can be any of those normally used for this purpose , such as inclined rotary pans , rotary drums and fluidised beds . all of the ingredients of the final composition may be mixed or blended in any suitable piece of equipment , such as a rotating drum . liquid ingredients such as nonionic surfactant and perfume may be sprayed on to the surface of one or more of the constituent particles . appropriate choice of constituent particles is required in order to ensure that the finished composition has a bulk density of at least 350 g / l , preferably 750 - 1100 g / l . the term air bleach catalyst as used herein is one that is capable of bleaching a substrate in the absence of an added peroxyl species . the bleach catalyst per se may be selected from a wide range of transition metal complexes of organic molecules ( ligands ). suitable organic molecules ( ligands ) for forming complexes and complexes thereof are found , for example in : gb 9906474 . 3 ; gb 9907714 . 1 ; gb 98309168 . 7 , gb 98309169 . 5 ; gb 9027415 . 0 and gb 9907713 . 3 ; de 19755493 ; e ? 999050 ; wo - a - 9534628 ; ep - a - 458379 ; ep 0909809 ; u . s . pat . no . 4 , 728 , 455 ; wo - a - 98 / 39098 ; wo - a - 98 / 39406 , wo 9748787 , wo 0029537 ; wo 0052124 , and wo0060045 the complexes and organic molecule ( ligand ) precursors of which are herein incorporated by reference . the ligand forms a complex with one or more transition metals , in the latter case for example as a dinuclear complex . suitable transition metals include for example : manganese in oxidation states ii - v , iron ii - v , copper i - iii , cobalt i - iii , titanium ii - iv , tungsten iv - vi , vanadium ii - v and molybdenum ii - vi . the transition metal complex preferably is of the general formula ( ai ): m represents a metal selected from mn ( ii )-( iii )-( iv )-( v ), cu ( i )-( ii )-( iii ), fe ( ii )-( iii )-( iv )-( v ), co ( i )-( ii )-( iii ), ti ( ii )-( ii )-( iv ), v ( i )-( iii )-( iv )-( v ), mo ( ii )-( iii )-( iv )-( v )-( vi ) and w ( iv )-( v )-( vi ), preferably from fe ( ii )-( iii )-( iv )-( v ); l represents the ligand , preferably n , n - bis ( pyridin - 2 - yl - methyl )- 1 , 1 - bis ( pyridin - 2 - yl )- 1 - aminoethane , or its protonated or deprotonated analogue ; x represents a coordinating species selected from any mono , bi or tri charged anions and any neutral molecules able to coordinate the metal in a mono , bi or tridentate manner ; preferably , the complex is an iron complex comprising the ligand n , n - bis ( pyridin - 2 - yl - methyl )- 1 , 1 - bis ( pyridin - 2 - yl )- 1 - aminoethane . suitable classes of ligands are described below : z1 groups independently represent a coordinating group selected from hydroxy , amino , — nhr or — n ( r ) 2 ( wherein r ═ c 1 - 6 - alkyl ), carboxylate , amido , — nh — c ( nh ) nh 2 , hydroxyphenyl , a heterocyclic ring optionally substituted by one or more functional groups e or a heteroaromatic ring optionally substituted by one or more functional groups e , the heteroaromatic ring being selected from pyridine , pyrimidine , pyrazine , pyrazole , imidazole , benzimidazole , quinoline , quinoxaline , triazole , isoquinoline , carbazole , indole , isoindole , oxazole and thiazole ; y independently represents a group selected from — o —, — s —, — so —, — so 2 —, — c ( o )—, arylene , alkylene , heteroarylene , heterocycloalkylene , —( g ) p —, — p ( o )— and —( g ) n —, wherein g is selected from hydrogen , alkyl , aryl , arylalkyl , cycloalkyl , each except hydrogen being optionally substituted by one or more functional groups e ; r5 , r6 , r7 , r8 independently represent a group selected from hydrogen , hydroxyl , halogen , — r and — or , wherein r represents alkyl , alkenyl , cycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl or a carbonyl derivative group , r being optionally substituted by one or more functional groups e , or r5 together with r7 and / or independently r6 together with r8 , or r5 together with r8 and / or independently r6 together with r7 , represent c 1 - 6 - alkylene optionally substituted by c 1 - 4 - alkyl , — f , — cl , — br or — i ; t represents a non - coordinated group selected from hydrogen , hydroxyl , halogen , — r and — or , wherein r represents alkyl , alkenyl , cycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , aryl , arylalkyl , heteroaryl or a carbonyl derivative group , r being optionally substituted by one or more functional groups c ( preferably t =— h , — oh , methyl , methoxy or benzyl ); u represents either a non - coordinated group t independently defined as above or a coordinating group of the general formula ( iia ), ( iiia ) or ( iva ): q represents — n ( t )— ( wherein t is independently defined as above ), or an optionally substituted heterocyclic ring or an optionally substituted heteroaromatic ring selected from pyridine , pyrimidine , pyrazine , pyrazole , imidazole , benzimidazole , quinoline , quinoxaline , triazole , isoquinoline , carbazole , indole , isoindole , oxazole and thiazole ; z3 groups independently represent — n ( t )— ( wherein t is independently defined as above ); z4 represents a coordinating or non - coordinating group selected from hydrogen , hydroxyl , halogen , — nh — c ( nh ) nh 2 , — r and — or , wherein r ═ alkyl , alkenyl , cycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl or a carbonyl derivative group , r being optionally substituced by one or more functional groups e , or z4 represents a group of the general formula ( iiaa ) preferably , z1 , z2 and z4 independently represent an optionally substituted heterocyclic ring or an optionally substituted heteroaromatic ring selected from pyridine , pyrimidine , pyrazine , pyrazole , imidazole , benzimidazole , quinoline , quinoxaline , triazole , isoquinoline , carbazole , indole , isoindole , oxazole and thiazole . more preferably , z1 , z2 and z4 independently represent groups selected from optionally substituted pyridin - 2 - yl , optionally substituted imidazol - 2 - yl , optionally substituted imidazol - 4 - yl , optionally substituted pyrazol - 1 - yl , and optionally substituted quinolin - 2 - yl . most preferred is that z1 , z2 and z4 each represent optionally substituted pyridin - 2 - yl . the groups z1 , z2 and z4 if substituted , are preferably substituted by a group selected from c 1 - 4 - alkyl , aryl , arylalkyl , heteroaryl , methoxy , hydroxy , nitro , amino , carboxyl , halo , and carbonyl . preferred is that z1 , z2 and z4 are each substituted by a methyl group . also , we prefer that the z1 groups represent identical groups . each q1 preferably represents a covalent bond or c1 - c4 - alkylene , more preferably a covalent bond , methylene or ethylene , most preferably a covalent bond . group q preferably represents a covalent bond or c1 - c4 - alkylene , more preferably a covalent bond . the groups r5 , r6 , r7 , r8 preferably independently represent a group selected from — h , hydroxy - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , halo - c 0 - c20 - alkyl , nitroso , formyl - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , carboxyl - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl and esters and salts thereof , carbamoyl - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , sulfo - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl and esters and salts thereof , sulfamoyl - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , amino - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , aryl - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , alkoxy - c 0 - c 8 - alkyl , carbonyl - c 0 - c 6 - alkoxy , and c 0 - c 20 - alkylamide . preferably , none of r5 - r8 is linked together . non - coordinated group t preferably represents hydrogen , hydroxy , methyl , ethyl , benzyl , or methoxy . in one aspect , the group u in formula ( ia ) represents a coordinating group of the general formula ( iia ): according to this aspect , it is preferred that z2 represents an optionally substituted heterocyclic ring or an optionally substituted heteroaromatic ring selected from pyridine , pyrimidine , pyrazine , pyrazole , imidazole , benzimidazale , quinoline , guinoxaline , triazole , isoquinoline , carbazole , indole , isoindole , oxazole and thiazole , more preferably optionally substituted pyridin - 2 - yl or optionally substituted benzimidazol - 2 - yl . it is also preferred , in this aspect , that z4 represents an optionally substituted heterocyclic ring or an optionally substituted heteroaromatic ring selected from pyridine , pyrimidine , pyrazine , pcyrazole , imidazole , benzimidazole , quinoline , quinoxaline , triazole , isoquinoline , carbazole , indole , isoindole , oxazole and thiazole , more preferably optionally substituted pyridin - 2 - yl , or an non - coordinating group selected from hydrogen , hydroxy , alkoxy , alkyl , alkenyl , cycloalkyl , aryl , or benzyl . in preferred embodiments of this aspect , the ligand is selected from : in a variant of this aspect , the group z4 in formula ( iia ) represents a group of the general formula ( iiaa ): in this variant , q4 preferably represents optionally substituted alkylene , preferably — ch 2 — choh — ch 2 — or — ch 2 — ch 2 — ch 2 —. in a preferred embodiment of this variant , the ligand is : in another aspect , the group u in formula ( ia ) represents a coordinating group of the general formula ( iiia ): according to this aspect , each q2 preferably represents ( ch 2 ) n — ( n = 2 - 4 ), and each z3 preferably represents — n ( r )— wherein r =— h or c 1 - 4 - alkyl , preferably methyl . in preferred embodiments of this aspect , the ligand is selected from : in yet another aspect , the group u in formula ( ia ) represents a coordinating group of the general formula ( iva ): in this aspect , q preferably represents — n ( t )— ( wherein t =— h , methyl , or benzyl ) or pyridin - diyl . in preferred embodiments of this aspect , the ligand is selected from : n = 1 or 2 , whereby if n = 2 , then each — q 3 — r 3 group is independently defined ; r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 independently represent a group selected from hydrogen , hydroxyl , halogen , — nh — c ( nh ) nh 2 , — r and — or , wherein r ═ alkyl , alkenyl , cycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl or a carbonyl derivative group , r being optionally substituted by one or more functional groups e , q 1 , q 2 , q 3 , q 4 and q independently represent a group of the formula : y independently represents a group selected from — o —, — s —, — so —, — so 2 —, — c ( o )—, arylene , alkylene , heteroarylene , heterocycloalkylene , —( g ) p —, — p ( o )— and —( g ) n —, wherein g is selected from hydrogen , alkyl , aryl , arylalkyl , cycloalkyl , each except hydrogen being optionally substituted by one or more functional groups e ; r 5 , r 6 , r 7 , r 8 independently represent a group selected from hydrogen , hydroxyl , halogen , — r and — or , wherein r represents alkyl , alkenyl , cycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , aryl , hezeroaryl or a carbonyl derivative group , r being optionally substituted by one or more functional groups e , or r5 together with r7 and / or independently r6 together with r8 , or r5 together with r8 and / or independently r6 together with r7 , represent c 1 - 6 - alkylene optionally substitted by c 1 - 4 - alkyl , — f , — cl , — br or — i , provided that at least two of r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 comprise coordinating heteroatoms and no more than six heteroatoms are coordinated to the same transition metal atom . at least two , and preferably at least three , of r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 indepenrently represent a group selected from carboxylate , amido , — nh — c ( nh ) nh 2 , hydroxyphenyl , an optionally substituted heterocyclic ring or an optionally substituted heteroaromatic ring selected from pyridine , pyrimidine , pyrazie , pyrazole , imidazole , benzimidazole , quinoline , quinoxaline , triazole , isoquinoline , carbazole , indole , isoindole , oxazole and thiazole . preferably , substituents for groups r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , when representing a heterocyclic or heteroaromatic ring , are selected from c 1 - 4 - alkyl , aryl , arylalkyl , heteroaryl , methoxy , hydroxy , nitro , amino , carboxyl , halo , and carbonyl . the groups q 1 , q 2 , q 3 , q 4 preferably independently represent a group selected from — ch 2 — and — ch 2 ch 2 —. group q is preferably a group selected from —( ch 2 ) 2 - 4 —, — ch 2 ch ( oh ) ch 2 —, preferably , q 1 , q 2 , q 3 , q 4 are defined such that a = b = 0 , c = 1 and n = 1 , and q is defined such that a = b = 0 , c = 2 and n = 1 . the groups r5 , r6 , r7 , r8 preferably independently represent a group selected from — h , hydroxy - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , halo - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , nitroso , formyl - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , carboxyl - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl and esters and salts thereof , carbamoyl - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , sulfo - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl and esters and salts thereof , sulfamoyl - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , amino - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , aryl - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , alkoxy - c 0 - c 8 - alkyl , carboonyl - c 0 - c 6 - alkoxy , and c 0 - c 20 - alkylamide . preferably , none of r5 - r8 is linked together . in a preferred aspect , the ligand is of the general formula ( iib ): q 1 , q 2 , q 3 , q 4 are defined such that a = b = 0 , c = 1 or 2 and n = 1 ; q is defined such that a = b = 0 , c = 2 , 3 or 4 and n = 1 ; and r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r7 , r8 are independently defined as for formula ( i ). preferred classes of ligands according to this aspect , as represented by formula ( iib ) above , are as follows : r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 each independently represent a coordinating group selected from carboxylate , amido , — nh — c ( nh ) nh 2 , hydroxyphenyl , an optionally substituted heterocyclic ring or an optionally substituted heteroaromatic ring selected from pyridine , pyrimidine , pyrazine , pyrazole , imidazole , benzimidazole , quinoline , quinoxaline , triazole , isoquinoline , carbazole , indole , isoindole , oxazole and thiazole . q is defined such that a = b = 0 , c = 2 or 3 and n = 1 ; r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 each independently represent a coordinating group selected from optionally substituted pyridin - 2 - yl , optionally substituted imidazol - 2 - yl , optionally substituted imidazol - 4 - yl , optionally substituted pyrazol - i - yl , and optionally substituted quinolin - 2 - yl . r 1 , r 2 , r 3 each independently represent a coordinating group selected from carboxylate , amido , — nh — c ( nh ) nh 2 , hydroxyphenyl , an optionally substituted heterocyclic ring or an optionally substituted heteroaromatic ring selected from pyridine , pyrimidine , pyrazine , pyrazole , imidazole , benzimidazole , quinoline , quinoxaline , triazole , isoquinoline , carbazole , indole , isoindole , oxazole and thlazole ; and r 4 represents a group selected from hydrogen , c 1 - 20 optionally substituted alkyl , c 1 - 20 optionally substituted arylalkyl , aryl , and c 1 - 20 optionally substituted nr 3 + ( wherein r ═ c 1 - 8 - alkyl ). q is defined such that a = b = 0 , c = 2 or 3 and n = 1 ; r 1 , r 2 , r 3 each independently represent a coordinating group selected from optionally substituted pyridin - 2 - yl , optionally substituted imidazol - 2 - yl , optionally substituted imdazol - 4 - yl , optionaliy substituted pyrazol - 1 - yl , and optionally substituted quinolin - 2 - yl ; and r 4 represents a grouo selected from hydrogen , c 1 - 10 optionally substituted alkyl , c 1 - 5 - furanyl , c 1 - 5 optionally substituted benzylalky , benzyl , c 1 - 5 octionally substituted alkoxy , and c 1 - 20 optionally substituted n − me 3 . r 1 , r 4 each independently represent a coordinating group selected from carboxylate , amido , — nh — c ( nh ) nh 2 , hydroxyphenyl , an optionally substituted heterocyclic ring or an optionally substituted heteroaromatic ring selected from pyridine , pyrimidine , pyrazine , pyrazole , imidazole , benzimidazole , quinoline , quinoxaline , triazole , isoquinoline , carbazole , indole , isoindole , oxazole and thiazole ; and r 2 , r 3 each independently represent a group selected from hydrogen , c 1 - 20 optionally substituted alkyl , c 1 - 20 optionally substituted arylalkyl , aryl , and c 1 - 20 optionally substituted nr 3 + ( wherein r ═ c 1 - 8 - alkyl ). q is defined such that a = b = 0 , c = 2 or 3 and n = 1 ; r 1 , r 4 each independently represent a coordinating group selected from optionally substituted pyridin - 2 - yl , optionally substituted imidazol - 2 - yl , optionally substituted imidazol - 4 - yl , optionally substituted pyrazol - 1 - yl , and optionally substituted quinolin - 2 - yl ; and r 2 , r 3 each independently represent a group selected from hydrogen , c 1 - 10 optionally substituted alkyl , c 1 - 5 - furanyl , c 1 - 5 optionally substituted benzylalkyl , benzyl , c 1 - 5 optonally substituted alkoxy , and c 1 - 20 optionally substituted n + me 3 . z 1 , z 2 and z 3 independently represent a coordinating group selected from carboxylate , amido , — nh — c ( nh ) nh 2 , hydroxyphenyl , an optionally substituted heterocyclic ring or an optionally substituted heteroaromatic ring selected from pyridine , pyrimidine , pyrazine , pyrazole , imidazole , benzimidazole , quinoline , quinoxaline , triazole , isoquinoline , carbazole , indole , isoindole , oxazole and thiazole ; q 1 , q 2 , and q 3 independently represent a group of the formula : y independently represents a group selected from — o —, — s —, — so —, — so 2 —, — c ( o )—, arylene , alkylene , heteroarylene , heterocycloalkylene , —( g ) p —, — p ( o )— and —( g ) n —, wherein g is selected from hydrogen , alkyl , aryl , arylalkyl , cycloalkyl , each except hydrogen being optionally substituted by one or more functional groups e ; and r5 , r6 , r7 , r8 independently represent a group selected from hydrogen , hydroxyl , halogen , — r and — or , wherein r represents alkyl , alkenyl , cycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl or a carbonyl derivative group , r being optionally substituted by one or more functional groups e , or r5 together with r7 and / or independently r6 together with r8 , or r5 together with r8 and / or independently r6 together with r7 , represent c 1 - 6 - alkylene optionally substituted by c 1 - 4 - alkyl , — f , — cl , — br or — i . z 1 , z 2 and z 3 each represent a coordinating group , preferably selected from optionally substituted pyridin - 2 - yl , optionally substituted imidazol - 2 - yl , optionally substituted imidazol - 4 - yl , optionally substituted pyrazol - 1 - yl , and optionally substituted quinolin - 2 - yl . preferably , z1 , z 2 and z 3 each represent optionally substituted pyridin - 2 - yl . optional substituents for the groups z 1 , z 2 and z 3 are preferably selected from c 14 - alkyl , aryl , arylalkyl , heteroaryl , methoxy , hydroxy , nitro , amino , carboxyl , halo , and carbonyl , preferably methyl . also preferred is that q 1 , q 2 and q 3 are defined such that a = b = 0 , c = 1 or 2 , and n = 1 . preferably , each q 1 , q 2 and q 3 independently represent c 1 - 4 - alkylene , more preferably a group selected from — ch 2 — and — ch 2 ch 2 —. the groups r5 , r6 , r7 , r8 preferably independently represent a grouo selected from - h , hydroxy - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , halo - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , nitroso , formyl - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , carboxyl - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl and esters and salts thereof , carbamoyl - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , sulfo - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl and esters and salts thereof , sulfamoyl - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , amino - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , aryl - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , alkoxy - c 0 - c 8 - alkyl , carbonyl - c 0 - c 6 - alkoxy , and c 0 - c 20 - alkylamide . preferably , none of r5 - r8 is linked together . preferably , the ligand is selected from tris ( pyridin - 2 - ylmethyl ) amine , tris ( 3 - methyl - pyridin - 2 - ylmethyl )) amine , tris ( 5 - methyl - pyridin - 2 - ylmethyl ) amine , and tris ( 6 - methyl - pyridin - 2 - ylmethyl ) amine . r 1 , r 2 , and r 3 independently represent a group selected from hydrogen , hydroxyl , halogen , — nf — c ( nh ) nh 2 , — r and — or , wherein r ═ alkyl , alkenyl , cycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl or a carbonyl derivative group , r being optionally substituted by one or more functional groups e ; q independently represent a group selected from c 2 - 3 - alkylene optionally substituted by h , benzyl or c 1 - 8 - alkyl ; q 1 , q 2 and q 3 independently represent a group of the formula : y independently represents a group selected from — o —, — s —, — so —, — so 2 —, — c ( o )—, arylene , alkylene , heteroarylene , heterocvcloalkylene , —( g ) p —, — p ( o )— and —( g ) n —, wherein g is selected from hydrogen , alkyl , aryl , arylalkyl , cycloalkyl , each except hydrogen being optionally substituted by one or more functional groups e ; and r5 , r6 , r7 , r8 independently represent a group selected from hydrogen , hydroxyl , halogen , — r and — or , wherein r represents alkyl , alkenyl , cycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl or a carbonyl derivative group , r being optionally substituted by one or more functional groups e , or r5 together with r7 and / or independently r6 together with r8 , or r5 together with r8 and / or independently r6 together with r7 , represent c 1 - 6 - alkylene optionally substituted by c 1 - 4 - alkyl , — f , — cl , — br or — i , provided that at least one , preferably at least two , of r 1 , r 2 and r 3 is a coordinating group . at least two , and preferably a -: least three , of r 1 , r 2 and r 3 independently represent a group selected from carboxylate , amido , — nh — c ( nh ) nh 2 , hydroxyphenyl , an optionally substituted heterocyclic ring or an optionally substituted heteroaromatic ring selected from pyridine , pyrimidine , pyrazine , pyrazole , imidazole , benzimidazole , quinoline , quinoxaline , triazole , isoquinoline , carbazole , indole , isoindole , oxazole and thiazole . preferably , at least two of r 1 , r 2 , r 3 each independently represent a coordinating group selected from optionally substituted pyridin - 2 - yl , optionally substituted imidazol - 2 - yl , optionally substituted imidazol - 4 - yl , optionally substituted pyrazol - 1 - yl , and optionally substituted quinolin - 2 - yl . preferably , substituents for groups r 1 , r 2 , r3 , when representing a heterocyclic or heteroaromatic ring , are selected from c 1 - 4 - alkyl , aryl , arylalkyl , heteroaryl , methoxy , hydroxy , nitro , amino , carboxyl , halo , and carbonyl . preferably , q 1 , q 2 and q 3 are defined such that a = b = 0 , c = 1 , 2 , 3 or 4 and n = 1 . preferably , the groups q 1 , q 2 and q 3 independently represent a group selected from — ch 2 — and — ch 2 ch 2 —. group q is preferably a group selected from — ch 2 ch 2 — and — ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 —. the groups r5 , r6 , r7 , r8 preferably independently represent a group selected from — h , hydroxy - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , halo - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , nitroso , formyl - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , carboxyl - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl and esters and salts thereof , carbamoyl - c 0 - c 2 ,- alkyl , sulfo - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl and esters and salts thereof , sufamoyl - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , amino - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , aryl - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , alkoxy - c 0 - c 8 - alkyl , carbonyl - c 0 - c 6 - alkoxy , and c 0 - c 20 - alkylamide . preferably , none of r5 - r8 is linked together . in a preferred aspect , the 1 - gand is of the general formula ( iid ): wherein r1 , r2 , r3 are as defined previously for r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , and q 1 , q 2 , q 3 are as defined previously . preferred classes of ligands according to this preferred aspect , as represented by formula ( iid ) above , are as follows : r1 , r2 , r3 each independently represent a coordinating group selected from carboxylate , amido , — nh — c ( nh ) nh 2 , hydroxyphenyl , an optionally substituted heterocyclic ring or an optionally substituted heteroaromatic ring selected from pyridine , pyrimidine , pyrazine , pyrazole , imidazole , benzimidazole , quinoline , quinoxaline , triazole , isoquinollne , carbazole , indole , isoindole , oxazole and thiazole . r1 , r2 , r3 each independently represent a coordinating group selected from optionally substituted pyridin - 2 - yl , optionally substituted imidazol - 2 - yl , optionally substituted imidazol - 4 - yl , optionally substituted pyrazol - 1 - yl , and optionally substituted quinolin - 2 - yl . two of r1 , r2 , r3 each independently represent a coordinating group selected from carboxylate , amino , — nh — c ( nh ) nh 2 , hydroxyphenyl , an optionally substituted heterocyclic ring or an optionally substituted heteroarormatic ring selected from pyridine , pyridine , pyrazine , pyrazole , imidazole , benzimidazole , quinoline , quinoxaline , triazole , isoquinoline , carbazole , indole , isoindole , oxazole and thiazole ; and one of r1 , r2 , r3 represents a group selected from hydrogen , c 1 - 20 optionally substituted alkyl , c 1 - 20 optionally substituted arylalkyl , aryl , and c 1 - 20 optionally substituted nr 3 + ( wherein r ═ c 1 - 8 - alkyl ). two of r1 , r2 , r3 each independently represent a coordinating group selected from optionally substituted pyridin - 2 - yl , optionally substituted imidazol - 2 - yl , optionally substituted imidazol - 4 - yl , optionally substituted pyrazol - 1 - yl , and optionaally substituted quinolin - 2 - yl ; and one of r1 , r2 , r3 represents a group selected from hydrogen , c 1 - 10 optionally substituted alkyl , c 1 - 5 - furanyl , c 1 - 5 optionally substituted benzylalkyl , benzyl , c 1 - 5 optionally substituted alkoxy , and c 1 - 20 optionally substituted n + me 3 . wherein — et represents ethyl , — py represents pyridin - 2 - yl , pz3 represents pyrazol - 3 - yl , pz1 represents pyrazol - i - yl , and qu represents quinolin - 2 - yl . each y1 independently represents a group selected from — o —, — s —, — so —, — so 2 —, — c ( o )—, arylene , alkylene , heteroarylene , heterocycloalkylene , —( g ) p —, — p ( o )— and —( g ) n —, wherein g is selected from hydrogen , alkyl , aryl , arylalkyl , cycloalkyl , each except hydrogen being optionally substituted by one or more functional groups e ; r1 , r2 , r6 , r7 , r8 , r9 independently represent a group selected from hydrogen , hydroxyl , halogen , — r and — or , wherein r represents alkyl , alkenyl , cycloalkyl , heterocyoloalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl or a carbonyl derivative group , r being optionally substituted by one or more functional groups e , or r6 togezher with r7 , or r8 together with r9 , or both , represent oxygen , or r6 together with r8 and / or independently r7 together with r9 , or r6 together with r9 and / or independently r7 together with r8 , represent c 1 - 6 - alkylene optionally substituted by c 1 - 4 - alkyl , — f , — cl , — br or — i ; or one of r1 - r9 is a bridging group bound to another moiety of the same general formula ; t1 and t2 independently represent groups r4 and r5 , wherein r4 and r5 are as defined for r1 - r9 , and if g = 0 and s & gt ; 0 , r1 together with r4 , and / or r2 together with r5 , may optionally independently represent ═ ch — r10 , wherein r10 is as defined for r1 - r9 , or t1 and t2 may together (— t2 - t1 —) represent a covalent bond linkage when s & gt ; 1 and g & gt ; 0 ; if t1 and t2 together represent a single bond linkage , q1 and / or q2 may independently represent a group of the formula : ═ ch —[— y1 —] e — ch ═ provided r1 and / or r2 are absent , and r1 and / or r2 may be absent provided q1 and / or q2 independently represent a group of the formula : the groups r1 - r9 are preferably independently selected from — h , hydroxy - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , halo - c0 - c 20 - alkyl , nitroso , formyl - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , carboxyl - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl and esters and salts thereof , carbamoyl - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , suipho - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl and esters and salts thereof , sulphamoyl - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , amino - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , aryl - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , heteroaryl - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , alkoxy - c 0 - c 8 - alkyl , carbonyl - c 0 - c 6 - alkoxy , and aryl - c 0 - c 6 - alkyl and c 0 - c 20 - alkylamide . one of r1 - r9 may be a bridging group which links the ligand moiety to a second ligand moiety of preferably the same general structure . in this case the bridging group is independently defined according to the formula for q1 , q2 , preferably being alkylene or hydroxy - alkylene or a heteroaryl - containing bridge , more preferably c 1 - 6 - alkylene optionally substituted by c 1 - 4 - alkyl , — f , — cl , — br or — i . in a first variant according to formula ( ie ), the groups t1 and t2 together form a single bond linkage and s & gt ; 1 , according to general formula ( iie ): wherein r3 independently represents a group as defined for r1 - r9 ; q3 independently represents a group as defined for q1 , q2 ; h represents zero or an 4integer from 1 to 6 ; and s = s - 1 . in a first embodiment of the first varian -:, in general , formula ( iie ), s = 1 , 2 or 3 ; r = g = h = 1 ; d = 2 or 3 ; e = f = 0 ; r6 = r7 = h , preferably such that the ligand has a general formula selected from : in these preferred examples , r1 , r2 , r3 and r4 are preferably independently selected from — h , alkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , and / or one of r1 - r4 represents a bridging group bound to another moiety of the same general formula and / or two or more of r1 - r4 together represent a bridging group linking n atoms in the same moiety , with the bridging group being alkylene or hydroxy - alkylene or a heteroaryl - containing bridge , preferably heteroarylene . more preferably , r1 , r2 , r3 and r4 are independently selected from — h , methyl , ethyl , isopropyl , nitrogen - containing heteroaryl , or a bridging group bound to another moiety of the same general formula or linking n atoms in the same moiety with the bridging group being alkylene or hydroxy - alkylene . in a second embodiment of the first variant , in general formula ( iie ), s = 2 and r = g = h = 1 , according to the general formula : in this second embodiment , preferably r1 - r4 are absent ; both q1 and q3 represent ═ ch —[— y1 —] e — ch ═; and both q2 and q4 represent — ch 2 —[— y1 —] n — ch 2 —. wherein a represents optionally substituted alkylene optionally interrupted by a heteroatom ; and n is zero or an integer from 1 to 5 . preferably , r1 - r6 represent hydrogen , n = 1 and a =— ch 2 —, — choh —, — ch 2 n ( r ) ch 2 — or — ch 2 ch 2 n ( r ) ch 2 ch 2 — wherein r represents hydrogen or alkyl , more preferably a =— ch 2 —, — choh — or — ch 2 ch 2 nhch 2 ch 2 —. in a second variant according to formula ( ie ), t1 and t2 independently represent groups r4 , r5 as defined for r1 - r9 , according to the general formula ( iiie ): in a first embodiment of the second variant , in general formula ( iiie ), s = 1 ; r = 1 ; g = 0 ; d = f = 1 ; e = 0 - 4 ; y1 =— ch 2 —; and r1 together with r4 , and / or r2 together with r5 , independently represent ═ ch — r10 , wherein r10 is as defined for r1 - r9 . in one example , r2 together with r5 represents ═ ch — r10 , with r1 and r4 being two separate groups . alternatively , both r1 together with r4 , and r2 together with r5 may independently represent ═ ch — r10 . thus , preferred ligands may for example have a structure selected from : wherein r1 and r2 are selected from optionally substituted phenols , heteroaryl - c 0 - c 20 - alkyls , r3 and r4 are selected from - h , alkyl , aryl , optionally substituted phenols , heteroaryl - c 0 - c 20 - alkyls , alkylaryl , aminoalkyl , alkoxy , more preferably r1 and r2 being selected from optionally substituted phenols , heteroaryl - c 0 - c2 - alkyls , r3 and r4 are selected from — h , alkyl , aryl , optionally substituted phenols , nitrogen - heteroaryl - c 0 - c 2 - alkyls . in a second embodiment of the second variant , in general formula ( iiie ), s = 1 ; r = 1 ; g = 0 ; d = f = 1 ; e = 1 - 4 ; y1 =— c ( r ′) ( r ″)), wherein r ′ and r ″ are independently as defined for r1 - r9 . preferably , the ligand has the general formula : the groups r1 , r2 , r3 , r4 , r5 in this formula are preferably — h or c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , n = 0 or 1 , r6 is — h , alkyl , — oh or — sh , and r7 , r3 , r9 , r10 are preferably each independently selected from — h , c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , heteroaryl - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl , alkoxy - c 0 - c 8 - alkyl and amino - c 0 - c 20 - alkyl . in a third embodiment of the second variant , in general formula ( iiie ), s = 0 ; g = 1 ; d = e = 0 ; f = 1 - 4 . preferably , the ligand has the general formula : this class of ligand is particularly preferred according to the invention . in a fourth embodiment of the second variant , the ligand is a pentadentate ligand of the general formula ( ive ): each r 1 , r 2 independently represents — r 4 - r 5 , r 3 represents hydrogen , optionally substituted alkyl , aryl or arylalkyl , or — r 4 — r 5 , each r 4 independently represents a single bond or optionally substituted alkylene , alkenylene , oxyalkylene , aminoalkylene , alkylene ether , carboxylic ester or carboxylic amide , and each r 5 independently represents an optionally n - substituted aminoalkyl group or an optionally substituted heteroaryl group selected from pyridinyl , pyrazinyl , pyrazolyl , pyrrolyl , imidazolyl , benzimidazolyl , pyrimidinyl , triazolyl and thiazolyl . ligands of the class represented by general formula ( ive ) are also particularly preferred according to the invention . the ligand having the general formula ( ive ), as defined above , is a pentadentate ligand . by ‘ pentadentate ’ herein is meant that five hetero atoms can coordinate to the metal m ion in the metal - complex . in formula ( ive ), one coordinating hetero atom is provided by the nitrogen atom in the methylamine backbone , and preferably one coordinating hetero atom is contained in each of the four r 1 and r 2 side groups . preferably , all the coordinating hetero atoms are nitrogen atoms . the ligand of formula ( ive ) preferably comprises at least two substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl groups in the four side groups . the heteroaryl group is preferably a pyridin - 2 - yl group and , if substituted , preferably a methyl - or ethyl - substituted pyridin - 2 - yl group . more preferably , the heteroaryl group is an unsubstituted pyridin - 2 - yl group . preferably , the heteroaryl group is linked to methylamine , and preferably to the n atom thereof , via a methylene group . preferably , the ligand of formula ( ive ) contains at least one optionally substituted amino - alkyl side group , more preferably two amino - ethyl side groups , in particular 2 -( n - alkyl ) amino - ethyl or 2 -( n , n - dialkyl ) amino - ethyl . thus , in formula ( ive ) preferably r 1 represents pyridin - 2 - yl or r 2 represents pyridin - 2 - yl - methyl . preferably r 2 or r 1 represents 2 - amino - ethyl , 2 -( n -( m ) ethyl ) amino - ethyl or 2 -( n , n - di ( m ) ethyl ) amino - ethyl . if substituted , r 5 preferably represents 3 - methyl pyridin - 2 - yl . r 3 preferably represents hydrogen , benzyl or methyl . examples of preferred ligands of formula ( ive ) in their simples forms are : in a fifth embodiment of the second variant , the ligand represents a pentadentate or hexadentate ligand of general formula ( ve ): each r 1 independently represents — r 3 — v , in which r 3 represents optionally substituted alkylene , alkenylene , oxyalkylene , aminoalkylene or alkylene ether , and v represents an optionally substituted heteroaryl group selected from pyridinyl , pyrazinyl , pyrazolyl , pyrrolyl , imidazolyl , benzimidazolyl , pyrimidinyl , triazolyl and thiazolyl ; w represents an optionally substituted alkylene bridging group selected from — ch 2 ch 2 —, — ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 —, — ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 —, — ch 2 — c 6 h 4 — ch 2 —, — ch 2 — c 6 h 10 — ch 2 —, and — ch 2 — c 10 h6 — ch 2 —; and r 2 represents a group selected from r 1 , and alkyl , aryl and arylalkyl groups optionally substituted with a substituent selected from hydroxy , alkoxy , phenoxy , carboxylate , carboxamide , carboxylic ester , sulphonate , amine , alkylamine and n + ( r 4 ) 3 , wherein r 4 is selected from hydrogen , alkanyl , alkenyl , arylalkanyl , arylalkenyl , oxyalkanyl , oxyalkenyl , aminoalkanyl , aminoalkenyl , alkanyl ether and alkenyl ether . the ligand having the general formula ( ve ), as defined above , is a pentadentate ligand or , if r 1 ═ r 2 , can be a hexadentate ligand . as mentioned above , by ‘ pentadentate ’ is meant that five hetero atoms can coordinate to the metal m ion in the metal - complex . similarly , by ‘ hexadentate ’ is meant that six hetero atoms can in principle coordinate to the metal m ion . however , in this case it is believed that one of the arms will not be bound in the complex , so that the hexadentate ligand will be penta coordinating . in the formula ( ve ), two hetero atoms are linked by the bridging group w and one coordinating hetero atom is contained in each of the three r 1 groups . preferably , the coordinating hetero atoms are nitrogen atoms . the ligand of formula ( ve ) comprises at least one optionally substituted heteroaryl group in each of the three r 1 groups . preferably , the heteroaryl group is a pyridin - 2 - yl group , in particular a methyl - or ethyl - substituted pyridin - 2 - yl group . the heteroaryl group is linked to an n atom in formula ( ve ), preferably via an alkylene group , more preferably a methylene group . most preferably , the heteroaryl group is a 3 - methyl - pyridin - 2 - yl group linked to an n atom via methylene . the group r 2 in formula ( ve ) is a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl , aryl or arylalkyl group , or a group r 1 . however , preferably r 2 is different from each of the groups r 1 in the formula above . preferably , r 2 is methyl , ethyl , benzyl , 2 - hydroxyethyl or 2 - methoxyethyl . more preferably , r 2 is methyl or ethyl . the bridging group w may be a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene group selected from — ch 2 ch 2 —, — ch 2 ch 2 ch 2 —, — ch 2 ch 2 ch — 2 ch 2 —, — ch 2 — c 6 h 4 — ch 2 —, — ch 2 — c 6 hio — ch 2 —, and — ch 2 — c 10 h 6 — ch 2 — ( wherein — c 6 h 4 —, — c 6 h 10 —, — c 10 h 6 — can be ortho -, para -, or meta - c 6 h 4 —, — c 6 h 10 —, — c 10 h 6 —). preferably , the bridging group w is an ethylene or 1 , 4 - butylene group , more preferably an ethylene group . preferably , v represents substituted pyridin - 2 - yl , especially methyl - substituted or ethyl - substituted pyridin - 2 - yl , and most preferably v represents 3 - methyl pyridin - 2 - yl . wherein each r is independently selected from : hydrogen , hydroxyl , — nh — co — h , — nh — co — c1 - c4 - alkyl , — nh2 , — nh — c1 - c4 - alkyl , and c1 - c4 - alkyl ; a group containing a heteroatom capable of coordinating to a transition metal , preferably wherein at least one of r1 and r2 is the group containing the heteroatom ; r3 and r4 are independently selected from hydrogen , c1 - c8 alkyl , c1 - c8 - alkyl - o — c1 - c8 - alkyl , c1 - c8 - alkyl - o — c6 - c1o - aryl , c6 - c10 - aryl , c1 - c8 - hydroxyalkyl , and -( ch2 ), c ( o ) or5 wherein r5 is c1 - c4 - alkyl , n is from 0 to 4 , and mixtures thereof ; and , x is selected from c ═ o , —[ c ( r6 ) 2 ] y — wherein y is from 0 to 3 each r6 is independently selected from hydrogen , hydroxyl , c1 - c4 - alkoxy and c1 - c4 - alkyl . ( i ) a further class of ligands is the macropolycyclic rigid ligand of formula ( i ) having denticity of 3 or 4 : ( ii ) the macropolycyclic rigid ligand of formula ( ii ) having denicity of 4 or 5 ( iii ) the macropolycyclic rigid ligand of formula ( iii ) having denicity if 5 or 6 : ( iv ) the macropolycyclic rigid ligand of formula ( iv ) having denicity of 6 or 7 wherein in these formulas :- each “ e ” s the moiety ( cr n ) a — x —( cr n ) a ′ , wherein x is selected from the group consisting of o , s , nr and p , or a covalent bond , and preferably x is a covalent bond and for each e the sum of a + a ′ is independently selected from 1 to 5 , more preferably 2 and 3 . each “ r ” is independently selected from h , alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , aryl , alkylaryl ( e . g ., benzyl ), and heteroaryl , or two or more r are covalently bonded to form an aromatic , heteroaromatic , cycloalkyl , or heterocycloalkyl ring . each “ d ” is a donor atom independently selected from the group consisting of n , o , s , and p , and at least two d atoms are bridgehead donor atoms coordinated to the transition metal ( i - n the preferred embodiments , all donor atoms designated d are donor atoms which coordinate to the transition metal , in contrast with heteroatoms in the structure which are not in d such as those which may be present in e ; the non - d heteroatoms can be non - coordinating and indeed are non - coordinating whenever present in the preferred embodiment ). “ b ” s a carbon atom or “ d ” donor atom , or a cycloalkyl or heterocyclic ring . each “ n ” is an integer independently selected from 1 and 2 , completing the valence of the carbon atoms to which the r moieties are covalently bonded . each “ n ” is an integer independently selected from 0 and 1 , completing the valence of the d donor atoms to which the r moieties are covalently bonded . each “ n ”” is an integer independently selected from 0 , 1 , and 2 completing the valence of the b atoms to which the r moieties are covalently bonded . each “ a ” and “ a ”′ is an integer independently selected from 0 - 5 , preferably a + a ′ equals 2 or 3 , wherein the sum of all “ a ” plus “ a ′” in the ligand of formula ( i ) is within the range of from about 7 to about 11 . the sum of all “ a ” plus “ a ” in the ligand of formula ( ii ) is within the range of from about 6 ( preferably 8 ) to about 12 . the sum of all “ a ” plus “ a ′” in the ligand of formula ( iii ) is within the range of from about 8 ( preferably 10 ) to about 15 , and the sum of all “ a ” plus “ a ′” in the ligand of formula ( iv ) is within the range of from about 10 ( preferably 12 ) to about 18 . each “ b ” is an integer independently selected from 0 - 9 , preferably 0 - 5 ( wherein when b = 0 , ( cr n ) 0 represents a covalent bond ), or in any of the above formulas , one or more of the ( cr n ) b moieties covalently bonded from any d to the b atom is absent as long as at least two ( cr n ) b covalently bond two of the d donor atoms to the b atom in the formula , and the sum of all “ b ” is within the range of from about 1 to about 5 . a preferred sub - group of the transition - metal complexes includes the mn ( ii ), fe ( ii ) and cu ( ii ) complexes of the ligand 1 . 2 : wherein m and n are integers from 0 to 2 , p is an integer from 1 to 6 , preferably m and n are both 0 or both 1 ( preferably both 1 ), or m is 0 and n is at least 1 ; and p is 1 ; and a is a nonhydrogen moiety preferably having no aromatic content ; more particularly each a can vary independently and is preferably selected from methyl , ethyl , propyl , isopropyl , butyl , isobutyl , tert - butyl , c5 - c20 alkyl , and one , but not both , of the a moieties is benzyl , and combinations thereof . in one such complex , one a is methyl and one a is benzyl . the invention further includes the compositions which include the transition - metal complexes , preferably the mn , fe , cu and co complexes , or preferred cross - bridged macropolycyclic ligands having the formula : wherein in this formula “ r1 ” is independently selected from h , and linear or branched , substituted or unsubstituted c1 - c20 alkyl , alkylaryl , alkenyl or alkynyl , more preferably ri is alkyl or alkylaryl ; and preferably all nitrogen atoms in the macropoolycyclic rings are coordinated with the transition metal . each “ n ” is an integer independently selected from 1 and 2 , completing the valence of the carbon atom to which the r moieties are covalently bonded ; each “ r ” and “ r1 ” is independently selected from h , alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , aryl , alkylaryl ( e . g ., benzyl ), and heteroaryl , or r and / or r1 are covalently bonded to form an aromatic , heteroaromatic , cycloalkyl , or heterocycloalkyl ring , and wherein preferably all r are h and r1 are independently selected from linear or branched , substituted or unsubstituted c1 - c20 alkyl , alkenyl or alkynyl ; each “ a ” is a integer independently selected from 2 or 3 ; preferably all ! nitrogen atoms in the macropolycyclic rings are coordinated with the transition metal . in terms of the present invention , even though any of such ligands are known , the invention encompasses the use of these ligands in the form of their transition - metal complexes as oxidation catalysts , or in the form of the defined catalytic systems . in like manner , included in the definition of the preferred cross - bridged macropolycyclic ligands are those having the formula : wherein in either of these formulae , “ r 1 ” is independently selected from h , or , preferably , linear or branched , substituted or unsubstituted c1 - c20 alkyl , alkenyl or alkynyl ; and preferably all nitrogen atoms in the macropolycyclic rings are coordinated with the transition metal . the present invention has numerous variations and alternate embodiments . thus , in the foregoing catalytic systems , the macropolycyclic ligand can be replaced by any of the following : in the above , the r , r ′, r ″, r ′″ moieties can , for example , be methyl , ethyl or propyl . ( note that in the above formalism , the short straight strokes attached to certain n atoms are an alternate representation for a methyl group ). while the above illustrative structures involve tetra - aza derivatives ( four donor nitrogen atoms ), ligands and the corresponding complexes in accordance with the present invention can also be made , for example from any of the following : moreover , using only a single organic macropolycycle , preferably a cross - bridged derivative of cyclam , a wide range of oxidation catalyst compounds of the invention may be prepared ; numerous of these are believed to be novel chemical compounds . preferred transition - metal catalysts of both cyclam - derived and non - cyclam - derived cross - bridged kinds are illustrated , but not limited , by the following : in other embodiments of the invention , transition - metal complexes , such as the mn , fe , co , or cu complexes , especially ( ii ) and / or ( iii ) oxidation state complexes , of the hereinabove - identified metals with any of the following ligands are also included : wherein r1 is independently selected from h ( preferably non - h ) and linear or branched , substituted or unsubstituted c1 - c20 alkyl , alkenyl or alkynyl and l is any of the linking moieties given herein , for example 1 . 10 or 1 . 11 ; wherein r1 is as defined supra ; m , n , o and p can vary independently and are integers which can be zero or a positive integer and can vary independently while respecting the provision that the sum m + n + o + p is from 0 to 8 and l is any of the linking moieties defined herein ; wherein x and y can be any of the r1 defined supra , m , n , o and p are as defined supra and q is - n integer , preferably from 1 to 4 ; or , more generally , wherein l is any of the linking moieties herein , x and y can be any of the ri defined supra , and m , n , o and p are as defined supra . alternately , another useful ligand is : macropolycyclic rigid ligands and the corresponding transition - metal complexes and oxidation catalytic systems herein may also incorporate one or more pendant moieties , in addition to , or as a replacement for , r1 moieties . such pendant moieties are nonlimiting illustrated by any of the following : the counter ions y in formula ( al ) balance the charge z on the complex formed by the ligand l , metal m and coordinating species x . thus , if the charge z is positive , y may be an anion such as rcoo − , bph 4 − , clo 4 − , bf 4 − , pf 6 − , rso 3 − , rso 4 − , so 4 2 − , no 3 − , f − , cl − , br − , or i − , with r being hydrogen , optionally substituted alkyl or optionally substituted aryl . if z is negative , y may be a common cation such as an alkali metal , alkaline earth metal or ( alkyl ) ammonium cation . suitable counter ions y include those which give rise to the formation of storage - stable solids . preferred counter ions for the preferred metal complexes are selected from r 7 coo − , clo 4 − , bf 4 − , pf 6 − , rso 3 − ( in particular cf 3 so 3 − ), rso 4 − , so 4 2 − , no 3 − , f − , cl − , br − , and i − , wherein r represents hydrogen or optionally substituted phenyl , naphthyl or c 1 - c 4 alkyl . throughout the description and claims generic groups have been used , for example alkyl , alkoxy , aryl . unless otherwise specified the following are preferred group restrictions that may be applied to generic groups found within compounds disclosed herein : alkylene : selected from the group consisting of : methylene ; 1 , 1 - ethylene ; 1 , 2 - ethylene ; 1 , 1 - propylene ; 1 , 2 - propylene ; 1 , 3 - propylene ; 2 , 2 - propylene ; butan - 2 - ol - 1 , 4 - diyl ; propan - 2 - ol - 1 , 3 - diyl ; and 1 , 4 - butylene , aryl : selected from homoaromatic compounds having a molecular weight under 300 , arylene : selected from the group consisting of : 1 , 2 - benzene ; 1 , 3 - benzene ; 1 , 4 - benzene ; 1 , 2 - naphthalene ; 1 , 3 - naphthalene ; 1 , 4 - naphthalene ; 2 , 3 - naphthalene ; phenol - 2 , 3 - diyl ; phenol - 2 , 4 - diyl ; phenol - 2 , 5 - diyl ; and phenol - 2 ,- 6 - diyl , heteroaryl : selected from the group consisting of : pyrl - dinyl ; pyrimidinyl ; pyrazinyl ; triazolyl , pyridazinyl ; 1 , 3 , 5 - triazinyl ; quinolinyl ; isoquinolinyl ; quinoxalinyl ; imidazclyl ; pyrazolyl ; benzimidazolyl ; thiazolyl ; oxazolidinyl ; pyrrolyl ; carbazolyl ; indolyl ; and isoindolyl , heteroarylene : selected from the group consisting of : pyridin - 2 , 3 - diyl ; pyridin - 2 , 4 - diyl ; pyridin - 2 , 5 - diyl ; pyridin - 2 , 6 - diyl ; pyridin - 3 , 4 - diyl ; pyridin - 3 , 5 - diyl ; quinolin - 2 , 3 - diyl ; quinolin - 2 , 4 - diyl ; quinolin - 2 , 8 - diyl ; isoquinolin - 1 , 3 - diyl ; isoquinolin - 1 , 4 - diyl ; pyrazol - 1 , 3 - diyl ; pyrazol - 3 , 5 - diyl ; triazole - 3 , 5 - diyl ; triazole - 1 , 3diyl ; pyrazin - 2 , 5 - diyl ; and imidazole - 2 , 4 - diyl , heterocycloalkyl : selected from the group consisting of : pyrrolinyl ; pyrrolidinyl ; morpholinyl ; piperidinyl ; piperazinyl ; hexamethylene imine ; and oxazolidinyl , amine : the group — n ( r ) 2 wherein each r is independently selected from : hydrogen ; c1 - c6 - alkyl ; c1 - c6 - alkyl - c6h5 ; and phenyl , wherein when both r are c1 - c6 - alkyl both r together may form an — nc3 to an — nc5 heterocyclic ring with any remaining alkyl chain forming an alkyl substituent to the heterocyclic ring , halogen : selected from the group consisting of : f ; cl ; br and i , sulphonate : the group — s ( o ) 2 or , wherein r is selected from : hy - rogen ; c1 - c6 - alkyl ; phenyl ; c1 - c6 - alkyl - c6h5 ; li ; na ; k ; cs ; mg ; and ca , sulphate : the group — os ( o ) 2 or , wherein r is selected from : hydrogen ; c1 - c6 - alkyl ; phenyl ; c1 - c6 - alkyl - c6h5 ; li ; na ; k ; cs ; mg ; and ca , sulphone : the group — s ( o ) 2 r , wherein r is selected from : hydrogen ; c1 - c6 - alkyl ; phenyl ; c1 - c6 - alkyl - c6h5 and amine ( to give sulphonamide ) selected from the group : — nr ′ 2 , wherein each r ′ is independently selected from : hydrogen ; c1 - c6 - alkyl ; c1 - c6 - alkyl - c6h5 ; and phenyl , wherein when both r ′ are c1 - c6 - alkyl both ri together may form an — nc3 to an — nc5 heterocyclic ring with any remaining alkyl chain forming an alkyl substituent to the heterocyclic ring , carboxylate derivative : the group — c ( o ) or , wherein r is selected from : hydrogen , c1 - c6 - alkyl ; phenyl ; c1 - c6 - alkyl - c6h5 , li ; na ; k ; cs ; mg ; and ca , carbonyl derivative : the group — c ( o ) r , wherein r is selected from : hydrogen ; c1 - c6 - alkyl ; phenyl ; c1 - c6 - alkyl - c6h5 and amine ( to give amide ) selected from the group : — nr ′ 2 , wherein each r ′ is independently selected from : hydrogen ; c1 - c6 - alkyl ; c1 - c6 - alkyl - c6h5 ; and phenyl , wherein when both r ′ are c1 - c6 - alkyl both r ′ together may form an — nc3 to an — nc5 heterocyclic ring with any remaining alkyl chain forming an alkyl substituent to the heterocyclic ring , phosphonate : the group — p ( o )( or ) 2 , wherein each r is independently selected from : hydrogen ; c1 - c6 - alkyl ; phenyl ; c1 - c6 - alkyl - c6h5 ; li ; na ; k ; cs ; mg ; and ca , phosphate : the group — op ( o )( or ) 2 , wherein each r is independently selected from : hydrogen ; c1 - c6 - alkyl ; phenyl ; c1 - c6 - alkyl - c6h5 ; li ; na ; k ; cs ; mg ; and ca , phosphine : the group — p ( r ) 2 , wherein each r is independently selected from : hydrogen ; c1 - c6 - alkyl ; phenyl ; and c1 - c6 - alkyl - c6h5 , phosphine oxide : the group — p ( o ) r 2 , wherein r is independently selected from : hydrogen ; c1 - c6 - alkyl ; phenyl ; and c1 - c6 - alkyl - c6h5 ; and amine ( to give phosphonamidate ) selected from the group : — nr ′ 2 , wherein each r ′ is independently selected from : hydrogen ; c1 - c6 - alkyl ; c1 - c6 - alkyl - c6h5 ; and phenyl , wherein when both r ′ are c1 - c6 - alkyl both r ′ together may form an — nc3 to an — nc5 heterocyclic ring with any remaining alkyl chain forming an alkyl substituent to the heterocyclic ring . unless otherwise specified the following are more preferred group restrictions that may be applied to groups found within compounds disclosed herein : alkylene : selected from the group consisting of : methylene ; 1 , 2 - ethylene ; 1 , 3 - propylene ; butan - 2 - ol - 1 , 4 - diyl ; and 1 , 4 - butylene , aryl : selected from group consisting of : phenyl ; biphenyl , naphthalenyl ; anthracenyl ; and phenanthrenyl , arylene : selected from the group consisting of : 1 , 2 - benzene , 1 , 3 - benzene , 1 , 4 - benzene , 1 , 2 - naphthalene , 1 , 4 - naphthalene , 2 , 3 - naphthalene and phenol - 2 , 6 - diyl , heteroaryl : selected from the group consisting of : pyridinyl ; pyrimidinyl ; quinolinyl ; pyrazolyl ; triazolyl ; isoquinolinyl ; imidazolyl ; and oxazolidinyl , heteroarylene : selected from the group consisting of : 1pyridin - 2 , 3 - diyl ; pyridin - 2 , 4 - diyl ; pyridin - 2 , 6 - diyl ; pyridin - 3 , 5 - diyl ; quinolin - 2 , 3 - diyl ; quinolin - 2 , 4 - diyl ; isoquinolin - 1 , 3 - diyl ; isoquinolin - 1 , 4 - diyl ; pyrazol - 3 , 5 - diyl ; and imidazole - 2 , 4 - diyl , heterocycloalkyl : selected from the group consisting of : pyrrolidinyl ; morphollnyl ; piperidinyl ; and piperazinyl , amine : the group — n ( r ) 2 , wherein each r is independently selected from : hydrogen ; c1 - c6 - alkyl ; and benzyl , sulphonate : the group — s ( o ) 2 or , wherein r is selected from : hydrogen ; c1 - c6 - alkyl ; na ; k ; mg ; and ca , sulphate : the group — os ( o ) 2 or , wherein r is selected from : hydrogen ; c1 - c6 - alkyl ; na ; k ; mg ; and ca , sulphone : the group — s ( o ) 2 r , wherein r is selected from : hydrogen ; c1 - c6 - alkyl ; benzyl and amine selected from the group : — nr ′ 2 , wherein each r ′ is independently selected from : hydrogen ; c1 - c6 - alkyl ; and benzyl , carboxylate derivative : the group — c ( o ) or , wherein r is selected from hydrogen ; na ; k ; mg ; ca ; c1 - c6 - alkyl ; and benzyl , carbonyl derivative : the group : — c ( o ) r , wherein r is selected from : hydrogen ; c1 - c6 - alkyl ; benzyl and amine selected from the group : — nr ′ 2 , wherein each r ′ is independently selected from : hydrogen ; c1 - c6 - alkyl ; and benzyl , phosphonate : the group — p ( o )( or ) 2 , wherein each r is independently selected from : hydrogen ; c1 - c6 - alkyl , benzyl ; na ; k ; mg ; and ca , phosphate : the group — op ( o )( or ) 2 , wherein each r is independently selected from : hydrogen ; c1 - c6 - alkyl ; benzyl ; na ; k ; mia ; and ca , phosohine : the group — p ( r ) 2 , wherein each r is independently selected from : hydrogen ; c1 - c6 - alkyl ; and benzyl , phosphine oxide : the group — p ( o ) r 2 , wherein r is independently selected from : hydrogen ; c1 - c6 - alkyl ; benzyl and amine selected from the group : — nr ′ 2 , wherein each r ′ is independently selected from : hydrogen ; c1 - c6 - alkyl ; and benzyl . the air bleach catalyst and may be used in a detergent composition specifically suited for stain bleaching purposes , and this constitutes a second aspect of the invention . to that extent , the composition comprises a surfactant and optionally other conventional detergent ingredients . the invention in its second aspect provides an enzymatic detergent composition which comprises from 0 . 1 - 50 % by weight , based on the total detergent composition , of one or more surfactants . this surfactant system may in turn comprise 0 - 95 % by weight of one or more anionic surfactants and 5 to 100 % by weight of one or more nonionic surfactants . the surfactant system may additionally contain amphoteric or zwitterionic detergent compounds , but this in not normally desired owing to their relatively high cost . the enzymatic detergent composition according to the invention will generally be used as a dilution in water of about 0 . 05 to 2 %. in general , the nonionic and anionic surfactants of the surfactant system may be chosen from the surfactants described “ surface active agents ” vol . 1 , by schwartz & amp ; perry , interscience 1949 , vol . 2 by schwartz , perry & amp ; berch , interscience 1958 , in the current edition of “ mccutcheon &# 39 ; s emulsifiers and detergents ” published by manufacturing confectioners company or in “ tenside - taschenbuch ”, h . stache , 2nd edn ., carl hauser verlag , 1981 . suitable nonionic detergent compounds which may be used include , in particular , the reaction products of compounds having a hydrophobic group and a reactive hydrogen atom , for example , aliphatic alcohols , acids , amides or alkyl phenols with alkylene oxides , especially ethylene oxide either alone or with propylene oxide . specific nonionic detergent compounds are c 6 - c 22 alkyl phenol - ethylene oxide condensates , generally 5 to 25 eo , i . e . 5 to 25 units of ethylene oxide per molecule , and the condensation products of aliphatic c 8 - c 18 primary or secondary linear or branched alcohols with ethylene oxide , generally 5 to 40 eo . suitable anionic detergent compounds which may be used are usually water - soluble alkali metal salts of organic sulphates and sulphonates having alkyl radicals containing from about 8 to about 22 carbon atoms , the term alkyl being used to include the alkyl portion of higher acyl radicals . examples of suitable synthetic anionic detergent compounds are sodium and potassium alkyl sulphates , especially those obtained by sulphating higher c 8 - c 18 alcohols , produced for example from tallow or coconut oil , sodium and potassium alkyl c 9 - c 20 benzene sulphonates , particularly sodium linear secondary alkyl c 10 - c 15 benzene sulphonates ; and sodium alkyl glyceryl ether sulphates , especially those ethers of the higher alcohols derived from tallow or coconut oil and synthetic alcohols derived from petroleum . the preferred anionic detergent compounds are sodium c 11 - c 15 alkyl benzene sulphonates and sodium c 12 - c 18 alkyl sulphates . also applicable are surfactants such as those described in ep - a - 328 177 ( unilever ), which show resistance to salting - out , the alkyl polyglycoside surfactants described in ep - a - 070 074 , and alkyl monoglycosides . preferred surfactant systems are mixtures of anionic with nonionic detergent active materials , in particular the groups and examples of anionic and nonionic surfactants pointed out in ep - a - 346 995 ( unilever ). especially preferred is surfactant system that is a mixture of an alkali metal salt of a c 16 - c 18 primary alcohol sulphate together with a c 12 - c 15 primary alcohol 3 - 7 eo ethoxylate . the nonionic detergent is preferably present in amounts greater than 10 %, e . g . 25 - 90 % by weight of the surfactant system . anionic surfactants can be present for example in amounts in the range from about 5 % to about 40 % by weight of the surfactant system . one skilled in the art will appreciate that some adventitious peroxyl species may be in the composition nevertheless it is most preferred that the bleaching composition of the present invention has less that 1 %, preferably less than 0 . 1 %, most preferably less than 0 . 01 %, of a peroxyl species present . the detergent composition may take any suitable physical form , such as a powder , granular composition , tablets , a paste or an anhydrous gel . the composition may contain additional enzymes as found in wo 01 / 00768 a1 page 15 , line 25 to page 19 , line 29 , the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference . builders , polymers and other enzymes as optional ingredients may also be present as found in wo0060045 . suitable detergency builders as optional ingredients may also be present as found in wo0034427 . the composition of the present invention may be used for laundry cleaning , hard surface cleaning ( including cleaning of lavatories , kitchen work surfaces , floors , mechanical ware washing etc .). as is generally known in the art , bleaching compositions are also employed in waste - water treatment , pulp bleaching during the manufacture of paper , leather manufacture , dye transfer inhibition , food processing , starch bleaching , sterilisation , whitening in oral hygiene preparations and / or contact lens disinfection . in the context of the present invention , bleaching should be understood as relating generally to the decolourisation of stains or of other materials attached to or associated with a substrate . however , is envisaged that the present invention can be applied where a requirement is the removal and / or neutralisation by an oxidative bleaching reaction of malodours or other undesirable components attached to or otherwise associated with a substrate . furthermore , in the context of the present invention bleaching is to be understood as being restricted to any bleaching mechanism or process that does not require the presence of light or activation by light . in typical washing compositions the level of the air bleach catalyst is such that the in - use level is from 1 μm to 50 mm , with preferred in - use levels for domestic laundry operations falling in the range 10 to 100 μm . higher levels may be desired and applied in industrial bleaching processes , such as textile and paper pulp bleaching . preferably , the air bleaching composition of the present invention provides in an aqueous medium a ph in the range from ph 6 to 13 , more preferably from ph 6 to 11 , still more preferably from ph 8 to 11 , and most preferably from ph 8 to 10 , in particular from ph 9 to 10 . the invention will now be further illustrated by way of the following non - limiting examples : the ligand n , n - bis ( pyridin - 2 - yl - methyl )- 1 , 1 - bis ( pyridin - 2 - yl )- 1 - aminoethane ( men4py ) was prepared as described in ep 0 909 809 a2 . the ligand men4py ( 33 . 7 g ; 88 . 5 mmoles ) was dissolved in 500 ml dry methanol . small portions of fecl 2 . 4h 2 o ( 0 . 95 ea ; 16 . 7 g ; 84 . 0 mmoles ) were added , yielding a clear red solution . after addition , the solution was stirred for 30 minutes at room temperature , after which the methanol was removed ( rotary - evaporator ). the dry solid was ground and 150 ml of ethylacetate was added and the mixture was stirred until a fine red powder was obtained . this powder was washed twice with ethyl acetate , dried in the air and further dried under reduced pressure vacuum at 40 ° c . el . anal . calc . for [ fe ( men4py ) cl ] cl . 2h 2 o : c , 53 . 03 ; h , 5 . 16 ; n , 12 . 89 ; cl , 13 . 07 ; fe , 10 . 01 %. found c , 52 . 29 / 52 . 03 ; h , 5 . 05 / 5 . 03 ; n , 12 . 55 / 12 . 61 ; cl , 12 . 73 / 12 . 69 ; fe , 10 . 06 / 10 . 01 %. in the following experimental examples sokalan ® cp5 was used as a non acidic binder and sokalan ® cp45 as an acidic binder . both binders were used in the form of 40 % aqueous solutions . sokalan ® cp5 is the sodium salt of an acrylic acid - maleic acid copolymer manufactured by basf having a molecular weight of about 70 , 000 . sokalan ® cp5 is supplied either as a dry powder or as a 40 % aqueous solution having a ph of approximately 8 . sokalan ® cp45 is a partially neutralised polymer of an acrylic acid - maleic acid copolymer manufactured by basf having a molecular weight of about 70 , 000 . sokalan ® cp45 is supplied either as a dry powder or as a 40 % aqueous solution having a ph of approximately 4 . non - acidic catalyst granules were prepared by mixing fe ( men4py ) cl ] cl ( 5 . 23 g ) with sodium sulphate ( 94 . 76 g ) in a laboratory scale high shear mixer / granulator followed by addition of 15 . 05 g of a 40 % sokalan cp5 solution . the obtained wet granulate was dried in a laboratory scale fluid bed at air inlet temperature of about 80 ° c . during about 5 minutes . acidic catalyst granules were prepared by mixing fe ( men4py ) cl ] cl ( 5 . 23 g ) with sodium sulphate ( 94 . 33 g ) in a laboratory scale high shear mixer / granulator followed by addition of 15 . 67 g of a 40 % sokalan cp45 solution . the obtained wet granulate was dried in a laboratory scale fluid bed at an air inlet temperature of about 80 ° c . during about 5 minutes . the acidic catalyst granules and non - acidic catalyst granules ( 0 . 06 g ) were individually processed by mixing 4 . 5 g detergent base powder ( see below ) and stored in open topped bottles at 28 ° c . and at a relative humidity of ( rh ) 76 % in the absense of any added peroxyl species . at periodic intervals samples were removed and their bleach activity measured . we have found that not all peroxyl activating catalysts are capable of functioning as an oxygen activation catalyst . in contrast , we have found that most oxygen activation catalysts will function as peroxyl activating catalysts . we have found that bleaching of a bc - 1 stain ( tea stain ) with hydrogen peroxide is a reliable assay of active catalyst . in this regard , the activity of the air bleaching composition is tested in this manner . the reason for doing this is that the bleach response of the bleach monitor ( bc1 — tea stain ) is more reproducible than the bleach response of a tomato or curry oil stain when used as a bleach monitor in oxygen activation . we have previously established that : 1 ) bleach activity of fe ( men4cy ) cl ] cl in peroxide activation mode correlates with its activity in oxygen activation mode , and 2 ) in the concentration range in which we test the catalyst performance , the response of the peroxyl bleaching with a bc1 testcloth is linear with catalyst concentration . base detergent component powder (%) nalas 23 . 0000 silicate 6 . 6995 stpp 14 . 5000 sulphate p 0 . 4165 sulphate added 31 . 4317 carbonate 17 . 5000 scmc 0 . 3550 cationic ( 40 %) 0 . 9426 cbs slurry 0 . 0653 dms slurry 0 . 1160 dye 0 . 0143 amilase 0 . 2840 savinase 12t 0 . 4735 lipolase 100t 0 . 1893 impurities 0 . 3804 water 3 . 5820 sub - total 68 . 5183 total 100 . 0000 test cloths were washed for 30 minutes ( 100 rpm ) in a tergotometer at 40 ° c . using a solution of 1 . 25 g of sodium percarbonate in 1 l of demin . water . after washing the test cloth were wrung out by hand and given a single rinse by immersion in tap water at a liquor to cloth ratio of 100 : 1 . when dr ; the reflectance of the monitor cloths was measured using a hunterlab ultrascan xe . two controls were used both with a base detergent as defined above . one to represent 0 % air bleach catalyst together with 1 . 25 g sodium percarbonate . another to represent 100 % air bleach catalyst together with 1 . 25 g sodium percarbonate . the bleaching results obtained from test compositions were compared to a control that was equivalent to the amount of air bleaching catalyst present in the compositions as initially made and added in the wash experiment . after washing , the cloths are left to dry in the dark overnight . the reflection measurements are then taking and δe recorded ( with respect to the white tile measurement ). from these numbers it is then possible to calculate the % bleach activity by comparing the storage sample results with the 0 % and 100 % controls using the following equation : table 1 below shows the activity in terms of comparison with the activity of a freshly prepared formulation . the results in table 1 show a substantial advantage provided by the present invention to the stability of the air bleaching composition by use of an acidic component	2
in the following detailed description , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention . however , it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details . in other instances , well - known methods , procedures , components and circuits have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the present invention . the present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a frequency detect and fold mechanism . accordingly , when the frequency shift exceeds a boundary value , then a predetermined frequency shift is enforced . reference is now made to fig2 a , 2 b , 2 c and 2 d . fig2 a is a schematic illustration of frequency versus power , describing the initial stage of a frequency synchronization procedure , operative in accordance with the present invention fig2 b is a schematic illustration of frequency versus power , describing the secondary stage of a frequency synchronization procedure , operative in accordance with the present invention . fig2 c is a schematic illustration of frequency versus power , describing the third stage of a frequency synchronization procedure , operative in accordance with the present invention . fig2 d is a schematic illustration of frequency versus power , describing the final stage of a frequency synchronization procedure , operative in accordance with the present invention . the schematic illustration provided by fig2 a describes the frequency 100 of a base station transmitting a desired signal , having a value f base , a frequency 104 of a mobile unit , having an initial value f 0 mobile , and a frequency 102 of a neighbor transmitter , having the value of f neighbor , wherein in conventional communication standards , such as amps , namps , jtacs , ntacs , usdc - tdma and the like , the initial value of f 0 mobile of the mobile unit frequency 104 can be shifted from the value f base of the base station frequency 100 , by no more than a predetermined frequency gap δf . another condition set by these standards is that any neighbor transmitter will transmit in a frequency f neighbor , which is considerably shifted from f base . accordingly \| f base − f neighbor \|& gt ; 2δf . the method of the present invention generally searches the received spectrum within a frequency range of [ f 0 mobile − δf , f 0 mobile + δf ], for stabilized frequency values . according to the invention at the initial stage ( i . e ., at frequency f 0 mobile ) the mobile unit detects all of the signals of transmitters in its vicinity and detects the frequency of the signal with the highest received power , which in the present example is the neighbor transmitted frequency 102 . accordingly , the mobile unit commences shifting its frequency 104 from the value of f 0 mobile , towards the value f neighbor of neighbor transmitter frequency 102 . the present invention makes use of the above limitations , of conventional communication standards , which outline that the initial value f 0 mobile of the mobile unit frequency 104 has to be within a frequency gap of δf from the value f base , of the base transmitter frequency 100 . accordingly , any shift from the initial stage f 0 mobile , cannot exceed the value of δf . after the frequency 104 of the mobile unit has progressed towards the neighbor transmitter frequency 102 value f neighbor , by a frequency shift 110 , having a value of δf , to the value f 1 mobile , then , according to the invention , any further progress in this direction would result in a detection error and hence , should not be pursued . at this stage , the present invention determines a reversed path 112 for frequency 104 ( fig2 c ) for shifting frequency 104 from the value of f 1 mobile to the value of f 2 mobile wherein the shift value of this reverse path 112 , is a frequency gap which is twice the value of δf . at the final stage ( fig2 d ) the spectrum is searched , thereby detecting the base frequency 100 as the dominant signal . accordingly , the mobile unit 104 commences shifting its frequency towards base frequency 100 , from the value of f 2 mobile to f base . this shift is shown by path 114 . according to the present example , no direction is enforced for path 114 . it will be noted that applying a filter , such as filter 106 , improves the performance of an initial synchronization process , according to the invention . as illustrated in fig2 c , as long as the filter size is less than \| f base − f neighbor \|× 2 , ( provided that the filter is generally symmetrical ), wherein f neighbor is not a high power signal , then , f neighbor would not be detected as a major signal by the receiver of the mobile unit , in the original direction of progress . reference is now made to fig3 which is a schematic illustration of a device for synchronizing frequencies , generally referenced 200 , constructed and operative in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the invention . device 200 includes a frequency shift unit 202 , an intermediate frequency ( if ) filter 204 connected to the frequency shift unit 202 , a frequency shift detector 206 connected to the if filter 204 , a loop filter 208 connected to the frequency shift detector 206 , a non - linear controller 210 connected to the loop filter 208 , and a voltage control oscillator ( vco ) 212 , connected to the non - linear controller 210 and to the frequency shift unit 202 . it will be noted that vco 212 can be replaced with any type of controlled oscillator . the frequency shift unit 202 is further connected to an antenna 220 . the frequency shift detector 206 is further connected to a host 222 . the host 222 provides a reference frequency value to the frequency shift detector 206 . the antenna 220 detects frequency signals of neighbor transmitters wherein one of these detected frequency signals is transmitted by a base station . the antenna 220 provides these received frequency signals to the frequency shift unit 202 . the vco 212 generates a signal having a frequency and provides it to frequency shift unit 202 . frequency shift unit 202 shifts frequencies received from antenna 220 according to the frequency provided by the vco and provides the results to the if filter 204 . the if filter 204 filters some of these frequencies and provides the remaining ones to the frequency shift detector 206 . the frequency shift detector 206 attempts to detect the frequency shift of each of these shifted frequencies from the reference frequency value , provided by the host 222 . accordingly , the frequency shift detector 206 determines a frequency shift value and provides it to the loop filter 208 . the loop filter 208 stores information regarding the history of the frequency shifts performed by device 200 and accordingly determines a frequency shift direction and provides it with the frequency shift value to the non - linear controller 210 . the non - linear controller 210 detects if the overall shift , up until this stage has exceeded the value of δf . if so , then the non - linear controller 210 provides vco 212 with the command to generate a reversed frequency shift such as the one according to path 112 ( fig2 c ). if not , then the non - linear control 210 provides the vco 212 with a frequency shift value and a frequency shift direction for further shifting the frequency towards the most dominant received frequency . then the vco 212 provides a new shift frequency to the frequency shift unit 202 and the process is repeated from the beginning . it will be noted that when using a slow loop filter , such as software implemented loop filter , it would be difficult for such a loop filter to process a considerable shift such as the one defined by path 112 , since such shifts are compared to frequency behavior history contained therein . according to a further aspect of the invention when the non - linear controller 210 determines a 2δf shift , it also sends a clear command back to the loop filter 208 , thereby erasing the information regarding the frequency shift history contained in the memory of loop filter 208 . this operation enables the loop filter 208 to further process considerable frequency shifts . it will be noted that the terms base , mobile and neighbor are presented as a matter of convenience only . the present invention is applicable for any type of initial frequency acquisition in the presence of a high power adjacent channel , wherein the base of the above example is assigned to a main transmitter emitting the desired signal , the mobile of the above example is assigned to a receiver and the neighbor of the above example is assigned to an adjacent interfering transmitter . it will be noted that each of the main transmitter , the adjacent transmitter and the receiver may be implemented for a mobile unit , a base unit and the like . reference is now made to fig4 which is a schematic illustration of a method for operating the device 200 of fig3 , operative in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention . in step 300 , the device 200 stores the value f 0 of the internal initial frequency f . f 0 is used to determine , later on , the total amount of shift from the initial frequency . it will be noted that for this purpose , the device 200 can store and accumulate the values of the later frequency shifts , instead . in step 302 , the device 200 detects incoming frequency signals . in step 304 , the device 200 filters the incoming frequency signals , thereby obtaining selected frequencies . in step 306 , the device 200 determines a target frequency value f target , from the selected frequencies . in the present example ( fig2 a ), the device 200 ( fig3 ) selects the right side signal 102 ( f neighbor ), as the target frequency f target . in step 308 , the device 200 progresses the internal frequency f towards the target frequency f target by a predetermined frequency step f step . it will be noted that f step can be determined using a range of considerations , such as speed , accuracy and the like . in general , f step is determined to be significantly smaller than δf , thereby yielding higher accuracy . it will further be noted that f step can be infinitesimal thereby yielding an analog like behavior . in step 310 , the device 200 detects if the internal frequency f was shifted beyond a first frequency boundary represented by a gap of δf . if so , then the device 200 proceeds to step 312 . otherwise , the device 200 proceeds to step 314 . in step 312 , the device 200 reverses f by 2δf to shift the internal frequency f to a second frequency boundary . in the present example ( fig2 c ), reverse path 112 , describes such a reverse shift , from the value of f 1 mobile to the value of f 2 mobile . then , the device 200 repeats the steps of the above method , from step 302 . it will be noted that at this stage , signal 102 appears to be outside of the filtering bandwidth of filter 106 , thereby leaving the base station frequency signal 100 , the strongest , at the output of filter 106 . accordingly , the device 200 determines f base as f target . in step 314 , the device 200 detects if the internal frequency f is synchronized with the target frequency f target . if so , then the device 200 has completed the initial frequency acquisition procedure and accordingly , locks the frequency f ( step 316 ). otherwise , the device 200 repeats the steps of the above method , from step 302 . the method of fig4 overcomes a situation where there exists an interfering neighbor frequency such as f neighbor ( reference numeral 102 ) on one side of the spectrum . in a situation where there exist interfering neighbor frequencies on both sides of the base frequency f base , the present invention provides a slightly different solution , as will be disclosed hereinbelow . reference is now made to fig2 e and 2f . fig2 e is a schematic illustration of frequency versus power , describing a stage of a frequency synchronization procedure , operative in accordance with another aspect of the present invention . fig2 f is a schematic illustration of frequency versus power , describing a final stage of a frequency synchronization procedure , operative in accordance with another aspect of the present invention . according to the present example , there exists an additional neighbor frequency 120 having a value of f * neighbor , on the left side of the base frequency 100 f base . when the mobile frequency completes the 2δf frequency shift 112 , additional neighbor frequency 120 falls within the filtering bandwidth of filter 106 , together with base frequency 100 . it will be noted that if , at the output of filter 106 , the signal of the additional neighbor frequency 120 appears to be stronger than the signal of the base frequency 100 , then , according to the method of fig3 , the mobile frequency 104 would be drawn towards the additional neighbor frequency 120 . according to another aspect of the present invention , the initial direction set forth in the second stage ( i . e ., the direction of frequency shift 110 , ( fig2 b )), is stored . in the present example , this direction is from left to right . then , after the mobile frequency completes the 2δf frequency shift 112 , the acquisition mechanism continues searching in that initial direction , only . it will be noted that such forced search direction provides an accurate acquisition of the desired base frequency , in one or less search cycle . in a more detailed form , at the final stage ( fig2 f ) the spectrum is searched again in the direction set forth in the initial stage ( i . e ., the direction of shift 110 ), thereby detecting the base frequency 100 as the dominant signal . accordingly , a path 122 is set towards base frequency 100 , for shifting mobile frequency 104 from the value of f 2 mobile to f base . it will be noted that the present invention provides a search shift step which can be calibrated at each search stage . for example , on the one hand , in the presence of a powerful additional neighbor 120 , frequency shift 122 may include a large number of infinitesimal frequency shift steps . otherwise , frequency shift 122 may include a small number of larger frequency shift steps . reference is now made to fig5 a and 5b . fig5 a is a schematic illustration of a method for operating the device 200 of fig3 , operative in accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention . fig5 b is a schematic illustration in detail of step 406 of the method of fig5 a . in step 400 , the device 200 stores the value f 0 of the internal initial frequency f . in step 402 , the device 200 detects incoming frequency signals . in step 404 , the device 200 filters the incoming frequency signals , thereby obtaining selected frequencies . in step 406 , the device 200 determines frequency step f step and a frequency advance direction , in a way which is described in detail in fig5 b . in step 418 , if the detection performed according to step 402 is the first detection in the current acquisition cycle , then the device 200 proceeds to step 420 . otherwise , the device 200 proceeds to step 408 . in step 420 , the device 200 determines an initial advance direction which will be constant during the present acquisition cycle , and proceeds to step 408 . in step 408 , the device 200 progresses the internal frequency f by frequency step f step , in the advance direction . in step 410 , the device 200 detects if the internal frequency f was shifted beyond a gap of δf . if so , then the device 200 proceeds to step 412 . otherwise , the device 200 proceeds to step 414 . in step 412 , the device 200 reverses f by 2δf . in the present example ( fig2 e ), reverse path 112 , describes such a reverse shift , from the value of f 1 mobile to f 2 mobile . then , the device 200 repeats the steps of the above method , from step 402 . it will be noted that at this stage , additional neighbor frequency signal 120 falls within the filtering bandwidth of filter 106 , which poses a problem if additional neighbor frequency signal 120 appears stronger than the base station signal 100 , at the output of filter 106 . referring now to fig5 b , the device 200 determines a target frequency value f target from the selected frequencies ( step 430 ). in the present example , when the mobile frequency is at a value of f 0 mobile ( fig2 a ), the device 200 ( fig3 ) selects the right side signal 102 ( f neighbor ), as the target frequency f target . alternatively , when the mobile frequency is at a value of f 2 mobile ( fig2 e ), the device 200 ( fig3 ) selects the left side signal 120 ( f * neighbor ), as the target frequency f target . in step 432 , if the detection performed according to step 402 is the first detection in the current acquisition cycle , then , the device 200 proceeds to step 440 . in step 434 , the device 200 determines an advance direction from the mobile frequency value f and the target frequency value f target . in step 436 , if the advance direction determined in step 434 is equal to the initial advance direction , determined in step 420 , then the device 200 proceeds to step 440 . otherwise , the device 200 proceeds to step 438 . it will be noted that a situation where these directions are not equal occurs , for example , when a neighbor signal , such as the one of additional neighbor frequency 120 , appears to be stronger than the signal of the base frequency 100 , at the output of the filter 106 . in step 440 , the device 200 determines the frequency step f step according to the position of f and f target . in the present example , f step ≦\| f − f target \|. in step 438 , the device 200 determines the advance direction to be the initial advance direction . in step 442 , the device 200 determines a relatively small value for frequency step f step . it will be noted that , according to the present example , the size of f step is smaller , compared to the size of δf . referring back to fig5 a , wherein if the device 200 detects if the internal frequency f is synchronized with the target frequency f target ( step 414 ), then the device 200 proceeds to step 416 and locks f . otherwise , the device 200 repeats the steps of the above method , from step 402 . hence , the method of fig5 a and 5b overcomes a situation where there exist interfering neighbor frequencies such as f neighbor ( reference numeral 102 ) and f *− neighbor ( reference numeral 120 ) on either side of the f base . while certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein , many modifications , substitutions , changes , and equivalents will now occur to those of ordinary skill in the art . it is , therefore , to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the spirit of the invention .	7
as used herein the specification , “ a ” or “ an ” may mean one or more . as used herein in the claim ( s ), when used in conjunction with the word “ comprising ”, the words “ a ” or “ an ” may mean one or more than one . as used herein “ another ” or “ other ” may mean at least a second or more of the same or different claim element or components thereof . furthermore , unless otherwise required by context , singular terms shall include pluralities and plural terms shall include the singular . as used herein , the term “ or ” in the claims is used to mean “ and / or ” unless explicitly indicated to refer to alternatives only or the alternatives are mutually exclusive , although the disclosure supports a definition that refers to only alternatives and “ and / or .” the present invention provides a dispensing device , generally designated 1 , ( fig1 ). such dispensing device 1 includes a stand - alone vertical frame 2 ( fig2 a , 2 b ). the vertical frame 2 comprises a lower surface , 3 and an upper surface 4 . the lower surface 3 may have a perimeter p 1 that is greater in magnitude than the perimeter p 2 of the upper surface 4 , in order to stabilize the apparatus . in a presently preferred embodiment , the frame 2 is comprised of aluminum . frame 2 may , however , also be comprised of suitable material know to those of ordinary skill in this art , including plastic , glass , steel , titanium or combinations thereof . in a presently preferred embodiment , the frame 2 has a grip 5 to enable easy transportation of the apparatus . the frame 2 further features a pin connector 6 on top in order to fasten the chamber 11 to the upper surface 4 of the frame 2 . the frame 2 also has handle clips 7 a , b for fastening the handle 21 . the frame 2 has multiple receptacles , 8 embedded on its sides . means for supporting containers , 9 are locked at desired heights on suitable receptacle , 8 by means of locking means 91 ( fig5 ). in the present embodiment , the handle 21 features a grip , 22 , and pin connectors , 23 , for fastening the handle to the handle clips 7 a , b of the frame 2 ( fig1 , fig4 ). once fastened to the frame 2 , there is a 2 - inch clearance between the grip 22 and the frame 2 . in certain embodiments , the handle comprises a first and second end independently attached to the frame , and the handle further comprises indentations for receiving fingers . in the present embodiment , the means for supporting containers 9 are at least 0 . 5 inches in thickness and manufactured from plastic or aluminum or other durable material . additionally , the means for supporting the containers may also comprise mats with non - slip grip . in certain embodiments , the means for supporting the containers may also comprise a retractable means 10 of gripping the container ( fig5 ). in all embodiments , the supporting containers 9 comprise a locking means 91 in order to lock the supporting containers , 9 at desired heights on suitable receptacle 8 . in a presently preferred embodiment , the chamber 11 is dome shaped and made of plastic ( fig1 , 3 ). in other embodiments , the chamber 11 may be made of glass or lightweight aluminum . in some of these embodiments , the chamber may be hexagonal or octagonal in shape . in a presently preferred embodiment , the chamber 11 comprises a spout 12 shaped like a traditional bottle opening for dispensing the fluid . in this embodiment , the spout is sealed by means of a screw - on lid . in other embodiments , the spout 12 may be shaped like the opening of a sport - bottle . in a presently preferred embodiment , the chamber 11 further comprises inlets 13 a , b that are pre - fabricated to fit the outlets of individual fluid containers ( fig3 ). the inlets 13 a , b are designed to prevent liquid from leaking from the containers once such liquid - containers are inverted for dispensing of liquid or solid from within . in certain embodiments , the inlets 13 a , b are threaded on the internal surface ( fig3 ). in some embodiments , the inlets 13 a , b further comprise a means 15 a , b of preventing contact of fluid from the chamber 11 with the liquid containers , said means remains closed in the upright ( rest ) position of the apparatus and opens when apparatus is tilted . in the presently preferred embodiment , the chamber 11 is secured to pin connector 6 of the upper surface 4 of the frame 2 by means of the female fixed support 14 placed inside the chamber 11 such that frame 2 supports the chamber 11 . in certain embodiments , the chamber 11 further comprises a receptacle that frictionally embraces and retains the top end of the frame 2 . in certain embodiments of the instant invention there is provided a dispensing device comprising : a frame comprising an upper surface and a lower surface ; a chamber attachable to the upper surface of said frame , the chamber comprising a spout and at least two inlets ; and two or more means for supporting containers , the means attached to a receptacle on the frame . in certain embodiments , the frame of the dispensing device of the present invention may be of any desirable size or shape , including but not limited to cylindrical , hexagonal , rectangular or octagonal . in these embodiments , the frame may be comprised of any suitable material , including but not limited to aluminum , plastic , titanium or steel . in all embodiments of the instant invention , the frame has a lower surface that has a perimeter p 1 , that is greater in magnitude than the perimeter p 2 of the upper surface of the frame . in all embodiments , the frame comprises multiple receptacles for attachment of a means for the supporting container . in certain embodiments of the instant invention , the means for supporting containers are platforms such as flat platforms and the platforms being circular , semi - circular , rectangular , square , hexagonal or octagonal . in other embodiments , the means for supporting containers are receptacles comprising an exterior wall , a closed bottom , and an open top . in certain embodiments , the means for supporting the containers also comprise mats with non - slip grip to ensure stability of the containers . in all embodiments , the means for supporting containers comprise a locking means for attachment to the receptacle on the frame . in certain embodiments of the dispensing device of the present invention , the chamber is dome - shaped , cylindrical , hexagonal , rectangular or octagonal . in most of these embodiments , the chamber is comprised of aluminum , plastic , titanium , steel or combinations thereof . in certain embodiments , the chamber has an internal surface comprising inlets threaded thereon to which a fluid container is threadably attached . in certain other embodiments , the chamber frictionally embraces and retains the top of the fluid container . in certain embodiments , the chamber further comprises a spout and a built - in capping mechanism . a preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a dispensing device comprising : a frame comprising an upper surface and a lower surface wherein the lower surface has a perimeter that is greater in magnitude than the perimeter of the upper surface ; two or more means for supporting containers , the means attached to a receptacle on the frame ; and a dome - shaped chamber attachable by means of pin connector to said upper surface of said frame , the chamber further comprising a spout and at least two inlets for containers , the inlets further comprising means of preventing contact of fluid from the chamber with the containers . another preferred embodiment of the dispensing device of the present invention consists of a dispensing device comprising : a frame comprising an upper surface and a lower surface wherein the lower surface has a perimeter that is greater in magnitude than the perimeter of the upper surface ; two or more means for supporting containers which are attached to a receptacle on the frame , the means for supporting containers further comprising mats with non - stick grip ; a chamber comprising a receptacle that frictionally embraces and retains the top end of the frame , the chamber further comprising one spout and at least two inlets that are threaded and further comprise means of preventing contact of fluid from chamber with the containers . unless otherwise specified in the embodiments , all connectors used are pins with corresponding female components embedded in the mixing chamber or the cylindrical frame as required . in certain embodiments , the grips are manufactured from rubber , industrial foam or plastic . in other certain embodiments , the grips further comprise indentations for receiving fingers . while presently preferred and various alternative embodiments of the present invention have been described in sufficient detail above to enable a person skilled in the relevant art to make and use the same it should be obvious that various other adaptations and modifications can be envisioned by those persons skilled in such art without departing from either the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims .	1
a semiconductor package 12 containing a semiconductor chip 14 in which part of the encapsulation is removed is shown in fig1 . the chip 14 supports a multi - conductor lead frame 15 whose leads or conductors 18 are electrically connected to respective terminals 17 on the surface of the semiconductor chip 14 by bonding wires 16 . during encapsulation in material 19 , the conductors 18 are supported as a unit by the lead frame bar 20 shown in phantom in fig1 . after the encapsulation material is hardened , this lead frame bar 20 is removed . the term &# 34 ; lead frame &# 34 ;, as used herein , has a definite meaning in the semiconductor art . the material , thickness , strength , etc . of such lead frames has long been specified and known to the art , such that the use of the term &# 34 ; lead frame &# 34 ; is all that is necessary to purchase such items . in essence , the term &# 34 ; lead frame &# 34 ;, means a metal structure , preferably a spot plated copper alloy , formed from sheet stock and a sufficient size and strength to meet specific mechanical strength requirements . for example , such a lead frame is discussed in the semiconductor international , april , 1985 . in the present invention the lead frame is typically between 0 . 005 and 0 . 015 inches thick and comprised of a number of fingers or conductors between 0 . 008 and 0 . 017 inches wide . these conductors are thus of a sufficient mechanical strength to be successfully handled and inserted into sockets or assembled and soldered to printed circuit boards . as shown in fig1 the interior portions of the lead frame conductors 18 extend over the semiconductor chip 14 but are separated from the semiconductor chip surface by an interposer 22 that can also serve both as an insulator and / or as an alpha particle barrier . when it is desired that this interposer 22 be also an alpha particle barrier , then it should be comprised of a polymeric film having thermal stability at temperatures of 175 degrees c . and not contain an ionizable species such as halides and active metals , including sodium , potassium , and phosphorus . polyimide films are suitable for such use as alpha barriers . one such polyimide film is sold under the trade name kapton . desirably , such kapton films should be between 1 . 0 and 2 . 0 mils in thickness and may be thermally enhanced by alumina or silicon nitride . the interposer layer 22 can also be solely an adhesive layer , so long as it is electrically insulating . in use , such an adhesive layer is applied to the lead frame conductors or the top active surface of chip 14 ; i . e ., the major upper surface of the chip which contains the chip terminals 17 . to absolutely assure there is no possibility of short circuit to the chip , in spite of the fact that the chips are coated with this passivating insulating adhesive , it is preferable to further use a dielectric interposer positioned between the lead frame conductors and the chip . when such an interposer is used , the adhesive layer should be applied to both surfaces of the interposer with suitable adhesive materials . adhesives which are suitable for use for attaching the lead frame conductors to the semiconductor chip or to such a dielectric interposer can be selected from the group of epoxies , acrylics , and polyimides containing phenolics , such as polyimide - butyral : phenolic . once the lead frame 15 has been suitably secured to the surface of the chip , wires 16 are bonded to the tips of selected lead frame conductors 18 and bonded to selected chip terminals 17 . each wire extends from the tip of a selected lead frame conductor to a selected chip terminal . once the desired wire bonds are in place , as shown in fig1 the device is encapsulated in a suitable plastic material using well known packaging techniques . following encapsulation of the assembly , the lead frame bar 20 , which supports the leads and which is required during encapsulation , is removed . this lead frame bar is originally provided to connect the conductors 18 , of the lead frame 15 , so as to impart rigidity to the lead frame 15 and to limit flow of the encapsulating material . because the lead frame bar 20 has been removed , it is shown in the figure in phantom . following this removal of the lead frame bar 20 , those portions of the lead frame conductors 18 , which extend beyond the encapsulation 19 , may be formed as required . as previously noted , respective terminals 17 are connected to respective conductors 18 by wires 16 . the configuration of the lead frame conductors 18 is preferably such that the length of the wires 17 is maintained at a length of less than about 80 mils . minimizing the length of these wires 17 not only improves the electrical performance of the packaged semiconductor chip , but further imparts a greater rigidity to the wires reducing the possibility of breakage or shorting of the wires to other elements in the package . since , it is preferable to maintain these wires at the shortest possible length , the initial semiconductor chip design and lead frame design is usually done so as to assure such wires are as short as possible and within the 80 mil length . in the structure shown in fig1 the wires 16 are maintained in this short configuration by arranging the bulk of the terminal pads 17 in a central row . this arrangement not only reduces the impedance of the chip itself by reducing conducting channel lengths within the chip , but also reduces time delays , signal noise , and etc . when the chip design shown in fig1 for some reason or other , cannot be compactly designed or must be redesigned , for example to make the chip meet different requirements or to assure different speeds or to correct errors made in the design , it is sometimes necessary to relocate a particular chip terminal pad . thus , for example , as shown in fig1 lead frame conductor 18a is bonded via wire 16a to a nearby terminal 17a . for purposes of illustration only , it will be assumed that the terminal 17a will have to be eliminated and functionally relocated because of a chip redesign . fig2 shows for example , the prior art method of accommodating this design change . in fig2 there is shown the same structure as shown in fig1 except that the terminal 17a has been eliminated and the conductor 18a is now connected to a distant , newly created terminal 17d via an excessively long wire 24 , which crosses the wire 16b , connected between conductor 18b and pad 17b , and wire 16c connected between conductor 18c and pad 17c . because the wire 24 is quite long and crosses over , or is immediately adjacent to , these two additional wires ; namely , wires 16a and 16b , any distortion of this wire 24 , during encapsulation , can cause the wire 24 to bend or deform such that it can contact and short out either or both of the crossed wires 16a or 16b , thus causing a failure in the packaged chip . it is desirable that this is avoided . fig3 shows the present invention in which this long wire 24 has been completely eliminated and with its elimination , the defect mechanisms described above . in this fig3 parallel conductors 18a and 18d are each provided with a respective t - like extension or jutty , 30 and 31 . these jutties 30 and 31 extend toward one another and toward an intermediate conductor 18b . a distinctive short jumper wire 32 spans conductor 18b and connects the two jutties 30 and 31 while a separate and distinct short wire 33 connects lead 18d to the newly created chip terminal 17d . to assure that conductor 18d does not contact any exterior unit and that only lead 18a will supply information via wires 32 and 33 to the newly created terminal 17d , the end of conductor 18d can be excised during removal of the cross member 20 after encapsulation . thus these extended jutties and unused leads , together with the short wires 32 and 33 , replace the long undesirable wire 24 shown in fig2 . this design now provides a method as to how the length of relocated wires can now be controlled . the present invention therefore teaches that the lead frame conductors can be redesigned in such a way that wire bonds can be significantly reduced in length and the bridging of an excessive number of other conductors can be eliminated . it should be obvious that each such extended jutty need only be of a size to accommodate the bonding of a wire thereto and need not extend any significant distance toward any other jutty . also , such jutties can be placed at any convenient place on the lead frame conductor . while the normal features of this invention have been described in terms of a preferred embodiment , in particular applications it will be appreciated that various omissions , and substitutions may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention .	7
referring to the drawings , fig1 shows a frequency doubler circuit 100 in digital logic having an input terminal 101 and an output terminal 102 . a clock source 201 is connected to and feeds the input terminal 101 with a sequence of ( clocked ) pulses , each of the pulses having a pulse width of t / 2 , and having its trailing edge separated from the rising edge of the immediately succeeding pulse by t / 2 . thus f = 1 / t is the frequency to be doubled by the circuit 100 . that is , at the output terminal 102 an output sequence of pulses is to be developed , each of the pulses having a pulse width of t / 4 and having its trailing edge separated from the rising edge of the immediately succeeding pulse by t / 4 . that is , the frequency of the output sequence is 1 /( t / 2 )= 2f . the output terminal 102 of the circuit 100 feeds a utilization means or device 202 with this output sequence of pulses . the circuit 100 is advantageously integrated on a major surface of a semiconductor chip , this circuit being composed of interconnected nor gates and inverter gates , both of which can easily be integrated in silicon technology , such as in complementary metal oxide semiconductor ( cmos ) technology . typically also , the utilization means 202 , as well as the clock source 201 , is an integrated circuit which may or may not be integrated in the same semiconductor chip as the circuit 100 . note that the circuit 100 contains three rows ( a , b , d ) of cascaded circuit boxes labeled a1 , a2 , a3 , . . . ; b1 , b2 , b3 , . . . ; and d1 , d2 , d3 , . . . . each of these boxes is substantially identical and is shown in detail in fig2 as a network 10 . note also that some of the terminals of some of the boxes are not connected to anything and thus certain parts of these boxes can be omitted . nevertheless , for ease of fabrication , and for advantageous equalization of electrical loading during operation , it can be desirable to fabricate all boxes completely . referring now to fig2 each such network 10 has six terminals : c (&# 34 ; clock &# 34 ;), mo (&# 34 ; mark out &# 34 ;), ou (&# 34 ; output &# 34 ;), mq (&# 34 ; mark qualified &# 34 ;), mi (&# 34 ; mark in &# 34 ;), and in (&# 34 ; input &# 34 ;). terminal c is to be connected to a clock pulse sequence ; terminal in is to be connected to terminal ou of the immediately preceding network ; and terminals mi , mo , and mq are to be connected ( if at all , for a particular one of the boxes ) as described below . the network 10 contains binary output nor gates 11 , 12 , 14 , 15 , and 16 , together with a binary output inverter 13 -- all interconnected as shown . it may be noted that the nor gates 15 and 16 are cross - coupled , to form the equivalent of a flip - flop having inputs s an r . one of the essential features of the network 10 is a response time delay d (&# 34 ; gate delay &# 34 ;) in the switching from one output to another of nor gate 12 in response to a change in one of the inputs . each of the other nor gates also have this time delay (&# 34 ; gate delay &# 34 ;) because they are all manufactured simultaneously and in the same way . the inverter 13 also has an associated gate delay , but this delay can and will be neglected in describing the operation of the network , as can delays in all other inverters -- an inverter having less delay than a nor gate owing to a nor gate &# 39 ; s having at least two , instead of one , input ( pull - down ) transistors and hence having more parasitic capacitance than an inverter , all other things being equal . referring now to fig3 in the a row the time profiles of the signals r , s , and mo in the n &# 39 ; th box an are respectively denoted by ran , san and moan . because all boxes in the d row are fed the same clock pulse sequence clk 101 , the profiles in the d row of signals rdn , sdn , and modn , respectively , will be the same as those of ran , san , and moan . on the other hand , because all the boxes in the b row are fed the complementary clock sequence clk through inverter 203 , the profiles of rbn , sbn , and mobn , respectively , for each n will be complementary to ( t / 2 out of phase with ) those of ran , sbn , and mobn . the clk sequence 101 during each period of duration t has a binary value of &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; ( hi ) during the first half of the period -- e . g ., from time t = 0 to t = t / 2 -- and has a binary value of &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; ( low ) during the second half of the period . in row a , ran denotes the signal r in the n &# 39 ; th box . the signal ra1 is the inverse of that of the clock clk delayed at both its rising and falling edges by the amount d , since ra1 is the output of a nor gate 12 ( fig2 ) one of whose inputs is clk and the other of whose inputs is ground ( low ). by virtue of inverter 13 ( fig2 ), the inverse of ra1 -- to wit , ra1 -- is fed to the terminal ou of box a1 and to the terminal in of box a2 . just prior to t = 0 , clk = ra1 = 0 ; therefore , just prior to t = 0 , ra2 = 1 . at t = 0 , the clock signal clk jumps up to hi ; therefore , regardless of ra1 , ra2 jumps down to low a gate delay d thereafter , and ra2 remains low until forced to jump back to hi by the return of both clk and ra1 back to low -- i . e ., a gate delay d after ra1 has returned to low ( at t = t / 2 + d ). at this time -- to wit , t = t / 2 + 2d -- ra2 jumps back up to hi . similarly , for all n , ran jump down to low at t = d and up to hi at time t = t / 2 + nd . obviously , however , for large enough n -- to wit , n ≧( t / 2d + 1 ), ran = 0 for all t , because of the fact that for such large n there is no room ( between t / 2 and t ) for a rising edge of ran . for convenience , the quantity t / 2d + 1 will be denoted by n o =( t / 2d )+ 1 , with the understanding that in case ( t / 2d ) is not an integer , the next highest integer above t / 2d + 1 is intended . turning to moan and san for n ≧ n o , since for such large n , ran = 0 for all t , it follows that the flip - flop formed by cross - coupled nor gates 15 and 16 in box an will settle after circuit operation prior to t = 0 for at most one period t of the clock clk to a permanent condition in which san = 1 for all t and moan = 0 for all t -- as indicated in fig3 . turning to san for n & lt ; n o , after circuit operation prior to t = 0 for at most one period t , san = 0 from t = 0 until t = t / 2 + d , at which time san = 1 , that is , a gate delay after clk has jumped to low , ran having been low for some time earlier . a gate delay after ran jumps to hi -- to wit , at t / 2 +( n + 1 ) d -- san jumps back to low . as for moan for n & lt ; n o , because ran = 1 from t = 0 until t = d , and san = 0 from t = 0 until t = t / 2 + d , moan will be hi from t = 0 until a gate delay after san goes hi -- that is , moan will remain hi until t / 2 + 2d , at which time moan jumps to low . thereafter moan will remain low until a gate delay after san jumps to low ; that is , moan will jump back to hi at t / 2 +( n + 2 ) d -- all as indicated in fig3 . referring now to fig4 the signals delivered to terminals mibn of the b boxes are the same as the signals developed at terminals moa2n of the a boxes , because of the manner in which these terminals are connected together ( fig1 and 2 ). thus for 2n ≧ n o , or n ≧ n o / 2 , all mibn are always low and hence fully enable the nor gates 11 ( fig1 ) in the b boxes to transmit the inverse of all in signals delivered as inputs to these respective nor gates 11 . consequently , for all n ≧ n o / 2 , the output mqbn of box bn will be the same as the inverse of the input in to this box bn delayed by d , to wit , the inverse of the output ou of box b ( n - 1 )-- to wit , ra ( n - 1 )-- delayed by d . thus , for n ≧ n o / 2 , mqbn and its inverse mqbn will have the profiles indicated in fig4 . for all n & lt ; n o / 2 , all mibn = moa2n = hi from t = 0 to t = t / 2 + 2d , whereby the nor gates 11 in the b boxes have outputs mqn equal to low at least from t = t / 2 + 2d . moreover , these outputs mqn will remain low during the remaining time interval from t = t / 2 + 2d to t = t because during this interval ra ( n - 1 ) is low . turning now to the output hb of inverter 26 , note that the combination of this inverter 26 with nor gate 25 is logically equivalent to an or gate . thus , this output hb will be the logical sum of all mqbn , delayed by d . since the only mqbn that are not lo for all t are those for which n ≧ n o / 2 , and since all mqbn have the same right - hand ( falling ) edges at t = t / 2 + 2d , the falling edge of hb will occur at t = t / 2 + 3d . on the other hand , of all mqbn the earliest ( left - hand ) rising edge of the mqbn occurs for that mqbn for which n = n o / 2 ( provided n o / 2 is an integer , otherwise n is the next largest integer ), and hence the earliest rising edge of all mqn occurs at t =( n o / 2 ) d . thus , the rising edge of hb will occur at t =( n o / 2 ) d + d . similarly , the signal hd which is derived from row d , a row in which the clock clk is t / 2 out of phase with respect to the clock clk delivered to row b , will have its falling edge at t = 3d and its rising edge at ( n o + 3 ) d . the signals hb and hd are delivered as inputs to the nor gate 27 . the output of nor gate 27 is delivered as input to the inverter 30 . consequently , the output 102 of this inverter 30 is the logical or of signals hb and hb , delayed by d , as indicated in fig4 . note that this output 102 has two falling edges : one at t = 3d + d = 4d , derived from the falling edge of hd , and the other at t / 2 + 4d , derived from the falling edge of hb ; and two rising edges : one at t = n o d / 2 + 2d and the other at t = t / 2 n o d / 2 + 2d . the time interval between the first falling edge and the first rising edge in the signal 102 is thus equal to ( n o d / 2 + 2d )- 4d = n o d / 2 - 2d = t / 4 - 3d / 2 . on the other hand , in the signal 102 the time interval between the first rising edge and the second falling edge is equal to t / 2 + 4d -( n o d / 2 + 2d )= t / 4 + 3d / 2 . the signal 102 thus contains an inequality between low and hi intervals , but it otherwise is a desired signal having twice the frequency ( one - half the period ) of the clock input clk . in order to reduce the inequality of hi vs . low intervals , the outputs hb and hd of the nor gates 25 and 28 are delivered as inputs to separate nor gates 51 and 52 , respectively -- all as indicated in fig5 . the nor gate 51 also has an input clk ; and the nor gate 52 also has an input clk . outputs hb &# 39 ; and hd &# 39 ; of these nor gates 51 and 52 , respectively , will thus have their respective falling edges at t = t / 2 + d and t = d because of the hi values of clk and clk starting at t = t / 2 and t = 0 , respectively . in this way , the low intervals in the output 102 &# 39 ; of the inverter 30 become equal to t / 4 + d / 2 , and the hi intervals become equal to t / 4 - d / 2 . although the invention has been described in detail with reference to specific embodiments , various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention . for example , instead of connecting the mo terminal of the 2n &# 39 ; th ( n = running integer index = 1 , 2 , 3 , . . . ) one of the boxes in row a with the mi terminal of the corresponding n &# 39 ; th box in row b , the mo terminal of every 4n &# 39 ; th one of the boxes in row a ( a4 , a8 , a12 , . . . ) can be connected to the mi terminal of the corresponding 2n &# 39 ; th box in row b ( b2 , b4 , b6 , . . . ); and similarly for the connections of the mo terminals of the boxes in row b relative to the mi terminals of the boxes in row d . a frequency doubles obviously will still result . instead of connecting the mo terminals of a2 , a4 , a6 , . . . , respectively , to the mi terminals of b1 , b2 , b3 , . . . , these mo terminals of a2 , a4 , a6 , . . . , respectively , can be connected to the mi terminals of b2 , b3 , b4 , . . . , or to b3 , b4 , b5 , . . . -- i . e ., while any number of the mi terminals of the first b1 , b2 , . . . , bj , for reasonably small j , can be unconnected to any mo terminal of row a . instead of having only a single pair of mi and mq terminals per box 10 , a multiplicity of such pairs of terminals per box can be present , each connected to a separate nor gate 11 whose other input is still the same in . such resulting added mi to mq parallel paths , and hence added outputs hb -- each from separate gates 28 and 29 -- are useful in cases where frequency multiplication other than doubling is desired . in such cases , it should first be recognized that if the mo terminal of ni &# 39 ; th box in row a is connected to the mi terminal of the nk &# 39 ; th box in row b , where i and k are fixed integers , then the output hb will have a rising edge located a space of time before t = t / 2 which is equal to t ( i - k )/ 2i - d ( i + k )/ i or approximately t ( i - k )/ 2i , that is , neglecting d ( i + k )/ i . similarly , the output hd will have a rising edge located a space of time before t = t which is also equal to approximately t ( i - k )/ 2i . thus , in particular , in case i = 3 , k = 1 , then the rising edge of hb will be located a space of time before t = t / 2 which is approximately equal to t / 3 ; and if i = 3 and k = 2 , the rising edge of hb will be located a space of time before t = t / 2 which is approximately equal to t / 6 . similarly , the rising edges of hd will be located at points spaced from t = t which are also approximately equal to t / 3 and t / 6 , respectively . these edges , when combined through suitable logic devices , are useful for a frequency tripler . for example , with two separate mq outputs per row b and per row d box one corresponding to i = 3 , k = 1 and the other corresponding to i = 3 , k = 2 , there will be two separate outputs hb1 and hb2 from row b and two separate outputs hd1 and hd2 from row d , respectively ; and these outputs should be combined through logic gates which produce the boolean function ( hb1 × hb2 + hb1 × hb2 )( hd1 × hd2 )+ hb1 × hb2 × hd1 . times . hd2 . moreover , the utilization means 202 , or optionally another utilization means ( not shown ) can be connected to the output terminal of one of the nor gates 25 or 28 or of the inverters 26 and 29 . also , the inverter 203 can be omitted while an inverter is inserted in each of the inputs to the c terminals of the boxes in row b . finally , the inverter 203 can be removed and inverters placed on the clock line of rows a and d , so that the clock pulse sequence clk is delivered to row b and the complementary clock pulse sequence clk to rows a and d , whereby the phase of the output 201 is shifted by one - half a period ( viz ., by a time interval t / 2 ).	7
essentially , the invention relates to a hangover cure for persons who have ingested alcohol . the alcohol functions as a vasodilator , which means that when it is added to the bloodstream , it causes a dilation effect on the blood vessels . when added to the alcohol rich blood system , ephedra counteracts the effects of alcohol by acting as a vasoconstrictor thereby decreasing the size of the blood vessels , and relieving the perceived pressure on the brain . ephedrine , which is an extract of ephedra , is the nonproprietary name for the chemical substance - 2 - methylamino - 1 - phenylpropanol - 01 and while it is not regulated as a controlled substance under the controlled substances act ( csa ), it is listed as a chemical under that law . however , small doses of l - ephedrine are available off the shelf . one of the most common forms is ma huang a chinese herb sold over the counter in nutrition and vitamin stores . ephedrine is used as a stimulant and a bronchodilator and is chemically similar to drugs in the amphetamine group . it functions as a main ingredient in legally available energizers , nutritional suppliments , and dietary teas . essentially , ephedrine triggers a mild burst of energy when ingested into the body . in addition to the stimulant effects , which can include feelings of alertness and reduced appetite , ephedrine also relaxes bronchial muscles and dilates airways , and can cause an increase in blood pressure and heart rate . a synthetic form of the drug pseudoephedrine is found in over the counter and prescription cold and allergy products . charcoal is also used to help a person recover from a hangover because it functions as an adsorbent . adsorbents are chemically inert powders that have the ability to adsorb gasses , toxins , and bacteria usually in the gastrointestinal tract . charcoal is widely considered to be the emergency treatment of choice for virtually all drug and chemical poisoning . the adsorptive properties of charcoal can be greatly increased by treating it with various substances such as steam , air , carbon dioxide , oxygen , zinc chloride , sulfuric acid or phosphoric acid or a combination of some other substances at a temperature ranging from 500 degrees fahrenheit to 900 degrees fahrenheit . this treatment is commonly referred to as activation wherein the activating agent presumably removes substances previously adsorbed on the charcoal and , breaks down the granules of carbon into smaller ones having a greater surface area . for example , it has been estimated that one milliliter of charcoal has a surface area of 1000 m 2 . in addition to wood , many other substances can be used as a source for charcoal such as , sucrose , lactose , rice starch , coconut pericarp , bone , blood , various industrial wastes . the end product is a fine black odorless and tasteless powder that is free from gritty matter that is insoluble in water or other known solvents . furthermore , another supplement to this cure is vitamin b6 , also known as pyridoxine . this vitamin is involved in the formation of body protein and structural compounds , chemical transmitters in the nervous system , red blood cells , and prostaglandins . in addition , vitamin b6 is also important in maintaining hormonal balance and proper immune function . deficiency in vitamin b6 is characterized by depression , convulsions , glucose intolerance , anemia , impaired nerve function , cracking of the lips and tongue and seborrhea or eczema . those with the following health conditions : asthma , premenstrual syndrome , carpal tunnel syndrome , depression , morning sickness , and kidney stones reported positive responses when they supplemented their diet with vitamin b6 . because vitamin b6 is especially helpful in reducing nervous disorders , it forms a beneficial compliment to the effect of alcohol on the nervous system . in the following examples , the indicated compositions are intended for three separate embodiments . these compositions could be taken in the form of a capsule , a pill , or other forms of ingestion such as a drink containing the active ingredients . example 1 ma huang ( 6 wt % ephedra ) 334 mg elcema g - 250 powder cellulose 54 mg captex 300 8 mg magnesium stearate lubricant 2 mg sipernat 50s 2 mg the first embodiment of the invention is a 400 mg capsule that contains 334 mg of ma huang extract containing 6 wt . % ephedra ( approximately 20 mg of ephedra ), 54 mg of elcema g - 250 powder cellulose for binding , 8mg of captex 300 to aid in the encapsulation , 2mg of magnesium stearate lubricant , and 2mg of sipernat 50s as a flow aid . as stated above , the ephedra functions as a vasoconstrictor counteracting the effects of alcohol in the bloodstream . in addition , because alcohol can also act as a depressant on the body , the stimulating quality of ephedra also functions to counteract this side effect . furthermore , since ephedra acts as a decongestant , it also relieves the congestive symptoms commonly associated with hangovers . example 2 ma huang ( 6 wt % ephedra extract ) 167 mg charcoal 100 mg elcema g - 250 powder cellulose for 46 mg binding captex 300 8 mg magnesium stearate 2 mg sipernat 50s 2 mg the second embodiment of the invention is a 325 mg capsule that contains 167 mg of ma huang extract powder containing 6 % ephedra ( approximately 10 mg of ephedra ), 100 mg of charcoal , 46 mg of elcema g - 250 powder cellulose for binding , 8 mg captex 300 to aid in the encapsulation , 2 mg of magnesium stearate lubricant , and 2 mg of sipernat 50 s as a flow aid . in this case , the addition of the charcoal allows this dosage to function with greater headache relief because the carbon in the charcoal acts as a detoxification agent by extracting impurities in the intestinal system from the introduction of alcohol moving them to the large intestine for removal . furthermore , the addition of charcoal as an adsorbent in the digestive system will also relieve diarrhea , flatulence , and acidity in the stomach , symptoms that are common to most hangovers . example 3 ma huang ( 6 wt % ephedra extract ) 167 mg charcoal 100 mg vitamin b - 6 ( pyridoxine ) 25 mg elcema g - 250 powder cellulose for 46 mg binding captex 300 8 mg magnesium stearate 2 mg sipernat 50s 2 mg a third embodiment of the invention is a 350 mg capsule that is similar to the second embodiment but contains an additional 25 mg of vitamin b - 6 . in this case , the 25 mg of vitamin b6 is added to the capsule so that when it is adsorbed into the bloodstream , it helps to counteract any harmful side effects of alcohol in the bloodstream . for example , alcohol functions as a diuretic depleting a person &# 39 ; s body of water soluble vitamins and minerals . thus , because vitamin b - 6 is water soluble , a person experiencing a hangover may have relatively low levels of vitamin b - 6 . therefore , by adding vitamin b - 6 or any other type of water soluble vitamin , a person may recover from a hangover at a faster rate . all three of these embodiments are preferably presented in capsule form . in this way , the active ingredients of ephedrine , charcoal and vitamin b - 6 can be presented in powder form to enter the bloodstream more rapidly . once the capsule has been ingested , the gelatin outer coating breaks down and the powdered active and non - toxic ingredients that break down within the digestive system of a person and enter their blood stream . the solution shown in example 3 was used in a double blind randomized parallel study comparing the test product in example 3 to a placebo . thirty four volunteers between the ages of 21 and 45 were invited to participate in the study . after signing a consent form and answering questions on a questionnaire relating to their demographic characteristics , drinking habits and state of health , the volunteers were entered into the study . all of the volunteers followed the same procedure for the study . volunteers reported at the study site which was a hotel and signed the consent form . these volunteers were then examined by a physician and vital signs were then taken . upon approval to enter the study , a bal reading was taken , and the volunteers were free to drink at an open bar , and partake of a food buffet . the bar was open until 2 a . m . on saturday . at their discretion , volunteers went to their designated hotel room to sleep , after having vital signs taken , responding to a questionnaire relating to their symptoms , taking a physical sobriety exam administered by a physician , and taking a bal test . they were instructed not to have any alcohol after leaving the study premises , and to report for breakfast the following morning at 8 a . m . the following morning , the subjects were examined by a physician , wherein vital signs and bal were taken . the subjects then answered a questionnaire relating to their symptoms . next , the study drugs were then administered wherein there were 2 capsules of the test drug or placebo used in a double blind fashion . the two different drugs were applied across a random group using the answers to the questionnaire to equalize the frequency of the active drug and the placebo with patients having similar answers on the questionnaire . volunteers were then asked to have breakfast wherein no caffinated foods or beverages were served . at periods of one and two hours after the initial exam , the volunteers repeated the original procedure consisting of an examination by the physician , a reading of vital signs and a blood alcohol level ( bal ) reading . they then answered the same questionnaire relating to their symptoms . thus , the data was available at a baseline test at approximately 8 a . m . when the test products were first given , and then at one and two hour intervals following the administration of the test products . to determine the effects of the drugs repeated measures analysis of variance were performed on the percentage change in score from baseline at one and two hours after study products were administered . the baseline score was used to covariate . each of the five questions on the questionnaire was scored from 1 to 3 with 1 equaling an absence of a symptom and 3 equaling a severe symptom . thus , the total score for each participant could either equal 5 which is a complete absence of symptoms or 15 wherein all symptoms are severe . the reported scores of the active group receiving the dosage according to example 3 , and the placebo group receiving a placebo dosage are shown in table 1 below . based upon this test and the analysis of the results , the volunteers on the active product showed symptom improvement compared to the placebo . taking the value of 8 . 4 as the base measurement for both the active group and the placebo group , the best possible ratio for improvement would be 0 . 6 with the scores dropping to the minimum number 5 . after ingesting either the active group or the placebo group , the active group participants showed a greater and faster recovery at 9 am ( 6 . 89 score and 0 . 788 ratio ) than the placebo group ( 7 . 67 score and 0 . 93 ratio ) with these scores taken from the average score of approximately 8 . 4 at 8 am . in addition , at 10 am the active group participants also showed a greater and faster recovery ( 6 . 32 score and 0 . 755 ratio ) than the placebo group ( 7 . 06 score and 0 . 859 ratio ). these scores were then analyzed using a statistical analysis to determine the significance of the improvement for the active group . with this study , a statistical analysis was performed to determine the statistical significance of these values . a test result for the active group or the placebo group is statistically significant over the baseline if the p value is less than 0 . 05 ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ). a repeated measures analysis of covariance ( baseline score and weight as covariates ) shows the improvement in the active group compared to the placebo group was significant ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ). the symptoms of the users improved in both treatment groups in the second hour , as time became a factor in the alleviation of symptoms . the ratios after one hour post dosage were also significantly different ( p & lt ; 0 . 05 ) favoring the active treatment , based on an analysis of covariance . the second hour results favored the active treatment , but just missed statistical significance ( p & lt ; 0 . 08 ). in addition , looking at the individual scores , one hour after dosing , 9 of 19 ( 47 %) of the volunteers showed greater than 50 % improvement in the active group . in the placebo group 2 of 18 ( 11 %) of the volunteers showed a similar improvement ( p = 0 . 2 ), supporting the statistically significant difference in average results . more than 50 % improvement in symptom score is more than twice as probable with the active product than with the placebo . two hours after dosing , 13 of 19 ( 68 %) of the volunteers showed greater than 50 % improvement in the active group . in the placebo group only 7 of 18 volunteers ( 39 %) showed a similar improvement . thus , it seems apparent that the administration of this third embodiment of the invention helps to alleviate the side effects associated with the consumption of alcohol . accordingly , while several embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described , it is to be understood that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention .	0
in order that the invention might be more readily understood an example of an embodiment is given by reference to the accompanying drawings . as shown in fig1 , the network telephony switch ( external to the message optimiser ™ system ) ( 101 ) determines that the called party is not available for some reason , and determines to route the call to the voice mail system . the message optimiser ( mo ) extracts the called party details , and person calling details from the call message ( 102 ) and determines if the called party has previously been allocated a mailbox ( 103 ). if no mailbox has been allocated then a currently empty mailbox is allocated to the called party and the relevant database updated ( 104 ). the call is then connected to the allocated voice mail system mailbox ( 105 ) at which point the mo waits for notification of call completion ( 106 ). at a predefined period , configurable on a site specific basis , a process ( 201 ), as shown in fig2 , waits for the period to expire , and then commences a scan of all mailbox allocation and usage records ( 202 ) held within the mo database . a check is performed ( 203 ) against the last usage time for the mailbox , and if it exceeds a separate configurable period the mailbox is marked as free ( 204 ) within the database , and the existing mailbox contents are deleted from the vms ( 206 ) creating an empty mailbox in its stead . this processing loop continues ( 205 ) until all mailbox usage entries have been examined , at which time the process returns to sleep for the initial predefined period ( 201 ). by way of a further non - limiting example of an embodiment of the invention , the following is a detailed description of a functional specification for the mo system . currently , voice - mail system providers charge carriers for the number of voice - mailboxes that they provide . because a carrier generally must provide the service for all subscribers , it must maintain a mailbox for each subscriber , even though only approximately 30 - 40 % of subscribers would use the service on a regular basis . this embodiment provides a solution to that where the mo creates a new service on the telephony service system ( tss ) if one does not exist at the time of initial call processing , similar in concept to the way dhcp allocates limited ip numbers to computers on a network . whilst voice - mailboxes are used in the example , the problem and its solution applies also to other telephony services . the following implementation overview describes the functional requirements for the mo agent . it is intended that multiple mobile switching centre ( msc ) and tss devices would be supported and are therefore referenced in generic terms and capabilities within this specification . the message optimiser ™ system can be deployed in various configurations . this would be dependant on the existing voicemail configuration , geographical dispersion and the level of reporting information required . the message optimiser ™ system is directly involved in the call path handling . as illustrated in fig3 , all calls to the voice mail system are routed to the message optimiser ™ system , acting as an stp within the network , instead of directly to existing voicemail system nodes . each voice mail installation site will have an instance of the message optimiser ™ system . each message optimiser ™ system will be connected to any other message optimiser systems via a tcp / ip link to allow duplication of data . depicts an example network topology with voicemail nodes located in each state . this is an example only and the number of nodes would be interconnected similarly if expanded to eight or more nodes . each message optimiser will be connected to the local voicemail system via a tcp link to allow for provisioning , mailbox deletion , and re - creation . each message optimiser ™ server can be configured in redundant mode with the same point - code as another server to allow for load - sharing and fail - over redundancy if required . shown in fig4 , the message optimiser ™ system is utilized as an scp or sdp within the network , providing a number translation service for translation of a voice mail target to a voicemail system mailbox number . any call directed to a voice mail system , will cause the switching platform to trigger an address lookup / translation on the message optimiser ™ system . this option does not provide the same level of configuration and control as option a , but removes the necessity to be closely involved in the call handling process . the feature list further down in this document provides more information on what cannot be supported with this option . the message optimiser ( mo ), shown in overview in fig5 , receives call initiation messages from the signal transfer point or mobile switching centre ( msc ) and determines what actions to perform with the call based on the call parameters . the message optimiser may operate in two different methods within the telephone network . it may operate as a signal transfer point ( stp ) where it handles call routing and setup , or it may operate as a signal data point ( sdp ) where a request for an address translation is responded to from the stp . the parameters extracted from the call information are compared against the mo database to determine whether the appropriate service exists on the telephony service system ( tss ). a pool of available services is maintained on the tss to allow for allocation of new services to a pre - allocated service on the tss . if the service does not exist it is created on the tss . after completing the necessary transactions on the tss and the mo database , routing information is returned to the stp or msc ( if directly connected ) to allow routing of the call to the tss service , or to an appropriate error handling mechanism if the call information does not have appropriate service requirements . the tss may present outcall records to the message optimiser to cater for tss originated utilisation tracking by the mo . additionally , provisioning information may be passed to the mo to provide details necessary for mo to differentiate between varied called parties . report data are stored within the database , and may be viewed via the report manager . administration and configuration of the mo system is performed via the admin manager . the service status package outlines the interactions with the database necessary to determine the status of a particular service , and to provide statistics of call activity . as shown in fig6 , the details necessary to determine the service are extracted from the inbound call &# 39 ; s call parameters . from these parameters the necessary details to query the database for the service details are obtained . if no details exist , a new record is added to the database provided that the call details fall within a set of limits necessary to create a new service . in this way , it is not necessary to pre - define all of the services and subscribers supported by a carrier . the routing information package provides an overview of the requirements necessary to process call routing information . the ambition of the call setup is to establish a communication pathway between the msc and the appropriate tss . fig7 shows a simple overview of the call - setup process only . the presumption in this diagram is that the service is already created on the tss , or that it has been created as part of this process , but its detail is not depicted . as shown in fig8 , a call can be broken via three means . the caller may terminate the call , the tss may terminate the call , or there may be a network problem which terminates the call . when the caller terminates the call the stp will forward information to the mo to advise that the call has been terminated . the mo must then advise the tss of the necessary action to complete the call . when the tss terminates the call the tss will forward information to the mo to advise that the call has been terminated . the mo must then advise the stp of the necessary action to complete the call . a race condition may exist where both the caller and tss terminate the call prior to receiving notification of termination of the other party . in this case the mo must handle call completion correctly . on completion of a call the mo will perform any tidy up within itself , and lodge a cdr record to the cdr records for the system . call detail records ( cdr ) contain information about every call handled by the mo system . fig9 depicts the ss7 isup call flow for call creation used by the mechanism termed “ option a ” throughout this document . the initial address message ( iam ) is received from the stp . the mo extracts the called party details from the iam message and translates or allocates the tss service number to the called party , forwarding an iam to the tss . this is the only interference in the normal isup call setup message flow . fig1 depicts the ss7 isup call flow for both option a and option b where the caller terminates the call . when the tss terminates the call , the stp and tss may be swapped , to achieve the correct message flow . where both parties terminate prior to receipt of the rlc message flow is duplicated in both directions . fig1 depicts the ss7 message flow at both the isup and tcap levels utilised by the mechanism termed “ option b ” throughout this document . when the stp receives the iam it triggers a query to the message optimiser to request a translation and returns the address to the stp . normal call flow follows from that point . service creation provides an overview of the requirements to create services on various telephony service systems ( tss ). service creation is illustrated diagrammatically i fig1 . if a service does not exist on a particular tss it must be established prior to the call being routed to the tss device . due to the inherent delays in creating a service on a tss , the message optimiser maintains a pool of spare created services on the tss and allocates new services from the pool . when a pool reaches a minimum available threshold , a number of new services are created an added to the pool . when the number of free services in the pool exceeds a configurable value , sufficient services are deleted from the system to maintain the pool within a configurable range . multiple service types and multiple devices per service type must be supported . this implies that multiple connection protocols must also be supported . the provisioning request package is a site specific implementation to interpret requests for provisioning of tss services extracting the necessary information that the message optimiser needs to configure the service , passing on any information that is required by the tss , and ignoring other parts . the outcall billing records is an optional package that is site specifically tailored to the interpretation of records from the tss passed to the billing system , to enable the message optimiser to interpret activity on the tss that is not traceable via normal call handling ( i . e . tss originated calls ). the report request package outlines the requests to the report manager required to support generation and viewing of reports provided by the message optimiser . the configuration data package defines the data that is added to the database from the administrator for various administrative and configuration tasks . the configuration trigger package outlines the interactions necessary to signal the message optimiser that configuration data has changed , and that a reload of such information is necessary . the service deletion package defines the interactions necessary to tidy up telephony services on the tss . the administration requests package defines the interactions between the administrator and admin manager required to configure the message optimiser . the data extraction package defines the interaction necessary with the message optimiser database to extract the information required to create the reports provided by the report manager . the configuration request package outlines the interactions with the database necessary to extract configuration details required to run the message optimiser . cdr call detail record mo message optimiser msc mobile switching centre tss telephony service system vms voice mail system it should be understood that the above description is of a preferred embodiment and provided by way of illustration only . clearly a person skilled in the art would understand variations to the invention without any inventive element and such are included within the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims .	7
some preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below referring to the drawings . fig1 shows the cross - sectional view diagrams for explaining the configuration of a general cassette type radiation image detector 1 . fig1 ( a ) is the plan view diagram , and fig1 ( b ) is the side view diagram . the cassette type radiation image detector 1 has a radiation detection sensor 30 which is a two - dimensional array type radiation detector sensor , a sensor supporting member 31 , and a control board 32 , etc ., enclosed inside the cassette formed by a front member 10 and a back member 20 engaging with each other . the radiation detection sensor 30 and the control board 32 are respectively supported by the first surface and the second surface of the sensor supporting member 31 . in addition , the radiation detection sensor 30 and the control board 32 are electrically connected to each other via a flexible printed circuit board 33 . the position of the radiation detection sensor 30 along the horizontal direction of the cassette is determined by a supporting member ( not shown in the figure ) having shock absorbing characteristics that is provided between the sensor supporting member 31 and the back member 20 . further , the position along the thickness direction of the cassette is determined by the balance between the pressing forces of a first pressing member ( not shown in the figure ) that is provided on the front member 10 and that pushes the sensor supporting member 31 towards the back member 20 , and a second pressing member ( not shown in the figure ) that is provided on the back member 20 and that pushes the sensor supporting member 31 towards the front member 10 . when a cassette is dropped , and when either the top surface of the front member 10 shown in fig1 ( b ) or the bottom surface of the back member 20 hits against the floor , the shock is dispersed over the wide area of the front member 10 or the back member 20 , and as a result , even the shock transmitted to the sensor supporting member 31 is dispersed over its entire surface . on the other hand , when the side surface of the front member 10 or of the back member 20 , or the corner positions hit against the floor , the shock is concentrated in a small area , and in some cases , a part of the front member 10 or of the back member 20 may get deformed . in this manner , a shock that is concentrated on a part of the cassette is directly transmitted to the radiation detection sensor 30 , the sensor supporting member 31 , and the control board 32 , and in order to avoid these becoming damaged , it is necessary to provide sufficient distance between the inner surface of the back member 20 and the outer periphery of the sensor supporting member , and to provide shock absorbing member that prevents shock between them . fig2 ( a ) and 2 ( b ) are figures showing a conventional example 1 of shock prevention . the parts shown by inclined lines in these figures are the shock absorbing members . on the outer periphery of the sensor supporting member 31 , since a flexible printed circuit board 33 that electrically connects the radiation detection sensor 30 and the control board 32 is present between them , the shock absorbing member is provided at positions avoiding the flexible printed circuit board 33 . as a consequence , it is difficult to provide a shock absorbing material with sufficient size or volume , and as a countermeasure , it will be necessary to provide a distance between the sensor supporting member 31 and the inner surface of the back member 20 . however , since this countermeasure is not a desirable measure as it goes against size reduction of the cassette type radiation detection sensor 1 . fig3 ( a ) and 3 ( b ) are figures showing a conventional example 2 of shock prevention . as explained with reference to fig1 ( a ) and 1 ( b ), the radiation detection sensor 30 and the control board 32 are respectively supported by the first surface and the second surface of the sensor supporting member 31 . in addition , the radiation detection sensor 30 and the control board 32 are electrically connected to each other via the flexible printed circuit board 33 . the parts shown by inclined lines in these figures are the shock absorbing members . as is shown in these figures , shock absorbing material is filled in the space inside the cassette , and the shocks from different directions are absorbed by the filled shock absorbing materials . however , although effect can be expected from this kind of countermeasure from the point of view of reducing the shock , it is highly likely that it creates new problems in terms of considerations for heat radiation , ease of assembly during the manufacturing process , and ease of maintenance in the market . fig4 ( a ), and 4 ( b ) are diagrams for explaining the placements of the first engaging member and the second engaging member which are the features of a cassette type radiation image detector 1 according to the present invention . fig4 ( a ) is a plan view of the cassette type radiation image detector 1 excepting the front member 10 . the radiation detection sensor 30 is placed in the part shown by the single broken lines on the surface ( the first surface ) of the sensor supporting member 31 . in addition , in the rear surface ( the second surface ), the first engaging members 311 to 314 are attached along each side . in this figure , although the description of the flexible printed circuit board 33 that electrically connects the radiation detection sensor 30 and the control board 32 that have been affixed to mutually different surfaces of the sensor supporting member 31 has been omitted , gaps of holes that pass the flexible printed circuit board 33 have been provided in the first engaging members 311 to 314 . fig4 ( b ) is a side cross - sectional view diagram of the cassette type radiation image detector 1 . in this figure , the thickness of the cassette type radiation image detector 1 has been exaggerated for the sake of making the explanations clear . the position in the direction of the thickness of the cassette ( the position in the up - down direction in the figure ) of the sensor supporting member 31 is determined by the springs s or members having an appropriate elasticity provided on the front member 10 and on the back member 20 . in addition , shocks in the thickness direction are absorbed by these springs s or elastic members . as the elastic members , viscoelastic foam or other plastics may be used . the second engaging members 211 to 214 are provided on the back member 20 at positions corresponding to the first engaging members 311 to 314 . the shock absorbing members 511 to 514 are placed at the surface at which the first engaging members 311 to 314 and the second engaging members 211 to 214 are opposing each other . in addition , the shock absorbing members 511 to 514 are affixed to either of the surfaces of the first engaging members 311 to 314 or the second engaging members 211 to 214 . appropriate gaps ( for example , 0 . 1 to 0 . 5 mm ) are provided between the surface of the shock absorbing member 511 to 514 that is opposite to the surface that has been fixed and the surface of the first engaging members 311 to 314 or of the second engaging members 211 to 214 . because of this gap , the assembling operation of fitting the sensor supporting member 31 to the back member 20 via the first engaging members 311 to 314 , the second engaging members 211 to 214 , and the shock absorbing members 511 to 514 becomes easy . in order to make this fitting easy , it is also possible to provide appropriate taper in the direction of fitting on the surfaces of the first engaging members 311 to 314 , the second engaging members 211 to 214 , and the shock absorbing members 511 to 514 . further , the numbers , positions , sizes , and shapes of the first engaging members 311 to 314 and the second engaging members 211 to 214 , and sizes , shapes , and materials of the shock absorbing members 511 to 514 corresponding to the first engaging members and the second engaging members are determined at the time of designing based on the limiting conditions unique to the product . in the case of the present preferred embodiment , the absorption of shock when dropped in the up - down direction in fig4 ( a ) becomes possible due to the opposing first engaging member 314 , second engaging member 214 , shock absorbing member 514 and the first engaging member 312 , second engaging member 212 , shock absorbing member 512 . further , in a similar manner , the absorption of shock when dropped in the left - right direction in fig4 ( a ) becomes possible due to the opposing first engaging member 311 , second engaging member 211 , shock absorbing member 511 and the first engaging member 313 , second engaging member 213 , shock absorbing member 513 . fig5 is a diagram showing an example of a battery supporting member being also a engaging member . this figure is a plan view diagram corresponding to fig4 ( a ). the battery supporting members 323 and 324 not only support the battery b , but their side surfaces 333 and 334 have the same function as the surface at which the first engaging member 313 in fig4 is opposite to the shock absorbing member 513 . the supporting members that support a part having a large volume and mass among the control parts , naturally become large and will have to have strength . in the present invention , the cassette is aimed to be made compact by making the engaging members have the functions of such supporting members . further , the battery supporting members 323 and 324 may be provided in the sensor supporting member , or in some cases , may be provided in the control board 32 , or the back member 20 . as has been explained above , since the cassette type radiation image detector 1 assembled by fitting the sensor supporting member 31 having the first engaging members 311 to 314 with the back member 20 having the second engaging members 211 to 214 via the shock absorbing members 511 to 514 has shock absorbing materials of sufficient sizes , shocks applied to the sides or to the corners of the cassette are absorbed , and as a result , the shock transmitted to the sensor supporting member 31 and the flexible printed circuit board 33 becomes small , and the radiation detection sensor 30 and the control board 32 supported by the sensor supporting member 31 are protected . further , since the front member 10 and the back member 20 are easily separated and closed , the assembly during the manufacturing process and the maintenance operations in the market become easy . in addition , very often the front member is formed integrally from a carbon plastic having light - shielding characteristics and radiation - transmissive characteristics , and the back member 20 is formed integrally from a polycarbonate plastic , or an abs plastic , or aluminum having light - shielding characteristics . therefore , the second engaging members 211 to 214 described above can also be formed along with the back member 20 . according to the present preferred embodiment , a cassette type radiation image detector is provided that has a shock resistance that can protect the radiation image detection sensor sufficiently when the cassette is dropped , while at the same time not losing its small size and light weight .	6
in the following detailed description , reference is made to the accompanying drawings , which form a part hereof , and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments described herein . these embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice them , and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized , and that structural , logical and electrical changes may be made . one embodiment described herein provides a method of fabricating an imager device packaging structure using half encapsulation technology by which an integrated circuit is partially encapsulated by encapsulation material and further encapsulated by a transparent plate . fig1 shows a partial side view of a leadless imager device packaging structure 100 in accordance with an embodiment . the leadless imager device packaging structure 100 includes an integrated circuit 110 formed on a semiconductor substrate 112 . the integrated circuit 110 includes a pixel array ( not shown ) arranged adjacent a surface 114 of the integrated circuit 110 for detecting light and may also include peripheral circuitry ( not shown ) for capturing , digitizing , and processing image signals produced by the pixel array . the integrated circuit 110 is mounted inside a cavity 130 of the package formed by a first encapsulant 116 a , a second encapsulant 116 b , and a transparent plate 118 . the transparent plate 118 is formed of a transparent material , for example , glass , such as borosilicate glass , or transparent polymer , such as polycarbonate . the transparent plate 118 is arranged such that light may enter the leadless imager device packaging structure 100 through an opening 126 in the first encapsulant 116 a and impinge upon the pixel array . the transparent plate 118 is coupled to the first encapsulant 116 a by a sealant 120 . a leadframe 122 is arranged in first encapsulant 116 a . the leadframe 122 includes first conductor traces 122 a to be electrically coupled to the integrated circuit 110 and second conductor traces 122 b to be electrically coupled to an external device . the second conductor traces 122 b have a flat portion 134 over a flat portion 136 of the first encapsulant 116 a . the first conductor traces 122 a of the leadframe 122 may be coupled to the integrated circuit 110 by interconnect materials such as bumps 124 , which may be formed of an electrically conductive material such as solder , and pads 132 , which are part of the integrated circuit 110 and which may be formed of electrically conducting materials such as gold , copper , or aluminum . the integrated circuit 110 is bonded to the first conductive traces 122 a by the solder bumps 124 . the first conductor traces 122 a of the leadframe 122 , the integrated circuit 110 , pads 132 , and bumps 124 may also be further held together using one or more adhesives 128 , such as anisotropic conductive film ( acf ), anisotropic conductive paste ( acp ), non - conductive film ( ncf ), and non - conductive paste ( ncp ). an example method of making a leadless imager device packaging structure 100 in accordance with an embodiment is now described . fig2 a shows a step in which the leadframe 122 is attached to the first encapsulant 116 a to form an integrated structure which has an opening 126 therein . the first encapsulant 116 a and the leadframe 122 surround the opening 126 . the integrated structure of the first encapsulant 116 a and the leadframe 122 may be accomplished through injection molding or transfer molding . the first encapsulant 116 a may be formed of ceramic , plastic , epoxy , or other molding compounds known in the art . in one embodiment , the first encapsulant may be a liquid crystalline polymer or other material having a high modulus and high temperature resistance . the encapsulant may be particle - free to prevent contamination on the pixel array ( fig1 ). fig2 b shows a top - down view of the first encapsulant 116 a , leadframe 122 , and opening 126 of fig2 a . the embodiment shown in fig2 b shows three first conductor traces 122 a and second conductor traces 122 b on each side of the packaging structure 100 , but other embodiments may have more or fewer conductor traces depending on the number of connections needed to the integrated circuit 110 . after the leadframe 122 is attached to the first encapsulant 116 a , a transparent plate 118 is attached to a lower flat surface of the first encapsulant 116 a as shown in fig3 , forming the cavity 130 . the transparent plate 118 may be attached to encapsulant 116 a using a sealant 120 . the sealant may be , for example , an epoxy or acrylic resin , and may be cured by heat or ultraviolet light . the cavity 130 may be filled with a transparent material such as air or an inert gas , or may be a vacuum . next , as shown in fig4 , the integrated circuit 110 is mounted on the leadframe 122 . the integrated circuit 110 is flipped upside - down in a configuration known as “ flip - chip ” packaging . in one embodiment , the integrated circuit 110 may be a type of integrated circuit known as a “ quad flat package no leads ” ( qfn ). a qfn has no leads extending out from the integrated circuit 110 . interconnect material , such as pads 132 and solder bumps 124 are used to electrically couple the integrated circuit 110 to the first conductor traces 122 a using heat compression bonding , such as ultrasonic bonding , or flip - chip bonding . one or more adhesives 128 , such as anisotropic conductive film ( acf ), anisotropic conductive paste ( acp ), non - conductive film ( ncf ), and non - conductive paste ( ncp ), may be used to couple the integrated circuit 110 to the leadframe 122 and first encapsulant 116 a . if acf or ncf is used , the acf and ncf may be pre - cut and attached to the first conductor traces 122 a . if acp , ncp , or a type of underfill is used , the acp or ncp or underfill may be dispensed onto the first conductor traces 122 a . after mounting the integrated circuit 110 , the integrated circuit may be encapsulated , for example by dispensing or by a boschman processes , with a second encapsulant 116 b , which may be the same or different material than the first encapsulant 116 a used to form the cavity 130 . the integrated circuit 110 is thus partially encapsulated by the first encapsulant 116 a and the second encapsulant 116 b and is further encapsulated by the transparent plate 118 . the integrated circuit 110 will therefore be protected within the package while still allowing light to reach the pixel array 114 . furthermore , the half - encapsulated packaging structure allows the transparent plate 118 to be located close to the pixel array , which may provide better optical performance in an imager device . in one embodiment , the leadless imager device packaging structure 100 may be fabricated using existing leadframe molding equipment and known cost effective molding materials . the above description and drawings illustrate embodiments , which achieve the objects , features , and advantages described herein . however , it is not intended that the invention be strictly limited to the described and illustrated embodiments . for example , although embodiments have been described as being useful for producing an imager device , it should be appreciated that embodiments could be used to mount other types of integrated circuits as well , including , but not limited to , integrated circuits requiring an input light transmission . furthermore , although the method embodiments have been described with regard to one package , it should be appreciated that multiple packages may be formed by this process at one time .	7
detailed embodiments of the claimed structures and methods are disclosed herein ; however , it can be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely illustrative of the claimed structures and methods that may be embodied in various forms . this invention may , however , be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the exemplary embodiments set forth herein . rather , these exemplary embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of this invention to those skilled in the art . in the description , details of well - known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the presented embodiments . fig1 provides an overview of an index - data mover relationship according to an embodiment of the invention . with reference to fig1 , the source server 300 contains source data , which is to be migrated to target data in the target server 400 . the index 200 contains an index of the source data in the source server 300 . the index 200 uses a normalized data model that is independent of the format in which data is actually held in the source server 300 . the index 200 is generated using automated data collectors and importers . the data mover 100 is a component that moves data from the source server 300 to the target server 400 based on the information about the source data contained in the index 200 . the system may contain any number of data movers 100 . the data mover 100 takes a normalized workload from the index 200 . the term “ normalized ” means that all data in the index 200 conforms to a single standard data model , which is understood by the data movers 100 . in other words , the index 200 is agnostic to the format and type of data held in the source and target servers . the index 200 is unaffected by the specific database products used on the source and target servers . all product - specific translation and management is conducted on the data mover 100 . in this embodiment of the invention , the index 200 is a central index which stores all required data movement operations . these have been mathematically created and processed , each with a number of attributes such as source location , target destination , platform type and data type . these attributes are tagged to every migration operation , meaning that there is metadata controlling each data operation . the migration operations are then entered as eligible operations on the central index 200 , effectively marking each migration operation as a piece of work that should be completed if the data mover 100 aligns with the required attributes for that particular migration operation . for example , a data migration operation may be stored in the index 200 having the following attributes : source a , target b , type c and platform d . many data movers 100 may be provided , only a subset of which have the attributes source a , target b , type c and platform d . any one of that subset of data movers may perform the data migration operation . the data mover 100 can be pre - configured with the attributes in a control file , or the configuration of the attributes of the data mover 100 can be completed by the central index 200 . this allows a many data mover 100 to one index 200 relationship . as new data movers communicate with the central index 200 and make themselves available for work , migration operations are allocated to the data mover 100 . the data mover 100 on connection automatically registers itself with the associated attributes , if these match migration operations with the equivalent attributes then those migration operations are made available to be allocated to the data mover 100 . once the migration operations are allocated to the data mover 100 , the data mover 100 has no further reliance on the central index 200 other than pushing progress and success reports to the index 200 to ensure that the central index 200 is aware of the completion of all operations . the data mover 100 secures the source and target point relationships with the associated infrastructure , i . e . the connections between the data mover 100 and the source server 300 and between the data mover 100 and the target server 400 . the data mover 100 also handles all translation of required operations to the languages of the source and target servers , referred to as the source and target languages . in other words , the central index 200 stores an array of migration operations in a normalized data model . each data mover 100 converts migration operations having attributes matching its own into the appropriate source and target languages depending on its attributes . for example , the data mover 100 described above would produce a request to retrieve data in the language of source a based on the entry for the data migration operation in the index 200 and send the request to the appropriate source server a , to which the data mover 100 is connected . the data mover 100 thereby retrieves the relevant data from the source server 300 . subsequently , the data mover 100 would generate a request to commit , i . e . upload data in the language of target b , again based on the entry for the data migration operation in the index 200 . this request is sent to target server b to which the data mover 100 is connected and the relevant data is thereby committed in the appropriate format for target server b . typically , each data mover 100 has translation logic for converting a data migration operation in the normalized data model , i . e . language , of the index 200 to requests in the languages of one or more particular source servers and one or more particular target servers respectively . the translation logic constitutes data extraction command generation and data commit command generation engines . as a result , the index only needs to ensure that the data migration operations are sent to appropriate data movers to ensure that the operations are translated into the correct languages . once each data mover 100 has completed the current migration operation , then it can either take additional workload or pause its operation and be removed from the active configuration . this optional pausing of data movers ensures that the aggregate capability can be flexed as the source environment is reduced through data migration . as the central index 200 holds normalized , common attributes for each migration operation , the scale out capability of the data movers is the number of individual attribute profiles and the number of migration operations within the index 200 . the enhanced scalability of the system of the embodiment is due to the fact that the data movers are all independent automated components having well defined attributes . this means that additional data movers can be added to the system to increase throughput without interfering with the operation of the system . the new data movers simply receive work from the index 200 in the same way as the pre - existing data movers , thereby relieving the load on the pre - existing data movers without interrupting their operation . the index 200 immediately knows how to allocate work to new data movers by matching the attributes of available data migration operations to the attributes of the new data movers . fig1 illustrates the scalability of the data mover layer . the figure shows available migration operations with specific attributes , and the scaling of data movers in line with optimizing aggregate data transfer bandwidth and reducing total duration . the solution of the embodiment ensures that the data mobility layer always exceeds the aggregate bandwidth capability of the source environment , meaning that the data mobility layer is never the bottleneck to data movement operations . data movers can be adjusted to different identities as required . data movers can also be dynamically added and removed as required . this allows scaling of the migration capability as discussed above . a process of data migration according to an embodiment of the invention is described below and is illustrated in fig2 and 3 . fig2 shows the operations of the data mover 100 , whereas fig3 shows the operations of the index 200 . once the migration operation setup and configuration on the central index has been completed , a workload list is available for migration operations . all eligible data is packaged into a normalized workload list of required operations . once this list is complete , then the data movers can be configured and started . after the data movers have connected to the central index at step s 10 , their attributes are defined and checked against the attributes of each data migration operation on the workload list at steps s 30 and s 32 . the data mover can be switched on , i . e . its data migration functions are activated , and when this is completed the appropriate workload , i . e . a data migration operation , will be allocated to the data mover at step s 34 . the workload is received by the data mover at step s 12 . this workload is essentially a list of the data objects residing in the source server , provided by the index in the normalized language of the index . the data mover then translates this normalized content into the extraction command for the source environment and the commit command for the target environment at steps s 14 and s 16 . the data mover then orchestrates the process of moving data according to the extraction and commit commands at step s 18 and reports back to the central index so that a central log of the operation is retained . once the migration operation is complete , the data mover reports completion of the data migration operation to the index at step s 20 . the index receives the operation completion report from the data mover at step s 36 and records completion of the operation at step s 38 . the data mover will progress to all other operations within the specific phase of migration if any such operations remain . provided that not all data migration operations in the current phase have been completed , the index returns to step s 32 and allocates more work to the data mover . once all data migration operations in the current phase are complete the index instructs the data mover to move into a paused state at step s 40 , as the data mover is waiting to acquire the next eligible migration operation . this ensures the central index is updated as to the status of every migration object stored in the source environment . operations can be tracked and rerun if required throughout the migration program . fig4 shows the main components of the data mover 100 . the communication interface 110 communicates with the source server 300 , the target server 400 and the index 200 . the data extraction command generation engine 106 generates the data extraction command in the language of the source server 300 based on a data migration operation received from the index 200 via the communication interface 110 . the data commit command generation engine 108 generates the data commit command in the language of the target server 400 based on the data migration operation received from the index 200 . the data storage 102 stores data being moved between the source server 300 and the target server 400 . the attribute storage 104 stores the attributes of the data mover 100 that are compared to attributes of the data migration operations in the index 200 . additional data movers can be started at any point to increase the migration streams and the aggregate available mobility bandwidth . in addition data movers can be removed from the active configuration once they have returned to the pause state after the completion of a migration operation . these operations can be scheduled from the central index 200 , ensuring that the data movers can be dynamically enabled and disabled based on policy . in one embodiment , the data migration system estimates the time required to complete the movement of all data involved in the current data migration from the source server 300 to the target server 400 . this may be achieved by obtaining the average rate of data transfer from the start of the data migration through each data mover 100 from the data movers , and adding these average throughputs to obtain the total average throughput of the data migration system . dividing the volume of data that remains to be migrated by the total average throughput then yields the estimated time to completion . the data migration system compares the estimated time to completion with a desired time to completion for the data migration , which is input to the system in advance . if the estimated time to completion is higher than the desired time then the system activates currently deactivated data movers or connects additional data movers to the system . this increases the overall rate of data transfer and ensures timely completion of the migration . conversely , if the estimated time to completion is less than the desired time by more than a present amount , the system deactivates one or more data movers or disconnects one or more data movers from the index . this conserves power and system resources when they are not required . in the above embodiment , the index 200 may send a request for attributes to a data mover 100 and the data mover 100 may transmit its attributes to the index 200 in response to the request . however , it is also possible for the data mover 100 to transmit its attributes to the index 200 unprompted on connection to the index 200 or at regular intervals . the index 200 may also store a list of all data movers 100 connected to the index and their attributes . in the above embodiment the index 200 allocates and sends data migration operations to the data movers 100 . however , the index 200 may first wait for a work request to be sent from a data mover 100 before allocating a data migration operation to that data mover 100 . the above method allows the flexible capability for large scale data mobility to be scaled to the size and capability of any source infrastructure . this flexible style of grid based data movement means that larger volumes of data having more complex data types and platforms can be migrated than was possible in the prior art . the number of data movers used in the invention is not limited and can be selected freely in line with the size and planned duration of the migration project . the design of the system according to this embodiment allows a single central index or repository to hold all associated metadata for the migration project . this allows a single point of management and control for the management of all data movers . in this embodiment , the data mover interacts with a client module for the source and target software . this allows the application of the process to other applications requiring scalable data mobility . possible applications of the invention include providing indexed backup / archiving of data content , the migration of large scale physical - virtual server environments , and the mobility of storage assets to more modern technology . fig5 illustrates an exemplary computer architecture 1100 by which the data migration system and in particular an index or a data mover according to the invention may be implemented . computer architecture 1100 may be or form part of a desktop computer or a laptop computer , a server or any similar computer device , but the index is preferably implemented as a stand alone server . the computer architecture 1100 may interface to external devices such as the source server 300 or the target server 400 through a modem or network interface 1102 , such as an analogue modem , isdn modem , cable modem , token ring interface , or satellite transmission interface . as shown in fig5 , the computer architecture 1100 includes a processing unit 1104 , which may be a conventional microprocessor , such as an intel pentium microprocessor , an intel core duo microprocessor , or a motorola power pc microprocessor , which are known to one of ordinary skill in the computer art . system memory 1106 is coupled to the processing unit 1104 by a system bus 1108 . system memory 1106 may be a dram , ram , static ram ( sram ) or any combination thereof . bus 1108 couples processing unit 1104 to system memory 1106 , to non - volatile storage 1110 , to graphics subsystem 1112 and to input / output ( i / o ) controller 1114 . graphics subsystem 1112 controls a display device 1116 , such as a liquid crystal display , which may be part of the graphics subsystem 1112 . the i / o devices 1118 may include one or more of a keyboard , disk drives , printers , a mouse , a touch screen and the like as known to one of ordinary skill in the computer art . the index or data mover control software will normally be stored on the non - volatile storage 1110 . thus , it may be stored on the machine &# 39 ; s hard drive , or possibly on an externally connectable storage medium , such as a usb memory stick or a cd . these two devices would then constitute part of the i / o devices shown as item 1118 in fig5 . the non - volatile storage may also store indexing data forming part of the index . the descriptions of the various embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration , but are not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed . many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments . the terminology used herein was chosen to best explain the principles of the embodiment , the practical application or technical improvement over technologies found in the marketplace , or to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein .	6
fig1 is a block diagram schematically showing the construction of a facsimile apparatus 1 of the serial type embodying the invention , and fig2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the facsimile apparatus . the facsimile apparatus 1 comprises a stepping motor 25 and a movable unit 17 serving as a reading / writing head . the movable unit 17 includes a line sensor 5 employed parallel to the direction 28 of transport of a document 13 or recording paper 10 , and a heating element 6 for thermal recording . a control unit 16 is divided into a main control circuit 20 for effecting control , for example , for data transmission , and a subcontrol circuit 21 for primarily controlling mechanical drive device . when a button or similar device on an operation panel 2 of the apparatus 1 is depressed to read the document 13 and transmit the data read , the document 13 is scanned by the line sensor and read over a specified width ( e . g . 16 mm ) at every stroke . the output of the line sensor 5 is fed to the main control circuit 20 via an image pickup circuit 22 . the main control circuit 20 transmits the data , for example , to a telephone circuit through a transmission circuit 24 for encoding or composing signals . at the same time , the main control circuit 20 feeds a synchronizing signal to the subcontrol circuit 21 . when signals are received from the telephone circuit or similar device for writing data on the recording paper 10 , the signals received are delivered from the transmission circuit 24 to the main control circuit 20 , which in turn feeds the signals to the heating element 6 via an image control circuit 23 to write the data on the paper 10 . at this time , the image control circuit 23 feeds a synchronizing signal to the subcontrol circuit 21 . for the transport of the document 13 or the recording paper 10 , the subcontrol circuit 21 controls a stepping motor 26 or 27 in response to the synchronizing signal from the main control circuit 20 or the image control circuit 23 . the stepping motors 26 and 27 drive rollers 3 and 4 , respectively , to transport the document 13 and the paper 10 in the direction of arrow 28 . with the facsimile apparatus 1 described , the movable unit 17 reads or writes the data while traveling from a reference position . the power of the stepping motor 25 is transmitted to the movable unit 17 by means of a wire 14 reeved around the motor 25 and a pulley 15 , whereby the movable unit 17 is driven . the subcontrol circuit 21 feeds a pulse signal to the stepping motor 25 to thereby drive the stepping motor 25 . the movable unit 17 travels a given distance in response to one pulse delivered from the subcontrol circuit 21 . as shown in fig2 the document 13 is inserted into the apparatus 1 through an inlet 8 . guides 7 are movable sidewise in conformity with the size of the document 13 . a sensor ( not shown ), such as a microswitch , provided in connection with the guide 7 gives the main control circuit 20 a signal indicating the size of the document 13 . thus recognizing the size of the document 13 , the main control circuit 20 determines the speed of travel of the movable unit 17 in the direction of the arrow 12 according to the size and then feeds a signal representing the speed to the subcontrol circuit 21 . the subcontrol circuit 21 controls the speed of rotation of the stepping motor 25 by varying the number of pulses to be given to the motor 25 per unit time and thereby vary the speed of travel of the movable unit 17 in the direction 12 . fig3 is a diagram showing the relationship between the travel speed of the movable unit 17 and time during the reading operation of the facsimile apparatus 1 . the operation will be described with reference to fig3 . the speed of the movable unit 17 for a document 13 of large size is indicated in a phantom line . for this document , the movable unit 17 starts to travel from the reference position toward the direction of arrow 11 in fig1 with the start of a period t1 , reads the document while traveling over the period t1 and stops upon traveling the dimension of the document subsequently , the unit is driven in the direction of arrow 12 over a period of t2 to return to the reference position . since the document size is large , the unit is unable to return to the reference position within the scanning time which is limited as already stated , unless the unit travels at a high speed in this situation . the above operation is repeated for the reading of the document 13 . the speed of the movable unit 17 for a document of small size is indicated in a solid line in fig3 . during a period t3 , the unit 17 reads the document while traveling toward the direction of arrow 11 . the unit thereafter travels at a low speed toward the direction of arrow 12 during a period of t4 to return to the reference position since the speed of the return travel is low as illustrated in fig3 there is little or no useless waiting time . thus , the movable unit 17 is driven at a low speed in the direction of arrow 12 when the apparatus 1 is used for documents of normal size and frequency , ( those documents having a size smaller than the maximum size which can be handled by the apparatus ). this serves to inhibit the mechanical noise emanating from the stepping motor 25 and the like , also inhibiting the impact noise otherwise produced when the unit is stopped abruptly at the reference position . furthermore , the above feature shortens the rest period of the stepping motor 25 , consequently improving the duty cycle of the motor to diminish the power consumption . although the reading operation of the above embodiment has been described , the writing operation thereof can be similarly controlled according to the invention . upon receiving a signal from the telephone circuit of the like in this case , the main control circuit 20 feeds a synchronizing signal to the subcontrol circuit 21 , which in turn causes the movable unit 17 to travel from the reference position toward the direction of arrow 11 for writing . at the same time , the main control circuit 20 detects from the received signal the distance the movable unit 17 is to be driven in the direction of arrow 11 and determines the speed of travel in the direction of arrow 12 in corresponding relation thereto in the same manner as above . the circuit 20 gives the subcontrol circuit 21 a signal representing the optimal speed . in this way the speed of return of the movable unit 17 is controlled for the writing operation . thus , according to the present invention , the speed of travel of the reading / writing head in a direction opposite to the reading or writing direction is determined according to the distance the head has traveled in the reading or writing direction so that the period of reciprocation of the head will be a specified value . consequently , the speed of travel is lowered when the reading or writing length is shortened , thus minimizing the running noise and impact noise on stopping . it is also possible to improve the performance of the motor for driving the head to assure reduced power consumption .	7
in all of the figures , common elements are given the same references . fig1 and 2 show an assembly 1 comprising seven assembled - together single - core preforms , in which assembly six &# 34 ; outer &# 34 ; preforms 2 &# 39 ; surround a &# 34 ; central &# 34 ; preform 2 &# 34 ;. each single - core preform 2 &# 39 ;, 2 &# 34 ;, e . g . obtained by performing modified chemical vapor deposition ( mcvd ), may , for example , be composed of a core bar 3 , e . g . made of germanium - doped silica and having a diameter of 1 . 4 mm , surrounded by a layer of optical cladding 4 , e . g . made of silica doped with fluorine so as to make its refractive index lower than that of the core bar 3 . the diameter of each of the single - core preforms 2 &# 39 ;, 2 &# 34 ; is 8 mm , and the length of each of them is at least 200 mm . the central preform 2 &# 34 ; may be longer than the outer preforms 2 &# 39 ; ( e . g . it may have a length of 400 mm ) so as to facilitate assembling them together , and so as to serve as a drawing leader ( its end serving as a drawing leader is referenced 6 in fig3 ). the cores 3 of the single - core preforms 2 &# 39 ;, 2 &# 34 ; constitute the cores of the multi - core fiber to be manufactured . in order to facilitate subsequent drawing , one of the ends of each of the outer preforms 2 &# 39 ; may be bevelled so that one end 1a of the assembly 1 is frustoconical in shape ( see fig1 ). according to the invention , the six outer preforms 2 &# 39 ; are secured to one another and to the central preform 2 &# 34 ; by being fused , i . e . by being locally fused along portions of their tangential lines of contact t which are diagrammatically represented by respective dots in fig2 . for example , the fusion may be effected by means of a blowtorch or of a co 2 laser ( not shown ) that moves along the tangential lines of contact t . in order to hold the preforms 2 &# 39 ;, 2 &# 34 ; while they are being fused , it is possible , for example , to use a clamping chuck having three jaws ( not shown ), in which chuck each jaw has a v - shaped gripping portion . the single - core preforms do not need to be secured to one another over the entire length of the assembly 1 . for example , they may be secured together at the ends 1a and 1b of the assembly only . by securing the preforms 2 &# 39 ;, 2 &# 34 ; to one another , it is possible to ensure that they are accurately positioned relative to one another , by setting and checking the relative positions of the preforms 2 &# 39 ;, 2 &# 34 ; prior to fusing . such accurate positioning is simple to perform . the resulting assembly 1 is referred to as a &# 34 ; multi - core preform &# 34 ;, and it is referenced 10 . in order to ensure that the interstices left empty between the preforms 2 &# 39 ; and 2 &# 34 ; close properly during the subsequent drawing operation , so as to obtain a multi - core fiber that is compact and uniform , the interstices between the preforms 2 &# 39 ; and 2 &# 34 ; may be evacuated prior to drawing . to do this , a tube 7 is secured in gastight manner to one of the ends 10b of the preform 10 , which tube is blind , i . e . it is closed off at its top end which is opposite from its end connected to the preform 10 , and open to one side via a side tube 8 for connecting it to pumping means ( not shown ). by connecting the pumping means to the side tube 8 , a primary vacuum , close to 1 pa is formed inside the preform 10 , and the tube 8 is then sealed off ( e . g . by means of a blow - torch ) so as to maintain the vacuum in the preform 10 . alternatively , it is possible to evacuate the preform 10 while it is being drawn . to do this , the pumping means are connected to the tube 8 while the preform is being drawn . the assembly shown in fig3 and comprising the multi - core preform 10 , the leader 6 , and the blind tube 7 can then be directly used in a fiber - drawing installation ( not shown ). it may be held therein by means of chucks ( not shown ) at a bottom section 6a belonging to the leader 6 , and at a top section 7b belonging to the blind tube 7 . the preform is drawn down by a conventional drawing machine as shown in fig5 ; conventionally , with the drawing temperature being , for example , in the vicinity of 2 , 000 ° c ., by drawing the bottom end 10a of the multi - core preform 10 until a multi - core fiber 100 ( fig5 ) having the desired dimensions is obtained . see fig5 which illustrates the drawing process . in a very advantageous improved implementation of the invention , in order to provide good cohesion and good airtightness for the multi - core preform 10 , an &# 34 ; outer &# 34 ; rod 13 ( shown in dashed lines in fig2 ) made of a vitreous material and of length in the vicinity of that of the single - core preforms 2 &# 39 ;, 2 &# 34 ; may be disposed at the bottom of each curved v - shape 12 ( see fig2 ) defined between two adjacent outer preforms 2 &# 39 ; of the multi - core preform 10 , and the rods 13 may then be fused to the preforms 2 &# 39 ; by being heated , so as to form bridges 14 between the peripheral preforms 2 &# 39 ; ( see fig4 ). in this way , the outer rods 13 perform the holding function that is performed by the holding tube in the prior art , without giving rise to the problem related to that tube , namely a reduction in the spacing between the cores of the multi - core fiber , because the rods 13 can be chosen so that the diameter of the circumscribed circle of the multi - core preform 10 remains the same as that of the circumscribed circle of the set of assembled - together preforms 2 &# 39 ;. in a possible improved implementation , in order to reduce the volume left empty inside the preform 10 between the preforms 2 &# 39 ;, 2 &# 34 ;, the interstices left empty therebetween may be filled with inner filler rods 11 made of a vitreous material , as shown in fig4 . the method of the invention makes it possible to position the single - core preforms relative to one another better than the prior art method consisting merely in disposing the single - core preforms in a tube . furthermore , to facilitate locating the cores of the resulting multi - core optical fiber , marking may be effected by inserting a filler rod that is , for example , colored . in particular , the number of single - core preforms making up the multi - core preform , and the dimensions of said single - core preforms are given merely by way of example , and said number and dimensions may be adapted to the characteristics of the desired multi - core fiber . in particular , a multi - core fiber having 3 or 4 cores may be manufactured according to the invention by starting with a multi - core preform comprising 3 or 4 single - core preforms . it is also possible , according to the invention , to manufacture a multi - core preform from n peripheral preforms disposed around a central bar that is made of a vitreous material and that is not necessarily a single - core preform . in which case the diameter φ of the central bar made of a vitreous material is given by the following formula : where φ p is the outside diameter of the single - core preforms . in order to hold the single - core preforms together while they are being fused , the single - core preforms may be pre - secured to one another at their ends by means of additional silica , instead of using clamping jaws . if the tolerances on the outside diameter of the single - core preforms are not too tight , i . e . if the error on their diameter is greater than a tenth of a millimeter , it is possible to position the single - core preforms accurately relative to one another by means of a hole gauge , with the holes corresponding to the cores of the single - core preforms , the gauge being placed at the end of the assembly so that the cores of the single - core preforms are caused to coincide with the holes in the gauge , and inner rods then being inserted to take up the resulting clearance between the single - core preforms . the remainder of the method takes place as described above . when the tolerances on the outside diameter of the single - core preforms are tight , assembling them together compactly suffices to obtain the required positioning . furthermore , the inner rods may be secured by being fused to the single - core preforms . in which case , assembly must be effected in stages , i . e . the inner rods must be fused firstly with the inner preforms , and then secondly with the peripheral preforms . that end of the central single - core preform which serves as the drawing leader may be replaced with a drawing leader in the form of a separate tube or bar fused to the end of the central single - core preform . finally , any means may be replaced by equivalent means without going beyond the ambit of the invention .	6
fig3 is a diagram showing a three - dimensional display system according to one embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig3 , a three - dimensional display system comprises a three - dimensional display 200 and a driver circuit 210 electrically connecting to the three - dimensional display 200 . the three - dimensional display 200 at least comprises a display 202 and a micro - lens 206 . the aforementioned display 202 can be , for example , a flat display such as a liquid crystal display , an organic electro - luminescence display panel , a plasma display panel , an electrophoretic display and other adapted display . since the aforementioned displays are well - known in the art , the displays are not detailed described herein . the display 202 are electrically connected to the driver circuit 210 and the driver circuits used to drive and control the display 202 to display the image . moreover , the display 202 has several pixel units 202 a and each of the pixel units 202 a has a pixel pitch i . the pixel units 202 a include red ( r ) pixel unit , green ( g ) pixel unit and blue ( b ) pixel unit . in the present embodiment , the aforementioned pixel units 202 a can be further sorted into right - eye pixel units and left - eye pixel units and the right - eye pixel units and the left - eye pixel units are alternatively arranged in the display 202 . the right - eye pixel units and the left - eye pixel units can be arranged as followings : r r r l g r g l b r b l or r r g l b r r l g r b l . the image signals from the right - eye pixel units of the display 202 are for the right eye of the viewer to see and the image signals from the left - eye pixel units of the display 202 are for the left eye of the viewer to see . the micro - lens 206 is disposed at one side of the display 202 and a distance between the micro - lens 206 and the display 202 is denoted as f . the micro - lens 206 has several lens units 206 a and each of the lens units 206 a has a lens pitch l . in the present embodiment , each of the lens units 206 a of the micro - lens is a lenticular lens so that the micro lens 206 is constructed by several parallel lenticular lenses 206 a . more clearly , as shown in fig5 , a top view showing the micro - lens 206 stacking on the display 202 , each of the lenticular lenses 206 a of the micro - lens 206 covers several pixel units 202 a . in the present embodiment , each of the lenticular lenses 206 a covers two rows of the pixel units 202 a . however , the present invention is not limited to the arrangement mentioned above . in the other embodiment of the present invention , each of the lenticular lenses 206 a can be arranged to be corresponding to one row or two rows of the pixel units 202 a . still , as shown in fig3 , in the present embodiment , an optical film set 204 is further disposed between the display 202 and the micro - lens 206 . the space between the optical film set 204 and the micro - lens 206 and the space between the optical film set 204 and the display 202 can be filled with adhesive to attach the optical film set 204 onto the micro - lens 206 and onto the display 202 . however , the present invention is not limited to the use of the optical film set 204 and the use of the adhesive for attaching the optical film set onto the display and the micro - lens . it should be noticed that , a right - eye viewing zone r and a left - eye viewing zone are formed in a particular location as the image displayed on the aforementioned display 202 passes through the micro - lens 206 . the distance between the center of the right - eye viewing zone r and the display 202 is equal to the distance between the center of the left - eye viewing zone l and the display 202 and is denoted as z . furthermore , the distance between the center of the right - eye viewing zone r and the center of the left - eye viewing zone is denoted as w z . in the present embodiment , w z is about 70 ˜ 500 mm . preferably , w z is about 80 ˜ 300 mm . more preferably , w z is about 100 ˜ 200 mm . normally , the relationship between the lens pitch l of the lens unit 206 a and the distance w z between the center of the right - eye viewing zone r and the left - eye viewing zone can be described by the following equations : z denotes the distance between the center of the viewing zone and the display ; w z denotes the distance between the center of the right - eye viewing zone and the center of the left - eye viewing zone . it should be noticed that the pixel pitch i is about 0 . 1 ˜ 500 μm and preferably , is about 1 ˜ 200 μm . the distance z between the center of the viewing zone and the display is about 10 cm ˜ 5 m . more particularly , if the aforementioned display 202 is a display of the portable phone , the distance z between the center of the viewing zone and the display is about 30 cm ˜ 50 cm . if the aforementioned display 202 is the display of the digital frame , the distance z between the center of the viewing zone and the display is about 70 cm . if the aforementioned display 202 is the display of the monitor , the distance z between the center of the viewing zone and the display is about 100 cm . if the aforementioned display 202 is the display of the television , the distance z between the center of the viewing zone and the display is about 2 ˜ 3 m . moreover , the distance f between the display and the micro - lens can be adjusted if necessary . accordingly , as shown in equation ( 2 ), the distance f between the display and the micro - lens can be determined according to the following equation : furthermore , an equation for determining the lens pitch l can be obtained by applying the equation in to equation ( 1 ) and the equation for determining the lens pitch l is shown as following : the three - dimensional display of the present invention is used to generate two viewing zones ( the right - eye viewing zone and the left - eye viewing zone ) so that n denoting the number of the aforementioned viewing zones is 2 . thus , the lens pitch l of the present embodiment satisfies the following equation : more clearly , when the lens pitch l of the lens unit 206 a of the micro - lens 206 , the pixel pitch i of the pixel unit 202 a of the display 202 and the distance w z between the center of the right - eye viewing zone r and the center of the left - eye viewing zone l satisfy the aforementioned equation , the three - dimensional display can generates a right - eye viewing zone r and a left - eye viewing zone l and the distance w z between the center of the right - eye viewing zone r and the center of the left - eye viewing zone l is about 70 ˜ 500 mm and the pixel pitch i of the pixel unit is about 0 . 1 ˜ 500 μm . noticeably , according to the other embodiments , the maximal width of the aforementioned right - eye viewing zone is denoted as w r , the maximal width of the aforementioned left - eye viewing zone is denoted as w l and w r is larger than and equal to w z and w l is larger than or equal to w z . on the other words , when w r is equal to w z and w l is equal to w z , the right - eye viewing zone r does not overlap the left - eye viewing zone l . when w r is larger than w z and w l is larger than w z , the right - eye viewing zone r partially overlaps the left - eye viewing zone l . accordingly , when the viewer watches the image displayed on the three - dimensional display shown in fig3 in a way that the left eye 10 a and the right eye 10 b of the viewer are in the left - eye viewing zone l and the right - eye viewing zone r respectively , the viewer can see the stereo image or the three - dimensional image . when the viewer moves to the right - hand side , as shown in fig6 b , the viewer watches the image in a way that both of the left eye 10 a and the right eye 10 b of the viewer are in the left - eye viewing zone l since the distance w z between the center of the right - eye viewing zone r and the center of the left - eye viewing zone l , in the present embodiment , is about 70 ˜ 500 mm . thus , the viewer can see the plan image or the two - dimensional image . similarly , if the viewer moves to the left - hand side , as shown in fig6 c , the viewer watches the image in a way that both of the left eye 10 a and the right eye 10 b of the viewer are in the right - eye viewing zone r since the distance w z between the center of the right - eye viewing zone r and the center of the left - eye viewing zone l , in the present embodiment , is about 70 ˜ 500 mm . thus , the viewer can see the plan image or the two - dimensional image . as shown in fig6 a through 6c , the three - dimensional display of the present embodiment can generate two dimension - three dimension - two dimension ( 2d - 3d - 2d ) stereo - image display effect . hence , when the viewer watches the image display on the three - dimensional display of the present embodiment and moves to the left - hand side or to the right - hand side , the left eye and the right eye of the viewer enter the two - dimensional image zone instead of entering the left - right - eye inversion region . that is , both of the left eye and the right eye of the viewer see the same image . consequently , the feel of dizziness and the uncomfortable viewing effect due to the inversion of the vision signal of both eyes can be greatly decreased . the display 202 shown in the aforementioned embodiment of fig3 can be , for example , a liquid crystal display , an organic electro - luminescence display panel , a plasma display panel , an electrophoretic display and other adapted display . since the aforementioned displays are well - known in the art , the displays are not detailed described herein . if the aforementioned display 202 is the liquid crystal display or other non - emission display , the display 202 further comprises a backlight light source . the following embodiment describes a three - dimensional display system using a liquid crystal display . fig4 is a diagram showing a three - dimensional display system according to one embodiment of the present invention . the structure shown in fig4 is similar to that shown in fig3 but the difference the two embodiments is that the display 202 of the three - dimensional display system 300 is a liquid crystal display comprising a liquid crystal display panel 290 and a backlight module 280 . the liquid crystal display panel 290 comprises a first substrate 250 , a second substrate 260 and a liquid crystal layer 270 disposed between the first substrate 250 and the second substrate 260 . similarly , the display 202 comprises several pixel units 202 a . in the liquid crystal display , each of the pixel units 202 a comprises a data line , a scan line , an active device electrically connected to the data line and the scan line and a pixel electrode electrically connected to the active device , which are all disposed on the first substrate 250 . the second substrate 260 can be a plain substrate or a substrate having an electrode layer disposed thereon . furthermore , a color filter layer can be , for example , disposed on either the first substrate 250 or the second substrate 260 . the backlight module 280 is disposed on the reverse side of the first substrate 250 for providing light beams to the liquid crystal display panel 290 . the backlight module 280 can be , for example but not limited to , a direct type backlight module or a side type backlight module . moreover , the liquid crystal display panel 290 is electrically connected to the driver circuit 210 and the driver circuit 210 is used to control the liquid crystal display panel 290 to display the image . the backlight module 280 is electrically connected to the driver circuit 210 and the driver circuit 210 is used to control the switch of the backlight module 280 . the driver circuit 210 of the present embodiment represented by the schematic diagram . practically , the liquid crystal display panel 290 and the backlight module are controlled by the driver devices respectively . similarly , when the viewer watches the image displayed on the three - dimensional display system shown in fig4 , the viewer can see a stereo image or a three - dimensional image if the left eye and the right eye of the viewer are in left - eye viewing zone l and the right - eye viewing zone r respectively . if the viewer moves toward to the left - hand side or to the right - hand side , both of the left eye and the right eye of the viewer enter either the left - eye viewing zone l or right - eye viewing zone r to see a plan image or a two - dimensional image . therefore , a 2d - 3d - 2d stereo - image display effect is generated . accordingly , since the distance w z between the center of the right - eye viewing zone and the center of the left - eye viewing zone is increase to be about 70 ˜ 500 mm , both of the left eye and the right eye of the viewer enter either the left - eye viewing zone l or right - eye viewing zone r to see a two - dimensional image as the viewer moves toward to the left - hand side or to the right - hand side . that is , both of the left eye and the right eye see the same image . therefore , the feel of dizziness and the uncomfortable viewing effect due to the inversion of the vision signal of both eyes can be greatly decreased . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention . in view of the foregoing descriptions , it is intended that the present invention covers modifications and variations of this invention if they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents .	6
fig1 schematically shows the device according to the invention , with which both the frieze and the straight set effect can be achieved . the thread 1 is conveyed continuously into a compression chamber 3 by means of a delivery mechanism 2 and is pressed at the exit against a spring - loaded retaining flap 4 , which closes the exit of the compression chamber 3 . by means of the mechanical backup pressure in the compression chamber 3 , the thread 1 is three - dimensionally bent and / or kinked ( crimped ) in a geometrically irregular manner . the forming of the thread 1 can be assisted by hot air or steam flow into the compression chamber 3 ; for this purpose , the device has a corresponding inlet 7 . the thread sheet crimped in the compression chamber 3 , also called a stuffer box , forms a thread plug against the force - loaded retaining flap 4 , which plug , as soon as the plug pressure exceeds the counter - force of the retaining flap 4 , leaves the compression chamber 3 again . the level of the retaining force resistance determines here the intensity of the three - dimensional forming formed in the plug , i . e . the intensity of the frieze character . the frieze character is influenced by means of changing the retaining flap force . by means of an adjusting wheel 10 with a scale , a torsional spring 11 can be activated , which is arranged on the axis of the retaining flap 4 and loads the retaining flap 4 in the opposite direction . the depositing tube 5 ensures the controlled depositing on a conveyor belt 6 . in other words , from the compression chamber 3 , the thread 1 runs through a depositing tube 5 , the outlet opening of which is fixed and points in the direction of the conveyor belt 6 . the frieze yarn formed slides down under its own weight and as a result of the continuous replenishment in the interior of the depositing tube 5 and is placed on the conveyor belt 6 . when producing straight set yarn , by actuating the lever 12 , the retaining flap 4 is locked , for example by means of a magnet 13 , on the inner wall of the compression chamber 3 . at the same time , the lever switches the stepping motor 8 of the depositing tube 5 on . thus , the retaining flap 4 , which is attached by a joint on the wall of the compression chamber 3 , is locked in the rear position and remains there for the entire production time . the compression chamber 3 has thus become a guide without an obstacle for the thread 1 that is running through . at the same time , the depositing tube 5 is rotatably driven . the thread 1 is thus hurled outwardly , coming from the delivery mechanism 2 , by means of the centrifugal force effect being produced and runs drawn within the compression chamber 3 . with the combination of centrifugal force and the thread 1 ′ s own weight , the thread 1 is deposited on the conveyor belt 6 arranged in an arc of a circle shape . as can be seen from fig2 a , the formed thread sheet is deposited in an unordered state on the conveyor belt 6 in the case of frieze yarn production with an upright depositing tube 5 . if the depositing tube 5 is , on the other hand , driven in an oscillating manner during the frieze yarn production , the thread deposit as shown in fig2 b is produced . fig2 c shows an arc of a circle deposit , as takes place in the case of the straight set yarn production with a rotating depositing tube 5 . the depositing radius , which is influenced by the level of the centrifugal force , the threads 1 &# 39 ; s own weight and the conveyor belt speed , is adjusted to be so great that the arc of a circle characteristic is still represented as virtually straight in the yarn tufts of the finished carpet . if the depositing tube 5 is driven in an oscillating manner instead of a rotatable manner during the straight set yarn production , the thread depositing takes place as depicted in fig2 d . fig3 and 4 show different embodiments of the device according to the invention . as the basic principles are the same in the different embodiments and in order to avoid repetition , things are only dealt with at this point where the embodiments differ . in fig3 , two retaining flaps 14 , 15 are attached on the compression chamber . coming from the delivery mechanism 2 , the thread 1 arrives in the compression chamber 3 . in the frieze yarn production , the thread 1 piles up on the two retaining flaps 14 , 15 . to produce straight set yarn , the two retaining flaps 14 , 15 are adjusted into an open position , locked and the depositing tube is driven in an oscillating manner . fig4 shows a compression chamber 3 without a retaining flap . nevertheless , the frieze effect can also be produced using this embodiment according to the invention of the device . for this purpose , the compression chamber 3 is configured in such a way that it reaches into the depositing tube 5 . the thread 1 piles up on the side wall 22 or on the base of the depositing tube 5 . as soon as the frictional resistance has been overcome , the yarn plug slides out of the depositing tube 5 onto the conveyor belt . to produce the straight set effect , the depositing tube 5 is driven and the thread 1 coming from the delivery mechanism 2 is deposited in arcs on the transporting device . the present invention has been herein described in relation to an exemplary embodiment or embodiments for purposes of providing an enabling disclosure of the invention . however , it will be understood by persons skilled in the relevant art that the present invention is susceptible of a broader utility and application . accordingly , it is to be expressly understood that the present invention is not to be construed as limited to the embodiments , features and aspects herein described , but only according to the appended claims .	3
fig4 is a block diagram of an apparatus of the present invention for converting x and y pixel coordinates into a dram address . the apparatus of fig4 may also be provided with tile size and tile height inputs , and well as a tile pitch input to allow the tile dimensions to be altered by a video controller to optimize performance . the apparatus of the present invention may be provided within a graphics controller integrated circuit , particularly within a graphics controller integrated circuit provided with a bitblt engine . fig5 is a block diagram illustrating the best mode of the present invention as embodied by cirrus logic part number cl - gd5462 , described in the cl - gd5462 advanced data book and the laguna 1 design specification , both of which are incorporated herein by reference . the memory addressing apparatus of fig4 may be provided within one or more elements of graphics controller circuit 510 . in the preferred embodiment , the apparatus of fig5 is provided within 2d engine ( bit blt engine ) 513 , i 2 c port 514 , and crtc / display pipeline 515 . each of these elements may transfer data through memory controller 520 to rambus ™ rdram ( s ) 550 as described in the cl - gd5462 advanced data book and the laguna 1 design specification , both of which are incorporated herein by reference . in fig5 controller 510 may be coupled to host cpu 540 through system bus ( pci bus ) 525 . display memory may be provided in the form of rambus ™ rdram ( s ) 550 . rambus ™ rdram ( s ) 550 may provide particular memory architecture and addressing techniques which the present invention may utilize to particular advantage . in particular , rambus ™ rdram ( s ) 550 may provide a memory having a row width of 2048 bytes -- sufficient to store pixel data for a fairly large tile size . the operation of rambus rdram ( s ) 550 is described for example , in rambus ™ application note : applying rambus ™ technology to graphics , incorporated herein by reference . memory configuration registers 511 may store data values indicating the configuration of rambus ™ rdram ( s ) 550 . such data values may be loaded upon reset from bios rom 560 or may be programmed from host cpu 540 . data values in memory configuration registers 511 may indicate whether rambus ™ rdram ( s ) 550 are in tiled mode , and if so , what the dimensions of such tiles are . memory controller 512 may utilize these data values , as discussed below in connection with fig4 to translate x y coordinates of a bit block transfer into memory addresses for rambus ™ rdram ( s ) 550 . fig4 is a block diagram illustrating the operation of a portion of memory controller 512 of fig5 in translating x and y pixel addresses into tiled memory addresses . referring now to fig4 x and y coordinates are fed to dividers 5 and 6 , respectively . coordinates x and y represent absolute coordinates of a pixel as located within an image . coordinate x may represent the location of a pixel in the x direction ( i . e ., position within a line ) from the left hand side of the screen . coordinate y may represent the location of a pixel in the y direction ( i . e ., scan line number ) from the top of the screen . thus , for example , in a 1024 × 768 image , x may take a value from 0 to 1023 and y may take a values from 0 to 767 . parameters tilesize , tileheight , and pitch tiles may be programmable parameters stored in software registers 1 , 2 , and 3 of memory configuration registers 511 of fig5 . programmable registers 1 , 2 , and 3 allow changing of the operation of the circuit under software control to allow optimizing of tile mapping for each display configuration . the tilesize parameter indicates the overall size of each tile ( in bytes ) and may be determined by the physical parameters ( e . g ., memory row size ) of rambus ™ rdram ( s ) 550 of fig5 . in the preferred embodiment , rambus ™ rdram ( s ) 550 of fig5 have a row width of 2048 bytes and thus tilesize may be pre - set or programmed to 2048 bytes . the remaining parameters tileheight and pitch tiles may be determined by software depending upon video mode , resolution , and pixel depth , as will be discussed in more detail below . parameter tileheight indicates the height of each tile in scan lines . parameters tilesize and tileheight are fed to divider 4 to output parameter tilewidth . parameter tilewidth indicates the width of each tile in bytes . as discussed above , tilesize ( in bytes ) may be determined by the architecture of rambus ™ rdram 550 . for example , rambus ™ rdram 550 may be provided having a row width of 2048 bytes , and thus tilesize may be limited to 2048 bytes or 2048 pixels at an 8 bit - per - pixel depth , or other number of pixels at other pixel depths . of course , other types of display memories may be used in place of rambus ™ rdram without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . moreover , multiple rambus ™ rdrams may be used to increase tilesize . value tilewidth and a pixel x coordinate may be fed to divider 5 to output value x tiles as the dividend , and intermediate value x intra - tile as remainder . value x tiles value indicates the number of tiles in the x direction that a pixel having coordinates x , y is located from the left hand side of the screen . value x intra - tile is an intermediate value representing the x coordinate ( pixel position ) within a tile where the pixel having coordinates x , y is located . value tileheight and a pixel y coordinate may be fed to divider 6 to output value y tiles as the dividend , and intermediate value y intra - tile as remainder . value y tiles indicates the number of tiles in the y direction that a pixel having coordinates x , y is located from the top of the screen . value y intra - tile is an intermediate value representing the y coordinate ( scan line ) within a tile where the pixel having coordinates x , y is located . thus , for example , a 347th pixel ( i . e ., x = 347 ) located on scan line 27 ( i . e ., y = 27 ) of a 1024 × 768 image ( at 8 bpp ) may be translated into x tiles , y tiles , x intra - tile , and y intra - tile values for the 384 tiled memory configuration of fig3 a as follows . from the example of fig3 a , tilesize may be set to 2048 bytes . thus , for example , a 347th pixel ( i . e ., x = 347 ) located on scan line 27 ( i . e ., y = 27 ) of a 1024 × 768 image ( at 8 bpp ) may be translated into x tiles , y tiles , x intra - tile , and y intra - tile values for the 384 tiled memory configuration of fig3 a as follows . from the example of fig3 a , tilesize may be set to 2048 bytes . parameter tileheight may be set to 16 , representing a tile with a height of 16 lines . parameter tilewidth may be calculated in divider 4 as tilesize / tileheight or 2048 / 16 = 128 bytes , representing a tile 128 pixels wide at 8 bits per pixel . values x tile and x intra - tile may be calculated in divider 5 as x / tilewidth or 347 / 128 or 2 with remainder 91 . values y tile and y intra - tile may be calculated in divider 6 as y / tileheight or 27 / 16 or 1 with remainder 11 . thus , a pixel with coordinates x and y will be located in the 91th position of the 9th line of a tile located after a second tile in the x direction and after the first row of tiles ( e . g ., tile t10 of fig3 a ). values x tile , x intra - tile , y tile , and y intra - tile may then be fed to multipliers and adders 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , and 12 to output a dram address as follows . prior art frame buffers have a characteristic known as pitch which may be defined as a number of bytes of data for each horizontal line of a display . for example , in a 1024 by 768 pixel resolution display having a pixel depth of 16 bits per pixel , pitch would equal 1024 × 2 bytes or 2048 bytes per line . the dram address in a prior art frame buffer ( e . g ., scan line mapped ) may related to the x , y pixel address illustrated in equation 1 . the pitch of a tiled frame buffer is in terms of an integer number of tiles , not bytes . pitch tiles is thus equal to an integer number of tiles per line . for some resolutions , pitch tiles may be rounded up to the next higher integer number . for example , for an 800 by 600 pixel resolution image at a pixel depth of 8 bits per pixel and a tile size 256 bytes wide , pitch may be rounded up to 4 tiles ( 4 × 256 = 1024 ) as 800 is not evenly divisible by 256 . for the example where pixel resolution is 1024 × 768 pixels at a depth of 8 bits per pixel , pitch tiles may be equal to 8 , where each tile has a size of 128 pixels by 16 lines . the dram address is related to the x , y address as illustrated in equation 2 below . tilesize is the number of pixels in a tile , which is the same as the number of pixels which may fit into one row of the dram array and may be a fixed value characteristic of the memory technology . tileheight is the number of scan lines in a tile , and may be programmable . since tilesize may be fixed for a given memory technology , programming with tileheight may determine tilewidth . x tiles is the x tile location of a pixel = x / tilewidth y tiles is the y tile location of a pixel = y / tileheight pitch tiles is the pitch expressed in tiles . pitch in bytes may be expressed as pitch tiles × tilewidth . x intra - tile is the x location within a tile , where x intra - tile = x - x tiles × tilewidth . y intra - tile is the y location within a tile , where y intra - tile = y - y tiles × tileheight . thus , for the example given above , the dram address for the x = 347 and y = 27 may be calculated as follows : optimal programming of tileheight may be performed by graphics driver software and may be performed by locking the optimal values in a table based upon programmed display parameters such as crt resolution , number of bits - per - pixel and display of real - time video . software implemented within the vga bios may reset parameters tileheight and pitch tiles according to a look - up table . actual performance data for a particular implementation may determine optimal tile sizes for given resolutions and pixel depths . in general , with an increased number of bits - per - pixel ( bpp ) or pixel depth , wider tile widths may be optimal . similarly , with a fewer number of bits per pixel , a narrower , taller tile may be more optimal . in addition , higher pixel resolutions ( or in general , any change which may increase memory bandwidth used for crt refresh ) may be optimally implemented with a wider tile width . in the preferred embodiment , two tile heights may be provided ; eight rows ( 256 pixels wide ) or 16 rows ( 128 pixels wide ). however , other tile sizes and heights may be implemented without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . fig6 is a block diagram for address comparison logic within memory controller 520 of fig5 for determining whether an access is to a memory row already loaded in an rdram row cache . accesses to already cached rows may be faster than accesses to other rows ( which may require a row access ). the former may be referred to as a &# 34 ; row hit &# 34 ; while the latter may be referred to as a &# 34 ; row miss &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; page break &# 34 ;. in a memory system comprising one rdram bank , tile addresses y tiles and x tiles select a row within rdram 550 . in a memory system comprising more than one bank of rdram , selected bits of y tiles and x tiles select the bank , as determined by bank interleave logic 401 . the remaining bits of y tiles and x tiles may be used to select a row within rdram ( s ) 550 . as illustrated in fig6 addresses x tiles and y tiles are supplied to bank interleave logic 401 which in turn may select certain bits from addresses x tiles and y tiles as determined by programmable registers within bank interleave logic 401 to form a bank address . the bank address may then be supplied to decoder 402 which in turn addresses ram 403 . ram 403 may then supply an address of a presently open row ( i . e ., cached in the rdram 550 row cache ) for that bank . appropriate bits of the row address are compared to the y tiles and x tiles address by comparators 404 and 405 . if they are both equal , and gate 406 asserts a row hit signal . if they are not both equal , the row hit signal is de - asserted . when the row hit signal is de - asserted , memory controller 520 of fig5 may perform a new row access . the new row address may then be written to a corresponding word of ram 403 addressed by the present bank address to indicate which row is presently cached in a bank of rdram ( s ) 550 . if a row hit is asserted , memory controller 520 of fig5 may transfer data to or from rdram ( s ) 550 immediately . if a row hit is not asserted , memory controller 520 of fig5 may first may first perform a row access to load a requested row of data into the row cache of the selected bank of rdram ( s ) 550 . after an appropriate delay , data may then be transferred to or from rdram ( s ) 550 . as the address comparison logic compares the row address to that presently cached on every access , it performs a row access only when actually required . in the prior art , every random access ( i . e ., not incrementing or decrementing x and / or y from the previous access ) is assumed to be a row miss and thus a row access may always be performed , thus decreasing overall performance . a display controller may be implemented to use a variable number of banks of rdram ( s ) 550 . in the example of fig6 the preferred embodiment , decoder 402 and ram 403 may be implemented to have one word for each possible bank of rdram ( s ) 550 . if the largest number of possible banks of rdram ( s ) 550 is very large , it may be undesirable for cost and performance reasons to implement decoder 402 and ram 403 of sufficient size to have one word for each possible bank of rdram ( s ) 550 . in such a case , decoder 402 and ram 403 may be provided with fewer words than the number of banks of rdram ( s ) 550 . the available words within ram 403 may hold the last accessed row for each of the most recently accessed banks , using a least recently used replacement algorithm as is known in the prior art . in such a case , the word size of ram 403 may be increased to hold a bank address as well . if no word contains an address of a bank being accessed , the row hit signal may be de - asserted , forcing memory controller 550 of fig5 to perform a row access and write the row and bank address to the lease recently accessed word . at power up , the contents of ram 403 may not be valid ( i . e ., noise data ). it may , therefore , be necessary to perform one read to each bank of rdram ( s ) 550 to cause a row address for each bank of rdram ( s ) to be loaded to ram 403 . actual data read may not be valid and is unimportant . after performing one read from each bank of rdram ( s ) 550 , the contents of ram 403 may now correspond to a row cached within each bank of rdram ( s ) 550 . it will be readily seen by one of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention fulfills all of the objects set forth above . after reading the foregoing specification , one of ordinary skill will be able to effect various changes , substitutions of equivalents and various other aspects of the invention as broadly disclosed herein . it is therefore intended that the protection granted hereon be limited only by the definition contained in the appended claims and equivalents thereof . for example , in the apparatus of fig4 parameters tilesize and tileheight are utilized to calculate tilewidth and dram address . however , as would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art , parameters tilesize and tilewidth may be utilized to calculate tileheight . moreover , in the preferred embodiment , tile shape ( height versus width ) may be altered in response to video mode ( e . g ., pixel resolution , pixel depth , or the like ). however , it is within the spirit and scope of the present invention to alter tile shape in response to other display parameters or in response to operating system or applications software commands , or by user input . in the preferred embodiment , tile size may be determined by hardware parameters such as display memory width . however , it is also within the spirit and scope of the present invention to provide hardware and / or software control of tile size . moreover , in the preferred embodiment , rambus ™ rdrams are illustrated for use with the present invention . however , one of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate that other types of drams may be utilized within the spirit and scope of the present invention .	6
the following description refers to the accompanying drawings that illustrate certain embodiments of the invention . other embodiments are possible and modifications can be made to the embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . therefore , the following detailed description is not meant to limit the present invention . rather , the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims . the present invention arises from the realization that the basic architecture of a frequency - domain oct ( fd - oct ) system , configured in a specific manner , permits a user to make an intravascular blood pressure measurement when used in conjunction with fiber - optic fabry - perot pressure transducers . fig1 illustrates the basic structure of a fabry - perot optical pressure transducer 10 , known to the prior art , that is compatible with the combined oct imaging / pressure measurement system disclosed herein . a fabry - perot cavity 14 is formed by the surfaces of a diaphragm 18 and the sensor body 22 and has a reflectivity that depends on optical frequency or wavelength of the light exiting the optical fiber 26 . the depth of the cavity lies typically within the range of 1 - 20 μm and its width , which is limited by the diameter of the body of the sensor , lies typically in the range of 0 . 15 - 0 . 4 mm . light from an optical fiber 26 impinges on the cavity 14 and the same fiber 26 collects the reflected light as the diaphragm 18 flexes in response to external pressure variations . when the sensor 10 is excited by a laser , the optical signals returning from the cavity 14 through the optical fiber 26 combine and generate a common - mode interference signal . an fd - oct system , configured according to the present invention , performs the functions required to record these interference signals . algorithms are discussed below for processing the interference signals and displaying blood pressure waveforms . one embodiment of an fd - oct system 30 that is suitable for combined oct imaging and blood pressure measurement according to the present invention is shown in fig2 . because it performs both functions with little additional hardware , it is a simple cost - effective embodiment of the combined system . a wavelength - swept laser 34 ( also referred to as an ‘ optical - frequency tunable laser ’ or ‘ swept - source laser ’) emits nearly monochromatic ( line width & lt ; 0 . 2 nm ) near - infrared light within a specific spectral band suitable for intravascular oct imaging . the most common band of emission wavelengths lies within the telecommunications o band ( 1260 ≦ λ ≦ 1360 nm ). the wavelength of the laser 34 is swept or stepped rapidly over a broad band of wavelengths . the sweep is completed typically within a period less than 20 μs and repeats 10 , 000 times or more each second . an optical power splitter 38 separates the light into three channels . the first channel , which includes a fiber bragg grating filter 42 ( or equivalent wavelength - selective filter ) with a narrow bandpass ( typically & lt ; 1 nm ) and a trigger generator 46 , provides a timing pulse to the main analog - to - digital converter 50 that triggers the data acquisition . this channel produces a timing pulse at a predetermined optical frequency or wavelength ( typically 238 thz or 1260 nm ) when the output of the laser sweeps through the passband of the fiber bragg grating filter . the timing pulse triggers the start of the acquisition of the analog signals from the photoreceiver on each edge of the sample clock . light in the second channel is routed through a single - mode optical fiber to a sample clock generator 54 , which includes a reference interferometer and associated electro - optics that generate sample clock pulses at fixed optical frequency intervals . the sample clock generator ensures that the signals from photoreceiver 94 are collected by the data acquisition and display unit 102 synchronously with the sweep of the laser 34 at known wavelength steps . a fiber - optic mach - zehnder , michelson interferometer , optical etalon , or equivalent type of interferometer with a known optical path difference can serve as the reference interferometer of the clock generator 54 . light in the third channel is conducted through a single - mode optical fiber to the main interferometer 58 which splits the light into reference 60 and sample arms 62 . the light in the reference arm passes through an optical switch 64 to a reference mirror 66 that sets the zero - point optical delay for the imaging system and determines the depth into the tissue at which the oct imaging will take place . the light in the sample arm 62 passes to a motorized fiber - optic rotary coupler 70 in the probe interface 74 . the probe interface 74 includes a connector 78 which permits various probes ( combined oct imaging / pressure measuring catheter 82 , oct imagining 86 or optical pressure measuring probe 90 ) to connect to the sample arm 62 of the interferometer 58 . a motorized translation stage in the probe interface 74 enables the fiber - optic core of the catheter ( 82 , 28 , 90 ) inserted into a vessel to pull back with a constant speed . the optical output of the main interferometer 58 is converted by the photodetector 94 to electrical signals representative of the interference signals from the sample 60 and reference arms 62 of the interferometer 58 . these electrical signals are converted to digital signals by the analog to digital converter ( a / d ) 50 and processed and displayed on the display unit 98 of the data acquisition system 102 . because the trigger generator 46 and clock generator 54 are synchronized , the absolute optical frequency of the interference signal acquired by the data acquisition system 102 during every laser sweep can be determined from the number of sample clock pulses acquired after each trigger pulse from the trigger generator 46 . the absolute frequency reference is provided by the fiber - bragg grating , which indicates the starting optical frequency ; subsequent steps occur at equal optical frequency intervals set by the sample clock generator . in one embodiment of the invention shown in fig2 operates either in the oct imaging mode , pressure mode , or combined oct / pressure mode depending on whether an oct imaging 86 catheter , pressure probe 90 , or combined oct / pressure catheter 82 is attached to the probe interface connector 78 . the mode of operation can be selected manually or automatically , depending on the system configuration . manual selection requires the user to choose the operating mode from a software menu . automatic selection can be accomplished in one of several ways . in one embodiment with the motorized fiber - optic rotary coupler 70 in a stationary position , data acquisition unit 102 initiates after either the oct imaging catheter 86 or pressure probe 90 has been inserted . a software algorithm identifies the type of probe according to the interference signal pattern detected by the main interferometer 58 and photodetector 94 and loads the appropriate control and display software . once the pressure measurement has been completed , the precise location and the severity of the stenosis can be determined and the oct imaging procedure can begin . in a second embodiment of the system to automatically determine what type of probe is connected to the system , following insertion of the catheter 86 or pressure probe 90 , the system attempts to rotate the motorized fiber - optic rotary coupler 70 . a torque sensor in the motor of the motorized coupler 70 measures resistance to rotation . torque exceeding a specific threshold indicates that a pressure probe 90 , with a non - rotating proximal connection , is attached . once insertion of a pressure probe 90 has been detected , the motor disengages and the appropriate control and display software loads . in a third embodiment , an encoded electrical or optical tag ( e . g ., bar code , wire - encoded electrical connector , rfid tag , flash memory chip ) on the proximal end of the oct imaging catheter 86 or pressure probe 90 ( or both 82 ) is read by the system to identify the appropriate mode of operation . the tag can be read automatically by the probe interface 74 when the probe is inserted or , alternatively , a handheld device can be employed to read the marker from the body or package of the probe . this method of probe identification has the advantage that additional factory calibration data encoded in the markers can be read at the same time . in addition to features that enable automatic software configuration , the system of fig2 also contains features that enable automatic hardware configuration once the operational mode has been determined . in the standard oct imaging mode , optical switch 64 is actuated , allowing light to reflect from the reference mirror 66 . however , in the pressure - measurement mode , because the system records common - mode interference signals and no reference light is required , the optical switch 64 is turned off , isolating the reference reflector 66 from the reference arm 60 of the interferometer 58 . in addition , since differential ( balanced ) photodetection is employed only during oct imaging , the electronic balancing circuits in the photoreceiver 94 are switched to the single - ended ( unbalanced ) mode during pressure measurements . fig3 is a block diagram of another embodiment 30 ′ of the invention in which separate optical connections are provided on the probe interface 74 ′ for the oct imaging catheter 86 and optical pressure probe 90 . this configuration enables acquisition of blood pressure measurements with a separate pressure probe 90 before , during , or after oct imaging . measurement of pressure during oct imaging can be accomplished by inserting both probes in the blood vessel at the same time . an additional optical channel 112 from the power splitter 38 ′ directs light to the pressure probe 90 through an optical circulator 116 . the optical circulator 116 re - directs the light that returns from the pressure probe 90 into a second photodetector 120 that generates the electronic signal corresponding to interference signals from which the pressure measurements are derived . these signals are digitized by a second channel of the analog to digital converter 50 ′ and recorded by the same data acquisition system 102 ′ used to record the oct interference signals . in contrast to the first embodiment of the invention illustrated by fig2 , no optical switch 64 is required in the reference arm 60 to isolate the reference arm 60 from the reference reflector 66 ( fig2 ) during pressure measurement . a third embodiment of invention 30 ″, illustrated in fig4 , is similar to that shown in fig3 , except a multi - mode ( mm ) fiber 124 is used instead of a single - mode ( sm ) fiber 112 to conduct light over part of the path from the laser 34 to the optical pressure probe 90 . the larger core of the multi - mode ( mm ) fiber 124 facilitates fabrication of the pressure probe and reduces the tolerances for aligning the fiber - optic connection at the probe interface 78 ′ to the proximal end of the pressure probe . typically , a 50 - μm or 62 . 5 - μm diameter graded - index mm telecommunications fiber may be used in this application . to reduce inter - modal interference noise , a passive sm - to - mm converter 128 , may be employed to launch light from the laser 34 into the mm fiber 124 . fig5 illustrates a fourth embodiment 30 ′″ of the invention that enables simultaneous acquisition of oct images and pressure measurements from a single fiber - optic catheter that contains both an oct optical lens assembly and an optical pressure transducer as described below . the oct and pressure interference signals are detected in two non - overlapping wavelength bands , for example , 1250 - 1350 nm and 1500 - 1600 nm or 1000 - 1200 nm and 1500 - 1600 nm , respectively . a superluminescent diode 130 emits broadband light that combines with the oct laser light in a wavelength - division multiplexer 134 after passing through an optical circulator 138 . the combined light from the main interferometer 58 sample arm 62 and the superluminescent diode 130 travels in the same sm optical fiber to the tip of the catheter where light in the appropriate band ( as described below in conjunction with the probe ) impinges upon and reflects from either the tissue or the pressure transducer the reflected light is passed back down the fiber and separated again into two wavelength bands by the wavelength division multiplexer 134 . light reflected by the tissue in first band enters the main oct interferometer 58 through the sample arm 62 and light reflected by the pressure transducer in the second band enters a spectrometer 40 again after passing through the optical circulator 138 . the spectrometer 140 records the spectrum of the light reflected from the pressure transducer and transmits the spectral data to the processor and display system 98 ′ over a digital interface . fig6 - 10 illustrate the designs of pressure - sensing catheters that are compatible with an fd - oct system configured according to the various embodiments of the invention . each of the catheters contains a miniature optical pressure sensor at the tip of a small - diameter ( 80 μm - or 125 μm - diameter ) optical fiber . the diameters of the sensor and fibers are small enough to enable the fabrication of pressure - sensing catheters with dimensions of coronary and neurovascular guide wires ( 0 . 010 - 0 . 014 ″). fig6 ( a - b ) show cross - sectional views of the proximal and distal ends of one of the embodiments of the optical pressure probe . the pressure probe 90 includes of a long hollow flexible tube 150 or an assembly of tapered tubes with an optical transducer 10 ′ mounted at the base of a spring tip 154 located at the distal end of the probe . the optical fiber 155 from the pressure transducer 10 ′ connects to a fiber - optic connector 157 mounted on the proximal end of the probe . pressure - sensing slots or holes 160 in the mounting collar 164 at the base of the spring tip 154 transmit the blood pressure from the vessel in which the probe is inserted to the diaphragm 18 of the pressure transducer 10 ′. alternatively the optical pressure transducer 164 is exposed to the blood flow directly . preferably , the hollow body of the tube 150 is composed of a metal , metal alloy , or metal - braided polymer that gives the tube sufficient resistance to compression and rigidity to torque , while maintaining a high degree of flexibility . to minimize the restriction of flow caused by placement of the probe across a tight stenosis in a blood vessel , the body of the probe at its distal end is fabricated typically with an outer diameter of 0 . 010 - 0 . 018 ″ ( 0 . 25 - 0 . 46 mm ). to position the pressure probe , the operator inserts the probe through a guide catheter into the artery and steers the probe to the target location using a torque handle 168 located near the proximal end . in accordance with the design of the fd - oct system of fig2 , operating in the pressure measurement mode , the fiber - optic rotary coupler 70 in the probe interface 74 rotates passively . the tip of the pressure probe 90 can be steered to the target location in the blood vessel by disconnecting the fiber - optic connector from the probe interface to allow free rotation of the body of the probe . after the pressure wire has been positioned , the fiber - optic connector can then be re - inserted into probe interface to obtain pressure measurements . alternatively , since the fiber - optic rotary coupler in the probe interface rotates passively , the tip of the pressure probe can be steered without disconnecting the fiber - optic connection . fabricating the pressure probe with a longer body (˜ 2 meters ) facilitates this alternative steering method . if the probe interface does contain a rotatable element , the proximal end of the transducer may be made flexible between the removable torque handle 168 and the angle polished fiber optic connector 157 . this allows the pressure wire to be steered with a simpler probe interface unit . it should be noted that the diameter of the probe need not be constant across the transducer . fig6 c depicts a cross - sectional view of the probe of fig6 a but in which the diameter of the probe varies . the widths distal ( d ) and proximal ( d ′) to the transducer 164 are less that the width necessary to encompass the transducer 164 . this configuration functions because the wider diameter at the transducer 164 and opening 160 is not located within the stenotic region when pressure is measured . hence , the diameter of the vessel in the region outside the stenosis is sufficiently large to permit pressure to enter through hole 160 without constricting flow and generating an anomalous pressure reading . fig7 ( a - b ) show cross - sectional views of an alternative construction of an optical pressure probe . similar to the probe shown in fig6 , the distal end of the probe shown here is constructed from a long flexible hollow tube 150 or an assembly of tapered tubes with the pressure sensing port located at the base of its spring tip 154 . however , the probe shown in fig7 b includes a disposable optical adapter 172 that gives the operator access to the proximal end of the adapter . this configuration enables the pressure probe to serve as a primary guide wire over which a balloon catheter or other interventional device can be inserted into the artery . for compatibility with standard devices employed in coronary interventions , the pressure probe is fabricated with an outer diameter of less than 0 . 014 ″ ( 0 . 36 mm ) over its entire length . an end - polished fiber - optic ferrule 176 , with an outer diameter approximately equal to that of the body of the probe , mates precisely with a similar fiber - optic sleeve 180 inside the optical adapter 172 . to maintain a high optical transmission during free rotation of the proximal end , while minimizing back reflection , the mating fiber - optic ferrules 176 , 180 are fabricated , preferably , with ultra physical contact ( upc ) polished end faces . in some embodiments , separate disposable optical adapter 172 , which is supplied to the user as a separate sterilized component , plugs into the probe interface of the fd - oct system and remains connected throughout the procedure . at the completion of the procedure , the adapter and the probe are removed as a unit by the user for disposal . to position the pressure probe 90 ′, the operator the proximal end of the probe 90 ′ from the optical adapter 172 , inserts the probe 90 ′ through a guide catheter into the artery , and steers the probe 90 ′ to the target location using the removable torque handle 168 at the distal end . once the wire has been positioned and any additional device has been inserted over the pressure probe , the operator re - inserts the proximal end of the probe into the optical adapter 172 and locks the clamp 184 to keep the surfaces of the optical fibers 176 , 180 in close contact if the pressure probe 90 ′ moves . fig8 ( a - b ) show yet another alternative construction of an optical pressure probe 90 ″ that is suitable for intravascular pressure measurement with an fd - oct system configured according to the various embodiments of the invention . unlike the pressure probes 90 , 90 ′ illustrated in fig6 and 7 , this version of the pressure probe is designed for rapid delivery over a primary guide wire . in many instances , especially when an artery is tortuous or otherwise difficult to access , the clinician prefers to employ an independent primary guide wire rather than to steer the unsupported pressure probe to the target site . the guide wire ( not shown ) is inserted at the probe tip 190 and exits through the guide wire exit 194 . the guide wire is inserted into the vessel and moved to the position of interest in the vessel . the pressure probe 90 ″ is next inserted into the vessel over the guide wire and also moved to the place of interest in the vessel . the position of the pressure transducer can be monitored under x - ray imaging using the radio - opaque marker 198 located on the probe . the guide wire may then be removed and the pressure measurements performed . eliminating the need for steerability of the pressure probe 90 ″ makes the rapid - exchange pressure wire easier and less costly to fabricate ; however , to minimize restriction of blood flow , its cross section should be kept small . therefore , to avoid inaccurate measurement of vascular resistance , the relatively large - diameter tip of the pressure probe must be placed far enough away from a tight vessel stenosis to prevent further restriction of blood flow . to satisfy this constraint , in one embodiment , the distance from the exit port of the guide wire to the pressure sensor ( labeled ‘ l ’ in fig8 a ) is set to 2 - 4 cm . the offset of the pressure sensor 10 ′ relative to the tip 190 enables the user to place the largest - diameter segment of the probe outside of the stenosis during the measurement of pressure both distal and proximal to the stenosis . the utility and ease of use of the rapid - exchange version of the pressure probe can be improved by modifying its construction according to fig9 ( a - b ). the distal end of the pressure probe 90 ″′ shown in this figure includes a series of ports 160 ′ at evenly spaced intervals ( typically 2 - 5 mm ) that transmit the pressure at particular points along the axis of the artery to the inner lumen of the probe . an optical pressure transducer 10 ′ at the tip of an optical fiber inside the lumen of the pressure probe senses the local pressure in the vicinity of the pressure ports . the optical fiber and attached pressure transducer are designed to translate longitudinally inside the lumen as the motor inside the probe interface pulls the fiber connector back at a constant speed . before use , the probe is flushed with saline . a liquid seal at the proximal end between the optical fiber and the non - rotating shell over the body of the fiber - optic connector prevents the escape of fluid into the probe interface . to perform a pressure measurement , the clinician inserts the tip of probe 90 ′″ across the target lesion and pushes it forward until the target lesion lies between the radio - opaque markers 198 ′, 198 ″ on both sides of the series of pressure ports . the measurement is initiated by activating the automated pullback mechanism ( part of the standard fd - oct probe interface ), which pulls the transducer 10 ′ along the length of the probe 90 ′″ lumen at a constant velocity adjacent the series of pressure - sensing ports 160 ′. the pressure measured as a function of time provides a profile of the pressure across the lesion . fig9 d shows an embodiment of a multi - hole probe within the lumen of a stenotic vessel . fig9 e shows the measured pressure at various positions in the vessel corresponding to the cross - section in fig9 d and the pressure values measured by the transducer at each of the holes in the probe . fig9 f shows the pressure readings by the transducer as it is moved by the individual holes . because the transducer determines the pressure downstream ( distal ) from it , a stepped pressure measurement is obtained as the transducer moves by the individual holes . the pressure errors introduced by this technique are minimal . fig1 is a cross - sectional view of the tip of a catheter that combines the functions of an intravascular oct imaging probe and a pressure wire . depending on its construction , the combination catheter is compatible with the embodiments of the fd - oct system shown in fig2 and fig5 . the key feature of the combined catheter is the integration of the pressure transducer into the tip of the oct imaging catheter . an optical fabry - perot pressure transducer 10 ″ is mounted on the distal end of a short length ( typically 1 - 2 mm ) of coreless or large - core step - index multimode fiber 26 ′. the distal end 202 of the fiber segment is polished at an angle of 40 - 50 degrees and coated with a thin dielectric or metallic film . to avoid excessive back - reflection from the distal end of a fiber - tip lens assembly 206 , the fiber segment 26 ′ with the attached transducer is glued to the fiber - tip lens assembly 206 with an adhesive 210 that matches the refractive index of the lens 206 . for use of the combination catheter with the fig2 embodiment of the fd - oct system in which both the oct system and pressure transducer operate in the same wavelength band ( typically 1260 - 1360 nm ), the thin - film coating on the angle - polished end of the fiber segment is selected to reflect a large fraction ( 75 - 90 %) of the incident light at specific wavelengths for oct measurements and to transmit the remaining fraction to the transducer 10 ″ for pressure measurements . since reflection from the fabry - perot cavity of the pressure transducer 10 ″ modulates the spectrum of the raw oct interference signal a series of artifactual lines appear in the oct image at a depth proportional to the modulation frequency . to avoid degradation of the oct image caused by these lines , the zero point of the oct interferometer can be set by setting the delay in the interferometer such that the lowest frequency of the displayed oct signals exceeds the peak frequency of the spectral modulation . for use of the combination catheter with the fig5 embodiment of the fd - oct system in which the oct system and the pressure transducer operate in the first and second wavelength bands , respectively ; the thin - film coating on the angle - polished end 202 of the fiber segment 26 ′ is selected to reflect light maximally in the first wavelength band and to transmit light maximally in the second wavelength band . with the lens 206 and pressure transducer 10 ″ attached to its tip , the optical fiber mounts inside the lumen of torque wire 214 that rotates inside the catheter sheath 218 . the catheter sheath is filled from the proximal port with saline or contrast medium . during pressure monitoring , the rotation of the torque wire 214 is turned off . the distal end of the catheter can employ either a monorail tip for rapid - exchange delivery , as in the embodiments shown in fig8 and fig9 , or a spring tip for insertion in the artery without a guide wire , as shown in the pressure wire embodiments in fig6 and fig7 . other beam - splitting arrangements at the catheter tip are also possible . for example , the fiber - tip lens assembly can be angle - polished and coated , rather than the fiber attached to the transducer . also , a bulk optical component , such as miniature prism or mirror , can be employed as a beam splitter instead of an angle - polished optical fiber . fig1 shows a set of common - mode interference signals acquired from an optical pressure probe connected to an fd - oct system that was configured according to the embodiment of the invention shown in fig2 , operating in the pressure measurement mode . acquired over a range of pressures (− 40 mmhg & lt ; p & lt ; 180 mmhg ), the signals were recorded at successive optical clock intervals , in proportion to the wavenumber or optical frequency of the wavelength - swept laser . in this example , the abscissa spans an optical frequency range of 220 - 240 thz or , equivalently , a wavelength range of 1250 - 1360 nm . the low - frequency spectral modulation of the signal originates from reflections within the main fabry - perot cavity funned by the diaphragm and the body of the in the optical pressure transducer . the width of the cavity of the transducer in this example was approximately 17 μm . as shown by the arrows in fig1 , the low - frequency modulation pattern shifts to higher frequencies in proportion to pressure . the high - frequency spectral modulation superimposed on the signal was caused by reflection from a “ parasitic cavity ” in the transducer 10 ′ formed by the interface between the input optical fiber 26 ′ and the sensor body 22 . neither the frequency nor the amplitude of this parasitic modulation changes significantly with pressure . the characteristics of the time - dependent interference signal generated by the pressure transducer at the output of the photodetector ( see for example 120 in fig4 ) of the fd - oct system can be expressed as : v ( t )= kp 0 ( k )└ r fp ( k , p )+ r p ( k )┘ ( 1 ) where k is a constant , p 0 ( k ) is the optical power incident on the transducer ; r fp ( k , p ) and r p ( k ) are , respectively , the reflectivities of the fabry - perot and parasitic cavities of the pressure transducer . the interference signal , power , and transducer reflectivities are functions of the optical wavenumber ( k ) of the light emitted by the laser , which varies as an arbitrary function of time ( t ). in the fd - oct system , the signal voltage ( v ) from the photodetector 94 is sampled by the analog - to - digital converter 50 at evenly spaced wavenumber intervals , k n = k 0 +( n − 1 ) δk ; here , k 0 is the initial wavenumber of the laser sweep , δk is the wavenumber sample interval , and n = 1 , 2 , . . . n , where n is the number of samples . according to these definitions , the recorded digital pressure signal can be expressed as an array of n values measured at successive optical clock intervals ( in proportion to wavenumber ), v n = kp 0 ( k n )[ r fp ( k n , p )+ r b ( k n )], for n = 0 , 1 , 2 , . . . n ( 2 ) the reflectivity r fp varies in relation to the pressure - dependent length , l ( p ), of the fabry - perot cavity , according to : here , the magnitude of the effective reflection coefficient of the cavity , \| r c \|, is approximately equal to the geometrical mean of the magnitudes of the reflection coefficients of the reflecting surfaces of the fabry - perot cavity . for most transducers , the length ( l ) decreases approximately linearly with pressure over a wide range of pressures . the parasitic reflectivity , r b ( k ), generated by m parasitic cavities within the transducer &# 39 ; s body or packaging , generates pattern noise composed of sinusoids of different frequencies , r p ( k n )=\| r p1 \| sin ( 2 k n l 1 )+\| r p2 \| sin ( 2 k n l 2 )+ . . . +\| r pm \| sin ( 2 k n l m ) ( 4 ) where \| r p1 \|, \| r p2 \|, . . . , \| r pm \| are the magnitudes of the effective reflection coefficients of the parasitic cavities and l 1 , l 2 , . . . l m are the lengths of the parasitic cavities . these three equations , 2 , 3 and 4 represent a mathematical model of the signal recorded by the fd - oct system . the nominal fabry - perot cavity length ( l ) at a given pressure in equation 3 is known from the manufacturing process . the reflection coefficient \| r c \| is determined by fitting signals measured from a sampled number of pressure transducers . in practice , a single parasitic cavity usually dominates , and its length and effective reflection coefficient can be determined by fourier transformation of pressure signals measured from the sampled number of pressure transducers . in accordance with the present invention , the algorithm for processing the pressure signal proceeds according to following steps : first the signal is normalized by dividing the recorded signal array of voltages ( v n ) by the laser power to obtain the normalized signal : next the parasitic cavity noise is removed by applying a butterworth or equivalent low - pass filter to the normalized signal ( v n 0 ) with a cut - off frequency below that of the lowest frequency component of the reflection coefficients r p ( k ). the result is : where lpf { } represents the low - pass filtering operation . next the spectral null , the sample wavenumber at which the amplitude of v n , f 0 is lowest , is detected . v n , f 0 is first convolved with a template array of values proportional to r fp ( k ), with \| r c \| and l ( p ) determined by fitting filtered arrays measured from a sample of transducers at reference pressures . the spectral null of v n , f 0 occurs at the array index n min at which the amplitude of the convolved is maximum . alternatively , the minimum , maximum or steepest edge of v n , f 0 can be located by conventional differentiation or gradient - search methods known to persons skilled in the art . the spectral null is then tracked and unwrapped . if more than one spectral null of v n , f 0 occurs within the pressure range of interest or nulls move out of the laser &# 39 ; s wavelength band at the extremes of the pressure range , the position of nulls can be tracked across multiple laser sweeps to extend the pressure measurement range . tracking can be accomplished by standard phase unwrapping techniques applied to a sequence of stored v n , f 0 array values . fig1 shows a calibration curve of a typical pressure transducer . the curve was obtained by applying the above algorithm to the raw pressure signals in fig1 . since the optical clock interval number at which the spectral null occurs , n min , varies approximately in linear proportion to the applied pressure , the pressure can be estimated accurately from n min once the slope and offset of the calibration curve are known . in practice , a polynomial function is used to fit the calibration curve of an individual pressure probe or catheter and the stored coefficients are employed to estimate pressure from measured n min values . fig1 shows dynamic pressure waveforms measured by the same pressure probe from which the raw signals in fig1 were obtained . in this example , good correspondence compared to a commercial strain - gage transducer was obtained by using a simple first - order polynomial ( linear ) calibration curve . fig1 shows the pressure waveforms measured by the pressure probe across a tight stenosis in a simulated artery . in this experiment , the pressure - sensing segment of the pressure probe was pulled through the stenosis at a constant speed by a motor in the probe interface . the sharp reductions in both mean and pulsatile pressures provide clear evidence of the flow resistance imposed by the stenosis . the examples presented herein are intended to illustrate potential and specific implementations of the invention . it can be appreciated that the examples are intended primarily for purposes of illustration of the invention for those skilled in the art . there may be variations to these diagrams or the operations described herein without departing from the spirit of the invention . for instance , in certain cases , method steps or operations may be performed or executed in differing order , or operations may be added , deleted or modified . variations , modification , and other implementations of what is described herein will occur to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed . accordingly , the invention is to be defined not by the preceding illustrative description , but instead by the spirit and scope of the following claims .	0
in fig1 a system center , or master station 10 , for transmitting a carrier whether or not there are communication signals being transmitted , is illustrated having communication links 12 , 14 , 16 and 18 . only two of the links , 14 and 16 , are illustrated with connections for detailing the circuitry involved to practice the present invention . as illustrated , communication link 14 is very short and comprises a first unidirectional coupler and phone 22 and a bidirectional amplifier section 24 . as will be later explained , phone 22 and section 24 may be replaced by a termination device 26 shown in dashed lines . in normal operation , communication link 14 is terminated by the output impedance of a further bidirectional amplifier section 27 . communication link 16 on the other hand , includes a first unidirectional coupler and telephone 28 and a second similar unidirectional coupler and telephone 30 prior to a bidirectional amplifier 32 . further bidirectional amplifiers in this link are labeled 34 , 36 , 38 , 40 , 42 and 27 . a plurality of bidirectional couplers and telephones are sequentially labeled 46 , 48 , 50 , 52 , 54 , 56 , 58 , 60 , 62 , 64 , 66 and 68 . in fig2 a detailed circuit is illustrative of a bidirectional amplifier section including a detector section such as would be incorporated in any one of the bidirectional amplifiers ( e . g ., 32 ) of fig1 . in fig2 a line 70 connectes to one lead of a bidirectional coupler 72 which has its other end connected to the input of a switch generally designated as 74 and is operated by a dash line control 76 . dashed line control 76 is operated by a relay generally designated as 78 . the bidirectional coupler 72 has a further output lead 80 connected to the input of a bandpass filter 82 whose output is connected through an amplifier 84 and a detecting diode 86 to the positive or non - inverting input of a differential amplifier 88 whose output controls relay 78 . a final output 90 of bidirectional coupler 72 is passed through a bandpass filter 92 , an amplifier 94 and a detecting diode 96 to the negative or inverting input of amplifier 88 . as illustrated , the switch 74 has a movable contact connecting a lead 98 , which provides an input , to a lowpass filter 100 whose output is supplied through an amplifier 102 to a lowpass filter 104 . the output of lowpass filter 104 is connected to a lead 106 . a movable contact of a switch 108 is shown connected to lead 106 and to an output terminal 110 . the movable contact of switch 108 is also operated by control mechanism 76 and operates simultaneous with the switch 74 . lead 106 is also connected to the input of a highpass filter 112 whose output is connected through an amplifier 114 and through a highpass filter 116 to lead 98 . in one embodiment of the invention , a carrier signaling frequency of 53 megahertz was used and thus the bandpass filters 82 and 92 had a center frequency of approximately 53 megahertz . the filters 112 and 116 on the other hand were highpass filters which passed all frequencies above 50 megahertz while the filters 100 and 104 were lowpass filters which passed all frequencies from at least as low as 5 mhz up to 30 mhz . while the gains of amplifiers 102 and 114 could be any set or adjustable value , one embodiment of the invention used a 30 db gain in amplifier 114 and a 15 db gain in amplifier 102 . the diodes 86 and 96 are very crude intelligence signal detectors utilizing a single diode but operate satisfactorily for the purpose intended . the bidirectional coupler 72 is merely a combination of two directional couplers such as illustrated in fig4 . in fig3 an input 120 is supplied through a detecting mechanism similar to that described in the dashline block 118 of fig2 . detector 122 has an output represented by dashed line 124 which operates movable switches 126 and 128 . an electrical output appearing on lead 130 is electrically connected to the movable contact of switch 126 and as shown connects to a lead 132 and through the movable contact of switch 128 to an output terminal 134 . in operation , both of the switches 126 and 128 operate simultaneously and if altered from the present position would connect one end of each of resistors 135 and 136 such that the terminals 120 and 134 are terminated through these resistors to ground 138 . in fig4 a terminal 150 is connected through a directional coupler 152 to an output terminal 154 and to a further output terminal 156 . as illustrated , the signals going in either direction between 150 and 154 are illustrated as a while the signals from 150 to 156 and vice versa are illustrated as b and signals going from 156 to 154 and vice versa are illustrated as c . in fig5 a system center 175 supplies signals to various output lines including a line 177 which is passed to phones 179 and 181 through unidirectional taps . the signal is then supplied through a bidirectional but non - reversible amplifier 183 to a directional splitter or tap 185 . a first output of 185 is passed through a line connecting phones 187 , 189 , 191 , 193 , 194 and 195 each connected to bidirectional splitters or taps and having reversible bidirectional amplifiers 197 , 199 and 201 as shown . the other output of tap 185 is connected to a telephone 203 and to an input of a reversible amplifier 205 . a line 207 is connected between the outputs of the two amplifiers 210 and 205 in a manner similar to that of the connection between amplifiers 24 and 27 in fig1 with no telephones being permitted in this area . the first link would be normally designated as the portion between the one output of splitter 185 through the plurality of telephones from 187 to 195 and terminating in the output of amplifier 201 . the other link would be the short link including the telephone 203 and terminating in the output of amplifier 205 . in fig6 a further system center 210 again has various outputs in a manner similar to that of fig5 and includes an output 212 feeding phones 214 and 216 and then through a bidirectional amplifier 218 to a directional splitter or tap 220 . one output of tap 220 immediately terminates through a line 222 to a terminating means 224 substantially identical to that of fig3 . the other link is fed through a line 226 including phones 228 , 230 , 232 , 234 , 236 , 238 , 240 , 242 , 244 , 246 and 248 along with bidirectional reversible amplifiers 250 , 252 , 254 and 256 before terminating on a lead 258 and the terminating means 224 . as will be noted , the primary difference between fig5 and 6 is that in one case the amplifiers 201 and 205 terminate into the output of each other and there are no phones permitted in that intermediate region designated as 207 . in fig6 on the other hand , there are phones in this area and the termination is accomplished by a separate device 224 . referring first to fig4 it will be realized by those skilled in the art that fig4 is illustrative of a standard type cable television directional coupler . the impedance looking into any of the terminals 150 , 154 and 156 is 75 ohms . the signal loss in path a is typically from 0 . 5 to 3 . 5 db . the signal loss in path b is set by design and normally ranges from 3 . 5 to 30 + db . the loss through path c is determined by external matching but can be expected to be in the range of 30 db . as designed and used in the present invention , typical choices for these paths are respectively a = 0 . 5 to 1 . 0 db , b = 8 to 12 db , and c = 24 to 30 db . from the above , it will be determined that signals attempting to pass from 150 to either of the other two outputs will be attenuated only slightly . however , signals attempting to pass from 154 to terminal 156 will be attenuated a large amount . this feature is very helpful in attempting to determine the direction or origin of a signal since if a detector is placed at 156 , it will receive much higher amplitude signals if initially received by the coupler from 150 than if received from 154 . as will be realized from later discussions , use of a single directional coupler has some drawbacks which are not obvious from a theoretical standpoint . if the differential between the magnitude of the forward and reflected signals fed to the output 156 does not exceed 30 db , the detection device ( amplifier and diode ) can react to signals flowing in either direction . a further drawback is that if the fault resulting in a switchover is a broken coaxial cable near terminal 150 , the detection device will respond to the resulting reflected signal when in the reverse mode . for the above reasons , a bidirectional coupler such as illustrated by 72 in fig2 was designed to deliver two output signals . one of these signals corresponds to the forward traveling 53 mhz reference on lead 80 and the other corresponding to the reverse signal and appearing on output 90 . functionally , it is the equivalent of two of the standard devices in series with one of them merely reversed . if these two outputs are filtered and amplified and connected to a comparator as is illustrated in dash line block 118 , a circuit will result such that the output of amplifier 88 is high in normal operation thereby holding switch relay 78 energized and will become low only in the event that there is a break in the line thereby resulting in a reverse flow of carrier current . thus , due to the design of 118 , carrier current flowing from 70 to 110 will activate relay 78 but carrier current flowing from 110 to 70 will not activate relay 78 . from the above , it will be realized that the output of amplifier 88 will remain low during a reverse flow of carrier current . as mentioned , the circuitry of fig2 is representative of the bidirectional amplifiers numbered from 32 to 42 in fig1 as well as amplifiers 24 and 27 . each of these bidirectional amplifiers in fig1 is reversible and is operationally identical with those illustrated in fig5 and 6 with the &# 34 ; r &# 34 ; adjacent . the similar amplifiers merely labeled as line amplifiers such as 183 and 218 are bidirectional but non - reversible and thus do not have the control circuitry 118 and its associated switches 74 and 108 . in normal operation , with the carrier passing the correct direction from left to right the relay 78 is in an energized or operated condition . the theory being that there is power available as long as there is no break in the communication link . thus , if there is a break in the line and there is no longer any carrier , the relay will deenergize and switch to the condition shown for reversing the signal . the relay will remain in this condition even though a carrier is resumed from the opposite direction . in other words , convention and the drawing shows the relay switches in their unenergized condition and thus the condition in which the carrier would be flowing from right to left . using this basis , it will be noted that the signals , including the carrier , from the system center are passed from left to right under normally energized operating conditions and passed through the highpass filters 112 and 116 and accordingly through amplifier 114 and directly out through the movable contact switch 108 in the down position to the output terminal 110 . low frequency signals in the range of 5 to 30 mhz from down stream telephones are passed back through lowpass filters 100 and 104 after being amplified by amplifier 102 . the termnation means of fig3 which is represented by block 26 in fig1 incorporates a detector 122 which is substantially identical to that of 118 in fig2 . again , the relay contacts are shown in the unenergized condition and upon energization of the system both of the contacts for switches 126 and 128 would be placed in the downward condition thereby terminating the line connected to input 120 through resistor 135 to ground and connecting the line attacked to input 134 through resistor 136 to ground 138 . as will be later determined , the carrier in the design illustrated activates line 124 only from one direction of reception . returning to fig1 it will be noted that there is an area between amplifiers 24 and 27 wherein no telephones may be connected . in operation , the system center 10 provides output signals on all lines including not only 14 and 16 but 12 and 18 as well . these output signals comprise a signalling carrier and one or more modulated signals such as frequency modulation , single sideband suppressed carrier , etc ., to the various phones with both types of taps such as 46 and 22 . if there is only one modulated signal available , all phones will be actuated with response to such a signal and the operation will be of a party - line type . the portion of the system which is in the fail - safe area would be the portion between the output of amplifier 32 and the input to amplifier 27 . this area contains telephones with bidirectional taps such that they can receive communications from either direction . during normal operation , the link commencing with lead 16 extends to amplifier 27 which terminates its signal at the output of amplifier 24 . thus , any conversations between a phone such as 60 and the system center 10 is received on line 16 from amplifier 40 and is returned through amplifier 40 back to the system center on line 16 . if , however , a break occurs at a point such as between phones 56 and 58 , amplifiers 27 , 40 and 42 automatically reverse since they no longer receive the signal in the detection means such as illustrated in 118 of fig2 . this causes a reversal of the amplifying connections and the signals sent out from system center 10 are received by telephone 60 from amplifier 42 . the return signals are passed back through amplifier 42 to be received by the system center on line 14 . there is a possibility that the impedances seen by telephones 56 and 58 , due to a break in the line therebetween , will be such as to cause standing waves and prevent proper operation of these two telephones . however , these phones will work in some instances and the amplifiers 38 and 40 isolate the effects of the break from other phones on the loop and thereby allow and provide communication between all of their phones and the system center . as will be realized , the breakage in the line between telephones 56 and 58 will cause a reaction in amplifiers 27 and 24 to reconfigure the communication link 14 from merely including a single phone 22 to that of including the phones from 58 to 68 in addition . the communication link 16 on the other hand , is reconfigured to only include the phones from 28 through 56 . as designed , the phones 22 , 28 and 30 are in an area in which fail - safe conditions are not required or in other words are easily accessible areas and thus they will always receive their signals on lines 14 and 16 , respectively , as illustrated . a breakage between the system center and phone 22 would of course completely inactivate phone 22 . since phone 22 is the only phone on communication link 14 during normal operation of the circuit , communication link 16 is not affected and although amplifier 24 would reverse , there would be no total effect on the system operation . the dashed line block 26 represents the subject matter of fig3 and may be used in the system of fig1 in place of or in addition to bidirectional amplifiers 24 and 27 . otherwise , the operation and performance of fig1 would remain substantially the same . fig5 is very similar to fig1 except that it illustrates that the two communication links do not need to receive their signals directly from the system center . as illustrated , the system is secure and does not need to be fail - safe for the phones 179 and 181 and further the directional splitter 185 is also in a secure area . the areas beyond splitter 185 need to be fail - safe and thus each of the phones is illustrated with bidirectional taps . again , no phones are permitted between the reversible amplifiers 201 and 205 since each of these is using the other as an impedance matching device to permit proper operation of the communication link and a phone in this area would receive ( possibly ) interfering signals from both amplifiers . upon a breakage such as between telephone 191 and amplifier 199 , the amplifiers 201 and 199 would reverse such that the communication signals from the system center 175 would be received by phones 193 through 195 from the same source as does phone 203 . therefore , the system is reconfigured in much the same manner as fig1 . in fig6 a termination device 224 is illustrated which is basically that illustrated in fig3 . during normal operation , the tap connected to lead 222 is directly terminated through a terminating resistor in means 224 . the communication link which is fail - safe extends from lead 226 around the loop to phone 248 . this phone is terminated through line 258 to a resistor in the termination means 224 under normal operating conditions . in this system , d . c . power is carried on the coax cable . various chokes and capacitors steer r . f . and the d . c . power down the correct paths . as will be noted , amplifier 218 as well as amplifier 183 of fig5 are illustrated as being bidirectional but non - reversible since these amplifiers are in an area which can always be serviced and thus do not need to be part of the reversible fail - safe link or links . it will be further noted that the meaning of each of the symbols in fig5 and 6 as well as most of the symbols of fig1 are designated in fig6 . the symbology in fig1 for the reversible amplifiers is illustrated differently to more nearly comply with that of fig2 but internally would comprise the same components as a reversible amplifier of fig5 and 6 , such as 256 . the discussion to this point has referred to telephones attached to the line and to signals being passed in two directions simultaneously . this description has been given only because it matches the first application of the invention . the line attachments can be any suitable item , not telephones alone . as all sense and control of the switched amplifiers is a result of signals being passed in one direction , only these signals must be present for proper operation . as will be further realized , if only one way communication is required the &# 34 ; fail - safe &# 34 ; amplifiers may be designed to be unidirectional but still reversible . to summarize , the present inventive concept is to use reversible amplifiers in one or both of two communication liks which communication links have their ends in proximity or in a common terminating section . upon a break in one of the links , the appropriate amplifiers reverse their normal directional operation due to loss of a carrier signal which is normally used to activate internal switches . upon reversal of the amplifiers , the system is reconfigured so that some of the telephones receive their incoming signals from the other direction than previously received . this concept allows a &# 34 ; fail - safe &# 34 ; condition since a break in the line does not destroy communications but merely alters the direction of receipt of these signals . as will be realized , two different methods of terminating the lines so that they are usable to transmit signals in the opposite direction after a break , are shown . other methods and means of termination will be realized by those skilled in the art . further , other designs will be apparant for the devices of fig2 and 3 . thus , i wish to be limited not by the specific embodiments illustrated , but only by the inventive concept as defined in the appended claims .	7
fig1 ( a ) is a schematic , top plan view of a drum for a vtr to which the present invention is applied . a rotary drum 300 includes a head ( ch1 ) 302 having a plus (+) azimuth and corresponding to a channel 1 , a head ( ch2 ) 303 having a minus (-) azimuth and corresponding to a channel 2 , a head ( ch3 ) 304 having a plus (+) azimuth and corresponding to a channel 3 , and a head ( ch4 ) 305 having a minus (-) azimuth and corresponding to a channel 4 . reference numeral 301 denotes a tape . fig1 ( b ) is a schematic view showing the heights of the respective heads ch1 , ch2 , ch3 and ch4 as viewed from the front side of the rotary drum 300 during the rotation thereof . the heads ch1 and ch2 as well as ch3 and ch4 are disposed in pairs in close proximity to each other . each of the pairs is spaced 180 ° apart from the other and , as can be seen from fig1 ( b ), the heads ch2 and ch4 are offset from the heads ch1 and ch3 by a distance h which approximately corresponds to a one - track pitch . in such an arrangement , it is possible to concurrently record or reproduce signals on or from two tracks at intervals of a half rotation of the rotary drum 300 , so that it is possible to cope with a large amount of information . fig2 is a view showing a recording pattern . two kinds of pilot signals f1 and f2 are used for providing a tracking error signal , and are recorded in such a manner as to be multiplexed onto a main signal in alternate sequence and every other track . a drum rotation for four tracks constitutes the pilot - signal generating rotation required to generate the pilot signals f1 and f2 . neither of the pilot signals f1 and f2 is multiplexed onto any of the tracks formed by the heads ch1 and ch3 of plus (+) azimuth , whereas the pilot signals f1 and f2 are alternately multiplexed onto the tracks formed by the heads ch2 and ch4 of minus (-) azimuth . the numerals ( 1 ) to ( 10 ) shown in fig2 respectively denote the sequential numbers of the tracks formed when a signal for one frame is recorded over ten tracks in divided form , and the numerals ( 11 ) to ( 20 ) shown in fig2 also respectively denote the sequential numbers of the tracks formed in a similar manner . in this embodiment , since signals for four tracks are recorded or reproduced through one rotation of the rotary drum 300 as described above , 2 . 5 rotations of the rotary drum 300 are needed to scan all tracks for one frame , and the recording or reproduction of frames and the pilot - signal generating rotation are synchronized with each other in units of two frames ( twenty tracks ). fig3 is a block diagram of the essential portion of the reproducing circuit used in the 2fatf - system 4 - head vtr to which the embodiment of the present invention is applied . the shown reproducing circuit includes a switching circuit 100 for selecting either one of the reproduced signal outputs of the heads ch1 and ch3 , a band - pass filter 101 ( bpf1 ) for extracting a frequency band which contains the pilot signals f1 and f2 from the reproduced signal output selected by the switching circuit 100 , an amplifier 102 for amplifying the reproduced pilot signals f1 and f2 outputted from the band - pass filter 101 ( bpf1 ), a band - pass filter 103 ( bpf2 ) for extracting only the frequency component of the pilot signal f2 from the output of the amplifier 102 , a band - pass filter 104 ( bpf3 ) for extracting only the frequency component of the pilot signal f1 from the output of the amplifier 102 , a detecting circuit 105 for converting the frequency component of the pilot signal f2 outputted from the band - pass filter 103 ( bpf2 ) into a dc component , a detecting circuit 106 for converting the frequency component of the pilot signal f1 outputted from the band - pass filter 104 ( bpf3 ) into a dc component , a differential amplifier circuit 107 which receives as its inputs the outputs of the detecting circuit 105 and the detecting circuit 106 , an inverting amplifier 108 , a switching circuit 109 for selecting either one of the output of the differential amplifier circuit 107 and the output of the inverting amplifier 108 , and a control microcomputer 110 for generating a head switching signal ( hsw ) 112 and an atf selecting signal 113 from a drum rotation detection signal ( drum pg ) 111 which will be described later and intraframe track information 116 which will be described later . the drum rotation detection signal ( drum pg ) 111 is obtained by the rotation of the rotary drum 300 being detected by a drum pg detecting part dp . the head switching signal 112 serves to switch the reproduced signal outputs of the heads ch1 and ch3 in synchronism with the rotation of the rotary drum 300 . the atf selecting signal 113 serves to switch the output of the differential amplifier circuit 107 and the output of the inverting amplifier 108 . the shown reproducing circuit also includes a digital demodulating part 114 for demodulating the main signal contained in the selected signal outputted from the switching circuit 100 into digital data , an identification data ( id ) detecting part 115 for detecting identification data ( id ) which contains the intraframe track information 116 multiplexed as digital data , from the demodulated digital data provided by the digital demodulating part 114 , and a video / audio signal reproduction processing circuit 117 for demodulating a video signal and an audio signal , which constitute the main signal , from the demodulated digital data . the video / audio signal reproduction processing circuit 117 outputs the demodulated video and audio signals as a reproduced video signal 118 and a reproduced audio signal 119 . an atf error signal 120 serves to control the rotational speed of a capstan cp for transporting a tape in the longitudinal direction thereof . fig4 is a timing chart showing the timing waveforms obtained when the respective signals used in the embodiment shown in fig3 are reproduced in a normal reproduction mode . part ( a ) of fig4 shows the intraframe track information 116 obtained when reproduction is started from an odd frame , i . e ., information indicative of the track number of a track from which a recorded signal is currently being reproduced . part ( b ) of fig4 shows the timing of the reproduced pilot signals f1 and f2 which are obtained when reproduction is started from the odd frame . part ( c ) of fig4 shows the atf selecting signal 113 which is obtained during that time . part ( d ) of fig4 is an atf logic which is obtained during that time . part ( e ) of fig4 shows the intraframe track information 116 obtained when reproduction is started from an even frame , i . e ., information indicative of the track number of a track from which a recorded signal is currently being reproduced . part ( f ) of fig4 shows the timing of the reproduced pilot signals f1 and f2 which are obtained when reproduction is started from the even frame . part ( g ) of fig4 shows the atf selecting signal 113 which is obtained during that time . part ( h ) of fig4 is an atf logic which is obtained during that time . the operation of the reproducing circuit according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to fig3 and 4 . as described above , the pilot signals f1 and f2 from which to obtain the atf error signal are contained in a signal reproduced by each of the (+) azimuth heads ch1 and ch3 , in the form of crosstalk components derived from both adjacent tracks ((-) azimuth tracks ). accordingly , to obtain the atf error signal , the reproducing circuit according to the present embodiment needs only the reproduced signals outputted from the heads ch1 and ch3 . the switching circuit 100 alternately selects one of the reproduced signals outputted from the heads ch1 and ch3 and outputs a serial reproduced signal . since this reproduced signal contains a main signal , the reproduced signal is conducted to the video / audio signal reproduction processing circuit 117 through the digital demodulating part 114 and the id detecting part 115 . the reproduced signal outputted from the switching circuit 100 is also conducted to the band - pass filter 101 ( bpf1 ) to extract the reproduced pilot signals f1 and f2 for an atf circuit . the pilot signals f1 and f2 which are respectively contained as crosstalk components are separated and detected from the reproduced signal by the respective band - pass filters 104 ( bpf3 ) and 103 ( bpf2 ), and are then compared by the differential amplifier circuit 107 . thus , the differential amplifier circuit 107 outputs one tracking signal . the intraframe track information 116 detected by the id detecting part 115 is sent to the control microcomputer 110 , and the control microcomputer 110 generates the atf selecting signal 113 synchronized with the head switching signal ( hsw ) 112 , according to whether reproduction has been started from the first track contained in an odd frame or the eleventh track contained in an even frame . the positional order of the tracks on which the pilot signals f1 and f2 are respectively recorded is reversed between the start of reproduction from the odd frame and the start of reproduction from the even frame . accordingly , in the case of the start of reproduction from the odd frame , when the head ch3 is selected , the switching circuit 109 selects in synchronism with the atf selecting signal 113 the output of the inverting amplifier 108 which has received the tracking signal outputted from the differential amplifier circuit 107 . in the case of the start of reproduction from the even frame , when the head ch1 is selected , the switching circuit 109 selects the output of the inverting amplifier 108 in synchronism with the atf selecting signal 113 . thus , the tracking signal outputted from the differential amplifier circuit 107 is formed into the atf error signal 120 by the switching circuit 109 . as described above , the 2fatf system according to the present embodiment is arranged in such a manner that a positive logic or a negative logic for the atf error signal is selected according to the intraframe track information , in view of the fact that the positional order of the tracks on which the pilot signals f1 and f2 are respectively recorded is reversed between the odd frame and the even frame . accordingly , it is possible to quickly execute tracking control even in the case of the vtr in which the pilot - signal generating rotation and the recording or reproduction of frames are synchronized with each other in units of two frames . it is , therefore , possible to shift an operating mode in units of one frame . it is to be noted that the selection between the positive and negative logics for the atf signal substantially means that either one of two tracks which are spaced two tracks apart from each other is selected as a target track to be subjected to tracking control . although the description of the above embodiment has referred to the normal reproduction mode , another problem occurs when the vtr is in the triple - speed search reproduction mode shown in fig5 . for example , even if intraframe track information indicative of the first track is obtained and a logic for the atf error signal is selected according to the intraframe track information , the trace of each head traverses a plurality of tracks , so that the logic is reversed halfway . as one example , the logic for the atf error signal obtained from the third track is reverse to the logic for the atf error signal obtained from the first track . this problem is solved by the arrangement shown in fig6 as another embodiment . in the arrangement shown in fig6 the elements 100 to 120 are identical to the corresponding ones shown in fig3 . in fig6 reference numeral 801 denotes a capstan fg signal indicative of the amount of travel of the tape obtained by detecting a rotation of the capstan cp by means of a capstan fg detecting part cf . in operation , an atf selecting signal 113 based on a predication about the timing at which the corresponding head traverses a track during head tracing is generated on the basis of the intraframe track information 116 and the capstan fg signal 801 . accordingly , it is possible to always select a correct logic for the atf error signal even during the triple - speed search reproduction mode , so that it is possible to effect correct tracking control . although the above description of each of the embodiments has referred to the 4 - head vtr containing two pairs of heads , the present invention is not limited to this type of vtr . for example , the present invention can be applied to a general vtr in which two heads are spaced 180 ° apart from each other and which adopts a tracking error detecting system arranged not to multiplex a pilot signal on a main signal periodically at intervals of two tracks . although the intraframe track information used in each of the embodiments is numerical information indicative of particular numbers of from &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; to &# 34 ; 20 &# 34 ;, the present invention is not limited to this type of information . the present invention can be applied to any type of track information that makes it possible to detect a pilot - signal generating rotation . as is apparent from the foregoing description , the arrangement is adopted in which a logic for an atf error signal is selected on the basis of the output signal of track information detecting means . accordingly , even in an atf system in which a pilot signal is multiplexed every other track so that the pilot - signal generating rotation and the recording or reproduction of frames are synchronized with each other in units of two frames , a logic for the atf error signal can be selected at the same time that the first track in one frame is traced , so that correct tracking control can be effected over the subsequent tracks within the frame . accordingly , it is possible to shift the operating mode in units of one frame .	7
as used herein , the following terms shall have the indicated meanings , unless express language or context otherwise dictates . contoured , locally contoured , or local contouring , as those terms are used herein , shall refer to undulations , depressions , or other sources of surface relief that cause the face or back of a fabric to be non - planar , i . e ., to deviate from a smooth planar surface over a relatively localized area , for example , within an area or region of perhaps one or several square centimeters , so as to impart a three - dimensional pattern to the surface of the fabric . typically , but not necessarily , the contour is replicated regularly throughout the fabric . however , for example , a logo desirably may be reproduced only in selected areas . the depth of contouring ( i . e ., the maximum difference in elevation or base fabric thickness between high and low contour features , respectively referred to as “ peaks ” and “ valleys ”) is intended to be greater than that normally associated with the slightly textured surface common to regular woven or knitted flat fabrics . in such flat woven and knit fabrics , the crossover points of the yarns create the largest “ contours ” of the fabric , with a depth of contouring measured ( as if viewed in cross - section ) from the top of the bottom yarn ( in the “ valley ”) to the top of the crossover yarn ( on the adjacent “ peak ”). for example , in a flat woven fabric , it is the elevation change in going from the top of a fill yarn to the top of a warp yarn on the adjacent fill yarn . in contrast , the fabrics discussed for use herein have surface contours that are created periodically , for example , by means of specific construction ( use of larger and smaller yarns ), using specific fabric formation methods capable of creating topographically patterned ( i . e ., non - planar ) constructions , or with finishing techniques . thickness t , as used to describe a base fabric , shall refer to the uncompressed thickness of the base fabric ( i . e . the distance separating the parallel planes that define , respectively , the uppermost surface of the face — the elevation of the highest peak — and the back of the fabric ). as shown in fig2 b and 2d , t 1 refers specifically to the maximum uncompressed thickness of the base and t 2 refers to the minimum uncompressed thickness of the base — measured at the bottom of the deepest valley — in situations where the base is locally contoured . the composite shown in fig1 is comprised of a relatively thick substrate or base 20 , having a contoured face . optionally , a backing member 40 comprised of , for example , a back coating , an attached scrim , an attached non - woven substrate , or a relatively thin layer of open - or closed - cell foam may be attached to the back of the base 20 in order to give the composite physical integrity , stability while cutting , or necessary weight , to establish a desired barrier for the rear surface of the composite , or to provide some other desirable attribute . details of each of these components , along with ( 1 ) preferred embodiments , ( 2 ) process steps in manufacture , and ( 3 ) options and alternatives , are discussed below . base fabric or substrate 20 may be constructed using any of a wide variety of textile materials , depending upon the desired characteristics of the composite and the selected technique used for constructing the base fabric . for example , fibers or yarns comprised of commonly available materials such as nylon , polyester , polypropylene , or cellulosic materials ( e . g ., rayon , cotton , etc .) may be used , as well as various engineered materials such as those marketed by dupont ( e . g ., nomex ®, kevlar ®, etc .). possible constructions of base fabric 20 include various types of weaving and knitting , as well as the use of non - woven constructions , as discussed below . most commonly , base fabric 20 will have a non - pile surface ; however , base fabric 20 may have a pile surface that is subsequently contoured or patterned ( e . g ., via optional step 70 , also discussed below ). looking at fig3 a , blocks 58 through 64 outline several possible steps by which a suitable base fabric may be constructed . beginning at optional step 58 , the selected yarn ( or yarns , if different types are used ) optionally may be dyed , as where accent yarns in the final product are required or where yarns particularly suited to solution dyeing ( e . g ., polypropylene ) are used . however , in general , it should be emphasized that any such step would be supplementary to the dyeing step of step 74 following coating , which step is considered a characteristic part of the process disclosed herein . step 60 represents the fabric formation step in which the base fabric is generated . as indicated in fig3 a , this step may involve various forms of knitting , weaving , or the generation of a non - woven substrate . the objective of this step is to form a fabric having a thickness that exceeds most single - component fabrics , and that provides for sufficiently deep contouring to provide the desired visual effect in the completed composite fabric . generally , the bases contemplated herein will have a minimum uncompressed thickness ( indicated at t 1 in fig2 b and 2d ) not less than about 0 . 3 mm to about 1 . 0 mm , with practical maximum thicknesses falling within the range of about 1 . 0 mm to about 10 . 0 mm . in many cases , bases in which t 1 falls within the range of about 0 . 5 mm to about 5 . 0 mm have been found to be preferable . although not shown , any slitting or similar operations known by those skilled in the art to be necessary to provide the fabric in the desired form is implicit in step 60 . following fabric formation step 60 , the resulting fabric optionally may be subjected to various appropriate face finishing operations , such as napping , sanding , brushing , or the like , as signified in optional step 62 . the appropriately face - finished fabric then may be optionally subjected to a heat setting step , depicted at 64 , to stabilize the base fabric &# 39 ; s width , shrinkage characteristics , etc ., as desired . the local contouring of base fabric 20 can be imparted as part of the fabric formation process of step 60 ( e . g ., jacquard weaving , dobby weaving , circular knitting , tricot knitting , or raschel knitting , etc ), or can be imparted or enhanced during a subsequent step ( such as depicted at optional step 70 in fig3 b ), in which a base fabric that may have been formed with insufficient contouring , or that was formed with a planar surface ( e . g ., no local contouring ) is treated to establish such a locally contoured surface . individual processes associated within step 70 , as listed in fig3 b , include localized yarn shrinkage or melting by heated fluid streams ( e . g ., step 70 a , as , for example , is disclosed in commonly assigned u . s . pat . no . 5 , 148 , 583 ), yarn dislocation by high velocity fluid streams ( e . g ., step 70 b , as , for example , is disclosed in commonly assigned u . s . pat . no . 5 , 235 , 733 ), yarn deformation , as by , for example , embossing ( step 70 c ), and yarn melting or degradation ( e . g ., steps 70 e through g ). this collection of techniques is intended to be non - exclusive — it is contemplated that two or more may be used on the same base fabric , and that other conventional processes may readily be used or adapted for use in providing local contouring to base fabric 20 as may occur to those skilled in the art . fabrics that emerge from step 60 as locally contoured may also be subjected to one or more of the processes of step 70 if additional or enhanced contouring is desired . the depth of contouring ( i . e ., the difference in fabric thickness measured at various lateral locations across the face of fabric 20 ) is dependent upon a number of factors , including the initial depth of the base fabric 20 and the visual effect to be achieved with the resulting coated fabric . typically , this difference in thickness or elevation ( diagrammatically depicted in fig2 b and 2d as δt ) will be at least 0 . 2 mm , and more typically will lie within the range of about 0 . 5 mm to about 1 . 5 mm , but could easily be greater , e . g ., as much as a centimeter or more , if the base fabric is sufficiently thick and extreme contouring is necessary or desired . for example , if the composite is to be used in applications where sound absorption is important , deep contouring adapted to increase surface area or to accommodate sounds of specific short wavelengths may be used . referring to fig2 a and 2b , it is contemplated that t 1 have a value that is at least 0 . 3 mm or greater , and preferably 1 . 0 mm or greater , with t 2 ranging in value from perhaps 90 % of the value of t 1 to perhaps 10 % ( or less ) of t 1 , so long as base 20 maintains sufficient physical integrity to allow for manufacture . it is also contemplated that t 2 could , in fact , be 0 %, indicating the case where the base fabric is perforated with holes that extend the entire distance t 1 and that would likely be occluded by the coating . following such contouring step 70 , a chemical finish or treatment optionally may be applied ( optional step 72 ) to the base fabric . in a preferred embodiment , such treatment is comprised of the application ( e . g ., by spraying , coating , or other conventional means appropriate to the characteristics of the base fabric and the finish ) of a fluorochemical that will tend to reduce the degree to which any subsequently applied coating composition ( see step 73 ) adheres to the “ peaks ” or areas of maximum thickness of base fabric 20 , to be discussed below . generally , repellent fluorochemicals useful in the present invention include any of the fluorochemical compounds and polymers known in the art to impart water - and oil - repellency to fibrous substrates . these repellent fluorochemical compounds and polymers typically comprise one or more fluorochemical radicals that contain a perfluorinated carbon chain having from 3 to about 20 carbon atoms , more preferably from about 6 to about 14 carbon atoms . these fluorochemical radicals can contain straight chain , branched chain , or cyclic fluorinated allcylene groups or any combination thereof . commercially available examples of repellent fluorochemicals that may be used include , but are not limited to , the scotchgard ™ family of repellent fluorochemicals by 3m , the zonyl ™ family of repellent fluorochemicals by dupont , the repearl ™ family of repellent fluorochemicals by mitsubishi international corporation , such as repearl ® f - 8025 or repearl ® f - 7000 . other fluorochemicals , such as the unidyne ™ products distributed by daikin america , inc . or products distributed by omnova solutions may also be employed . in addition to fluorochemicals , other repellent chemistry , such as repellent silicones , may also be employed . in step 73 , the undyed base fabric 20 is coated using any convenient technique ( e . g ., knife or roll coat ) that will accommodate the characteristics of the base fabric and the selected coating composition . however , use of a knife coater has been found to be particularly effective , in that the coating tends to accumulate in the depressions of the contours and is at least partially scraped or otherwise removed from many or most of the countour “ peaks ” of the base fabric 20 . in one preferred embodiment , the coating composition is comprised of a 100 % solids silicone coating , such as that distributed by wacker chemicals , of adrian , mich ., as lr3003 / 10a and lr3003 / 10b , mixed according to directions . other types of coatings are contemplated , such as mastics or other materials containing , for example , acrylics , polyurethanes , blocked copolymers , etc ., that are individually or in combination capable of providing the necessary viscosity , adhesion , durability , and possibly other desirable characteristics . an example of one such coating is a blocked isocyanate polyurethane , marketed as impranil ® 80 and available from bayer chemicals , of leverkusen , germany . the selected coating composition may , but need not , contain pigment , depending upon the visual effect desired in the finished fabric . however , in any case , the viscosity of the coating composition , as applied , should be such that the composition flows into the contours of the base fabric , but remains primarily on the contoured surface of the base fabric , i . e ., it does not penetrate to a great degree into the underlying structure of the base fabric . generally , coatings having viscosities within the range of about 80 , 000 centipoise to about 400 , 000 centipoise using a brookfield lv spindle number 4 at 1 . 5 rpm , and more particularly , between about 200 , 000 centipoise and about 300 , 000 centipoise , have been found to produce fabrics having the desirable characteristics described herein . it is contemplated that , depending upon the coating application technology used , the physical construction of the base fabric , the nature of any chemicals previously applied to the surface , and other factors , viscosities falling outside the above - defined ranges may still have the desirable flowable - yet - non - penetrating qualities discussed above . following application , the coating of choice should be appropriately cured . optional step 74 provides for use of a separate means to abrade the coated fabric prior to the dyeing step . such means can comprise use of abrasively coated rolls or other materials , high velocity fluid jets , etching techniques ( including laser techniques ), sanding , brushing , sand or shot blasting techniques , or other conventional means known to those skilled in the art , including at least some of those described in connection with step 70 , above . it is also contemplated that washing the coated fabric in a way that causes the fabric to rub against itself or the confines of the washing vessel may produce a desirable degree of coating removal . in optional step 75 in fig3 b , the base fabric carrying the cured coating may be dyed ( keeping in mind that , if the base fabric 20 was constructed using dyed yarns , indicated at step 58 , such dyeing is optional ). if abrading step 74 is used , and coating 30 is already eroded , any suitable dyeing technique may be used . if coating 30 is insufficiently eroded , then use of a jet dyeing technique ( or other technique in which the base fabric is tumbled or otherwise manipulated to allow for selective abrasion of the coating ) is preferably used . in either case , erosion of the coating 30 allows for preferential dyeing of the underlying fabric base in those areas where the coating has been selectively abraded . if the coating carries a pigment , such dyeing can be in a color that complements or contrasts with the color imparted to the coating . optional step 76 provides for the application of a coating to the back of the base fabric . such coating can be comprised of any of a variety of materials , such as pva , acrylic emulsions , eva , various block copolymers , polyurethane , and other common or conventional treatments used to back coat textiles , applied , for example , as a hot melt , or in an aqueous or solvent - based solution . optional step 78 provides for the bonding or lamination , again to the back of the base fabric , of an additional layer such as , for example , a scrim , an open or closed cell foam , or a non - woven web . it is contemplated that steps 76 and 78 may be used individually or together in situations where one or more additional layers are desired on the back of the base fabric , perhaps to give the base fabric additional physical integrity , cutting stability , weight , or bulk , to provide a barrier to moisture or a contaminant , or to assist in subsequent parts molding operations , etc . fig2 a through 2d depict , in cross section , two alternative embodiments of the product resulting from the process described in fig3 a and 3b . fig2 a depicts a coated base fabric 20 with no chemical finish having been applied prior to the application of coating 30 . depending upon the choice of coating material , the coating technique used , and other factors , the relative uniformity in coating thickness may vary , but the difference in coating thickness between the “ peaks ” 32 and the “ valleys ” 32 a , as indicated , is relatively insignificant . fig2 b depicts the fabric of 2 a following an abrasive dyeing step ( or following a separate abrading step and a separate dyeing step ). the coating 30 is largely intact in the “ valley ” areas 32 a , and is present , although in somewhat eroded form , on a significant number — perhaps a majority — of the “ peaks ,” indicated collectively at 32 . the degree to which the coating 30 is eroded depends upon several factors , including the degree of abrasion experienced by the base fabric 20 , the adhesion properties of the coating 30 in relation to the selected base fabric , and the nature of the contouring . fig2 c depicts a fabric similar to that depicted in fig2 a , but on which a chemical finish 28 of the kind discussed above has been applied prior to the coating operation . as discussed above in the case of the fabric of fig2 a , the applied coating 30 is more - or - less uniform in thickness , with some accumulation in the valley portions 34 a of the contoured base fabric 20 . such insignificant non - uniformity is in contrast to the situation depicted in fig2 d , in which the coated base fabric 20 of fig2 c has been subjected to an abrasive dyeing step ( or a separate abrading step followed by a separate dyeing step ), with substantial removal of coating 30 in evidence . in the portion of the fabric shown , the coating 30 ( as well as the chemical finish 28 ) on each of the “ peak ” areas 34 has been removed , leaving the underlying base fabric 20 exposed . the degree and lateral extent to which the coating 30 and perhaps the chemical finish 28 is removed is a function of several variables , including ( 1 ) the nature of the coating and coating application techniques used , ( 2 ) the nature of the dyeing technique used to dye the coated base fabric ( e . g ., as when jet dyeing techniques are used , and , as part of the process , the coating is abraded from portions of the contoured surface of the base fabric ), ( 3 ) the use of a separate processing step , discussed above and shown at 74 in fig3 b , in which the coating is selectively removed through sanding , washing , laser etching , use of abrasively - coated rolls ( as described , for example , in commonly assigned u . s . pat . no . 5 , 943 , 745 , or the like , ( 4 ) the nature of the contour of the base fabric ( e . g ., sharp “ peaks ” vs . flat plateau areas ), or ( 5 ) a combination of the foregoing . it is in areas in which the coating ( and , most likely , the underlying chemical finish ) has been substantially removed ( rather than simply thinned ), as shown at 34 in fig2 d , in which optional dyeing step 75 , by imparting the selected dye color to such areas , can have a substantial effect upon the appearance of the overall coated fabric . the specific embodiments and parameters presented throughout this description are exemplary and illustrative only , and are not intended to be limiting in any way . it is contemplated that other , substantially equivalent materials , configurations , arrangements , parameter values , and specific functions may be substituted without departing from the spirit of the teachings herein . therefore , it is not intended that the scope of the development disclosed herein be limited to specific embodiments illustrated and described .	1
the preferred embodiment of the apparatus and method disclosed herein are discussed in terms of orthopedic spinal fusion procedures and instrumentation . it is envisioned , however , that the disclosure is applicable to a wide variety of procedures including , but , not limited to ligament repair , joint repair or replacement , non - union fractures , facial reconstruction and spinal stabilization . in addition , it is believed that the present method and instrumentation finds application in both open and minimally invasive procedures including endoscopic and arthroscopic procedures wherein access to the surgical site is achieved through a cannula or small incision . the following discussion includes a description of the fusion implant utilized in performing a spinal fusion followed by a description of the preferred method for spinal fusion in accordance with the present disclosure . in the discussion which follows , the term “ proximal ”, as is traditional , will refer to the portion of the structure which is closer to the operator while the term “ distal ” will refer to the portion which is further from the operator . referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals identify similar or identical elements throughout the several views , fig3 illustrates , in perspective , the fusion implant apparatus of the present disclosure . fusion implant 100 is intended to be inserted within a preformed bore in adjacent bone structures , e . g ., adjacent vertebrae , with the bore spanning the intervertebral space and penetrating the vertebral end plates . fusion implant 100 includes elongated implant body 102 which is preferably fabricated from a suitable biocompatible rigid material such as titanium and / or alloys of titanium , stainless steel , ceramic materials or rigid polymeric materials . implant body 102 is preferably sufficient in strength to at least partially replace the supporting function of an intervertebral disc , i . e ., to maintain adjacent vertebrae in desired spaced relation , during healing and fusion . with reference to fig3 - 7 , implant body 102 includes exterior or outer wall 104 concentrically arranged about longitudinal axis “ a ” of the implant body 102 and inner cavity 106 within the exterior wall 104 . implant body 102 is preferably substantially cylindrical in configuration defining a constant diameter along its length . inner cavity 106 is intended to accommodate bone growth inducing substances such as bone chips taken from allograft or autograft , etc . . . which facilitate the fusion process . implant body 102 is preferably provided in various lengths ranging from about 18 mm - 24 mm and in corresponding various diameters ranging from about 14 mm - 18 mm . other dimensions are also contemplated and may vary depending on the intended use of the implant in the cervical , thoracic or lumbar regions of the spine . outer wall 104 has an external threaded configuration 108 formed thereon . external threaded configuration 108 includes a uniform helical thread 110 which assists in advancing implant body 102 into a preformed channel provided in the adjacent vertebrae . in the preferred embodiment , thread 110 cooperates with an internally threaded bore within the adjacent vertebrae to advance implant . body 102 within the threaded bore . alternatively , thread 110 may be a self - tapping cutting thread , i . e ., the thread is capable of deburring bone material during advancement into the performed channel thereby precluding the requirement of tapping the internal bore in the vertebrae . a plurality of apertures 112 extend through outer wall 104 of implant body 102 . apertures 112 are preferably formed by broaching grooves in the internal surface of the internal cavity 108 . the effect of such broaching is to remove material from the valleys between the individual turn of the thread 110 , thus defining the apertures 112 . the advantages of such an arrangement are disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 961 , 740 , the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference , and include immediate bone to bone contact between the vertebral bodies or bone structures and the bone inducing substances packed within the internal cavity 108 of the implant body 102 . apertures 112 are preferably substantially the same in dimension although it is envisioned that the dimensions of the apertures may vary to provide for more or less bone to bone contact as desired . as best depicted in fig4 and 7 , apertures 112 are clustered about a transverse axis “ t 1 ”, both at the upper and lower end of the axis . consequently , apertures 112 come into contact with the upper and lower vertebral bone structures to encourage bone growth through implant body 102 from the vertebral bone structures when appropriately positioned within the vertebrae . the lateral sections of implant body 102 formed along transverse axis “ t 2 ” do not have apertures in order to prevent growth of disk material which might interfere with the bone . fusion process . outer wall 104 has a plurality of independent arcuate surfaces 114 defined in the outer wall and extending along the length of implant body 102 . the arcuate surfaces 114 are preferably concave in configuration and may be formed by grinding , blasting applications , etc . preferably , concave surfaces 114 extend radially inwardly within each thread turn without penetrating or extending into the outer wall surface thereby defining removed portions of the thread as shown . the concave surface arrangement provides two specific advantages . first , such arrangement increases the pull out or expulsion force necessary to remove the implant from the adjacent vertebrae . secondly , the . concave surface arrangement permits a pair of implants to be positioned in side by side relation within the adjacent vertebrae in a nested contacting relation . moreover , the concave surface arrangement provides a reduced cross - sectional dimension along second transverse axis “ t 2 ” relative to the cross - sectional dimension along first transverse axis “ t 1 ” thereby facilitating placement of the implant body 102 within restricted vertebral locations . implant body 102 defines entry and trailing end faces 116 , 118 . end faces 116 , 118 are preferably open , i . e , having apertures 120 , 122 therein in communication with the inner cavity 106 . as best depicted in fig6 implant body 102 has internal annular recesses 124 adjacent each end face 116 , 118 . annular recesses 124 are intended to receive plastic end caps 126 ( fig3 ) which are received within the recesses in snap - fit relation therewith to enclose internal cavity 108 thereby retaining the bone . growth inducing substances therein . implant body 102 further includes tool receiving structure in the form of longitudinal extending internal rails 128 extending the length of the implant body 102 in diametrically opposed relation . rails 128 receive correspondingly dimensioned prongs of an insertion instrument such that the insertion instrument may be rotated to cause corresponding rotation and entry of implant body 102 into the intervertebral space . fig9 - 10 illustrate an alternate embodiment of the implant apparatus of fig3 . this implant apparatus is substantially similar to the apparatus disclosed in fig3 but , however incorporates a second series of concave surfaces 114 disposed in diametrically opposed relation to the first series . the second series provides flexibility to the user in terms of placement of the implant within the desired orientation within the intervertebral disc space . the second series also significantly reduces the cross - sectional dimension of the implant body along the second transverse axis “ t 2 ”. fig1 illustrates an alternate embodiment of the implant apparatus of fig3 where the concave surface extends through threaded configuration 110 and into exterior wall 104 thereby defining a single concave surface 114 ′ which extends along the length of implant body 102 . the insertion of the fusion implant 100 into an intervertebral space defined between adjacent lumbar vertebrae will now be described . the subsequent description will be particularly discussed in conjunction with an open posterior approach for spinal fusion implant insertion . however , it is to be appreciated that other approaches , e . g ., anterior , lateral , posterior lateral , anterior lateral etc . . . could be utilized . laparoscopic approaches are also envisioned . initially , a first lateral side of the intervertebral space “ i ” is accessed utilizing appropriate retractors to expose the posterior vertebral surface . a drilling instrument is selected to prepare the disc space and vertebral end plates for insertion of the fusion implant . the cutting depth of drilling instrument may be adjusted as desired . the drilling instrument is advanced into the intervertebral space adjacent to the first lateral side to shear the soft tissue and cut the bone of the adjacent vertebrae thereby forming a bore which extends into the adjacent vertebrae adjacent the first lateral side as depicted in fig1 . with the first bore “ b 1 ” drilled in the first lateral side , attention is directed to forming the bore in the second lateral side . with continued reference to fig1 , the second lateral side is accessed and the center entry point for the drill is identified . preferably , the drill is positioned such that the second bore “ b 2 ” will overlap the first bore “ b 1 ”. the drill is activated to form the second bore . the first and second bores “ b 1 , b 2 ” may be tapped with a conventional tap instrument if desired . with reference to fig1 , a first implant 100 is packed with bone growth inducing substances as is conventional in the art . the fusion implant 100 may then be mounted on an insertion instrument ( not shown ) and advanced within the intervertebral space by rotating the implant 100 whereby threaded configuration 110 of the implant body 102 cooperates with the threaded bore to advance within the intervertebral space “ i ”. preferably , the implant 100 is arranged such that concave surface generally extends along the axis “ s ” of the spine and faces the midline of the intervertebral space . if the implant of fig9 - 10 is utilized , the second series of concave surfaces facilitates placement of the implant 100 with the concave surface arrangement adjacent to the midline of the intervertebral space , i . e ., when positioned , the implant need only be rotated a maximum of 90 ° in either direction to place the concave surface arrangement adjacent the midline . with the first implant positioned within the intervertebral space , a second implant “ x ” is implanted within the second threaded bore in the same manner . the second implant “ x ” is preferably a conventional cylindrical implant such as the implant disclosed in the ray &# 39 ; 373 patent . as appreciated , although the second bore overlaps the first bore , the clearance provided by the concave surface arrangement of the first implant 100 permits the second implant “ x ” to be advanced within the intervertebral space without interference . the second implant “ x ” is arranged such that the outer convex surface is received within the concave surface area of the first implant in nested side - by - side relation as shown . thus , the concave surface arrangement permits two implants 100 , “ x ” to be placed in nested side - by - side arrangement . the concave surface arrangement also reduces the effective cross - sectional dimension of implant 100 thereby facilitating placement of the implants in a restricted vertebral location . with reference to fig1 , it is appreciated that the second implant may be identical to implant 100 . when positioned within the adjacent vertebrae , the concave surface area may be facing the midline of the intervertebral space or alternatively adjacent the outer portion of the space as shown in phantom . implants 100 form struts across the intervertebral space “ i ” to maintain the adjacent vertebrae “ v 1 , v 2 ” in appropriate spaced relation during the fusion process . over a period of time , the adjacent vertebral tissue communicates through apertures 112 within implants 100 to form a solid fusion . desirably , lateral vertebral tissue growth into the implant 100 is restricted due to the concave surface areas of the implant being devoid of apertures . such lateral growth would inhibit the fusion process and potentially restrict subsequent spinal mobility . while the above description contains many specifics , these specifics should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the disclosure , but merely as exemplifications of preferred embodiments thereof . for example , the fusion implant 100 could also be used for thoracic and cervical vertebrae . those skilled in the art will envision many other possible variations that are within the scope and spirit of the disclosure as defined by the claims appended hereto .	0
fig5 is block diagram of a data detector 38 , including a clock recovery circuit 40 constructed according to the teachings of the present invention . the baseband information signal is typically filtered in a square - root of nyquist low pass filter at both the transmitter and receiver , with the combination of these filters producing a nyquist filtered signal at the receiver for data detection and clock recovery . in fig5 the receiver filter is designated by the reference character 41 and simply referred to as a data filter 41 . because the information signal can be considered a pseudo - random data stream there is no spectral line at the data rate r ; clock recovery must be accomplished using the spectral line at r / 2 . the filtered signal from the data filter 41 is input to a fractionally spaced equalizer 42 where the data is processed as will be discussed further below . the fractionally spaced equalizer 42 also provides a control signal to the clock recovery circuit 40 . the clock signal from the clock recovery circuit 40 and the data signal from the fractionally spaced equalizer 42 are input to a data decision circuit 43 where the data signal is detected to reproduce the information signal . the detected data is also fed back to the fractionally spaced equalizer 42 . the nyquist filtering bandlimits the information signal . the bandlimited signal is processed through a mixer 44 where it is mixed with the frequency synthesized signal f s from a tunable oscillator 45 . if the information signal has a frequency f i ( including the spectral line at r / 2 ), the mixer produces the sum and difference signals f i + f s and f i - f s . a narrow bandpass filter 46 extracts the nyquist spectral line at r / 2 + f s from the mixed signal , with the output signal , designated f a , input to a frequency doubler 4b . as the name implies , the frequency doubler 4b simply doubles the center frequency of the input signal , thus translating the spectrum from a center at f a to a center at f b = 2f a . the frequency doubling process generates a signal 2f a = f b =( r / 2 + f s )= r + 2f s . the resulting doubled signal is input to a zonal bandpass filter 50 for removing any extraneous products introduced during the doubling process . the signal from the zonal bandpass filter 50 is input to a phase - locked loop 52 , which essentially operates as a very narrow bandpass filter . the phase - locked loop 52 sharpens the clock spectral line at r , albeit translated in frequency by f s to a new frequency 2f s + r . the local oscillator signal f s from the tunable oscillator 45 is also input to a frequency doubler 56 . the output of the frequency doubler 56 is a signal 2f s that is mixed in a mixer 54 with the output signal from the phase - locked loop 52 . the mixer 54 downconverts the information signal , including the spectral line which has now been translated to a frequency r , back to its baseband location . a lowpass filter 58 filters the unwanted components created by the mixing process . the lowpass filter 58 is followed by a comparator 60 for sharpening the edges of the clock spectral line at r , i . e ., converting the sine wave to a square wave . the output from the comparator 60 is the clock signal for use in ensuring accurate detection of the baseband information signal . detection processes using the recovered clock signal are well known in the art and are not considered a part of this invention . as was discussed above , the tunable oscillator 45 is tuned so that the resulting signal from the mixer 44 is at the correct frequency for processing by the narrow bandpass filter 46 . in tuning the tunable oscillator 45 to locate the desired information signal for clock recovery , it is possible that the tunable oscillator 45 maybe slightly mistuned while still recovering the correct lock signal . one advantage offered by the upconversion and downconversion technique of the present invention is that any frequency offsets appearing in the upconversion by mixer 44 are identically cancelled in the downconversion by the mixer 54 . because the clock recovery circuit 40 extracts the clock frequency , but not the clock phase , it is necessary to phase align the recovered clock and the data to ensure accurate data detection . this alignment is accomplished with a fractionally spaced equalizer 42 , which is shown in the fig6 block diagram . fractionally spaced equalizers use a feedback loop to shift the data with time so that it is properly aligned with the clock . to better understand the operation of the fractionally spaced equalizer 42 in the present invention it is first necessary to consider a communications link and the characterization of that link by its impulse response . such a communications link is illustrated in fig7 including data or information that is represented by impulses spaced at the data clock interval . information is input to a symbol generator 90 that converts the impulses to square waves , followed by a transmitter filter 92 and a transmitter modulator 94 . the channel is designated by reference character 96 , followed by the receiver demodulator 98 and a receiver filter 100 . the output signal from the receiver filter 100 is an analog data signal . the combination or cascade of the elements shown in fig7 provides the communications link impulse response h ( t ). all data can be considered as a time - super position of individual impulse responses ( see fig8 ) that when overlayed in time form a data eye pattern as shown in fig9 . the objective of a fractionally spaced equalizer is to move that data eye pattern so that the clock signal occurs at the peak of the impulse response illustrated in fig8 . while fig8 illustrates a single representative impulse response of the communications link , fig9 shows the time aggregate of a plurality of such impulse responses . again , the ultimate clock placement is at the peak of the impulse response , also referred to as the maximum eye opening . a fractionally spaced equalizer , such as the fractionally spaced equalizer 42 illustrated in fig6 attempts to center the impulse response h ( t ) with a recovered clock signal . although a fractionally spaced equalizer operates on the data symbols individually , meaning that only one h ( t ) is centered over the clock at any given time , each impulse response is corrupted by adjacent symbols that bleed into the current symbol , creating intersymbol interference . fractionally spaced equalizers are well - known in the art and are discussed in an article by r . d . gitlen and s . b . heinstein entitled &# 34 ; fractionally spaced equalization : an improved digital transversal equalizer &# 34 ;, bell systems technical journal , volume 61 , no . 8 , october 1981 . returning to fig6 the fractionally spaced equalizer 42 includes a plurality of multipliers 71 each responsive to one of the tap weights c - 3 through c + 3 . each of the plurality of multipliers 71 is also responsive to the input signal delayed by one or more delay units z - 1 / 2 . in addition to operating on the baseband information signal in the well known manner , the tap weight information is used in this embodiment to produce a control signal that is input to the phase - locked loop 52 for controlling the phase of the clock . the control signal is generated by using magnitude and scale circuits 72 and 74 together with a comparator 78 for determining the &# 34 ; center point &# 34 ; of the symbol impulse response as indicated by the tap weights . this tap point indicates the center weights that are most active , thus providing an indication of the center of the data symbol impulse response . the magnitude and scale circuits 72 and 74 and the comparator 78 produce a signal v where : ## equ1 ## where k i and k j are scaling constants . in this embodiment c o is the fulcrum of the tap weight balance , although any tap weight can be chosen as the fulcrum . the signal v is passed through a circuit 80 which is a filter for conditioning the signal v to control the clock phase , for example , an integrator or a lead - lag filter . the circuit 80 produces the control signal that is provided as an input to the phase - locked loop 52 . the control signal is a dc signal that is supplied as an input to the voltage controlled oscillator ( not shown ) of the phase - locked loop 52 . it can be provided as an offset dc current injected into the loop filter ( not shown ) of the phase - locked loop 52 , or as an input to a voltage controlled phase shifter to shift the clock phase . in any case , the control signal shifts the phase of the clock as determined by the center of the data symbol impulse response . in the fig7 embodiment , the fractionally - spaced equalizer 42 moves the data to keep most of the impulse response energy near the center of the equalizer . the end result is similar to shifting the clock phase . the control signal from the fractionally - spaced equalizer 42 to the phase - locked loop 52 also shifts the clock phase to align the data clock phase with the data . depending on the desired bit - error rate and the intended use environment , it may be unnecessary to use both the fractionally - spaced equalizer 42 and the control signal therefrom to the phase - locked lop 52 to ensure alignment of the clock phase with the data . in some embodiments , only one of these elements may be necessary to achieve the desired performance . multiple receive rate designs would advantageously use a fractionaly - spaced equalizer , but single rate applications could utilize the well - known t - spaced equalizer . while several embodiments in accordance with the present invention have been shown and described , it is understood that the same is not limited thereto but is susceptible of numerous changes and modifications as known to a person skilled in the art , and i therefore do not wish to be limited to the detail shown and described herein , but intend to cover all such changes and modifications as are obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art .	7
the transmission unit shown in fig1 comprises essentially a transmission housing 1 having a pot - shaped main housing area 2 and a connecting flange 3 connected thereto , a first main transmission stage 4 and a second main transmission stage 5 . at the connecting flange 3 , the transmission input 6 and , on the opposite side of the housing 1 , the transmission output 7 are located . a clamping hub 8 comprising a shaft reception opening 9 is rotatably supported in said connecting flange 3 . the clamping hub 8 is supported by means of two parallel bearings 10 in the interior of the connecting flange 3 . suitable centering shoulders 11 and elongated fastening holes 12 serve to connect a drive motor , which is not shown , the shaft of said drive motor being inserted into the shaft reception opening 9 and connected to the clamping hub 8 in the manner known . the clamping hub has a cylindrical extension 13 having attached thereto an input gear 14 . the clamping hub 8 and the input gear 14 are each arranged such that they are rotatable coaxially with the main transmission axis a . the end face of the connecting flange 3 facing the main housing area 2 has formed therein an annular groove 15 having inserted therein , in a closely fitting mode of arrangement , a resilient compensation chamber in the form of a compressible hollow ring 16 of plastic material . the hollow ring 16 of plastic material is provided with a vent hole 17 leading to the outer side of the housing 1 . the hollow ring 16 of plastic material is implemented such that it will be compressed in response to an increase in pressure in the interior of the housing 1 caused by an increase in temperature and that the air in the interior of said hollow ring will escape through the vent hole 17 in accordance with the compressed volume . due to the compression of the hollow ring 16 of plastic material , the internal volume of the housing 1 will enlarge so that the excess pressure can decrease ( see also fig3 ). adjacent the connecting flange 3 , the first main transmission stage 4 is arranged in the transmission housing 1 . especially with the aid of fig2 and 6 to 8 , it can be seen that the main transmission stage 4 comprises a one - piece , substantially cylindrical gear / shaft carrier 18 produced from a block , along with shafts 19 , 20 , 21 and transmission gears 22 which are arranged therein . the gear / shaft carrier 18 has a first substantially circular end face 23 and a second substantially circular end face 24 . both end faces 23 , 24 are oriented such that they extend in parallel . the end faces 23 and 24 are followed by respective first and second outer surface areas 25 and 26 corresponding in shape to the outer surfaces of a cylinder . the two outer surface areas 25 and 26 are each provided with a circumferentially extending annular groove 27 and 28 , respectively . the two outer surface areas 25 and 26 have a diameter which is slightly larger than that of the rest of the gear / shaft carrier 18 and represent consequently the fitting surfaces used for insertion in the reception bore 29 of the housing 1 ( see fig1 and 4 ). the annular groove 27 has arranged therein an o - ring 30 which is firmly pressed against the inner wall of the reception bore 29 . the annular groove 28 has inserted therein a specially shaped plastic ring 31 . in addition , the annular groove 28 has associated therewith an outer annular groove 32 in the housing 1 which is arranged such that it is displaced towards the transmission output 7 so that the plastic ring 31 is formed with an offset portion which pretensions the first main transmission stage 4 towards the transmission output 7 . the outer annular groove 32 is located precisely in the joinder plane b between the connecting flange 3 and the main housing area 2 so that each of these two components 3 and 2 has formed therein a corresponding recess for defining the outer annular groove 32 . in addition , the second outer surface area 26 extends beyond the end of the main housing area 2 in the direction of the transmission input 6 so that a centering opening 33 of the connecting flange 3 is pushed , in a closely fitting mode of arrangement , onto the second outer surface area 26 . the connecting flange 3 is secured to the main housing area 2 with the aid of screws 34 . the second end face 24 of the gear / shaft carrier 18 has provided therein an inlet opening 35 which is arranged coaxially with the main axis a and through which the extension 13 of the clamping hub 8 extends such that it is adapted to be rotated and through which also the input gear 14 can be passed . the centers of the cylindrical bearing seat openings 36 are arranged on the same reference circle coaxially with the main axis a . the bearing seat openings 36 of the end face 24 are in alignment with associated bearing seat openings 37 which are open towards the first end face 23 . each of the shafts 19 , 20 , 21 is provided with a rolling element bearing 38 and 39 , respectively , which are arranged at opposite ends of the respective shaft and which are inserted in the bearing seat openings 36 and 37 in an appropriate manner . the rolling element bearings 39 abut on a shoulder 40 in the bearing seat opening 37 . the rolling element bearings 38 are held in the bearing seat openings 36 by a spring element 41 having a special structural design . however , it is definitely also possible to fasten the rolling element bearings 38 and 39 to both bearing seat openings 36 and 37 by means of additional components , such as the spring element 41 . the shafts 19 , 20 , 21 and the transmission gears 22 are arranged within the gear / shaft carrier in appropriately formed , radially accessible reception pockets 42 , 43 and 44 . ( see . fig2 ) it is also possible to provide a higher or a lower number of reception pockets . in this connection , it is important that the reception pockets 42 , 43 and 44 define an opening towards the circumferential surface of the gear / shaft carrier 18 which is large enough to permit insertion of the shafts 19 , 10 , 21 and of the gears 22 , the rolling element bearings 38 being subsequently inserted from the end face 24 and secured in position by the spring element 41 . each shaft 19 , 20 , 21 has arranged thereon two transmission gears 22 , each of said transmission gears engaging a respective transmission gear 22 of another shaft 19 , 20 or 21 , the input gear 14 or an internal output gear 45 . due to the use of different transmission gears 22 and of different numbers of shafts 19 , 20 or 21 , it is possible to achieve a great variety of transmission ratios between the input gear 14 and the internal output gear 45 . due to the fact that the shafts 19 , 20 , 21 with the gears 22 and the bearings 38 and 39 can also be exchanged in a modular construction mode , the shape of the gear / shaft carrier 18 can remain the same within one series in spite of different transmission ratios . the arrangement of the shafts 19 , 20 , 21 and transmission gears 22 within the gear / shaft carrier 18 is therefore freely selectable as long as a reliable engagement with the input gear 14 and the internal output gear 45 is guaranteed . a tapped hole 47 with a screwed - in threaded pin 48 is provided in the intermediate wall 46 defining the reception pocket 43 . the tapped hole 47 is oriented coaxially with the main axis a and the threaded pin 48 is screwed into said tapped hole in such a way that it projects into the reception pocket 44 . the internal output gear 45 is pressed onto an intermediate output shaft 49 , which is also arranged coaxially with the main axis a . the intermediate output shaft 49 extends through the output opening 50 in the first end face 23 of the gear / shaft carrier 18 . in addition , the end face of the intermediate output shaft 49 is provided with a center hole 51 which is partially engaged by the threaded pin 48 . the threaded pin 48 is screwed in only to such an extent that the intermediate output shaft 49 can rotate freely , but that said intermediate output shaft 49 and the components attached thereto will be prevented from falling out in the disassembled state . this is particularly important in view of the fact that the output opening 50 is implemented as an elongated hole and is open towards the first outer surface area 25 so that this outer surface area is interrupted at the point in question . adjacent to the end face 23 , the intermediate output shaft 49 is provided with a centering and support bearing 52 and , adjacent to said centering and support bearing 52 , with an external output gear 53 as well as a cylindrical bearing seat stub 54 . when the threaded pin 48 has been screwed back far enough , the intermediate output shaft 49 and all the components attached thereto can laterally be pushed out of the output opening 50 . for this purpose , the opening direction of the output opening 50 is oriented in a direction precisely opposite to the group of bearing seat openings 37 . the second main transmission stage 5 adjoining the first main transmission stage 4 is a planetary gearing comprising an internal ring gear 56 , which is arranged in a recess 55 of the reception bore 29 , and a planet carrier 57 which is provided with an extension implemented as an output shaft 59 and extending from the inner side of the housing 1 to the outer side thereof , three uniformly distributed planetary gears 58 being rotatably supported in said plant carrier 57 . the output shaft 59 is oriented coaxially with the main shaft a . the centering and support bearing 52 of the intermediate output shaft 49 is arranged in a center hole 60 of the planet carrier 57 . the external output gear 53 is centrally inserted between the planetary gears 58 as a sun gear and drives these planetary gears 58 . the bearing seat stub 54 is received by a support bearing 61 in the planet carrier 57 . the planet carrier 57 itself is rotatably supported by the roller bearing 62 in the area of the output shaft 59 and by the roller bearing 63 in the area of the internal ring gear 56 . the outer race of the roller bearing 63 is held by an almost circumferentially extending annular web 64 on the end face 23 of the gear / shaft carrier 18 . in particular on the basis of fig5 it can be seen that the outer circumferential surface of the internal ring gear 56 has provided therein a specially formed annular groove 64a in which a resilient plastic ring 65 is arranged , said plastic ring 65 being adapted to the contour of said annular groove 64a . the resilient plastic ring 65 provides a suitable amount of pretension relative to the recess 55 so that the internal ring gear 56 is held in the housing 1 such that it is secured against rotation relative thereto . the resilient ring 65 can also be used as an overload protection in that the internal ring gear 56 slips through when a specific torque is exceeded . also vibrations are absorbed by said resilient plastic ring 65 . on the transmission output side 7 , the housing 1 has a cylindrical centering shoulder 66 and fastening holes 67 for arranging components to be driven , said components being driven by the output shaft 59 . in the following , the mode of operation of the above - mentioned embodiment will be explained in detail . the first main transmission stage 4 as well as the second main transmission stage 5 are inserted in the main housing area 2 as modular units . the roller bearing 62 is inserted first , whereupon the second main transmission stage 5 is inserted such that the output shaft 59 projects on the transmission output side 7 , the connecting flange 3 being detached during these inserting operations . the resilient plastic ring 65 guarantees that the internal ring gear 56 is sufficiently secured against rotation relative to the main housing area 2 . retainer rings , which are not designated by separate reference numerals , and an appropriate stop step in the main housing area 2 guarantee axial positioning of the second main transmission stage 5 . following this , the first main transmission stage 4 is inserted into the main housing area 2 with the external output gear 53 foremost . the support bearing 61 in the second main transmission stage 5 and the centering and support bearing 52 guarantee that the intermediate output shaft 49 is precisely centered and supported . in the present example , three planetary gears 58 , which are displaced relative to one another by 120 °, are provided in the second main transmission stage 5 so that a uniformly distributed transmission of force is also effected by the external output gear 53 . finally , the plastic ring 31 is inserted and the centering opening 33 of the connecting flange 3 is pushed onto the projecting part of the second outer surface area 26 . the screws 34 then provide a firm connection and the deformation of the plastic ring 31 provides the necessary pretension of the first main transmission stage 4 so that the annular web 64 is pressed onto the outer race of the roller bearing 63 of the second main transmission stage 5 , said plastic ring 31 also covering the housing halves . by means of the clamping hub 8 and the elongated fastening holes 12 , a drive motor can be connected to the transmission via the centering shoulder 11 . on the transmission output side 7 , the torque can then correspondingly be transmitted via the output shaft 59 to a unit to be driven . in this connection , it is important to point out that in particular the first main transmission stage 4 can be completely exchanged as a modular unit . also the shafts 19 , 20 , 21 and the transmission gears 22 can be exchanged very easily . due to the fact that the gear / shaft carrier is implemented as an integral , cylindrical component , all the measures which are important with regard to dimensional accuracy can be produced at one sitting . this has considerable advantages with regard to the maximum admissible amount of backlash of such a transmission . the structural design of the above - mentioned gear / shaft carrier permits the transmission gears 22 to have straight teeth of extremely high precision , since , due to the predeterminable tolerances , inadmissible pressure on the tooth profile resulting from angular inaccuracies can be excluded . the modular structural design of the transmission unit described makes it possible that , especially within one series , not more than a single main housing area 2 , a single connecting flange 3 and , if desired , a single second main transmission stage 5 are required . for providing the various transmission ratios within one series , it is only necessary to replace the first main transmission stage 4 in a modular way by another main transmission stage having a similar structural design . in the most advantageous case , it will suffice to produce different shafts 19 , 20 , 21 and transmission gears 22 for providing the desired transmission ratios . all the other components can be used in identical form . it is therefore easily understandable that a transmission unit having this type of structural design can be changed over from one transmission ratio to the next within much shorter time . the terms of delivery for such transmissions can therefore be reduced substantially .	5
next , a nail gun according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be provided while referring to fig1 to 13 . to facilitate explanation , the directional terms up , down , front , and rear will be used referring to orientation in which the nail gun is intended to be used and as indicated in fig1 . as shown in fig1 a nail gun 1 includes a nail ejection portion 5 , a magazine 6 , a drive portion 8 , a trigger 11 , and a safety portion 12 . the magazine 6 houses connected nails 3 that are supplied to the nail ejection portion 5 . as shown in fig2 the connected nails 3 are arranged on a single plane , separated by a fixed distance , and connected by a connection band 3 a . each nail 4 typically has a circular head 4 a at its upper end , a cylindrical body 4 b , and an acutely pointed tip 4 c . as shown in fig1 the magazine 6 includes a feeder 14 and a feeder spring ( not shown ). the feeder 14 receives pressure from the feeder spring and feeds the nails 4 to the nail ejection portion 5 , which is formed by a nosepiece 13 of the nail gun 1 . the nail ejection portion 5 is formed at its lower end with a nail ejection hole 5 a . the tip 4 c of the lead nail 4 within the nail ejection portion 5 protrudes downward out of the nail ejection hole 5 a , so that the position of the nail tip 4 c can be visually confirmed with ease . the drive portion 8 houses a blade 7 . the blade 7 is capable of reciprocal movement in the drive portion 8 to drive nails supplied to the nail ejection portion 5 out from the ejection hole 5 a . the nail gun 1 also includes a handle 9 and an activation switch 10 . the handle 9 is held by the user to support the nail gun 1 . the activation switch 10 is for controlling a nail driving operation of the nail gun 1 . as shown in fig3 the activation switch 10 includes a downward - protruding plunger 17 substantially at its center . the plunger 17 is supported capable of reciprocal movement in the vertical direction . while the plunger 17 is positioned at its lower dead center , the activation switch 10 is maintained off , so the nail gun 1 remains in a non - activated condition . however , as the plunger 17 moves from its lower dead center to its upper dead center , the activation switch 10 is turned on , so that the nail gun 1 starts a nail driving operation . as shown in fig3 the trigger 11 is supported adjacent to the activation switch 10 on a pivot shaft 16 so as to be capable of pivotable movement centered on the pivot shaft 16 . the user uses a finger of the hand he or she uses to hold the handle 9 to pull the trigger 11 . the trigger 11 is provided with a support portion 18 that pivotably supports a trigger arm 19 . the trigger arm 19 is supported in a posture with the central portion in contact with the tip of the plunger 17 and with the other end 19 a in contact on an upper end 12 a of the safety portion 12 . the safety portion 12 is supported capable of reciprocal movement , in parallel with the reciprocal movement direction of the blade 7 , between upper and lower dead centers as guided by a nose 13 , which configures the nail ejection portion 5 . the safety portion 12 is configured from an upper safety portion 20 , a cam member 21 , and a lower safety portion 22 . the upper safety portion 20 has a substantial reversed l - shape , and includes the upper end 12 a , a vertical section 20 c , and a horizontal section 20 d . the upper end 12 a is disposed in contact with the underside of the free end 19 a of the trigger arm 19 . a spring 15 is disposed beneath the horizontal section 20 d for constantly urging the safety portion 12 toward its upper dead center . the lower safety portion 22 is supported capable of reciprocal movement in parallel with the reciprocal movement direction of the blade 7 , as guided by pins 23 , 24 provided in the nose 13 . the lower safety portion 22 includes a lower end 12 b and an engagement recess portion 22 a . the lower end 12 b is located near the ejection opening 5 a of the nail ejection portion 5 . when the safety portion 12 is in its upper dead center following the urging of the spring 15 , the lower end 12 b is retracted above the nail tip 4 c as shown in fig3 . on the other hand , when the safety portion 12 is in its lower dead center , the lower end 12 b protrudes beyond the nail tip 4 c of the nail 4 in the nail ejection portion 5 as shown in fig1 . the engagement recess portion 22 a is provided in the upper portion of the lower safety portion 22 and includes an upper plate 22 b and a lower plate 22 c , wherein the upper plate 22 b protrudes further than the lower plate 22 c . a spring 25 is provided for constantly urging the lower safety portion 22 downward when the nail gun 1 is oriented as in the drawings . said differently , when the nail gun 1 is oriented for driving a nail upward , for example , into a ceiling fixture , the spring 25 prevents the lower safety portion 22 from sagging downward . the cam member 21 is pivotably supported on a shaft 20 a provided to a lower portion of the upper safety portion 20 . as shown in fig4 to 8 , the cam portion 21 includes a lower end 21 a and two guide protrusions 21 b . as shown in fig3 the lower end 21 a fits in the engagement recess portion 22 a of the lower safety portion 22 . as shown in fig4 the guide protrusions 21 b are provided symmetrically on either side of the cam portion 21 . as shown in fig1 and 12 , the guide protrusions 21 b fit in guide grooves 5 b provided in the side surfaces of the nail ejection portion 5 . the guide grooves 5 b are formed in a diagonally extending shape , so that when the guide protrusions 21 b move downward in the guide grooves 5 b , the cam member 21 separates from the engagement recess portion 22 a as shown in fig1 . next , an explanation will be provided for operation of the nail gun 1 . in this example , the nail gun 1 is used to fix in place a connection clasp 2 shown in fig9 . the connection clasp 3 is preformed with a hole 2 a . first , the nail tip 4 c protruding from the nail ejection hole 5 a is set directly into the hole 2 a of the connection clasp 2 . because the nail tip 4 c protrudes from the nail ejection hole 5 a , the nail tip 4 c can be easily aligned with the clasp hole 2 a . once the nail tip 4 c is set , the lower end 12 b of the lower safety portion 22 presses against an upper surface 2 b of the clasp 2 , so the safety portion 12 is prevented from moving downward . next , the user pulls the trigger 11 of the nail gun 1 . when the user pulls the trigger 11 , the trigger 11 pivots centered on the pivot shaft 16 toward the activation switch 10 , that is , from the orientation shown in fig1 to the orientation shown in fig9 . the support portion 18 of the trigger arm 19 moves upward so that the central portion of the trigger arm 19 abuts against the tip of the plunger 17 of the activation switch 10 . as a result , the plunger 17 serves as a fulcrum so that force from the support portion 18 presses the other end 19 a of the trigger arm 19 down against the upper end 12 a of the safety portion 12 . however , the upper end 12 a remains in place because the upper surface 2 b of the clasp 2 prevents the safety portion 12 from moving . therefore , the upper end 12 a serves as a fulcrum so that force from the support portion 18 presses the central portion of the trigger arm 19 upward against the plunger 17 when the trigger 11 is pulled . when the plunger 17 is pressed in , the activation switch 10 is turned on , thereby starting operation of the nail gun 1 so that the nail 4 in the nail ejection portion 5 is driven downward as shown in fig1 . the above explanation is for the situation wherein the trigger 11 is pulled after the nail tip 4 c protruding from the nail ejection hole sa was set in the clasp hole 2 a . next , with reference to fig1 to 13 , an explanation will be provided for operations performed when the nail tip 4 c is not set in the clasp hole 2 a , that is , when the nail ejection port is not located in abutment with a work piece . in the same manner as described above , when the trigger 11 is pulled in this case , the support portion 18 of the trigger arm 19 moves so that the central portion of the trigger arm 19 abuts against the tip of the plunger 17 . accordingly , the tip of the plunger 17 functions as a fulcrum so that force from the support portion 18 presses the other tip 19 a of the trigger arm 19 down against the upper end 12 a . however , because there is no work piece to prevent downward movement of the safety portion 12 in this case , the safety portion 12 moves from its upper dead center to its lower dead center against the urging force of the spring 15 . the plunger 17 remains positioned at its lower dead center so the activation switch 10 does not turn on . as the safety portion 12 moves from its upper dead center to its lower dead center , the cam member 21 moves downward with the upper safety portion 20 . as shown in fig1 , the two guide protrusions 21 b provided on the side surface of the cam member 21 are fitted in the guide grooves 5 b provided on the outer side of the nail ejection portion 5 . therefore , the cam member 21 follows the slanted shape of the guide grooves 5 b in association with downward movement of the guide protrusions 21 b in the guide grooves 5 b and pivots on the pivot shaft 20 a . as shown in fig1 , when the safety portion 12 moves downward to near its lower dead center , the cam member 21 separates from the lower safety portion 22 . described in more detail , the lower end 21 a of the cam member 21 pulls away from the lower plate 22 c of the engagement recess portion 22 a , but remains in contact with the upper plate 22 b . the downward urging force of the spring 25 urges the upper plate 22 b into abutment with the lower end 21 a of the cam member 21 . at this time , the lower end 12 b protrudes beyond the nail tip 4 c . in this situation , if the lower end 12 b is pressed against a work piece , or for some other reason the lower safety portion 22 is raised upward from its lower dead center , then all that will happen is that as shown in fig1 the lower safety portion 22 will move upward against the urging force of the spring 25 . that is , neither the cam member 21 nor the upper safety portion will move upward . accordingly , activation switch 10 will not be turned on , because the trigger arm 19 will not be raised upward . according to the present embodiment , no other components besides the trigger arm 19 are provided within the trigger 11 and supported pivotably on the trigger 11 . moreover , when the safety portion 12 can move into its lower dead center without obstruction , the plunger 17 serves as a fulcrum when the other tip 19 a of the trigger arm 19 presses the upper safety portion 12 a down toward its lower dead center . with this configuration the safety portion 12 can have a long stroke , that is , the safety portion 12 moves a long distance from its upper dead center into its lower dead center . therefore , the lower end 12 b of the safety portion 12 can be raised up further above the nail tip 4 c , thereby making it easier to visually confirm the position of the nail tip 4 c so that the nail will be driven into the work piece with greater positional accuracy . also , because the trigger arm 19 pivots with the tip of the plunger 17 serving as a fulcrum , the force at which the safety portion 12 can be pressed downward can be increased . as a result , the following effects can be achieved . it will be possible to move the safety portions 20 , 22 downward , even if the safety portions 20 , 22 become difficult to move downward because dirt and the like cling to the safety portions 20 , 22 , the cam member 21 , or other components . this enhances reliability of the nail gun . also , the safety portions 20 , 22 can be reliably lowered , even if the load on the spring 15 , which is for supporting the safety portions 20 , 22 in the upper dead center , is increased because the weight of the safety portions 20 , 22 is increased for some reason , for example to increase the strength of , or to lengthen , the safety portions 20 , 22 . next , a second embodiment will be explained while referring to fig1 to 16 . according to the second embodiment , a safety portion 120 includes an upper safety portion 200 , a lower safety portion 220 , and a connector 30 . the upper safety portion 200 and the lower safety portion 220 are formed with holes 200 e and 220 e , respectively . the connector 30 is slidably engaged in the holes 200 e , 220 e , thereby connecting the safety portions 200 , 220 together . the connector 30 includes pins 31 on its inside tip . downward slanting grooves 5 e are formed in the inner surfaces of the nail ejection portion 5 . the pins 31 are fitted in the grooves 5 e . when the safety portion 120 is in its upper dead center as shown in fig1 , the safety portions 200 , 220 are connected together by the connector 30 , and so move vertically in an integral manner . however , when the lower safety portion 220 moves downward without obstruction , the pin 31 slides inward following the guide groove 5 e . once the safety portions 200 , 220 move downward by a predetermined amount or more , then as shown in fig1 the connector 30 pulls out of the hole 220 e of the lower safety portion 220 . as a result , there is no danger that the nail gun will fire . also , even if after this the lower safety portion 220 is raised upward for some reason , then as shown in fig1 the lower safety portion 220 alone will merely move vertically . again , there is no danger that the nail gun will fire .	1
the present invention provides a height and azimuth adjustable container set , utilized for all the purposes embedded containers are utilized , i . e ., to serve as bases for lighting fixtures , as transformer housings , and as junction boxes , but with a major difference from conventional embedded containers . the adjustable container sets of the present invention also are utilized for the precise and simplified , economic mounting and adjusting of the height of the lighting fixture to be mounted upon it . also , the adjustable containers of the present invention provide for precise and simplified , economic aligning of the azimuth of the lighting fixtures and aligning the lights with respect to each other , by virtue of the azimuth alignment . the adjustable container set of the present invention is used to improve existing containers , while being efficiently and economically adjustable . these containers are installed in airport runways , taxiways , and other aircraft ground traffic areas to serve as bases for lighting fixtures , transformer housings , and junction boxes . the adjustments take place when the containers and their lighting fixtures are installed initially , e . g ., when new runway , taxiway , and other aircraft ground traffic areas are first built and every time they are repaved . the present invention provides a height and azimuth alignments adjustments assembly utilized for the more economic , precise , and simplified adjusting of the heights of concrete embedded containers and the azimuth alignment of airport inset lighting fixtures mounted thereon . these containers of the present invention are installed and reused in airport runways and taxiways and other aircraft ground traffic areas to serve as bases for lighting fixtures , transformer housings , and as junction boxes . in the actual testings and installations of the alignments adjustments assembly disclosed and described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 08 / 002 , 014 filed jan . 8 , 1993 and entitled “ alignments adjustments assembly apparatus and method ,” now u . s . pat . no . 5 , 541 , 362 , i have discovered certain aspects which could be modified . one drawback is that airport runway light bolts used to install the airport runway light on or in the airport runway light support can be part of a corrosion problem . corrosive materials such as deicing chemicals used on the aircraft can accelerate corrosive problems between the light bolts and the light support . the airport runway light stainless steel bolts can accelerate corrosive attack by a galvanic action between dissimilar metals . the present invention provides an alignment adjustments assembly which corrects the problem of corrosion . one drawback is that a great number of the existing conventional , fixed - length extensions installed as stacked - on embedded containers have tilted from their vertical axis . this tilting , which at the place of tilting is relatively small , nevertheless increases the angle at which the light beam from an inset lighting fixture is projected , thereby diverting the light beam away from incoming airplanes . at one - half mile ( 1 kilometer ) away from the approach area , it is difficult for the pilot of a landing airplane to see the light because of the very large divergence at that point from the point at which it should otherwise be , when properly height - adjusted . the present invention provides an alignment adjustments assembly which corrects the problem of tilting . another drawback encountered is that the new larger and heavier airplanes , now becoming more common , exert a larger torsional force upon the inset lighting fixtures . tests made to simulate those larger torsional forces on the alignment adjustment assembly disclosed and described in u . s . patent application ser . no . filed jan . 8 , 1993 and entitled “ alignments adjustments assembly apparatus and method ,” now u . s . pat . no . 5 , 541 , 362 , proved that a very slight rotational movement occurs , even though considered relatively insignificant today . nevertheless , even heavier airplanes could provide a more significant rotational movement that would alter the azimuth alignment of the lighting fixture , which in turn would impede the pilot of an incoming airplane from seeing the light . the present invention provides an alignments adjustments assembly which corrects the problem of the rotation of the assembly . yet another drawback encountered is the need to install a separate component called the mud dam , consisting of a flat , three - quarters inch ( 19 mm ) thick spacer ring with a flat , thin steel band welded all around the periphery of the flat spacer ring . this band is about one and a quarter inches ( 3 . 3 cm ) wide . the present invention provides an alignment adjustments assembly that does not require the installation of a separate mud dam . a further drawback encountered is that there are two types of inset light construction with respect to its bottom side . the bottom on one type is short and flat . the bottom on the other is longer and at an angle with respect to the light base vertical axis . the longer , angled bottom does not allow the light to fit properly on the top flange of the apparatus as disclosed and described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 08 / 002 , 014 filed jan . 8 , 1993 and entitled “ alignments adjustments assembly apparatus and method ,” now u . s . pat . no . 5 , 541 , 362 . the present invention provides an alignments adjustments assembly which will allow the longer , angled bottom type inset lights to be installed upon it . yet a further drawback encountered is that , in a great many occasions , an “ o ” ring seal is specified . in such cases , a separate flat , three - quarters inch ( 19 mm ) thick spacer ring , with a groove on its top flat side , is installed between the fixed - length extension and the lighting fixture . the present invention provides an alignment adjustments assembly which does not require installing a separate flat spacer ring with a groove on its top flat side . the invention includes an existing embedded container with an inverted flange on one end onto which an adapter flange bolts . the adapter flange has acme threads in its center aperture . the apparatus and method of the present invention also include an outside acme threaded adjustable extension , which threads down into the adapter flange , to provide the precise height required and the precise alignment of its lighting fixture . the adjustable height extension has a top flange to provide a base upon which the specified lighting fixture can be bolted . the present invention provides height and azimuth light support sets utilized for the more efficient and economic , precise , and simplified adjusting of the heights of exiting art embedded containers and the alignment of their light fixtures . these containers are installed in airport runways and taxiways to serve as bases for lighting fixtures , as transformer housings , and as junction boxes . referring now to fig1 and 2 , a container 1 is represented schematically with three fixed - length extensions 2 , 7 , and 11 bolted together . container 1 is embedded in concrete 25 at the time an airport runway , taxiway , and other aircraft ground traffic areas ( hereinafter aircraft ground traffic areas ) are first built . these ground traffic areas generally are built upon a compacted granular sub - base 26 . steel containers 1 , in addition to serving as bases for mounting airport inset lighting fixtures 95 also serve as transformer housings and junction boxes to bring electrical power to lighting fixture 95 , as shown in fig1 , 2 , and 7 . fixed - length extension 2 is bolted to top flange 30 on container 1 , which has 12 threaded bolt holes 136 , as shown in fig1 , by means of its bottom flange 4 and bolts 3 . fixed - length extension 2 is bolted to bottom flange 6 of fixed - length extension 7 by means of its top flange 5 and bolts 8 . fixed - length extension 7 is bolted on top of fixed - length extension 2 . fixed - length extensions have twelve bolt holes in both of their flanges , i . e ., top flange 5 and bottom flange 4 of extension 2 , as shown in fig1 . the bolt holes , not shown , on the top flanges of the extensions are threaded , while the bolt holes , not shown , on the bottom flange are not threaded . nevertheless , the bolt holes in both flanges of the fixed - length extensions are on a bolt hole circle diameter identical to bolt circle diameter 137 , as shown in fig1 , of container 1 . fixed - length extension 7 is bolted to bottom flange 10 of fixed - length extension 11 by means of its top flange 9 and bolts 12 . fixed - length extension 11 is bolted on top of fixed - length extension 7 . fixed - length extensions provide only a gross height adjustment . one or a plurality of flat spacer rings 15 are required for providing the more precise final height adjustment . flat spacer rings 15 are installed on top flange 13 of fixed - length extension 11 , as shown in fig1 , i . e ., the top fixed - length extension , to provide the final height adjustment 17 for inset lighting fixture 95 . flat spacer rings 15 can be one or more . they are fabricated as thin as 1 / 16 inch ( 1 . 6 mm ) and as thick as three - quarters inch ( 19 mm ) or thicker . mud dam 36 , as shown in fig1 and 10 , comes next on top of spacer rings 15 . the inset lighting fixture 95 is bolted together with flat spacer rings 15 and mud dam 36 onto the top flange 13 of the top fixed - length extension 11 by means of bolts 14 . continuing to refer to fig1 and 2 , several layers of pavement 19 , 20 , 21 are shown , to exemplify the fact that fixed - length extensions 2 , 7 , and 11 are utilized for height adjustments every time an aircraft ground traffic area is first built or upgraded by the installation of new pavement , i . e ., each new layer of pavement 19 , 20 , and 21 . the new layers create new surfaces 22 , 23 , and 24 and therefore new heights . these airport aircraft ground traffic area upgrades create the need for heights adjusting devices , with flanges identical to those of the embedded container 1 , in order to adapt the container 1 to the new surface , i . e ., the new height and further in order for the lighting fixture 95 to be installed slightly above the new pavement surface , i . e ., surface 22 , 23 , or 24 , at a close tolerance 17 above new pavement surface 24 , for example . in order to seal pavement layers 19 , 20 , 21 around container 1 , grout 18 is utilized . pavement rings 36 , commonly known in the industry as mud dam 36 , as shown in fig1 and 10 , are installed on top of spacer rings 15 to protect lighting fixture 95 from being splashed by the grout 18 at the time of its application . inset lighting fixture 95 is set inside mud dam protection ring 36 , as shown in fig1 . mud dam 36 consists of a flat ring 38 , as shown in fig1 , generally of ¾ inch ( 19 mm ) in thickness , with a 1 to 1¼ inch ( 2 . 54 to 3 . 27 cm ) wide , flat , thin steel band welded around the periphery of flat ring 38 . flat ring 38 has bolt holes 39 which match bolt holes , not shown , on flat spacer rings 15 , on fixed - length extension 11 as well as on lighting fixture 95 . bolt holes on fixed - length extension 11 are threaded . lighting fixture 95 is bolted onto fixed - length extension 11 , together with mud dam 36 and flat spacer rings 15 by means of bolts 14 . mud dams 36 are generally provided with grooves 43 in order to accept “ o ”- ring gasket 44 . when any one layer of pavement is first placed , it is done by placing it over the entire surface , i . e ., surface 31 . then the pavement 19 is core - drilled at the location of each container 1 to remove the pavement at that location to install fixed - length extension 2 , any flat spacer ring 15 , mud dam 36 , and finally lighting fixture 95 at the new height created by pavement 19 and surface 22 , by way of example . this process is repeated every time a new layer of pavement is added , i . e ., for further layers 20 and 21 . the core drilled hole is larger in diameter than the diameter of container 1 , hence the requirement to utilize grout 18 to fill in the void and therefore the need to install a mud dam 36 , as shown in fig1 , to protect lighting fixture 95 , as shown in fig1 , 2 when grout 18 is poured . a new method has been used for a few years already , whenever an aircraft ground traffic area reconstruction takes place , i . e ., resurfacing or repaving . instead of adding a new layer of pavement on top of the last one installed , the last one layer , i . e ., pavement layer 21 , is milled down by large roto - milling machines . this method is extensively explained in my u . s . pat . no . 5 , 431 , 510 entitled “ overlay protection plate apparatus and method .” prior to roto - milling the pavement top layer , i . e ., layer 21 , the lighting fixtures , any spacer rings , the mud ring , and the top , existing fixed - length extensions have to be removed . an overlay protection plate , not shown , is bolted to top flange 30 , on container 1 , to prevent debris from falling into container 1 . after roto - milling , a new layer of pavement is installed , and the new pavement is core - drilled at the location of each container 1 to replace the items removed back to their original position . core drilling at each embedded container location is done to provide access for reinstalling the items previously removed . nevertheless , in a great percentage of the cases , i . e ., at each of the individual container locations , differences of height occur , creating the need for the installation of additional flat spacer rings 15 on top of the ones removed and being reinstalled . referring to fig1 and 2 , lighting fixture 95 is installed at a close tolerance 17 slightly above pavement surface 24 . the optical system , not shown , inside the lighting fixture , projects its light beam 32 through lens 107 in window 108 of lighting fixture 95 at a precise angle 34 from surface 24 to allow a pilot landing aircraft 51 , as shown in fig3 , see light beam 32 , from a distance of about one - half mile ( 1 kilometer ), when landing at night or under other low visibility conditions . lighting fixtures 95 are also known as centerline lights because they are installed on the embedded containers in the center of the aircraft ground traffic areas , i . e ., runways , taxiways , and others . the continuous landing of aircraft , day and night , year after year , on top of these lighting fixtures can provide a slight tilting 41 , as shown in fig2 , of the lighting fixture and fixed - length extension 11 , as represented by 41 ( not to scale ), as shown in fig2 , for the purpose of making this explanation more clearly understood . this tilting 41 will alter the installed height tolerance 17 , as shown in fig1 , which now would be larger as represented by 42 in fig2 . the maximum installed height tolerance 17 is 1 / 16 inch ( 1 . 6 mm ), per f . a . a . ( u . s . federal aviation administration ) specifications . tilting 41 is shown as a separation of flange 10 of fixed - length extension 11 from flange 9 of fixed - length extension 7 . even the slightest tilting of lighting fixture 95 and the associated extension produces an angular deviation , angle 35 , as shown in fig2 and 3 , which is larger than the precise angle 34 obtained by a combination of the precise height adjustment of lighting fixture 95 and the angle at which light beam 32 is emitted from lighting fixture 95 , through its lenses 107 , in windows 108 , as shown in fig1 and 2 . this lighting fixture emitted light beam angle is set at the factory and is precisely established by f . a . a . regulations . an increased angle 35 would project emitted light beam 33 away from a line of sight from the pilot when landing aircraft 51 , as shown in fig3 , as it descends for landing . as a result , the pilot of aircraft 51 would not be able to see light beam 33 when landing at night or during poor visibility conditions . an increase in the height adjustment 17 of lighting fixture 95 would have the same effect , i . e ., the light beam would not be visible to the pilot at landing . in addition , an increased installed height creates the danger of the lighting fixture being plowed - off , during winter time , when snow is regularly plowed off airport ground traffic areas . this creates the danger of lighting fixtures , bolts , rings , and other components , being thrown onto these traffic areas , with the resulting danger to landing aircraft . conventionally , tilting is field - corrected by installing a thick tapered spacer ring , not shown . these tapered rings are custom made , per field measurement , and they are installed after first removing some of the existing flat spacer rings 15 , to correct angular deviation 35 of light beam 33 to the correct angular adjustment 34 of the light beam . tilting of the fixed - length extension is corrected , when the apparatus and methods of the present invention are utilized , because fixed - length extensions , bolted one on top of the other are no longer required . referring to fig7 , 8 , and 9 , lighting fixtures today are manufactured with two different types of bottom portions . fig7 shows lighting fixture 95 with six non - threaded , counter sunk bolt holes 109 drilled through mounting flange 106 . bolt holes 109 are set apart at an angle 115 of 60 degrees one from another , in bolt circle 114 . lighting fixture 95 is provided with optical lenses 107 in countersunk windows 108 and with a flat , short , straight down bottom portion 100 . electrical wires 111 and connector 112 are provided for bringing electrical power to lighting fixture 95 from an isolation transformer , not shown , in conventional container 1 , as shown in fig1 and 2 . lighting fixture 105 of fig8 has six non - threaded , countersunk bolt holes 109 drilled through mounting flange 106 . bolt holes 109 are set apart at an angle 115 of 60 degrees one from another , in bolt circle 114 . lighting fixture 105 is provided with optical lenses 107 in countersunk windows 108 and with a long , angled bottom 110 , hence the novel angled 66 opening 67 of adjustable extension 55 , as shown in fig4 . angled 66 opening 67 allows lighting fixture 105 to be installed on flange 62 of the extension , in addition to allowing also the installation of lighting fixture 95 , as shown in fig7 . continuing to refer to fig8 , lighting fixture 105 is also provided with wires 111 and connector 112 for bringing electrical power to lighting fixture 105 from conventional embedded container 1 , as shown in fig1 and 2 . azimuth orientation arrows 113 are engraved on mounting flange 106 in the countersunk windows 108 area . arrows 113 are also engraved in countersunk windows 108 of lighting fixture 95 . the difference between lighting fixture 95 and lighting fixture 105 is in the short , flat bottom portion 100 of fixture 95 versus the longer , angled bottom portion of fixture 105 . engraved azimuth arrows 113 are required for aiding a lighting fixture installer in orienting lenses 107 , on windows 108 , directly to the exact azimuth alignment , to correctly align , in azimuth , the light beam projected through lenses 107 with the aircraft landing direction . the azimuth alignments are required when the lighting fixture is first installed and on every occasion maintenance is performed on the fixture , i . e ., removal for bulb change and others . fig9 is a top view , i . e ., a plan view , of the lighting fixtures of fig7 and 8 . the lighting fixtures 95 , 105 have six countersunk bolt holes 109 each on bolt circle 114 , with a bolt circle diameter identical to the diameter of the bolt circle , not shown , of bolt holes 64 , on top flange 62 , as shown in fig4 . the bolt circle diameter , the number and size of bolts and bolt holes in the lighting fixtures , as well as in the flange where the lighting fixtures are to be installed , i . e ., top flange 62 , as shown in fig4 , or in conventional top flange 13 , as shown in fig1 , are specified by specifications known as circulars , issued by the f . a . a . referring now to fig4 , 5 , and 6 , adjustable extension 55 and adapter flange 85 represent the preferred embodiment of the alignments adjustments assembly of the present invention . adjustable extension 55 consists of a tubular , cylindrical section , defined by a non - threaded top portion 58 which has its bottom portion 57 threaded with acme threads 56 , e . g ., by way of example at four threads per inch ( 2 . 54 cm ). top portion 58 and bottom threaded portion 57 are the wall of the cylindrical portion , i . e ., the wall of a tubular cylinder , shown in elevation , partially in section , in fig4 . acme threaded portion 57 is threaded for approximately six inches ( 15 cm ) from bottom end 61 . threaded portion 57 has a minimum of six vertical rows of threaded holes 59 , 60 , i . e ., parallel to its vertical axis 68 , as opposed to three vertical rows of holes at 120 degrees apart , disclosed in u . s . patent application ser . no . 08 / 002 , 014 filed jan . 8 , 1993 entitled “ alignments adjustments assembly apparatus and method ,” now u . s . pat . no . 5 , 541 , 362 . holes 59 are on a horizontal plane different from holes 60 , i . e ., intercalated , i . e ., staggered as shown in fig4 , so that at all times there will be a minimum of four and a maximum of six holes 59 , 60 for threading allen set - screws 81 , as shown in fig5 , through them and for tightening against inside threaded surface 87 of adapter flange 85 , as shown in fig6 . by the method of the present invention , at least one allen set - screw 81 , as shown in fig5 , protruding through holes 59 or 60 , penetrates at least one eighth inch ( 3 . 2 mm ) into a drilled aperture 86 , as shown in fig6 , on inside threaded surface 87 of adapter flange 85 . allen set - screws are threaded through both holes 59 and 60 , shown threaded through hole 59 on fig5 for simplification purposes . allen set - screws are of a minimum ½ inch ( 1 . 3 cm ) nominal diameter . top flange 62 is welded at top portion 71 of the tubular , cylindrical portion of the extension 55 . top flange 62 has 12 threaded bolt holes 64 through it , when seeing it in plan , but shown only in section in fig4 . these threaded bolt holes 64 have a bolt circle diameter , not shown , that coincides with bolt circle diameter 114 , as shown in fig9 , of lighting fixture 95 and 105 , as shown in fig7 and 9 , respectively . the bolt circle and bolt size are mandated by the f . a . a . specifications , i . e ., u . s . federal aviation administration specifications . all features shown on fig9 , a plan view , coincide with a plan view , not shown , of fig7 in all respects , i . e ., they are substantially identical . therefore , either lighting fixtures of fig7 or fig8 can be bolted onto top flange 62 . top flange 62 has opening 67 at an angle 66 of approximately 45 degrees . in addition to accepting lighting fixture 95 , as shown in fig7 , it also accepts lighting fixture 105 , as shown in fig9 . preferably top flange 62 and tubular cylindrical portion 57 are made of stainless steel . the stainless steel assembly 55 of the present invention provides an alignment adjustments assembly which corrects the problem of corrosion from materials such as corrosive deicing chemicals or by a galvanic action between dissimilar metals between the light bolts and the light support . novel mud dam protecting ring 69 , consisting of a 1 to 1¼ inches wide ( 2 . 54 to 3 . 27 cm ), thin , stainless steel band , is built in one piece with top flange 62 , if adjustable extension 55 is built in one piece , which is the preferred method . mud dam protecting ring 69 can also be welded all around the outer periphery of top flange 62 if adjustable extension 55 is built of individual components . mud dam 69 is positioned to protect the lighting fixture and its lenses 107 , as shown in fig7 , 8 , and 9 from grout 122 , as shown in fig1 , when grout 122 is poured . groove 65 is provided on surface 63 of top flange 62 in order to accept “ o ”- ring 70 , shown lifted from groove 65 , on fig4 . the adjustable extension of the present invention can be cast , in one piece , e . g ., from stainless steel , comprising the tubular , cylindrical portion as well as the top flange 62 and mud dam protection ring 69 . it can then be machine - finished including groove 65 and mud dam protection ring 69 . acme - threads 56 are cut for a minimum of up to 6 inches ( 15 cm ) or more from bottom end 61 . all holes 59 , 60 , and 64 are then drilled and tapped . preferably , each individual component is made of stainless steel . the adjustable extension can also be made of individual components , i . e ., a tubular piece , to obtain the cylindrical portion and a standard steel plate , machine - finished to obtain the top flange 62 , to which a thin , steel band is welded to make the protection ring 69 . then the flange 62 is welded at 71 , top end of non - threaded portion 58 of the tubular piece , i . e ., the cylindrical portion . any additional machine - finishing then is done , including groove 65 . acme threads 56 are cut for a minimum of 6 inches ( 15 cm ) or more from bottom end 61 . all holes 59 , 60 , and 64 are then drilled and tapped . optionally , acme threads 56 could be cut , and holes 59 and 60 drilled and tapped in the field at the point of use . the order in which the fabrication steps are herein described , i . e ., for casting in one piece or for individual components , is not intended to limit the many variations of manufacturing sequencing , as those skilled in the art would recognize . therefore , all sequencing steps , whether listed or not , are part of the apparatus and method of the present invention . as it can be readily understood by those skilled in the art , the adjustable extension can be made in any overall length , including any length of its threaded portion 57 . this feature provides the design engineers a great advantage in planning for future aircraft ground traffic changes , i . e ., additional layers of pavement or the replacement of existing layers of pavement with new , thicker layers , to upgrade these aircraft traffic areas to new generations of larger , heavier aircraft . fig5 represents the allen set - screw 81 component of the present invention shown threaded - in and protruding through threaded portion 57 of the adjustable extension . fig6 represents the circular adapter flange 85 component part of the present invention shown in elevation . non - threaded aperture 86 is at least ⅛ inch ( 3 . 2 mm ) deep , drilled into acme threaded surface 87 in opening 88 . inside opening 88 is threaded with 4 acme threads per inch ( 2 . 54 cm ) in order to thread extension 55 into it . non - threaded holes 89 are 12 in number ( only two shown ) and are drilled through surface 90 . bolt holes 89 are drilled on a bolt circle , not shown , identical to the bolt circle 137 , as shown in fig1 , on top flange 30 of conventional embedded container 1 , as shown in fig1 and 2 . adapter flange 85 thereby provides the means for the installation of adjustable extension 55 onto embedded stainless steel container 1 a , as shown in fig1 and 12 . for the installation of the alignments adjustments assembly of the present invention on airport runway embedded stainless steel container 1 a , adapter flange 85 is bolted onto top flange 30 , as shown in fig1 , 2 , and 12 of embedded container 1 after removing bolts 3 , as shown in fig1 and 2 and all fixed - length extensions 2 , 7 , and 11 . when adapter flange 85 is bolted onto stainless steel container 1 a , the adjustable extension 55 can be threaded into adapter flange 85 , through acme threaded opening 88 , in order to install an airport inset lighting fixture upon top flange 62 , as shown in fig4 and 11 , of adjustable extension 55 . all allen set screws are threaded through holes 59 , 60 of extension 55 and torqued to a minimum of 60 foot - pounds ( 8 kilogram - meters ) against acme threaded surface 87 of adapter flange 85 , one of them , torqued against the inside of drilled aperture 86 . referring now to fig1 , a completed installation of the apparatus of the present invention is represented . aperture 86 on acme threaded surface 87 is drilled as follows . first , adjustable extension 55 with “ o ” ring 70 , in groove 65 and with lighting fixture 105 bolted onto it , as shown in fig1 , is threaded into adapter flange 85 , which has been bolted already onto stainless steel container 1 a by means of bolts 121 . lighting fixture 105 on adjustable extension 55 then is brought to the exact height and azimuth by threading in adjustable extension 55 until aximuth orientation arrows 113 are aligned to the precise azimuth at the required height . prior to any installation , a surveyor provides the necessary centerline marks 138 , as shown in fig1 , on the pavement , i . e ., of a runway , for aiding the installer in finding the correct azimuth line . at this point , the lighting fixture is removed , and all required allen set - screws are installed through holes 59 , 60 of adjustable extension 55 and fully torqued at 60 foot - pounds ( 8 kilogram - meters ) against acme threaded surface 87 to immobilize adjustable extension 55 in place , keeping it at the desired azimuth alignment and height adjustment . then , aperture 86 is drilled approximately ⅛ inch ( 3 . 2 mm ) into surface 87 of adapter flange 85 , through one of threaded holes 59 or 60 of the adjustable extension 55 . immediately after aperture 86 is drilled - in , the remaining allen set - screw 81 is threaded through the respective hole 59 or 60 and fully torqued at 60 foot - pounds ( 8 kilogram - meters ) against the inside of aperture 86 . by making at least one allen set - screw 81 penetrate at least ⅛ inch ( 3 . 2 mm ) into aperture 86 , on surface 87 of adapter flange 85 , by installing six allen set - screws , and by making the set - screw ½ inch ( 12 . 7 mm ) in diameter , the adjustable extension 55 and the lighting fixture mounted thereupon will not be made to turn by the torque tangentially applied by the force of airplane wheels , including those of the newer , heavier airplanes landing upon the lighting fixtures or by the twisting action created by heavy aircraft locked wheels when turning . all holes 59 , 60 not utilized are plugged - in with threaded , plastic plugs , not shown . when holes 59 , 60 are plugged - in , the lighting fixture is connected to electrical power connector 123 from imbedded container 1 by means of cable 111 and connector 112 . then the lighting fixture is re - bolted onto top flange 62 of adjustable extension 55 with its azimuth orientation arrows 113 aligned in azimuth , by means of bolts 120 . “ o ” ring 70 is compressed by the bolting pressure , thereby providing a tight water seal . angled bottom 110 of lighting fixture 105 fits very well in angled 66 opening 67 , as shown in fig4 , of the adjustable extension . at this point , the installation is completed by pouring - in grout 122 all around the alignments adjustments assembly 55 , 85 , of the present invention . it can be seen that the novel protection ring 69 , as shown in fig4 and 11 , prevents grout 122 from getting on the lighting fixture , especially so on its lens 107 through window 108 . it is also readily understood that groove 65 , as shown in fig4 , provided on surface 63 of top flange 62 of adjustable extension 55 eliminates the requirement for installing a separate spacer ring with a groove on it for the installation of “ o ” ring 70 . the alignments adjustments assembly of the present invention is reusable . when the alignments adjustments assembly is installed and the airport aircraft ground traffic area is modified , creating a higher or lower surface , i . e ., if surface 24 were made higher or lower , extension 55 can be threaded in or out , after first removing all allen set - screws 81 , to provide a new height adjustment without affecting the azimuth alignment . azimuth is a straight line , i . e ., toward the horizon , in the direction of aircraft landings , with the centerline 138 , as shown in fig1 , of the aircraft ground traffic area runway , taxiway , defining this straight line . thus the embedded containers with their inset lights mounted thereupon all are installed at a specified distance one from another on this centerline for the length of the aircraft ground traffic area . at the time embedded stainless steel container 1 a is first installed , its top flange 30 , as shown in fig1 , is aligned in azimuth , by aligning centerline 138 of the aircraft ground traffic area to pass exactly aligned with two diametrically opposed threaded bolt holes 136 . prior to its installation , a surveyor provides markings on the pavement for aiding in the azimuth alignment of stainless steel container 1 a . bolt holes 136 are at an angle 135 of 30 degrees apart , and they are set on bolt circle 137 with a diameter identical to bolt circle 114 , as shown in fig9 , on the lighting fixtures 95 , 105 . bolt circle diameter 137 on top flange 30 also is identical to the bolt circle diameter , not shown , on adapter flange 85 , which bolts thereupon , by the method of the present invention . adjusting the height of adjustable extension 55 would not affect the azimuth alignment of a lighting fixture installed upon its flange 62 , as shown in fig1 , because extension 55 acme threaded portion 57 is provided with at least four acme threads 56 per inch ( 2 . 54 cm ). at four acme threads per inch ( 2 . 54 cm ), it would take four full , 360 degree turns of adjustable extension 55 , for it to go up or down one inch ( 2 . 54 cm ). therefore the adjustable extension will move up or down only ¼ inch ( 6 . 3 mm ) when rotated 360 degrees about its axis 68 , i . e ., one single , complete rotation . a 30 degree turn of adjustable extension 55 will produce a height change of only 0 . 0208 inches ( 0 . 05 mm ), up or down , i . e ., one twelfth of ¼ inch ( 6 . 3 mm ). the measure of 0 . 0208 inches ( 0 . 05 mm ) is slightly more than 1 / 64 inch ( 1 . 6 mm ). the overall tolerance 17 , as shown in fig1 is 1 / 16 inch ( 1 . 6 mm ). a 30 degree turn equals one twelfth of one full 360 degree rotation . therefore , adjustable extension 55 can be rotated a few degrees about its axis 68 in any direction to obtain a very precise azimuth alignment without negatively affecting its height adjustment . any azimuth alignment adjustment would always be 15 degrees or less because bolt holes 109 , as shown in fig9 , of the lighting fixtures , by faa mandate , are spaced apart 60 degrees , i . e ., only six holes . bolt holes 64 on top flange 62 , as shown in fig4 , are spaced at 30 degrees , exactly the same as bolt holes 136 , as shown in fig1 , on top flange 30 of the embedded container , i . e ., 12 bolt holes , also by faa specifications the diameter of bolt circles 114 , as shown in fig9 , and 137 , as shown in fig1 , are also identical to that of the top flange 62 . accordingly , a 30 degree azimuth alignment adjustment is obtained by properly positioning the lighting fixture upon top flange 62 of adjustable extension 55 , matching its bolt holes 109 with the two bolt holes 64 on flange 62 , positioning arrows 113 closest to the correct azimuth alignment marked on the pavement by a surveyor . the final , precise adjustment of 15 degrees or less is done by simply turning the adjustable extension . from fig9 , it can be seen that windows 108 are centered between two bolts 109 , and , therefore , orientation arrow 113 is at 30 degrees apart from the two adjacent bolt holes 109 . referring now to fig1 and 14 , a universal top adjustable alignment container 255 is shown in elevation in fig1 and in plan view , i . e . top view , in fig1 . the non - corrosive top adjustable alignment container 255 is another preferred embodiment of the present invention . fig1 shows , for the purpose of illustration , an airport inset light 205 , a new type of airport inset lighting fixture , manufactured by hughes phillips . the novel features of the universal top adjustable alignment container 255 allow the installation of any of the three types of lighting fixtures that exist in the u . s . market today , e . g ., lighting fixture 95 , shown in elevations in fig7 and in plan view in fig9 ; lighting fixture 105 , shown in elevation in fig8 and in plan view in fig9 ; and the newest inset lighting fixture 205 , shown in elevation in fig1 . any of the three lighting fixtures 95 , 105 , and 205 can be installed on the universal top adjustable alignment container 255 without requiring its top flange 262 to have an angled opening 66 ( fig4 ), as it is required for the flange 62 of the adjustable extension 55 of fig4 . continuing to refer to fig1 , the novel top flange 262 of the universal top adjustable alignment container 255 has an opening 267 with a straight inside surface 266 instead of an angled inside surface 66 as shown in fig4 . in addition , the top flange 262 is thicker than the top flange 62 of fig4 . this additional thickness allows a stepped bottom 201 of the lighting fixture 205 to be perfectly fit inside the opening 267 of the top flange 262 , with a flange 206 inside the mud dam 269 . the universal top adjustable alignment container 255 of fig1 is preferably cast in one piece , in stainless steel . the casting can then be machined to form the top flange 262 , a flat surface 263 , with a groove 265 in it , the mud dam 269 , and an opening 267 , with its straight surface 266 . twelve threaded holes 264 ( only two shown ) are drilled and tapped through the surface 263 of the flange 262 . then acme threads 256 are cut , at four threads per inch , on a surface 257 for a minimum of six inches from a bottom a 261 of a tubular section 257 . the tubular section 257 is of a required wall thickness 274 to allow for the required strength of the threads to resist shearing forces created by the axial loading forces applied upon the lighting fixtures by landing aircrafts . at this point , holes 259 and 260 are drilled and tapped through the tubular section 257 , through its wall thickness 274 . holes 259 and 260 are intercalated , i . e ., staggered . these holes 259 and 260 , if required , could be drilled and tapped in the field instead of in the factory . nevertheless , drilling and tapping holes 259 and 260 in the field is not the preferred method because it is not cost effective , and it is inefficient . threaded bolt holes 264 of the top flange 262 are a total of twelve , i . e ., at 30 degrees 235 from each other , as shown on fig1 . these holes 264 are drilled and tapped through a surface 263 of the flange 262 on a bolt circle 214 ( fig1 ), which is similar to the bolt circle 114 of fig9 , on the lighting fixtures 95 and 105 of fig7 and 8 , respectively . bolt holes 209 of lighting fixture 205 are drilled through flange 206 on a bolt circle ( not shown ) similar to bolt circle 214 on top flange 262 . lighting fixture 205 has six bolt holes ( only two shown ) spread at sixty degrees apart , similar to the configuration 235 shown of fig9 for lighting fixtures 95 , 105 . the number of holes , sizes , and degrees apart are all mandated by the faa , i . e ., the federal aviation administration , in specifications known as faa circulars . lighting fixture 205 of fig1 has a stepped bottom comprising a portion 201 and a portion 200 . the portion 200 provides electrical wires 211 that bring electrical power to the lighting fixture 205 . flange 206 is utilized to install the lighting fixture upon surface 263 of top flange 262 of universal top adjustable container 255 , inside its mud dam 269 . lighting fixture 205 , when bolted onto top flange 262 , compresses an “ o ” ring 270 in a groove 265 , providing a water tight seal between the lighting fixture 205 and the inside of the universal top adjustable alignment container 255 of fig1 . lighting fixture 209 has two countersunk windows 208 , similar to the countersunk windows 108 on lighting fixtures 95 , 105 of fig9 . the lighting fixture 205 also has one azimuth orientation arrow ( not shown ) engraved in each of countersunk windows 208 . the countersunk windows 208 , engraved azimuth arrows , lighting system , and their angular positioning for all lighting fixtures manufactured in the u . s . are all very similar and they are all mandated by faa regulations , i . e ., faa circulars . engraved azimuth arrows ( not shown ) on the lighting fixture 205 are utilized to aid the installer in aligning the lighting fixture 205 in azimuth , on the runway centerline and in the direction 32 of landing aircraft 51 ( fig3 ). referring now to fig1 , a plan view , i . e ., a top view , of the universal top adjustable alignment container 255 , of fig1 , is shown . fig1 shows the top flange 262 , with its mud dam 269 and twelve threaded holds 264 drilled and tapped on tile bolt circle 214 , at thirty degrees 235 from each other . fig1 also shows groove 265 in surface 263 of top flange 262 . groove 265 is provide for receiving “ o ” ring 270 . in addition , fig1 shows straight surface 266 of inside opening 267 and inside surface 274 of tubular section 257 . the universal top adjustable alignment container of the present invention can also be fabricated of individual components , which can be welded together . by way of an example , top flange 262 can be welded at 271 to the tubular section 257 , and mud dam 269 can be made of a piece of thin steel welded to the outer periphery of top flange 262 . any machining including the cutting of acme threads 256 and the drilling and tapping of holes 259 , 260 , and 264 can be done at the time each component is fabricated or after all or part of the components have been welded together . whether cast in one piece or fabricated of individual components , the universal top adjustable alignment container 255 preferably is made of stainless steel , to provide for corrosion resistance . the alignments adjustments precision makes the apparatus of tile present invention an efficient and economical apparatus and method for the replacement of conventional , existing fixed - length extensions at the time of renovation , i . e ., resurfacing of aircraft ground traffic areas , as well as for new installations of such traffic areas by eliminating the need for installing fixed - length extensions , by eliminating the need for installing several flat spacer rings of various thicknesses , by eliminating the need for installing and angle - correcting , tapered spacer rings , i . e ., leveling rings , and by eliminating the need for installing a separate mud dam . in addition , the installation of alignments adjustments assembly of the present invention saves labor costs , and the assembly is reusable . thus it can be seen that the invention accomplishes all of its objectives . the apparatus and process of the present invention are not limited to the descriptions of specific embodiments presented hereinabove , but rather the apparatus and process of the present invention should be viewed in terms of the claims that follow and equivalents thereof . further , while the invention has been described in conjunction with several such specific embodiments , it is to be understood that many alternatives , modifications , and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing detailed descriptions . accordingly , this invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives , modifications , and variations which fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims .	5
fig1 is a block diagram of a mobile to mobile dispatch call using cdma 2000 standards . mobile transceiver 10 connects through base station 11 to mobile transceiver 12 . between mobile 10 and base station 11 , a speaker air link 104 provides for the data transmission from the mobile 10 to the base station 11 . base station 11 is coupled to mobile 12 via the listener &# 39 ; s over the air link 116 . the speaker at mobile 10 is coupled to vocoder 101 which transmits the voice to rlp input buffer 102 . buffer 102 feeds the rlp transmitter 103 which transmits the data over the speaker air link 104 to base station 11 . the speaker may be a conventional voice speaker or may include a constant bit rate audio or video source . at base station 11 , the rlp code 111 receives the incoming data and transmits it to the rlp resequencing queue 112 . the rlp resequencing queue orients the data in logical sequence and transmits it through chat server 113 to rlp input buffer 114 . input buffer 114 then drives rlp transmitter 115 to transmit the data via the listener air link 116 to mobile 12 . the listener air link 116 couples base station 11 to mobile 12 . the data transmitted via the listener air link 116 is received by rlp code 121 . the data is then logically oriented by rlp resequencing queue 122 . the data is then transmitted to a vocoder input buffer 123 and finally is converted to voice by vocoder 124 and transmitted to the listener associated with mobile 12 . both mobiles 10 and 12 include battery level detectors . mobile 10 includes battery level detector 125 which is coupled to rlp transmitter 103 and transmits an indication of the battery level for mobile 10 . similarly , mobile 12 includes a battery level detector 126 and when mobile 12 is in a transmission mode , battery level detector 126 transmits an indication of the battery level to base station 11 . fig2 and 3 depict an origination of a dispatch call . a dispatch call origination is detected by the base station , block 22 . next , the base station detects whether the speaker &# 39 ; s air link 104 is more forward or reverse interference limited . that is , whether the transmitting or receiving link of mobile 10 or example , is more limited , block 24 . next , block 26 determines whether the speaker &# 39 ; s forward link ( up link with respect to the base station ) is interference limited . if the speaker &# 39 ; s forward link is interference limited , the base station 12 assigns a dcch channel to the speaker , block 28 . if the speaker &# 39 ; s forward link is not limited , the speaker &# 39 ; s reverse link is more limited or if the battery level detector 125 for example , has detected a low battery level . in that case , the reverse link is limited and the base station assigns a fch channel to the speaker , block 30 . next , block 32 detects whether each listener &# 39 ; s link is more forward or reverse interference limited . if a listener &# 39 ; s forward link is link limited , block 34 transfers control to block 36 via the yes path . block 36 assigns a fch channel to the listener &# 39 ; s forward link . if the listener &# 39 ; s forward link is not link limited , block 34 transfers control to block 38 via the no path . block 38 determines that the listener &# 39 ; s link is reverse link limited and assigns a call a dcch channel . next , it is determined whether the speaker has changed . if the speaker has changed , block 40 transfers control to block 42 . if the speaker has not changed , control is transferred to block 50 and the method is continued . if the speaker has changed , block 40 transfers control to block 42 via the yes path . block 42 determines whether the previous speaker had been assigned a dcch channel . if the previous speaker had been assigned a dcch channel , block 42 transfers control to block 44 via the yes path . block 44 changes the previous speaker &# 39 ; s channel to an fch channel and changes the previous listener &# 39 ; s channel to a dcch channel . the process then continues with block 50 . if the previous speaker did not have a dcch channel , block 42 transfers control to block 46 via the no path . block 46 changes the previous speaker &# 39 ; s channel to a dcch channel . then , block 48 changes the previous listener &# 39 ; s channel to a fch channel and continues the process at block 50 . block 50 determines whether an existing dispatch call ( data ) needs to make an interconnect call ( voice call ). that is , whether a data transmission call needs to make a basic voice call . if an interactive call is requested , block 50 transfers control to block 52 via the yes path . block 52 determines whether the existing channel is a dcch channel . if the channel is a dcch channel , then the dcch channel is switched to a fch channel , block 54 . the switch from the dcch channel to the fch channel occurs with a single message from the switching network . the switching is performed by the network without tearing down the existing traffic channel which implies a lower delay . the process is then ended . if the channel is not a dcch channel , then a fch channel is already in use and block 52 simply ends the process via the no path . if the call is not a dispatch call requesting an interconnect call , block 50 transfers control via the no path to end the process . fig4 depicts a dispatch call that has stopped , that is , a speaker has released the push to talk button of the mobile 10 , for example . it is determined whether a dispatch call has stopped by block 60 . if the dispatch call has stopped , block 60 transfers control to block 62 via the no path . block 62 determines whether the link is more forward or reverse interference limited . if the link is forward link interference limited , block 64 transfers control to block 66 via the yes path . block 66 assigns the link a fch channel and ends the process . if the link is not forward link interference limited , block 64 transfers control to block 68 via the no path . block 68 determines whether the link is reverse link interference limited . if the link is reverse link interference limited , block 68 transfers control to block 70 via the yes path . block 70 assigns the reverse link a dcch channel and ends the process . if block 68 has not detected that the reverse link is interference limited , control is transferred and the process is ended . fig5 depicts the procedure for a listener who presses the talk button and is subsequently granted by the system the ability to speak . block 80 detects that a listener has pressed the talk button and is granted the permission by the system to talk . block 82 determines whether the link is more forward or reverse interference limited . if the link is more forward link interference limited , block 84 transfers control via the yes path to block 86 . block 86 assigns the forward link a dcch channel and ends the process . if the link was not forward link interference limited block 84 transfers control to block 88 via the no path . block 88 determines whether the link is reverse interference limited . if it is , control is transferred from block 88 to block 90 . block 90 assigns a fch channel to the link and ends the process . if the reverse link is not interference limited , block 88 simply ends the process . fig6 depicts a flow chart of a dispatch call which moves from one cell to another . when a dispatch caller moves to a new cell , a detection is made by the base station of any differences in the interference to the caller from the previous cell in which the caller was located , block 100 . block 102 determines whether the caller is not the speaker , control is transferred to block 110 . if the caller is the speaker , block 102 transfers control to block 104 via the yes path . block 104 determines whether the speaker &# 39 ; s link is more forward or reverse interference link limited . if the speaker &# 39 ; s link is more reverse link limited , the reverse link is assigned an fch channel , block 106 . control is then transferred to block 110 . if the speaker &# 39 ; s link is more forward link limited , block 108 assigns a dcch channel to the speaker &# 39 ; s forward link and transfers control to block 110 . block 110 detects whether each listener &# 39 ; s link is more forward or reverse interference limited . if each listeners link is more forward link interference limited , block 112 transfers control to block 114 via the yes path . block 114 assigns a fch channel to the listener &# 39 ; s forward link and ends the process . if the link is not more forward link interference limited , block 112 transfers control to block 116 via the no path . block 116 determines whether the reverse link is interference link limited . if it is , block 116 transfers control to block 116 via the yes path . block 118 assigns a dcch channel to the listener &# 39 ; s reverse link and ends the process . if the reverse link is not more interference link limited , the process is simply ended by block 116 . fig7 and 8 depict a flow chart of a non - dispatch call , voice call , processed by the arrangement describing the present invention . traffic is observed over the forward link by block 120 which estimates the number of full , half and eighth rate frames that would have been sent over the link if a fch channel was used . next , for the forward link , an estimate of the number of full , half and eighth rate frames that would have been sent over the link if a dcch channel was used , is made by block 122 . for the reverse link , an estimate is made of the number of full , half and eighth rate frames that would have been sent over the link if a fch channel was used , block 124 . then , for the reverse link an estimate is made of the number of full , half and eighth rate frames that would have been sent over the reverse link if a fch channel was used , block 126 . next , a determination is made whether the forward or reverse link is rf interference limited , block 128 . block 130 determines whether there is any benefit to be obtained over rf interference by switching channels . if not , block 130 continues the process at block 140 . if there is benefit to be obtained by minimizing the rf interference over the links to the mobile , block 130 transfers control to block 132 via the yes path . block 132 switches the channels of the forward link . that is , if the forward link was using a fch channel , a switch is made to a dcch channel ; or if a dcch channel was used for the forward link , the base station switches the channel to a fch channel . similarly , for the reverse link , the channels are switched by block 134 . if a fch channel was used for the reverse link , the base station switches the channel to a dcch channel ; or if a dcch channel was used for the reverse link , the base station switches the reverse channel to a fch channel . next , block 136 examines the historical channel activity using the estimates for fch and dcch made above in steps 120 through 126 , to determine whether there is a preferred channel type indicated by previous calls to or from that particular mobile to determine what channel type to assign . there may be no previous history with this mobile or insufficient data in which case the channel type will be left as previously set in steps 132 and 134 . lastly , block 138 insures that the channel type assigned to the mobile minimizes the rf impact , that is , the total number of bits sent without error per minute . then the process is then continued at block 140 . block 140 determines whether the call is an interconnect ( voice ) call that is requesting a dispatch ( data ) call service . if not , block 140 simply ends the process via the no path . if so , block 140 transfers control to block 142 . block 142 detects that a speaker has pressed the dispatch service button and is granted the permission by the system . block 144 determines whether the link is more forward or reverse interference limited . if the link is more forward link interference limited , block 146 transfers control via the yes path to block 148 . block 148 assigns the forward link a dcch channel and ends the process . if the link was not forward link interference limited block 146 transfers control to block 150 via the no path . block 150 determines whether the link is reverse interference limited . if it is , control is transferred from block 150 to block 152 . block 152 assigns a fch channel to the link and ends the process . if the reverse link is not interference limited , block 150 simply ends the process . historically , is is - 95 cdma systems , these systems were generally forward link limited when loaded with symmetric traffic . in data calls roughly 80 % of the bits are sent over the forward link . this would tend to force systems to be forward link limited . as dispatch services become significant system services then it is also possible that cells in the cell system would become reverse link limited if a large number of mobiles were speaking at the same time . with dynamic fch / dcch channel switching as embodied in the present invention , problems of forward and reverse link limitations are minimized while the cdma system provides a relatively high quality of service . although the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated , and that form described in detail , it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the present invention or from the scope of the appended claims .	7
water can flow through the small bore and large bore simultaneously ( fig1 ). the small bore is fixed and always open if the on / off valve ( not shown ) is on . the sliders proximately to the fixed , small bore form the large bore . this nozzle , like all smooth bores operates best at nozzle inlet pressure between 50 and 70 - psi . i have selected 60 psi as the optimum inlet pressure for this nozzle . therefore , the upstream profile ( area in inches ) of the slider times 60 psi equals the force of the pre - loaded spring acting upon the slider in a direction opposite the flow of water . the spring &# 39 ; s left end is fixed , while its right end is allowed to move . this movement pushes against the pegs , which are positioned through slotted holes of the nozzle body and anchored into the slider . further , the pegs ride in a spiral groove of the bell id . when the bell is rotated counterclockwise ( looking at the outlet end of the nozzle ), the slider will move to the left and increase the area of water discharge . when the bell is rotated clockwise , the slider moves to the right and decreases the area of water discharge . this increases and decreases the gpm , respectively . when the pump supplies the appropriate gpm , just the small bore will expel water ( fig2 ). a nozzle inlet pressure of 60 psi will also be achieved . rotating the bell counterclockwise will be progressively more difficult it this situation b a good thing . this movement would increase the area of discharge . if this were done without changing the pump rate , the inlet pressure would drop . the lower pressure would no longer be in equilibrium with the opposite force exerted by the spring . rotation of the bell will be difficult . again , this is good since it will let the firefighter know that there is insufficient water supply to increase the area of discharge . the inadequacy of the supply would negatively impact reach and stream quality if the firefighter continues to increase the exit orifice . as the pump rate is increased , the inlet pressure will begin to rise . this rise in pressure will allow the firefighter to easily rotate the bell counterclockwise and appropriately increase the exit orifice and therefore the gpm , while returning the inlet pressure to the target 60 psi . the clutch is used when the firefighter wants to “ flush ” water - borne debris out of the nozzle . the clutch is ordinarily in the setting depicted in fig2 . the clutch is shaped like the fins of a dart . in the normal setting , the fins are aligned with the direction of flow . these fins create a wall affect in the center of the flow , which matches the wall affect of the id of the small bore . the result is a column of water with more evenly matched velocity across the water column section . this uniformity of velocity improves the stream quality , as the expelled water tends to stay together and fragment less . when the firefighter turns the control knob ( not shown ) of the clutch 90 degrees , the fins are perpendicular to the flow . this blocks off the inlet to the small bore therefore minimizing the area of discharge . the decrease in exit orifice causes the inlet pressure to surge higher . this will allow the firefighter to easily turn the bell counterclockwise and allow the large bore to “ flush ” ( the small bore is in continuous flush via its fixed design . once finished , the firefighter returns the clutch to its normal position . the nozzle inlet pressure will now be lower than the target 60 psi and the firefighter can easily turn the bell clockwise , shutting off the large bore . when more flow is desired , the firefighter communicates this desire to the pump operator . the increase in pump rate will increase the nozzle inlet pressure . the firefighter will then be able to easily rotate the bell counterclockwise to increase the gpm and return the nozzle inlet pressure to the target of 60 psi . the following description and drawings cover a smooth bore only nozzle . specifically , a smooth bore that automatically maintains desired nozzle inlet pressure as well as a means to increase / decrease gpm ( when desired ) without stopping and changing tips . water can flow through the small bore and large bore simultaneously ( fig3 ). the small bore is fixed and always open if the on / off valve ( not shown ) is on . the sliders proximately to the fixed , small bore form the large bore . this nozzle , like all smooth bores operates best at nozzle inlet pressure between 50 and 70 - psi . i have selected 60 psi as the optimum inlet pressure for this nozzle . therefore , the upstream profile ( area in inches ) of the slider times 60 psi equals the force of the pre - loaded spring acting upon the slider in a direction opposite the flow of water . the spring = s left end is fixed , while its right end is allowed to move . this movement pushes against the pegs , which are positioned through slotted holes of the nozzle body and anchored into the slider . the bell has been removed . now the slider can automatically respond to changes to pump rate . the response will come in the form of immediate equilibration and maintenance of the target nozzle inlet pressure of 60 psi . when the pump supplies the appropriate gpm , just the small bore will expel water ( fig4 ). a nozzle inlet pressure of 60 psi will also be achieved . an increase in pump rate will cause the slider to move to the left . this movement will increase the exit orifice thereby maintaining nozzle inlet pressure at 60 psi . if the pump rate decreases , the slider will automatically move to the right , decrease exit orifice and maintain target nozzle inlet pressure . operation of the clutch remains consistent with the selectable smooth bore design . the following are design ( s ) for an improved smooth bore fire nozzle that are useful for decreasing / increasing the gpm of the nozzle without altering the nozzle inlet pressure ( fig5 ). this constant pressure will minimize the change in nozzle reaction ( force required to hold back the nozzle ) vs . fixed exit area smooth bore nozzles when the gpm is varied . furthermore , stream quality and reach will not be impacted as the gpm is varied . as depicted in fig5 , component 1 is a springy , non - rusting material such as stainless spring steel . it is tapered and has numerous , triangular sections cut horizontally from the left end . component 2 is an elastic , water impervious material such as rubber and is also tapered . its taper ideally matches that of 1 , though this is not necessary . component 3 is a rigid , non - rusting member suitably adapted on its right end ( inlet end ) for connection ( usually threaded ; not shown ) to a hose ( water supply ). the outlet end of 3 is tapered to match and mate with 1 & amp ; 2 . component 1 is slipped over 2 and together they are riveted ( or some other water - tight means of attachment ) to 3 . this then forms the throttle assembly . the assembled components are shown in fig5 a . in this embodiment the nozzle will operate as an automatic smooth bore . the left end ( outlet ) of the assembly remains able to expand / constrict due to the ability of component 1 to increase / decrease its outlet diameter and the elasticity of component 2 . for example , given a target nozzle inlet pressure of 60 psi , this nozzle will automatically expand / constrict its exit orifice area and equilibrates at this nozzle inlet pressure . an increase in gpm will cause the outlet to expand while a decrease in gpm will cause the outlet to constrict b both movements continuing until equilibrium is reached with a nozzle inlet pressure equal to 60 psi . this is achieved by matching the closing force of the assembly ( additive forces of component 1 &# 39 ; s stainless spring steel plus the elasticity of component 2 ) with the opposing force caused by the nozzle inlet pressure , which has a tendency to increase the area of the exit orifice . once this equilibrium is achieved the throttle is “ matched ”. the force required for the outlet end to expand can be modified by many means , such as the wall thickness of components 1 and 2 and the individual properties of the selected materials . this will facilitate the matching process . this smooth bore embodiment automatically maintains the desired nozzle inlet pressure as well as provides a manual means to increase / decrease gpm ( when desired ) without stopping and changing tips . the throttle assembly can be bounded by a rotating outer body ( bell ; shown in fig6 and 7 ). this embodiment will cause the nozzle to operate as a selectable smooth bore . this will allow the nozzle operator to adjust the gpm of the nozzle within the limits of the available water supply . in fig6 , the throttle assembly &# 39 ; s discharge end ( left end ) is in its most open position . the exit orifice area is the greatest in this position . the supply water pressure exerts force along the assembly &# 39 ; s id . this force spreads the discharge end of the assembly against the id of the bell , which limits the expansion of the throttle assembly . the bell is in its most forward position . if the throttle is “ matched ” then the throttle assembly will only expand if a nozzle inlet pressure is in excess of 60 psi . if the available water supply generates a nozzle inlet pressure less than 60 psi , the throttle assembly will not expand though the bell is rotated forward . this prohibits the firefighter from adversely impacting the reach and stream quality , if the bell is left full open when there is an insufficient water supply . with a sufficient water supply , a nozzle inlet pressure of 60 psi will be maintained . if the nozzle is purposefully not “ matched ” the firefighter will be able to increase the exit orifice and therefore the gpm whether or not the water supply can maintain a nozzle inlet pressure of 60 psi in the full open position . this is strictly a matter of preference for one type over another . both types are possible with this one design . in fig7 the bell has been rotated to its most aft position . the contoured id of the bell forces the throttle to its most closed position . this minimized the area of the exit orifice . the flight of threads which mate the bell with the nozzle body are sufficiently fine to allow easy bell rotation yet sufficiently coarse to allow for quick bell movement . this selectable smooth bore allows firefighters to manually maintain desired nozzle inlet pressure as well as a means to increase / decrease gpm ( when desired ) without stopping and changing tips . fig8 depicts a smooth bore nozzle that maintains a constant operating pressure despite an increase in gpm from the water supply ( pump ). component 1 is an elastic , water impervious material such as rubber . component 2 is a rigid , springy , non - rusting material such as stainless spring steel . component 3 is a rigid , non - rusting member suitably adapted for connection ( usually threaded ) to a hose ( water source ). components 2 and 3 are rigidly connected by a means such as welding to each other . they are then inserted into 1 . a band is added to create a water - tight seal between 1 and the body of 3 . this assembly is the automatic smooth bore . the right end ( larger diameter ) is the inlet . the left end ( outlet ) of the assembly remains able to expand due to the elasticity of component 1 and the ability of component 2 to uncoil . the force required for the outlet end to expand can be modified by many means , such as the wall thickness of components 1 and 2 and the individual properties of the selected materials . the assembled components of fig8 are shown in fig8 a . for the following example , the force required for the expansion of the outlet end will be a force equal to 60 psi at the inlet end of this nozzle . this inlet pressure is customary for smooth bore nozzles and will produce a solid , straight stream of sufficient reach . a pump at the other end of the hose will supply the water at variable gpm . the gpm of the pump is slowly raised until an inlet nozzle pressure of 60 psi is reached . this is the minimum operating gpm for the nozzle . from this point the pump will once again increase the gpm supply . this will cause the discharge end of the nozzle to expand , allow more gpm to be expelled and maintain the 60 psi nozzle inlet pressure equilibrium . by maintaining this operating pressure despite the increase in gpm , the nozzle reaction ( force required to hold back the nozzle ) is minimized compared to fixed discharge orifice smooth bore nozzles . also the reach and stream quality remain unchanged . in a separate embodiment , a metering valve invention is described . the text pertaining to the metering valve corresponds to illustrations provided fig9 - 15 . a prior art design has water flowing through the interior of a sliding tube and then around a rigidly mounted , solid sealing surface down the middle of the waterway . this means that water first starts down the center of the waterway and then is moved to the perimeter of the waterway . the present embodiment of the invention operates just the opposite . water starts its journey by moving around a rigidly mounted body in the center of the waterway and then is allowed to flow down the center of the waterway . this allows this valve to be used with smooth bore nozzles and still get a good stream quality . smooth bore nozzles are very susceptible to poor flow quality due to obstructions in the middle of the waterway . by leaving the water in the center of the waterway , once past the valve , one embodiment of the current invention produces acceptable stream quality with smooth bores . in comparison , a prior art design leaves an object in the middle of the waterway once the valve is past and therefore upsets the stream quality more for smooth bores . automatic nozzles have a spring loaded baffle at the exit end of the nozzle . this baffle is spring - biased to keep the exit orifice minimized . the baffle moves outward in reaction to increase in upstream pressure , thereby increasing the area of the exit orifice and allowing more water to be expelled thus maintaining near constant pressure upstream . this device in cooperation with the slider valve allows the nozzle operator to control the gpm rate . the operator opens up the valve to allow the desired rate of flow to pass . the baffle opens in response to this volume / pressure relationship to maintain pressure and therefore stream quality . automatic nozzles , unlike smooth bores are not affected by components in the center of the waterway such as the baffle . one embodiment of the metering valve invention can be used on selectable and fixed nozzles . selectable gpm nozzles rely on a separate manual control for increasing / decreasing exit orifice area to regulate the flow and a separate ball valve to turn on / off the nozzle . the fixed nozzle has just one exit orifice area so gpm will be determined by supply pressure only . if these style tips were connected to the metering valve , they would achieve easier flow regulation ( flow regulation performed by the nozzle operator with just one control , the handle of the valve , and not the separate control ring of the selectable types or the pumper operator in the case of the fixed type ). referring now to fig9 - 15 , the following numbers refer to reference numerals shown on the figures : 1 . this is the shoulder of the plunger body where mechanical linkage ( not shown ) is affixed . this linkage is connected to the manual handle operation in a way identical to that of the handle operation of the “ twin tip ”. moving the handle forward moves the plunger body forward . this direction of travel will decrease the amount of flow and the opposite direction of travel increases the gpm . 2 . this creates the seal against the sealing surface ( 4 ). 3 . the nose cone washer minimizes the turbulence of the flowing water as it returns to the center of the waterway . the distance between it and sealing surface ( 4 ), in cooperation with the available water pressure defines the gpm rate . 5 . receiver for the plunger body which is rigidly mounted to the id of the main body ( 12 ). by being rigidly mounted it prohibits movement that would otherwise be caused by the rushing water in the flow condition . the upstream surface of the receiver is streamline to avoid turbulence and direct water around itself and the plunger body . 6 . plunger body moves in and out of ( 5 ). the shoulder ( 1 ) of this body is purposely raised . this raised section allows the water pressure to push tight against the seal and prohibit leaks in the no - flow condition . the plunger body has one or two ( two are shown ) o - rings to create a watertight seal between itself and ( 5 ). this is necessary in the off position . 7 . female threads which connect to the hose ( shown as part of a free swivel for convenience of assembly ). 8 . male treads to connect to the nozzle tip ( smooth bore , automatic , selectable or fixed ). 9 . bolt to hold ( 3 ), ( 2 ) and ( 6 ) firmly together . this bolt has a hole ( 10 ) right down the middle of it . 10 . hole down the middle ( 9 ), ( 3 ), ( 2 ), and ( 6 ). this hole is necessary to avoid a vacuum from being created between ( 5 ) and ( 6 ) when moving from the open position to the closed position . 11 . this raised shoulder of ( 6 ) is made streamline so as not to be pushed closed by the moving water in the flowing water condition . in the full open position , where gpm and therefore frictional force of rushing water is greatest , the shoulder imbeds into ( 5 ) so as to reduce its upstream profile which of course reduces force of water friction . further resistance to closing is created by the ball detents &# 39 ; friction of the manual handle ( not shown ) and the upstream surface of the receiver ( 5 ) which directs water around itself and the plunger body .	0
in the following , the embodiments and applications of the invention as provided in the description and representations in the drawings serve to explain the invention in greater detail purely in exemplary terms , that is to say it is not limited to these embodiments and applications or to the respective combinations of features in individual examples of embodiments and applications . method and device features may be derived similarly from the respective descriptions of the device and method . individual features that are described and / or illustrated in the context of specific embodiments are not limited to these embodiments or the combination of such with other features of these embodiments , they may rather be combined with features and variants of other embodiments and with any other variants within the limits of the technically possible , even if such are not dealt with explicitly in the present documents . the same or similar components , or components having similar function are designated with the same reference numbers in the various figures of the drawing . device and method features are also evident from the respective pictorial and textual representations of methods and devices . fig1 and 2 are respectively diagrammatical representations of a cross - section through a first embodiment and a detail of a second embodiment of a thermal analysis system 1 . these thermal analysis systems 1 each have the form of dynamic differential scanning calorimeters . a cross - section through a first embodiment of a thermal analysis system 1 with implementation of peltier - based differential scanning calorimetry sensing equipment is illustrated diagrammatically in fig1 . in a measuring chamber 2 , a sample crucible 3 is arranged on a sample side 4 and a reference crucible 5 is arranged on a reference side 6 . a thermoelectric generator to capture the temperature and / or a peltier system to adjust the temperature 7 , 8 is fitted in the bottoms of both sample crucible 3 and reference crucible 5 . the thermoelectric generator to capture the temperature and / or the peltier system to adjust the temperature 7 , 8 each serve as sensor devices for dynamic differential scanning calorimetry . electrical supply means 9 , 10 for peltier systems 7 , 8 are also represented symbolically . measuring chamber 2 is heated using controllable heating devices that are generally known for the technical area in question , so that a desired or required temperature progression is guaranteed within measuring chamber 2 . the combinations of sample crucible 3 with associated peltier system 7 and reference crucible 5 with associated peltier system 8 are located on a cooling block 11 . fig2 is a diagrammatic representation of a cross - section through a detail of a second embodiment of a thermal analysis system 1 . compared with the illustration of fig1 , this shows an enlarged representation of the combination of one of the crucibles ( sample crucible 3 and reference crucible 5 are identical ) with a peltier system 7 or 8 . as is also shown clearly in the illustration of the first embodiment according to fig1 , thermal analysis system 1 is constructed symmetrically in terms of the sample and reference sides 4 and 6 . peltier system 7 or 8 ( both peltier systems 7 and 8 are identical ) contains a plurality of p - doped and n - doped sige semiconductor cubes or blocks 14 or 15 alternatingly between two aluminium oxide layers 12 and 13 . other alternative materials are : tellurium , lead , bismuth , alloys thereof and / or composite therewith . a construction made from or with skutterudite systems is also possible . the p - and n - doped sige semiconductor cubes 14 or 15 are connected to each other alternatingly at the top and bottom by metal bridges , in the present embodiment by gold contacts 16 . preferably , metal bridges or gold contacts 16 form the thermal contact surfaces and at the same time are insulated by a foil or ceramic plate ( not shown ) placed over them . two different cubes are always connected to one another so as to form a series connection . an applied electrical current flows through all cubes 14 and 15 one after the other . the upper connection points for example cool down in accordance with the strength and direction of the current , while the lower connection points heat up . the current thus pumps heat from one side to the other and creates a temperature differential between the plates . one very common form of peltier elements or systems 7 , 8 is made up of two mostly cuboid plates 12 , 13 of aluminium oxide - ceramic having an edge length of 20 mm to 90 mm and a separation of 3 mm to 5 mm , with the semiconductor cubes 14 and 15 soldered between them . the ceramic surfaces are provided with metal surfaces ( not shown ) that are capable of being soldered on their facing sides for this purpose . the electrical supply wires or supply means 9 ( or 10 ) and the exemplary polarity of the corresponding electrical connection 17 are also shown again . as a variation , it may also be provided to integrate a standard temperature sensor ( not shown ) on each side ( sample side 4 and reference side 6 ), although this then only serves to measure the temperature , not the temperature differential , and requires two more wires on each sensor surface . the peltier elements or systems are also used to precisely measure or determine the temperature differences between the sample and the reference ( or more precisely sample crucible 3 and reference crucible 5 ) as accurately as possible . in the case of a hybrid sensor , the peltier systems are not used to measure temperatures , the supply wires provided according to the operating mode described in the preceding are used to provide electrical coupling in such manner that there is no temperature difference between the sample and the reference ( or more precisely sample crucible 3 and reference crucible 5 ), and the power - compensated dynamic differential calorimetry is performed with the necessary electrical power .	6
referring to the figures , various embodiments of an exemplary suspended tower system , and components thereof , are shown . a suspended tower system according to principles of the invention permits mass transfer or chemical reactions between liquid and gases within a portable system that can be transported , set up permanently or temporarily , and operated in a variety of locations , conditions , and environments . the embodiments disclosed herein are meant for illustration and not limitation of the system . an ordinary practitioner will understand that it is possible to create other variations of the following embodiments without undue experimentation . referring to fig1 and 2 , the system generally comprises a top head 10 and a bottom head 12 connected by a soft shell 15 containing a suspended packing bundle 16 , wherein the entire system is suspended by a means for suspension 11 located on the top head 10 . in various embodiments described below , the system can further comprise upper tension hubs 17 , lower tension hubs 20 , internal suspension lines 18 , and external suspension lines 19 . collectively , the top head 10 , bottom head 12 , the suspended packing 16 and shell 15 connect to form a suspended tower , as described below . referring to fig3 - 8 , the top head 10 and bottom head 12 are an integral part of the mechanical support of the tower . they provide structural support for the shell 15 , suspended packing 16 , upper tension hubs 17 , lower tension hubs 20 , internal suspension lines 18 , and external suspension lines 19 and miscellaneous tower components . the top head 10 supports the weight of the entire system , which is suspended from the suspension means 11 . the bottom head 12 can be anchored via anchoring means 13 to the floor , external structures or a ballast to provide added stability to the entire tower . the top head 10 has two main functions , which are first to provide a structure from which to suspend the tower , and second , to provide a place for the installation of internal tower components and provide connectivity to miscellaneous ancillary process equipment . referring to fig3 - 5 , the top head 10 is a rigid portion of the tower and is constructed of metal , plastic , composites , other rigid materials or a combination thereof . the top head 10 incorporates a means for suspension 11 , such as lugs , hooks , clasps , anchors , or the like . the top head 10 has one or more suspension means 11 to apply the tension necessary to lift and suspend the entire tower system . the top head 10 can further comprise lateral lugs 23 that can be spaced laterally for bracing the top head 10 , thereby reducing lateral or twisting movement . the top head 10 is laterally braced by attaching the lateral lugs 23 using lateral braces ( not shown ), such as rods or cables to a structure . the top head 10 provides a location 44 for the installation internal tower components such as liquid distribution , liquid distributors trays , mist eliminators , packing bed limiters , instrumentation and the like . the top head 10 also affords the installation of process nozzles 31 for the installation of internal tower components or to provide connectivity to ancillary process equipment 206 . the remaining design of the top head 10 will vary depending of the demands of the process for which the system is designed . the bottom head 12 has two main functions , which are first to provide a structure to anchor the suspended tower and second , to provide a place for the installation of internal tower components and provide connectivity to miscellaneous ancillary process equipment . as shown in fig6 - 8 , the bottom head 12 is a rigid portion of the tower constructed of metal , plastic , composites , other rigid materials or a combination thereof . the bottom head 12 has one or more anchoring means 13 to apply the tension necessary to shape the shell 15 or anchor the suspended tower . the bottom head 12 can further comprise lateral lugs 23 that can be spaced laterally for bracing the bottom head 12 , thereby reducing lateral or twisting movement . the bottom head 12 is laterally braced by attaching the lateral lugs 23 using lateral braces ( not shown ), such as rods or cables to a structure . the anchoring lug 13 or lateral braces 23 can also be attached to ballasts . the bottom head 12 affords a location 44 for the installation of different internal tower components such as the lower tension hub 20 , liquid chute 25 , spray nozzles , gas distributors , packing support trays and the like . the bottom head 12 also affords the installation of process nozzles 31 for the installation of internal tower components or to provide connectivity to ancillary process equipment 206 . the bottom head 12 comprises a receptacle to collect the liquid falling down the tower &# 39 ; s liquid management system . as shown in fig9 , the upper tension hub 17 and lower tension hub 20 fit inside the top head 10 and bottom head 12 , respectively . the tension hubs 17 , 20 are designed to provide a location for retaining and anchoring the suspended packing 16 and internal suspension lines 18 . in one embodiment , the tension hubs 17 , 20 are annular rigid rings having slots 40 capable of mating with tension hub lugs 45 located on the inside surface of the top head 10 and bottom head 12 , respectively . the lugs 45 can be welded or otherwise firmly attached to the interior of the heads 10 , 12 . the tension hubs 17 , 20 are attached by inserting the hub into the respective head , aligning the slots 40 of the tension hubs 17 , 20 with the tension hub lugs 45 , and twisting the tension hubs 17 , 20 such that the lugs 45 are securely and removably seated within the slots 40 . alternatively , the tension hubs 17 , 20 can be bolted or welded in place . several other embodiments of the tension hubs can be used . for example , the tension hubs could comprise bars forming a cross , grids , or racks , as desired . generally , the shell 15 is constructed of pliable or lightweight rigid materials allowing portability and ease of handling . the shell 15 serves the functions of joining the top head 10 and bottom head 12 , containing the process gasses and liquids within the tower system , providing a space for the suspended packing 16 , supporting the packing in certain applications , and providing the flow shape of the tower . referring to fig1 , the shell 15 can be constructed of a combination of pliable materials such as polymer films , fabrics , rubber , membranes or a combination thereof . a single layer or multiple layers of similar or different materials can be used to fabricate the shell 15 . one of the layers is typically of a stretch resistant material used for tensioning and shaping . other layer materials can be applied as lining for the shell 15 to provide chemical , erosion or fire resistance or for sealing purposes . insulating layers can be used as required for the design . multiple layers can be joined together by gluing , stitching , thermal fusing , vulcanizing or any other joining methods or combinations thereof . supporting lines can be embedded within the layers of the shell 15 to provide additional tensile capacity . access ports can be installed directly on the shell 15 to add or remove packing . in one embodiment , the top and bottom of the shell 15 comprise sealing cuffs 21 that snugly fits over the top 10 and bottom 12 heads to prevent process leaks . the shell 15 can be detached from the top head 10 and bottom head 12 as described below . in embodiments where the shell 15 is constructed of pliable materials , when the shell 15 is detached from the heads 10 , 12 and packing 16 , it can be rolled , folded , or otherwise collapsed to promote easier handling and transportation . depending on the size and configuration of the tower system , the collapsed shell 15 and the heads 10 , 12 with the suspended packing 16 can be easily transported to nearly any location . the shell 15 has a means for a removable top attachment 33 , which is any means for removably attaching the top of the shell 15 to the top head 10 or to a connection head 26 as described below . referring to fig1 - 14 , the top attachment means 33 can comprise a variety of attachment methods such as ties , hook - and - loop closures , buttons , hooks , bolts , or any other kind of releasably secured fastener . the heads 10 , 12 comprise a means for shell support 50 , such as hooks , rings , clasps , anchors , or the like . in one embodiment , the support means 50 comprises a ring 51 supported by wedge - shaped gussets 53 attached to the outer surface of the top head 10 or bottom head 12 , where the attachment could be made by a weld , chemical bond or other . the ring 51 is seated over the gussets 53 such that the tension pull created by the shell 15 forces the ring 51 and gussets 53 to support the weight . the gussets 53 are radially spaced about the circumference of the heads 10 , 12 , which allows radial gaps 54 for securement of the attachment means 33 , 34 . in this embodiment , the attachment means 33 , 34 could be straps secured with hook - and - loop closures , hooks , straps , fastener rings , or the like . in another embodiment attachment means 33 , 34 , shown in fig1 a , bolts are used to attach the shell 15 to the heads 10 , 12 without using a ring structure 51 . the shell 15 comprises a means for a removable bottom attachment 34 , which is any means for removably attaching the bottom of the shell 15 to the bottom head 12 or to a connector head 26 as described below . the bottom attachment means 34 can comprise a variety of attachment structures such as ties , hook - and - loop closures , buttons , hooks , bolts , or any kind of releasably secured fastener similar to those used for the top attachment means 33 . fig1 - 17 show several embodiments for the shape of the shell 15 . the shape is maintained by stretching the shell 15 between the top head 10 and bottom head 12 . under normal conditions , the shell 15 is under tension induced by the weight of the bottom head 12 , and the shell 15 conforms to its natural catenary shape . in many embodiments , the weight of the bottom head 12 and its contents can provide the tensile requirements for the system as described above . in another embodiment , the shape of shell 15 can be enhanced by the use of battens 35 installed on the surface of the shell 15 . the battens 35 can be adjusted as desired to alter the shape of the shell 15 for optimum performance of the process within the tower . for example , the battens 35 could be circular rings 36 placed around the exterior of the shell 15 to maintain the uniform circular section . these circular rings 36 can prevent collapse of the shell 15 where the mass transfer system is operated under a partial vacuum . in another embodiment , the battens 35 could be vertical vanes 37 providing lateral stiffness to the shell 15 . in another embodiment , the battens 35 could comprise external suspension lines 19 running through sleeves 39 on the external portion of the shell 15 . as shown in fig1 - 20 , the top of the shell 15 comprises a sealing cuff area 21 forming a seal on the top head 10 . the bottom of the shell 15 comprises a sealing cuff section area 21 forming a seal on the bottom head 12 . the seals are formed by installing sealing bands 24 or other means of restraint on the cuff 21 section . the sealing bands 24 are tightened over the exterior of the top head 10 and bottom head 12 , respectively , to seal in the process fluids . in another embodiment , shown in fig2 , the top attachment means 33 and bottom attachment means 34 can comprise flanges 41 that mate to and foam a seal against a rims or flanges installed on top head 10 and bottom head 12 , respectively . this seal can be formed by tightly bolting or otherwise securing the flanges 41 to the respective flange or rim in the top head 10 and bottom head 12 . this type of seal is conventional in industrial applications . referring to fig2 , in order to form a leak - resistant seal between the shell 15 and the bottom head 12 , the shell 15 comprises a liquid chute 25 , which is an annular , tapered flap - like portion near the bottom of the shell 15 . the chute 25 directs the liquid flow away from the bottom seal created by sealing cuff 21 and the bottom head 12 and channels the liquid into the bottom head 12 . the chute 25 can be inserted into the shell 15 or integral therewith . optionally , a sealing gasket 42 can be placed between the cuffs 21 and the heads 10 , 12 . the sealing gasket 42 is any device or article capable of forming a seal between the upper or lower sealing cuff 21 and the top head 10 or bottom head 12 . for example , the sealing gasket 42 could be an elastomer ring or band , rubber gasket , or the like . the liquid chute can be reinforced with battens 35 or braced to retain the integrity of its shape . as shown in fig2 - 24 , the shell 15 can be increased in length by connecting one or more shells 15 together using the suspension connector heads 26 . the connector heads 26 comprise means for connecting to the shells 15 and provide a place for tower internals and equipment 31 . the bracing of the shell 15 is similar to the top head 10 and bottom head 12 . the connector heads 26 comprise one or more shell support means 50 such as described above in the context of the heads 10 , 12 . in the suspended tower having multiple shell 15 segments , a connector head 26 can be disposed between an upper shell segment 15 a and a lower shell segment 15 b . the upper segment 15 a attaches to a support means 50 on the connector head 26 via the bottom support means 34 on the upper segment 15 a . the lower segment 15 b attaches to a support means 50 on the connector head 26 via the top attachment means 33 on the lower shell segment 15 b . the attachments are made by similar methods and means as those described above in the context of attaching the shell 15 to the heads 10 , 12 . as shown in fig2 , circular seal ridges 27 can be attached to the inside of the shell 15 to provide effective contact between the inner wall of the shell 15 and the suspended packing 16 . the seal ridges 27 are annular or semi - annular flaps protruding towards the interior of the shell . as described below , the suspended packing 16 is supported or suspended inside the shell 15 . the seal ridges 27 provide a means by which the liquid flowing down the inside of the shell 15 can contact the suspended packing 16 and gas rising inside the shell 15 . effective contact is required to enhance liquid - gas interaction and to reduce wall effect disturbances that can reduce the efficiency of the tower . the aforementioned contact also reduces the possibility of liquid channeling down the inside wall of the shell 15 . depending on the particular application of the tower system , the shell 15 , tension hubs 17 , 20 , and support lines 18 , 19 provide redundant load paths to support the dead weight of the tower . in some embodiments of the system , the shell 15 is capable of providing sufficient tensile strength to support the weight of the system without additional tensile support from other members . in other embodiments , internal suspension lines 18 or external suspension lines 19 can share or support the entire tensile load . as shown in fig2 , the internal suspension lines 18 are cables or rigid rods that are used in the interior of the towers , which the exterior suspension lines 19 are disposed on the exterior of the tower . the suspension lines 18 are attached to the tension hubs 17 , 20 in the top head 10 and bottom head 12 , respectively . the external suspension lines 19 are attached to 50 or other bracing points on the top head . the suspension lines 18 , 19 can be used to provide lateral stiffness and tensile strength to the tower . the packing is suspended from the top head 10 via the upper tension hub , from the shell 15 , or a combination of the thereof . the suspended packing 16 is used to provide a space for the intimate contact between the liquid and gas for process requirements . the suspended packing 16 in the interior of the tower can be installed by several methods . in one embodiment , the upper tension hub 17 comprises suspension bars 47 that serve as hangers for lines 18 supporting the suspended packing 16 . the lines 18 could be cables , ropes , strings , straps , or any like material that can resist the tension and the chemicals in the system . as shown in fig2 , individual lines 18 can be threaded through the packing 16 material , which are suspended and anchored using the tension hubs 17 , 20 . the suspended packing 16 can be comprised of random or structured packing . in one embodiment , a packing bundle or cartridge is made by enclosing random packing in a membrane and suspended using lines 18 . in other embodiments , structured packing can be aligned using suspension lines 18 and using a retainer base near the bottom of the tower system . fig2 a shows an embodiment where packing can be dumped inside the shell 15 which is fitted with a reticulated support 38 . in this case , the shell 15 supports the packing in a bag like fashion . otherwise , the tower can be operated as a spray tower with the internals supported on the shell or from the top head . fig2 - 30 show a typical method of installing the system . the method comprises the steps of attaching the suspended packing to the top head 110 , raising the top head and packing bundle 115 , preparing the shell for attachment to the top head 120 , connecting the top head to the shell 125 , preparing the bottom head for installation 130 , installing the bottom head 135 , securing the suspended tower 140 , and connecting the external equipment to the suspended tower 145 . in the step of attaching the suspended packing to the top head 110 , the top head 10 is laid on its side while the packing bundle 16 is attached . the upper tension hub 17 is inserted into the top head 10 and twist - locked , bolted , or otherwise secured into place . as described above , the packing bundle 16 and suspension lines 18 , 19 can be attached to the top head 10 as required for the particular application . in the step of raising the top head and suspended packing 115 , a suspension device 100 is attached to the suspension means 11 , and the top head 10 and packing bundle 16 are lifted off of the ground surface to a height sufficient to provide the necessary ground clearance for preparing the shell 15 for attachment to the top head 10 . in the step of preparing the shell for attachment to the top head 120 , the shell 15 is placed below and aligned with the elevated top head 10 and suspended packing 16 . the top attachment means 33 is prepared for attachment to the top head 10 , and the shell 15 is prepped for receiving any battens 35 or external suspension lines 19 , as the situation requires . in the step of connecting the top head to the shell 125 , the suspended packing 16 and top head 10 are lowered into the shell 15 . the top attachment means 33 is secured to the support means 50 on the top head 10 such that the shell 15 is securely and removably attached to the top head 10 . all fasteners are secured and all sealing bands 24 are tightened . in the step of preparing the bottom head for installation 130 , the top head 10 , suspended packing bundle 16 , and shell 15 are lifted to provide adequate ground clearance to prepare the bottom head 12 for installation . the bottom head 12 is position below the shell 15 such that the shell 15 will align with the bottom head 12 when the shell 15 is lowered . in the step of installing the bottom head 135 , the top head 10 , suspended packing 16 , and shell 15 are lowered to connect with the bottom head 12 . the bottom tension hub 20 is inserted into the bottom head 12 and twist - locked , bolted , or otherwise secured into place . the bottom attachment means 34 is connected to the support means 50 on the bottom head 12 such that the shell 15 is securely and removably attached to the bottom head 12 . all fasteners are secured and all sealing bands 24 are tightened . as described above , the packing bundle 16 and suspension lines 17 , 18 , can be attached to the bottom head 12 as required for the particular application . as another optional embodiment in step 135 , any suspension lines can be tensioned or stretched . once the suspension lines have been tensioned , the bottom attachment 34 of shell 15 can be attached to bottom head 12 support means 50 and sealing bands 24 tightened . in the step of securing the suspended tower 140 , the top head 10 , suspended packing bundle 16 , shell 15 , and bottom head 12 are lifted so that the entire tower system is elevated above the floor or ground . optionally , one or more anchor lines 49 can be attached to the anchor means 13 on the bottom head 12 , and lateral bracing lines ( not shown ) are attached to the lateral lugs 23 as desired . in the step of connecting the external ancillary process equipment to the suspended tower 145 , the external equipment is connected to the suspended tower system by any manner conventional in the industry . fig3 shows that the tower installation configuration will vary depending on the service required . the external ancillary process equipment may include any combination of circulation pumps 201 , circulation tanks 202 , fans 208 , dosing pumps 204 , scrubbing chemical tanks 205 , and a plurality of conventional hoses , lines , ducts and conduits 206 . the foregoing embodiments are merely representative of the suspended , mass transfer system and not meant for limitation of the invention . for example , one having ordinary skill in the art would understand that many components described herein can be customized for specific applications by an ordinary practitioner . several components of the suspended tower may be altered depending on the chemical process being deployed . consequently , it is understood that equivalents and substitutions for certain elements and components set forth above are part of the invention , and therefore the true scope and definition of the invention is to be as set forth in the following claims .	1
the following description of the preferred embodiment ( s ) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention , its application , or uses . laser - based accelerators currently produce electron beams that are well collimated ( less than 1 - degree divergence angle ) with nanocoulombs of charge , with sub - picosecond pulse durations and at repetition rates of 10 hz . they are based on the generation of high amplitude plasma waves by high - power lasers , by one of several mechanisms , such as the self - modulated laser wakefield acceleration mechanism , the resonantly driven wakefield mechanism ( see umstadter u . s . pat . no . 5 , 637 , 966 ), and the beatwave accelerator mechanism . one important attribute of these optically - driven accelerators as compared to their more conventional radio - frequency based counterparts is that the accelerating gradient ( 1 gev / cm ) is four orders of magnitude greater . thus electron energies of 100 - million electron volts ( mev ) can be achieved in a distance of only 1 mm , as compared with 10 meters . one aspect of their beam quality , the transverse emittance , is found to be comparable , or even lower , than that from a conventional accelerator . however , their longitudinal emittance , or energy spread , is large , almost 100 %. such a large energy spread is reducable by use of magnetic filters or injection methods , such as optical injection ( see umstadter &# 39 ; 876 ) or the use of sharp density gradients . recent experiments have shown experimentally that thomson scattering by such a co - propagating electron beam produces a collimated beam of high - order harmonics , also in the direction of the laser light . thomson scattering from counter - propagating relativistic electron beams ( see fig1 and 2 ) also results in a doppler shift , which can further up shift the energy of the scattered light well into the x - ray region of the spectrum . for example , electrons with only 100 - mev energy can boost a 1 - ev energy photon to 50 kev . this leads here to an all - optically driven “ table - top ” hard x - ray source , which is of interest not only as a probe with atomic - scale spatial resolution , but also as a medical diagnostic because of the large penetration of such energetic light through matter . the basic physical mechanism of the invention is as shown in fig1 . fig2 , a schematic in greater detail , shows that laser light from a high power laser system 1 enters a vacuum chamber 13 through a glass window 14 . beam splitter 2 divides the beam into two beams . one goes to pulse compressor 12 and the other to delay stage 6 and then on to pulse compressor 7 . the pulse compressors are used to adjust the pulse durations of the two laser beams . both beams are then focused to high laser intensities by off - axis parabolic mirrors 9 and 8 . one beam ( the pump beam ) is focused into a high - pressure gas jet 10 such that a laser wakefield plasma wave is driven to high amplitude , which then accelerates an electron beam to megavolt ( mev ) energy . the electron beam is focused to a point that overlaps spatially and temporally with the counterpropagating laser beam focused by off - axis parabolic mirror 8 . thomson scattering , which occurs when the electron beam overlaps with the other high - intensity laser beam ( the scattering beam ), creates a collimated x - ray beam , which propagates in the same direction to the electron beam . if the electron beam is monoenergetic , then a narrow band x - ray spectrum can be produced . a small hole in off - axis parabolic mirror 8 allows the x - ray beam to pass through the mirror 8 to the exit port 16 , leading to the applications chamber . by translating the position of the scanning stage 17 , and thus mirror 15 and off - axis parabolic mirror 8 , the laser focus can be made to spatially aligned to the electron beam . temporal overlap between the laser beam and the electron beam is assured by translating delay line 6 . in the case where electron energy is reduced , coherent radiation with significant amplification over the incoherent signal is generated by means of collective bunching of the electrons . this is commonly referred to as the free - electron lasing mechanism . an important feature of the present invention is a method to produce a coherent beam of short - wavelength radiation through the fel mechanism with lasers acting as both the driver for the accelerator as well as the wiggler or undulator . there exist other means to generate x - rays , such as with synchrotrons and conventional free - electron lasers ( fel ). they rely on conventional ( radio - frequency ) accelerators to generate an electron beam , but because of their low field gradients ( 0 . 1 mev / cm ), they are usually quite large ( tens to hundreds of meters in length ). long sets of magnets ( tens of meters ) are required to wiggle the electrons . laser - thomson sources , by contrast , accelerate electrons in mm distances and the electrons are wiggled in a mm long interaction region by the magnetic field of the laser pulse . the preferred all - optical laser - driven source provides better temporal resolution ( femtoseconds instead of tens of picoseconds ). this is preferred over a short - pulse x - ray fel based on radio - frequency accelerators and magnetostatic wigglers , because in each case this will require a 50 - gev energy electron beam conventionally accelerated in a 3 - km long tunnel to be passed through a 50 - m long set of wiggler magnets . fels do have the advantage over thomson sources in that the electrons become tightly bunched , improving coherence and x - ray power . because of their small footprint , laser - driven thomson sources and those enhanced by fel interactions will be much more affordable ( less than $ 1 million ), thus permitting their operation at university , industrial and hospital labs . the all - optical laser - driven source has a sub - millimeter length accelerator and wiggler . the reason that an accelerator and wiggler based on lasers can be so much shorter than one based on a radio - frequency accelerator and a magnetostatic wiggler is that the electromagnetic wiggler wavelength is micron instead of centimeter , and consequently , the energy of the accelerator only needs to be mev instead of gev to doppler shift the scattered radiation to a given short wavelength . also , the length of a laser accelerator is four orders of magnitude shorter to achieve a given energy compared to a radio - frequency accelerator . the present invention &# 39 ; s simulations and calculations show that significant gain , on the order of 400 times , is achieved by the fel mechanism at the important wavelength of 13 - nm euv radiation for lithography if the energy spread of the accelerator is reduced to an easily achievable value of a few percent . in the limit of zero emittance , the gain is 10 6 . the energy spread is reduced by one of several methods : phased injection of electrons into the plasma wave or magnetic filtering . the former can be accomplished by means of either optical injection or by a plasma density discontinuity . one feature of the present invention is a method to achieve a plasma density discontinuity by driving a shock in the gas jet , either with the collision of flows from two different jets or one jet and a physical stop to disrupt the flow . free - electron laser gain results when one of these methods to reduce the electron energy spread were used in the scattering geometry shown in fig2 . at the very least , the electron flux increases by one of these methods of injection . in a further feature , electron energy spread reduction is achieved by means of magnetic filtering . several methods to reduce the energy spread by means of magnetic filtering and focusing are also described herein . in all cases , the electron beam is dispersed in energy by a dipole magnetic field and focused . if the scattering laser beam is focused to overlap with the electron focus , but the electrons are dispersed spatially at their focus , then the laser beam interacts with only a narrow range of electron energies at any particular focal position . if the position of the laser focus is scanned along the dispersion direction , then the energy of the scattered x - rays is varied , making this a tunable source . for instance , in one embodiment of the invention , a sector electro magnet is used to both disperse and focus the electrons , as shown in fig3 . laser light from a high power laser system 1 enters a vacuum chamber 13 through a glass window 14 . beam splitter 2 divides the beam into two beams . one goes to pulse compressor 12 and the other to delay stage 6 and then on to pulse compressor 7 . the pulse compressors are used to adjust the pulse durations of the two laser beams . both beams are then focused to high laser intensities by off - axis parabolic mirrors 9 and 8 . one beam ( the pump beam ) is focused into a high - pressure gas jet 10 such that a laser wakefield plasma wave is driven to high amplitude , which then accelerates an electron beam to megavolt ( mev ) energy . the electron beam is energy dispersed by sector magnet 41 and focused to a point that overlaps spatially and temporally with the counterpropagating laser beam focused by off - axis parabolic mirror 8 . thomson scattering and those enhanced by fel interactions , which occurs when the monoenergetic electron beam overlaps with the other high - intensity laser beam ( the scattering beam ), creates a collimated , coherent and monoenergetic x - ray beam , which propagates in the opposite direction to the laser beam . a small hole in off - axis parabolic mirror 8 allows the x - ray beam to pass through the mirror 8 to the exit port 16 , leading to the applications chamber . by translating the position of the scanning stage 17 , and thus mirror 15 and off - axis parabolic mirror 8 , the laser focus can be made to spatially overlap with different regions of the electron beam , which contain different energy components , thereby tuning the scattered x - ray energy . temporal overlap between the laser beam and the electron beam is assured by translating delay line 6 . while this has the advantage of simplicity , it unfortunately suffers from the fact that it provides focusing in only one dimension . because there is no vertical focusing , the number of electrons that reach the interaction region will not be as high as it would be in the case of focusing in both dimensions . thus , a further improvement is to add a quadrupole magnet 18 to focus the beam in the one dimension that the sector magnet does not , as shown in fig3 . alternatively , three quadrupole magnets , instead of a single magnet , are arranged to follow a sector magnet to focus the beam . a further alternative arrangement is shown in fig4 , where the beam is focused and dispersed by means of three quadrupole electromagnets followed by a dipole electro - magnet . the electron beam source is then imaged in both dimensions to the scattering laser beam &# 39 ; s focal point . laser light from a high power laser system 1 enters a vacuum chamber 13 through a glass window 14 . beam splitter 2 divides the beam into two beams . one goes to pulse compressor 12 and the other to delay stage 6 and then on to pulse compressor 7 . the pulse compressors are used to adjust the pulse durations of the two laser beams . both beams are then focused to high laser intensities by off - axis parabolic mirrors 9 and 8 . one beam ( the pump beam ) is focused into a high - pressure gas jet 10 such that a laser wakefield plasma wave is driven to high amplitude , which then accelerates an electron beam to megavolt ( mev ) energy . the electron beam is energy dispersed and focused — by a combination of magnets ( a qqqd configuration ), three quadrupole magnets 18 , 19 , 20 and a dipole magnet 51 — to a point that overlaps spatially and temporally with the counterpropagating laser beam focused by off - axis parabolic mirror 8 . thomson scattering and those enhanced by fel interactions , which occurs when the monoenergetic electron beam overlaps with the other high - intensity laser beam ( the scattering beam ), creates a collimated , coherent and monoenergetic x - ray beam , which propagates in the opposite direction to the laser beam . a small hole in off - axis parabolic mirror 8 allows the x - ray beam to pass through the mirror 8 to the exit port 16 , leading to the applications chamber . by translating the position of the scanning stage 17 , and thus mirror 15 and off - axis parabolic mirror 8 , the laser focus can be made to spatially overlap with different regions of the electron beam , which contain different energy components , thereby tuning the scattered x - ray energy . temporal overlap between the laser beam and the electron beam is assured by translating delay line 6 . a different exemplary magnetic configuration ( dqdqq ) ( 41 , 18 , 61 , 19 , 20 ) for reducing the energy spread of , and imaging , the electrons is known as u . s . pat . no . 5 , 198 , 674 ( underwood ) and is shown in fig5 . with any of the chromatic magnetic filtering systems described above , electrons with slightly different energy ranges are focused to slightly different spatial locations . they are undulated separately and simultaneously , during the same duty cycle of the laser , to generate electromagnetic radiation with different wavelengths . this is a convenient feature when several different wavelengths are used for different applications simultaneously or for the same application ; for instance , for improved contrast imaging when one wavelength is above and one is below an atomic absorption edge . in all cases , the angle of incidence of the scattering laser beam is able to be varied with respect to the direction of propagation of the electron beam , providing another independent parameter with which to meet the phase matching requirements . in yet another aspect , the present invention provides an oscillator - amplifier configuration and a method to increase the absolute amplified power and coherence of the x - ray beam , which is an optical analogue to a travelling wave tube with distributed gain . here , the same principles discussed above are used to create amplified gain , called the amplifier , but rather than amplify a signal spontaneously from the level of noise , the amplifier is seeded with a signal generated by an “ oscillator .” this injected signal could be either incoherent or coherent radiation that is generated in a gas jet . in the former case , it could be incoherent thomson scattering , and in the latter case , it could be coherent harmonics generated from bound electrons in either gases or clusters interacting with low - intensity laser light ( below the ionization threshold ). for instance , the ninth harmonic of the 800 nm light could easily produce 90 - nm wavelength light , which is of interest for euv lithography . by varying the wavelength of the fundamental frequency of the driver , the wavelength of the harmonic can be varied . injecting seed radiation will increase the final amplified signal as well as the coherence of the light . fig6 , 7 and 8 show schematics of various arrangements for seeding the amplifier . in the schematic of the oscillator - amplifier configuration , shown in fig6 , the components are mostly the same as those shown in fig4 , except that another synchronized laser beam has been added , a harmonics pump laser beam 72 , which is split off with a beam splitter and independently delayed by a delay line in similar fashion to the amplifier pump beam 71 . the optics used to split the beam and delay it , along with those used to do the same for the other two laser beams from fig4 are not shown . this beam is focused to a gas jet 22 by a parabolic mirror 81 with a hole in it , through which the electron beam ( coming from 51 ) passes . the seed pulse of radiation , from the gas jet ( 22 ), seeds the amplifier . the same qqqd configuration of fig4 is used to reduce the energy spread of the electrons , but only the dipole magnet ( 51 ) is shown . fig8 show an oscillator amplifier just like fig6 except that the dqdqq configuration of fig5 is used to filter the electron energy , instead of the dqqq of fig4 . in fig8 , the electron beam leaving the laser magnet of the filtering section , in this case the quadropole 20 , is focused to the undulator region to the right of gas jet 22 , where also the seed radiation and the amplifier pump radiation 73 are focused . fig7 shows an enlarged version of the seed generation and amplifier sections from fig6 . it can be seen that the amplifier pump laser 73 is focused to the undulator region , just to the right of the target , which in this case is a gas jet 22 that provides the medium used to produce the seed radiation . by locating the undulator region close in proximity to the source of the seed radiation , the intensity of the latter is not reduced by divergence that is caused by diffraction . the seed radiation could be produced by harmonic or continuum emission in gases , clusters or plasmas . in still another aspect , the present invention provides multi - amplifier configuration . in a dual amplifier , the output of the first amplifier is amplified again by a second amplifier , as shown in fig9 . the x - ray signal is transported between amplifiers , or between the seed source and the first amplifier , by means of x - ray optics , such as zone plates , curved mirrors or poly - capillary fiber array waveguides . shown in fig9 is the seed stage , comprising the seeding pump laser 72 , producing a seed pulse from gas jet 22 , which is amplified by the electron beam that comes from the left of , and passes through a hole in , parabolic mirror 81 , and is focused to the amplifier region , just to the right of 22 . amplifier pump beam 73 is focused to the same location , amplifying the seed pulse . the amplified radiation pulse then is transported through the hole in parabola 8 to the second amplifier region , at the focus of the second amplifier pump beam 80 , which is focused by parabola 91 . the electron beam that is generated in gas jet 94 by the second stage electron pump laser 95 and filtered by the dqdqq magnets ( 92 , 98 , 93 , 99 , and 97 ) is focused to the same location as pump beam 80 and the radiation from the first amplifier . the radiation amplified by the second amplifier is transported to the right , through the hole in parabola 91 , to the application region . electromagnetic radiation can be generated both at the fundamental wavelength , as described above , as well as the harmonics of the radiation . the harmonics are generated at several different wavelengths , separated by multiples of a fixed amounts , during undulation due to nonlinear interaction . these harmonics produce shorter wavelength radiation for a given electron energy than would the generation of the fundamental alone . the harmonic content increases with the wiggler field strength . this trend does not continue beyond to a certain point for values of the normalized vector potential above a few . this is an alternative means to the doppler shift of generating shorter wavelength radiation . the ideal pump laser systems are high average power ( 10 - 1000 w ) solid - state laser - pumped or diode - pumped lasers . an example of the former would be a frequency doubled yag - pumped ti : sapphire system operating at 1 - 100 hz duty cycle , 30 - 1000 - fs pulse duration , 10 - 100 - tw peak power , 1 - 1000 joules of energy per pulse , and 800 - nanometer wavelength . alternatively , a diode - pumped or alexandrite - pumped amplifier composed of yb : fsa or yb : glass or yb : yag . last , gas lasers , such as co 2 lasers , that produce short pulses by means of optical switching are usable in and system of the invention . in any case , the laser system might be built for less than $ 1 million and fit into a room that is only 25 m 2 . such large gains may allow the invention to be used in conjunction with a high - power laser to achieve sufficient power in the euv spectral region to be suitable for euv lithography . for instance , 40 w at 13 . 5 nm , the current design goal for euv lithography , is reachable with a 1 . 1 kw laser system pumping a laser - driven fel operating with the maximum theoretical conversion efficiency from optical to x - ray radiation , which is the saturation efficiency of the amplifier , 3 . 6 %. to avoid the problems associated with the beam &# 39 ; s coherence for lithography applications , standard techniques to decohere the beam , such as random phase plates , is employed . another advantage of the laser - driven thomson source as compared with current sources based on xenon clusters is that debris is eliminated because the target that generates electron beam is well separated from both the region where the xuv radiation is generated and thus where the expensive xuv optics are located . the electron beam that propagates in the direction of the xuv radiation is able to be deflected with a simple dipole magnet . it should be noted that with current sources based on xenon clusters 40 % of the laser energy goes to energetic ions that are more difficult to deflect and can contaminate the expensive x - ray optics . moreover , with the present method , the xuv radiation is produced in a narrow beam rather than into a solid angle of sin 2 ( θ ), as in the case of current sources based on xenon clusters ; thus the radiation can be transported to the xuv collection optics without significant loss of power . further reductions in the energy spread will allow gain in the x - ray region for use in protein structural analysis by means of x - ray diffraction . the increased coherence from seeding should make this source as bright and coherent as the much larger and more expensive synchrotrons . for protein structural analysis with proteins that can be crystallized , 10 10 x - ray photons at or below 1 nm wavelength are required and are produced in a single shot with a conversion efficiency of only 10 − 6 , assuming 10 - j energy in the pump lasers . as discussed below , such conversion efficiencies are easily attained . it is also shown that the most demanding requirements on the x - ray brightness ( 10 13 photons / mm 2 · mrad 2 · s · 0 . 1 % bw ) for microcrystal data measurements with small mosaic spreads are able to be met with a laser - based fel . the high peak power of the source has an important advantage over conventional sources — such as synchrotrons , which have high average power but low peak power — because radiation damage of the protein and surrounding media favors the acquisition of the data in a single shot . furthermore , the short x - ray pulse duration provided by this fel prevents the blurring that is due to the heating associated with the absorption of radiation . several features are determined by using a 1 - d analysis , showing that the laser and free electron interaction generates coherent xuv radiation . the simulation is based on : ( 1 ) the filling factor is one that is the electron beam and the laser beam completely overlap with each other ; and ( 2 ) the laser beam is approximated by a square pulse . thus , the present analysis in one aspect is based on gover &# 39 ; s work . by way of background , refer to gover , ieee journal of quantum electronics , vol . qe - 17 , no . 3 , july 1981 , incorporated herein by reference in its entirety . the present analysis is developed immediately below and assumes a square uniform energy distribution and determines the longitudinal plasma susceptibility of the electron - beam propagating in the free space , which leads to determination of the collective gain in the free electron and laser interactions . this is a simple 1 - d model and the inclusion of the transverse emittance is included . gain theory — based on gover , it was found that the laplace transformation of the collective gain is given by equations ( 1 ) and ( 2 ). xp ( ω / s ) is the longitudinal plasma susceptibility of an electron - beam propagating in the free space . it is defined by equation ( 3 ). g ( 0 ) is the canonical momentum distribution function of the electron beam and v z is the electron longitudinal velocity component . k is the coupling parameter . in the case of the free electron and laser interaction , the coupling parameter is given by gover as per equation ( 4 ). a e is the electron - beam cross section area . a g is the effective cross section area of the electromagnetic mode . together , a e / a g is defined as “ relative power ” factor ( filling factor ), which we assume to be 1 in the calculations just to simply the situation . according to gover , the susceptibility function x ( ω / s ) ( equation ( 3 )) can be defined by more familiar functions and parameters . the distribution function g ( 0 ) ( p ) can be expressed by normalized distribution function of a single variable . see equation ( 5 ). n 0 is the electron density , p zth is the longitudinal momentum spread and p 0z is the average electron momentum in the longitudinal direction . see equation ( 6 ). p 0 ⊥ is the amplitude of the quiver momentum along the transverse direction . the axial average velocity can be calculated using v 0z = p 0z /( γ 0m ). and γ 0z can be calculated using the formula as per equation ( 7 ). therefore , the plasma susceptibility can be re - written as per equations 8 - 13 . e zth is the longitudinal kinetic energy spread of the electron beam . usually the maxmillian distribution is used to approximate the real electron distribution . in that case , we will have to solve a transcendental fourth polynomial equation , which means we have four waves not three . to simplify the calculation , we instead use a square distribution and make the calculation easier . obtaining the electron beam susceptibility , the laplace transformation of the gain will be given by the gain - dispersion relation ( equation ( 1 )). when ā ( s ) is inverse , laplace transformed , the power gain will be given by equation ( 14 ). the operating wavelength is determined when the denominator in equation ( 1 ) vanishes , which is also called the “ dispersion equation .” plasma susceptibility of the electron beam with a square distribution — assume the normalized longitudinal momentum spread as a square uniform distribution ; i . e ., as per equations ( 15 ) and then ( 16 ) and ( 17 ) pertain . use the fact that x 2 − x 1 ≡ 1 . substitute g ′( ζ ) and s + ik 0 into equation ( 8 ) and equation ( 18 ) pertains where r ≡ v ′ zth / v 0z , ζ is defined in equation ( 10 ), ω ′ p is defined by equation ( 12 ) and v ′ zth is defined in equation ( 13 ). once the electron beam susceptibility is obtained , plug equation ( 25 ) into equation ( 1 ) to get the laplace transformation of the amplitude gain as per equation ( 26 ). then equations ( 27 ) and ( 28 ) result , where q ≡ kθ 2 p . to get the real gain , carry out the inverse laplace transformation . this can actually be completed by using fourier transformation . see equation ( 29 ). however , this could also be done by using the residue theorem . this will give equation ( 39 ), where a j are the residues of equation ( 27 ). note that all the above derivations ω shall be replaced by ω - ω 0 , where ω 0 is the laser &# 39 ; s frequency . this is just a matter of notations used by gover . numerical solutions — in order to do this , it is necessary to consider the kinematics of the electrons in the laser field . the electrons quivering momentum along the transverse direction is approximated by ee 0 / ω 0 , and use equation ( 6 ) to calculate the average longitudinal momentum , which will further be used to calculate the γ 0z . here , use an alternative way to do this and still follow the definitions of gover . the average longitudinal momentum p 0z of an electron with an initial velocity of β 0z can be directly given by equations ( 31 ) and ( 32 ), wherein the overhead bar means the average along one electron motion period and γ ini in the initial relativity factor before the electron enters the interaction region with a velocity of β z0 . the longitudinal average velocity is then calculated using the relation v 0z = p 0z /( γ 0m ), which will be used again the calculate γ 0z using the definition γ 0z ≡( 1 − β 2 0z ) − 1 / 2 . the x 1 and x 2 in the previous part are yet to be determined . this can be done by finding out the high momentum and low momentum of the electron beam with a longitudinal kinetic energy spread of e zth . in the limit of the zero energy spread and zero emittance , to estimate the maximum radiative energy extraction efficiency , use equations ( 33 ) and ( 34 ), where δk is the pole of the dispersion relation . experimental data shows that up to 1 . 36 × 10 11 electrons / mev / sr can be accelerated with energy 2 mev / sr using a 50 - tw laser with 1 - ps pulse duration . in a separate experiment , 9 . 7 × 10 8 electrons / mev / sr were produced using a 10 - tw power laser with 0 . 4 - ps pulse duration . lastly , 9 . 13 × 10 9 / mev were reported using a 30 - tw power laser with 0 . 03 - ps pulse duration . using the best result , 1 . 36 . 10 11 electrons / mev / steradian and assuming a 1 steradian divergence angle , then there are 5 × 10 9 electrons in a 1 -% energy bandwidth . note that 1 % conversion efficiency , from laser energy to electron energy , has been reported recently from thin - film solid target experiments . as discussed above , those electrons with energies outside of this 1 -% energy bandwidth can easily be filtered out by means of magnets . listed in the table 1 are the laser and electron beam parameters ( conservatively assuming 10 9 electrons in a 1 ps pulse focused to a 10 - μm spot ), and assuming the electron beam has zero energy spread and transverse emittance . because the electrons get bunched , and therefore emit coherent radiation , the power gain of the radiation after the interaction is exponential as show in fig1 . from fig1 , the x - axis shows that the largest gain is designed at around 74 times the laser frequency , which means it lases at a wavelength of 13 . 5 nm . a more practical example is when the beam has finite energy spread and emittance . first , consider the single particle calculation or incoherent thomson scattering . to simplify the analysis , consider only the first harmonic of the doppler - shifted frequency . because normalized vector potential of the laser field , a , is around 1 , the linear effects dominate and therefore the assumption is justified . if the electron bunch has 10 9 particles and they follow a gaussian distribution with an average energy of e 0 = 2 . 21 mev and a standard deviation of σ = e 0 × 1 . 5 %/ 2 so that 95 % of the electrons will fall into the 3 % energy spread , a spectrum that peaks around 13 . 5 nm is achieved , as in fig1 . the laser wavelength used here is 1 μm . when finite number of laser optical period is considered , there is another broadening effect of 1 / n that should be included , where n is the number of optical cycles . turning to the collective gain , table 2 gives the beam parameters . by assuming a square longitudinal energy spread , the impact of the longitudinal energy spread on the collective gain is derived . because the collective gain theory used is an 1 - d model , it can not systematically include and transverse emittance into the calculation . however , the transverse emittance is converted into the longitudinal energy spread and treated the same way as is done for the original kinetic energy spread , by adding these two spreads quadratically . fig1 gives the gain curve using the parameters in table 2 . it shows that even with a relatively high energy spread and high transverse emittance , reasonable gain in the xuv regime is achieved . to compare the current calculations with the conventional light sources , one needs to estimate the brightness for both the incoherent and coherent radiations . brightness or brilliance is usually defined as shown in equation ( 101 ). the spectral flux is the number of photons per unit time in a given bandwidth as shown in equation ( 102 ) where i is the electron beam current , ( δω / ω ) is usually taken as 0 . 1 % and needs to be & lt ;& lt ; 1 / n . for a gaussian beam , the transverse phase space area is given in equation ( 103 ) where certain parameters of equation ( 103 ) are as in equations ( 104 )-( 107 ). the brightness becomes as represented by b in equation ( 8 ) and the unit of the brightness is : # of photons /( mm 2 · mrad · s · 0 . 1 % bw ). then , the parameters listed in table 2 are to estimate the brightness of the incoherent radiation and the results are shown in table 3 . to calculate i / e , equation ( 109 ) is used . the analysis also used the fact that for the incoherent radiation the transverse phase space is predominantly given by the electron beam &# 39 ; s emittance . however , given the obtaining of the coherent radiation , the brightness can be greatly enhanced by two factors : transverse coherence — because the electron beam is now completely coherent transversely , the phase space will be given , in this case , mostly by ( λ 1 / 4π ) 2 . for the radiation at λ 1 = 13 nm , compared to the incoherent case , this will give an increase factor as per equation ( 110 ). temporal coherence — as shown before , because the electron beam is bunched , all electron emit coherently . this is the usual factor of n 2 e . using the number given by the collective effects as in fig1 , it will give another increase factor of 400 . relative to the saturation efficiency , to estimate the maximum radiative energy extraction efficiency , we use equation ( 111 ), where { tilde over ( η )} is defined as in equation ( 112 ). for the case listed in table 1 , the maximum saturation efficiency , according to equation ( 111 ), is 0 . 61 %. for another wavelength of interest in lithography , 90 nm , it is 1 . 65 %. with the tapering of the wiggler , the saturation efficiency of an fel can be increased to 3 . 5 %. here , the same is done by using a chirped laser pulse for the amplifier pump . by doing so , a similar efficiency , 3 . 5 %, is achievable with a laser - based wiggler . for η e = 10 9 electrons per bunch , the maximum photon energy is extracted from this amplification process , assuming is η 0 = 0 . 61 %, and per equation ( 113 ). if the number of electrons within the requisite 1 % energy range is 5 × 10 9 , which has already been achieved experimentally , then e = 10 − 5 j . this corresponds to a conversion efficiency from laser energy to xuv energy ( η 1 ) of η 1 = 4 × 10 − 7 , since 25 j of laser energy was used to produce the electron beam . another important application of a table - top fel is for metrology or microscopy , the requirements of which are much less stringent than those of lithography . in this case , a lower power coherent source of x - rays is required in order to characterize the nanometer scale features that are created either by lithography or by any of the other means being used in the field of nanotechnology . the laser , electron beam and x - ray parameters required for such a device can be met with current technology . an example set of parameters for this application are given in table 4 . note that a seed pulse of 13 nm wavelength is able to be generated by means of harmonic generation in clusters with an efficiency of ˜ 10 − 4 , although it is unclear what is the angular distribution of this radiation . thus , even though the calculated gains given in the above examples , even in the case of finite electron beam energy spread and emittance , are sufficient to amplify a seed pulse to the level of the saturation efficiency of the amplifier , 0 . 54 %, what limits the conversion efficiency to well below that limit is the relatively low energy stored in the electron beam , within the requisite energy bandwidth , as can be seen from equation ( 113 ). in order to increase the energy stored in the electron beam , either the electron energy or the electron number needs to be increased . in the former case , a longer wavelength laser wiggler is required in order to reach a given final x - ray wavelength , because of the γ 2 - scaling of the latter . for instance , the same given x - ray wavelength can be produced either by using a 10 - μm - wavelength co 2 laser for the wiggler or a 1 - μm - wavelength glass - laser wiggler but with an electron - beam energy that is ten - times lower . the final energy of the x - ray beam is correspondingly ten - times larger in the former case . the stored energy is able to be increased even further , by another factor of ten , if a magnetostatic wiggler of mm wavelength were used with a 200 - mev energy laser - accelerated electron beam . in the case of a magnetostatic wiggler 200 , shown in fig1 , the magnetic field 210 is pointed in a direction perpendicular to the motion of the electrons 220 but alternates in direction along the direction of the electron motion . the line designated as 230 represents electron motion that would occur without undulation or represents the average motion with undulation . from the vantage point of a relativistic electron , this appears equivalent to an oncoming electromagnetic wave , and thus all of the descriptions given earlier apply . the only important difference is that the wavelength is longer and so the same given x - ray radiation wavelength can be generated from a magnetostatic wiggler as from a laser wiggler , but from an electrom beam with a higher electron energy . the number of electrons in a picosecond pulse might be increased — by operating at a higher plasma density — to the alfven current ( 17βγ ka ), which corresponds to 10 12 electrons in 1 ps . this corresponds to η 1 = 2 × 10 − 3 if all the electrons were put in the correct energy range by some form of injection , for instance . that is , in order to increase the number of electrons even further , the electron pulse duration would need to be increased . for xuv lithography , this conversion efficiency is comparable to xenon - cluster - based systems , which are expected to operate with an efficiency of 0 . 3 %, when the difference between the solid angle of the emission and that subtended by the condenser lens is taken into consideration . with this conversion efficiency , a laser power 23 kw is required to deliver 70 w of inband power on the condenser lens . this is still an order of magnitude below the highest theoretical single - stage saturation efficiency for the fel , 3 . 5 %. such a high number of mev - energy electrons per shot have been accelerated in experiments with a petawatt - peak - power laser incident on a solid - target , 1 - mm au : 2 . 5 × 10 13 electrons / shot in a beam with a temperature of 4 mev or ⅖ × 10 13 / mev / shot . given that 4 . 7 × 10 12 of these electrons are put in a 1 % energy range , but otherwise have ideal emittance properties , then an example set of parameters meeting the power requirements for lithography corresponds to this values as shown in table 5 . if the number of electrons were further reduced by a factor of ten , then the repetition rate would need to be increased by the same factor in order to achieve the same final x - ray power . since the laser in this case had an energy of 500 j , this corresponds to an average power of 500 kw . it should be noted that this experiment was not done in an optimized parameter regime ; if it were , a factor - of - ten reduction in the required laser power ( to 50 kw ) would be expected to result . the relative compactness of laser - driven electrons accelerators and wigglers , compared with their conventional counterparts , renders them suitable for a new generation of free electron lasers . here are shown various means of reducing the energy spread of laser - driven electron beams in order to enable their use for this purpose . the scaling of the conversion efficiency with various electron - beam parameters for x - ray wavelengths that are relevant to several important applications have been analyzed and demonstrated . generally speaking , the current limitation on the achievable conversion efficiency , to levels well below the highest theoretical single - stage saturation efficiency for the fel , η 1 & lt ;& lt ; η 0 = 3 . 5 %, originates from the relatively low energy , within a narrow energy range , that is stored in current laser - driven electron beams . for the purpose of xuv lithography , the efficiency of a laser - driven fel could , with improvements , rival that of xenon cluster sources , η 1 = 0 . 3 %, while eliminating the debris problem . such improvements include injection of electrons into the laser - driven plasma waves , longer electron pulses , or the use of laser driven arc - discharge sources . for more advanced lithography using 1 - nm x - rays , the all - laser - driven fel , even with existing electron beam parameters , are thought to be able to produce much higher efficiency than any other compact source . those skilled in the art will appreciate the following variations within the scope of the invention for optimization of various features as described immediately below . optimization of the spatial and temporal overlap of the various laser and electron beams by : other magnetic field configurations for focusing and dispersion ; feed back control of the laser or electron focusing optics combined with electron - and laser - beam position detectors ; electrostatic and / or magnetostatic electron beam focusing ; imaging of the spatial overlap by use of thomson scattering ; passing the beams through a pinhole ; interference from a thin glass slide ; ionization defocusing in a gas ; nonlinear ( two - photon ) effects in optical media , such as harmonic generation ; schleiren photography ; and / or imaging thomson scattering produced by separate laser beams in a gas jet or back - filled chamber . optimization of the focus of either the pump or the scattering laser foci by focusing with a deformable mirror . optimization of the wiggler laser beam by : independent variation of the parameters of the various laser pulses ; synchronization of independent laser systems , with different parameters , e . g ., one laser for the production of the scattering beam , a separate laser for the electron beam generation and another laser for the harmonic generation ; use of chirped laser pulses ; and / or replace laser wiggler with magnetostatic wiggler . optimization of the electron beam parameters by : seeding of the density perturbation of the electron beam by variation of the plasma density and thus plasma - wave wavelength ; pre - bunching the electron beam ; variation of the gas - jet nozzle orifice ; use slit gas jet ; replace gas jet with thin - film solid target , using either front - or rear - side electron emission ; replace gas jet with gas - filled capillary ; replace or enhance accelerator with laser - triggered direct - current marx - bank capacitive arc - discharge ; replace gas jet with an accelerator based on the generation of electrons beams in a dense gas with a dielectric - barrier - discharge - based cathode ; replace gas jet with capillary tube discharge ; replace gas jet with preformed plasma from ablated solid target ; variation of the electron beam energy ; dual gas jet or gas jet stop to create a plasma density discontinuity to inject electrons ; variation of the target density ; variation of the target element ; variation of the composite gas or solid ; variation of the laser wavelength , pulse duration , chirp , contrast , energy , focal spot size ; electron beam focusing by means of electrostatic lenses ; optical injection ; reduction of the electron beam emittance by means of laser scattering and radiative damping caused by the interaction of the beam with a separate laser beam , or by emittance selector ; introduction of a correlated chirp on the electron beam and the use of chicane magnetostatic system in order to adjust its pulse duration ; and / or increase of the repetition rate . optimization of the plasma wave by seeding of the plasma wave with another laser pulse shifted in frequency by : the plasma frequency ; or replace single - pulse laser wakefield with a two - pulse laser beat - wave accelerator ; optimization of the pulse duration of the pump laser beam by multiple laser pulses ( rlpa ); chirped laser pulses ; and / or prescribed pre - pulse by variation of laser contrast . optimization of seed pulse by quasi phase matching by periodic plasma density modulation and / or quasi phase matching by periodic capillary structure modulation . optimization of pump lasers by use of a pulse stacker to lengthen the duration of the laser pulse on target and / or generation of shorter pump wavelengths of any of the pump lasers by means of harmonic generation in a nonlinear medium , such as a yag crystal , using gas amplifiers , such as excimer or carbon - dioxide , or using chemical laser . even with existing electron - beam parameters , a laser - driven fel , according to the invention , provides levels of brightness , coherence and collimation that are sufficient for protein structural analysis or nano - scale metrology and microscopy , and are comparable to , or exceed , those of third generation synchrotrons , while being far more compact and affordable . unlike synchrotrons , they also have the potential to produce a sufficient number of x - rays in a single pulse , with a duration that is short enough , for the analysis of the protein structure before it is distorted by the absorption of radiation . additionally , they are unique in being absolutely synchronized with a laser pulse , and thus can be used to study protein dynamics without jitter . last , their superior coherence properties leads to better phase information , which correspondingly leads to improved interpretation of protein structure . the description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and , thus , variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention .	7
referring now , with greater particularity to fig1 and 2 , a solar cell 10 is shown having a semiconductor body 12 with front and back major parallel surfaces 14 and 16 . the semiconductor body 10 includes a back base layer 18 which may be silicon , although iii - v semiconductor materials may be used instead , such as gaas , algaas or inp , for example . the base layer 18 may be impurity doped to a p - type conductivity , for example . the semiconductor body 10 further includes a front emitter layer 20 overlying the base layer 18 which may be impurity doped to an n + - type conductivity , for example . an n + - p junction 22 lies between the emitter and base layers , 20 and 18 . overlying the emitter layer 20 is an anti - reflection coating 24 which may be a layer of silicon nitride , aluminum oxide , or silicon oxide , for example . although an n + - p semiconductor body is discussed and illustrated a p + - n semiconductor body may also be used where the base layer 18 is of an n - type conductivity , and the emitter layer 20 is of p + - type conductivity . a plurality of openings 26 which the recesses extend through the back major surface 16 and base layer 18 to the emitter layer 20 . the openings 26 may be arranged in rows and columns , however , other desired spacings may also be used . the openings 26 typically may be about b 5 - 10 mils in diameter and spaced apart by approximately 100 mils , for example . a thin n + layer 28 extends along the walls 30 of the openings 26 from the back major surface 16 to the emitter layer 20 . a plurality of essentially parallel emitter metal contact lines 32 are disposed on the back major surface 16 traversing openings 26 . these contact lines 32 extend into the openings 26 and make electrical contact to the front emitter layer 20 . the emitter contact lines 32 are spaced from the base layer 18 by a nonconductive layer 34 which is disposed on the back major surface 16 . the emitter contact lines 32 may be connected together near the edge of the cell by a flat metal strip 36 which extends across the back major surface 16 and is intersected by contact lines 32 . a base contact 38 is disposed on the back major surface 16 making an electrical contact to the p - type conductivity layer 18 . base contact 38 consists of a plurality of wide metal strips 40 which are interdigidatedly disposed between emitter contact lines 32 . accordingly , a solar cell 10 is described above in which there are no electrical contacts on the front major light receiving surface . the front light receiving surface therefore can be made specular . moreover , solar cells emboding the invention may be fabricated by relatively low cost , high yield processes . a solar cell 110 can be fabricated according to a preferred method as illustrated in fig3 . components in the embodiment of fig3 which are the same as or equivalent to respective components in the embodiment of fig1 and 2 are designated by the same second and third reference numeral digits as their corresponding components in fig1 and 2 along with the addition of a prefix &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. as illustrated in fig3 a , beginning with a wafer of silicon , for example , wafer 112 has front and back major essentially parallel surfaces 114 and 116 respectively , and may contain a sufficient concentration of impurities to initially possess a uniform conductivity of p - type . wafer 112 is transfered to a suitable diffusion furnace ( not shown ) where n - type diffusion is carried out using phosphine gas ph 3 or pocl 3 , at approximately 800 ° c . and a nitrogen carrier to produce a shallow n + - p junction 122 on the order of 0 . 1 to 0 . 5 microns in depth , as shown in fig5 b . an n + type front layer 120 is also formed . alternatively , the n - type layer 120 may be formed by ion implantation or any other of the well known techniques for producing the n + layer , such as laser induced or electron beam induced diffusion , from a liquid , solid , or gaseous source . as is known in the art , the collection efficiency of the solar cell is related to the depth of the n + - p junction . a discussion of this relationship may be found , for example , in &# 34 ; fundamentals of solar cells : photovoltaic solar energy conversion &# 34 ; by alan l . fahrenbruch and richard h . bube , academic press , n . y ., 1983 , incorporated herein by reference . diffused n + - p junctions are also described in &# 34 ; physics and technology of semiconductor devices &# 34 ; by a . s . grove ( john wiley & amp ; sons , 1967 ), which is incorporated herein by reference . with the n + - p junction 122 in place , the wafer is transfered to a conventional low pressure chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ) station ( not shown ) wherein a thin layer 124 of silicon nitride , si 3 n 4 , is deposited covering the front major surface as shown in fig3 c , to a thickness typically on the order of 0 . 6 to 1 . 0 micron . low temperature chemical deposition processes used for forming thin oxide nitride layers are generally well known in the art and are discussed , for example , a part iii of &# 34 ; thin film processes &# 34 ; by vossen & amp ; kern ( academic press , n . y ., 1978 ) at pages 258 - 320 , which is incorporated herein by reference . the nitride layer 124 serves as an anti - reflection coating and also as a mechanical support or backing for the n + layer 120 . alternatively , indium tin oxide , ito , may be used . indium tin oxide increases the conductivity of the emitter layer so the openings , described below , may be spaced further apart . next , a dielectric layer 134 which may be silicon oxide , silicon nitride , or aluminum oxide , for example , is deposited over the back major surface to a thickness typically on the order of 1 micron , as shown in fig3 d . chemical vapor deposition or low pressure chemical vapor deposition techniques generally well known in the art may be employed as described above . the structure of fig3 d is transfered to a conventional photoresist deposition and mask forming station ( not shown ) where an outer photoresist mask is formed over the back major surface 117 of oxide layer 134 . the formation of photoresist masks is well known in the art , and such masks are described , for example , by william s . deforest in &# 34 ; photoresist : materials and processes &# 34 ; ( mcgraw - hill , 1975 ). thereafter , the photoresist mask is exposed , leaving openings through to the back major surface 116 in the desired pattern for openings . using a suitable etchant , such as , for example , hydrofluoric acid , ( hf )/ nitric acid ( hno 3 )/ acetic acid ( ch 3 cooh ), portions of oxide layer 134 are etched away and also portions of base layer 118 thereunder to the n + - p junction 122 , as shown in fig3 e . the etchant is selected such that etching will stop at the higher doped material , namely the emitter n + conductivity type layer . after the openings 126 have been formed , the remaining photoresist is lifted off using suitable organic solvents . thereafter , a mask ( not shown ) is applied to the entire front surface 115 which may be silicon oxide , for example . the silicon oxide mask may be deposited using generally known chemical vapor deposition to niques as described above . then an n - type dopant such as phosphorus is diffused into the walls of the openings 126 to a depth of about 0 . 5 to 1 . 0 micron , for example , as shown in fig3 e . the method of applying the dopant can be by electron beam , thermal evaporation , or chemical vapor deposition using a liquid , solid of gaseous source the dopant could also be implanted using an ion beam source . the n - type dopant may also be thermally diffused into the walls 130 of the openings 126 using a laser , infrared source , or heating source . in the diffusing process , a thin layer o phospho - silicate ( n ) or borosilicate ( p ) glass 31 is formed on the walls 130 of openings 126 , which thin layer serves as a mask in subsequent processing steps . wafer 112 is again transfered to a conventional photoresist deposition and mask forming station ( not shown ) where another photoresist mask is formed of the back major surface 117 . the photoresist mask on the back surface 117 is exposed , leaving openings therethrough to the back major surface 116 and the desired pattern for the back p contact . as shown in fig3 f , the oxide layer 134 in the open areas is etched away using a suitable etchant such as hydrofluoric acid ( hf ). in an optional step , a thin p + layer 121 may be formed under the back major surface and the open areas by diffusing or implanting a p - type dopant such as boron , aluminum , or gallium . a cost effective and reliable method of making the shallow p + layer is disclosed in an article written by gillanders , mardesich and garlick , entitled &# 34 ; low alpha , boron , bsf solar cell &# 34 ;, 17th ieee photovoltaic specialist &# 39 ; s conference , 128 - 143 ( 1984 ), which is incorporated herein by reference . the shallow p + layer 121 may be about 1 micron thick , for example . for some applications , in high radiation orbits over the earth , the use of a p + layer 121 is not required , nor is it desirable . the presence or absence of this p + layer is immaterial to the spirit of this invention . the photoresist mask is thereafter removed . next , another photoresist mask is applied to the back surface of the wafer . the photoresist mask is exposed , leaving openings therethrough to the back major surface 116 in the desired pattern for the n + front contact 132 and p + back contact 138 . alternatively , the the photoresist mask above could be used in metal deposition step . with the photoresist mask firmly in place , the wafer is transfered to a suitable multilayer metal deposition station ( not shown ) where a thin multilayer metal film is deposited on the back surface to form metallized structure of fig3 g . then , using conventional photoresist lift - off techniques , the photoresist mask is removed by soaking the wafer in a suitable solvent to thereby carry away portions of the metalization lying thereover , leaving metalization as shown in fig3 g . the metal contacts of the completed solar cell structure of fig3 g are preferably titanium - palladium - silver with titanium being the initial or surface layer up about 500 å in thickness , palladium being the next or middle layer of approximately 800 å in thickness , and the upper layer being of silver of 5 microns in thickness . for a further discussion of multiple element metalization systems of the above type , reference may be made to fischer and gereth , transactions on electron devices , vol . ed - 18 , no . 8 , page 457 ( august 1978 ), which is incorporated herein by reference . following depositing of the metalization , the electrical contacts are sintered and the wafer cut to the desired size and shape . various modifications may be made to the abovedescribed embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention . thus , although the present invention has been shown and described with reference to particular embodiments , nevertheless , various modifications and changes obvious to one skilled in the art are deemed to be within the spirit , scope and contemplation of the invention , as set forth in the appended claims .	7
fig1 is a perspective view of a new golf ball 10 formed from a first portion 12 and a second portion 14 that are joined together at a mold parting line 16 . as shown in fig2 a and 2b , the parting line 16 straddles the ball &# 39 ; s equator e as it circumscribes the ball , with curved segments 20 alternating with straight segments 22 . in general , the parting line 16 “ interdigitates ” or weaves between the two circumferential rows of dimples 18 that border or intersect the equator e . there are about 28 - 30 bordering dimples in each row that borders the equator e . in the implementation of fig1 , the equator is bordered by 60 dimples , i . e ., 30 dimples on the “ north ” side of the equator and 30 dimples on the “ south ” side of the equator . fig2 a shows an enlarged section of the golf ball 10 in the area of the parting line 16 , illustrating that the straight segments 22 are entirely on one side of the equator e , and the curved segments 20 cross the equator e , but have their maxima / minima 24 on the side of the equator opposite the straight segments 22 . fig2 b is another enlarged section of the golf ball 10 , which illustrates that the parting line 16 follows a repeating pattern that generally repeats n times about the circumference of the ball . in the illustrated implementation as shown in fig2 , the repeating pattern repeats five times about the circumference of the ball . stated differently , the pattern is repeated every 72 degrees about the 360 degree circumference of the ball , or is said to have a period of 72 degrees . it should be noted that although the pattern is repeated as described , in preferred implementations there is only one point 26 on the parting line 16 that contacts one of the dimples 18 , as described below in greater detail . a representative instance of the repeating pattern is illustrated in fig2 b beginning at the point labeled 0 ° and extending to the point labeled 72 °. as can be seen at the 0 ° point , the pattern starts at a junction between the end of a straight segment 22 a and the beginning of a curved segment 20 a , where the intersection is the closest point to the equator e on any of the straight segments 22 . in the same way , the maxima / minima 24 a of the curved segment 20 a is spaced away from the equator e by a maximum amount . from 0 ° to 72 °, the straight segments are progressively positioned farther from the equator e , and the curved segments have their maxima / minima positioned closer to the equator e . an identical instance of the pattern is shown between 288 ° ( i . e ., − 72 °) and 0 °. in the illustrated implementations , the curved segments 20 have a curvature that very closely matches the radius of the dimples . for example , for a dimple having a radius of about 2 . 1 mm , the radius of curvature of the curved segments 20 is about 2 . 2 mm . in the same example , the length of the straight segments 22 is about 1 . 06 mm . in the illustrated implementations , the parting line 16 “ touches ” or is coincident with one dimple at one point along its edge . in the illustrated implementation , the point 26 at which the parting line 16 is coincident with a dimple can be located about midway along one of the straight segments . thus , there is a slight departure in the repeating pattern , and in one instance , rather than approaching an adjacent one of the dimples 18 , one of the straight segments 22 intersects the adjacent dimple at the point 26 . in the illustrated implementation , the parting line 16 is moved to locate the point 26 correctly . in other embodiments , it would be possible to change the shape and / or size of one of the dimples to locate the point 26 correctly . the point 26 can be a point of tangency between the curved periphery of the dimple and the intersecting straight section . in other implementations , the point 26 may be on a curved segment or at a fillet or other junction between a straight section and a curved section . in other implementations , the parting line 16 may be configured to touch more than one dimple , and preferably , about five dimples or fewer . in some implementations , the repeating pattern of the parting line 16 can be defined as a superposition of two wave forms . the first wave form can have a relatively long wavelength , and the second wave form can have a relatively short wavelength . for example , the parting line configuration can be comprised of a superposition of a sine - like first wave and a second wave having a corresponding shape to yield the alternating straight and curved sections when added to the sine - like first wave . one purpose of the first waveform is to minimize disruption in large - scale features in the dimple pattern . one purpose of the second waveform is to allow the parting line to interdigitate between the dimples . the exact shape of the second waveform is determined by the particular dimple layout at the parting line . as described , the parting line 16 crosses back and forth across the equator e as it follows the circumference of the golf ball . the parting line 16 can also be described in terms of its angular deviation from the equator e . in preferred implementations , the parting line 16 is within about a 3 ° latitude band on either side of the equator , and more preferably , within about a 1 . 5 ° band . referring again to fig2 a , which shows a magnified view of a segment of the parting line 16 , the junctions between the curved segments 20 and the straight segments 22 preferably have fillets 30 or are otherwise rounded to provide a smooth transition and avoid sharp edges . fig3 is a side elevation view , in section , of a representative mold 40 for making a golf ball as described above . the mold 40 comprises an upper mold section 41 and a lower mold section 43 that are joined together at the parting line 16 to define a cavity of a generally spherical shape and having an inner surface 45 . the inner surface of the cavity has projections 47 corresponding to the dimples 18 on the golf ball that are positioned and sized according to the selected dimple pattern . fig4 is a perspective view of the lower mold section 43 . the surfaces that meet to define the parting line 16 include the curved segment surfaces 49 and the alternating straight segment surfaces 51 . in the illustrated implementation , there are 30 curved segment surfaces and 30 straight segment surfaces around the circumference of the mold . although not specifically shown , the upper mold section 41 has a corresponding number and arrangement of curved segment surfaces and straight segment surfaces . in the upper mold section , the parting line contour is reversed , i . e ., the curved segments are concave at locations where the corresponding bottom mold section has convex curved segments . this means that the top and bottom mold halves are not identical with regard to the parting line section . because the parting line is shaped to curve around most of the bordering dimples rather than to intersect with them , the parting line allows the dimples to be placed closer together than in a golf ball of a conventional design with a flat seam . in view of the many possible embodiments to which the principles of the present disclosure can be applied , it should be recognized that the illustrated embodiments are only examples and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the following claims . we therefore claim all that comes within the scope and spirit of these claims .	0
it will be readily understood that the components of the present disclosure , as generally described and illustrated in the figures herein , could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations . although the embodiments of this invention are described herein in connection with an iv catheter , it is to be understood that this invention is applicable to other catheters . for example , this invention is applicable to standard peripheral iv catheters , extended dwelling catheters requiring the needle to be connected to the needle hub by a stylet as well as other medical devices where it is desirable to include a septum to regulate the flow of fluid into or out of a space . thus , the following more detailed description , as represented in the figures , is not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure , but is merely a representative of exemplary combinations of the components . the term “ proximal ” is used to denote a portion of a device which , during normal use , is nearest the user and furthest from the patient . the term “ distal ” is used to denote a portion of a device which , during normal use , is farthest from the user wielding the device and closest to the patient . the term “ activation ” of a valve mechanism is used to denote the action of opening or closing of such a valve . an example of a prior art extravascular system is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 008 , 404 and shown in fig1 to 3 . an indwelling catheter has , as shown in fig1 , a hollow catheter body 1 , a catheter 2 fitted into a holder 1 b provided at a distal end of the catheter body 1 , a septum 3 fitted inside the catheter body 1 , and a hollow pusher 4 slidably fitted inside the catheter body 1 . the catheter tube 2 , septum 3 , and the pusher 4 are coaxially aligned in this order . the catheter body 1 has a tubular shape . the inner surface 1 a of the catheter body lumen is tapered toward the distal end , with a gradually reduced diameter . the catheter body 1 is preferably of a transparent or semi - transparent material so as to show the interior , enabling checking of movement inside . suitable materials for catheter body 1 include , but are not limited to , thermoplastic polymeric resins such as polycarbonate , polystyrene , polypropylene and the like . the catheter 2 is press - fitted into the tube holder 1 b which communicates at its proximal end with the inside of the catheter body 1 . it is preferred that a lubricating coating is provided to the entirety or part of the catheter 2 so as to reduce resistance caused by insertion through skin or into a blood vessel . suitable materials for catheter 2 include , but are not limited to , thermoplastic resins such as fluorinated ethylene propylene ( fep ), polytetrafluoroethylene ( ptfe ), polyurethane and the like . preferably , catheter 2 is formed from a thermoplastic hydrophilic polyurethane that softens with exposure to physiological conditions present in the patient &# 39 ; s body . the septum 3 is of a generally tubular shape having a proximal end 8 and a membrane section 9 having a planar flat surface located at the distal end 11 . typically , septum 3 further includes a single needle slit 3 a or valve aperture located about the centre of membrane section 9 , extending through membrane section 9 , to facilitate penetration of septum 3 by introducer needle 5 having a needle tip 5 a . the opposing slit surfaces of the needle slit 3 a are designed to closely conform to the shape of introducer needle 5 during storage and prevent an outflow of fluid during and following removal of the introducer needle 5 , then to seal upon removal of the introducer needle 5 . with the pusher 4 inserted therethrough , slit 3 a expands forward in the distal direction and opens , providing fluid communication between the catheter 2 and the rear of the catheter body 1 . an annular protrusion 3 b is provided on the inner surface of a rear opening of the septum 3 , to engage shoulder 4 c at the distal end of the pusher 4 so as to limit the movement of pusher 4 in the proximal direction and prevent the dislocation of the pusher 4 from septum 3 . a plurality of gaps 3 c are defined between an outer periphery of the septum 3 and the inner surface 1 a of the catheter body 1 . distal and proximal spaces divided by the septum 3 communicate with each other through the gaps 3 c . thus the septum 3 slides smoothly with air passing through the gaps 3 c . the pusher 4 is typically made from a rigid thermoplastic material or a like material , and has a lumen 7 extending therethrough . the pusher 4 has a tubular portion 4 a , a conical flange 4 b connected to the rear proximal end of the tubular portion 4 a , and a shoulder 4 c protruding from an outer periphery of the tubular portion 4 a . thus , an annular shaped interstitial space is created between tubular portion 4 a and the inner surface 1 a of the catheter body 1 . the distal front end of the tubular portion 4 a is chamfered to facilitate its penetration into slit 3 a of the septum 3 , and is slidably supported by the annular protrusion 3 b of the septum 3 . the conical flange 4 b has a conical inner surface so as to facilitate insertion of the needle 5 thereinto . the peripheral surface of the flange 4 b contacts the inner surface la of the catheter body 1 and serves to provide stability to the pusher 4 and maintain the coaxial position with respect to the catheter 2 . however the peripheral surface of the flange 4 b does not form a fluid seal with inner surface 1 a . the indwelling catheter is prepared for use in such a state as shown in fig1 with the front end of the needle 5 protruding from the front end of the catheter 2 . in this state , the needle 5 penetrates through the septum 3 , providing water - tight connection therebetween , and thereby prevents blood leakage . the indwelling catheter in this state is inserted into the body of a patient . then , as shown in fig2 , the needle 5 is removed with the tube 2 retained in the body of the patient . septum 3 maintains a fluid seal upon removal of needle 5 , being retained by an annular protrusion 1 e and a cavity edge 1 d . pusher 4 is retained in a proximal position by the interaction of annular protrusion 3 b and shoulder 4 c . a connector 6 ( e . g . a luer connector ) of a vascular access device is then inserted from the proximal end of the catheter body 1 . when pressed into the catheter body 1 , the connector 6 pushes at its distal end the pusher 4 . the pusher 4 thus slides forward in distal direction to press the slit 3 a of the septum 3 open , thereby activating the flow control valve to the open position . septum 3 is then pressed against the inner surface of a tapered cavity 1 c of the catheter body 1 which stops the forward movement of the pusher 4 at a distal position as shown in fig3 , thus providing communication between the catheter 2 and the vascular access device via the lumen 7 of the pusher 4 . the tapered inner surface la of the catheter body 1 allows for smooth insertion of the connector 6 and tight contact between an outer surface 6 a of the connector 6 and the inner surface 1 a through press fitting in order to prevent fluid leaking out of the proximal end of catheter body 1 . however , it should be noted that this valve mechanism has problems in regard to fluid flow and flush properties . first , fluid flow will follow the path of least resistance and in the valve mechanism shown in fig1 to 3 the majority of the fluid flow occurs through lumen 7 of pusher 4 as this is the largest opening . this results in a stable laminar fluid flow ( with minimal fluid turbulence ) through the valve mechanism which causes the highest degree of flow to occur at the center of lumen 7 and the center of the lumen in the catheter body 1 and the lowest degree of fluid flow to occur at the periphery of the lumen of catheter body 1 . thus areas of low or no fluid flow can occur for example at the inner surface of tapered cavity 1 c of the catheter body 1 near the distal face of septum 3 , which makes it difficult to subsequently flush out any blood , medicament or air bubbles which may flow into this area during use of the catheter . second , the valve mechanism of fig1 to 3 has small interstitial spaces / areas within the catheter body 1 into which fluids can flow during use , which give rise to areas of low or no fluid flow . for example , in use fluid can flow between the peripheral surface of the flange 4 b and the inner surface 1 a of catheter body 1 and into interstitial space 98 between the outer periphery of tubular portion 4 a and the inner surface la . third , fluid can flow into interstitial space 99 which is gap 3 c between the outer periphery of septum 3 and the inner surface 1 a of the catheter body 1 . any fluid present in spaces / areas 98 and 99 is essentially trapped ( by septum 3 ) as there is no easy flow path out of these areas for the fluid to rejoin the main fluid flow . this makes it very difficult to subsequently flush out any blood , medicament or air bubbles which may flow into these areas 98 and 99 during use of the catheter . a number of valves mechanisms in accordance with various embodiments of the subject invention which improve the flush properties and eliminate or reduce areas of low or no fluid flow occurring within a vascular access device containing a valve mechanism are illustrated in fig4 to 19 . fig4 to 6 show an embodiment of a balanced flow pusher 44 is used to equalize fluid flow evenly both through and around the proximal end of pusher 44 . this provides a balanced fluid flow path and better fluid turbulence thus reducing low or no flow fluid areas in order to remove any residual blood from the flashback , aspiration , blood draws . fig4 shows a pusher 44 having a distal end 45 and a proximal end 46 with a lumen 47 extending therebetween . flow ports 48 are located at the proximal end 46 of pusher 44 , with ribs 49 extending longitudinally along and evenly spaced around the outer surface 54 of pusher 44 to form flow channels 50 . inlet ports 51 are located at the distal end of the flow channels 50 and extend through the side wall of pusher 44 . fig5 shows septum 43 , which forms a fluid seal in the lumen 42 of catheter body 41 after removal of the needle , with pusher 44 in the proximal position . fig6 shows pusher 44 in the distal position , in which a fluid flowing in distal direction from the proximal end of catheter body 41 can be diverted by four flow ports 48 between the periphery 52 of the proximal end 46 of pusher 44 and the inner surface 53 of lumen 42 , along the flow channels 50 and returns to the lumen 47 via four inlet ports 51 equally distributed around the circumference of lumen 47 . septum 43 has a taper 55 on the inner surface to help provide a clear fluid flow path around the outer surface 54 of pusher 44 into the inlet ports 51 . thus , a fluid flow approaching the proximal end 46 of pusher 44 in the distal direction is equally divided , such that a fluid has an equal likelihood of entering the proximal end 46 of lumen 47 of pusher 44 or flowing around the outer surface 54 of pusher 44 before rejoining lumen 47 via inlet ports 51 . thus , the flush properties of this valve mechanism are superior to that of the valve mechanism shown in fig1 to 3 as there is high fluid flow in the interstitial space 56 between the outer surface 54 of pusher 44 and the inner surface 53 of lumen 42 . additionally , turbulent flow is created within lumen 47 at the confluence of the fluid streams from inlet ports 51 . fig7 to 9 show another embodiment of the invention having valve mechanism similar to that shown in fig4 to 6 which differs by the use of helical flow paths around the outside of the pusher to facilitate a complete flush . fig7 shows a pusher 74 having a distal end 75 and a proximal end 76 with a lumen 77 extending therebetween . ribs 79 begin at the proximal end 76 of pusher 74 , extending helically along and evenly spaced around the outer surface 54 of pusher 74 to form helical flow channels 80 . inlet ports 81 are located at the distal end of the helical flow channels 80 and extend through the side wall of pusher 74 . fig7 to 9 show pusher 74 in the distal position in which fluid can flow either via the lumen 77 of pusher 74 or through the helical channels 80 in the outer surface 54 of pusher 44 . fluid flowing in distal direction from the proximal end of catheter body 41 enters the helical flow channels at the proximal end 76 of pusher 74 and flows along the flow channels 80 and returns to the lumen 77 by four inlet ports 81 equally distributed around the circumference of lumen 77 . septum 73 can also have a taper 85 on the inner surface to mate with a corresponding taper 87 around the outer surface 54 of pusher 74 in order to keep interstitial spaces to a minimum . the use of helical flow channels causes a faster flow rate and a more turbulent flow when compared to a pusher of the same design with straight longitudinal flow channels . fig1 shows another embodiment of a valve mechanism with helical flow channels 80 a on the outer surface 84 a of pusher 74 a similar to the embodiment shown in fig7 to 9 . however on removal of the introducer needle a hinged flow deflector 88 is deployed at the proximal end 76 a of pusher 74 a to restrict or prevent fluid flow through the lumen 77 a and divert the majority of fluid flow through the helical flow channels 80 a . in addition , there are two inlet ports 81 a each of which is approximately quarter of the circumference of the lumen 77 a located at the distal end of the helical flow channels 80 a . furthermore septum 73 a has a flared face 85 a on the inner proximal surface to help direct fluid flow into the inlet ports 81 a . fig1 shows a further embodiment of a valve mechanism with helical or spiral flow channels . this is a one - piece valve mechanism which only includes a septum and does not use a pusher . the only fluid path in this valve mechanism would be the helical flow channels 104 on the outer surface 105 of the septum 103 which would allow air to escape , minimal blood to escape and then allow for infusion to take place . slit 109 extends through the septum to facilitate insertion of the introducer needle but forms a fluid seal after the removal of the introducer needle . septum 103 is retained in position by the combination of taper 106 and annular protrusion 107 of the catheter body lumen 102 . it should be noted that the total cross - sectional area of helical flow channels 104 must substantially equal the combined cross - sectional areas of lumen 77 and helical flow channels 80 as shown in the embodiment of fig7 to 9 as the total fluid flow cross - sectional area must be large enough to prevent a significant flow restriction or pressure build up . fig1 and 13 show an embodiment of a valve mechanism in which the presence of ribs 29 on the outer surface 34 of pusher 24 allows a parallel coaxial fluid flow to occur both through lumen 27 and between the outer surface 34 of pusher 24 and septum 23 . fig1 shows the pusher 24 of fig1 having a distal end 25 and a proximal end 26 with a lumen 27 extending therebetween . ribs 29 emanate from the distal end 25 of pusher 24 , extending along and evenly spaced around the outer surface 34 of pusher 24 to form flow channels 30 , and continue past proximal end 26 to provide contact points for a luer connector 39 to act on . septum 23 is deflected by ribs 29 at the distal end 25 of pusher 24 , on reaching distal position . ribs 29 therefore prevent a radial seal from forming between the outer surface 34 of pusher 24 and septum 23 , thus fluid can flow past the septum 23 along flow channels 30 as well as through lumen 27 of pusher 24 . fig1 and 15 show an alternate embodiment to valve mechanism show in fig1 to 13 in which ribs 29 a are on the proximal face of membrane section 31 of septum 23 a instead of the outer surface of pusher . fig1 to 18 show an embodiment of a valve mechanism which gives high flushability due to the openness of the pusher design , and the reversal of the septum orientation . pusher 114 includes ribs 132 that act as a spacer between a luer connector 119 and lumen 117 to provide sufficient axial length for the fluid flow to spread out from the tip of the luer connector 119 and direct a large portion of the flow through space 126 between pusher 114 and the inner wall 123 of catheter body 111 . fenestrations or longitudinal slots 121 through the sidewall 130 of the pusher 114 allow flushing fluid to reenter the lumen 117 of the pusher 114 while bypassing the septum 113 when pusher 114 is in the distal position ( as shown in fig1 ), then also allow some flow to circulate back out of the pusher 114 to clean the downstream distal side of the septum 113 . ribs 132 interact with undercut 131 in the inner wall 113 of catheter body 111 to retain pusher 114 in the proximal position and with septum 113 to retain pusher 114 in the distal position . the septum 113 is of a generally tubular shape and has the sealing membrane section 119 located at the proximal end 134 instead of the distal end 133 as in a typical septum . this reversed orientation of the membrane section provides a less restrictive flow path as the septum 113 does not enclose the distal end 135 of pusher 114 . fig1 show a further embodiment of a valve mechanism which incorporates an elastomeric stopper 141 to the distal end of pusher 114 a to provide a flow restriction to lumen 117 a after the needle is removed and force a portion of the flushing fluid to pass along the outside of the pusher 114 a , cleaning out any blood or infusant . the balance of the relative flow rate inside lumen 117 a and outside of pusher 114 a can be controlled by addition and size of a hole 142 in stopper 141 or degree of occlusion of lumen 117 a by stopper 141 . any septum described herein may have a hole present in the center of membrane section sized to produce a specified blood leakage rate if so desired and may be made of a variety of suitable materials and through a variety of suitable manufacturing methods . for example , the septum may be formed from liquid silicone rubber through suitable molding procedures , such as insert molding , injection molding , other molding techniques , or a combination of molding techniques . the septum 103 , or any septum described herein , may also include a coating of antimicrobial substance on any of its surfaces , especially those surfaces which have contact with fluid . although illustrative embodiments of the present invention have been described herein with reference to the examples , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments , and that various other changes and modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention .	0
fig3 shows an embodiment of the checker circuit according to the invention . a respective protocol signal 103 , 105 from two communication units ( not shown in fig3 ) is supplied for checking to the checker circuit via a respective signal input 102 , 104 . the protocol signals may , for example , be the req signal and the ack signal of a handshake protocol . as a basic principle , both the transmitting communication unit and the receiving communication unit may be the initiator of an asynchronous data transfer . this means that either the transmitting communication unit (“ push protocol ”) or the receiving communication unit (“ pull protocol ”) sets the req signal , and the receiving or transmitting communication unit then responds by changing the ack signal . for the checker circuit according to the invention , it is all the same which of the protocol versions (“ push ” or “ pull ”) is carried out by the communication units . the two protocol signals 103 and 105 form a digital input word with a width of two bits . on the input side , the checker circuit also includes a clock input 106 for an external first clock signal 107 and a reset input 108 for a reset signal 109 . the checker circuit comprises trigger unit 110 , delay unit 120 which delays a trigger signal 115 from trigger unit 110 by a delay time δ min , a 2 - bit shift register 130 which stores the comparison word , a comparator 150 and a sampler unit 140 realized as a d - flipflop . comparator 150 and sampler unit 140 together form the comparator unit . a respective bit of the comparison word represents a logical assignment of the respective protocol signal , as expected according to the handshake protocol . trigger unit 110 comprises a transition detection device 112 , an and gate 114 and an or gate 116 . on the output side , the state of the shift register , i . e . a comparison word 2 - bits in width , can be read at outputs 190 and 192 . at an indicator output 194 , the checker circuit outputs a result of comparison 151 from the comparator 150 as an indicator signal 152 . the checker circuit also has a counter output 196 . input word 103 , 105 is supplied to both the comparator 150 and the trigger unit 110 . when the input word transitions into a new input word by changing a logical assignment of a protocol signal , transition detection device 112 generates a transition signal 112 . 1 which is supplied as a trigger signal 115 via logic gates 114 and 116 to delay unit 120 and to a second input 140 . 2 of flipflop 140 . the comparator compares the new input word with comparison word 130 . 1 , 130 . 2 . the result of comparison 151 from comparator 150 is supplied to a first input 140 . 1 of flipflop 140 . on receiving trigger signal 115 at its second input 140 . 2 , flipflop 140 outputs the result of comparison 151 as an indicator signal 152 via its second output 140 . 3 at indicator output 194 . if a plurality of checker circuits according to the invention are integrated in a chip , a superordinate monitoring unit retrieves the status of a respective checker circuit by detecting the respective indicator signal . if the comparison word 130 . 1 , 130 . 2 is identical to the new input word , then the result of comparison 151 from the comparator 150 is a logic zero , otherwise a logic one . checker circuit 100 thus detects stuck - at errors and order violation errors . shift register 130 consecutively alternates its state on receiving the delayed trigger signal 117 . the new state of the shift register corresponds to a logical assignment of the input word , as expected in accordance with the handshake protocol after a renewed transition . if the new transition of the input word occurs within the defined delay time δ min after the first transition , the new input word is compared with the “ old ” comparison word due to the trigger signal 115 being delayed by delay unit 120 , so the result of comparison is negative . comparator 150 therefore outputs a logic one as the result - of comparison , which flipflop 140 subsequently outputs as indicator 152 at the indicator output 194 . a premature transition error is detected in this manner . if there are any of the aforementioned protocol errors , flipflop 140 outputs a logic zero at its second output 140 . 4 , which is applied to the and gate 114 of trigger unit 110 . this results in checker circuit 100 remaining inactive until it is reset by remote access via reset input 108 , since in the event of a protocol error the trigger unit no longer outputs any trigger signals due to feedback of the result of comparison . clock input 106 for an external first clock signal 107 is connected to the or gate 116 of trigger unit 110 , so a trigger signal is still outputted even when the first clock signal is at a high level . by reading the shift register state at outputs 190 , 192 and by supplying the first clock signal 107 , it is possible to verify whether checker circuit 100 is functioning correctly . transition detection device 112 is likewise configured to generate a count signal 195 and to output same at counter output 196 whenever there is a change in a specified bit of the input word , i . e ., whenever there is a change in a logical assignment of a specific protocol signal . these count signals can be detected by another processor unit , not shown in fig3 , which means that this processor unit can also recognize a stuck - at error . fig4 shows a circuit design of an alternative embodiment of the checker circuit according to the invention , with a modified delay unit . a respective protocol signal 203 , 205 from two communication units ( not shown in fig4 ) is supplied for checking to the checker circuit via a respective signal input 202 , 204 . here , too , the protocol signals may be the req signal and the ack signal of a handshake protocol , for example . as a basic principle , both the transmitting communication unit and the receiving communication unit may be the initiator of an asynchronous data transfer . this means that either the transmitting communication unit (“ push protocol ”) or the receiving communication unit (“ pull protocol ”) sets the req signal , and the receiving or transmitting communication unit then responds by changing the ack signal . for the checker circuit according to the invention , it is all the same which of the protocol versions (“ push ” or “ pull ”) is carried out by the communication units . the two protocol signals 203 and 205 form a digital input word with a width of two bits . on its input side , the checker circuit also includes a reset input 208 for a reset signal 209 . the checker circuit includes trigger unit 210 and delay unit 220 . the delay unit 220 delays a trigger signal 215 from trigger unit 210 by half the delay time δ min and outputs this signal as a modified delay signal 217 with a signal width whose duration is just about equal to half the delay time δ min . checker circuit 200 also includes a 2 - bit shift register 230 which stores the comparison word , a comparator 250 and a sampler unit 240 realized as a d - flipflop . comparator 250 and sampler unit 240 together form comparator unit 240 , 250 . a respective bit of the comparison word represents a logical assignment of the respective protocol signal , as expected according to the handshake protocol . trigger unit 210 comprises a transition detection device 212 and an and gate 214 . at an indicator output 294 , the checker circuit outputs a result of comparison 251 from the comparator 250 , or the modified delay signal 217 , as an indicator signal 252 . the checker circuit also has a counter output 296 . input word 203 , 205 is supplied to both the comparator 250 and the trigger unit 210 . when the input word transitions into a new input word by changing a logical assignment of a protocol signal , transition detection device 212 generates a transition signal 212 . 1 which is supplied as a trigger signal 215 via logic gate 214 to delay unit 220 and to a second input of flipflop 240 . the comparator compares the new input word 203 , 205 with the comparison word in memory 230 . the result of comparison 251 from comparator 250 is supplied together with modified delay signal 217 via an or gate 260 to a first input of flipflop 240 . on receiving trigger signal 215 , flipflop 240 selectively outputs the result of comparison 251 or the modified delay signal 217 as indicator signal 152 at indicator output 194 . if a plurality of checker circuits according to the invention are integrated in a chip , the status of a respective checker circuit can be retrieved by detecting the respective indicator signal . if the comparison word in memory 230 is identical to the new input word , then the result of comparison 251 from the comparator 250 is a logic zero , and otherwise a logic one . checker circuit 200 thus detects stuck - at errors and order violation errors . shift register 230 consecutively alternates its state on receiving the modified delay signal 217 . the new state of the shift register corresponds to a logical assignment of the input word , as expected in accordance with the handshake protocol after a renewed transition . if the new transition of the input word occurs within the defined delay time δ min after the first transition , the transition detection device generates a new trigger signal 215 . since the modified delay signal 217 still has a high level when the new change occurs , flipflop 240 outputs a logic one at indicator output 294 on receiving the new trigger signal 217 , thus indicating a premature transition error . the inverted indicator signal 242 is supplied to and gate 214 . this results in checker circuit 200 remaining inactive until it is reset by remote access via reset input 208 , since in the event of a protocol error the trigger unit no longer outputs any trigger signals due to feedback of the indicator signal . transition detection device 212 is likewise configured to generate a count signal 295 and to output same at counter output 296 whenever there is a change in a specified bit of the input word , i . e ., whenever there is a change in a logical assignment of a specific protocol signal . these count signals can be detected by another processor unit , not shown in fig4 , which means that this processor unit can also recognize a stuck - at error . fig5 shows a circuits of a modified delay unit 500 . it comprises a logic or gate 510 , a logic and gate 520 and a delay member 530 , which are connected to form a ring structure with two feedback loops . trigger signal 502 from the trigger unit ( not shown in fig5 ) is supplied to the first input of or gate 510 . the first output signal 504 of or gate 510 is supplied to the first input of and gate 520 and to delay member 530 . delay member 530 is configured to delay the first output signal 504 by half the defined delay time and to supply it as modified delay signal 506 not only to the memory ( not shown in fig5 ) and to the comparator unit ( not shown in fig5 ) but also , in inverted form , to a second input of and gate 520 . finally , a second output signal 508 from and gate 520 is supplied to a second input of or gate 510 . delay unit 500 can also be supplied a reset signal 512 via and gate 520 , said signal causing modified delay signal 506 to have a low level . in order to illustrate the interrelationships , fig6 shows an example of how the signals develop . signal 602 is a trigger signal that the trigger unit generates on detecting a signal transition and supplies to delay unit 500 . signal 606 is the modified delay signal from the delay unit . delay member 530 delay trigger signal 602 by half of the defined delay time δ min , i . e ., by time d . the signal width of the signal thus delay by time d is also modified in such a way that its duration is equal to half the defined delay time δ min , i . e ., to time d ( δ min / 2 ). since this modified delay signal is supplied to the sampler unit of the checker circuit , the latter outputs an indicator signal , on receiving a trigger signal generated on the basis of a new transition of the input word , if the new transition occurred within delay time δ min . fig7 shows a schematic circuit diagram of a memory 740 and a sampler unit 750 for sequentially checking the status of a plurality of checker circuits ( not shown in fig7 ). read - out line 760 connects all the memories in the plurality of checker circuits and ends at a global read - out output . the plurality of memories form a kind of combined memory . one memory may be a shift register , for example , and thus may itself comprise a plurality of serially connected flipflops . as already explained with reference to fig3 and fig4 , a comparator unit comprises , for example , a sampler unit 750 realized as a d - flipflop and a comparator ( not shown in fig7 ). since such a sampler unit likewise constitutes a memory from the information technology perspective , it is integrated in the combined memory by laying read - out line 760 accordingly . at each clock of the second clock signal 780 , a memory outputs a bit via read - out line 760 . one memory in the combined memory accepts one bit from the preceding adjacent memory and transfers one of its own bits to the next memory . the last memory in the combined memory consequently outputs the bits at the read - out output . since both the second clock signal and the signals from the read - out output can be detected , the stream of signals at the read - out output can be assigned to logic states of the memories in the plurality of checker circuits . fig8 shows the circuit design of a memory element 300 for sequentially checking the status of a plurality of checker circuits ( not shown in fig8 ). with the aid of such memory elements , the memory elements of the plurality of checker circuits can be combined to form one long combined memory that can be read out sequentially . such a memory element includes a conventional flipflop 350 and a multiplexer 310 . multiplexer 310 switches one of its two inputs to input 350 . 1 of flipflop 350 , according to read - out signal 370 . read - out line 360 is connected to a first input of multiplexer 310 . via this line 360 , bits from a preceding memory elements can be supplied to flipflop 350 when the read - out signal is at a high or low level . if the read - out signal has the other level , i . e . high or low , a result of comparison from a comparator ( not shown in fig8 ) of the checker circuit is supplied to flipflop 350 . in the first case , a respective checker circuit is in a “ read - out mode ”, in the second case in a checker mode . via line 380 , a trigger signal or the second clock signal can be selectively supplied to flipflop 350 . in read - out mode , the second clock signal is supplied to flipflop 350 via line 380 . at each clock signal , flipflop 350 then takes over one bit from a preceding flipflop and outputs its own bit via line 390 either to the read - out output ( not shown in fig8 ) or to a subsequent flipflop . in checker mode , memory element 300 fulfills the function already described with reference to fig3 and fig4 . fig9 shows a combination of two memory elements for sequentially checking the status of a plurality of checker circuits ( not shown in fig9 ). in this combination , it is all the same whether memory elements 410 and 420 belong to a single checker circuit or whether memory element 410 belongs to a first one of the plurality of checker circuits and memory element 420 to a second checker circuit . the structure of a respective memory element 410 / 420 corresponds to that in fig8 . both memory elements may be selectively placed in checker mode or in read - out mode by a read - out signal 470 supplied by a respective multiplexer 412 / 422 . in read - out mode , the second clock signal is supplied to flipflop 450 via line 480 . at each clock signal , flipflop 460 then takes over one bit from a preceding flipflop 450 and outputs its own bit via line 490 either to the read - out output ( not shown in fig9 ) or to a subsequent flipflop . in this way , the content of all the memory elements can be read out from all the checker circuits . fig1 shows a section from the circuit design of a checker circuit which is suitable for sequential status checking . the section includes comparator 1006 , to which an 2 - bit wide input word 1001 / 1003 and comparison word 1005 / 1007 of memory 1010 is supplied . the memory includes a 2 - bit shift register . the section also shows an and gate 1030 to which trigger signal 1021 and the inverted indicator signal 1011 are supplied . the output signal from and gate 1030 is supplied to delay unit 1020 . in checker mode , the circuit fulfills the function already described with reference to fig3 and fig4 . to switch the checker circuit to read - out mode ( status checking ), the circuit has a plurality of selector circuits 1082 , 1084 , 1086 and 1086 , to each of which read - out signal 1080 is supplied . the circuit is also supplied a second clock signal 1100 . an internal clock signal may be used for a synchronous circuit , in order to shift the content of the combined memory through the combined memory clock by clock , one bit at a time . in the case of an asynchronous circuit as shown here , which does not usually have a global clock signal , such a second clock signal must be separately supplied in order to operate a combined memory . memory 1010 can take over and pass on bits from the preceding checker circuit via line 1200 . depending on read - out signal 1080 , either the delayed trigger signal 1021 or the non - delayed signal 1022 from the trigger unit , or the second clock signal 1100 is supplied to the memory elements with the aid of multiplexers 1084 and 1086 . when the condition that the second clock signal 1100 is low in normal checker mode , and that the trigger unit does not transmit a pulse in read - out mode , is fulfilled , these two multiplexers , which have complex circuitry and are expensive , can be replaced by simple or gates . the checker circuits are in checker mode when checking asynchronous channels . after checking , the checker circuits are switched to read - out mode by the read - out signal , and the content of the memory elements of the checker circuit are read out sequentially by supplying the second clock signal via read - out line 1200 , 1009 . fig1 shows a schematic arrangement 1200 of a plurality of checker circuits for sequentially checking status . all the memory elements in checker circuits 1220 , 1230 and 1240 , i . e ., not only memories 1222 , 1232 and 1234 for the comparison words but also the sampler units 1224 , 1234 and 1244 realized as d - flipflops , are connected via read - out line 1255 to form a combined memory . in read - out mode , one bit is passed through the memory elements with each positive and / or negative edge of the second clock signal . a monitoring unit 1210 detects the second clock signal and also the signal at read - out output 1260 . this arrangement is suitable for many checker circuits , as the status of each checker circuit can be determined very quickly . fig1 shows a circuit arrangement 800 for checking a single execution of a handshake protocol by means of a checker circuit according to the invention . two communication units ( cus ) 802 and 804 ( or 804 and 806 ) set and read protocol signals , for example the req signal and the ack signal , on two signal lines 810 and 812 ( or 814 and 816 ). the communication units exchange data via communication channel 811 ( and 813 ). the respective protocol signals are sent for checking to a checker circuit 820 ( or 830 ) according to the invention . this circuit arrangement is recommended in cases where communication channels 811 and 813 are distant from each other . fig1 shows a circuit arrangement 900 for checking two executions of a handshake protocol . two communication units ( cus ) 950 and 960 ( or 960 and 970 ) set and read protocol signals , for example a req signal and an ack signal in each case , on signal lines 952 and 962 ( or 964 and 972 ). of the total of four protocol signals , two are supplied in each case to a selector circuit 920 ( or 930 ). depending on a control signal 942 from a control unit 940 , a respective selector circuit passes on one of its two input signals so that checker circuit 910 is supplied an 2 - bit wide input word 980 for checking . sequential checking of a plurality of executions of a handshake protocol by a single checker circuit is specifically recommended when communication units 950 , 960 , 970 are located not far from each other on one chip .	7
prior to the description of the embodiments , operation and its effect in variable power optical systems according to the present invention and in image pickup apparatuses having the same will be explained . a variable power optical system of the first embodiment is characterized in that : the variable power optical system at least includes , in order from the object side , a first lens group with negative refractive power , a magnification - changing group with positive refractive power , and a last lens group with positive refractive power ; the magnification - changing group includes a first lens element with positive refractive power , a second lens element , and a third lens element in that order from the object side ; the second lens element has a convex shape on the object side ; the last lens group includes a positive lens ; and the following conditions ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) are satisfied : where vdlg denotes the abbe &# 39 ; number of the positive lens of the last lens group with respect to the d line , r2a denotes the radius of curvature of the object - side surface of the second lens element , and r2b denotes the radius of curvature of the image - side surface of the third lens element . the condition ( 1 ) shows the abbe &# 39 ; s number of the positive lens of the last lens group . the condition ( 2 ) shows the shape factor for the second lens element and the third lens element . when the position of the principal point of a positive group that is the magnification - changing group is moved near the object side in retrofocus - type optical systems in general , it is possible to shorten the total lengths of the retrofocus - type optical systems while the positive group is not physically intercepting with the negative group . also , the magnification - changing group has a meniscus shape which becomes convex on the object side , by making the optical systems satisfy the condition ( 2 ). in this case , the principal point of the magnification - changing group can be moved near the object side . as a result , it is possible to control the variations in various aberrations . if vdlg is below the lower limit of the condition ( 1 ), there is no actual glass material for the positive lens , so that it is impossible to achieve desired optical systems . on the other hand , if vdlg is beyond the upper limit of the condition ( 1 ), it becomes difficult to correct chromatic aberration of magnification well in the telephoto end position . if ( r2a − r2b )/( r2a + r2b ) is below the lower limit of the condition ( 2 ), it is impossible to control the variations in spherical aberration and coma in changing magnification . on the other hand , if ( r2a − r2b )/( r2a + r2b ) is beyond the upper limit of the condition ( 2 ), it is impossible to move near the object side the principal point of the magnification - changing group . in addition , it is impossible to control the variations in spherical aberration and coma in changing magnification . when the conditions ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) are satisfied at the same time as described above , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the value of the total length of the variable power optical system relative to image height is made to become small and in which various aberrations are corrected well . specifically , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which chromatic aberration of magnification in the telephoto end position and the variations in spherical aberration and coma in changing magnification are particularly corrected well ( in particular , the variations in spherical aberration and coma are controlled better ). also , it is preferred that the variable power optical system of the first embodiment satisfies the following conditions ( 1 - 1 ) and ( 2 - 1 ) instead of the conditions ( 1 ) and ( 2 ): when the conditions ( 1 - 1 ) and ( 2 - 1 ) are satisfied , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the value of the total length of the variable power optical system relative to image height is small and in which various aberrations are corrected better . specifically , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which chromatic aberration of magnification in the telephoto end position and the variations in spherical aberration and coma in changing magnification are particularly corrected better . also , in a variable power optical system of the first embodiment , it is preferred that the second lens element in the magnification - changing group has positive refractive power and the third lens element in the magnification - changing group has negative refractive power . also , in a variable power optical system of the first embodiment , it is preferred that : the variable power optical system consists of a first lens group with negative refractive power , a second lens group with positive refractive power , a third lens group with negative refractive power , and a fourth lens group with positive refractive power , in that order from the object side ; and the magnification - changing group is the second lens group and the last lens group is the fourth lens group . also , in a variable power optical system of the first embodiment , it is preferred that the first lens group is made to keep still in changing magnification from the wide angle end position to the telephoto end position or in performing shooting by switching from shooting at infinity to shooting in close range . because the total length is fixed in changing magnification , it is possible to easily secure the strength of a lens frame . in addition , because the structure of the lens frame can be simplified , it is possible to downsize the optical system . also , in a variable power optical system of the first embodiment , it is preferred that the fourth lens group is made to keep still in changing magnification from the wide angle end position to the telephoto end position or in performing shooting by switching from shooting at infinity to shooting in close range . it is possible to make the movable components with two lens groups the number of which is the minimum number , by fixing the fourth lens group . as a result , the structure of the lens frame can be simplified , so that it is possible to downsize the optical system . in addition , it is possible to control the variations in aberrations , by arranging fixed groups on the object side and the image plane side of the two movable groups . also , in a variable power optical system according to the first embodiment , it is preferred that the following condition ( 3 ) is satisfied : where f1 denotes the focal length of the first lens group , flw denotes the focal length of the whole of the variable power optical system in the wide angle end position , and flt denotes the focal length of the whole of the variable power optical system in the telephoto end position . because the refractive power of the first lens group is strong , it is possible to move near the image plane side the point at which a virtual image is formed by the first lens group . as a result , it is possible to shorten the total length of the optical system . however , when the refractive power becomes large , it generally becomes difficult to correct aberrations . when the condition ( 3 ) is satisfied , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the value of the total length of the optical system relative to image height is small and in which various aberrations are corrected well . specifically , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the variations in spherical aberration and coma in changing magnification are particularly corrected ( controlled ) well . if \| f1 \|/( flw × flt ) 1 / 2 is below the lower limit of the condition ( 3 ), it is impossible to control the variations in spherical aberration and coma in changing magnification . on the other hand , if \| f1 \|/( flw × flt ) 1 / 2 is beyond the upper limit of the condition ( 3 ), it becomes difficult to move near the image plane side the point at which the virtual image is formed by the first lens group , which is undesirable . also , in a variable power optical system according to the first embodiment , it is preferred that the following condition ( 3 - 1 ) is satisfied instead of the condition ( 3 ): when the condition ( 3 - 1 ) is satisfied , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the value of the total length of the optical system relative to image height is small and in which various aberrations are corrected better . specifically , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the variations in spherical aberration and coma in changing magnification are particularly corrected ( controlled ) better . also , in a variable power optical system according to the first embodiment , it is preferred that the first lens group consists of two or less lens elements . also , in a variable power optical system according to the first embodiment , it is preferred that the following condition ( 4 ) is satisfied : where fv denotes the focal length of the magnification - changing group , flw denotes the focal length of the whole of the variable power optical system in the wide angle end position , and flt denotes the focal length of the whole of the variable power optical system in the telephoto end position . the condition ( 4 ) shows the focal length of the magnification - changing group . it generally becomes possible to reduce an amount of movement of the magnification - changing group in changing magnification by making the magnification - changing group have sufficiently strong refractive power . as a result , it is possible to shorten the total length of the optical system . however , when the refractive power becomes large , it generally becomes difficult to correct aberrations . when the condition ( 4 ) is satisfied , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the value of the total length of the variable power optical system relative to image height is small and in which various aberrations are corrected well . specifically , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which spherical aberration is particularly corrected well . if fv /( flw × flt ) 1 / 2 is below the lower limit of the condition ( 4 ), spherical aberration inevitably becomes worse , which is undesirable . on the other hand , if fv /( flw × flt ) 1 / 2 is beyond the upper limit of the condition ( 4 ), an amount of movement of the magnification - changing group inevitably increases in changing magnification , which is undesirable . also , in a variable power optical system according to the first embodiment , it is preferred that the following condition ( 4 - 1 ) is satisfied instead of the condition ( 4 ): when the condition ( 4 - 1 ) is satisfied , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the value of the total length of the optical system relative to image height is small and in which various aberrations are corrected better . specifically , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which spherical aberration is particularly corrected better . also , in a variable power optical system according to the present first invention , it is preferred that the last lens group consists of one lens element having positive refractive power . also , in a variable power optical system according to the first embodiment , it is preferred that : the positive lens in the last lens group has a concave shape on the object side ; and the following condition ( 5 ) is satisfied : where rla denotes the radius of curvature of the object - side surface of the positive lens in the last lens group , and rlb denotes the radius of curvature of the image - side surface of the positive lens in the last lens group . the condition ( 5 ) shows the shape factor of the positive lens of the last lens group . when the condition ( 5 ) is satisfied , the shape of the positive lens becomes a meniscus shape which becomes convex on the object side . as a result , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which various aberrations are corrected well . specifically , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the variation in field curvature in changing magnification is particularly corrected ( controlled ) well . on the other hand , if the condition ( 5 ) is not satisfied , it is impossible to control the variation in field curvature in changing magnification . also , in a variable power optical system according to the first embodiment , it is preferred that the following condition ( 5 - 1 ) is satisfied instead of the condition ( 5 ): when the condition ( 5 - 1 ) is satisfied , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the value of the total length of the optical system relative to image height is small and in which various aberrations are corrected better . specifically , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the variation in field curvature in changing magnification is particularly corrected ( controlled ) better . also , an image pickup apparatus of a first embodiment according to the present invention is characterized in that : the image pickup apparatus includes one of the above - described variable power optical systems according to the first embodiment , and an imaging sensor ; and the following condition ( 6 ) is satisfied : where f1 denotes the focal length of the first lens group , and ih denotes the image height of the imaging sensor . because the refractive power of the first lens group is strong , it is possible to move near the image plane side the point at which a virtual image is formed by the first lens group . as a result , it is possible to shorten the total length of the optical system . however , when the refractive power becomes large , it generally becomes difficult to correct aberrations . when the condition ( 6 ) is satisfied , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the value of the total length of the variable power optical system relative to image height is small and in which various aberrations are corrected well . specifically , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the variations in spherical aberration and coma in changing magnification are particularly corrected ( controlled ) well . in this case , ih denotes the image height of the imaging sensor . in a more detailed explanation , ih is half as long as the diagonal length of the image plane of the imaging sensor . besides , the height of an image formed on the imaging sensor may be used as ih ( where the height of an image formed on the imaging sensor is the distance between the optical axis and the maximum image height ). if \| f1 \|/ ih is below the lower limit of the condition ( 6 ), it is impossible to control the variations in spherical aberration and coma in changing magnification . on the other hand , if \| f1 \|/ ih is beyond the upper limit of the condition ( 6 ), it is becomes difficult to move near the image plane side the point at which a virtual image is formed by the first lens group , which is undesirable . also , in an image pickup apparatus according to the first embodiment , it is preferred that the following condition ( 6 - 1 ) is satisfied instead of the condition ( 6 ): when the condition ( 6 - 1 ) is satisfied , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the value of the total length of the optical system relative to image height is small and in which various aberrations are corrected better . specifically , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the variations in spherical aberration and coma in changing magnification are particularly corrected ( controlled ) better . also , an image pickup apparatus according to the first embodiment is characterized in that the image pickup apparatus includes one of the above described variable power optical systems according to the first embodiment , and an imaging sensor ; and the following condition ( 7 ) is satisfied : where fv denotes the focal length of the magnification - changing group , and ih denotes the image height of the imaging sensor . it is generally possible to reduce an amount of movement of the magnification - changing group in changing magnification by making the magnification - changing group have sufficiently strong refractive power . as a result , it is possible to shorten the total length of the optical system . however , when the refractive power becomes large , it generally becomes difficult to correct aberrations . when the condition ( 7 ) is satisfied , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the value of the total length of the variable power optical system relative to image height is small and in which various aberrations are corrected well . specifically , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which spherical aberration is particularly corrected better . besides , ih ( image height ) is as described above . if \| fv \|/ ih is below the lower limit of the condition ( 7 ), spherical aberration inevitably becomes worse , which is undesirable . on the other hand , if \| fv \|/ ih is beyond the upper limit of the condition ( 7 ), an amount of movement of the magnification - changing group inevitably increases in changing magnification , which is undesirable . also , in an image pickup apparatus according to the first embodiment , it is preferred that the following condition ( 7 - 1 ) is satisfied instead of the condition ( 7 ): when the condition ( 7 - 1 ) is satisfied , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the value of the total length of the optical system relative to image height is small and in which various aberrations are corrected better . specifically , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which spherical aberration is particularly corrected better . also , a variable power optical system according to the second embodiment is characterized in that : the variable power optical system includes , in order from the object side , a first lens group with negative refractive power , a second lens group with positive refractive power , a third lens group with negative refractive power , and a fourth lens group with positive refractive power ; the second lens group includes at least one positive lens and a negative lens ; the fourth lens group includes a positive lens ; and the following conditions ( 8 ), ( 9 ), and ( 10 ) are satisfied : where α =( flw × flt ) 1 / 2 , flw denotes the focal length of the whole of the variable power optical system in the wide angle end position , flt denotes the focal length of the whole of the variable power optical system in the telephoto end position , f1 denotes the focal length of the first lens group , f2 denotes the focal length of the second lens group , vd4g denotes the abbe &# 39 ; number of the positive lens of the fourth lens group with respect to the d line , vdmax denotes the abbe &# 39 ; s number of a glass material having the lowest dispersion characteristic of those of glass materials which are used for lenses of the second lens group , with respect to the d line , and vdmin denotes the abbe &# 39 ; s number of a glass material having the highest dispersion characteristic of those of glass materials which are used for lenses of the second lens group , with respect to the d line . in order to achieve an optical system in which the value of the total length of the variable power optical system relative to image height is small and in which various aberrations are corrected well , various aberrations have to be corrected in each of the lens groups while the power of each of the lens groups is being strengthened . for example , in the case where the fourth lens groups is composed of one positive lens , the positive lens should be made of a low dispersion material in order to control the occurrence of chromatic aberration by a single lens . however , if the value of the total length of the variable power optical system relative to image height is made to become smaller , the required power of each of the first and second lens groups increases , so that it becomes impossible to balance the power with the corrections of various aberrations ( monochromatic aberration / chromatic aberration ) in each of the lens groups . specifically , required power in the first lens group increases , so that the variations in monochromatic aberrations ( spherical aberration / coma ) become large in changing magnification . accordingly , in order to correct the monochromatic aberrations , the variations in monochromatic aberrations ( spherical aberration / coma ) are mainly controlled in the first lens group . however , the occurrence of chromatic aberration in the first lens group becomes frequent with the control of the variations in monochromatic aberrations . in addition , required power in the second lens group increases and chromatic aberration frequently occurs . accordingly , in the variable power optical system of the second embodiment , the fourth lens group is made to satisfy the condition ( 8 ) in order to correct these aberrations well . the condition ( 8 ) shows the abbe &# 39 ; s number of the positive lens in the fourth lens group . the condition ( 9 ) shows the relation between the abbe &# 39 ; s number of the positive lens in the fourth lens group and the powers of the first and second lens groups . the condition ( 10 ) shows the difference between a glass material having the lowest dispersion characteristic of those of grass materials for the second lens group and a glass material having the highest dispersion characteristic of those of the grass materials for the second lens group . when both of the conditions ( 8 ) and ( 9 ) are satisfied , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the value of the total length of the variable power optical system relative to image height is small and in which various aberrations are corrected well . in addition , when the condition ( 10 ) is also satisfied , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which various aberrations are corrected better . if vd4g is below the lower limit of the condition ( 8 ), there is no grass material , so that it is impossible to achieve a desired optical system . on the other hand , if vd4g is beyond the upper limit of the condition ( 8 ), it becomes difficult to correct chromatic aberration of magnification well in the telephoto end position . if \| α / f1 \|+( α / f2 )− 0 . 026 × vd4g is below the lower limit of the condition ( 9 ), the powers of the first and second lens group are inadequate , so that it is impossible to shorten the total length of the optical system . on the other hand , if \| α / f1 \|+( α / f2 )− 0 . 026 × vd4g is beyond the upper limit of the condition ( 9 ), the powers of the first and second lens groups become too strong , so that it is impossible to control the variations in spherical aberration and coma in changing magnification . if vdmax − vdmin is below the lower limit of the condition ( 10 ), the correction of chromatic aberration in the second lens group mainly becomes inadequate . on the other hand , if vdmax − vdmin is beyond the upper limit of the condition ( 10 ), the correction of chromatic aberration in the second lens group mainly becomes surplus . as described above , when the conditions ( 8 ), ( 9 ), and ( 10 ) are satisfied at the same time , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the value of the total length of the variable power optical system relative to image height is small and in which various aberrations are corrected well . specifically , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the variations in spherical aberration and coma in changing magnification and chromatic aberration are corrected particularly well . also , in a variable power optical system according to the second embodiment , it is preferred that the following conditions ( 8 - 1 ), ( 9 - 1 ), and ( 10 - 1 ) are satisfied instead of the conditions ( 8 ), ( 9 ), and ( 10 ): when the conditions ( 8 - 1 ), ( 9 - 1 ), and ( 10 - 1 ) are satisfied , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the value of the total length of the optical system relative to image height is small and in which various aberrations are corrected better . specifically , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the variations in spherical aberration and coma in changing magnification and chromatic aberration are particularly corrected better . also , in a variable power optical system according to the second embodiment , it is preferred that the first lens group is made to keep still in changing magnification from the wide angle end position to the telephoto end position or in performing shooting by changing shooting at infinity to shooting in close range . because the total length of the variable power optical system is fixed in changing magnification , it is possible to easily secure the strength of a lens frame . in addition , because the structure of the lens frame can be simplified , it is possible to downsize the optical system . also , in a variable power optical system according to the second embodiment , it is preferred that the fourth lens group is made to keep still in changing magnification from the wide angle end position to the telephoto end position or in performing shooting by changing shooting at infinity to shooting in close range . because the fourth lens group is fixed in changing magnification , a minimum of two lens groups can be used as movable components . as a result , the structure of the lens frame can be simplified , so that it is possible to downsize the optical system . in addition , when fixed lens groups are arranged on the object and image - plane sides of the two movable lens groups , it is possible to control the variations in aberrations . also , in a variable power optical system according to the present second embodiment , it is preferred that the following condition ( 3 ) is satisfied : where f1 denotes the focal length of the first lens group , flw denotes the focal length of the whole of the variable power optical system in the wide angle end position , and flt denotes the focal length of the whole of the variable power optical system in the telephoto end position . because the refractive power of the first lens group is strong , it is possible to move near the image plane side the point at which a virtual image is formed by the first lens group . as a result , it is possible to shorten the total length of the optical system . however , when the refractive power becomes large , it generally becomes difficult to correct aberrations . when the condition ( 3 ) is satisfied , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the value of the total length of the optical system relative to image height is small and in which various aberrations are corrected well . specifically , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the variations in spherical aberration and coma in changing magnification are particularly corrected ( controlled ) well . if \| f1 \|/( flw × flt ) 1 / 2 is below the lower limit of the condition ( 3 ), it is impossible to control the variations in spherical aberration and coma in changing magnification . on the other hand , if \| f1 \|/( flw × flt ) 1 / 2 is beyond the upper limit of the condition ( 3 ), it becomes difficult to move near the image plane side the point at which the virtual image is formed by the first lens group , which is undesirable . also , in a variable power optical system according to the second embodiment , it is preferred that the following condition ( 3 - 1 ) is satisfied instead of the condition ( 3 ): when the condition ( 3 - 1 ) is satisfied , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the value of the total length of the optical system relative to image height is small and in which various aberrations are corrected better . specifically , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the variations in spherical aberration and coma in changing magnification are particularly corrected ( controlled ) better . also , in a variable power optical system according to the second embodiment , it is preferred that the first lens group consists of two or less lens elements . also , in a variable power optical system according to the second embodiment , it is preferred that the following condition ( 11 ) is satisfied : where f2 denotes the focal length of the second lens group , flw denotes the focal length of the whole of the variable power optical system in the wide angle end position , and flt denotes the focal length of the whole of the variable power optical system in the telephoto end position . when the refractive power of the second lens group is strong , it is generally possible to reduce an amount of movement of the lens group in changing magnification . as a result , it is possible to shorten the total length of the optical system . however , when the refractive power becomes large , it generally becomes difficult to correct aberrations . when the condition ( 11 ) is satisfied , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the value of the total length of the optical system relative to image height is small and in which various aberrations are corrected well . specifically , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which spherical aberration is particularly corrected well . if f2 /( flw × flt ) 1 / 2 is below the lower limit of the condition ( 11 ), spherical aberration inevitably becomes worse , which is undesirable . on the other hand , if f2 /( flw × flt ) 1 / 2 is beyond the upper limit of the condition ( 11 ), an amount of movement of the lens group inevitably increases in changing magnification , which is undesirable . also , in a variable power optical system according to the second embodiment , it is preferred that the following condition ( 11 - 1 ) is satisfied instead of the condition ( 11 ): when the condition ( 11 - 1 ) is satisfied , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the value of the total length of the optical system relative to image height is small and in which various aberrations are corrected better . specifically , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which spherical aberration is particularly corrected better . also , in a variable power optical system according to the second embodiment , it is preferred that : the second lens group consists of a first lens element ( l21 ) with positive refractive power , a second lens element ( l22 ), and a third lens element ( l23 ) in that order from the object side ; the first lens element ( l21 ) has a convex shape on the object side ; and the following condition ( 2 ) is satisfied : where r2a denotes the radius of curvature of the object - side surface of the second lens element ( l22 ), and r2b denotes the radius of curvature of the image - side surface of the third lens element ( l23 ). the condition ( 2 ) shows the shape factor for the second lens element ( l22 ) and the third lens element ( l23 ). when the position of the principal point of a positive group that is the main magnification - changing group is moved near the object side in retrofocus - type optical systems in general , it is possible to shorten the total lengths of the retrofocus - type optical systems while the positive group is not physically intercepting with the negative group . when the condition ( 2 ) is satisfied , the magnification - changing group has a meniscus shape which becomes convex on the object side , so that the principal point of the second lens group can be moved near the object side . as a result , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which various aberrations are corrected well . specifically , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the variations in spherical aberration and coma in changing magnification are particularly corrected well . if ( r2a − r2b )/( r2a + r2b ) is below the lower limit of the condition ( 2 ), it is impossible to control the variations in spherical aberration and coma in changing magnification . on the other hand , if ( r2a − r2b )/( r2a + r2b ) is beyond the upper limit of the condition ( 2 ), it is impossible to move near the object side the position of the principal point of the second lens group . in addition , it is impossible to control the variations in spherical aberration and coma in changing magnification . also , it is preferred that the variable power optical system of the second embodiment satisfies the following condition ( 2 - 1 ) instead of the condition ( 2 ): when the condition ( 2 - 1 ) are satisfied , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the value of the total length of the variable power optical system relative to image height is small and in which various aberrations are corrected better . specifically , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the variations in spherical aberration and coma in changing magnification are particularly corrected better . also , in a variable power optical system of the second embodiment , it is preferred that the second lens element ( l22 ) has positive refractive power , and the third lens element ( l23 ) has negative refractive power . also , in a variable power optical system of the second embodiment , it is preferred that the fourth lens group consists of one lens element with positive refractive power . also , in a variable power optical system according to the second embodiment , it is preferred that : the positive lens in the fourth lens group has a concave shape on the object side ; and the following condition ( 12 ) is satisfied : where r4a denotes the radius of curvature of the object - side surface of the positive lens in the fourth lens group , and r4b denotes the radius of curvature of the image - side surface of the positive lens in the fourth lens group . the condition ( 12 ) shows the shape factor for the positive lens of the fourth lens group . when the condition ( 12 ) is satisfied , the shape of the positive lens becomes a meniscus shape which becomes concave on the object side . as a result , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which various aberrations are corrected well . specifically , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the variation in field curvature in changing magnification is particularly corrected ( controlled ) well . on the other hand , if the condition ( 12 ) is not satisfied , it is impossible to control the variation in field curvature in changing magnification . also , it is preferred that the variable power optical system of the second embodiment satisfies the following condition ( 12 - 1 ) instead of the condition ( 12 ): when the condition ( 12 - 1 ) are satisfied , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the value of the total length of the variable power optical system relative to image height is small and in which various aberrations are corrected better . specifically , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the variation in field curvature in changing magnification is particularly corrected ( controlled ) better . also , an image pickup apparatus according to the second embodiment includes one of the above - described variable power optical systems according to the second embodiment , and an imaging sensor . also , in an image pickup apparatus according to the second embodiment , it is preferred that : the image pickup apparatus includes a variable power optical system forming an optical image of an object , and an imaging sensor ; the imaging sensor transforms the optical image formed by the variable power optical system into electrical image signals ; the variable power optical system includes , in order from the object side , a first lens group with negative refractive power , a second lens group with positive refractive power , a third lens group with negative refractive power , and a fourth lens group with positive refractive power ; the second lens group includes at least one positive lens and a negative lens ; the fourth lens group includes a positive lens ; and the following conditions ( 8 ), ( 13 ), and ( 10 ) are satisfied : where ih denotes the image height of the imaging sensor , f1 denotes the focal length of the first lens group , f2 denotes the focal length of the second lens group , vd4g denotes the abbe &# 39 ; number of the positive lens of the fourth lens group with respect to the d line , vdmax denotes the abbe &# 39 ; s number of a glass material having the lowest dispersion characteristic of those of glass materials which are used for lenses of the second lens group , with respect to the d line , and vdmin denotes the abbe &# 39 ; s number of a glass material having the highest dispersion characteristic of those of glass materials which are used for lenses of the second lens group , with respect to the d line . when both of the conditions ( 8 ) and ( 13 ) are satisfied , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the value of the total length of the variable power optical system relative to image height is small and in which various aberrations are corrected well . in addition , when the condition ( 10 ) is also satisfied , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which various aberrations are also corrected better . in this case , ih denotes the image height of the imaging sensor . in a more detailed explanation , ih is half as long as the diagonal length of the image plane of the imaging sensor . besides , the height of an image formed on the imaging sensor may be used as ih ( where the height of an image formed on the imaging sensor is the distance between the optical axis and the maximum image height ). the conditions ( 8 ) and ( 10 ) have been already explained . also , the condition ( 13 ) has the same technical significance and the same operation effects as the condition ( 9 ) does . as described above , when the conditions ( 8 ), ( 13 ), and ( 10 ) are satisfied at the same time , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the value of the total length of the variable power optical system relative to image height is small and in which various aberrations are corrected well . specifically , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the variations in spherical aberration and coma in changing magnification and chromatic aberration are particularly corrected well . also , in an image pickup apparatus according to the second embodiment , it is preferred that the following conditions ( 8 - 1 ), ( 13 - 1 ), and ( 10 - 1 ) are satisfied instead of the conditions ( 8 ), ( 13 ), and ( 10 ): when the conditions ( 8 - 1 ), ( 13 - 1 ), and ( 10 - 1 ) are satisfied , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the value of the total length of the optical system relative to image height is small and in which various aberrations are corrected better . specifically , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the variations in spherical aberration and coma in changing magnification and chromatic aberration are particularly corrected better . also , in an image pickup apparatus according to the second embodiment , it is preferred that the image pickup apparatus includes a variable power optical system in which the first lens group is made to keep still in changing magnification from the wide angle end position to the telephoto end position or in performing shooting by changing shooting at infinity to shooting in close range . also , in an image pickup apparatus according to the present embodiment , it is preferred that the image pickup apparatus includes a variable power optical system in which the fourth lens group is made to keep still in changing magnification from the wide angle end position to the telephoto end position or in performing shooting by changing shooting at infinity to shooting in close range . the matter of the constitution in which the first and fourth lens groups are fixed has been already explained . also , in an image pickup apparatus according to the second embodiment , it is preferred that the following condition ( 6 ) is satisfied : where f1 denotes the focal length of the first lens group , and ih denotes the image height of the imaging sensor . the condition ( 6 ) has the same technical significance and the same operation effects as the condition ( 3 ) does . besides , the explanation about the image height has been described above . also , in an image pickup apparatus according to the second embodiment , it is preferred that the following condition ( 6 - 1 ) is satisfied instead of the condition ( 6 ): also , in an image pickup apparatus according to the second embodiment , it is preferred that the first lens group in the variable power optical system consists of two or less lens elements . also , in an image pickup apparatus according to the second embodiment , it is preferred that the following condition ( 14 ) is satisfied : where f2 denotes the focal length of the second lens group , and ih denotes the image height of the imaging sensor . the condition ( 14 ) has the same technical significance and the same operation effects as the condition ( 11 ) does . besides , the explanation about ih has been described above . also , in an image pickup apparatus according to the second embodiment , it is preferred that the following condition ( 14 - 1 ) is satisfied instead of the condition ( 14 ): also , in an image pickup apparatus according to the second embodiment , it is preferred that : the second lens group in the variable power optical system consists of a first lens element with positive refractive power , a second lens element , and a third lens element in that order from the object side ; the first lens element has a convex shape on the object side ; and the following condition ( 2 ) is satisfied : where r2a denotes the radius of curvature of the object - side surface of the second lens element , and r2b denotes the radius of curvature of the image - side surface of the third lens element . the technical significance and the operation effects of the condition ( 2 ) have been already explained . also , in an image pickup apparatus according to the second embodiment , it is preferred that the following condition ( 2 - 1 ) is satisfied instead of the condition ( 2 ): also , in an image pickup apparatus according to the second embodiment , it is preferred that the second lens element in the variable power optical system has positive refractive power and the third lens element in the variable power optical system has negative refractive power , respectively . also , in an image pickup apparatus according to the second embodiment , it is preferred that the fourth lens group in the variable power optical system consists of one lens element with positive refractive power . also , in an image pickup apparatus according to the second embodiment , it is preferred that : the positive lens in the fourth lens group in the variable power optical system has a concave shape on the object side ; and the following condition ( 12 ) is satisfied : where r4a denotes the radius of curvature of the object - side surface of the positive lens in the fourth lens group , and r4b denotes the radius of curvature of the image - side surface of the positive lens in the fourth lens group . the technical significance and the operation effects of the condition ( 12 ) have been already explained . also , in an image pickup apparatus according to the second embodiment , it is preferred that the following condition ( 12 - 1 ) is satisfied instead of the condition ( 12 ): also , a variable power optical system according to the third embodiment is characterized in that : the variable power optical system includes , in order from the object side , a first lens group with negative refractive power , a second lens group with positive refractive power , a third lens group with negative refractive power , and a fourth lens group with positive refractive power ; the first lens group includes one negative lens and one positive lens in that order from the object side , and an air distance is provided between the negative and positive lenses of the first lens group ; and the following conditions ( 15 ), ( 16 ), and ( 17 ) are satisfied : where nd1g denotes the refractive index of each of lenses constituting the first lens group , with respect to the d line , vd1g denotes the abbe &# 39 ; s number of each of lenses constituting the first lens group , with respect to the d lines , vdn denotes the abbe &# 39 ; s numbers of the negative lens in the first lens group , with respect to the d lines , and vdp denotes the abbe &# 39 ; s numbers of the positive lens in the first lens group , with respect to the d lines . the variable power optical system according to the third embodiment is characterized in that both of the negative and positive lenses constituting the first lens group have high refractive index and high dispersion characteristic . the condition ( 15 ) shows the refractive index of each of the lenses constituting the first lens group . the condition ( 16 ) shows the abbe &# 39 ; s number of each of the lenses constituting the first lens group . the condition ( 17 ) shows the difference between the abbe &# 39 ; s numbers of the negative and positive lenses constituting the first lens group . when the condition ( 15 ) is satisfied , it is possible to strengthen the refractive power while the radius of curvature of each of the lenses constituting the first lens group is being made to become large . small radius of curvature generally makes the variations in various aberrations large . that is to say , it is possible to control the variations in various aberrations and it is possible to achieve desired refractive power , by making the radius of curvature large . in addition , when both of the conditions ( 16 ) and ( 17 ) are satisfied , it is possible to correct various aberrations in the first lens group well while desired refractive power is being achieved in the first lens group . if nd1g is below the lower limit of the condition ( 15 ), it is impossible to achieve desired refractive power with the variations in various aberrations in each of the lenses being controlled . on the other hand , if nd1g is beyond the upper limit of the condition ( 15 ), there is no glass material for the lenses constituting first lens group , so that it is impossible to achieve a desired optical system . if vd1g is below the lower limit of the condition ( 16 ), there is no glass material for the lenses constituting the first lens group , so that it is impossible to achieve a desired optical system . on the other hand , if vd1g is beyond the upper limit of the condition ( 16 ), actual glass materials cause a decline in the refractive power , so that it is impossible to achieve a desired refractive index of the first lens group . if vdn − vdp is below the lower limit of the condition ( 17 ), the correction of chromatic aberration inevitably becomes inadequate . on the other hand , if vdn − vdp is beyond the upper limit of the condition ( 17 ), the correction of chromatic aberration inevitably becomes surplus . as described above , when the conditions ( 15 ), ( 16 ), and ( 17 ) are satisfied at the same time , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the value of the total length of the variable power optical system relative to image height is small and in which various aberrations are corrected well . specifically , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which chromatic aberration is particularly corrected well . also , in a variable power optical system according to the third embodiment , it is preferred that the following conditions ( 15 - 1 ), ( 16 - 1 ), and ( 17 - 1 ) are satisfied instead of the conditions ( 15 ), ( 16 ), and ( 17 ): when the conditions ( 15 - 1 ), ( 16 - 1 ), and ( 17 - 1 ) are satisfied , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the value of the total length of the optical system relative to image height is small and in which various aberrations are corrected better . specifically , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which chromatic aberration is particularly corrected better . in a variable power optical system according to the third embodiment , it is preferred that the following condition ( 18 ) is satisfied : where d denotes the axial air distance between the negative and positive lenses of the first lens group , flw denotes the focal length of the whole of the variable power optical system in the wide angle end position , and flt denotes the focal length of the whole of the variable power optical system in the telephoto end position . when the condition ( 18 ) is satisfied , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which various aberrations are corrected well while the thickness of the first lens group is being thinned . specifically , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the variations in spherical aberration and coma in changing magnification are particularly corrected ( controlled ) well . if d /( flw × flt ) 1 / 2 is below the lower limit of the condition ( 18 ), it is impossible to control the variations in spherical aberration and coma in changing magnification . on the other hand , if d /( flw × flt ) 1 / 2 is beyond the upper limit of the condition ( 18 ), the thickness of the first lens group increases , so that it is impossible to achieve a desired optical system . also , in a variable power optical system according to the third embodiment , it is preferred that the following condition ( 18 - 1 ) is satisfied instead of the condition ( 18 ): when the condition ( 18 - 1 ) is satisfied , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which various aberrations are corrected better while the thickness of the first lens group is being thinned . specifically , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the variations in spherical aberration and coma in changing magnification are particularly corrected ( controlled ) better . also , in a variable power optical system according to the third embodiment , it is preferred that : an air lens which has a convex shape on the object side is formed nearer to the image - plane side than the negative lens of the first lens group ; and the following condition ( 19 ) is satisfied : where r2 denotes the radius of curvature of the image - side surface of the negative lens of the first lens group , and r3 denotes the radius of curvature of the object - side surface of the positive lens of the first lens group . the condition ( 19 ) shows the shape factor of the air lens of the first lens group . when the condition ( 19 ) is satisfied , it is shown that the air lens becomes a meniscus lens having a convex shape on the object side and having positive refractive power . as a result , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the variations in spherical aberration and coma in changing magnification are corrected ( controlled ) well . if ( r2 − r3 )/( r2 + r3 ) is below the lower limit of the condition ( 19 ), the refractive power of the air lens is reduced , so that it is impossible to control the variations in spherical aberration and coma in changing magnification . on the other hand , if ( r2 − r3 )/( r2 + r3 ) is beyond the upper limit of the condition ( 19 ), the refractive index of the air lens becomes high . that is to say , the radius of curvature of the object - side surface of the positive lens in the first lens group becomes large , so that it is impossible to correct various aberrations well while desired refractive power of the first lens group is being achieved . also , in a variable power optical system according to the third embodiment , it is preferred that the following condition ( 19 - 1 ) is satisfied instead of the condition ( 19 ): when the condition ( 19 - 1 ) is satisfied , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the value of the total length of the optical system relative to image height is small and in which various aberrations are corrected better . specifically , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the variations in spherical aberration and coma in changing magnification are particularly corrected ( controlled ) better . also , in a variable power optical system of the third embodiment , it is preferred that the first lens group is made to keep still in changing magnification from the wide angle end position to the telephoto end position or in performing shooting by switching from shooting at infinity to shooting in close range . because the total length is fixed in changing magnification , it is possible to easily secure the strength of a lens frame . in addition , because the structure of the lens frame can be simplified , it is possible to downsize the optical system . also , in a variable power optical system of the third embodiment , it is preferred that the fourth lens group is made to keep still in changing magnification from the wide angle end position to the telephoto end position or in performing shooting by switching from shooting at infinity to shooting in close range . it is possible to use a minimum of two lens groups as movable components by fixing the fourth lens group . as a result , the structure of the lens frame can be simplified , so that it is possible to downsize the optical system . in addition , it is possible to control the variations in aberrations , by arranging fixed groups on the object side and the image - plane side of the two movable groups . also , in a variable power optical system according to the present third embodiment , it is preferred that the following condition ( 3 ) is satisfied : where f1 denotes the focal length of the first lens group , flw denotes the focal length of the whole of the variable power optical system in the wide angle end position , and flt denotes the focal length of the whole of the variable power optical system in the telephoto end position . the first lens group has high refractive power , so that it is possible to move near the image plane side a point at which a virtual image is formed by the first lens group . as a result , it is possible to shorten the total length of the optical system . however , when refractive power becomes high , it generally becomes difficult to correct aberrations . when the condition ( 3 ) is satisfied , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the value of the total length of the optical system relative to image height is small and in which various aberrations are corrected well . specifically , it is possible to achieve an optical system in which variations in spherical aberration and coma in changing magnification are particularly corrected ( controlled ) well . if \| f1 \|/( flw × flt ) 1 / 2 is below the lower limit value of the condition ( 3 ), it becomes impossible to control variations in spherical aberration and coma in changing magnification . on the other hand , if \| f1 \|/( flw × flt ) 1 / 2 is beyond the upper limit value of the condition ( 3 ), it becomes difficult to move near the image - plane side a point at which a virtual image is formed by the first lens group , which is undesirable . also , in a variable power optical system according to the present third invention , it is preferred that the following condition ( 3 - 2 ) is satisfied instead of the condition ( 3 ): when the condition ( 3 - 2 ) is satisfied , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the value of the total length of the optical system relative to image height is small and in which various aberrations are corrected better . specifically , it is possible to achieve an optical system in which the variations in spherical aberration and coma in changing magnification are particularly corrected ( controlled ) better . also , in a variable power optical system according to the present third embodiment , it is preferred that the following condition ( 20 ) is satisfied : where fln denotes the focal length of the negative lens of the first lens group and flp denotes the focal length of the positive lens of the first lens group . the condition ( 20 ) shows the ratio of power of the negative lens to power of the positive lens in the first lens group . when the condition ( 20 ) is satisfied , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the value of the total length of the optical system relative to image height is small and in which various aberrations are corrected well . specifically , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which chromatic aberration is particularly corrected well . if fln / flp is below the lower limit value of the condition ( 20 ), a correction of chromatic aberration inevitably becomes surplus one . on the other hand , if fln / flp is beyond the upper limit value of the condition ( 20 ), a correction of chromatic aberration inevitably becomes insufficient one . also , in a variable power optical system according to the third embodiment , it is preferred that the following condition ( 11 ) is satisfied : where f2 denotes the focal length of the second lens group , flw denotes the focal length of the whole of the variable power optical system in the wide angle end position , and flt denotes the focal length of the whole of the variable power optical system in the telephoto end position . when the refractive power of the second lens group is sufficiently strong , it is generally possible to reduce an amount of movement of the lens group in changing magnification . as a result , it is possible to shorten the total length of the optical system . however , when the refractive power becomes high , it generally becomes difficult to correct aberrations . when the condition ( 11 ) is satisfied , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the value of the total length of the optical system relative to image height is small and in which various aberrations are corrected well . specifically , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which spherical aberration is particularly corrected well . if f2 /( flw × flt ) 1 / 2 is below the lower limit value of the condition ( 11 ), spherical aberration inevitably becomes worse , which is undesirable . on the other hand , if f2 /( flw × flt ) 1 / 2 is beyond the upper limit value of the condition ( 11 ), an amount of movement of the lens group inevitably increases in changing magnification , which is undesirable . also , in a variable power optical system according to the third embodiment , it is preferred that the following condition ( 11 - 2 ) is satisfied instead of the condition ( 11 ): when the condition ( 11 - 2 ) is satisfied , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the value of the total length of the optical system relative to image height is small and in which various aberrations are corrected better . specifically , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which spherical aberration is particularly corrected better . also , in a variable power optical system according to the third embodiment , it is preferred that : the negative lens in the first lens group has a convex shape on the object side ; and the following condition ( 21 ) is satisfied : where r1 denotes the radius of curvature of the object - side surface of the negative lens of the first lens group and r2 denotes the radius of curvature of the image - side surface of the negative lens of the first lens group . the condition ( 21 ) shows the shape factor of the negative lens of the first lens group . when the condition ( 21 ) is satisfied , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the value of the total length of the optical system relative to image height is small and in which various aberrations are corrected well . specifically , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the variations in spherical aberration and coma in changing magnification are particularly corrected ( controlled ) well . if ( r1 − r2 )/( r1 + r2 ) is below the lower limit of the condition ( 21 ), the power of the negative lens of the first lens group is reduced . in this case , it becomes difficult to move near the image - plane side the point at which a virtual image is formed by the first lens group , which is undesirable . on the other hand , if ( r1 − r2 )/( r1 + r2 ) is beyond the upper limit of the condition ( 21 ), the negative lens of the first lens group inevitably has a biconcave shape , so that it is impossible to control the variations in spherical aberration and coma in changing magnification . also , in a variable power optical system according to the third embodiment , it is preferred that : the fourth lens group consists of one lens with positive refractive power ; and the following condition ( 22 ) is satisfied : where vd4g denotes abbe &# 39 ; s number of the positive lens of the fourth lens group with respect to the d line . the condition ( 22 ) shows the abbe &# 39 ; s number of the positive lens of the fourth lens group . the achievement of the condition ( 22 ) makes it possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which the value of the total length of the optical system relative to image height is small and in which various aberrations are corrected well . specifically , it is possible to achieve a variable power optical system in which chromatic aberration of magnification is particularly corrected well in the telephoto end position . if vd4g is below the lower limit of the condition ( 22 ), there is no actual glass material , so that it is impossible to achieve a desired optical system . on the other hand , if vd4g is beyond the upper limit of the condition ( 22 ), it becomes difficult to correct chromatic aberration of magnification well in the telephoto end position . also , in an image pickup apparatus according to the third embodiment , it is preferred that : the image pickup apparatus includes one of the above - described variable power optical systems according to the third embodiment , and an imaging sensor ; and the following condition ( 6 ) is satisfied : where f1 denotes the focal length of the first lens group , and ih denotes the image height of the imaging sensor . the condition ( 6 ) has the same technical significance and the same operation effect as the condition ( 3 ) does . in this case , ih denotes the image height of the imaging sensor . in a more detailed explanation , ih is half as long as the diagonal length of the image plane of the imaging sensor . besides , the height of an image formed on the imaging sensor ( the distance between the optical axis and the maximum image height ) may be used as ih . also , in an image pickup apparatus according to the third embodiment , it is preferred that the following condition ( 6 - 1 ) is satisfied instead of the condition ( 6 ): also , in an image pickup apparatus according to the third embodiment , it is preferred that : the image pickup apparatus includes one of the above - described variable power optical systems according to the third embodiment , and an imaging sensor ; and the following condition ( 14 ) is satisfied : where f2 denotes the focal length of the second lens group , and ih denotes the image height of the imaging sensor . the condition ( 14 ) has the same technical significance and the same operation effects as the condition ( 11 ) does . besides , the explanation about ih has been described above . also , in an image pickup apparatus according to the third embodiment , it is preferred that the following condition ( 14 - 1 ) is satisfied instead of the condition ( 14 ): embodiments for variable power optical systems according to the present invention and image pickup apparatuses having the same are explained using the drawings , below . first , the embodiments 1 to 12 for variable power optical systems according to the present invention will be explained . the sectional view of the variable power optical system of the embodiment 1 is shown in fig1 , the sectional view of the variable power optical system of the embodiment 2 is shown in fig5 , the sectional view of the variable power optical system of the embodiment 3 is shown in fig9 , the sectional view of the variable power optical system of the embodiment 4 is shown in fig1 , the sectional view of the variable power optical system of the embodiment 5 is shown in fig1 , the sectional view of the variable power optical system of the embodiment 6 is shown in fig2 , the sectional view of the variable power optical system of the embodiment 7 is shown in fig2 , the sectional view of the variable power optical system of the embodiment 8 is shown in fig2 , the sectional view of the variable power optical system of the embodiment 9 is shown in fig3 , the sectional view of the variable power optical system of the embodiment 10 is shown in fig3 , the sectional view of the variable power optical system of the embodiment 11 is shown in fig3 , and the sectional view of the variable power optical system of the embodiment 12 is shown in fig4 . in the embodiment 1 , the image height ( ih ) is 2 . 9 mm , and the pixel pitch of the imaging sensor is 1 . 4 μm . in the embodiment 10 , the image height ( ih ) is 2 . 25 mm , and the pixel pitch of the imaging sensor is 1 . 1 μm , in the below explanation . however , the image height and the pixel pitch in each of the below - described embodiments are not limited to these numerical values . for example , the pixel pitch of the imaging sensor may be 2 . 00 μm , 1 . 75 μm , 1 . 40 μm , or 1 . 1 μm . the diameter of the aperture stop in the telephoto end position is larger than that of the aperture stop in the wide angle end position . as a result , it is possible to prevent the deterioration of the performance due to the diffraction limit , in the telephoto end position . however , the aperture diameter may be unchangeable if there is no practical problem . the optical constitution of the variable power optical system of the present embodiment is explained using fig1 . the total length of the variable power optical system of the present embodiment is about 13 mm . the variable power optical system of the present embodiment includes , in order from the object side , a first lens group g1 with negative refractive power , a second lens group g2 with positive refractive power , a third lens group g3 with negative refractive power , and a fourth lens group g4 with positive refractive power , these lens groups being located on the optical axis lc . the first lens group g1 is composed of a negative meniscus lens l11 the convex surface of which faces toward the object side and a positive meniscus lens l12 the convex surface of which faces toward the object side , in that order from the object side . and , the first lens group g1 as a whole has negative refractive power . the second lens group g2 includes a first lens element with positive refractive power , a second lens element , and a third lens element , in that order from the object side . the first and second lens elements have convex shapes on the object side , respectively . specifically , the second lens group is composed of a biconvex positive lens l21 which becomes the first lens element , an aperture stop s , a biconvex positive lens l22 which becomes the second lens element , and a biconcave negative lens l23 which becomes the third lens element and is joined to the biconvex positive lens l22 , in that order from the object side . and , the second lens group g2 has positive refractive power as a whole and has a main magnification change function . the third lens group g3 is composed of one biconcave negative lens l3 . besides , the biconcave negative lens l3 may be replaced with a negative meniscus lens the convex surface of which faces toward the object side or with a negative meniscus lens the concave surface of which faces toward the object side . the fourth lens group g4 is composed of one positive meniscus lens l4 the convex surface of which faces toward the image side . in changing magnification from the wide angle end position to the telephoto end position , the first lens group g1 and the fourth lens group g4 keep still , and the second lens group g2 and the third lens group g3 move toward the object side . in changing from an object point at infinity to a close object point to focus the optical system on the close object point , both of the second and third lens groups g2 and g3 may be moved . the optical constitution of the variable power optical system of the present embodiment is explained using fig5 . the total length of the variable power optical system of the present embodiment is about 13 mm . the variable power optical system of the present embodiment includes , in order from the object side , a first lens group g1 with negative refractive power , a second lens group g2 with positive refractive power , a third lens group g3 with negative refractive power , and a fourth lens group g4 with positive refractive power , these lens group being located on the optical axis lc . the first lens group g1 is composed of a negative meniscus lens l11 the convex surface of which faces toward the object side and a positive meniscus lens l12 the convex surface of which faces toward the object side , in that order from the object side . and , the first lens group g1 as a whole has negative refractive power . the second lens group g2 includes a first lens element with positive refractive power , a second lens element , and a third lens element , in that order from the object side . the first and second lens elements have convex shapes on the object side , respectively . specifically , the second lens group g2 is composed of a biconvex positive lens l21 which becomes the first lens element , an aperture stop s , a biconvex positive lens l22 which becomes the second lens element , and a biconcave negative lens l23 which becomes the third lens element and is joined to the biconvex positive lens l22 , in that order from the object side . and , the second lens group g2 has positive refractive power as a whole and has a main magnification change function . the third lens group g3 is composed of one negative meniscus lens l3 the concave surface of which faces toward the object side . besides , the negative meniscus lens element l3 the concave surface of which faces toward the object side may be replaced with a negative meniscus lens the convex surface of which faces toward the object side or with a biconcave negative lens . the fourth lens group g4 is composed of one positive meniscus lens l4 the convex surface of which faces toward the image side . in changing magnification from the wide angle end position to the telephoto end position , the first lens group g1 and the fourth lens group g4 keep still , and the second lens group g2 and the third lens group g3 move toward the object side . in changing from an object point at infinity to a close object point to focus the optical system on the close object point , both of the second and third lens groups g2 and g3 may be moved . it is possible to correct variation in field curvature well in focusing on an object , by moving the both lens groups . the optical constitution of the variable power optical system of the present embodiment is explained using fig9 . the total length of the variable power optical system of the present embodiment is about 16 mm . the variable power optical system of the present embodiment includes , in order from the object side , a first lens group g1 with negative refractive power , a second lens group g2 with positive refractive power , a third lens group g3 with positive refractive power , and a fourth lens group g4 with positive refractive power , these lens groups being located on the optical axis lc . the first lens group g1 is composed of one biconcave negative lens l1 . the second lens group g2 is composed of one positive meniscus lens l2 the convex surface of which faces toward the object side . the third lens group g3 includes a first lens element with positive refractive power , a second lens element , and a third lens element , in that order from the object side . the second lens element has a convex shape on the object side . specifically , the second lens group g3 is composed of an aperture stop s , a biconvex positive lens l31 which becomes the first lens element , a negative meniscus lens l32 which becomes the second lens element and the convex surface of which faces toward the object side , and a negative meniscus lens l33 which becomes the third lens element and the convex surface of which faces toward the object side , in that order from the object side . and , the third lens group g3 as a whole has positive refractive power . the fourth lens group g4 is composed of one biconvex positive lens l4 . in changing magnification from the wide angle end position to the telephoto end position , the first lens group g1 and the fourth lens group g4 keep still , and the second lens group g2 and the third lens group g3 move toward the object side . in changing from an object point at infinity to a close object point to focus the optical system on the close object point , both of the second and third lens groups g2 and g3 may be moved . it is possible to correct variation in field curvature well in focusing on an object , by moving the both lens groups . the optical constitution of the variable power optical system of the present embodiment is explained using fig1 . the total length of the variable power optical system of the present embodiment is about 13 mm . the variable power optical system of the present embodiment includes , in order from the object side , a first lens group g1 with negative refractive power , a second lens group g2 with positive refractive power , a third lens group g3 with negative refractive power , and a fourth lens group g4 with positive refractive power , these lens groups being located on the optical axis lc . the first lens group g1 is composed of a negative meniscus lens l11 the convex surface of which faces toward the object side and a positive meniscus lens l12 the convex surface of which faces toward the object side , in that order from the object side . and , the first lens group g1 as a whole has negative refractive power . the second lens group g2 includes a first lens element with positive refractive power , a second lens element , and a third lens element , in that order from the object side . the first and second lens elements have convex shapes on the object side , respectively . specifically , the second lens group g2 is composed of a biconvex positive lens l21 which becomes the first lens element , an aperture stop s , a biconvex positive lens l22 which becomes the second lens element , and a biconcave negative lens l23 which becomes the third lens element and is joined to the biconvex positive lens l22 , in that order from the object side . and , the second lens group g2 has positive refractive power as a whole and has a main magnification change function . the third lens group g3 is composed of one biconcave negative lens l3 . besides , the biconcave negative lens l3 may be replaced with a negative meniscus lens the convex surface of which faces toward the object side or with a negative meniscus lens the concave surface of which faces toward the object side . the fourth lens group g4 is composed of one positive meniscus lens l4 the convex surface of which faces toward the image side . in changing magnification from the wide angle end position to the telephoto end position , the first lens group g1 and the fourth lens group g4 keep still , and the second lens group g2 and the third lens group g3 move toward the object side . in changing from an object point at infinity to a close object point to focus the optical system on the close object point , both of the second and third lens groups g2 and g3 may be moved . the optical constitution of the variable power optical system of the present embodiment is explained using fig1 . the total length of the variable power optical system of the present embodiment is about 13 mm . the variable power optical system of the present embodiment includes , in order from the object side , a first lens group g1 with negative refractive power , a second lens group g2 with positive refractive power , a third lens group g3 with negative refractive power , and a fourth lens group g4 with positive refractive power , these lens groups being located on the optical axis lc . the first lens group g1 is composed of a negative meniscus lens l11 the convex surface of which faces toward the object side and a positive meniscus lens l12 the convex surface of which faces toward the object side , in that order from the object side . and , the first lens group g1 as a whole has negative refractive power . the second lens group g2 includes a first lens element with positive refractive power , a second lens element , and a third lens element , in that order from the object side . the first and second lens elements have convex shapes on the object side , respectively . specifically , the second lens group is composed of a biconvex positive lens l21 which becomes the first lens element , an aperture stop s , a biconvex positive lens l22 which becomes the second lens element , and a biconcave negative lens l23 which becomes the third lens element and is joined to the biconvex positive lens l22 , in that order from the object side . and , the second lens group g2 has positive refractive power as a whole and has a main magnification change function . the third lens group g3 is composed of one biconcave negative lens l3 . besides , the biconcave negative lens l3 may be replaced with a negative meniscus lens the convex surface of which faces toward the object side or with a negative meniscus lens the concave surface of which faces toward the object side . the fourth lens group g4 is composed of one positive meniscus lens l4 the convex surface of which faces toward the image side . in changing magnification from the wide angle end position to the telephoto end position , the first lens group g1 and the fourth lens group g4 keep still , and the second lens group g2 and the third lens group g3 move toward the object side . in changing from an object point at infinity to a close object point to focus the optical system on the close object point , both of the second and third lens groups g2 and g3 may be moved . the optical constitution of the variable power optical system of the present embodiment is explained using fig2 . the total length of the variable power optical system of the present embodiment is about 13 . 5 mm . the variable power optical system of the present embodiment includes , in order from the object side , a first lens group g1 with negative refractive power , a second lens group g2 with positive refractive power , a third lens group g3 with negative refractive power , and a fourth lens group g4 with positive refractive power , these lens group being located on the optical axis lc . the first lens group g1 is composed of a biconcave negative lens l11 and a positive meniscus lens l12 which is jointed to the biconcave negative lens l11 and the convex surface of which faces toward the object side , in that order from the object side . and , the first lens group g1 as a whole has negative refractive power . when the l12 is made of energy curable resin , it is possible to make the first lens group g1 thin , so that it is possible to sufficiently secure an amount of movement of the second lens group g2 in changing magnification . as a result , it is possible to shorten the total length of the optical system while good performance of the optical system is being maintained . the second lens group g2 includes a first lens element with positive refractive power , a second lens element , and a third lens element , in that order from the object side . the first and second lens elements have convex shapes on the object side , respectively . specifically , the second lens group g2 is composed of a biconvex positive lens l21 which becomes the first lens element , an aperture stop s , a biconvex positive lens l22 which becomes the second lens element , and a biconcave negative lens l23 which becomes the third lens element and is joined to the biconvex positive lens l22 , in that order from the object side . and , the second lens group g2 as a whole has positive refractive power . the third lens group g3 is composed of one biconcave negative lens l3 . besides , the biconcave negative lens element l3 may be replaced with a negative meniscus lens the convex surface of which faces toward the object side or with a negative meniscus lens the concave surface of which faces toward the object side . the fourth lens group g4 is composed of one positive meniscus lens l4 the convex surface of which faces toward the image side . in changing magnification from the wide angle end position to the telephoto end position , the first lens group g1 and the fourth lens group g4 keep still , the second lens group g2 moves toward the object side , and the third lens group g3 moves to the position nearest to the object side in the middle of the optical system . in changing from an object point at infinity to a close object point to focus the optical system on the close object point , both of the second and third lens groups g2 and g3 may be moved . the optical constitution of the variable power optical system of the present embodiment is explained using fig2 . the total length of the variable power optical system of the present embodiment is about 13 mm . the variable power optical system of the present embodiment includes , in order from the object side , a first lens group g1 with negative refractive power , a second lens group g2 with positive refractive power , a third lens group g3 with negative refractive power , and a fourth lens group g4 with positive refractive power , these lens groups being located on the optical axis lc . the first lens group g1 is composed of a biconcave negative lens l11 and a positive meniscus lens l12 which is jointed to the biconcave negative lens l11 and the convex surface of which faces toward the object side , in that order from the object side . and , the first lens group g1 as a whole has negative refractive power . when the l12 is made of energy curable resin , it is possible to make the first lens group g1 thin , so that it is possible to sufficiently secure an amount of movement of the second lens group g2 in changing magnification . as a result , it is possible to shorten the total length of the optical system while good performance of the optical system is being maintained . the second lens group g2 includes a first lens element with positive refractive power , a second lens element , and a third lens element , in that order from the object side . the first and second lens elements have convex shapes on the object side , respectively . specifically , the second lens group g2 is composed of a biconvex positive lens l2 which becomes the first lens element , an aperture stop s , the biconvex positive lens l22 which becomes the second lens element , a biconcave negative lens l23 which becomes the third lens element and is jointed to the biconvex positive lens l22 , in that order from the object side . and , the second lens group g2 has positive refractive power as a whole and has a main magnification change function . the third lens group g3 is composed of one biconcave negative lens l3 . besides , the biconcave negative lens l3 may be replaced with a negative meniscus lens the convex surface of which faces toward the object side or with a negative meniscus lens the concave surface of which faces toward the object side . the fourth lens group g4 is composed of one positive meniscus lens l4 the convex surface of which faces toward the image side . in changing magnification from the wide angle end position to the telephoto end position , the first lens group g1 and the fourth lens group g4 keep still , and the second lens group g2 moves toward the object side , and the third lens group g3 moves to the position nearest to the object side in the middle of the optical system . in changing from an object point at infinity to a close object point to focus the optical system on the close object point , both of the second and third lens groups g2 and g3 may be moved . the optical constitution of the variable power optical system of the present embodiment is explained using fig2 . the total length of the variable power optical system of the present embodiment is about 13 mm . the variable power optical system of the present embodiment includes , in order from the object side , a first lens group g1 with negative refractive power , a second lens group g2 with positive refractive power , a third lens group g3 with negative refractive power , and a fourth lens group g4 with positive refractive power , these lens groups being located on the optical axis lc . the first lens group g1 is composed of a biconcave negative lens l11 and a positive meniscus lens l12 which is jointed to the biconcave negative lens l11 and the convex surface of which faces toward the object side , in that order from the object side . and , the first lens group g1 as a whole has negative refractive power . when the l12 is made of energy curable resin , it is possible to make the first lens group g1 thin , so that it is possible to sufficiently secure an amount of movement of the second lens group g2 in changing magnification . as a result , it is possible to shorten the total length of the optical system while good performance of the optical system is being maintained . the second lens group g2 includes a first lens element with positive refractive power , a second lens element , and a third lens element , in that order from the object side . the first and second lens elements have convex shapes on the object side , respectively . specifically , the second lens group g2 is composed of a biconvex positive lens l21 which becomes the first lens element , an aperture stop s , a biconvex positive lens l22 which becomes the second lens element , and a biconcave negative lens l23 which becomes the third lens element and is joined to the biconvex positive lens l22 , in that order from the object side . and , the second lens group g2 has positive refractive power as a whole and has a main magnification change function . the third lens group g3 is composed of one negative meniscus lens l3 the convex surface of which faces toward the object sides . besides , the negative meniscus lens l3 the convex surface of which faces toward the object side may be replaced with a negative meniscus lens the concave surface of which faces toward the object side or with a biconcave negative lens . the fourth lens group g4 is composed of one positive meniscus lens l4 the convex surface of which faces toward the image side . in changing magnification from the wide angle end position to the telephoto end position , the first lens group g1 and the fourth lens group g4 keep still , and the second lens group g2 and the third lens group g3 move toward the object side . the optical constitution of the variable power optical system of the present embodiment is explained using fig3 . the total length of the variable power optical system of the present embodiment is about 13 . 5 mm . the variable power optical system of the present embodiment includes , in order from the object side , a first lens group g1 with negative refractive power , a second lens group g2 with positive refractive power , a third lens group g3 with negative refractive power , and a fourth lens group g4 with positive refractive power , these lens groups being located on the optical axis lc . the first lens group g1 is composed of a biconcave negative lens l11 and a positive meniscus lens l12 which is jointed to the biconcave negative lens l11 and the convex surface of which faces toward the object side , in that order from the object side . and , the first lens group g1 as a whole has negative refractive power . when the l12 is made of energy curable resin , it is possible to make the first lens group g1 thin , so that it is possible to sufficiently secure an amount of movement of the second lens group g2 in changing magnification . as a result , it is possible to shorten the total length of the optical system while good performance of the optical system is being maintained . the second lens group g2 includes a first lens element with positive refractive power , a second lens element , and a third lens element , in that order from the object side . the first and second lens elements have convex shapes on the object side , respectively . specifically , the second lens group is composed of a biconvex positive lens l21 which becomes the first lens element , an aperture stop s , a biconvex positive lens l22 which becomes the second lens element , and a biconcave negative lens l23 which becomes the third lens element and is joined to the biconvex positive lens l22 , in that order from the object side . and , the second lens group g2 has positive refractive power as a whole and has a main magnification change function . the third lens group g3 is composed of one biconcave negative lens l3 . besides , the biconcave negative lens l3 may be replaced with a negative meniscus lens the convex surface of which faces toward the object side or with a negative meniscus lens the concave surface of which faces toward the object side . the fourth lens group g4 is composed of one positive meniscus lens l4 the convex surface of which faces toward the image side . in changing magnification from the wide angle end position to the telephoto end position , the first lens group g1 keeps still , the second lens group g2 moves toward the object side , the third lens group g3 moves to the position nearest to the object side in the middle of the optical system , and the fourth lens group g4 moves toward the image side . the optical constitution of the variable power optical system of the present embodiment is explained using fig3 . the total length of the variable power optical system of the present embodiment is about 10 mm . the variable power optical system of the present embodiment includes , in order from the object side , a first lens group g1 with negative refractive power , a second lens group g2 with positive refractive power , a third lens group g3 with negative refractive power , and a fourth lens group g4 with positive refractive power , these lens group being located on the optical axis lc . the first lens group g1 is composed of a biconcave negative lens l11 and a positive meniscus lens l12 the convex surface of which faces toward the object side , in that order from the object side . and , the first lens group g1 as a whole has negative refractive power . the second lens group g2 includes a first lens element with positive refractive power , a second lens element , and a third lens element , in that order from the object side . the first and second lens elements have convex shapes on the object side , respectively . specifically , the second lens group g2 is composed of a biconvex positive lens l21 which becomes the first lens element , an aperture stop s , a biconvex positive lens l22 which becomes the second lens element , and a biconcave negative lens l23 which becomes the third lens element and is joined to the biconvex positive lens l22 , in that order from the object side . and , the second lens group g2 has positive refractive power as a whole and has a main magnification change function . the third lens group g3 is composed of one biconcave negative lens l3 . besides , the biconcave negative lens element l3 may be replaced with a negative meniscus lens the convex surface of which faces toward the object side or with a negative meniscus lens the concave surface of which faces toward the object side . the fourth lens group g4 is composed of one positive meniscus lens l4 the convex surface of which faces toward the image side . in changing magnification from the wide angle end position to the telephoto end position , the first lens group g1 and the fourth lens group g4 keep still , and the second lens group g2 and the third lens group g3 move toward the object side . in changing from an object point at infinity to a close object point to focus the optical system on the close object point , both of the second and third lens groups g2 and g3 may be moved . the optical constitution of the variable power optical system of the present embodiment is explained using fig3 the total length of the variable power optical system of the present embodiment is about 10 mm . the variable power optical system of the present embodiment includes , in order from the object side , a first lens group g1 with negative refractive power , a second lens group g2 with positive refractive power , a third lens group g3 with negative refractive power , and a fourth lens group g4 with positive refractive power , these lens groups being located on the optical axis lc . the first lens group g1 is composed of a negative meniscus lens l11 the convex surface of which faces toward the object side and a positive meniscus lens l12 the convex surface of which faces toward the object side , in that order from the object side . and , the first lens group g1 as a whole has negative refractive power . the second lens group g2 includes a first lens element with positive refractive power , a second lens element , and a third lens element , in that order from the object side . the first and second lens elements have convex shapes on the object side , respectively . specifically , the second lens group g2 is composed of a biconvex positive lens l21 which becomes the first lens element , an aperture stop s , a biconvex positive lens l22 which becomes the second lens element , and a biconcave negative lens l23 which becomes the third lens element and is jointed to the biconvex positive lens l22 , in that order from the object side . and , the third lens group g2 has positive refractive power as a whole and has a main magnification change function . the third lens group g3 is composed of one negative meniscus lens l3 the concave surface of which faces toward the object side . besides , the negative meniscus lens l3 the concave surface of which faces toward the object side may be replaced with a negative meniscus lens the convex surface of which faces toward the object side or with a biconcave negative lens . the fourth lens group g4 is composed of one positive meniscus lens l4 the convex surface of which faces toward the image side . in changing magnification from the wide angle end position to the telephoto end position , the first lens group g1 and the fourth lens group g4 keep still , and the second lens group g2 and the third lens group g3 move toward the object side . in changing from an object point at infinity to a close object point to focus the optical system on the close object point , both of the second and third lens groups g2 and g3 may be moved . the optical constitution of the variable power optical system of the present embodiment is explained using fig4 . the total length of the variable power optical system of the present embodiment is about 14 mm . the variable power optical system of the present embodiment includes , in order from the object side , a first lens group g1 with negative refractive power , a second lens group g2 with positive refractive power , a third lens group g3 with negative refractive power , and a fourth lens group g4 with positive refractive power , these lens groups being located on the optical axis lc . the first lens group g1 is composed of one biconcave negative lens l1 . the second lens group g2 is composed of a first lens element with positive refractive power , a second lens element , and a third lens element , in that order from the object side . the first lens element has a convex shape on the object side . specifically , the second lens group g2 is composed of a biconvex positive lens l21 which becomes the first lens element , a biconcave negative lens l22 which becomes the second lens element and is joined to the biconvex positive lens l21 , an aperture stop s , and a biconvex positive lens l23 which becomes the third lens element , in that order from the object side . and , the second lens group g2 has positive refractive power as a whole and has a main magnification change function . the third lens group g3 is composed of one negative meniscus lens l3 the convex surface of which faces toward the object side . besides , the negative meniscus lens l3 the convex surface of which faces toward the object side may be replaced with a negative meniscus lens the concave surface of which faces toward the object side or with a biconcave negative lens . the fourth lens group g4 is composed of one positive meniscus lens l4 the convex surface of which faces toward the image side . in changing magnification from the wide angle end position to the telephoto end position , the first lens group g1 and the fourth lens group g4 keep still , and the second lens group g2 and the third lens group g3 move toward the object side . next , in each of the embodiments 1 to 12 , the numerical data of the optical members constituting each of the variable power optical systems will be given . the embodiment 1 corresponds to a numerical embodiment 1 . the embodiment 2 corresponds to a numerical embodiment 2 . the embodiment 3 corresponds to a numerical embodiment 3 . the embodiment 4 corresponds to a numerical embodiment 4 . the embodiment 5 corresponds to a numerical embodiment 5 . the embodiment 6 corresponds to a numerical embodiment 6 . the embodiment 7 corresponds to a numerical embodiment 7 . the embodiment 8 corresponds to a numerical embodiment 8 . the embodiment 9 corresponds to a numerical embodiment 9 . the embodiment 10 corresponds to a numerical embodiment 10 . the embodiment 11 corresponds to a numerical embodiment 11 . the embodiment 12 corresponds to a numerical embodiment 12 . besides , in the numerical data and the drawings , r denotes the radius of curvature of each of lens surfaces , d denotes the thickness of each of lenses or air spacing between lenses , nd denotes the refractive index of each of lenses with respect to the d line ( 587 . 56 nm ), vd denotes the abbe &# 39 ; s number of each of lenses with respect to the d line ( 587 . 56 nm ), and * ( asterisk ) expresses aspherical surface . a unit of length is mm in the numerical data . also , when z is taken as a coordinate in the direction along the optical axis , y is taken as a coordinate in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis , k denotes a conic constant , and a4 , a6 , a8 , and a10 denote an aspherical coefficient , the shapes of aspherical surfaces are expressed by the following formula ( i ): z =( y 2 / r )/[ 1 +{ 1 −( 1 + k )( y / r ) 2 } 1 / 2 ]+ a 4 y 4 + a 6 y 6 + a 8 y 8 + a 10 y 10 ( i ) also , e denotes a power of ten . besides , these symbols for these various values are also common to the following numerical data of the embodiments . besides , bf denotes the distance from the last surface in lenses to a paraxial image plane in the form of air equivalent amount , and lens total length denotes a value obtained by adding the distance between the first surface and the last surface in lenses to bf . on the other hand , bf # denotes the distance from the last surface in lenses to an image plane in the form of air equivalent amount , and lens total length # denotes a value obtained by adding the distance between the first surface and the last surface in lenses to bf #. k = − 375 . 930 , a4 = − 1 . 15480e − 02 , a6 = 2 . 04009e − 03 , a8 = − 2 . 03463e − 04 , a10 = 9 . 13064e − 06 k = 19 . 716 , a4 = − 8 . 39462e − 03 , a6 = 8 . 74090e − 04 , a8 = − 3 . 16644e − 05 , a10 = − 9 . 08607e − 06 k = − 5 . 335 , a4 = 3 . 95944e − 02 , a6 = − 2 . 26682e − 04 , a8 = 1 . 21738e − 03 , a10 = − 2 . 20735e − 05 k = − 1 . 433 , a4 = 5 . 93078e − 02 , a6 = − 5 . 72481e − 03 , a8 = − 1 . 00605e − 05 , a10 = − 4 . 23420e − 04 k = 0 . 827 , a4 = 7 . 27634e − 02 , a6 = − 2 . 04547e − 02 , a8 = 2 . 74787e − 03 , a10 = − 2 . 76359e − 03 k = 3 . 493 , a4 = 2 . 51814e − 02 , a6 = − 9 . 44244e − 04 , a8 = − 9 . 17287e − 03 , a10 = − 9 . 81182e − 03 k = 0 . 000 , a4 = 2 . 01378e − 02 , a6 = 2 . 42834e − 03 , a8 = − 6 . 61110e − 04 , a10 = − 3 . 37042e − 05 k = 1 . 229 , a4 = 2 . 32836e − 02 , a6 = 1 . 19434e − 03 , a8 = − 5 . 32506e − 05 , a10 = − 1 . 30308e − 04 next , parameter values which the embodiment 1 ( the numeral embodiment 1 ) to the embodiment 12 ( the numeral embodiment 12 ) have in the conditions ( 1 ) to ( 22 ) are given . parameter values which the embodiments 1 to 12 have in the respective conditions the variable power optical systems according to the embodiments of the present invention as described above can be used for image pickup apparatuses , such as digital camera and video camera , in which shooting is performed by forming on an imaging sensor like ccd an object image that is formed by the variable power optical systems . a concrete example for the image pickup apparatuses is given below . fig4 , 44 , and 45 are conceptual views showing the constitution of a digital camera including a variable power optical system of one of the embodiments of the present invention , fig4 is a front perspective view showing the appearance of a digital camera , fig4 is a rear perspective view showing the appearance of the digital camera which is shown in fig4 , and fig4 is a perspective view schematically showing the constitution of the digital camera . the digital camera is provided with an opening section 1 for shooting , a finder opening section 2 , and a flash - firing section 3 on the front side of the digital camera . also , the digital camera is provided with a shutter button 4 on the top of the digital camera . also , the digital camera is provided with a liquid crystal display monitor 5 and an information input section 6 on the rear side of the digital camera . in addition , the digital camera is provided with a variable power optical system 7 that is formed in the same manner as in the embodiment 1 , 12 , or 23 for example , a processing means 8 , a recording means 9 , and a finder optical system 10 inside the digital camera . also , cover members 12 are arranged in the finder opening section 2 and in an opening section 11 , the opening section 11 being located on the exit side of the finder optical system 10 and being provided on the rear side of the digital camera . in addition , a cover member 13 is also arranged in the opening section 1 for shooting . when the shutter button 4 which is arranged on the top of the digital camera is pressed , shooting is performed through the variable power optical system 7 in response to the pressing of the shutter button 4 . an object image is formed on the image forming plane of a ccd 7 a that is a solid - state imaging sensor , through the variable power optical system 7 and the cover glass cg . the image information on the object image which is formed on the image forming plane of the ccd 7 a is recorded on the recording means 9 through the processing means 8 . also , recorded image information can be taken through the processing means 8 , and the image information can be also displayed as an electronic image on the liquid crystal display monitor 5 which is provided on the rear side of the camera . also , the finder optical system 10 is composed of a finder objective optical system 10 a , an erecting prism 10 b , and an eyepiece optical system 10 c . light from an object which enters through the finder opening section 2 is led to the erecting prism 10 b that is a member for erecting an image , by the finder objective optical system 10 a , and an object image is formed as an erect image in the view finder frame 10 b 1 , and , afterward , the object image is led to an eye e of an observer by the eyepiece optical system 10 c . digital cameras which are formed in such a manner secure good performances while it is possible to achieve downsizing of the digital cameras , because the variable power optical system 7 has a high magnification ratio and is small .	6
while illustrated in the context of an electrically erasable programmable read only memory ( eeprom ) device for flash memory circuits , persons skilled in the art will readily find application for the present invention to fabrication of other semiconductor integrated circuit devices . in particular , methods disclosed herein are applicable to improving dielectric - conductor interfaces in a wide variety of device designs with a wide variety of process flows . the methods described herein , however , have particular utility for improving the performance of dielectric layers in flash memory gate stacks . fig1 illustrates an interim structure during the fabrication of an eeprom transistor 10 in a flash memory cell constructed using prior art methods . the eeprom transistor 10 includes a stacked gate structure 26 fabricated over a semiconductor substrate 20 , which in the illustrated embodiments ( and the prior art figures ) is formed from the upper portion of a single - crystal silicon wafer . the interim stage of the stacked gate structure 26 illustrated in fig1 includes a tunnel dielectric layer 30 , a floating gate 50 , and a partially formed storage dielectric layer 60 that includes a lower oxide layer 62 and a nitride layer 64 . the fabrication of the interim stacked gate structure 26 begins with the formation of a tunnel dielectric layer 30 by blanket formation across the whole exposed surface of the substrate 20 . the tunnel dielectric layer 30 typically comprises an oxide , and more particularly silicon dioxide formed by thermal oxidation of the substrate surface . the tunnel dielectric layer 30 is formed to a thickness of approximately 100 å . the layers of the stacked gate structure 26 can be completed in any suitable fashion , typically entailing numerous processing steps . the formation of the floating gate 50 on the tunnel dielectric layer 30 is achieved by depositing a conductive layer ( typically doped polysilicon ) onto the tunnel dielectric layer 30 . doping of the polysilicon of the floating gate 50 can be either in situ ( i . e ., while the floating gate 50 is being formed ) or it can be a separate step after the polysilicon deposition . persons skilled in the art are able to select appropriate materials and methods for creating the floating gate 50 with a particular set of characteristics . the formation of the stacked gate structure 26 continues by the formation of a storage dielectric layer 60 on the floating gate 50 . an exemplary storage dielectric layer 60 is composed of oxide - nitride - oxide ( ono ). alternatively , high dielectric materials may be employed in the storage dielectric layer 60 to improve the capacitance of the eeprom device . persons skilled in the art can readily select appropriate materials for the storage dielectric layer 60 for particular circuit designs . the formation of the ono storage dielectric layer 60 as illustrated in fig1 a and 2 b comprises formation of a lower oxide layer 62 , a nitride layer 64 on top of the lower oxide layer 62 , and an upper oxide layer 66 on top of the nitride layer 64 . the lower oxide layer 62 is typically formed by thermal oxidation at the upper surface of the floating gate 50 until this sub - layer reaches its desired final thickness ( e . g ., 40 å to 50 å thick ). the formation of the nitride layer 64 is typically accomplished by low pressure chemical vapor deposition ( lpcvd ), but other fabrication processes to form the nitride layer 64 may be used . typically , the thickness of the formed nitride layer 64 is approximately 70 å , as illustrated in fig1 . after formation of the nitride layer 64 , the upper oxide layer 66 is formed on top of the nitride layer 64 , as illustrated in fig2 a and 2b . growth of the upper oxide layer 66 is typically achieved by thermal oxidation at the top of the nitride layer 64 , which requires relatively high temperatures and long processing times . the upper oxide layer 66 is formed at the expense of a portion of the nitride layer 64 , which is partially consumed during oxidation . for example , formation of an upper oxide layer 66 that is 40 å thick will consume approximately 40 å of the nitride layer 64 . therefore , an initial nitride layer thickness of 70 å is required to form an upper oxide layer 66 that is 40 å thick and a resultant nitride layer thickness of 30 å , as illustrated in fig2 a and 2b . typically , this process requires heating the substrate 20 to approximately 1 , 000 ° c . in an ambient of h 2 o and o 2 and at a pressure of approximately 760 torr for a period of approximately 4 hours to 6 hours in a typical furnace oxidation . referring to fig3 the formation of the gate stack then continues with the formation of a control gate 70 over the storage dielectric layer 60 and a cap insulator layer 80 on top of the control gate 70 to complete the gate stack . the control gate 70 is composed of polysilicon , however , various other conductive materials may be used , including but not limited to , metals ( e . g ., tungsten ) and metal silicides . the cap insulator layer 80 typically comprises an insulator such as silicon nitride or silicon oxide . as illustrated in fig4 the stacked gate structure is then patterned , typically by conventional photolithography and etch processes , to define a patterned gate electrode 85 . the etching which forms the stacked gate structure 26 stops approximately at the tunnel dielectric layer 30 over source and drain regions on either side of the gate 85 . damage from the etch is thereafter repaired in a source / drain reoxidation , typically by exposure to dry oxygen at high temperatures . the resulting structure , illustrated in fig5 a and 5b , exhibits some “ smile ” at the oxide - silicon interface , or gate corner rounding . “ smile ” is the term for structures in which the edges of an oxide layer are thicker than the center of the oxide layer . the thicker oxide at the edges of the tunnel dielectric layer 30 and the rounding of the bottom corners of the floating gate 50 result from the low diffusion rate and high reaction rate of o 2 . both the low diffusion rate and the high reaction rate increase the probability that an o 2 molecule diffusing along the oxide - silicon interface will form an oxide species before it reaches the center of the interface , such that the edges of the oxide layer become thicker than the center . the elevated temperatures and long processing times associated with the formation of the gate stack , particularly during the formation of the upper oxide layer 66 , have a deleterious effect on previously fabricated components of the eeprom transistor 10 . for example , it is important to avoid reduced charge mobilities in the region of the tunnel dielectric layer 30 , particularly in flash memory devices which utilize a complete channel erase . exposure to elevated temperatures and long processing times create various forms of charge traps ( e . g ., vacancies and dangling bonds ) in the region of the tunnel dielectric layer 30 . in order to minimize the effects of such charge traps in the performance of the fabricated devices , it is desirable to be able to repair or passivate the charge traps created in the region of the tunnel dielectric layer 30 during the fabrication process . additionally , it is generally desirable to minimize the time the device is exposed to elevated temperatures during its fabrication ( i . e ., to conserve the “ thermal budget ”) to thereby reduce the number of charge traps created . fig6 is a flow chart which generally illustrates a process flow in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention , and fig7 a to 12 illustrate various stages of the fabrication of an eeprom transistor in accordance with this preferred embodiment . in the following description of the preferred embodiment , the named process flow steps are found in fig6 and the numbered structural elements refer to fig7 a - 12 . it will be understood , however , that elements may differ in appearance during fabrication as compared to the illustrated final structure . as in the prior art methods , the eeprom transistor 10 produced by the preferred embodiment of the present invention is fabricated over a semiconductor substrate 220 . fig6 includes providing 100 such a semiconductor substrate 220 . in the illustrated embodiment , the substrate 220 comprises the upper portion of a single - crystal silicon wafer . in general , however , the substrate can comprises any semiconductor structure or layer in which the lowest level of integrated electrical devices are formed . the fabrication of the gate stack begins with the formation 110 of an initial tunnel dielectric layer 230 across the whole exposed surface of the substrate 220 . the thickness of this initial tunnel dielectric layer 230 is less than the desired final thickness . the initial tunnel dielectric layer 230 preferably comprises an oxide , and more particularly silicon oxide , though the skilled artisan will appreciate that the present invention will have utility in conjunction with other types of oxide . an exemplary alternative oxide comprises tantalum pentoxide ( ta 2 o 5 ). in the illustrated embodiment , formation 110 of the initial tunnel dielectric layer 230 comprises thermal oxidation of the substrate surface , but persons skilled in the art are able to select an appropriate method of forming the initial tunnel dielectric layer 230 from the various possible methods . the thickness of the illustrated initial tunnel dielectric layer 230 after this step in the fabrication of the stacked gate structure 26 is preferably between about 6 å and 94 å , ( e . g ., for a flash memory device with a final tunnel dielectric thickness of 100 å ). more generally , the initial tunnel dielectric layer 230 is grown to a thickness sufficient to provide a diffusion path for oh species . preferably it has a thickness between about 5 % and 95 % of the thickness of the desired final thickness for this layer , more preferably between about 40 % and 90 % of the thickness of the desired final thickness , and most preferably between about 70 % and 90 % of the desired final thickness . the remaining layers of the gate stack can be completed in any suitable fashion , typically entailing numerous processing steps . in the illustrated embodiment , formation 120 of a floating gate 250 is achieved by depositing a conductive layer ( preferably doped polysilicon ) onto the initial tunnel dielectric layer 230 . as with the prior art method , the doping of the polysilicon of the floating gate 250 can be either in situ ( i . e ., while the floating gate 250 is being formed ) or it can be a separate step after the polysilicon deposition . persons skilled in the art are able to select appropriate materials and methods compatible with the present invention for creating the floating gate 250 with a particular set of characteristics . the formation of the gate stack structure 26 of the preferred embodiment continues with at least partial formation 130 of a storage dielectric layer 260 on the floating gate 250 . in the illustrated embodiment , an initial storage dielectric layer 260 includes an oxide and is particularly composed of oxide - nitride - oxide ( ono ). significantly , this initial layer 260 is originally formed to have a thickness which is less than the thickness of the desired final thickness . alternatively , high dielectric materials may be employed in the storage dielectric to improve the capacitance of the eeprom device . persons skilled in the art can readily select appropriate materials for the storage dielectric layer for particular circuit designs . in other embodiments of the present invention in which the storage dielectric contains no oxide layers , the storage dielectric layer can be completely formed with its desired final thickness . as best seen from fig7 b , the formation 130 of the initial storage dielectric layer 260 in the illustrated embodiment comprises formation of an initial lower oxide layer 262 , formation of a nitride layer 264 on top of the initial lower oxide layer 262 , and formation of an initial upper oxide layer 266 on top of the nitride layer 264 . the thickness of the initial lower oxide layer 262 , is less than the desired final thickness . similarly , the thickness of the initial upper oxide layer 266 is less than the desired final thickness . in the illustrated embodiment , the formation of the initial lower oxide layer 262 comprises thermal oxidation at the upper surface of the floating gate 250 . alternatively , the initial lower oxide layer 262 can be deposited onto the floating gate 250 by cvd , for example . thermal oxidation growth of an initial lower oxide layer 262 of 20 å comprises heating the workpiece to approximately 650 ° c . in an ambient of o 2 at a pressure of approximately 760 torr for a period of between about 2 minutes and 5 minutes . however , persons skilled in the art are able to select alternative values of these parameters or alternative methods of forming the initial lower oxide layer 262 , depending upon the desired initial thickness . the thickness of the initial lower oxide layer 262 is chosen based upon the desired final thickness , but it is preferably between approximately 15 å and 25 å for a desired final lower oxide thickness of 40 å . more generally , the thickness of the initial lower oxide layer 262 is sufficient to serve as a diffusion path for oh species during a later reoxidation , which requires only about 1 or 2 monolayers . preferably , the thickness of the initial lower oxide layer 262 is between approximately 5 % and 95 % of the desired final thickness , more preferably between approximately 40 % and 60 % of the desired final thickness for this layer . the formation of the silicon nitride layer 264 is accomplished by low pressure chemical deposition vapor ( lpcvd ), but other embodiments which use other fabrication processes to form the nitride layer 264 are also compatible with the present invention . in the illustrated embodiment , the thickness of the nitride layer at the stage illustrated in fig1 is preferably between approximately 40 å and 100 å , and more preferably between approximately 65 å and 75 å . more generally , the thickness of the nitride layer 264 at this stage in the fabrication is preferably greater than approximately 150 % of the thickness of the nitride layer 64 after the formation of the initial upper oxide layer 266 , and more preferably greater than approximately 170 % of the thickness of the nitride layer 264 after the formation of the initial upper oxide layer 266 . after formation of the nitride layer 264 , the illustrated embodiment includes formation of the initial upper oxide layer 266 . in the illustrated embodiment , growth of the initial upper oxide layer 266 is achieved by thermal oxidation at the top of the nitride layer 264 , which requires relatively high temperatures and long processing times . the initial upper oxide layer 266 is formed at the expense of the nitride layer 264 , which is paritally consumed during oxidation . for example , formation of an initial upper oxide layer 266 that is 20 å thick will consume approximately 10 å of the nitride layer 264 . therefore , an initial nitride layer thickness of 40 å is required to form an initial upper oxide layer 266 that is 20 å thick and a resultant nitride layer thickness of about 30 å . thermal oxidation growth of an initial upper oxide layer 266 of approximately 20 å thickness can be readily determined by the skilled artisan . preferably , the prior art process using h 2 o and o 2 can be adjusted by lowering the temperature and / or duration of the oxidation . alternatively , other values of these parameters , or other methods of fabrication of the initial upper oxide layer 266 are compatible with the present invention . the thickness of the initial upper oxide layer 266 is chosen based upon the desired final thickness of this layer , but it is preferably between approximately 10 å and 40 å , and more preferably between approximately 15 å and 25 å . more generally , the initial upper oxide layer 266 is provided in a thickness sufficient to serve as a diffusion path for oh species . preferably , it has a thickness between approximately 5 % and 95 % of the desired final thickness , and more preferably between approximately 40 % and 60 % of the desired final thickness for this layer . the formation of the gate stack then continues by the formation 140 of a control gate 270 over the initial storage dielectric layer 260 . in the illustrated embodiment , the control gate 270 is composed of polysilicon , however , in other embodiments the control gate 270 can be composed of various other conductive materials , including , but not limited to , metal ( e . g ., tungsten ) and / or metal silicide . upon formation 140 of the control gate 270 , a cap insulator layer 280 is preferably formed 150 over the control gate 270 , as illustrated in fig8 . the cap insulator layer 280 comprising an insulator such as silicon nitride or silicon oxide . referring to fig9 the gate stack is then patterned 160 , such as by conventional photolithography and etch processes , to define a gate electrode 285 . as noted above , vertical etching typically causes some damage to the source / drain regions and the tunnel oxide at the corner of the gate 285 . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the patterning of the gate stack is followed by a dilute steam oxidation 170 performed under conditions which form oxide layers at existing oxide - silicon interfaces within the patterned gate electrode 285 , with each resulting oxide layer having a substantially uniform thickness across the entire interface . this is accomplished by exposing the patterned gate electrode 285 to elevated temperatures in an ambient which yields oh radicals . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , this ambient comprises dilute steam ( h 2 o ) in a hydrogen flow . however , persons skilled in the art are able to select other chemical constituents which yield oh radicals and are compatible with the present invention . for example , h 2 o 2 may be used in place of steam , and numerous hydrogen - containing compounds may be used in place of hydrogen ( e . g ., nh 3 , n 2 h 4 , or hydrazine ). in some arrangements , remote or in situ plasma can also generate oh radicals . the oh radicals react with the silicon atoms at the oxide - silicon interface , converting the silicon atoms into additional oxide species . use of dilute steam ambients at relatively low temperatures can result in oxide growth conditions at oxide - conductor interfaces that have a reaction rate limited growth region even for very long diffusion lengths . in particular , oh radicals can quickly diffuse through existing oxide layers , producing a uniform oxidant supply across the oxide - conductor interface . for example , on 0 . 18 μm wordline flash memory structures , the preferred embodiment of the present invention can grow a substantially uniform oxide underneath the floating gate 250 with substantially no “ smile .” as compared to a standard reoxidation step , in which the substrate 220 is exposed to dry oxygen resulting in a “ smile ” structure , the use of dilute steam ambients to form additional oxide material at an oxide - conductor interface avoids substantial smile due in part to the higher diffusion rate of the oh species from the steam ambient , relative to o 2 , and in part to the high dilution which lowers the growth rate . in this way , oh species can diffuse to the center of the oxide - silicon interface to grow additional oxide there . this is in contrast to the standard source / drain reoxidation process which utilizes free oxygen and which is unable to form oxide material toward the center of the oxide - silicon interface , and which is deliberately arranged for disproportionate growth . the addition of stable hydrogen compounds to the ambient substantially avoids the creation of other oxygen species ( e . g ., o or o 2 ) which would otherwise contribute to disproportionate oxide growth at the corners (“ smile ”). hydrogen compounds reduce the creation of free oxygen species by providing hydrogen atoms , which maintain the oh species in the dilute steam ambient . during the dilute steam ambient oxidation 170 of the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the patterned gate electrode 285 is exposed to an ambient comprising steam , hydrogen , and an inert carrier gas such as ar or n 2 . the inert carrier serves to dilute h 2 o in order to balance the rate of oh diffusion and oh reaction rate to achieve substantially uniform regrowth . in one embodiment of the present invention , the steam is generated by a catalytic process in which o 2 molecules impinge upon hydrogen atoms which are bonded to the surface of a catalytic metal surface at an elevated temperature ( e . g ., approximately 400 ° c .). alternatively , the steam may be generated by a pyrogenic process , or by a bubbler . persons skilled in the art are able to select an appropriate source of steam compatible with the present invention . conditions are arranged to moderate the rate of oxidation , relative to the rate of oh diffusion from the gate sidewalls across the dielectric - conductor interface . the pressure of the chamber during the dilute steam ambient oxidation 170 is relatively inconsequential , but is preferably higher than 35 mtorr , and more preferably between approximately 100 torr and 800 torr . the partial pressure of steam in this ambient is preferably between approximately 8 torr and 680 torr , more preferably between approximately 40 torr and 160 torr . more generally , the percentage of the ambient that is h 2 o is preferably between approximately 0 . 1 % and 99 %, more preferably between approximately 1 % and 50 %, and most preferably less than about 10 %. the temperature of the workpiece during the dilute steam ambient oxidation 170 is preferably between approximately 500 ° c . and 1 , 000 ° c ., and more preferably between approximately 600 ° c . and 800 ° c ., and most preferably between approximately 630 ° c . and 670 ° c . as will be readily appreciated by the skilled artisan , in view of the present disclosure , higher temperatures can be compensated by lower steam partial pressures , and vice versa , in order to ensure moderate oxidation rates . the skilled artisan can readily determine the length of steam exposure required for the desired additional oxide thickness . fig1 a to 10 c schematically illustrate the resulting structure after the dilute steam ambient oxidation 170 . under the preferred conditions , additional oxide is formed at each oxide - silicon interface with a substantially uniform thickness across the entire interface ( i . e ., no smile ), producing a final gate oxide 230 ′ with an enhanced thickness and passivated grain boundaries . the amount of additional oxide formation is dependent on the exposure time of the dilute steam ambient oxidation 170 and on the other process parameters such as pressure and temperature . the difference between the maximum and minimum thickness of the final tunnel dielectric layer 230 ′ is preferably no more than about 8 å , more preferably no more than about 4 å . in an exemplary dilute steam oxidation , an initial tunnel dielectric layer 230 of approximately 90 å is formed using one of the standard techniques known to persons skilled in the art . after formation and patterning of the rest of the gate stack , the device is held at an elevated temperature of about 650 ° c . while being exposed to an ambient of approximately 760 torr with 10 % steam and 90 % hydrogen . after approximately 30 minutes of this dilute steam ambient oxidation 170 , approximately 10 å to 20 å of additional oxide is formed resulting in the final tunnel dielectric layer 230 ′ of 100 å to 110 å with substantially no smile . concurrently with the growth of additional oxide at the initial tunnel dielectric layer 230 , in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the dilute steam ambient oxidation 170 yields additional oxide at other oxide - silicon interfaces of the gate electrode 285 ( e . g ., the oxide layers of the ono initial storage dielectric layer 260 ). for example , after forming an initial storage dielectric layer 260 comprising an initial lower oxide layer 262 of approximately 20 å , a nitride layer 264 of approximately 30 å , and an initial upper oxide layer 266 of approximately 20 å , the dilute steam ambient oxidation 170 using the above - described set of parameters adds approximately 20 å to each oxide - silicon interface during the process . the resulting final storage dielectric layer 260 ′ then has a lower oxide layer 262 ′ of 40 å , a final nitride layer 264 ′ of 30 å , and an upper oxide layer 266 ′ of 40 å . in other embodiments of the present invention , larger fractions of the final tunnel dielectric layer 230 ′ or the final storage dielectric layer 260 ′ may be formed using the dilute steam ambient oxidation 170 . as noted , the initial oxide layers are preferably between about 5 % and 95 % of the respective final desired thicknesses . to form additional oxide during the dilute steam ambient oxidation 170 , the previously fabricated initial oxide layer serves as the diffusion path for the oh species . oh radicals do not diffuse through silicon sufficiently fast to produce oxide layers with substantially uniform thicknesses . in certain embodiments of the present invention , the use of the dilute steam ambient oxidation 170 to form a fraction of the final storage dielectric layer 260 ′ represents a substantial savings of the thermal budget associated with the formation of the gate electrode 285 . conventional formation of a 40 å thick upper oxide layer of an ono storage dielectric layer entails substantial oxidation of the nitride layer , requiring temperatures in excess of 900 ° c . for times as long as four hours , which represents a significant thermal load and process time overhead . in addition , during this long thermal process , oxygen species can diffuse to the tunnel oxide interface and cause defects . conversely , the formation of the final upper oxide layer 266 ′ using the dilute steam ambient oxidation 170 only requires the prior formation of an oh diffusion path from the gate sidewalls to the center thereof . high temperatures need only be maintained long enough to generate an initial upper oxide layer 266 ( fig7 b ) with a minimal thickness of about one monolayer ( e . g ., 6 - 10 å ). the remainder of the final upper oxide layer 266 ′ ( fig1 b ) can then be added more quickly and without as high a thermal load by dilute steam oxidation . such a reduction of the thermal budget equates to a substantial reduction in the number of charge traps generated in the final tunnel dielectric layer 230 ′. therefore , use of the dilute steam ambient oxidation 170 to fabricate the oxide layers of the gate electrode 285 yields devices with improved performance properties , as compared to devices fabricated using conventional techniques . by providing additional oxide at existing oxide - silicon interfaces , the steam ambient oxidation 170 contributes to the repair of defects at these oxide - silicon interfaces , thereby improving the ultimate device performance . for example , the elevated temperatures and long process times associated with the fabrication of the remaining components of the gate electrode 285 induce vacancies and dangling bonds in the initial tunnel dielectric layer 230 . if left unrepaired , these defects can act as charge traps , degrading the ultimate performance of the flash device . however , by exposing the patterned gate electrode 285 to the dilute steam ambient , oh radicals are able to diffuse to these defects to fill the oxygen vacancies and tie up the dangling bonds in the region of the final tunnel dielectric layer 260 ′. therefore , the defect density at the final tunnel dielectric layer 260 ′ is reduced , with a corresponding increase in the performance of the flash memory device . in certain arrangements , the dilute steam ambient oxidation 170 is the last chance to repair the defects at the oxide - silicon interfaces before the gate electrode 285 is encapsulated in a liner layer , and a thick bpsg insulating layer . at the same time , where the gate electrodes comprise crystalline material like the preferred polysilicon , the dilute steam ambient oxidation 170 passivates the grain boundaries in the polysilicon layers of the gate electrode 285 . fig1 schematically illustrates these grain boundaries in a polysilicon layer at an oxide - polysilicon interface . the erase speed in flash memory devices is observed to be a strong function of the grain size ( or equivalently , the grain number ) of the floating gate 250 in contact with the final tunnel dielectric layer 230 ′. for smaller grain sizes ( or more numerous grains ), the erase speed has been observed to be faster than for larger grain sizes ( or less numerous grains ). this result indicates that the erasure charge transfer through the polysilicon occurs substantially along the grain boundaries , possibly via the numerous defects and interface states along these grain boundaries . thus , processes which form patterned gate electrode 285 with widely varying grain sizes may be subject to non - uniform erasure , and correspondingly varying flash memory device operation . the dilute steam ambient oxidation 170 of the preferred embodiment of the present invention can passivate the grain boundaries of the polysilicon floating gate 250 by forming oxide bonds along the grain boundaries , as schematically illustrated in fig1 , thereby eliminating grain size or number as an erase variable . therefore , the dilute steam ambient oxidation 170 may be used in certain embodiments to achieve more uniform erasure characteristics among various flash memory devices . in other embodiments , process parameters may be adjusted in order to induce some amount of smile in the oxide layers formed during the dilute steam ambient oxidation 170 . under some circumstances , a non - negligible smile of the final tunnel dielectric layer 230 ′ is advantageous to the ultimate device performance . for example , such a smile structure of the final tunnel dielectric layer 230 ′ effectively rounds the edges and corners of the polysilicon floating gate 250 , thereby reducing the electric field in these regions . as a result , better channel control and less hot electron degradation is achieved , and the threshold voltage of the flash memory device can be adjusted . for a dilute steam ambient with 3 . 5 % steam in 3 slm h 2 , different temperatures and exposure times produce varying amount of smile in the final tunnel dielectric layer 230 ′, as shown in table 1 : in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , the fabrication of the flash memory devices continues with subsequent processing steps , as illustrated in fig1 . spacers 290 a and 290 b are formed along the sidewalls of the patterned gate electrode 285 after the dilute ambient oxidation . conventional blanket deposition of an insulating material followed by a directional spacer etch can be employed for spacer formation . doping of the underlying silicon substrate 220 , thereby creating the source and drain regions of the flash memory device , can be performed after formation of the spacers 290 a and 290 b . the gate electrode 285 and other surrounding areas are then covered by a substantially conformal liner layer 292 . the liner 292 comprises an insulating material , preferably incorporating both silicon and nitrogen . preferred liner materials include silicon oxide , silicon nitride , silicon oxynitride or a multiple layer laminate including one or both of nitride and oxynitride . the liner 292 can be formed by any suitable manner , but is preferably formed by chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ) to ensure good step coverage over the topography of the patterned stacked gate structures 26 across the substrate 20 . subsequent to forming the liner layer 292 in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , an interlevel insulating layer 294 is deposited over the structure . typically composed of bpsg , the layer 294 serves to electrically isolate underlying devices , such as the illustrated eeprom transistor . from overlying interconnects . accordingly , the interlevel insulating layer 294 is preferably between about 6 , 000 å and 20 , 000 å in thickness . after depositing the interlayer insulating layer 294 , the integrated circuit is completed by additional fabrication steps . typically , such steps include metallization processes , interconnecting various devices of the integrated circuit . in order to make contact electrical contact between metal layers and the electronic devices , holes or vias are etched through the interlevel dielectric layers , such as the interlevel insulating layer 294 , and then filled with conductive material . contact to the control gate 270 and active areas in the substrate 220 , for example , require contact through the interlevel insulating layer 294 and the liner layer 292 . after metallization steps , the integrated circuit is then completed by formation of bond pads and final passivation , such as by deposition of a further silicon oxynitride layer or other suitable passivation material . as will be appreciated by the skilled artisan , the passivation layer forms a seal against moisture or other corrosive agents . although described above in connection with particular embodiments of the present invention , it should be understood the descriptions of the embodiments are illustrative of the invention and are not intended to be limiting . various modifications and applications may occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims .	7
one or more specific embodiments of the disclosed subject matter will be described below . it is specifically intended that the disclosed subject matter not be limited to the embodiments and illustrations contained herein , but include modified forms of those embodiments including portions of the embodiments and combinations of elements of different embodiments as come within the scope of the following claims . it should be appreciated that in the development of any such actual implementation , as in any engineering or design project , numerous implementation - specific decisions may be made to achieve the developers &# 39 ; specific goals , such as compliance with system - related and business related constraints , which may vary from one implementation to another . moreover , it should be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time consuming , but may nevertheless be a routine undertaking of design , fabrication , and manufacture for those of ordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure . nothing in this application is considered critical or essential to the disclosed subject matter unless explicitly indicated as being “ critical ” or “ essential .” the disclosed subject matter will now be described with reference to the attached figures . various structures , systems and devices are schematically depicted in the drawings for purposes of explanation only and so as to not obscure the disclosed subject matter with details that are well known to those skilled in the art . nevertheless , the attached drawings are included to describe and explain illustrative examples of the disclosed subject matter . the words and phrases used herein should be understood and interpreted to have a meaning consistent with the understanding of those words and phrases by those skilled in the relevant art . no special definition of a term or phrase , i . e ., a definition that is different from the ordinary and customary meaning as understood by those skilled in the art , is intended to be implied by consistent usage of the term or phrase herein . to the extent that a term or phrase is intended to have a special meaning , i . e ., a meaning other than that understood by skilled artisans , such a special definition will be expressly set forth in the specification in a definitional manner that directly and unequivocally provides the special definition for the term or phrase . referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numbers correspond to similar components throughout the several views and , specifically , referring to fig1 , the disclosed subject matter shall be described in the context of a computer system 100 that generally includes one or more processors 105 ( each comprising one or more processor cores ) coupled with an external memory 110 and a plurality of i / o devices 115 through an i / o mmu 120 . those skilled in the art will recognize that a computer system may be constructed from these and other components . however , to avoid obfuscating the embodiments described herein , only those components useful to an understanding of the present embodiment are included . generally , the computer system 100 is capable of executing instructions associated with an operating system ( not shown ), an application program ( not shown ), and an interrupt handling routine ( not shown ). ordinarily , the processor 105 executes instructions that it retrieves from the memory 110 and one or more caches 125 while performing operations associated with the application programs and the operating system . occasionally , the processor 125 will receive interrupt signals that are of a higher priority than the application programs . these high - priority interrupt signals cause the processor 105 to suspend execution of at least the application programs in favor of the interrupt handling routine . input / output ( i / o ) devices 115 , which may comprise , video cards , sound cards , tv tuners , usb interfaces , and the like , may be configured to generate interrupt signals . there are several types of recognized interrupt signals , such as fixed , lowest priority ( lpr ), system management interrupt ( smi ), non - maskable interrupt ( nmi ), initialization interrupt ( init ), startup interrupt ( startup ), external interrupt ( extlnt ), and apic eoi ( end - of - interrupt ). the interrupt signals are delivered to an i / o memory management unit ( mmu ) 120 . in one embodiment , the i / o mmu 120 includes an interrupt remapping unit ( iru ) 130 that receives the interrupts from the i / o devices 115 and is configured to examine each interrupt and take any of a variety of programmable actions . for example , the iru 130 can be programmed to pass certain types of interrupts , to block certain types of interrupts or to reconfigure or remap certain types of interrupts . turning now to fig2 , a block diagram representing one exemplary embodiment of the i / o mmu 120 is shown . generally , the i / o mmu 120 is responsible for passing data , addressing , and control signals between the i / o devices 115 and various components of the computer system 100 , such as the processor 105 and the memory 110 using a bus 135 and a bus 140 , respectively . in one embodiment , the bus 140 may take the form of a pcie bus . further , in some applications , the i / o mmu 120 may include an address translator 200 that is responsible for performing address translations , such as memory address translations for memory operations initiated by the i / o devices 115 , such as direct memory accesses ( dmas ). some of the signals received from the i / o devices 115 over the bus 140 are interrupts , which are delivered to the iru 130 where they may be either , passed to the processor 105 , blocked , or remapped . in one embodiment , the iru 130 includes one or more storage locations or register sets 205 . generally , the register set 205 contains control information that may be used to determine how a received interrupt should be treated . for example , in one embodiment , the register set 205 may contain an indication of which action is to be taken with respect to each interrupt type . that is , the register set 205 may include an indication as to which action ( e . g ., block , pass , or remap ) should be taken for selected groups of interrupt types , or in some embodiments each individual interrupt type . moreover , if remapping is selected , the “ new ” or “ remapped ” interrupt type for each remapped interrupt may also be stored in the register set 205 . in one embodiment , the register set 205 may be populated at boot time based on information available to the bios firmware or boot software , or the register set 205 may be populated by the hardware designer when the system 100 is designed . in some designs , the programming of the register set 205 may be fixed ; in other designs , the programming of the register set 205 may be changed by os software during runtime in order to allow dynamic changes to the remapping , blocking or passing functions for each interrupt type . for example , if too many interrupts are detected , indicating that the system may be experiencing an attack from a virus or other undesirable source , it may be useful to at least temporarily remap or block some of the interrupt types to reduce the effects of such an attack . additionally , in some embodiments , it may be useful to include a log 210 in the mmu 120 , such that significant events occurring within the iru 130 may be recorded and subsequently analyzed to determine various operating characteristics of the system . for example , by logging and analyzing the number and / or frequency of each type of interrupt being experienced , an attack , such as a denial of service ( dos ) attack , may be detected . further , by logging the number and / or frequency of interrupts generated by each peripheral device , it may be possible to identify problematic peripherals and to take actions to reduce their effect on the system . for example , problematic peripherals may be turned off , they may be prevented from generating interrupts , or they may be prevented from generating certain types of interrupts , at least for a preselected period of time . in this way , a peripheral device that has become infected by a virus or other undesirable software problem may be isolated to prevent the entire system from being comprised . fig3 illustrates one embodiment of the register set 205 and associated hardware for allowing interrupts to be blocked , passed or remapped . in one embodiment , the register set 205 includes a field ( mtc ) 300 that can be used to indicate an action ( e . g ., blocked , passed or remapped ) to be applied to one or more interrupt types that are received by the mmu 120 . the mtc field 300 is a control field that enables or disables the effects of the other fields in the register . in one embodiment , setting mtc to 00 may be defined to mean no mapping occurs . another value of the mtc field 300 may be used to indicate that all interrupt message types are remapped . additional values of the mtc field 300 may be used to define more subtle controls . in some embodiments , the mtc field 300 could be a single bit , but an implementation that reserves multiple bits ( e . g ., 3 bits ) would leave room for future added functionality to control the handling of the interrupt and the recording and reporting of error conditions . for example , the system may implement an mtc field 300 that controls each interrupt type defining the action and recording / reporting behavior for all interrupt types . the register set 205 also includes a plurality of fields 305 - 340 corresponding to each interrupt type ( mt 0 - mt 7 ). in one embodiment , for example , the field mt 0 305 contains a 3 - bit replacement value to be used when the i / o mmu 120 receives an interrupt coded with mt = o , the field mt 1 310 would contain the 3 - bit replacement value to be used when the mmu 120 received an interrupt coded with mt = 1 , the field mt 2 315 would contain the 3 - bit replacement value to be used when the mmu 120 received an interrupt coded with mt = 2 , and so on . in the current hypertransport definition , mt = o means fixed , mt = 1 means lowest priority , mt = 2 means smi , mt = 3 means nmi , mt = 4 means init , mt = 5 means startup , mt = 6 means extlnt , and mt = 7 means apic eoi . additionally , register set 205 also includes a reserved ( resvd ) field 345 , which may be used for future added functionality in conjunction with mtc 300 . when the i / o mmu 120 receives an interrupt from a peripheral , it is loaded into a register 355 . a portion 360 of the interrupt identifies the type of interrupt ( e . g ., 0 - 7 ). the type 360 may be used as a control input to a multiplexer 365 , which has a plurality of inputs coupled to the fields 305 - 350 of the register set 205 . in this manner , the appropriate field 305 - 350 will be selected by the multiplexer 365 and loaded into a type portion 370 of a remapped interrupt register 375 . the remaining portion of the remapped interrupt 375 is filled by a corresponding portion of the original interrupt 355 . thus , the remapped interrupt register 375 contains an interrupt that is identical to the original interrupt 355 , except that its type 370 has been remapped based on information contained in the register set 205 . for example , if an interrupt is received in the register 355 that has an interrupt type 6 , then the multiplexer 365 will be instructed to select the mt 6 field 335 and deliver it to the type portion 370 of the remapped interrupt register 375 . a multiplexer 380 may be used to select between the original interrupt in register 355 and the remapped interrupt in register 375 . the value stored in the mtc field 300 may be used to control the multiplexer 380 . for example , as discussed above , if the type portion 360 of the original interrupt indicates that the received interrupt is a type 6 , then the portion of the mtc field 305 that indicates whether a type 6 interrupt should be remapped or passed may be selected by a logic circuit 385 and delivered to the multiplexer 380 to select either the original interrupt in register 355 or the remapped interrupt in register 375 . in the event that the mtc field 300 indicates that the received interrupt type should be blocked , the logic circuit 385 may generate a block signal to an and gate 390 , which will prevent the interrupt , remapped or original , from being delivered to the interrupt handling routine of the processor 105 . the structure of the register set 205 allows any incoming interrupt message type to be remapped to any interrupt message type based on values stored in the mtc field 300 and the corresponding type fields 305 - 345 mt 0 - mt 7 . for example , an nmi interrupt ( 3 ) can be remapped to a fixed interrupt ( 0 ) by storing the value 000 in the mt 3 field 320 ; an smi interrupt ( 2 ) can be remapped to an nmi interrupt ( 3 ) by storing the value ( 011 ) in the mt 2 field 315 , and so on , as desired by the application . note that this remapping applies to all interrupts received by i / o mmu 120 from any peripheral 215 , as this embodiment does not implement a per - peripheral control . a broad range of implementations is envisioned . for example , a single mtc value may be used to control all message type behavior , such as block all interrupt types , pass all interrupt types , or remap all interrupt types . alternatively , individual mtcs may be used to control each message type . for example , the mtc could be an eight - bit field , with one bit to control the remapping of each of mt 0 - mt 7 . this approach would provide a remapping granularity for each individual value of interrupt message type . in another implementation , there could be an mtc for each interrupt type that defines behaviors like “ pass and do not record in the log 210 ,” “ block and do not record in the log 210 ,” “ block and record in the log 210 ,” “ remap and record in the log 210 ,” “ pass and canonical reform ” ( preprogrammed values for all fields of the interrupt message ), etc . some interrupt formations may be considered system errors that will be logged and reported perhaps after a certain threshold so that system software can remedy the error source by , for example , disabling the interrupt source due to excessive error events . the remapping of the interrupt message may also implement mapping restriction enforced by hardware circuitry to prevent remapping to detrimental interrupt types or messages with inconsistent parameters e . g ., trigger mode , etc . for example , the remapping of an incoming interrupt to smi may be disallowed by hardware , or nmi may be restricted to a fixed interrupt type with a pre - defined vector registered by system software , destination mode of zero , and a trigger mode of zero . attempts to map outside of the range of allowed values will result in an error reported to the log 210 . turning now to fig4 , a flowchart describing an alternative embodiment of a method 400 for controlling the operation of the iru 130 with respect to the register set 205 is shown . the process begins at block 405 , with the iru 130 receiving an interrupt from a particular i / o device 115 . the interrupt includes information regarding the type of interrupt . the identification of the type of interrupt is obtained from the interrupt itself , and in block 410 , the interrupt type is used to access the mtc value stored in the register set 205 that corresponds to the particular type of interrupt just received . in block 415 , if it is determined from the mtc value that this particular type of interrupt should be passed without remapping , then control transfers to block 420 , where the interrupt is passed or forwarded to the interrupt handling routine of the processor 105 . if the mtc value does not indicate that the interrupt should be passed , then control transfers to block 425 and the mtc value is inspected to determine if the interrupt should be blocked . if blocking is required , control transfers to block 430 where the interrupt is blocked from being delivered to the interrupt handling routine of the processor 105 , ignored , or otherwise discarded by the iru 130 . on the other hand , if the mtc value indicates that the interrupt type is to be remapped , then control transfers to block 435 where the value stored in the corresponding field 405 - 450 is used to replace the type field in the original interrupt and the now remapped interrupt is passed to the interrupt handling routine of the processor 105 in block 440 . turning now to fig5 , an alternative embodiment of the register set 205 is shown . in this embodiment , control bits are defined in a per - peripheral control structure , such as a device table entry 500 . in this embodiment , the remapping may be different for different peripherals , which would offer more flexibility to software at the cost of more complexity and larger control tables . for example , the mtn and mtc values could be stored at locations 223 - 192 and may include information regarding passing , mapping , or blocking interrupt types for a particular peripheral or class of peripherals . that is , a first peripheral device may be allowed to pass a particular type of interrupt , whereas a second peripheral device may be blocked from delivering such an interrupt . likewise , individual peripherals may have particular types of interrupts remapped to other types of interrupts . in this embodiment , one or more individual peripherals would have an mtc value associated with it , such that when an interrupt is received from a particular peripheral device , the sending device would be identified and the corresponding mtc would be selected from a known location in the device table entry 500 . while the embodiments described herein have shown the functionality associated with remapping interrupts to be located within i / o mmu 120 , those skilled in the art will appreciate that one or more of the functions associated with passing , blocking or remapping interrupt types may be accomplished in other components of the system 100 . for example , the processor 105 may be used to execute one or more of these functions . the particular embodiments disclosed above are illustrative only , as the disclosed subject matter may be modified and practiced in different but equivalent manners apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings herein . furthermore , no limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown , other than as described in the claims below . it is therefore evident that the particular embodiments disclosed above may be altered or modified and all such variations are considered within the scope and spirit of the disclosed subject matter . accordingly , the protection sought herein is as set forth in the claims below .	6
detailed descriptions of one or more preferred embodiments are provided herein . it is to be understood , however , that the present invention may be embodied in various forms . therefore , specific details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting , but rather as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to employ the present invention in any appropriate system , structure or manner . fig4 shows door stand 10 holding up door 160 for painting by spray gun 170 . upper connecting member 20 is placed inside hardware opening 165 . bottom of door 167 contacts base 119 and base 119 contacts ground surface 180 . bottom edge of door 166 also contacts ground surface 180 . base 119 will resist tipping of door 160 in either direction of first and second door surfaces 168 , 169 . the bottom of door 160 will resist tipping of door 160 in a direction transverse to first and second door surfaces 168 , 169 . if door 160 is tipped slightly it will tend to return to the vertical position . accordingly , door 160 will be held stable while being painted . the article ( s ) to be painted or coated can be set up anywhere a relatively flat surface can be found . fig1 is a preferred embodiment of door stand 10 wherein stand 10 is collapsible . stand 10 is comprised of first leg 100 , second leg 110 , and base 119 . base 119 is comprised of first base portion 120 and second base portion 130 . upper connecting member 20 is attached to the connection 115 between first leg 100 and second leg 110 . upper connecting member 20 is preferably constructed of a flexible material such as an elastomer or rubber . flexibility allows for differential movement between stand 10 and door 160 . however , upper connecting member 20 can be constructed of any material of suitable strength such as polymer , plastics , metal , wood , glass , ceramic , or other material . pin 30 is attached to pivot stop / catch 90 and helps ensure contact between base 119 and bottom of door 167 ( fig4 ). pin 30 can be a metal , wood , elastomer , rubber , polymer , plastic , glass , or other suitable material which can facilitate engagement , frictional or otherwise , between base 119 and bottom of door 167 . pin 30 can also be a ridge or bumper ( not shown ) facilitating frictional engagement between base 119 and bottom of door 167 . first boot 70 and second boot 80 are attached to base 119 . boots 70 , 80 are preferably constructed of a material with adequate wear resistance and facilitates frictional engagement with ground 180 . boots 70 , 80 can be constructed of an elastomer , rubber , polymer , plastic , metal , wood , or other suitable material . first pivot 40 , second pivot 50 , third pivot 60 , and fourth pivot 65 facilitate the collapsing of stand 10 ( fig2 and 3 ). first pivot 40 pivotally connects first leg 100 and second leg 110 . second pivot 50 pivotally connects first leg 100 and first base portion 120 . third pivot 60 pivotally connects second base portion 130 and second leg 110 . fourth pivot pivotally connects first base portion 120 and second base portion 130 . fig1 shows stand 10 in an open condition and ready to be used to support door 160 . when in the open position fourth pivot stop / catch 90 resists further pivoting of first and second base portions 120 , 130 . fig2 shows an exploded view of collapsible stand 10 . fig3 shows stand 10 in a collapsed condition ready to be stored . ring 150 can be used to maintain stand 10 in the collapsed condition and ready for storage stand 10 is preferably sized to fit a standard door . suitable dimensions for stand 10 can nominally be about 40 inches for first and second legs 100 , 110 and about 34 inches for base 119 . those of ordinary skill in the art can size stand 10 for various articles to be painted or coated . in an alternative embodiment not shown , stand 10 can be non - collapsible . in such non - collapsible embodiment first and second legs 100 , 110 and base 119 would not be pivotally connected but affixed to one another . such an embodiment , although not collapsible , would have less moving parts and theoretically a longer useful life . fig5 shows two alternative embodiments : ( a ) tacked embodiment 200 and ( b ) t - embodiment 300 . construction of the tacked embodiment 200 can be similar to the embodiment disclosed in fig1 - 3 . however , pin 220 can be added to upper connecting member 210 . pin 220 connects to side of door 240 . pin 220 can be any fastener such as a pin , nail , screw , staple , magnet , or adhesive . engagement between tacked embodiment 200 and door 230 occurs at bottom of door 250 . connection between pin 220 and side of door 240 is not limited to hardware opening 350 , but can be at other locations along the side of door . t - embodiment 300 can include base 310 , pin 320 , lower arm 305 , and upper connecting member 340 . for adjustability upper arm 360 and adjusting screw 370 can be provided . upper arm 360 can telescopically fit within lower arm 305 allowing for adjusting the height of upper connecting member 340 to be inserted in hardware opening 350 . base 310 can include base ends 311 , 312 . pin 320 can be connected to base 310 and engages bottom of door 330 . fig6 and 7 show an alternative adjustable embodiment 400 . the extended orientation is shown in fig6 and contracted orientation in fig7 . fig7 also shows the stand 400 in a collapsed orientation . first and second sleeves 435 , 455 can connect first and second legs 430 , 450 with top portion 460 . adjusting screws 436 , 456 can be used to lock first and second sleeves 435 , 455 with first and second legs 430 , 450 when the desired extended position is achieved . pin 420 can be located on base 440 and upper connecting member 410 located on top portion 460 . fig6 also shows another alternative embodiment utilizing adjusting screws 465 , 470 . adjusting screws 465 , 470 can be threadably connected to base 440 allowing their adjustment for protrusion through bottom of base 440 . adjusting screws 465 , 470 help bring bottom of door 167 ( fig4 ) to a higher position and leveling door 160 allowing re - attachment of hinges to door 160 . such adjustment feature facilitates setting door 160 back on its hinges after door 160 has been painted or coated thereby allowing a single man to easily set door 160 . adjusting screws 465 , 470 can be added to any one of the embodiments disclosed in fig1 through 7 . adjusting screws 465 , 470 can also be located at different positions on any of the embodiments disclosed in fig1 through 7 , such as at the comers . adjusting screws 465 , 470 can also be removably attached to any of the embodiments disclosed in fig1 through 7 , such as by clips or other attachment means . in various embodiments shown in fig1 - 7 a triangular shape for stand 10 has been shown . however , those skilled in the art will realize that other shapes can be used such as a rectangle , parallelogram , parabola , semicircle , t , y , along with other configurations . the design takes into account the requirement of having at least one upper connecting point on the side of the article to be held , at least one lower connecting point on the bottom of the door , and at least two ground contacts point on opposite sides of the article . all measurements disclosed herein are at standard temperature and pressure , at sea level on earth , unless indicated otherwise . all materials used or intended to be used in a human being are biocompatible , unless indicated otherwise . it will be understood that each of the elements described above , or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods and apparatuses differing from the type described above . without further analysis , the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can , by applying current knowledge , readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that , from the standpoint of prior art , fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention set forth in the appended claims . the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only ; the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the following claims .	8
the invention will be illustrated below in conjunction with an exemplary communication system . although well suited for use with , e . g ., a system using server ( s ), the invention is not limited to use with any particular type of communication system or configuration of system elements . those skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosed techniques may be used in any communication application in which it is desirable to compensate for latency . additionally , while certain illustrative embodiments are directed toward certain types of latency , it is to be appreciated that the systems and method herein can be used with one or more other types of latency , such as roundtrip latency , latency from endpoint to switch , latency from switch to endpoint , tcp ( transmission control protocol ) or udp ( user datagram protocol ) latency , signaling or media latency , and / or in combination with quality of service ( qos ) settings that might be employed for the different paths and / or different types of packets . fig1 shows a communications environment 100 in accordance with at least one embodiment . the communications environment 100 generally comprises a communication network ( not shown ) for connecting at least two communication devices or endpoints . the communication network generally employs some type of communication switch / server to connect endpoints such as communication devices . the communication network may comprise any type of information transportation medium and may use any type of protocol ( s ) to transport messages between endpoints . the communication network may include wired and / or wireless communication technologies . examples of the communication network include , without limitation , a standard plain old telephone system ( pots ), an integrated services digital network ( isdn ), a public switched telephone network ( pstn ), a local area network ( lan ), a wide area network ( wan ) like the internet , and any other type of packet - switched or circuit - switched network known in the art . the communication devices or endpoints may be packet - switched or circuit - switched and can include , for example , ip hardphones such as the avaya inc .&# 39 ; s , 4600 series ip phones ™, ip softphones such as avaya inc .&# 39 ; s , ip softphone ™, personal digital assistants or pdas , personal computers or pcs , laptops , packet - based h . 320 video phones and conferencing units , packet - based voice messaging and response units , sip - based phones , packet - based traditional computer telephony adjuncts , and conventional wired or wireless telephones . each communication device is usually associated with a contact or conference participant . as can be appreciated , the communication network may provide communication capabilities between many more than just two communication devices or endpoints ; however , for purposes of illustration and simplicity only four communication devices are shown and described . in one embodiment , the communication environment may include a switch that may include a private branch exchange ( pbx ) system or any other type of switching system capable of providing a telephone and / or conference service to one or more entities such as an enterprise associated with the switch , a user associated with the switch , such as a caller or callee , or the like . the switch may be one of a number of known exchange systems including , but not limited to , private automated branch exchange ( pabx ), computerized branch exchange ( cbx ), digital branch exchange ( dbx ), or integrated branch exchange ( ibx ). the switch may also comprise a switching fabric that provides for the connection of multiple endpoints such as communication devices associated with call ( er or ing ) participants , servers and databases . the switching fabric can provide the functionality to direct incoming and / or outgoing calls to various endpoints and further provides for conferencing capabilities between endpoints as well as the ability to forward information associated with presence . fig1 illustrates an exemplary communications environment 100 . in addition to well known components , the communications environment 100 includes one or more endpoints , such as endpoints 1 - 3 , respectively , 110 - 130 , on short - latency channels , and one or more endpoints , such as endpoint 4 , 150 , on a long - latency channel . the various endpoints are connected via one or more links 5 and network ( s ) ( not shown ) to a voice switch / bridge 160 . the voice switch / bridge 160 is connected to the latency compensation module 170 with the latency compensation module 170 including a delay / handicap module 172 , controller / processor 174 , latency determination module 176 , memory 178 , and database / storage 179 . the term communication device , communication endpoint or endpoint as used here in generally refers to any hardware device and / or software operable to engage in a communication session ( s ). for example , a communication device can be an ip - enabled phone , a desktop phone , a cellular phone , a personal digital assistant , a soft - client telephone program executing on a computer system , and the like . each of these endpoints is typically used by one or more participants to participate in a communication session , such as a telephone conference or call that is carried or hosted by the voice switch / bridge 160 . in operation , one or more users , utilizing an associated endpoint , establish a communication session via the voice switch / bridge 160 . next , and in cooperation with the latency compensation module 170 , one or more of a latency determination , hysteresis , and handicapping are utilized to assist with ensuring equal opportunity to secure control of the voice switch 160 regardless of the latency associated with a particular communications path over which the user is communicating with the switch 160 . initially , and optionally , a determination can be made as to whether saved settings should be loaded to assist with latency compensation upon initiation of the telephone conference or call . for example , and during one or more prior telephone conferences or calls , information such as caller id information , path information between the voice bridge 160 and an endpoint , geographic information such as on which continent or in which state an endpoint is located , and the like , can be saved with each of these types of information having an associated latency that has been previously determined . for example , the latency determination module 176 cooperating with memory 178 and database / storage 179 , can monitor a plurality of telephone conference channels and the information associated therewith ( described above ), and record the latencies associated with each of the communications paths . thus , when a new telephone conference or call is initiated between an endpoint and the voice switch , this previously determined latency information can optionally be used by the latency determination module 176 to initially control the delay - handicap module 172 , ensuring that each participant has equal access to the voice bridge / switch 160 . as discussed hereinafter , and as with the other techniques disclosed herein , the latency compensation values can be adjusted one or more times during a communication session , with this information optionally being saved in database 179 and usable for future communications sessions . optionally , or in addition to the above , and at any point in time , the latency determination module 176 can determine the latency of one or more of the communication channels . exemplary technologies used to determine latency include one or more of ping , traceroute , path ping , and the like . optionally , or in addition to the above , hysteresis time can be used to determine which competing input should have priority . this can again be done with the cooperation of the latency determination module 176 and processor 174 . for example , the hysteresis time can be determined based on one or more of a handoff time between a neighboring cells , involved switches , routing paths or the like . hysteresis generally refers to systems that have memory , where the effects of the current input ( or stimulus ) to the system are experienced with a certain lag . while the term has its origin in physics , it has been applied increasingly to digital transmission systems . a hysteresis time ( could also be called a waiting period ) is a desirable lag time designed into a system such that it does not tail chase between states or conditions . in a deterministic system with no dynamic conditions or hysteresis , it is possible to predict the system &# 39 ; s output at an instant in time , given only its input at that instant in time . in a system with hysteresis , this is not possible ; there is no way to predict the output without knowing the system &# 39 ; s current state , and there is no way to know the system &# 39 ; s state without looking at the history of the input . this means that it is necessary to know the path that the input followed before it reached its current value . a desirable hysteresis time can be determined by studying system behavior and ensuring that there is a delay in decision making to avoid tail chasing and becoming an unstable system . optionally , or in addition to the above , and with the cooperation of the handicap module 172 , an entity , such as conference moderator , can assign a handicap to one or more of the communications channels . this handicap can be assigned based on one or more of known characteristics of the communication channel , importance of the individual ( s ) at the particular endpoint , rank within an organization , or in general be based on any one or more factors known to the conference moderator . the delay module 172 then associates an appropriate delay with one or more of the communications channels in cooperation with the voice switch 160 to compensate for the differences in latency . ideally , the voice switch 160 would like to equalize the latencies between the various communication channels to ensure that each conference participant is given equal access to the bridge ; however , as will be appreciated with real - world scenarios , the latencies may not be exactly equal , but are close enough that each conference participant is under the impression they are being given equal access to the bridge . the delay / handicap module 172 is also capable of updating , in cooperation with the latency determination module 176 , the compensation delay associated with one or more of the communication channels at any point in time during the communication session . additionally , and in cooperation with the memory 178 and database 179 , the various latencies associated with the respected communications channels can be saved along with associated information , such as caller id information , communications path information , and the like , so that these settings may optionally be used for future communication sessions between the bridge and the same endpoint to establish an initial latency compensation value . fig2 outlines an exemplary method for latency compensation . in particular , control begins in step s 100 and continues to step s 110 . in step s 110 , one or more of latency determination , hysteresis time and handicap can be selected to compensate for latency in one or more of the respective communications channels associated with an endpoint . next , in step s 120 , a determination is made as to whether saved settings should be loaded such that one or more of the communications channels are assigned an associated delay based on prior - observed communications channel characteristics . if saved settings are to be loaded , control continues to step s 122 , where the saved settings are loaded and the latency compensation is set in step s 124 . in step s 126 , a determination can be made as to whether these said latency compensations should be verified . if a verification is needed , control continues to step s 130 ; otherwise , control jumps to step s 170 . in step s 130 , latency for a plurality of the channels is determined . as discussed , this latency can be determined based on one or more of ping information , trace route information , path information , and the like . next , in step s 140 , and either alternatively or in addition to the latency determined in step s 130 , hysteresis time can be used to determine which of the competing inputs from the various communications channels should have priority . then , in step s 150 , and in addition or alternatively to steps s 130 and s 140 , a handicap can be assigned to one or more of the communications channels . this assigned handicap associates a delay with one or more communication channels . as discussed , the assigned delay can be assigned by one or more of the moderator , another conference participant or dynamically , for example based on the ranking or title of an individual associated with a particular endpoint , and / or one or more other criteria . control then continues to step s 170 . in step s 170 , a determination is made whether the compensation delay for any one or more of the communications channels should be updated during the call or conference . if an update is desired , control jumps back to step s 110 , with control otherwise continuing to step s 180 . in step s 180 , the assigned compensation delays can optionally be saved along with associated information such as caller id information , endpoint information , communications channel or path information , participant information , or the like . control then continues to step s 190 where the control sequence ends . in accordance with another exemplary optional embodiment , one or more of the determined latency values , hysteresis times and assigned handicaps can be provided to one or more of the conference participants via an interface , such as a graphical user interface ( not shown ). the interface can assist the one or more participants with ensuring there is a “ level playing field ” in terms of competition for control of the voice bridge . the interface can provide the one or more participants with tools to set the latency compensation values for the channels in either a manual manner , semi - manual ( for example based on recommended settings determined by the system ) and / or can provide the one or more users with insight as to how the system automatically sets the latency compensation values , with the option of modifying them based , for example , on how a communication session is progressing . in accordance with another exemplary embodiment , one or more of the conference participants are provided with a mechanism , such as a feedback channel , that allows information to be sent to another of the conference participants , such as the moderator . the information sent on this channel can indicate , for example , if one of the participants is having difficulty gaining control of the voice bridge . the information can optionally be displayed on the above - described user interface such that one could see what latency compensation value is currently assigned to the channel of the participant having trouble . in accordance with another exemplary embodiment , the latency values in the voice switch could be changed by an automatic or semi - automatic process during a teleconference . for example , a user may want to decrease a “ conversation hog &# 39 ; s ” ability to monopolize the conversation . alternatively or in addition , one may might want to ( dynamically ) recalibrate the voice switch behavior based on automatic detection of changes in latency that occur during the conference ( as might be expected if there are changes in network congestion or if someone on a cell phone is moving from tower to tower ). the various embodiments include components , methods , processes , systems and / or apparatus substantially as depicted and described herein , including various embodiments , sub - combinations , and subsets thereof . those of skill in the art will understand how to make and use the present invention after understanding the present disclosure . the disclosure , in various embodiments , includes providing devices and processes in the absence of items not depicted and / or described herein or in various embodiments hereof , including in the absence of such items as may have been used in previous devices or processes , e . g ., for improving performance , achieving ease and \ or reducing cost of implementation . the foregoing discussion has been presented for purposes of illustration and description . the foregoing is not intended to limit the disclosure to the form or forms disclosed herein . in the foregoing detailed description , for example , various features are grouped together in one or more embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure . this method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed subject matter requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim . rather , as the following claims reflect , inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment . thus , the following claims are hereby incorporated into this detailed description , with each claim standing on its own as separate preferred embodiments . moreover , though the description of the invention has included description of one or more embodiments and certain variations and modifications , other variations and modifications are within the scope of the disclosure , e . g ., as may be within the skill and knowledge of those in the art , after understanding the present disclosure . it is intended to obtain rights which include alternative embodiments to the extent permitted , including alternate , interchangeable and / or equivalent structures , functions , ranges or steps to those claimed , whether or not such alternate , interchangeable and / or equivalent structures , functions , ranges or steps are disclosed herein , and without intending to publicly dedicate any patentable subject matter . while the above - described flowcharts have been discussed in relation to a particular sequence of events , it should be appreciated that changes to this sequence can occur without materially affecting the operation of the invention . additionally , the exact sequence of events need not occur as set forth in the exemplary embodiments . the exemplary techniques illustrated herein are not limited to the specifically illustrated embodiments but can also be utilized with the other exemplary embodiments and each described feature is individually and separately claimable . the systems , methods and protocols described herein can be implemented on a special purpose computer in addition to or in place of the described communication equipment , a programmed microprocessor or microcontroller and peripheral integrated circuit element ( s ), an asic or other integrated circuit , a digital signal processor , a hard - wired electronic or logic circuit such as discrete element circuit , a programmable logic device such as pld , pla , fpga , pal , a communications device , such as a phone , any comparable means , or the like . in general , any device capable of implementing a state machine that is in turn capable of implementing the methodology illustrated herein can be used to implement the various communication methods , protocols and techniques disclosed herein . furthermore , the disclosed methods may be readily implemented in software using object or object - oriented software development environments that provide portable source code that can be used on a variety of computer or workstation platforms . alternatively , the disclosed system may be implemented partially or fully in hardware using standard logic circuits or vlsi design . whether software or hardware is used to implement the systems in accordance with this invention is dependent on the speed and / or efficiency requirements of the system , the particular function , and the particular software or hardware systems or microprocessor or microcomputer systems being utilized . the communication systems , methods and protocols illustrated herein can be readily implemented in hardware and / or software using any known or later developed systems or structures , devices and / or software by those of ordinary skill in the applicable art from the functional description provided herein and with a general basic knowledge of the computer and communication arts . moreover , the disclosed methods may be readily implemented in software that can be stored on a non - transitory storage medium , executed on a programmed general - purpose computer with the cooperation of a controller and memory , a special purpose computer , a microprocessor , or the like . in these instances , the systems and methods of this invention can be implemented as program embedded on personal computer such as an applet , java ® or cgi script , as a resource residing on a server or computer workstation , as a routine embedded in a dedicated communication system or system component , or the like . the system can also be implemented by physically incorporating the system and / or method into a software and / or hardware system , such as the hardware and software systems of a communications device or system . it is therefore apparent that there has been provided , in accordance with the present invention , systems , apparatuses and methods for latency compensation in a communication environment . while the embodiments have been described in conjunction with a number of features , it is evident that many alternatives , modifications and variations would be or are apparent to those of ordinary skill in the applicable arts . accordingly , it is intended to embrace all such alternatives , modifications , equivalents and variations that are within the spirit and scope of this disclosure .	7
as noted briefly above , video bitstreams are transmitted in essentially two ways : a stream of bits on an isdn network or packets on an ip network . both can have errors that cause the decoder to lose synchronization . there are three important steps for successfully concealing the errors . first , the decoder must confine the impact of the error to as small a region in the picture as possible . second , the decoder must use existing information to patch the region that has not been successfully decoded . third , if necessary , the decoder may contact the far - end encoder to resend missing information to resynchronize the decoder with the encoder . the encoder may obviate the need for this third step by such methods as intra walk - around or relatively frequent transmission of key frames . once an error is detected , the decoder needs to re - synchronize to be able to continue the decoding process . there are four different points in the bitstream at which the decoder can re - synchronize . a first synchronization point is at the frame level . using frame level synchronization , the decoder gives up on the frame currently being decoded and moves on to the next frame by searching for the picture start code . a second synchronization point is available only to h . 261 and h . 263 video bitstreams . video frames encoded using h . 261 or h . 263 are divided into groups of blocks ( gobs ). the gob headers can be used as a synchronization point . when an error is detected , the part of the picture from the preceding gob header to the next gob header is lost . the rest of the picture is still intact . one issue with gob level synchronization in h . 263 video bitstreams is that the h . 263 standard does not require the encoder to send the gob headers . although transmission of gob headers is permitted , they are often omitted to reduce overhead and thus improve the data rate . for the gob level synchronization to work properly with h . 263 , the encoder should transmit at least some gob headers . video encoded using h . 261 always includes gob headers , so the technique described herein works nicely with conventional systems . a third synchronization point , macroblock level synchronization is also available only to h . 261 and h . 263 decoders . there is no easy way to synchronize on the macroblock level from the raw bitstream , but when the bits are received in packets , the packet header contains information about the macroblock information . however , this information in the packet header may not be reliable in practice due to the possibility that legacy systems did not supply correct information in the packet header . a fourth synchronization point , available only in h . 264 bitstreams , is network adaptation layer unit ( nalu ) level synchronization . in an h . 264 bitstream , macroblocks are grouped together by nalus . nalus that belong to one frame can be sent in any order . this requires that the h . 264 decoder be able to synchronize at the nalu level . as with gobs , each lost nalu affects only part of the picture . the most commonly used synchronization point is the start of a frame . using no other synchronization points can result in needing to patch almost an entire frame if an error is detected near the beginning of a frame . consequently , additional synchronization points should be used when feasible . because macroblock level re - synchronization is considered unreliable , the best choice for h . 261 and h . 263 systems is gob level re - synchronization . for h . 264 , nalu level synchronization is preferred . in either case , before decoding a frame , all macroblocks are marked as “ lost ” macroblocks . as the frame is decoded , each successfully decoded macroblock is changed from a lost macroblock to a “ good ” macroblock . in this context , “ macroblock ” refers to a region of pixels in the decoder reference frame ( which corresponds to a particular region on the display ). because the immediate detection of errors is uncertain , when a bitstream error is detected , all macroblocks decoded since the last synchronization point are suspect and should be re - marked as lost . a technique for reducing the number of macroblocks that need to be marked as lost in such a situation is described below . once the entire frame has been decoded , all macroblocks that remain marked as lost must be reconstructed . the following pseudo - code describes how to reconstruct these “ lost ” macroblocks in an inter frame . else // if the mbtype is intra or the prediction frame is not } while ( ++ n & lt ; total number of mbs in a frame ) the operations performed by this pseudo - code can be summarized as follows . the routine steps through the macroblocks of a frame . if a macroblock is lost , the macroblock information , e . g ., whether the macroblock was inter or intra coded and what the motion vectors were if inter coded , is set to the value of the corresponding macroblock from the previous frame . ( a codec might also retain other information about the macroblock , but this is not required in the context of the present invention .) if the current macroblock is an inter coded macroblock and the reference frame is the most recent frame , the motion vectors of the current macroblock are set to those of the corresponding macroblock from the prior frame and the coefficients of the current macroblock are set to zero . then the macroblock is reconstructed using the motion compensation algorithm , and the block is essentially extrapolated from the prior frame by extending the motion compensation . alternatively , if the current macroblock is intra coded or if the prediction frame is not the most recent frame , then the entire macroblock is copied from the corresponding macroblock in the previous frame . thus no reconstruction is performed on intra coded frames . when a bitstream error is detected while decoding an intra frame , the decoder freezes the display and requests a fast update . the reason for this is that in the normal case , an intra frame is sent only in one of three circumstances : ( 1 ) at the beginning of a call , ( 2 ) when the source has changed , or ( 3 ) when the encoding resolution has changed . the decoder must have this intra frame to establish a valid resolution and a valid reference frame . the reconstruction described above works fairly well on lost macroblocks , but the reference macroblocks used by the decoder are different from what the encoder used as a reference frame in encoding the block . this divergence gets worse over time . therefore , an intra update for the reconstructed macroblocks is required . this can be achieved in two ways . in one approach , the decoder sends the encoder a full frame fast update request . this requires no changes to the typical encoder . alternatively , the intra update for the reconstructed macroblocks may be implemented using intra walk around on the encoder . this mechanism is described below and requires some simple changes on the encoder . although a full frame fast update is visually disturbing , it is available on all existing encoders . to make the decoder independent of whether the encoder is able to turn on intra walk around , the following mechanism can be used to ensure that no full frame intra request is sent if the encoder is intra walk around capable and intra walk around is enabled . when a macroblock is marked as lost , a time is recorded for that macroblock . when a macroblock is updated in intra mode , the timestamp is reset . at the end of each frame , timestamps for all macroblocks are checked . if any macroblock has been marked as “ lost ” for more than n seconds , a full frame fast update request is sent to the far end encoder . if the encoder is implementing intra walk around , the macroblock should have been updated during the n second period , and no full frame fast update will be required . the intra walk around speed on the encoder , if implemented , should be derived from n so that when the encoder does send the walk around , the decoder will not request fast update . n should preferably reflect the type of video stream , i . e ., resolution and frame rate , being encoded . for example , high resolution , low frame rate video , such as would be used to transmit a computer presentation should have a relatively higher n value , possibly on the order of 20 seconds . alternatively , for lower resolution , higher frame rate video , such as would be sued to transmit video of people in a videoconference , n should have a relatively higher value , preferably on the order of about 10 seconds . to ensure that not too many fast update requests are sent , a timer is started with period m seconds when the first fast update request is sent . during the timer period , no additional fast update requests are sent . m should be tuned for optimal system performance , and it is believed that a value of 10 produces optimal results . a preferable approach is to have an intra walk around ( or equivalent update process ) capable encoder . intra walk around is a process whereby the encoder picks a few macroblocks per frame to be coded as intra macroblocks . each frame different macroblocks are selected so that over a period of time all macroblocks in the frame will be intra coded at least once . the process then repeats continually . a basic summary of the technique is as follows . define the period of time needed to code each macroblock of the frame as t . the number of intra coded macroblocks per frame ( n intra ) is then n mb /( fr * t ), where n mb is the total number of macroblocks per frame and fr is the nominal frame rate for a given bitrate . the frame rate can either be obtained dynamically from tuning routines , or it can be statically defined for a given bitrate . if the frame rate is calculated dynamically , it is important that the frame rate value be changed only after a full frame walk around . as an example , the nominal frame rate for a 384 kbps cif call is 15 . ( compact intermediate format corresponds to a resolution of 352 × 288 luminance pixels .) the walk around period t is set to 10 seconds to match decoder expectation for the intra walk around . then n intra = 396 /( 15 * 10 )= 2 . 64 . rounding up to the nearest integer , the number of macroblocks to be intra coded per frame is 3 . in h . 264 , the intra walk around macroblocks should be coded so they are independent of the reference frames . this means that they can not use any inter macroblocks as a basis for their prediction so they must be coded as constrained intra . details of intra walk around in h . 264 are described in u . s . patent application ser . no . 10 / 799 , 829 by john sievers entitled , “ improved intra block walk around refresh for h . 264 ,” which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety . another encoder enhancement that will help the decoder re - synchronize is to send a few gob headers per frame . as noted above , in h . 263 systems it is not required to send gob headers , and many encoders eliminate these bits to reduce overhead and improve the data rate . for purposes of the enhancement described herein , it is not necessary to send all of the gob headers . on ip networks , almost all bit stream errors are due to packet loss . therefore , only the first sync point in any packet can provide a significant benefit . to minimize the number of bits that would be skipped in any packet following a lost packet , the sync point should be as close to the beginning of the packet as possible . if more than one gob begins in any one packet , the best place for a gob header is at the beginning of the first of these gobs . it is not required that the packet boundaries correspond to the gob boundaries . as noted above , immediate detection of bitstream errors is not always possible , so when an error is detected , it is generally desirable to assume that all macroblocks received since the prior synchronization point are lost . going back to the previous synchronization point is the only way to be sure that no “ bad ” macroblocks are displayed without proper concealment . although this approach is safe , it is not particularly efficient because some good macroblocks may be marked as lost . if the decoder can detect the error immediately where it occurs , then all the decoded macroblocks can be considered good . thus , the decoder will not have to trace back to the previous synchronization point , and the impact caused by a bitstream error will be more confined . ( for h . 261 and h . 263 , the synchronization points are the gob headers . for h . 264 , the synchronization points are nalu boundaries .) in an h . 320 call , the h . 261 / h . 263 bits are sent as 512 - bit frames . each frame consists of a synchronization bit , a flag indicating whether the frame is fill or real data , 492 payload bits , and an 18 - bit code used for error detection and correction . using the 18 - bit code at the end , an error often can be detected and sometimes even corrected . although the code sometimes erroneously thinks that there were not any errors or that any errors were corrected , it frequently knows that there are uncorrected errors in the frame . if the data link code discards or just passes along a frame known to have uncorrected errors , the video decoder might not realize immediately that an error has occurred . until it does , the decoder will apply updates to the reference frame , generally corrupting the reference frame in the process . it would be much better for the decoder to receive bits that are obviously wrong so that the decoder knows not to corrupt the reference frame with these erroneous bits . for this reason , when the data link layer knows there are uncorrected errors in the frame , it should replace the frame by a sequence of bits which the video decoder will know are in error . this monitoring of the data link layer could reside in any number of network components located between the endpoints , including , for example , a bridge , gateway , or multi - point control unit ( mcu ). because the device discovering the bitstream error may be a network device without a video encoder / decoder , it is preferable that the data link code not be required to know what video encoding standard is being used . it is therefore desirable to have one sequence that works for h . 261 , h . 263 , and h . 264 . one such sequence is illustrated in fig1 . the sequence comprises at least 63 zeros ( i . e ., 0 repeated more than 62 times ), followed by a 1 , then 22 zeros , followed by the sequence 10111 , followed by ten zeros , followed by a 1 . any remaining bits in the frame should also be ones to avoid “ start code emulation .” the interpretation of the other bits for each of the compression algorithms is described below . for h . 261 bitstreams , having so many zeros at the beginning ensures that the decoder will detect an error unless it is expecting to encounter a picture or gob start code . after getting past the first 48 zeros , the decoder will encounter at least 15 more zeros , a one and four zeros , which comprise a picture start code . the next 12 zeros will be taken as the rest of the picture header . ( the last bit of ptype should be a one , but not all decoders will check that bit because of some codecs long ago that sent the wrong bit .) at this point , the decoder will be expecting to find a gob start code , which is 15 zeros and a one . instead , it will find only 6 zeros before the one , so the codec will detect another error . the decoder will search for synchronization using the 22 zeros . after skipping the first 7 bits , it will find 15 zeros and a one , which comprise a gob start code . it will then encounter “ 0111 ”, indicating a gob number of seven . after this is the 5 - bit gquant value . a gquant of zero is illegal , so the decoder will detect another error . there are no other strings of zeros in here that are long enough to be mistaken for a picture or gob start code . in h . 263 , having so many zeros at the beginning ensures that the decoder will detect an error unless it is expecting to encounter a picture , gob , or slice start code . after getting past the first 47 zeros , the decoder will encounter 16 zeros , a one and five zeros , which comprise a picture start code . the ninth bit after this is expected to be a one , but the decoder will encounter a zero , so it will detect an error . the decoder will search for synchronization using the 22 zeros . after skipping the first 6 bits , it will find 16 zeros and a one , which comprise a gob or slice start code . the next 5 bits , “ 01110 ” indicate a gob number of 14 . the next 4 bits will be used for the gob sub - bitstream indicator ( gsbi ) and gob frame id ( gfid ). following them is the 5 - bit gquant value . a value of zero is illegal , so the decoder will detect another error . there are no other strings of zeros in here that are long enough to be mistaken for a picture , slice or gob start code . finally , using an h . 264 decoder , after the first 32 bits , the sequence has 31 zeros and a one , which comprise a sync code . the decoder will detect an error if this sync code does not match the expected alignment . in any case , it will set its alignment expectation according to this sync code . it will then encounter the three bytes 0 , 0 , 2 ( 22 zero bits , a one and a zero ), which are an illegal sequence . the decoder will not encounter any more sync codes in this bit stream . in an h . 323 video call , each packet contains a sequence number . using these sequence numbers , it is possible to determine whether any packets have been lost . because each h . 264 nalu fits in one packet and contains sufficient contextual information , it is not necessary to inform the video decoder about missing packets . for h . 261 and h . 263 , it is desirable to replace any missing packet or sequence of packets by an invalid sequence of bits , so the video decoder will not misinterpret the bits in the next packet . because the packet header indicates what compression algorithm is in use , it is not necessary to use a bit sequence that is invalid for all the algorithms , although it is possible to use such a sequence . it is generally preferred to use a sequence targeted at the compression algorithm in use . some examples of suitable sequences are described below . one such invalid sequence suitable for use with h . 261 is illustrated in fig2 , and comprises sixteen zeros , followed by the sequence 10011 , followed by five zeros , and closed with a 1 . this will be interpreted as a gob header with gn = 3 and gquant = 0 . because gquant values may not be zero , an error will be detected . the sequence ends with a one to prevent start code emulation through a combination of these bits and any bits following them . another such sequence suitable for use with h . 263 is illustrated in fig3 , and comprises seventeen zeros followed by the sequence 10011 , followed by ten zeros and a one . this will be interpreted as a gob header with gn = 6 , gsbi = 0 , gfid = 0 and gquant = 0 . because gquant values may not be zero , an error will be detected . the sequence ends with a one to prevent start code emulation through a combination of these bits and any bits following them . note that this sequence can be used for h . 261 , also . the invention has been explained herein with reference to exemplary embodiments . it will be evident to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention . further , although the invention has been described in the context of its implementation in particular environments and for particular applications , those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention &# 39 ; s usefulness is not limited thereto and that the invention can be beneficially utilized in any number of environments and implementations . the foregoing description and drawings are , accordingly , to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense .	7
fig1 is a block diagram of networks connected to the present invention . peer to peer optimizer ( ppo ) 10 monitors all p2p traffic between a plurality of networks 12 . examples of networks 12 include but are not restricted to ; a network controlled by an isp , a corporate network , or a university network . networks 12 would typically be connected to ppo 10 via the internet , but that is not a requirement of the present invention . any network 12 that is capable of providing or requesting p2p traffic may make use of ppo 10 . to minimize the cost of p2p traffic , network 12 utilizes ppo 10 to determine a cost efficient path for exchanging p2p data between nodes 14 . a node 14 is any computer that is capable of receiving or transmitting p2p data . referring now to fig2 , a block diagram of a plurality of nodes connected to a ppo 10 is shown . each network 12 a and 12 b contains a plurality of nodes 14 . for each node 14 that it is aware of , ppo 10 maintains a cost class . table 1 illustrates the cost class for each node of fig2 . assuming that a p2p request can be serviced within a single network such as 12 a , then typically the most cost efficient paths for p2p transfer will be within network 12 a . examples would be connections to nodes 14 a and 14 b . however , this may not always be the case . for example a request to node 14 d may be very expensive if node 14 d which contains the data , resides halfway around the world within a corporate intranet . in such a scenario , node 14 f , within network 12 b , which contains the required data , would be a more cost efficient choice . in determining a cost efficient path for the delivery or reception of p2p data , ppo 10 combines the cost class of each node on the end of a potential exchange of data . this combination results in a path cost value . for example , a request from node 14 e for a file on node 14 a may result in a path cost of 155 . this example is one of simple addition to the cost class of two nodes to determine a path cost . the inventor does not intend to restrict the present invention to any specific algorithm to obtain a path cost . for example , a weighting factor may be applied to nodes with a high cost class to exclude them from consideration in calculating a path cost . in fig3 , a block diagram of an isp system is shown . fig3 illustrates how an internet service provider ( isp ) may make use of the present invention . network 12 a is the network maintained by an isp . network 12 a is connected to a plurality of networks 12 b to 12 n via links 30 b to 30 n . typically networks 12 b to 12 n would be accessible via the internet , but they may be any form of network which contains files for p2p exchange . network 12 a comprises a plurality of nodes 14 . p2p data is exchanged between nodes 14 within network 12 a and nodes within networks 12 b to 12 n . a node 14 may be the computer of a home user , a business computer or a corporate server connected to any of networks 12 a to 12 n . returning to the present isp example of fig3 , each node 14 within network 12 a is connected to a communications module 20 , which allows node 14 to communicate with network 12 a . communications module 20 may be digital subscriber line access multiplexer ( dslam ) which is used for phone line connections . communications module 20 may also be a cable modem termination system ( cmts ) which is used for cable connections . communications module 20 may also be a module that accepts dialup connections , wireless connections or fiber optic connections . the point here being that communications module 20 connects a node 14 to network 12 a . an aggregator 22 collects the data to and from communications modules 20 and is connected to distribution router 24 for this purpose . distribution router 24 determines where a request for information should be routed within network 12 a . distribution router 24 is connected to core router 26 , one or more cache servers 28 and one or more p2p path optimizers ( ppo ) 10 . core router 26 is connected to networks 12 b to 12 n most typically by interxchange carrier ( ixc ) links 30 b to 30 n . an ixc is a telecommunications company such as at & amp ; t . a cache server 28 is a repository of information obtained from networks 12 b to 12 n that may be frequently accessed by nodes 14 . to avoid the expense of continually requesting data from networks 12 b to 12 n network 12 a may store frequently accessed information in one or more caches 28 . most commonly this would be current versions of popular websites , but may include all forms of data . cache 28 may also commonly be referred to as a “ cache cluster ” or a “ cache server ”. ppo 10 is where the present invention resides . ppo 10 serves to provide three main functions : 1 ) reorganize networks connected to ppo 10 . this is achieved by intercepting all p2p messages and attempting to have nodes connect to other nodes in the same cost class . this allows the networks to reorganize in two ways : a ) they become flatter as nodes connect to nodes under the control of a ppo 10 thus a tree of connections between nodes would have at most a depth of one ; and b ) ppo 10 attempts to connect nodes to other nodes within a network , where without the use of a ppo 10 , connections would be random and a tree of connections between nodes may have an unlimited depth . 2 ) reduce network traffic . this is done by not broadcasting messages but instead sending them where they need to go , or dropping them if there is no need to send them on . 3 ) redirecting traffic to a cost efficient path . although the example of fig3 applies to the network of an isp , it is not the intent for the inventors to restrict the use of the present invention to an isp network . any network for which an entity wishes to control p2p traffic in a cost efficient manner may make use of the present invention . as discussed above examples would be a corporate network or a university network or any commercial use of a large network , such as the hotel industry . before describing in detail the structure of ppo 10 , we will refer first to how it may be utilized in a variety of p2p models . referring now to fig4 , a block diagram of a centralized server network is shown generally as 40 . network 40 is an example of a first generation p2p network , such as napster . napster is an internet service that was originally designed to permit users to exchange mp3 music files . in network 40 , a central server 42 connects a plurality of nodes 14 via connections 44 . connections 44 would typically be connections via the internet . a node 14 sends a request for a file to central server 42 via a connection 44 . central server 42 provides a reply via connection 44 indicating on which node 14 the requested file resides . in essence central server 42 contains a directory of all files available for access on all nodes 14 . in acting on the reply , the requesting node 14 establishes a connection with its peer node 14 that contains the file and requests a copy of the file , as is shown in transfer link 46 . to explain how fig4 may make use of the present invention we refer now to fig5 where a block diagram of a centralized server network utilizing a ppo is shown generally as 50 . in network 50 , ppo 10 examines search requests sent to central server 42 . if ppo 10 is aware of the requested file , it will provide the requester with a cost efficient path to the file . if ppo 10 is not aware of the file it will utilize alternatives to direct the requestor to the file . these alternatives are discussed in detail later . in determining which node 14 to direct the request to , ppo 10 makes use of cost class information . cost class information for a node would typically be determined by metrics such as the speed of the connection to the node ( e . g . bandwidth and distance ) and the monetary cost of using a connection to the node . cost class information would typically reflect a monetary cost to obtain a file from a specific node 14 . an administrator of the present invention may set their own cost class to a node 14 or ppo 10 may set them by default or determine them dynamically . whatever the method of establishing the cost class for a node , the point is that each node has a cost associated with it and ppo 10 utilizes this information to provide a cost efficient path for exchanging p2p data . referring to fig6 , a block diagram of a decentralized server network is shown generally as 60 . network 60 utilizes a distributed model where each node 14 is equal and there is no central server 42 as with network 40 ( fig4 ). network 60 may be considered to be a second generation p2p network , an example of which would be gnutella . gnutella provides a file sharing service for many types of information and is not directed solely to the exchange of multimedia files . each node 14 tries to maintain some number of connections 44 to other nodes 14 at all times . requests for information are sent with a time to live ( ttl ) field that is decremented and then forwarded by each node 14 to all other nodes 14 to which it is connected . when the ttl value reaches zero , the request is dropped . this type of network has been shown to have significant scaling issues , as requests for information will degrade network performance . as with network 40 when a requested file is located a direct connection is made between two nodes to transfer the requested data as shown by transfer link 46 . in the present invention the topology of network 60 is reconfigured as shown in fig7 . fig7 is a block diagram of a decentralized p2p network utilizing ppo 10 and is shown generally as 70 . in network 70 when p2p communication is sent between networks 12 a and 12 b ppo 10 examines it . ppo 10 then determines a cost efficient manner to deal with the communication . it is not the intent of the inventor to restrict the use of the present invention to only two networks 12 a and 12 b as shown in fig7 . referring now to fig8 a block diagram of a hybrid p2p network is shown generally as 80 . this network topology may be referred to as third generation p2p where some nodes are elected as “ supernodes ” or “ ultra peers ” and serve as the traffic coordinator for the other nodes . in fig8 , supernodes are designated with the feature number 82 and are connected to each other . this model is utilized by p2p services such as fasttrack , kazaa , morpheus and grokster . the supernodes 82 change dynamically as bandwidth and network topology change . any node 14 may be a supernode 82 . referring now to fig9 , a block diagram of a hybrid p2p network utilizing ppo 10 is shown generally as 90 . in network 90 , ppo 10 acts as a supernode between networks 12 a and 12 b . all nodes within network 12 a will see ppo 10 as their supernode and thus as their path to network 12 b . nodes 14 within network 12 a may also be supernodes within network 12 a ( not shown ). with regard to the topologies of the networks shown in fig4 to 9 , it is the intent of the inventor to simply illustrate how the present invention may be utilized in existing p2p networks . it is not the intent of the inventor to restrict the present invention to the networks shown , but rather to provide examples of the diversity of the present invention . referring now to fig1 a block diagram of a ppo is shown generally as 10 . as one skilled in the art can appreciate , ppo 10 may be implemented in many different ways . the structure of ppo 10 as shown in fig1 serves only as an example of one implementation that may be used to examine and manage p2p communications . we will now describe the components of ppo 10 as illustrated in fig1 in more detail . licensing module 102 is responsible for enforcing the maximum number of concurrent users of ppo 10 for which the customer ( i . e . the owner of a ppo 10 ) has paid a license fee . configuration module 104 maintains the configuration of ppo 10 , such as the sub - networks and ip addresses of the nodes that reside within a network 12 . statistics module 106 maintains the statistics for ppo 10 , such as the number of files redirected and the number of concurrent users . logging module 108 is responsible for logging functions , such as when ppo 10 was started up or shut down and when the number of licenses was exceeded . load balancer feedback module 110 provides a negative feedback loop to an external load balancer so that multiple ppo &# 39 ; s under the control of a customer will receive equal traffic . wccp module 112 operates with the cisco web cache communication protocol ( wccp ) to ensure that a router , such as distribution router 24 of fig3 sends only p2p communications to one or more ppo &# 39 ; s 10 . as one skilled in the art can appreciate , a number of methods may be used to direct p2p traffic to a ppo 10 , such as recognizing specific port addresses or context sensitive scanning of packets . wccp serves only as one example . guid generator 114 generates a globally unique identifier for each sender of a p2p packet to avoid the possibility of looping back to the original sender of the packet and to also uniquely identify messages that have been received . p2p application 116 acts as the control program for ppo 10 . application 116 comprises : route / path cost module 118 , query module 120 , ping / pong network training module 122 , connection manager module 124 and transfer manager module 126 . route / path cost module 118 assigns a path cost to each proposed connection based upon the cost class of each node in the connection . query module 120 comprises : string edit distance module 128 , search amalgamation module 130 , query routing logic module 132 , qos modification module 134 and content index module 136 . string edit distance module 128 determines the similarity between the name of a requested file and the filenames known to ppo 10 . search amalgamation module 130 utilizes string edit distance module 128 to map the name of a requested file to the known files available , regardless of cost class . query routing logic module 132 routes queries for a file to the nodes that are likely to contain the requested file . module 132 maintains a list of all messages to and from a network 12 . by maintaining such a list , module 132 may quickly drop spurious messages , such as requests for data that have not been acknowledged . qos modification module 134 rewrites the routing information of module 132 to select a cost efficient path determined by route / path cost module 118 . routing information includes qos parameters such as stated bandwidth and uptime . the purpose of rewriting routing information is to provide the requestor with a path to a file or files that make the most efficient use of network resources . by doing so a message may be redirected . content index 136 maintains an index of content available for access in nodes 14 within networks 12 . content index 136 also contains the cost class for each node in which the content resides . typically such content will be a file but may also include forms of data such as streaming media . it is not the intent of the inventor to restrict the use of the term “ file ” to any form of p2p data that may be examined by or transmitted through ppo 10 . ping / pong network training module 122 serves to fill host cache 138 with ip addresses of nodes 14 based upon the ping messages received by ppo 10 from nodes 14 . ping / pong network training module 122 sends a plurality of pong messages in response to a ping message in an attempt to train a network sending a ping message . pong messages are sent by ppo 10 for each node 14 that is in the same cost class as the sender of the ping that ppo 10 is aware of . this use of multiple pong messages serves to train the network that sent the ping . this training provides the sending network with nodes other than those for which ppo 10 wishes to restrict traffic . when a connection is established between a node 14 and ppo 10 , connection manager 124 maintains the connection until the node 14 drops the connection . index fetch module 142 is responsible for obtaining content names and adding them to content index 136 . transfer manager 126 is in essence a proxy that handles the exchange of p2p data . manager 126 utilizes fetch redirection module 144 to redirect a request for content to a node with a lower path cost . a node 14 may make a request for a specific file on another node 14 . if that file is available via a more cost efficient path , fetch redirection module 144 will silently direct the request to another node having a more cost efficient path . a plurality of p2p protocol specific handlers 146 are responsible for maintaining a specific p2p protocol , for example gnutella or fasttrack . transmission control protocol ( tcp ) handler 148 ensures the maintenance of correct tcp behavior . similarly , internet protocol ( ip ) handler 150 serves the same purpose for ip . it is not the intent of the inventor to restrict the present invention to the use of tcp and ip . these serve only as an example . as one skilled in the art can appreciate any number of communication protocols may be used , including , but not restricted to : atm , udp , and wireless . differentiated services code point ( dscp ) marking module 152 , utilizes differentiated services ( diffserv or ds ) to specify ip packets by class so that certain types of packets get precedence over others . for example a limit may be imposed on the number of p2p packets allowed to enter or leave a network 12 . such a feature is optional but may be used by networks that find p2p data is consuming too much of their bandwidth . as one skilled in the art can appreciate any number of schemes such as packet snooping or recognizing specific port addresses may be utilized to identify p2p traffic . it is not the intent of the inventor to restrict the ability to limit p2p traffic to the dscp solution . ppo 10 optimizes behavior between and within the networks 12 to which it is connected . behavior is the ability to create , destroy , modify or ignore messages . behavior optimizes future behavior of each network 12 , not just the current message . an example of creating a message is a false pong . an example of destroying a message is deleting a message that has already been answered or in the case of gnutella , a message whose ttl has expired . modification is not limited to qos modification module 134 . for example , search amalgamation module 130 may modify messages to reflect the closest filename as determined by string edit distance module 128 . in the case of a specific protocol , for example gnutella , modification may include overwriting the ttl portion of the message when forwarding the message . similarly the guid for a message may be changed if needed . in essence , depending upon the protocol , ppo 10 may modify messages as required to optimize network behavior . an example of ignoring a message is to ignore a query request to a node in a network , as traffic from that network has been restricted . in order for ppo 10 to examine and act upon p2p requests , it must be aware of a variety of p2p protocols . this functionality is handled by p2p protocol specific handlers 146 . by way of example we refer next to how a p2p protocol specific handler 146 may interface with the gnutella protocol . it is not the intent of the inventor to restrict the present invention to work simply with the gnutella protocol , but rather to provide a practical example of how the present invention may deal with p2p requests . the gnutella protocol has five message types , namely : ping , pong , query , queryhit and push . how a handler 146 handles each of these messages is shown fig1 . in fig1 , the term “ internal node ” refers to a node 14 within network 12 a of the isp example of fig3 . the term “ external node ” refers to a node 14 within a network 12 b to 12 n of fig3 . by the use of the terms “ internal node ” and “ external node ” the inventor means to show how ppo 10 may be used to examine and redirect p2p traffic between nodes in an “ internal ” network such as an isp and nodes in an “ external ” network such as a plurality of sites on the internet . fig1 illustrates how ppo 10 may be used to examine and redirect p2p traffic between network . in the following description of fig1 , we advise the reader refer to fig3 and 10 as well as fig1 . a ping message is used to determine if a node 14 is active , and helps to establish a database of active nodes in host cache 138 of fig1 . ppo 10 responds to a ping message with a pong message . to avoid identifying a node 14 within network 12 a , ppo 10 would typically provide a forged pong message . the forged pong message would indicate the number of files shared and the amount of data shared within network 12 a containing the pinged node 14 , as well as the ip address and port of the pinged node . similarly in this example , ppo 10 does not forward pong messages , however it does receive them and adds them to the list of nodes in host cache 138 from which it may obtain data . a query message is a search message containing a fragment of a filename , in other words , a request for data . in the present example , incoming query messages from an external node are dropped , thus appearing to be a query miss and thereby avoiding servicing a p2p request from a network 12 b to 12 n . it is not the intent of the inventor to require that query messages be dropped , it is simply one method that may be used to restrict unwanted p2p traffic into network 12 a . implementations utilizing ppo 10 may choose to allow free flow of all messages or to provide a limited amount of traffic . query messages from a node 14 within network 12 a are forwarded first to the nodes 14 containing the requested file that have a cost efficient path . typically these would be nodes 14 within network 12 a , but that may not always be the case . the nodes 14 having the requested data will then respond with queryhit messages . if there are no matches for the request for data , or if no queryhit message is returned , then the query message is sent to a random set of nodes 14 within network 12 a . one method of determining the random set of nodes 14 to receive the query message would be to use a weighted probabilistic function such as a round robin method based upon the number of files available from each node 14 . in this way , the query does not always go to the node 14 having the largest number of files . if there is still no match , the query is forwarded to nodes 14 having the lowest path cost in networks 12 b to 12 n . a queryhit message is a response to a query message . incoming queryhit messages from nodes in networks 12 b to 12 n are forwarded to the appropriate node 14 within network 12 a . incoming queryhit messages from nodes 14 within network 12 a are forwarded back to the requesting node within network 12 a and not sent out to networks 12 b to 12 n . a push message is used when the transmitting node has a firewall and the receiving node does not . the receiving node sends a push message , which causes the transmitting node to open a connection directly to the receiving node . incoming push requests may be optionally dropped by ppo 10 and are propagated unchanged on the way out of network 12 a . by way of example on how the present invention may be utilized to provide support for the gnutella protocol , we will now refer to logical flow diagrams 11 to 15 . as with the previous discussion with regard to chart 1 , we will be referring to the components of fig3 by way of example . referring now to fig1 , a logical flow diagram illustrating the processing of a ping message is shown generally as 160 . beginning at step 162 , a ping message is received . at step 164 the ping message is optionally dropped and if dropped , is not propagated within network 12 a . at step 166 a forged pong message is created . the forged pong response may contain the number of files available for p2p exchange within network 12 a . the forged pong message may be sent to each node to connected to ppo 10 in order to train a network as described earlier with reference to ping / pong training module 122 of fig1 . referring now to fig1 , a logical flow diagram illustrating the processing of a pong message is shown generally as 190 . process 190 begins at step 192 with the receipt of a pong message . at step 194 a test is made to determine if the message is from a node 14 within network 12 a . if the message is from a node 14 within network 12 a the message may be optionally dropped at step 196 . if the message is from a node 14 in a network 12 b to 12 n , processing moves to step 198 where the ttl for the message is decremented . processing then moves to step 200 where a test is made to determine the current value of the ttl . if the ttl has expired , the message is dropped at step 202 . if the ttl has not expired , processing moves to step 204 where a test is made to determine if a ping message to match the pong message has been received . ppo 10 stores messages it receives under the control of query routing logic module 132 ( fig1 ). typically a message is not stored for long as most p2p requests for information are resolved within less than a minute . if no matching ping message is found , the pong message is dropped at step 202 . if a matching ping message has been seen , then the pong message is forwarded to the source of the original ping message at step 206 . in the above description of fig1 , the inventor makes reference to time to life ( ttl ). ttl information is utilized by the gnutella protocol , but not by all other protocols . for other protocols not recognizing ttl , the logic if fig1 would be modified to remove steps 198 , and 200 . thus control would flow from step 194 in the negative case directly to step 204 . referring now to fig1 , a logical flow diagram illustrating the processing of a query message is shown generally as 210 . process 210 begins at step 212 where a query message is received . at step 214 a test is made to determine if the query message came from a node 14 within network 12 a . if this is the case processing moves to step 216 where a test is made to determine if the requested file is contained within network 12 a as indicated by content index 136 ( fig1 ). if the file is contained within network 12 a then processing moves to step 218 where the query message is forwarded to nodes 14 having the lowest cost class within network 12 a . if the file is not found within network 12 a then processing moves to step 220 where the query message is forwarded to a select weighted list of nodes 14 within network 12 a . the intent here being that content index 136 may not be current and the requested file may reside within network 12 a . one method of determining the set of nodes 14 to send the query message to would be to use a weighted probabilistic function such as a round robin method based upon the number of files available from each node 14 within network 12 a . in this way , the query does not always go to a node 14 having the largest number of files . a test is next made at step 222 to determine if the file has been located on a node 14 within network 12 a . if the file has been located the location information is forwarded to the originator of the query message at step 224 . if at step 222 the file has not been located , the query message is forwarded to a weighted subset of connected nodes having the lowest cost class in networks 12 b to 12 n at step 226 . as mentioned before , a weighted round robin scheme may be utilized to select the nodes 14 in networks 12 b to 12 n to receive the query . a connected node is one that has established a communication path with ppo 10 , for example via tcp / ip . returning to step 214 if the query message is not from a node 14 within network 12 a , processing moves to step 228 where the ttl value of the message is decremented . a test is then made at step 230 to determine if the ttl value for the message is greater than zero . if it is not , then the message is dropped at step 232 and processing ends . if the ttl value is less than or equal to zero then processing moves to step 226 where the query message is forwarded to all connected nodes in networks 12 b to 12 n . optionally , if the query is from a node in networks 12 b to 12 n , the query may simply be dropped or returned to the requesting node at step 226 , thus not requiring ppo 10 to forward the query to connected nodes . as discussed above with reference to fig1 , if the communication protocol does not make use of ttl , then steps 228 , 230 and 232 would be deleted . the negative case from step 214 would then flow to step 226 . referring now to fig1 , a logical flow diagram illustrating the processing of a queryhit message is shown generally as 240 . process 240 begins at step 242 where a queryhit message is received by ppo 10 . processing moves to step 244 where the ttl for the queryhit message is decremented . at step 246 if the ttl is less than or equal to zero than the message is dropped at step 248 . if the ttl is greater than zero , processing moves to step 250 where a test is performed to determine if a matching query message had been received for the queryhit message . ppo 10 stores messages it receives under the control of query routing logic module 132 ( fig1 ). typically a message is not stored for long as most p2p requests for information are resolved within less than a minute . if no matching query message was received , processing moves to step 248 where the message is dropped . if a matching query message was received , processing moves to step 252 where a test is made to determine if the queryhit message was from a node 14 within network 12 a . if not , the queryhit message is then optionally forwarded to the node that made the original query at step 254 . if at step 252 the queryhit message is determined to have come from a node 14 within network 12 a , then processing moves to step 256 . at step 256 a test is made to determine if the original query message corresponding to the queryhit message was from a node 14 within network 12 a . if so , processing moves to step 254 where the message is forwarded to the node that made the original query . if not , processing moves to step 248 where the message is dropped . referring now to fig1 a logical flow diagram illustrating the processing of a connect request is shown generally as 260 . any node 14 may request a connection with any other node 14 at step 262 . at step 264 a test is made to determine if the request is from a node 14 within network 12 a . if so , connection manager 124 ( see fig1 ) attempts to service the query through query module 120 ( see fig1 ) to determine a cost efficient path within network 12 a , at step 266 . if at step 264 it is determined that the connect request is not from a node 14 within network 12 a , processing moves to step 268 . at step 268 a ping message is sent to connected nodes 14 within networks 12 b to 12 n . at step 270 one or more pongs are received and a decision is made at step 272 which connection to a specific external node 14 should be utilized . step 272 may utilize a variety of methods to determine which connections to keep and which to drop . typically , step 272 would maintain connections based upon the amount of data , cost class , and the total number of connections that may be maintained . if at step 272 a node 14 is found to be no better than an existing connection , it is dropped at step 274 . if at step 272 a better connection is found , it is added to content index 136 at step 276 . although this disclosure and the claims appended hereto make use of the terms query , queryhit , ping , pong , push and connect , it is not the intent of the inventor for these terms to be specifically associated with the gnutella protocol . to the inventor the term query is analogous to a request for data and queryhit to a reply to a query , indicating that the data has been located . a ping is a standard computer communications term and is short for packet internet groper ; in essence it is a message to determine whether a specific computer in a network is accessible . a pong is a response to a ping . a push is a message sent directly to a node that is protected by a firewall . a push is used to request a direct connection between the node behind the firewall and the node sending the push message so that the node behind the firewall can “ push ” data to the requesting node . a connect is a connection between two nodes . although the disclosure refers to a ppo within an isp by way of example , it is not the intent of the inventor to restrict the invention to such a configuration . for example a ppo may be used within any network , including networks utilized by corporations to exchange data with their employees or customers . further , multiple ppo &# 39 ; s may be utilized to provide redundancy in case one ppo fails and also to provide load balancing . in the case of a network 12 utilizing a single ppo , if the ppo failed , network 12 would revert to the status quo without the ppo ; i . e . all p2p messages are exchanged with no decision made on who should service the request . although the invention has been described with reference to certain specific embodiments , various modifications thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as outlined in the claims appended hereto .	7
an embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawings below . a vibrator according to the present invention comprises a coreless coil 2 , a driver 4 and suspensions 6 and 8 . the coreless coil 2 is composed of a cylindrical bobbin 2 a and a coil wound peripherally of the bobbin 2 a and is disposed in a central portion of the vibrator . the driver 4 in the embodiment is composed of a columnar magnet 4 a , a yoke 4 b attached on one end surface of the magnet 4 a , a top plate 4 c attached on the other end surface of the magnet 4 a , and weights 4 d attached to the yoke 4 b , as shown in fig3 . the yoke 4 b has a plate - like portion 4 e attached on the one end surface of the magnet 4 a , opposite side wall portions 4 f projecting from the plate - like portion 4 e and disposed with a predetermined distance from both side surfaces of the magnet 4 a , and weight mounting portions 4 g comprising protrusions provided on outer surfaces of the side wall portions 4 f and configured to support the weights 4 d from directions of reciprocating ( upward and downward directions in fig1 and 3 ). the driver 4 is disposed in such a manner that the magnet 4 a is inserted in the coreless coil 2 and the side surfaces of the magnet 4 a and the side wall portions 4 f of the yoke 4 b are disposed so as to face with respect to each other while sandwiching the coreless coil therebetween . the suspensions 6 and 8 are composed of a pair of suspension members or plate springs 6 a , 6 b , 8 a and 8 b , respectively . the plate springs 6 a , 6 b , 8 a and 8 b each has at outer ends thereof opposite fixed ends 6 a and 8 a fixed to a case which will be explained and at inner ends thereof opposite opened ends 6 b and 8 b engaged with or mounted on the yoke 4 b of the driver 4 . the suspensions 6 and 8 are configured in such a manner that the plate springs 6 a , 6 b , 8 a and 8 b are disposed in axisymmetrical positions of a movement direction of the driver 4 or an axis 2 c of the coreless coil 2 , and support resiliently the driver 4 . in the embodiment , the coreless coil 2 , driver 4 and suspensions 6 and 8 are contained in the case 10 in order to unitize the vibrator and be easy to handle it . the case 10 is composed of a base 12 , a frame 14 , spacers 16 and 18 , and a protector 20 , as shown in fig2 . as shown in fig1 , the coreless coil 2 is attached on a central portion of the base 12 in such a manner that the axis 2 c of the coreless coil 2 becomes perpendicular to a surface of the base 12 . the frame 14 is made of a synthetic resin and is adapted to contain therein the driver 4 . the frame 14 has opposite openings 14 a and 14 b at forward and backward sides in a direction of movement ( upward and downward directions in the drawing ) of the driver 4 , and fixed ends 8 a and 6 a of the suspensions 8 and 6 are fixed on edges of the openings 14 a and 14 b . in the embodiment , when the spacers 18 and 16 are attached on the edges of the openings 14 a and 14 b of the frame 14 , respectively , the fixed ends 8 a and 6 a of the suspensions 8 and 6 are sandwiched and fixed between the frame 14 and spacers 18 and 16 . the spacers 16 and 18 in the embodiment comprise ringlike bodies of a similar rectangular shape to the planar shape of the frame 14 . the lower opening 14 b of the frame 14 , in fig1 , is closed by means of the base 12 being mounted through the spacer 16 on the frame 14 , and the upper opening 14 a of the frame 14 , in fig1 , is closed by means of the plate - like protector 20 being mounted through the spacer 18 on the frame 14 . in the vibrator having the above structure , the synchronous frequency of the driver 4 supported by the suspensions 6 and 8 is set to be 150 hz and an alternate current is applied to the coreless coil 2 . in the vibrator , a magnetic flux is concentrated into gaps formed between the magnet 4 a and the side wall portions 4 f of the yoke 4 b , and the driver 4 is reciprocated along the axis 2 c by a magnetic field and a direction thereof generated by electrifying to the coreless coil 2 inserted between the side wall portions 4 f . at this time , vibrations are generated in the vibrator to cause a mobile phone or the like , in which the vibrator is mounted , to vibrate . in this way , because the vibrator structured as described generates the vibrations by reciprocating the driver 4 supported resiliently by means of the suspensions 6 and 8 , by application of the alternate current to the coreless coil 2 , the rising of the vibration is superior , differing from converting the rotation of the motor to the vibrations in the prior art . in addition , in the embodiment , each of the components of the case 10 are formed into an approximately plate - like shape and the plate springs are used in the suspensions 6 and 8 in order to be easy to manufacture the vibrator by a method for manufacturing , which will be described hereinafter . the suspensions 6 and 8 , base 12 and protector 20 may be also mounted on the frame 14 by omitting the spacers 16 and 18 and each of the suspensions 6 and 8 may be formed of a coil spring , a rubber and a resin having an elasticity , and so on . although the case 10 is also set in a planar rectangular shape extending in a direction crossing to the axis 2 c in order to secure a stroke of the suspensions 6 and 8 , otherwise it is possible to set a square , circle and so on so as to comply with the planar shape of the case and so on . the method for manufacturing the vibrator as shown in fig1 will be explained in connection with fig4 . the manufacturing method is configured to be capable of manufacturing correctively a plurality of vibrators . more specifically , there are used a collective base plate 22 , a collective spacer plate or first collective spacer plate 24 , a collective suspension plate or first collective suspension plate 26 , a collective frame plate 28 , a collective suspension plate or second collective suspension plate 30 , a collective spacer plate or second collective spacer plate 32 and a collective protector plate 34 , which are capable of taking out a plurality of bases 12 , spacers 16 , suspensions 6 , frames 14 , suspensions 8 , spacers 18 and protectors 20 , respectively , as sown in fig1 . each of the coreless coils 2 is , first , mounted on the corresponding portion to each of the bases 12 in the collective base plate 22 . in addition , the collective base plate 22 is pre - formed with through - holes , a conductive pattern and so on , as needed , and coil terminals of each of the coreless coils 2 are connected with the conductive pattern by soldering or the like . the collective spacer plate 24 , first collective suspension plate 26 and collective frame plate 28 are overlapped in turn on the collective base plate 22 . these plates are adhered through adhesive layers formed on both or one of mutual contacting surfaces by printing or the like , or adhesive sheets disposed therebetween . when the plates are overlapped , the corresponding portions of the spacer 16 , suspension 6 and frame 14 in each vibrator are overlapped to match , respectively . here , each of the drivers 4 is contained in each of the frames 14 in the collective frame plate 28 and each driver 4 is supported on each of the suspensions 6 in the first collective suspension plate 26 . in addition , thereafter , by the second collective suspension plate 30 being mounted , the driver 4 is sandwiched by and supported on the suspensions 6 and 8 in the first and second collective suspension plates 26 and 30 . thereafter , the second collective suspension , collective spacer and collective protector plates 30 , 32 and 34 are overlapped in turn on the collective frame plate 28 . at this time , similarly , these plates are adhered through adhering layers formed on both or one of mutual contacting surfaces by printing or the like , or adhering sheets disposed therebetween . also , the corresponding portions of the suspension 8 , spacer 18 and protector 20 in each vibrator are overlapped to match , respectively . as described above , after the collective plates are overlapped in turn and adhered , the plates are cut a dicer and separated into individual vibrators . thereby , a great number of vibrators can be manufactured at a time . according to the present invention , a good rising of vibrations can be expected , because the vibrations are generated by reciprocation of the driver without converting the rotation of the motor or the like to the vibrations . therefore , it is possible to generate or stop the vibrations in response to a melody and so on , informing a user of arrival in a mobile phone or the like . the present invention makes also it possible to provide a simple structure , a compact and thinned vibrator , because the plate - like suspensions , the driver having a simple structure and the coreless coil are contained in the case comprising a combination of the plate - like base , protector and frame , and therefore they are unitized . moreover , the present invention makes it possible to carry out a mass - production of the vibrator , a superior workability due to simple processes in the manufacture of vibrator and to promote the reduction of cost , because the many parts of the vibrator are configured to be capable of taking out and then the collected parts can be manufactured by overlapping them in turn .	1
the implants of the invention are fabricated from an alloy containing titanium as a component . the preferred low modulus titanium alloys have the compositions : ( i ) titanium , about 10 wt . % to about 20 wt . % niobium , and optionally from about 0 wt . % to about 20 wt . % zirconium ; and ( ii ) titanium , about 35 wt . % to about 50 wt . % niobium , and optionally from about 0 wt . % to about 20 wt . % zirconium . in a preferred embodiment wherein the implants are surface hardened by oxygen or nitrogen diffusion , zirconium is beneficially present in amounts ranging from about 0 . 5 to about 20 wt . %. even though it is apparent that the titanium proportion of alloy used to make the invention implants could be less than 50 wt . % and the zirconium proportion zero percent , nevertheless , for the purposes of this specification , it is referred to as a &# 34 ; ti - nb - zr alloy &# 34 ; or a &# 34 ; titanium alloy .&# 34 ; the alloy most preferably comprises about 13 wt . % of zirconium , 13 wt . % of niobium and remainder being titanium . while tantalum may be substituted for niobium to stabilize β - phase titanium , niobium is the preferred component due to its effect of lowering the elastic modulus of the alloy when present in certain specific proportions . other elements are not deliberately added to the alloy but may be present in such quantities that occur as impurities in the commercially pure titanium , zirconium , niobium , or tantalum used to prepare the alloy and such contaminants as may arise from the alloying process . in the specification and claims , the term &# 34 ; high strength &# 34 ; refers to an alloy having a tensile strength above at least about 620 mpa . the term &# 34 ; low modulus ,&# 34 ; as used in the specification and claims , refers to a young &# 39 ; s modulus below about 90 gpa . although the hot rolled , reheated , and quenched ti - nb - zr alloy is a suitable implant material , its properties can be improved by forging or other metallurgical processes or an aging heat treatment or a combination of these . aging treatment can increase the strength and hardness of the material , and reduce its elongation while maintaining a relatively low modulus of elasticity . the treatment can be varied to obtain the desired properties . u . s . pat . no . 5 , 169 , 597 to davidson , et al . and u . s . pat . no . 5 , 477 , 864 to davidson , both hereby fully incorporated by reference , deal in more detail with the useful ti - nb - zr alloys . further , u . s . ser . no . 08 / 036 , 414 , issued as u . s . pat . no . 5 , 509 , 933 , hereby fully incorporated by reference , teaches how to hot work ti - nb - zr alloys to produce high strength , low modulus medical implants . it may be desirable for other reasons , such as reducing microfretting wear between mating mechanical components , to surface harden the alloy implants using oxygen or nitrogen diffusion hardening methods , or coating with a hard wear resistant coating . in the latter event , the surface of the prosthesis may be coated with an amorphous diamond - like carbon coating or ceramic - like coating such as zirconium or titanium oxide , zirconium or titanium nitride , or zirconium or titanium carbide using chemical or plasma vapor deposition techniques to provide a hard , impervious , smooth surface coating . these coatings are especially useful if the prosthesis is subjected to conditions of wear or as an electrically insulative coating on electrical leads ( i . e ., pacemaker , defibrillator , neurological , sensors ) of ti - nb - zr alloy . methods for providing hard , low - friction , impervious , biocompatible amorphous diamond - like carbon coatings are known in the art and are disclosed in , for example , epo patent application 302 717 a1 to ion tech and chemical abstract 43655p , vol . 101 , describing japan kokai 59 / 851 to sumitomo electric , all of which are incorporated by reference herein as though full set forth . a preferred process for oxygen diffusion hardening is described in the u . s . pat . no . 5 , 372 , 560 , which is hereby fully incorporated by reference . oxygen diffusion hardening according to this process requires the supply of oxygen , or an oxygen containing atmosphere , or compounds partially composed of oxygen , such as water ( steam ), carbon dioxide , nitrogen dioxide , sulfur dioxide , and the like . these substances are supplied to the implant to be hardened which is maintained at a temperature preferably between 200 ° c . and 1200 ° c . the amount of time required at a given temperature to effectively produce the surface and near - surface hardened implants is related exponentially , by an arhennius - type relationship to the temperature . that is , shorter periods of time are required at higher temperatures for effective diffusion hardening . the resultant oxygen diffusion hardened implants are characterized in that the oxide film contains primarily a mixture of titanium and zirconium oxides in the implant surface . niobium oxides may also be present . immediately underlying this mixed - oxide film is sometimes a region of oxygen - rich metal alloy . underlying the sometimes - obtained oxygen - rich alloy layer is the core ti - nb - zr alloy . the interface between the sometimes - obtained oxygen - rich alloy layer and the oxide regions is typically zirconium - rich in comparison to the underlying ti - nb - zr alloy . in a most preferred embodiment , the ti - nb - zr alloy is subjected to temperature and an environment of argon gas that has been moisturized by bubbling through a water bath . the water vapor disassociates at the implant surface to produce oxygen which diffuses into the implant to produce the desired hardened surface . nitrogen diffusion processes can also be utilized in which nitrogen sources are provided instead of oxygen . these nitrogen diffusion surface hardening processes will tend to harden the metal alloy substrate in a similar manner to that of oxygen diffusion hardening or conventional oxygen hardening ( which is also useful ), and produce a yellow - orange insulative , wear - resistant surface oxide instead of the blue - black surface oxide which typically forms from the in situ oxygen diffusion hardening process . further , the implants of the invention may optionally be surface coated with medicaments such as anti - inflammatory agents , anti - thrombus agents , antibiotics , proteins that reduce platelet adhesion , and the like to improve their acceptability in a living body . pacemaker and other electronic leads are manufactured by several corporations , including medtronic , which produces a range of pacemaker lead designs . one of these designs is shown in schematic form in fig3 a and b . the pacemaker lead body 150 has a centrally disposed metallic conductor 152 typically made of cobalt - nickel alloy , such as mp35n ®. this conductor 152 is usually made up of several strands of wire , each having a diameter of about 0 . 15 - 0 . 20 mm . the conductor 152 is covered by an insulative , protective polymer sheath 153 so that the elongate body 150 of the pacemaker lead has an overall diameter ranging from about 2 . 2 to about 3 mm . the pacemaker has a first end 154 with an electrode 158 for connecting to a pulse generator and a second end 156 with an electrode 157 for contacting heart muscle . an alternative embodiment is shown in fig3 c . as supplied , these two ends are covered with protective polyurethane caps which can be removed for installation of the pacemaker . in order to prevent electrical interference with the conductor 152 , a polymeric insulative sleeve 153 is disposed over the entire pacemaker lead body 150 , with the exception of the exposed electrodes 157 for contacting heart muscle and the contact electrode 158 for engaging with the pulse generator that houses the electronics and power pack for the pacemaker . as explained before , the organic polymeric sheath compositions , typically polyurethane , can slowly degenerate in the body causing problems , not only due to potential deterioration of electrical insulation and interference with electrical signals but also because of potentially toxic products of degradation . the invention provides , as shown in fig3 c , a pacemaker wherein the conductor 152 is fabricated from a ti - nb - zr alloy that is coated with a tightly adherent , low friction , bio - and hemocompatible coating , with the exception of the electrode for contacting heart muscle 157 , and the electrode 158 at the other end of the lead for engaging the pulse generator . the coatings can be formed by in situ oxidation or nitriding of the ti - nb - zr to produce an electrically insulative surface layer of from about 0 . 1 to about 3 microns in thickness , preferably less than about 0 . 5 microns in thickness . this process can be carried out at the same time the material is age - hardened . alternatively , an insulative inert ceramic coating can be applied by conventional cvd or pvd methods either on the original ti - nb - zr alloy surface or onto the diffusion hardened ti - nb - zr surface . for these overlay coatings , the thickness can be as great as 20 microns . the overlay coatings include ceramic metal oxides , metal nitrides , metal carbides , amorphous diamond - like carbon , as detailed above . the electrical signal conductor 152 can comprise either a single wire or multiple wires . exposed ti - nb - zr metallic ends of the wire or wires are preferably connected directly to a pulse generator thereby avoiding the necessity for a weld or crimp to attach an electrode to the conductor which may result in local galvanic corrosion or physically weakened regions . further , since the coatings provide a natural protective insulative surface , the use of a coiled construct could be avoided by using only a preferred single - strand , non - coiled low modulus ti - nb - zr metallic wire construct for the conductor 152 . this will also eliminate the need for stiff guide wire . finally , the overall diameter of the pacemaker lead body 150 could be reduced considerably from the range of about 2 . 2 - 3 mm for current commercially available leads to about 0 . 2 - 1 mm . optionally , the leads of the invention may be covered with a polymeric sheath . fig1 and 2 show a defibrillator including a flexible silicone polymeric patch 300 with a coil of conductive wire 320 ( typically titanium , stainless steel , or cobalt - nickel - chromium ) on the side of the silicone patch 300 that will contact muscle tissue . when in place in the body , the lead wire 320 that carries power to the coil 340 extends out of the body ( through the skin ) and is electrically connected to a power source contained in a protective container 360 . according to the invention , the lead wire 320 is fabricated with an electrically conductive core 350 of ti - nb - zr alloy and is coated with an adherent electrically insulative coating 380 , such as metal oxides , carbides , or nitrides , or with amorphous diamond - like carbon as shown in exaggerated detail fig2 . this coating electrically insulates the lead wire from electrical contact with surrounding body tissue while also protecting the metallic core from corrosion and attack by body fluids , as described previously for the pacemaker lead . elimination of the polymer coating results in the elimination of potentially toxic products of gradual degradation of the polymer and also the consequent shorting the system when the insulative coating is breached . the oxygen or nitrogen diffusion hardened surface of the alloy implants may be highly polished to a mirror finish to further improve blood flow characteristics . further , the oxide - or nitride - coated surfaces maybe coated with substances that enhance biocompatibility and performance . for example , a coating of phosphatidyl choline , heparin , or other proteins to reduce platelet adhesion to the surfaces of the implant , or the use of antibiotic coatings to minimize the potential for infection . boronated or silver - doped hardened surface layers on the implant reduces friction and wear between contacting parts of the invention cardiovascular implants . additionally , amorphous diamond - like carbon , pyrolytic carbon , or other hard ceramic surface layers can also be coated onto the diffusion hardened surface to optimize other friction and wear aspects . the preferred diffusion hardened surface layer described in this application provides a hard , well - attached layer to which these additional hard coatings can be applied with a closer match between substrate and coating with respect to hardness . other , conventional methods of oxygen surface hardening are also useful . nitriding of the substrate leads to a hardened nitride surface layer . methods of nitridation known in the art may be used to achieve a hard nitride layer . regardless of how a ti - nb - zr alloy implant &# 39 ; s surface is hardened , the friction and wear ( tribological ) aspects of the surface can be further improved by employing the use of silver doping or boronation techniques . ion - beam - assisted deposition of silver films onto ceramic surfaces can improve tribiological behavior . the deposition of up to about 3 microns thick silver films can be performed at room temperature in a vacuum chamber equipped with an electron - beam hard silver evaporation source . a mixture of argon and oxygen gas is fed through the ion source to create an ion flux . one set of acceptable silver deposition parameters consists of an acceleration voltage of 1 kev with an ion current density of 25 microamps per cm 2 . the silver film can be completely deposited by this ion bombardment or formed partially via bombardment while the remaining thickness is achieved by vacuum evaporation . ion bombardment improves the attachment of the silver film to the ti - nb - zr alloy substrate . similar deposition of silver films on existing metal cardiovascular implants may also be performed to improve tribological behavior , as well as antibacterial response . an alternate method to further improve the tribological behavior of ti - nb - zr alloy surfaces of cardiovascular implants is to apply boronation treatments to these surfaces such as commercial available boride vapor deposition , boron ion implantation or sputter deposition using standard ion implantation and evaporation methods , or form a boron - type coating spontaneously in air . boric acid ( h 3 bo 3 ) surface films provide a self - replenishing solid lubricant which can further reduce the friction and wear of the ceramic substrate . these films form from the reaction of the b 2 o 3 surface ( deposited by various conventional methods ) on the metal surface with water in the body to form lubricous boric acid . conventional methods that can be used to deposit either a boron ( b ), h 3 bo 3 , or b 2 o 3 surface layer on the cardiovascular implant surface include vacuum evaporation with or without ion bombardment ) or simple oven curing of a thin layer over the implant surface . the self - lubricating mechanism of h 3 bo 3 is governed by its unique layered , triclinic crystal structure which allows sheets of atoms to easily slide over each other during articulation , thus minimizing substrate wear and friction . additionally , surfaces ( metal or coated ) of all the cardiovascular and medical implants discussed may optionally be coated with agents to further improve biological response . these agents include anticoagulants , proteins , antimicrobial agents , antibiotics , and the like medicaments . although the invention has been described with reference to its preferred embodiments , those of ordinary skill in the art may , upon reading this disclosure , appreciate changes and modifications which may be made and which do not depart from the scope and spirit of the invention as described above and claimed below .	0
the detection apparatus shown in the figures is of the digital type . it is intended for processing a telephone channel signal which is available in the form of successive digital samples . for simplicity of description , it is described as monitoring only one channel . naturally , it could be adapted to monitoring a plurality of channels simultaneously by employing time division processing techniques . as shown in fig1 the apparatus has a data input 1 to which the amplitude bits and the sign bit of the digital samples of a telephone channel signal are applied in parallel , and a clock input 2 which receives a clock signal h at the sampling frequency . the apparatus also has an output 3 on which it applies a binary signal s whose state indicates whether signalling or data signals are detected as being present or absent . the apparatus comprises two threshold comparator circuits 10 and 11 connected in parallel to its input . the threshold comparator circuit 10 is sensitive to the frequency at which digital samples of amplitude greater than a given threshold level appear . the other threshold comparator 11 is sensitive to the differences between the maximum values reached by the amplitudes of the digital samples during successive time windows of equal duration . a detector 50 is controlled by both of the threshold comparator circuits 10 and 11 . a hold - over circuit 60 is connected downstream from the detector 50 and delivers the output signal s . a sequencer circuit 70 provides various sequencing signals . the frequency and level threshold comparator 10 applies a level criterion which enables it to distinguish between the presence of mere noise and the presence of a signal of any kind , including speech , other than noise . this occurs before embarking on a discrimination between speech signals and data or signalling signals . as will be seen later , it additionally makes it possible , in some applications , to make use of the particular frequency characteristics of the signals to be detected whereby an additional frequency criterion may be included in the detection of signalling or data signals . the circuit 10 is sensitive to the rate at which samples appear having amplitudes greater than a threshold level which is chosen to be above the average noise level . the rate of appearance is obtained by counting the samples which are above the threshold level by means of a counter which is also decremented at some particular frequency . for this purpose the threshold comparator 10 is connected to both of the inputs 1 and 2 to the apparatus as a whole , and provides an enable or inhibit signal to the detector 50 whenever the counter overflows its maximum value or its minimum value . the difference threshold comparator 11 provides the actual discrimination between speech signals and signalling or data signals by employing a criterion of amplitude regularity . it comprises a maximum value indicator circuit 20 followed by a difference indicator circuit 30 and a difference estimator circuit 40 . it monitors the signal present on the telephone channel during successive time windows and it serves to indicate whether the absolute maximum values reached by the amplitude of the signal during the successive windows remain close to one another or not . this criterion has turned out to be particularly effective at distinguishing between data signals which are characterised by a substantially constant average power over a short time interval and voice signals which are characterised by a highly variable average power over short time intervals . to perform its function , the difference threshold comparator 11 receives the amplitude bits applied to the signal input 1 , but not the sign or polarity bit , and it also receives the clock signal h on the input 2 and a sequencing signal c1 delivered by the sequencer circuit 70 to define successive time windows of equal duration . the detector 50 is connected to the threshold comparator 10 to receive a binary signal whose logic state indicates whether the input 1 to the apparatus is receiving a high enough rate of signal samples whose amplitudes are greater than the threshold level . it is further connected to receive a binary signal from the difference threshold comparator 11 indicating whether the differences between the maximum values are considered to be small differences . when the detector 50 has been continuously receiving logic signals from the comparators 10 and 11 throughout a &# 34 ; prior activity &# 34 ; period lasting several time windows , it triggers a binary signal u on its own output 4 to indicate that signalling or data signals have been detected . the prior activity period may have two different values ( to within quantification error ) depending on the logic state of the signal s available on the output 3 from the apparatus as a whole . a shorter prior activity period is used when the signal s indicates the presence of data or signalling . this increases the sensitivity of the apparatus during data transmission . in addition to the output signals from the comparators 10 and 11 , the detector 50 receives the clock signal h , the sequencing signal c1 and a second sequencing signal c2 likewise generated by the sequencer circuit 70 . the second sequencing signal c2 is of similar form to the signal c1 , but is delayed relative thereto to take account of the time required to process the signals , including the output signal s from the apparatus as a whole which determines the choice of the duration of the &# 34 ; prior activity &# 34 ; period . the hold - over circuit 60 is a timing circuit which systematically prolongs the logic state of the output signal u from the detector 50 corresponding to signal detection ; i . e . to the detection of signalling or data signals . the signal u is extended by a hold - over period which comprises a certain number of successive time windows . the hold - over circuit 60 receives the signal u from the detector 50 , the clock signal h and a sequencing signal c3 of the same form as the signal c2 but delayed relative thereto to take account of the time required to process the signals . the various components of the apparatus described with reference to fig1 are described in greater detail below for an application in which signalling is to be detected on a pcm coded telephone channel . the signalling may be line signalling , or register signalling as used in ccitt signalling systems nos . 4 and 5 , or else it may be continuity test signalling as used in ccitt telephone signalling systems nos . 6 and 7 . in any of these cases the frequencies are in the upper part of the speech band where speech signals are of relatively low power . in this particular context , the sensitivity of the frequency and level threshold comparator is limited to the upper half of the speech band transmitted by telephone channel , i . e . to frequencies greater than 1500 or 1800 hz , by suitably taking account of the sign of the samples during counting . the threshold level is fixed at - 23 dbmo which is less than the minimum level expected of signalling . choosing such a value which is considerably higher than the level of background noise found on an average telephone channel makes it possible not only to verify whether the signal present on the monitored telephone channel is other than noise , but also provides increased protection against the detection apparatus erroneously responding to whistling noises in speech , since although their frequency may be high , their level is low . the time window lasts for 6 ms , which is longer not only than the period of the lowest signalling frequency , but also than the beat period between two signalling frequencies ( beats between the frequencies 2400 hz and 2600 hz ). taking quantizing error into account , the prior activity period is chosen to be equal to 120 ms ( 20 time windows ) or to 24 ms ( 4 time windows ) and the hold - over period is equal to 360 ms ( 60 time windows ). in the following description it will be supposed that the memories , the bistables and the counters are all sensitive to rising edges in the signals applied to their clock inputs , and that the data then taken into account by these circuits is the data which was present on their other inputs immediately before the appearance of said fronts . further , it will be assumed that signal samples are changed on the telephone channel immediately after the rising front in the clock signal h . fig2 is a circuit diagram of the difference threshold comparator . the maximum value indicator 20 is at the input end of the comparator . it comprises a digital comparator 21 having two parallel seven bit inputs connected to the input 1 of the apparatus as a whole . one of the inputs is connected directly thereto , while the other is connected via a multiplexer 22 having two parallel seven bit inputs and via a shift register 23 comprising one stage with seven bits in parallel . the shift register 23 is clocked by the clock signal h and its output is looped back to its input via said multiplexer 22 . the comparator 21 controls the addressing of the multiplexer 22 in such a manner as to direct the larger of two numbers applied to its own input to the input of the shift register 23 . a logic or gate 24 inserted in the multiplexer address control line serves to inject the sequencing signal c1 to write the sample received at the beginning of each time window directly into the shift register 23 . the pcm samples applied to the input of the apparatus as a whole comprise eight bits . one of the bits is a sign bit , and the other seven bits are amplitude bits . the seven amplitude bits are applied to one of the inputs of the comparator 21 which compares the amplitude x represented thereby with the amplitude y encoded on the seven bits stored in the shift register 23 . each 6 ms time window extends over 48 periods of the clock h which is running at the 8 khz sampling frequency of the pcm encoded signals . the windows begin on the rising front of the clock signal h immediately preceding a rising front in the sequencing signal c1 . during the first period of the clock signal h during the n - th time window , the sequencing signal c1 changes from logic level 1 just after the clock signal h and forces the multiplexer 22 to apply the amplitude x of the sample then present on the input 1 to the apparatus as a whole to the input of the shift register 23 where it will become available at the end of said first period . during the following period of the clock signal h , the sequencing signal c1 returns to logic level 0 just after the rising transition of the clock signal h and remains there until the end of the n - th time window , thereby leaving the addressing of the multiplexer 22 under the control of the comparator 21 which causes the larger of each pair of values x and y to be written into the shift register 23 . at the end of the last clock period in the n - th time window the maximum value maxn is written in the shift register 23 for the duration of the first clock period in the ( n + 1 )- th time window . the maximum value indicator 20 is followed by the difference indicator circuit 30 which is constituted by a digital subtractor 31 having nine parallel output bits : eight amplitude bits and one sign bit , and two inputs receiving seven amplitude bits in parallel . both seven bit signals are derived from the shift register 23 , one via a direct connection and the other via a single stage seven parallel bit shift register 32 which is clocked by the clock signal h as enabled by the sequencing signal c1 applied to a clock enable input of the register 32 . data is written into the shift register 32 by the rising edges in the clock signal h that occur while the sequencing signal c1 is at logic level 1 . the register 32 thus records data at the end of the first clock period during each time window , and retains the data in such a manner that the maximum value stored in the register 23 is recorded just before being deleted from the register 23 to begin the search for a new maximum value . thus , during most of the first period of the clock signal h during the ( n + 1 )- th time window there are available both the maximum value maxn corresponding to the n - th time window as written in the first shift register 23 and not yet written into the second register 32 , and also the maximum value maxn - 1 corresponding to the ( n - 1 )- th time window which is still written in the second register 32 , thereby causing their difference δn to appear at the output from the subtractor 31 . outside the first period of the clock signal , the subtractor delivers differences between the maximum value written in the second register 32 and the amplitudes successively written into the first register 23 . these differences are not taken into account by the following circuits because the sequencing signal c1 only enables the desired difference to be taken into consideration . the output from the subtractor 31 is connected to the difference estimator circuit 40 which comprises a digital comparator 41 and an accumulator . the digital comparator 41 serves to verify whether the differences δn between the successive maximum values maxn , maxn - 1 , exceed or not in absolute terms a threshold difference which in the present case is fixed at three pcm coding units . there are two six bit parallel inputs to the digital comparator 41 , one receives the six most significant bits from the output of the digital subractor 31 while the other receives the digital value 0 encoded on six bits . the comparator 41 has a one bit output which goes to logic state 1 whenever the six most significant bits of the signal from the digital subtractor 31 correspond to a non zero digital value . its output is connected via a logic nor gate 45 to the output 46 of the difference estimator circuit 40 . the accumulator serves to verify whether the algebraic sum of the differences between successive maximum values exceeds or not in absolute value a threshold of three pcm coding units . it thus serves to verify whether the differences between non - successive maximum values remain small as well and do not diverge by more than six pcm coding units in absolute value . it comprises an adder / subtractor 42 having two inputs , one of which receives its output via a two input multiplexer 43 and a single stage shift register 44 . the adder / subtractor 42 has two three bit inputs . one of them receives the sign bit and the two least significant bits from the subtractor 31 while the other one receives the digital values stored in the shift register 44 which has three stages in parallel , one of the bits corresponding to a sign bit and the other two being amplitude bits . the adder / subtractor algebraically sums the two three bit values it receives and delivers a four bit parallel output comprising one sign bit and two less significant amplitude bits which are applied to a first input to the multiplexer 43 and a most significant amplitude bit which is used to indicate overflow and is applied via the logic nor gate 45 to the output 46 of the difference estimator circuit 40 . the multiplexer 43 serves to reset the accumulator to zero . its second input receives the digital value 0 encoded on one sign bit and two amplitude bits . its addressing control is connected to the output 46 from the difference threshold comparator in such a manner as to apply the digital value 0 to the shift register 44 whenever the output from the difference estimator circuit 40 is at logic level 0 . the shift register 44 has one stage of three bits in parallel and is clocked by the clock signal h after being enabled by the sequencing signal c1 which the register 44 receives on a clock enable input . it writes the value delivered from the multiplexer 43 at the end of the first clock period in each time window , i . e . at an instant when the subtractor circuit 31 is actually delivering the value of a difference between maximum values . this ensures that the accumulator only operates on said differences . in this example the accumulator is working between - 3 and + 3 . as soon as it overflows or underflows , or as soon as the difference between successive maximum values exceeds the difference threshold , the accumulator is reset to its mid - point which is zero . the signal i obtained at the output 46 from the difference threshold comparator is at logical level 0 during the first period of the clock signal h occupying each time window if the difference between the two most recent detected maximum values exceeds three units of the pcm code , or else if the algebraic sum of the differences between successive maximum values detected since the last time the accumulator was reset to zero exceeds in absolute value three units of pcm code . otherwise it is at logic level 1 . fig3 is a circuit diagram of the frequency and level threshold comparator . at its input the circuit has a digital comparator 101 having two four - bit inputs , one connected to receive the four most significant bits of the pcm encoded sample present on the input to the apparatus as a whole and the other connected to receive a threshold level n in digital form , while its output is arranged to supply a level 1 logic signal whenever the amplitude of the received sample exceeds the threshold level n . the digital comparator 101 serves to eliminate samples of too small a level right from the start . the value of the threshold n is chosen to be a little less than the lowest value of signal level which may be present in the signalling to be detected . in the present case the threshold is set to - 23 dbmo while the signalling level is nominally in the range 0 to - 18 dbmo in ccitt no . 4 signalling system , in the range - 2 to - 16 dbmo in ccitt signalling system no . 5 and in the range - 6 to - 18 dbmo in ccitt signalling systems nos . 6 and 7 . the output from the digital comparator 101 is connected to a sign change detector 110 for detecting changes in sign between successive samples whose level is greater than the threshold level n . the detector 110 comprises a circuit for storing the sign of the last sample but one at a level greater than the threshold n and a sign comparator circuit for comparing the sign of the last sample but one with the sign of the most recent sample having a level exceeding the threshold n . the sign storing circuit comprises a d type bistable having a data input d connected to the output of a two input multiplexer 112 . one of the multiplexer inputs is connected to the q output from the d type bistable 111 , while the other of the inputs to the multiplexer 112 is connected to receive the sign bit of the input signal to the apparatus as a whole . the output from the digital comparator 101 controls the addressing of the multiplexer 112 in such a manner that the d type bistable 111 is looped so long as the samples present at the input 1 to the apparatus as a whole are lower than the threshold n . the sign comparator circuit comprises a set of three logic gates 113 , 114 and 115 whose output signal is a binary signal which is at logic state 0 when the last sample available on the input 1 to the apparatus as a whole was greater than the threshold n and of opposite sign to the sign stored in the d type bistable 111 , and is otherwise is at logic state 1 . to do this , the gate 113 is an and gate having an inverting input connected to the sign bit terminal of the input 1 , and two non - inverting inputs connected respectively to the q output of the d type bistable 111 and to the output from the digital comparator 101 . the gate 114 is also an and gate having an inverting input connected to the q output from the d type bistable 111 and two non - inverting inputs connected to the output from the digital comparator 101 and to the sign bit terminal of the input 1 respectively . the third logic gate 115 is a nor gate having two inputs respectively connected to the outputs from the and gates 113 and 114 , its output constitutes the output of the sign comparator circuit . the change of sign detector 110 drives an up / down counter 120 which serves to recognise the presence of frequency components higher than 1500 hz in the sampled signal by counting up for changes in sign , and down for absences of sign change as weighted by a periodic correction factor . neglecting the level filtering which takes place upstream therefrom , the up / down counter 120 receives three changes of sign for every eight samples at 8 khz when there is a fundamental component of 1500 hz in the receive signal . under these circumstances , the up / down counter can only reach an equilibrium position if it counts as many steps up as it counts down , i . e . two units must be added to the number of changes of sign detected over eight samples , and this may be done by adding one unit to the number of changes of sign at a frequency of 2 khz . if the fundamental component is less than 1500 hz the counter will underflow , while if the fundamental component is greater than 1500 hz the counter will overflow in favour of too many changes of sign . since it is desired to detect the presence of a sampled signal having a fundamental frequency component greater than 1500 hz , overflow is the condition sought . the affect of the level filter is to reduce the number of changes of sign that are counted ( this happens automatically by virtue of the wave form at the output from the sign change detector 110 ) whereby insufficient level is treated in the same way as too low a fundamental frequency . the up / down counter 120 is constituted by means of a digital adder 121 for adding two four - bit numbers , an inverter 122 , a multiplexer 123 having two four - bit inputs , an exclusive or logic gate 124 having two inputs and a single stage shift register 125 for four bits in parallel . the digital adder 121 has a first input connected to receive the number stored in the shift register 125 which constitutes the contents of the up / down counter , and a second input having its three most significant bit terminals connected in parallel to receive the sign bit from the sign detector 110 and its least significant bit connected to receive a permanent logic 1 level whereby the second input receives a number which is equal either to 15 or to 1 depending on the signal at the output from the change of sign detector 110 . the digital adder 121 also has a carry input which receives a correction signal from a correction signal generator circuit 130 . the four bit sum delivered by the digital adder 121 is applied to a first input of the multiplexer 123 . the second input of the multiplexer has all four input terminals connected in parallel via an inverter 122 to the output of the change of sign detector 110 , giving a number equal to 0 or 15 depending on the output signal from the change of sign detector 110 . the addressing of the multiplexer 123 is controlled via the exclusive or logic gate 124 , which has one input connected to receive the carry output from the digital adder 121 and another input connected to receive the output from the change of sign detector 110 . a logical level 0 selects the first input and a logical level 1 selects the second input . the output from the multiplexer 123 is connected to the input of the shift register 125 which is clocked by the clock signal h . the correction control circuit 130 comprises a down counter 131 having a clock input clocked by the clock signal h , and an initialisation input connected to receive the number 3 . its initialisation input is active low and receives that output from the counter whose logic level is 0 when the counter contains a count of zero and is 1 otherwise . the output signal is also inverted by an inverter 132 to be applied as the correction signal for the up / down counter 120 . the down counter 131 is initialised to three and counts down at the rate of the clock signal h . when it reaches zero at the beginning of a period of the clock h , its output signal is initially at level 1 and passes to logic level 0 , thereby resetting the counter to three at the beginning of the next period of the clock signal h . the result is that the output from the correction control circuit is a binary signal which is at logic level 1 for one period out of every four periods of the clock signal h . the up / down counter 120 counts up or down each period of the clock signal h . it counts up when the change of sign detector output is at logic level 0 and it counts down when no change of sign is detected or when the sample is of insufficient level as indicated by a logic level 1 at the output from the change of sign detector 110 . an additional count up is made every four periods of the clock signal h under the control of the correction control circuit 130 . when the up / down counter 120 arrives at its end points of less than 0 or greater than 15 , it stays at the end point until it receives a signal suitable for counting away from the end point which it has reached . if a logic level 0 is present at the output of the change of sign detector 110 , the digital adder 121 adds 1 to the contents of the shift register 125 , or maybe 2 if its carry input held at logic level 1 by the correction control circuit 130 . the resulting sum is written in the shift register 125 except when it exceeds 15 , in which case a logic level 1 appears at the carry output from the digital adder 121 causing the second input to the multiplexer 123 to be selected which provides the number 15 for writing into the register 125 instead of the sum . when there is a logic level 1 at the output from the change of sign detector 110 , the digital adder 121 adds the number 15 to the contents of the shift register 125 or , as the case may be , the number 16 if its carry input is at logic level 1 under the control of the correction control circuit 130 . if the contents of the shift register 125 is other than 0 , capacity of the digital adder 121 , which is only four bits , is exceeded whereby its output is either equal to the original contents of the shift register minus one or else to the original contents unchanged . the logic level 1 which appears on the carry output of the digital adder 121 is stopped by the logic exclusive or gate 124 so that the contents of the shift register 125 is either decremented by one unit or else retained which corresponds to counting one lack of sign change , unless compensated for by a correction signal . if the contents of the shift register 125 is 0 and if the carry input is held at logic level 1 by the correction control circuit 130 , operation remains the same with the digital adder 121 adding the number 16 to 0 , overflowing and delivering a zero sum together with a logic level 1 on its carry output . however , its carry output is stopped by the exclusive or gate 124 so that a 0 is rewritten into the shift register 125 which is equivalent to a one unit down count for the lack of change of sign being exactly compensated by a correction signal . finally , if the contents of the shift register 125 is 0 when the carry input is at 0 , the digital adder 121 adds 15 to 0 which does not cause it to overflow and it therefore delivers the number 15 at its output together with a logic level 0 on its carry output . the carry logic level 0 is applied to the exclusive or gate 124 where , in combination with the logic level 1 at the output from the change of sign detector 110 , it selects the second input to the multiplexer 123 on which the number 0 is permanently applied ; this 0 is therefore written into the shift register instead of the sum from the adder . the up / down counter 120 is followed by an overflow detector circuit 140 which provides a logic level 1 output at its output 150 when the up / down counter overflows , i . e . when it has counted more changes of sign than it can hold , and the detector returns to its zero output when the up / down counter underflows , i . e . when it has counted more non - changes of sign than it can hold . this provides a degree of hysteresis which avoids hunting . the detector circuit 140 comprises three logic gates 141 , 142 and 143 together with a d type bistable 144 . the d type bistable 144 has its data input connected to the output 150 of the overflow detector circuit 140 . it is clocked by the clock signal h and during each clock period it retains the previous state of the output of the overflow circuit 140 . the logic gate 141 is a nor gate having two inputs , one of which is connected to the q output of the d type bistable 144 and the other of which is connected to the output of the exclusive or gate 124 which delivers the overflow signal from the up / down counter 120 . the logic gate 142 is an and gate having two inputs , one of which is connected to the output of the logic gate 124 and the other of which is connected to the output of the change of sign detector 110 . the logic gate 143 is a nor gate having two inputs which are connected to the outputs of the logic gates 141 and 142 respectively . the output from the logic gate 143 delivers the output signal from the overflow detector circuit 140 . whenever the up / down counter 120 is not hard against one of its limit values of 0 and 15 for the duration of a clock signal h , the output from the exclusive or logic gate 124 is at logic level 0 thereby making the set of three logic gates 141 , 142 and 143 transparent to the output state of the d type bistable 144 . the overflow detector circuit 140 thus retains the output level on its output 150 which it had during the previous period of the clock h . this is its hysteresis interval . in contrast , whenever the up / down counter 120 is against one of its end stops for the duration of a clock period under consideration , the exclusive or logic gate 124 is at logic level 1 causing the set of three logic gates 141 , 142 and 143 to act as an inverter to the output state of the change of sign detector 110 , i . e . it goes to logic level 1 when a change of sign has been detected indicating that the counter has overflowed and it gives a logic level 0 when no change of sign has been detected indicating that the counter has underflowed . it will be observed that the overflow detector circuit 140 could be designed to change state when the up / down counter 120 reaches a count equal to one of its limit states rather than waiting for it to overflow or underflow . although such a circuit would require more components in the up / down counter since its output state would need to be decoded , it would slightly speed up the reaction time of the frequency and level threshold comparator . fig4 is a circuit diagram of the detector 50 and the hold - over circuit 60 shown in fig1 . at its input , the detector 50 has a two - input logic and gate 52 having its inputs connected to the outputs 46 and 150 of the difference estimator circuit 40 and the overflow detector circuit 140 respectively . the output from the and gate 52 is connected to the data input of a d type bistable 51 . the d type bistable 51 is clocked by the clock signal h and has a clock enable input connected to receive the sequencing signal c1 , whereby it is activated at the end of the first clock period at the beginning of each time window . the d type bistable 51 thus serves to resynchronise the signals present on both of the inputs to the and gate 52 , and also to enable only those output signals from the difference threshold comparator ( 11 fig1 ) that are relevant . the output from the d type bistable 51 is at logic level 1 whenever the condition of regular amplitude and the conditions of suitable level and frequency have all been satisfied during the preceding time window , and it is at logic level 0 otherwise . the circuit 50 further includes a two - speed time counter which remains blocked against its upper limit and which is reset to zero by a logic level 0 at the q output from the d type bistable 51 which indicates that at least one of the conditions is not satisfied . the two counting speeds are a high speed equal to the rate of the sequencing signal c1 which is applied when the apparatus as a whole has detected a signal , i . e . when the output 3 from the apparatus as a whole is at logic level 1 indicating that signalling or a data signal is present on a telephone channel , and a slow speed equal to one - fourth of the fast speed which is used when the apparatus as a whole has not detected a signal in the telephone channel , i . e . when the output 3 of the apparatus as a whole is at logic level 0 . the time counter is essentially constituted by a digital adder 53 for adding two three bit numbers , a multiplexer 54 , and a single stage shift register 55 for shifting three bits in parallel . the digital adder 53 has one input connected to the output of the shift register 55 and its other input has its two most significant bits connected to ground ( logic level 0 ), and its least significant bit connected to the output of a logic or gate 56 having two inputs . one of the inputs to the or gate 56 is connected to receive the signal on the output 3 from the apparatus as a whole , and the other input is connected to receive a timing signal p whose period extends over four time windows having a logic level 1 maintained for the duration of one time window and which is synchronised on the sequencing signal c1 . the logic or gate 56 serves to apply the number 1 to one of the inputs of the digital adder 53 , either permanently while the apparatus as a whole has its output at logic level 1 , or else during one time window in four while the output from the apparatus as a whole is at logic level 0 . at its output , the digital adder 53 delivers the sum of the number which is stored in the shift register 55 added to the number 0 or the number 1 as the case may be . the multiplexer 54 has one of its three bit inputs connected to the three bit output of the digital adder 53 , and the three terminals of its other three bit inputs are connected in parallel to the q output of the d type bistable 51 . the multiplexer addressing control operates in such a manner that the output from the digital adder 53 is selected when the addressing input is at logic level 1 . the addressing input is controlled by a logic and gate 57 having two inputs , one of which receives the output from the d type bistable 51 and the other of which receives the inverse of the carry output from the digital adder 53 . the one stage and three parallel bit shift register 55 has its input connected to the output of the multiplexer 54 and it is clocked by the clock signal h when enabled by the sequencing signal c2 which is of the same wave form as the sequencing signal c1 but which is delayed relative thereto by one period of the clock signal h . the enable input to the register 55 is connected to the sequencing signal c2 is order to take account of the fact that the d type bistable 51 which resynchronises the output signals from the difference threshold comparator and the frequency and level comparator is itself only activated at the end of the first period of the clock signal in each time window . when a logic level 0 signal is present at the output of the d type bistable 51 during the second period of the clock signal h in any given time window , thereby indicating that at least one of the conditions was not satisfied during the preceding time window , the multiplexer 54 selects its input which is not connected to the digital adder 53 , thereby putting all three bits in parallel to logic level 0 . a number 0 therefore appears at the output of the mulitplexer 54 and this is stored in the shift register 55 at the end of the second period of the clock signal h during the time window under consideration . the contents of the up / down counter is thus either reset to zero or maintained at zero . when a logic level 1 signal is present at the output from the d type bistable 51 during the second period of the clock h during the time window under consideration , indicating that the conditions were satisfied during the preceding time window , and when a logic level 0 is present on the carry output from the digital adder 53 indicating that the sum obtained therein does not exceed 7 ( the top limit of the capacity of the time counter ), the multiplexer 54 selects its input connected to the output of the digital adder 53 thereby causing said sum to be stored in the shift register 55 , and consequently incrementing the time counter by one unit at the end of the second period of the clock signal h during the time window under consideration , provided that the output 3 from the apparatus as a whole is at logic level 1 indicating that signalling has been detected , or providing that the timing signal p is at logic level 1 . in one case counting occurs at a rate of one count every 6 ms , which is the period of the sequencing signal c1 , i . e . one count per time window , while in the other case counting takes place at a rate of one unit every 24 ms ( the period of the timing signal p ), i . e . one unit every four time windows . the purpose of these two counting speeds is to obtain the two different &# 34 ; prior activity &# 34 ; periods mentioned before . when a logic level 1 is present at the output of the d type bistable 51 during the second period of a clock signal h during a time window under consideration , indicating that the conditions were satisfied during the previous time window , and when a logic level 1 is present on the carry output from the digital adder 53 indicating that the sum obtained exceeds the number 7 ( 111 in binary ) which is the upper limit of the capacity of the time counter , the multiplexer 54 selects its input which is not connected to the output from the digital adder 53 . this input receives the logic level 1 from the output of the d type bistable 51 on all three bit terminals , thereby delivering the number 7 at its output which is again stored in the shift register 55 at the end of the second period of the clock signal h during the time window under consideration , whereby the time counter remains blocked against its upper limit . the timing signal p used to define the slower counter speed is generated from the sequencing signal c1 by means of an inverter 80 driven by a divider 81 which has a clock input connected to receive the sequencing signal c1 , an initialising input connected to receive the number 3 , and an initialising enable input which is active low connected to receive an output signal from the divider which indicates whether the divider is at logic level 0 or not . the divider 81 is initialised to 3 and counts down at the time window rate . when it arrives at zero , its output signal which was previously at logic level 1 changes to logic level 0 , thereby causing the number 3 to be rewritten into the divider at the beginning of the next time window . the result is that the output from the inverter 80 provides a timing signal p which is at logic level 1 during one time window in four . the time counter is followed by a decoder circuit for observing those instants when the contents passes through the value 4 providing the output from the apparatus as a whole is at logic level 1 , or through the value 5 if the output from the apparatus as a whole is at logic level 0 . this decoding circuit comprises a digital comparator 58 having two three - bit inputs , one of which is connected to the output from the shift register 55 and the other of which receives the number 5 encoded on the bits . the output from the comparator 58 goes to logic level 1 when the contents of the time counter is greater than or equal to the number 5 . this output is connected to one input of a multiplexer 59 having two one - bit inputs , the other of which is connected to the most significant bit of the output from the shift register 55 . the multiplexer 59 is addressed by the signal present on the output 3 from the apparatus as a whole in such a manner as to select the input connected to the digital comparator 58 when there is a logic level 0 at the output 3 and to select the other input when there is a logic level 1 . when a logic level 0 is present in the output 3 of the apparatus as a whole , indicating that no signalling has been detected , the time counter , if it is counting at all , is counting at its slow speed while the multiplexer 59 selects the output from the digital comparator 58 and provides an output signal at logic level 0 for as long as the contents of the counter remains less than 5 , which corresponds to a prior activity period of 120 ms . when a logic level 1 is present on the output 3 of the apparatus as a whole indicating that signalling has been detected , the time counter , when it is counting , is counting at its faster speed and the multiplexer 59 selects the most significant bit from the output of the shift register 55 thereby outputting a logic level 1 signal for as long as the contents of the counter remains below four , which corresponds to a prior activity period of 24 ms . the or gate 56 and the multiplexer 59 constitute , as has just been described , means for adjusting the duration of the prior activity period and enable a shorter duration to be obtained during the hold - over period . the signal u available at the output from the multiplexer 59 takes logic level 1 or 0 depending on whether the apparatus has recognised the presence of signalling in the monitored channel , and is applied to the hold - over circuit 60 . the hold - over circuit 60 is essentially constituted by a time divider which operates at the rate of the timing signal p and which is reset to its maximum value by a logic level 1 at the output 4 from the multiplexer 59 . the time divider is constituted by a digital adder 61 having two four bit inputs , a multiplexer 62 having two four - bit inputs , and a shift register 63 having four bits in parallel and one stage . the digital adder 61 has a first input connected to the output of the shift register 63 whence it receives a four bit number which is stored therein and which constitutes the contents of the time divider , and it has a second input whose four bit terminals are connected in parallel to the output of a logic and gate 64 to provide a number equal to 0 or 15 ( 1111 in binary ). the logic and gate 64 has two inputs , one of which receives the output from the apparatus as a whole and the other of which receives the timing signal p . the multiplexer 62 has a first input connected to receive the output signal from the digital adder 61 , and a second input with its four bit terminals connected in parallel to the output 4 from the multiplexer 59 to receive a number equal to 0 or 16 . the multiplexer is addressed by the multiplexer 59 in such a manner as to select its input connected to the output from the digital adder 61 when the output from the multiplexer 59 is at logic level 0 which indicates that no signalling has been detected , and select its other input in the contrary case . the shift register 63 has one four - bit stage , and has its input connected to the output of multiplexer 62 . it is clocked by the clock signal h as enabled by a sequencing signal c3 which has the same form as the sequencing signal c2 but which is delayed relative thereto by two periods of the clock signal h . enabling by means of sequencing signal c3 enables the register 63 to take account of the fact that the shift register 55 is not written to until the end of the second period of the clock signal h during each time window . a four input logic or gate 65 is connected to the output from the shift register 63 and delivers the output signal s of the apparatus as a whole . this signal s is at logic level 1 provided that at least one of the bits of the time divider is other than zero . when a logic level 1 is present on the output 4 from multiplexer 59 , indicating that signalling has been detected , the multiplexer 62 selects its input which is not connected to the digital adder 61 and whose four bits are connected in parallel to logic level 1 . as a result the number 15 appears at its output which is the maximum contents of the time divider , and this number is stored in the shift register 63 which causes a logic level 1 to appear at the output 3 of the apparatus as a whole . a logic level 1 at the output 4 of the multiplexer 59 , indicating that signalling has been detected , is thus forwarded to the output 3 of the apparatus as a whole while resetting the time counter to its maximum value . when a logic level 0 is present on the output 4 from the multiplexer 59 , indicating that no signalling has been detected , the time counter returns to the value zero if it was not already there or remains at zero if it was already there . if it was not at zero , the output 3 from the apparatus as a whole is at logic level 1 , and the apparatus as a whole continues to indicate the presence of signalling , thereby opening the logic and gate 64 which passes the timing signal p . this signal is at logic level 1 for one window in four , and applies the value 15 to the input of the digital adder 61 every 24 ms . the value 15 is added with the contents of the time counter by the digital adder 61 which overflows and delivers at its output the contents of the time counter decremented by unity . if the logic level 0 remains at the output of the multiplexer 59 , the output signal from the digital adder 61 is written into the shift register 63 and again serves as a new time divider contents . when the contents of the time divider reaches zero , the output 3 from the apparatus as a whole passes to logic state 0 , and the apparatus as a whole ceases to indicate the presence of signalling , and at the same time closes the logic and gate 64 thereby preventing the time counter from counting down any further . the hold - over period thus obtained is 360 ms ( to within quantification error ). fig5 is a circuit diagram of the sequencing signal generator 70 . it comprises a wave shaping circuit constituted by an inverter 51 driven by a divider 72 which has a clock input connected to receive the clock signal h and an initialising input connected to receive the number 47 . it has an inverting initialising control input which is connected to receive its own output signal , and it has a phase shifting circuit constituted by a shift register 73 having three stages connected in series to the output of the inverter 71 and clocked by the clock signal h . the divider 72 is initialised with the value 47 and counts down at the rate of the clock signal h . when it arrives at zero its output signal which was previously at logic level 1 passes to logic level 0 , thereby causing the divider 72 to be reset to 47 at the beginning of the following period in the clock signal h . as a result , the output from the inverter 71 is a binary signal which passes to logic level 1 for one period in forty - eight of the periods of the clock h . the shift register provides the three sequencing signals c1 , c2 and c3 which are shifted relative to each other by one unit of the clock signal h .	7
referring to fig1 of the drawings , a belt cvt 1 for use in a vehicle comprises a primary pulley 41 , a secondary pulley 42 , and a v - belt 43 wrapped around the pulleys 41 and 42 . the primary pulley 41 comprises a fixed conical plate 41 a and a movable conical plate 41 b disposed facing each other . the v - belt 43 catches in a pulley groove that is v - shaped in cross - section and is formed between the fixed conical plate 41 a and the movable conical plate 41 b . the movable conical plate 41 b moves in response to a primary pressure supplied via a primary pressure regulating unit 44 to vary the width of the pulley groove and the contact radius between the v - belt 43 and the primary pulley 41 . the movable conical plate 41 b is fixed to an input shaft 41 c . the output rotation of an engine 70 mounted in the vehicle is input to the input shaft 41 c via a torque converter 20 and a forward / reverse change - over mechanism 30 . the secondary pulley 42 comprises a movable conical plate 42 a and a fixed conical plate 42 b disposed facing each other . the v - belt 43 catches in a pulley groove that is v - shaped in cross - section and is formed between the movable conical plate 42 a and the fixed conical plate 42 b . the movable conical plate 42 a moves in response to a secondary pressure supplied via a secondary pressure regulating unit 45 to vary the width of the pulley groove and the contact radius between the v - belt 43 and the secondary pulley 42 . the rotation of the fixed conical plate 42 b is transmitted to a drive wheel 80 of the vehicle . the pressure - receiving surface area of the movable conical plate 41 b and movable conical plate 42 a are set to be substantially equal . the torque converter 20 is a publicly known mechanism for transmitting the rotation of the engine 70 by means of the flow of oil between a pump impeller and a turbine liner . the torque converter 20 comprises a lockup device for causing the pump impeller to rotate in integrated fashion with the turbine liner . the forward / reverse change - over mechanism 30 comprises a planetary gear set 31 , a forward clutch 32 , and a reverse clutch 33 . the planetary gear set 31 comprises an external sun gear 31 a , and an internal ring gear 31 d disposed on the outside thereof . a plurality of pinions 31 b that mesh with the outside perimeter of the sun gear 31 a and the inside perimeter of the ring gear 31 d and a carrier 31 c for supporting the pinions 31 b are furthermore comprised therein . the sun gear 31 a is connected to an output shaft of the torque converter 20 , and the carriers 31 c are connected to the input shaft 41 c of the primary pulley 41 . the forward clutch 32 connects the carrier 31 c with the sun gear 31 a according to oil pressure supplied to a clutch piston chamber 32 a from a clutch pressure regulating unit 35 . as a result , the output rotation of the torque converter 20 is transmitted as is to the input shaft 41 c of the primary pulley 41 via the sun gear 31 a and carrier 31 c . the reverse clutch 33 locks the rotation of the ring gear 31 d according to the oil pressure supplied to a clutch piston chamber 33 a from the clutch pressure regulating unit 35 . as a result , the sun gear 31 a and carrier 31 c rotate in opposite directions , and the output rotation of the torque converter 20 is transmitted to the input shaft 41 c of the primary pulley 41 in reverse . the forward clutch 32 and reverse clutch 33 are engaged exclusively . specifically , the reverse clutch 33 is invariably released when the forward clutch 32 is engaged , and the forward clutch 32 is invariably released when the reverse clutch 33 is engaged . in a state in which the forward clutch 32 and reverse clutch 33 are both released , the sun gear 31 a and carrier 31 c rotate relative to each other in arbitrary fashion . oil pressure is supplied to the primary pressure regulating unit 44 , secondary pressure regulating unit 45 , and clutch pressure regulating unit 35 from an oil pressure pump 10 driven by the engine 70 . the discharge pressure of the oil pressure pump 10 is regulated to a predetermined line pressure by means of a line pressure regulating unit 46 , and is distributed to the primary pressure regulating unit 44 , secondary pressure regulating unit 45 , and clutch pressure regulating unit 35 . the primary pressure regulating unit 44 furthermore regulates the line pressure to a predetermined primary pressure to operate the movable conical plate 41 b of the primary pulley 41 . the secondary pressure regulating unit 45 furthermore regulates the line pressure to a predetermined secondary pressure to operate the movable conical plate 42 a of the secondary pulley 42 . the line pressure of the clutch pressure regulating unit 35 is regulated to a predetermined clutch pressure , and is selectively supplied to the forward clutch 32 and reverse clutch 33 . the primary pressure regulating unit 44 , secondary pressure regulating unit 45 , and line pressure regulating unit 46 respectively regulate the primary pressure , secondary pressure , and line pressure according to command signals from a controller 60 . the clutch pressure regulating unit 35 supplies the oil pressure used for engaging a particular clutch according to the command signal from the controller 60 . the controller 60 is composed of a microcomputer that comprises a central processing unit ( cpu ), read - only memory ( rom ), random access memory ( ram ), and an input / output interface ( i / o interface ). the controller may also be composed of a plurality of microcomputers . the controller 60 controls the primary pressure , secondary pressure , and line pressure , and engages and releases the forward clutch 32 and reverse clutch 33 . the controller 60 also controls the output torque of the engine 70 by outputting an engine control signal to an electronic throttle 61 provided in the engine 70 . detected data from a rotation speed sensor 47 for detecting the rotation speed of the engine 70 , a rotation speed sensor 51 for detecting the rotation speed of the primary pulley 41 , a rotation speed sensor 52 for detecting the rotation speed of the secondary pulley 42 , a pressure sensor 53 for detecting the primary pressure , a pressure sensor 54 for detecting the secondary pressure , an inhibitor switch 56 for detecting the selected position of the shift lever provided to the vehicle , and an accelerator pedal depression sensor 57 for detecting the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal provided in the vehicle are input as signals to the controller 60 to serve as parameters for controlling these actions . the shift lever is provided with a drive range ( d ) used for forward travel , a reverse range ( r ) used for reverse travel , and a neutral range ( n ) in which the rotation torque of the engine 70 is not transmitted to the drive wheel . because the secondary pulley 42 is connected with drive wheel 80 , the rotation speed of the secondary pulley 42 detected by the rotation speed sensor 52 is utilized as a parameter for indicating the vehicle speed . the controller 60 performs publicly known control relating to the operation of the forward clutch 32 and reverse clutch 33 of the forward / reverse change - over mechanism 30 according to the range selection of the shift lever , and relating to the speed ratio of the publicly known belt cvt 1 , which is controlled by the primary pressure and secondary pressure . furthermore , the controller 60 limits the output torque of the engine 70 so that no slippage occurs in the v - belt 43 when the shift lever is operated from the drive range ( d ) to the neutral range ( n ) and from the neutral range ( n ) to the drive range ( d ) within a short amount of time during vehicle travel , as previously described . referring to fig2 a and 2b , the functioning of the controller 60 for limiting the output torque will now be described . the controller 60 comprises a transmission control unit 61 and an engine control unit 62 . the transmission control unit 61 is composed of a torque - limiting condition determining block 61 a , an oil pressure controlling block 61 b , a torque limiting initiation / termination determining block 61 c , a torque capacity calculating block 61 d , an input torque calculating block 61 e , a torque limit determining block 61 f , a torque limit value calculating block 61 g , and a torque limit value output block 61 h . the engine control unit 62 is composed of an engine torque calculating block 62 a , a torque - down amount calculating block 62 b , and an electronic throttle opening regulating block 62 c . the units and blocks depicted in the drawings are hypothetical units / blocks depicting functions of the controller 60 , and do not exist physically . the torque - limiting condition determining block 61 a determines whether torque - limiting conditions are established based on the selected range input from the inhibitor switch 56 and on the rotation speed of the secondary pulley 42 input from the rotation speed sensor 52 . torque limiting conditions are established when the selected range of the shift lever shifts from the neutral range to the drive range at a vehicle speed that is at or above a set vehicle speed . the set vehicle speed is set in this case at ten kilometers per hour . the torque - limiting condition is not satisfied when the vehicle speed is less than ten kilometers per hour , because the vehicle start - up performance will be adversely affected , if the output torque of the engine 70 is limited to a vehicle speed less than ten kilometers per hour . the oil pressure controlling block 61 b limits the line pressure and secondary pressure over a predetermined time period to pressures that the oil pressure pump 10 is capable of generating . the line pressure is limited in order to maintain the engaging pressure of the forward clutch 32 , and the secondary pressure is limited so as to prevent the speed ratio of the belt cvt 1 from increasing , or in other words to prevent the output rotation of the belt cvt 1 from decreasing . limiting the line pressure results in limiting the primary pressure . as a result , the primary pressure is maintained at a low pressure over a predetermined time period after the selected range of the shift lever is changed over from the neutral range to the drive range , as depicted in the drawing of the torque limit determining block 61 f . the torque limiting initiation / termination determining block 61 c sets a torque limit flag to unity when torque limiting conditions are established based on the determination results of the torque limiting - condition determining block 61 a , and resets the torque limit flag to zero when torque limiting conditions are not established . the initial value of the torque limit flag is zero . the torque capacity calculating block 61 d calculates the speed ratio of the belt cvt 1 from the rotation speed of the primary pulley 41 and rotation speed of the secondary pulley 42 . furthermore , the maximum torque that would not cause the belt 43 to slip against the primary pulley 41 and secondary pulley 42 is calculated based on the speed ratio and the secondary pressure detected by the pressure sensor 54 . this value is labeled as the torque capacity tc . the input torque calculating block 61 e sets the actual engine torque te input from the engine control unit 62 as the input torque ti of the belt cvt 1 . the torque limit determining block 61 f compares the input torque ti and torque capacity tc of the belt cvt 1 , and determines that torque limiting is necessary for the input torque ti when the torque capacity tc falls below the input torque ti , as shown by the shaded area in the figure . the torque limit value calculating block 61 g limits the input torque ti to the torque capacity tc when it is necessary to limit the input torque . the torque limit value output block 61 h outputs a torque limit requirement value that is in accordance with the torque limit flag to the torque - down amount calculating block 62 b . when the torque limit flag is at zero , a maximum value for the torque limit requirement value is output to the torque - down amount calculating block 62 b as the torque limit requirement value . herein the maximum value denotes that no torque limitation is required . when the torque limit flag is at unity , the input torque ti calculated by the torque limit value calculating block 61 g is output as the torque limit requirement value to the torque - down amount calculating block 62 b . the engine torque calculating block 62 a of the engine control unit 62 calculates the throttle valve opening tvo of the engine 70 from the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal , and calculates the output torque of the engine 70 from the throttle valve opening tvo , fuel injection amount of the engine 70 , and rotation speed of the engine 70 , with reference to a map having characteristics such as those shown in the figure . if the controller 60 also controls the fuel injection amount of the engine 70 , the controller 60 is capable of obtaining the fuel injection amount from data that are stored therein . the torque - down amount calculating block 62 b calculates a torque - down amount on the basis of the torque limit requirement value that is input from the torque limit value output block 61 h and the output torque of the engine 70 calculated by the engine torque calculating block 62 a . the electronic throttle valve opening regulating block 62 c narrows the valve opening of the electronic throttle 61 according to the torque - down amount . next , referring to fig3 , a routine executed according to the above configuration whereby the controller 60 prevents belt slippage in the belt cvt 1 will be described . this routine is executed at intervals of ten milliseconds during operation of the engine 70 . first , in a step s 1 , the controller 60 determines whether the vehicle speed is at or above the previously described set vehicle speed of ten kilometers per hour on the basis of the rotation speed of the secondary pulley 42 detected by the rotation speed sensor 52 . when the vehicle speed is under ten kilometers per hour , the controller 60 determines that limiting of the output torque of the engine 70 will not be performed in a step s 8 , and the routine is terminated . when the vehicle speed is at or above ten kilometers per hour , the controller 60 determines in a step s 2 whether the torque limit flag is at unity . when the torque limit flag is not at unity , the controller 60 performs the processing of a step s 3 . in the step s 3 , the controller 60 determines whether the shift lever has been changed over from the neutral range ( n ) to the drive range ( d ). this determination is performed by comparing the input signal from the inhibitor switch 56 with the previous input signal at fixed time intervals . if the shift lever has not been changed over from the neutral range ( n ) to the drive range ( d ), the controller 60 determines that limiting of the output torque of the engine 70 will not be performed in the step s 8 , and the routine is terminated . when the shift lever has been changed over from the neutral range ( n ) to the drive range ( d ), the controller 60 sets the torque limit flag to unity in a step s 4 . next , in a step s 5 , the controller 60 limits the line pressure and secondary pressure to pressures that the oil pressure pump 10 is capable of generating . the controller 60 furthermore calculates the torque - down amount in a subsequent step s 6 . in a subsequent step s 7 , the controller 60 limits the output torque of the engine 70 on the basis of the torque - down amount . the controller 60 terminates the routine after the process in the step s 7 . on the other hand , in the step s 2 , when the torque limit flag is at unity , the controller 60 determines whether a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the torque limit flag was set to unity in a step s 9 . if the predetermined period of time has not elapsed , the controller 60 executes the processing beginning in the step s 5 . when the predetermined period of time has elapsed , the controller 60 stops limiting the output torque of the engine 70 in a step s 10 , the torque limit flag is set to zero , and the routine is terminated . the predetermined period of time corresponds to the time required for torque limiting to become unnecessary after changing over from the neutral range ( n ) to the drive range ( d ), and is determined experientially in advance . by executing this routine , the output torque of the engine 70 is limited over the predetermined period of time when the shift lever is changed over from the neutral range ( n ) to the drive range ( d ) while the vehicle is traveling at or above the predetermined vehicle speed . in the routine described above , the steps s 1 through s 3 and the step s 9 correspond to the functioning of the torque - limiting condition determining block 61 a , the step s 4 corresponds to the functioning of the torque limiting initiation / termination determining block 61 c , the step s 5 corresponds to the functioning of the oil pressure controlling block 61 b , and the step s 6 corresponds to the functioning of the torque capacity calculating block 61 d , input torque calculating block 61 e , torque limit determining block 61 f , torque limit value calculating block 61 g , engine torque calculating block 62 a , and torque - down amount calculating block 62 b . the step s 7 corresponds to the functioning of the throttle valve opening regulating block 62 c , and the steps s 8 and s 10 correspond to the functioning of the torque limit value output block 61 h . during changing over from the neutral range ( n ) to the drive range ( d ), the oil pressure which acts upon the primary pulley 41 and secondary pulley 42 is reduced in order to maintain the engaging pressure of the forward clutch 32 . however , the primary pulley 41 and secondary pulley 42 are able even in this case to maintain the necessary holding force to prevent the input torque ti input to the belt cvt 1 from the engine 70 from exceeding the torque capacity tc , and the belt 43 from slipping . also , when the accelerator pedal is depressed during changing over from the neutral range ( n ) to the drive range ( d ), the belt 43 does not slip because the torque ti that is input to the belt cvt 1 from the engine 70 is controlled so as not to exceed the torque capacity tc . also , because the output torque of the engine 70 is limited only for the predetermined period of time based on the torque capacity that is calculated based on the actual speed ratio and primary pressure , limiting of the output torque of the engine can be kept to the required minimum . the contents of tokugan 2002 - 256463 , with a filing date of sep . 2 , 2002 in japan , are hereby incorporated by reference . although the invention has been described above by reference to certain embodiments of the invention , the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above . modifications and variations of the embodiments described above will occur to those skilled in the art , in light of the above teachings . for example , the predetermined vehicle speed is set to ten kilometers per hour in this embodiment , but can be changed to any speed according to the specifications of the engine or belt cvt to which the invention is applied . in the embodiment thus described , changing over of the shift lever from the neutral range to the drive range is detected by the inhibitor switch 56 , and the vehicle speed is detected by the rotation speed sensor 54 in order to determine whether the torque limiting condition is established . the speed ratio calculated from the speed detected by the rotation speed sensors 53 and 54 , and the secondary pressure detected by the pressure sensor 54 are used to calculate the torque capacity of the belt cvt 1 . the engine rotation speed is detected by the rotation speed sensor 47 , the valve opening of the electronic throttle 61 is detected from the accelerator pedal depression amount sensor 57 , and the fuel injection amount of the engine 70 is obtained from data stored within the controller 60 in order to calculate the output torque of the engine 70 . the parameters for these controls can , however , be detected or calculated by various other means . this invention can be applied to any vehicle drive train device that uses the above parameters to control the claimed engine output torque , independent of the method used to acquire the parameters . the embodiments of this invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows :	1
referring to fig1 , the figure shows an exploded view of the heat sink structure 100 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention . the heat sink structure 100 includes : a housing 2 with a bottom 20 ; a heat conductor 1 with a bottom 10 and a vertical portion 11 vertically and upwardly extended from the bottom 10 , and the central portion of the bottom 10 is configured with a flange 12 . continually referring to fig1 accompanying with fig2 that shows a perspective assembled view of the heat sink structure 100 , wherein the bottom 20 of the housing 2 is a flat bottom , and the housing 2 is located on a material with low thermal conductivity . the material with low thermal conductivity can be the material of wood , carpet or material for clothing . the heat conductor 1 is placed inside the housing 2 , and by overlapping the flange 12 of the heat conductor 1 on the bottom 20 of the housing 2 to form an air gap 13 ( referring to fig3 ). the material for the heat conductor 1 can be the material with good thermal conductivity , such as copper or aluminum . the top of the heat conductor 1 is further placed with a heat - generating component ( not shown in the figure ), wherein the thermal energy generated from the heat - generating - component is uniformly absorbed by the heat conductor 1 , and with the air gap 13 formed between the heat conductor 1 and the housing 2 to reduce the conductivity therebetween , and thus reducing the surface temperature of the central portion of the bottom 20 of the housing 2 , thus forming the heat sink structure 100 of the present invention . referring to fig4 , the figure shows an exploded view of the heat sink structure 100 with a variance of the heat conductor 1 . the heat sink structure 100 includes : a housing 2 with a bottom 20 ; and a heat conductor 1 with a bottom 10 and a vertical portion 11 vertically and upwardly extended from the bottom 10 , and the bottom 10 is integrally configured with a hollow flange 12 to form a groove 14 on the bottom 10 . the groove 14 is overlapped with the bottom 20 of the housing 2 to form an air gap 13 ( referring to fig3 ) to increase the thermal resistance from the heat conductor 1 to the housing 2 , thus reducing the surface temperature of the central portion of the bottom 20 of the housing 2 , so as to form the heat sink structure 100 of the present invention . referring to fig5 , the figure shows an exploded view of the heat sink structure 100 according to one another embodiment of the present invention . the heat sink structure 100 includes : a housing 2 with a bottom 20 ; a first heat conductor 3 with a bottom 10 and a vertical portion 11 vertically and upwardly extended from the bottom 10 ; and a second heat conductor 4 with a hollow body . the second heat conductor 4 is configured on the periphery of the bottom 20 of the housing 2 . continually referring to fig5 accompanied with fig6 showing a perspective assembled view of the heat sink structure 100 of fig5 , wherein the housing 2 is located on a material with low thermal conductivity . the material with low thermal conductivity can be wood , carpet or material for clothing , and the like . the first heat conductor 3 is overlapped on the second heat conductor 4 , and the bottom 10 of the first heat conductor 3 is a flat bottom , and by overlapping the flat bottom 10 of the first heat conductor 3 on the second heat conductor 4 to form an air gap 13 ( referring to fig7 ). the material of the bottom 20 of the housing 2 may be the material of plastic or metal , and the material for the first heat conductor 3 and the second heat conductor 4 may be the material with good thermal conductivity , such as copper or aluminum . the top of the first heat conductor 3 is further placed with a heat - generating component ( not shown in the figure ), wherein the thermal energy generated from the heat - generating component is uniformly absorbed by the first heat conductor 3 , and with the air gap 13 formed between the first heat conductor 3 and the second heat conductor 4 to reduce the conductivity from the first heat conductor 3 to the housing 2 , and reducing the surface temperature of the central portion of the bottom 20 of the housing 2 , thus forming the heat sink structure 100 of the present invention . referring to fig7 , the figure shows a cross - sectional view along line y — y in fig6 , wherein when the first heat conductor 3 absorbs the thermal energy generated from the heat - generating component , since the first heat conductor 3 is made of the material with good thermal conductivity , it can uniformly absorb the thermal energy generated by the heat - generating component , and with the air gap 13 formed between the flat bottom 10 of the first heat conductor 3 and the second heat conductor 4 to increase the thermal resistance from the first heat conductor 3 to the housing 2 , thus reducing the surface temperature of the central portion of the bottom 20 of the housing 2 . referring to fig8 , the figure shows a cross - sectional view of the heat sink structure 100 according to a further embodiment of the present invention . the heat sink structure 100 according to this embodiment includes : a housing 2 integrally configured with a shoulder 22 at the bottom edge ; and a heat conductor 1 with a bottom 10 and a vertical portion 11 vertically and upwardly extended from the bottom 10 , wherein an air gap 13 is formed between the shoulder 22 and the bottom 10 of the heat conductor 1 , so as to increase the thermal resistance from the heat conductor 1 to the housing 2 , and to reduce the surface temperature of the central portion of the bottom 20 of the housing 2 . referring to fig9 , the figure shows a cross - sectional view of the heat sink structure 100 according to still a further embodiment of the present invention . the heat sink structure 100 includes : a housing 2 integrally configured with a flange 23 on the central position of the bottom 20 thereof ; a first heat conductor 3 with a bottom 10 and a vertical portion 11 vertically and upwardly extended from the bottom 10 ; and a second heat conductor 4 made of the material with higher thermal conductivity , and configured on both sides of the flange 23 . the housing 2 is made of the material with lower thermal conductivity . the heat sink structure 100 has higher thermal resistance from the central portion to the bottom 20 of the housing 2 than that of the periphery portion , so as to reduce the surface temperature of the central portion of the bottom 20 of the housing 2 . after the detailed description of the preferred embodiments according to the present invention , the skilled person in the art can clearly understand that there are various alternatives and changes without departing from the spirit and scope of the following claims , and the present invention is not limited to the implementation of the embodiments in the application document . for example , the present invention can replace the air gap formed between the heat conductor and the housing with the material with low thermal conductivity , such as foam , vesicant material and the like .	7
one example of the eyeglass - frame in accordance with the present invention is shown in the attached drawing . the eyeglass - frame illustrated includes a pair of rims 2 each holding a lense , a bridge 1 for connecting the rims 2 , a pair of decorations or lugs 3 projecting sideways from the associated rims 2 , a pair of cringles or pads 5 attached to the facing edges of the rims 2 below the bridge 1 , and a pair of bows or sides 4 extending rearwards from the associated decorations 3 . as briefly described already , the eyeglass - frame in accordance with the present invention is provided with a core - to - covering clad structure in which a core is made of nickel - titanium alloys of super elasticity at normal temperatures and a covering is made up of nickel or nickel base alloys . the nickel - titanium alloy for the core should preferably include from 49 to 52 atomic % of nickel . it may further include either or both of from 0 . 1 to 5 atomic % of copper and from 0 . 01 to 0 . 3 atomic % of chromium . the covering or sheath should preferably include 98 % by weight or more of nickel . the nickel base alloys for the covering should preferably be either nickel - copper alloys or nickel - chromium alloys . the nickel - copper alloy may include from 0 . 5 to 35 % by weight of copper and , further preferably , from 0 . 1 to 10 % by weight of chromium . the nickel - chromium alloy may include from 3 to 20 % by weight , more preferably from 3 to 13 % by weight of chromium . the ni - cr alloy may further include at least one of from 0 . 1 to 2 . 5 % by weight of silver , from 0 . 05 to 2 . 0 % by weight of beryllium , from 0 . 01 to 0 . 8 % by weight of mishmetal and from 0 . 01 to 0 . 8 % by weight of tellurium . the thickness of the covering or sheath should preferably be in a range from 2 to 150 μm , and more preferably in a range from 10 to 70 μm . when the thickness of the sheath falls short of 2 μm , breakage of the sheath tends to occur during plastic working such as drawing or pressing after cladding . too small thickness of the sheath also prevents smooth and successful cladding . for example , the core is liable to be exposed due to die marking . when the thickness of the sheath exceeds 150 μm , too much content of the sheath in the clad structure tends to impair the super elastic nature of the core . additionally silver , gold or rhodium plating may be applied to the eyeglass - frame in accordance with the present invention . the cross sectional profile may preferably be circular , rectangular or oblong . the sides or bows of the eyeglass - frame in accordance with the present invention are highly durable against sideways pulling during use of the eyeglasses and assure contact pressure on the wearer &# 39 ; s facial sections and are highly resistant against change in environmental temperature . they do always hold the eyeglasses at the right position on the wearer &# 39 ; s face so that the eyesight of the wearer should never be impaired . once the eyeglass - frame is correctly set in accordance with the wearer &# 39 ; s facial contour , the sturdy construction of the bows excludes any discomfort on the wearer . the high content of nickel in the sheath allows easy working of the eyeglass - frame after cladding and renders the eyeglass - frame highly suited for brazing which is always employed in production of the eyeglass - frame . rods of 40 mm . diameter and 300 mm length were formed by using nickel - titanium alloy , which included 51 . 3 atomic % of nickel and 48 . 7 atomic % of titanium , and used for the cores . the sheaths were given in the form of nickel pipes shown in table 1 . each sheath was inserted over each core in order to form a core - to - sheath combination which was then subjected to cold hydrostatic extrusion for cladding purposes . the outer diameter of the core - to - sheath combination was reduced to 30 mm . after the initial cold hydraulic extrusion which was followed by annealing . it was further extended to obtain a cladded member of 20 mm in diameter . the diameter of the cladded core - to - sheath combination was still further reduced to 2 to 6 mm . by drawing . after annealing at 500 ° c . temperature within an argon gas environment for 1 hour , swaging press was applied to the core - to - sheath combination in order to obtain bow samples . the bow samples were heated at 900 ° c . within nitrogen gas for ten min ., and cooled by water . the bow samples were then subjected to bending tests . the test results are also given in table 1 . in the bending test , one end of each of the bow samples was held in a cantilever fashion and load was applied to the distal end of the bow sample . bending strain was recorded at a point whereat the permanent strain was 0 . 1 %. this value was named &# 34 ; the maximum springback strain &# 34 ; as shown in the table . table 1______________________________________ thick - maximum ness thickness springbacksample of pipe clad of sheath strain inno . in mm . ratio in μm . % note______________________________________1 1 . 0 9 . 3 17 2 . 02 2 . 0 17 . 3 32 1 . 83 3 . 0 24 . 4 46 1 . 24 5 . 0 36 . 0 70 0 . 95 6 . 0 41 . 0 81 0 . 66 0 . 5 4 . 8 ( 8 ) 2 . 8 ni breakage in drawing7 0 . 3 2 . 9 ( 4 ) 3 . 0 ni breakage in drawing8 0 . 8 128 0 . 59 10 . 0 170 0 . 5______________________________________ the outcome listed in the table indicates application of the present invention to construction of an eyeglass - frame that allows only a little plastic deformation even when any large force unexpectedly acts thereon . in the process of example 1 , the cores were made of nickel - chromium - copper alloy ( ni / 1cr / 1cu ) and annealing was carried out at 550 ° c . temperature . the results of the test are shown in table 2 . table 2______________________________________ maximum thickness thickness springbacksample of pipe clad of sheath strain inno . in mm . ratio in μm . % note______________________________________10 1 . 0 9 . 3 18 1 . 911 2 . 0 17 . 3 35 1 . 712 3 . 0 24 . 4 48 1 . 013 0 . 5 4 . 8 9 2 . 8 surface crack______________________________________ the outcome in the table indicates that further inclusion of chromium and copper in the sheath also assures good results . in the process of example 1 , the cores were made of nickel - chromium - silver alloy ( ni / 9cr / 1ag ) and annealing was carried out at 560 ° c . temperature . the results of the tests are shown in table 3 . table 3______________________________________ maximum thickness thickness springbacksample of pipe clad of sheath strain inno . in mm . ratio in μm . % note______________________________________14 1 . 0 9 . 8 18 . 5 1 . 715 2 . 0 17 . 8 36 1 . 516 3 . 0 25 . 1 49 0 . 917 0 . 5 4 . 9 9 2 . 5 surface crack______________________________________ in the process of example 1 , known explosion method was employed for cladding as a substitute for hydrostatic extrusion . the results of the tests were substantially same as those shown in table 1 . in the process of example 1 , nickel - copper alloy ( ni - 10cu ) was substituted for the nickel used for the sheath pipe and annealing was carried out at 550 ° c . the obtained results are shown in table 4 . table 4______________________________________ maximum thickness thickness springbacksample of pipe clad of sheath strain inno . in mm . ratio in μm . % note______________________________________18 1 . 0 9 . 4 19 1 . 819 2 . 0 17 . 5 35 1 . 620 3 . 9 24 . 7 49 0 . 921 0 . 5 4 . 9 9 2 . 7______________________________________ in the process of example 1 , nickel - chromium alloy ( ni - 13cr ) was substituted for the nickel used for the sheath pipe and annealing was carried out at 600 ° c . the obtained results are listed in table 5 . table 5______________________________________ maximum thickness thickness springbacksample of pipe clad of sheath strain inno . in mm . ratio in μm . % note______________________________________22 1 . 0 9 . 5 20 1 . 323 2 . 0 18 . 1 36 1 . 024 3 . 0 25 . 0 50 0 . 725 0 . 5 5 . 1 10 2 . 026 0 . 3 3 . 8 7 2 . 5______________________________________	8
now referring to the drawings in detail , wherein like numbers correspond to like elements throughout , fig6 shows one embodiment of a three coil concentric array 60 of the present invention . in short , the invention consists of three concentric surface coils , e . g ., a butterfly coil 61 , a double butterfly coil 62 and a loop coil 63 . now referring back to fig3 a and 3b , which show a “ double butterfly ” coil as used in the present invention . given a current / running through the double butterfly coil 32 as shown in fig3 a , the b 1 field will be generated symmetrically about its axis . therefore , there are two opposite b 1 fields , that is , bout inside the center window and b in inside the side windows 36 , 37 which are disposed on both the left and right side respectively of the center window 35 as shown in fig3 b . fig4 shows a double butterfly coil 41 overlapping a loop coil 43 concentrically . the b 1 field from the double butterfly coil 41 penetrates into the loop coil 43 from two opposite directions . therefore , the net magnetic flux φ over the loop coil 43 is the difference of the magnetic flux inward ( φ in ) and the magnetic flux outward ( φ out ) and can be represented as : φ = φ in - φ out φ = 2 ⁢ ∫ s ⁢ b in ⁢ ⁢ ⅆ s - ∫ s ⁢ b out ⁢ ⁢ ⅆ s φ = 2 ⁢ ∫ 0 h ⁢ ∫ 0 d ⁢ b in ⁢ ⁢ ⅆ y ⁢ ⁢ ⅆ x - ∫ 0 h ⁢ ∫ 0 d ⁢ b out ⁢ ⁢ ⅆ y ⁢ ⁢ ⅆ x this relationship is dependent on the relationship of the width of center window 45 to the width of the side windows 46 , 47 , as shown , the distances d and d . using these equations , it is possible to set the net magnetic flux to zero by adjusting the ratio between the distances d and d to realize magnetic decoupling between the coils . because a butterfly coil 51 always generates an opposite b 1 field in each window 55 of the butterfly coil 51 , if a double butterfly coil 52 shares the same axis as in fig5 , the net magnetic flux through the double butterfly coil 52 will be zero . therefore , magnetic decoupling of the coils can be realized with any coil size . the elimination of magnetic coupling between the double butterfly coil and a loop coil or a butterfly coil provides for establishment of an inductively decoupled concentric surface coil array , as represented in fig5 , which shows a double butterfly coil 52 overlapping a butterfly coil 51 . this allows each of the coils 51 , 52 to contribute to the optimum b 1 field in the region of interest . the present invention may also provide for a three coil array wherein all three coils share the same geometric center and provide a √ 3 improvement in the signal to noise ratio over a linear surface coil , which is equivalent to a 22 % improvement over a pair of quadrature coils in the region where all three b 1 fields and noises are comparable . fig6 shows such an embodiment with one potential coil arrangement wherein a butterfly coil 61 , a double butterfly coil 62 and a loop coil 63 are employed in a concentric arrangement to contribute an optimum b , field in the region on interest . fig7 illustrates the specific signal strength and field homogeneity achieved using a butterfly coil individually 71 , a loop coil individually 73 and a double butterfly coil individually 72 . the bottom right schematic is shows the improved signal strength and field homogeneity providing by using a combination of the coils 61 , 62 , 63 such as shown in fig6 . there are a number of potential variations of the present invention . for example , one embodiment may comprise a multiple - station rf coil array comprising multiple three - coil concentric surface arrays for achieving larger fields of view . in this particular embodiment , coils of adjacent arrays may overlap each other . yet another potential embodiment may include the same three coil elements , that is , some combination of concentric coil elements , but it should be noted that the coil elements need not necessarily share the same plane . additionally , the present invention may further comprise an rf coil array comprising one double butterfly coil and one loop coil or a butterfly coil . additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art . therefore , the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details disclosed and described herein . accordingly , various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents .	6
a complete ring main unit consists of two sections for connecting the unit into the ring main and a centre section forming a tee - off to outgoing terminals . in a three phase ring main there are three cables going into the unit and three cables coming out , one for each phase , and one busbar for each phase within the unit connected to respective cables when the unit is switched into the ring main . one such unit is illustrated in diagrammatic form in fig1 the three sections being shown at 1 , 2 and 3 and the incoming and outgoing cables at 4 and 5 respectively . the cables are connected to the fixed contacts f of respective vacuum switches v in sections 1 and 3 of the unit , and the movable contacts m of the switch are connected to associated sliding conducting members 6 of bar form each of which can be moved to engage an isolator contact 7 connected to an appropriate one of the busbars 8 or an earth contact 9 . the central section 2 of the unit also has three vacuum switches v the fixed contacts of which are each connected through a respective high voltage fuse 10 to an output terminal 11 for connection to a tee - off cable or to a distribution transformer . the movable contacts of the switches v of this central section are connected , as in the case of the outer sections 1 , 3 , to a sliding conducting member 6 , which can be moved to engage either the isolator contact 7 , connected to a respective one of the busbars 8 , or an earth contact 9 . thus the conducting members 6 are arranged to be connected to the isolator contacts 7 of the respective busbars 8 for connection of the unit into the ring main , and to the earth contacts 9 when it is desired to earth sections of the ring main between ring main units . when it is desired to switch the ring main unit out of the ring main , but not to earth the ring main the conducting members are arranged to be moved to the mid position as illustrated . the operative parts of an interrupter / isolator assembly of one section of the ring main unit is illustrated in fig2 to 4 . the interrupter / isolator assembly illustrated comprises a switch housing provided by a base part 12 and a cover part 13 which support between them the respective vacuum switch v . the cover part 13 incorporates two spaced side walls 14 accommodating between them a slidable conducting member 6 formed by two interconnected metal bars 15 supported by four guides 16 extending between said side walls . the member 6 can be moved to engage either the respective isolator contact 7 or earth contact 9 , or to a central open position in which neither of the contacts are engaged , as previously explained . the cover part 13 also carries , on the outside of each side wall a cam plate 17 pivotally mounted on a spindle 18 , and provided with a pair of mainly arcuate slots 19 , 20 . the bars 15 of the conducting member 6 carry between them a pin 21 , the ends of which project through linear slots 23 in the side walls into the arcuate slots 19 in the two cam plates 17 . the latter have , at their centres , a depression 24 into which the projecting ends of the pin 21 seat when the cam plates 17 and the conducting member 6 are in the central position as shown in fig3 . accordingly rotation of the cam plates 17 in either direction causes the conducting member 6 to slide in the appropriate direction until it engages either the earth contact 9 as in fig4 or the isolator contact 7 . further rotation of the cam plates 17 in the same direction causes the ends of the pin 21 to leave the depressions 24 so that , as the plates continue to rotate , no further movement of the conducting member 6 takes place in view of the arcuate shape of the slots 19 . the other slots 20 of the cam plates 17 have a central region of arcuate shape and two inclined end sections 25 . the stem 26 of the movable contact m of the vacuum switch v also carries projections 22 extending through slots 27 in the side walls 14 and into the cam plate slots 20 . in the central position of the cam plates 17 the switch contact m is urged into the open position and remains open as the plates 17 rotate , until the projections enter one or other of the end sections 25 of the slots 20 . further rotation allows the switch contact m to move to the closed position in which it engages the fixed contact f . the positions of the end sections 25 are such that , as the cam plates 17 rotate , the vacuum switch contacts remain open until the conducting member 6 engages either the isolator contact 7 or earth contact 9 , so that the current path is closed at the vacuum switch only after connection is made to the isolator or earth contact as the case may be . similarly when the cam plates are rotated back to the central position the vacuum switch contacts are opened before the depressions 24 reach the projecting ends of the rod 21 and cause the conducting member 6 to disengage from the isolator or earth contact and move back to the central fully open position . actuation of the cam plates 17 are conveniently effected by a mechanical link mechanism ( not shown ) of any suitable construction coupled to projections 28 on the cam plates between the slots 19 , 20 . although the invention has been described in relation to three - phase ring - main units it will be appreciated that it also has application in other form of switching arrangements of the kind in which current interruption is effected by a vacuum switch , for example some forms of single ring units , fuse switches and circuit breakers .	2
referring now to the drawings , a building constructed in accordance with the present invention is indicated generally at 10 in fig1 . the building 10 is illustrated , for purposes of example only , as comprising a building structure suitable for housing , such as a single family home . as will become more apparent with the following description of the building 10 , the various components or elements from which the building is constructed lend themselves to easy assembly to provide a building having substantial structural integrity while facilitating low cost construction . the various elements may be made from reclaimed materials or other low cost materials such as found indigenous to the construction site . the various structural elements of the building 10 may be readily assembled without the need for skilled craftsmen and without nails or construction tools such as saws and the like as generally employed in conventional building construction techniques . the building 10 is illustrated as having a foundation , indicated generally at 12 , which may be made of concrete or any other suitable material and which provides sufficient foundation strength for supporting the building . fig1 illustrates a front wall 14 of the building 10 which typifies the construction of the upstanding walls of the building . the building 10 has rearwardly extending side walls ( not shown ) and a rear wall ( not shown ) which are connected at corners to define a rectangular building having a roof 24 supported by the upstanding walls . the front wall 14 has a door opening 16 defined by a conventional size door jamb 18 to which may be hingedly mounted a door ( not shown ) in a conventional manner . the front wall 14 also has a pair of windows 20 and 22 therein having respective window frames 20 &# 39 ; and 22 &# 39 ;. referring to fig1 taken in conjunction with fig2 - 12 , for a detailed description of the various structural elements employed in constructing the building 10 , the front wall 14 includes a plurality of equal length unitary wall forming elements 28 which are termed &# 34 ; full &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; primary &# 34 ; wall forming elements . each wall forming element 28 has upper and lower parallel stacking surfaces 30 and 32 , respectively , inner and outer planar side wall surfaces 34 and 36 , respectively , normal to the stacking surfaces 30 and 32 , and end wall surfaces 38 and 40 disposed normal to the longitudinal axis of the full wall forming element 28 . the wall forming elements 28 are rectangular in transverse cross section and each has a plurality of equal size cylindrical open holes 42 formed therethrough in spaced relation along its longitudinal axis so as to intersect the upper and lower stacking surfaces 30 and 32 in normal relation thereto . it is seen that a semi - cylindrical recess 44 having a radius equal to the radii of the openings 42 is formed in each end surface 38 and 40 in longitudinal alignment with the openings 42 for a purpose to be described more fully below . in the described embodiment , the full wall forming elements 28 are made of a predetermined length , such as 32 inches , which , it will be observed , is twice the conventional spacing distance of 16 inches between centers of vertical studs as employed in wall constructions in the united states building trades . the full wall forming elements 28 have vertical thicknesses of approximately 11 / 2 inches between the stacking surfaces 30 and 32 , and transverse widths of approximately 5 inches , it being understood that substantially any desired dimensional sizes may be employed . the holes 42 have diameters of approximately 7 / 8 inch . the upper and lower stacking surfaces 30 and 32 of the full wall forming elements 28 are provided , respectively , with male and female interlocking means adapted to facilitate interlocking and sealing engagement between the wall forming elements when disposed in stacked relation . as best seen in fig2 and 3 , each of the wall forming elements 28 has a pair of parallel longitudinally extending ribs or locking keys 48a and 48b formed on the surface 30 to directly overlie a pair of correspondingly shaped longitudinally extending slots or grooves 50a and 50b formed in the lower stacking surface 32 . the ribs 48a , b on each wall forming element 28 are adapted for interfitting and interlocking engagement with the grooves 50a , b in an adjacent wall forming element when a plurality of the full wall forming elements are stacked one on the other . the interfitting ribs and slots of the wall forming elements prevent relative shifting of the stacked elements transverse to their longitudinal axes , and provide a weather - tight seal between the stacked elements . the openings 42 are positioned so that when a full wall forming element 28 is positioned in stacked overlying relation to two similar full wall forming elements such that the upper wall forming element overlies approximately one - half of each underlying wall forming element , the openings 42 of the stacked wall forming elements will be in vertical axial alignment . in such stacked and staggered relation , each wall forming element 28 is positioned in longitudinal end - to - end relation with another wall forming element such that the semi - circular recesses 44 of the two abutting end surfaces cooperate to define an opening having a diameter equal to the diameter of the openings 42 . it is noted from fig2 that six full openings 42 are provided in the full wall forming element 28 , three openings being formed in each half of the wall forming element symmetrical about the transverse centerline . an important feature of the present invention lies in the manner of securing the full wall forming elements to each other and to other wall and corner forming elements in staggered or offset relation without the use of nails . to this end , the building system in accordance with the present invention employs a plurality of cylindrical retaining pegs , one of which is indicated at 54 in fig1 . the retaining pegs 54 have diameters approximately equal to the diameter of the openings 42 so as to facilitate insertion of retaining pegs through the aligned openings 42 in the stacked wall forming elements and frictional retention therein . the pegs 54 have longitudinal lengths equal to approximately twice the vertical thickness of the wall forming elements 28 so that each peg is received within two axially aligned openings 42 in frictional engagement therewith . the pegs 54 prevent relative longitudinal movement between the stacked wall forming elements 28 as well as providing increased resistance to separation of the wall forming elements when subjected to a force generally transverse to the longitudinal axes thereof . fig1 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a retaining peg , indicated at 58 , which is substantially similar to the retaining peg 54 except that peg 58 has an external thread 60 formed thereon and includes a transverse screw driver slot 62 formed in one end to facilitate releasable threaded engagement of the retaining peg 58 within axially aligned openings 42 in stacked wall forming elements 28 . each of the retaining pegs 54 and 58 preferably has a rounded end thereon to facilitate entry into the openings 42 , while the opposite ends of the pegs are flat to facilitate insertion by use of a mallet , the peg 58 also being rotatable by a screw driver . as best seen in fig2 the full wall forming element 28 has a pair of longitudinally spaced furring clips 66 formed integral therewith projecting outwardly from the inner side surface 34 . each furring clip 66 has a vertical height or thickness substantially equal to the vertical thickness of the associated wall forming element 28 , and is formed with a plane of weakness defined between vertical grooves 68a , 68b to allow breaking off the furring clips , if desired , by impacting them with a mallet . in the illustrated embodiment , the furring clips 66 are spaced apart approximately 16 inches with each clip being spaced approximately 8 inches from the corresponding end of the wall forming element . each furring clip 66 has an outwardly projecting vertically disposed rib 70 formed centrally thereon to facilitate positioning and retention of sheetrock or other interior sheeting in the finished building , a portion of sheetrock being shown at 74 in fig1 . the oppositely facing surfaces 70a and 70b on each rib 70 may be roughened or serrated to frictionally engage an edge of the sheetrock and retain it in upstanding assembled relation against vertically aligned furring clips 66 when the associated elements 28 are in stacked relation . it will be appreciated that when the full wall forming elements 28 are stacked in staggered relation as aforedescribed so that the stacking surfaces 30 and 32 of each element engage equal half length portions of the next adjacent underlying and overlying full wall forming elements , the free ends of all the stacked wall forming elements will not terminate in a common vertical plane such as at the edge of a window or door opening . accordingly , shorter length wall forming elements 76 , termed &# 34 ; half &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; secondary &# 34 ; wall forming elements , are provided for assembly with the wall forming elements 28 to establish substantially vertical planar edge surfaces defining desired wall openings such as for windows and doors . each half wall forming element 76 is substantially identical to one - half a full wall forming element 28 , as best seen in fig4 and has a plurality of open holes 42 &# 39 ; formed therethrough along its longitudinal axis . each half wall forming element 76 has opposite end surfaces 76a and 76b in which are formed semi - cylindrical recesses 44 &# 39 ; so that when a half wall element is assembled in stacked relation with one - half a full wall forming element 28 , the openings 42 &# 39 ; and recesses 44 &# 39 ; are in vertical alignment with corresponding holes 42 and end recesses 44 in the full wall forming elements . a single furring clip 66 &# 39 ; is provided centrally on each half wall forming element so as to be vertically aligned with furring clips on the underlying and overlying full wall forming elements . as seen in fig1 by employing the half wall forming elements 76 appropriately interposed in stacked relation with the full length wall forming elements 28 , planar vertical edge surfaces are established at the desired locations for the door opening 16 and the windows 20 and 22 . with the full wall forming elements 28 being approximately 32 inches in length , the half wall forming elements 76 are made 16 inches in length . fig5 and 6 illustrate , respectively , &# 34 ; full &# 34 ; and &# 34 ; half &# 34 ; corner forming elements 80 and 82 for the building structure 10 . the corner forming elements 80 and 82 are identical in transverse cross sectional configuration to the wall forming elements 28 and 76 and each includes a pair of upstanding parallel longitudinal ribs or locking keys 48 &# 39 ; a , 48 &# 39 ; b formed on an upper stacking surface 84 , and similarly configured parallel longitudinally extending slots 50a and 50b formed in the opposite lower stacking surface ( not shown ). the corner forming elements 80 and 82 each have cylindrical openings 42 &# 34 ; therethrough spaced along their longitudinal axes in similar spaced relation to the openings 42 in the full wall forming elements 28 so as to facilitate axial alignment when the full and half corner forming elements are positioned in stacked relation with each other and with associated ends of the full wall forming elements 28 . pairs of the aligned openings 42 &# 34 ; receive retaining pegs 54 or 58 therein for fixedly retaining the corner elements in assembled relation . the legs of the half corner forming elements 82 are approximately one - half the length of the corresponding legs of the full corner forming elements 80 . the corner forming elements 80 and 82 have furring clips 66 &# 34 ; formed on their inner side surfaces , the furring clips 66 &# 34 ; being spaced for vertical alignment with furring clips on the underlying and overlying corner forming and wall forming elements when in stacked relation therewith . additionally , each of the corner forming elements 80 and 82 preferably has a right - angle spacer 84 formed integrally therewith at its interior corner to receive and support the mating corner edges of sheets of sheetrock or interior wall board as may be employed to form interior surfaces in the building 10 . having described the wall forming elements 28 and 76 and the corner forming elements 80 and 82 , it can be seen that the wall and corner forming elements may be assembled in stacked relation to form substantially any desired size wall with the various elements being interlocked in weather - tight relation through the retaining pegs 54 or 58 . as aforedescribed , the abutting end surfaces of the various wall and corner forming elements define cylindrical openings therethrough which receive retaining pegs to prevent leakage of air therethrough , thus substantially improving the insulation properties of the assembled wall and corner forming elements . another important feature of the present invention is that the various wall forming and corner forming elements can be made of substantially any material which provides suitable strength and resistance to the environmental conditions at the site at which the building 10 will be constructed . for example , the various elements may be formed from low cost reclaimed organic materials normally considered to be substantially useless . one such material that has been found to exhibit the desired structural characteristics and which may be readily formed into the various wall and corner forming elements of the building 10 , is a material identified as &# 34 ; envirite &# 34 ;. &# 34 ; envirite &# 34 ; derives from processing of animal dung such as from cattle and the like . when combined with discarded glass and cooked under pressure in special ovens , the glass foams and the waste material disappears leaving an odorless and fireproof material having a weight equal to approximately 1 / 20th the weight of clay brick and with substantially equal durability . this material lends itself to being formed into the desired wall and corner forming elements 28 , 76 , 80 and 82 , and may be sawed , drilled , painted and glued . alternatively , the various wall and corner forming elements of the building 10 may be made from materials indigenous to a particular construction site , such as various clays and the like which can be formed into the desired structural configurations and which have sufficient structural integrity . other materials from which the various elements of the building structure 10 may be made include fly ash , certain treated organic garbage and waste materials , and the residual products of reclaimed sludge . fig7 illustrates a roof truss , indicated generally at 90 , for use in constructing the roof portion 24 of the building 10 . the roof truss 90 has a generally triangular configuration and includes a base portion 92 which defines a horizontal ceiling joist when the roof truss is supported on the side walls of the building . the truss 90 has upwardly inclined support surfaces 94a , 94b each of which has a plurality of equidistantly spaced cylindrical openings 96 formed therein with their axes normal to the respective surfaces 94a , b . the openings 96 are sized to snugly receive retaining pegs 54 or 58 therein . in constructing the roof portion 24 of building 10 , a plurality of the roof trusses 90 are supported in upstanding relation on the upper edges of the side walls in substantially parallel spaced relation , it being conventional to space the trusses and associated ceiling joists on approximately 16 or 24 inch centers . the openings 96 in the upper inclined surfaces 94a , b of the roof trusses 90 are spaced to facilitate axial alignment with openings 100 formed through roof boards one of which is indicated at 102 in fig8 and 9 . the roof boards 102 are mounted on the trusses 90 transverse to the planes of the trusses and preferably have at least one outwardly extending longitudinal tenon 104 formed integral along one edge thereof to provide a mortise and tenon type connection to an adjacent roof board when assembled on the roof trusses . to this end , each of the roof boards 102 has a longitudinally extending mortise recess or open slot 106 formed in the edge thereof opposite the tenon 104 to accommodate interfitting relation of the roof boards 102 . each of the roof boards 102 also preferably has a longitudinally extending slot 108 formed in its upper surface which is tapered toward its inward end so as to receive a longitudinal edge of a shingle or other roof covering , a portion of which is indicated in phantom at 112 in fig9 . each of the shingles or roof covering sheets 112 is inserted into an associated tapered groove 108 so as to be frictionally retained therein , and has sufficient transverse width to overlap the next below shingle 112 in a conventional manner . the trusses 90 and roof boards 102 may be made of a reclaimed material similar to the described envirite or other suitable material which lends itself to relatively low cost construction . when assembling the trusses 90 onto the upper edges of the side walls in the course of assembling the building 10 , the building trusses adjacent the front and rear upstanding walls are preferably spaced slightly back from the planes of the walls to allow the continued upward stacking of wall forming elements 28 and their combination with generally trapezoidal shaped and triangular shaped forming elements 116 and 118 each of which has an upwardly angled surface having a pitch substantially equal to the pitch of the surfaces 94a , b on the roof trusses 90 so as to provide a snug fit with the overlying roof boards 102 which extend outwardly beyond the front and rear walls sufficiently to provide suitable overhang . as noted , the full and half wall forming elements 28 and 76 are configured so as to provide vertical planar edges for door and window openings in the building 10 . fig1 illustrates a portion of a casing 122 which may be employed in forming the door jamb 18 and the window frames 20 &# 39 ; and 22 &# 39 ;. the casing 122 , which may be made of wood or a reclaimed material such as used in making the wall and corner forming elements , has a longitudinally extending groove or slot 124 adapted to be received over the edges of the wall forming elements defining the window or door opening , one such wall forming element 28 being shown in fig1 . the casing 122 has a second smaller longitudinally extending groove or slot 126 adapted to be received over an adjacent edge of the interior sheetrock 74 . in this manner , lengths of the casing 122 may be cut to size and mitered at their corners for inserting into the window and door openings for cooperation with the adjacent edges of the wall forming elements and interior sheetrock to define suitable window frames and door jambs for installation of windows and doors in a conventional manner . thus , in accordance with the present invention , a system for constructing a building is provided wherein the various elements may be readily assembled with a mallet or the like without need for nails or additional tools as are required in conventional building construction techniques . merely positioning the wall and corner forming elements in stacked relation with their respective ribs and grooves in interfitting relation and positioning the roof trusses and roof boards in position with the peg receiving openings axially aligned facilitates connection of the various elements in fixed relation by retaining pegs 54 or 58 to provide a weather - tight structurally sound building structure . the building 10 is particularly adapted for economically disadvantaged areas because of its ease of assembly and relatively low manufacturing cost . a feature of the building 10 is that the outer surfaces of the wall and corner forming elements may be textured or contoured during their manufacture to provide a desired external appearance such as a simulated brick or stone appearance . another feature of the building 10 lies in the fact that the various components or elements may be made from low cost reclaimed materials or materials indigenous to the intended site of construction . where desired , the furring clips 66 and 66 &# 39 ; may be broken from the side wall and corner forming elements by striking them with a block or mallet . when used , however , the furring clips provide means for readily securing an interior surface such as sheetrock to the upstanding walls . the various elements of the building 10 may be made on a substantially reduced scale so as to provide a training kit for perspective builders of structures employing the technique of the present invention . preferably , the various elements such as the full wall forming elements 28 , the half wall forming elements 76 and the corner forming elements 80 and 82 are color coded or otherwise identified to facilitate proper selection in combining of the elements in making a particular building structure . although fig1 shows the exterior surfaces of wall forming elements as being color coded , as represented by different shading on the various elements , the color coding is preferably provided on a surface of the respective elements which will not be exposed either externally or internally upon completion of the building construction . while a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described , it will be understood to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention in its broader aspects . various features of the invention are defined in the following claims .	4
turning first to fig1 , a woven article , namely fabric 1 is shown in schematic perspective . in the longitudinal or warp direction warp threads 3 are shown which preferably comprise a polyetherimide ( pei ) fiber which is the ultem ® fiber supplied by general electric company and are selected from pei formulations designated ultem ® 1000 , 1000 d , 1010 , or 9011 . other warp fibers or yarns such as yarn 4 may be an inextensible or relatively inextensible yarn to give the fabric added dimensional stability . the yarn 4 may be mineral based comprising quartz , fiberglass or basalt , or it may be carbon , a metal or metal alloy , or a polymeric material having inextensible and heat resistance properties . in the weft or fill direction fibers 2 are also pei fibers . these may be accompanied by weft inextensible fiber 5 . in addition , other yarns may be optionally added to the fabric such as weft yarn 8 , and warp yarn 9 . these added or additional yarns may be polymeric , metal , or mineral and are used to impart desired properties to the woven article . the woven article of fig1 may have only warp yarn 3 which comprise pei and the weft yarns may be of another material . likewise , the warp yarns may be of a material other than pei and the weft yarns may be pei . preferably , a minimum of 10 % of pei yarns should be included in the article and up to 65 % or more may be included . it is desirable to have a relatively inextensible yarn woven into the article to provide dimensionally stability . in addition , the woven article may be of single - ply , multi - ply , or a conform fabric ®; and any weave pattern may be used such as satin , twill , plain , crowfoot or similar pattern . if a conform fabric ® product is desired , the fabric may be first shaped into the desired geometric configuration and then heat applied which will cause the intersections of pei strands 2 and 3 to bond at an intersection 7 as illustrated in fig1 . this tends to lock the fabric into its desired three - dimensional shape . looking now at fig2 , a schematic representation of a woven article 11 is shown in cross section , having warp threads 3 of pei and a weft 5 of an inextensible fiber such as quartz or fiberglass . to a configuration such as this , heat is applied by pressing a heated plate against fabric 11 until the pei becomes soft and flows . this will occur at or above the glass transition temperature as the melt temperature range is approached . as an alternate way of applying heat , the fabric 11 can be passed through the nip of heated rollers or a press or oven or autoclave or an alternative heating device . the result will appear as shown in fig3 where the pei yarns 3 have melted and have flowed together to form the sheet - like planar surface 6 which , upon cooling , becomes a semi - rigid to rigid surface . by varying the yarn density of pei more or less sheet material 6 can be produced . fig3 represents a preferred embodiment and a best mode of carrying out the invention . the woven article 10 with the sheet - like pei surface has remarkable toughness and impact resistance being able to withstand the impact of small to medium caliber projectiles and making it a desirable material for protective garments . another application for the product due to its high frequency insulation properties is in aerospace components and in microwave communications . other applications are for ballistic protection and for filtration applications . turning now to fig4 , an alternate embodiment 20 is shown where two layers 21 , 22 or sheets of fabric have been positioned over each other before heat is applied . this is accomplished by taking sheets of fabric 11 as shown in fig2 and applying heat to achieve a multi - layer structure of the article 10 of fig3 . fig6 shows a representative mold 60 having a movable pressure plate 61 which is heated and can compress a woven article 64 against stationary bottom heated plate 62 to produce a pressed article 10 . a preferred method of making article 20 is to stack sheets of the types shown in fig1 and 2 in the manner shown in fig7 to form stack 65 in a mold 60 , and apply pressure and heat until the pei strands 23 flow and join together as shown . the sheets may be stacked with warp yarns in the same direction , at right angles to each other , at 45 ° degree angles or other angular orientation . each layer may have a different yarn make - up , that is , one layer may comprise pei and quartz warp and weft yarns while the next or superposed layer of fabric may comprise pei yarn and innegra ™ polyolefin yarn , that is , quartz , fiberglass , carbon , metal or innegra ™ strands may be strands 24 . each layer of fabric is chosen to impart desired characteristics to the composite , finished article . the significant feature is that a polymeric material having the desirable properties of pei fiber or is a pet fiber , is used in each fabric layer . the faces 25 may be used as the outer surface of the article or the article may be adhered to another surface . the embodiments of fig3 and 4 have many unique uses and applications and provide novel and useful articles . for example , circuit boards may be made according to the fig4 embodiment and used directly eliminating the preparation step . an ultemate armor ™ product for blast protection may be also produced . the products of this invention have the advantages of relatively low cost , low weight , corrosion resistance , flexibility and high impact resistance . in a first example which is one best mode of the invention which employs 75 denier ultem 100 d yarn as the fill and is identified as applicants &# 39 ; style 15382 , an 8h salem weave fabric with a 60 × 104 construction having a thickness 0 . 0208 ,″ and a weight of 15 . 97 oz / sq . yd . had a warp tensile strength of 545 lbs / sq . in . and a tensile fill strength of 605 lbs / sq . in . the warp is 75 denier fiberglass . in a second example using 150 denier , cyclic polyolefin innegra ™ yarn as the fill , identified as applicants &# 39 ; style 15400 a fabric ; a fabric having plain weave with a 60 × 46 construction with a thickness of 0 . 00392 ″ had a weight of 1 . 72 oz / sq . yd ., a warp tensile strength of 147 . 9 lbs / sq . in ., and a fill tensile strength of 30 . 6 lbs / sq . in . the warp yarn is fiberglass . the fabrics of examples 1 and 2 above may be stacked and pressed as described for fig6 and 7 to provide reinforced articles such as shown in fig3 and 4 . the need to carefully position reinforcing sheets of carbon fiber or fiberglass in a mold and then pour in a molding resin such as epoxy is not required to produce a product such as a circuit board or other articles . another alternate and preferred embodiment of the invention is a wrapped yarn or composite fiber . such a fiber is described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 127 , 035 which issued on oct . 3 , 2000 and which is incorporated herein by reference . looking now at fig5 , composite fiber 30 is shown having a core 31 of a mineral fiber , preferably quartz or fiberglass , wrapped with pei strands 32 . this is a versatile , high strength composite fiber which can be used in the weaving of fabrics as described above . this composite fiber , being wrapped with pei , readily bonds to adjacent pei fibers under heat and pressure to form very strong woven articles . as mentioned above , the thermoplastic fibers that may be used in this invention are useful for their chemical inertness , heat and flame resistance and dimensional stability . among these are fibers of quartz , fiberglass including e , s , and s - 2 , and basalt . carbon fibers are also of this type and may readily be used . metal fibers that are of particular usefulness are those of copper , aluminum , nickel , gold , and platinum , and alloys including steel and bronze . the fibers of useful polymeric materials include kevlar ® aramid , polypropylene , and the ultra high molecular weight polyethylene fiber innegra ™. the woven fabric of this invention is especially useful as reinforcing matrices in structures formed with epoxy resins such as those described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 720 , 080 to murari , et al . which is incorporated herein by reference . in addition , finish can be applied such as those described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 036 , 735 to carter , et al . which also is incorporated herein by reference . while preferred embodiments of the invention have been described using specific terms , such description is for illustrative purposes only as it will be understood that upon reading the foregoing disclosure modifications and alterations may become apparent to those skilled in the art . but our invention is limited only by the scope of the claims which follow .	8
fig1 shows a valve actuator housing 2 connected to a valve body 4 , which valve body 4 comprises an inlet 6 and an outlet 8 . inside the valve body 4 a valve closing element 10 is shown . this valve element is connected to a shaft 12 , which shaft 12 is directly connected to a piston 14 , which piston 14 is movable inside the actuator housing 2 . a slide ring 16 tightens against the housing 2 . below the piston 14 the cavity 18 is indicated and above this the cavity 20 is indicated . furthermore , two lines 22 and 24 are shown , which lines are used for changing the pressure in the chambers 18 and 20 . during operation the valve actuator is able to regulate the flow from the inlet to the outlet by the valve closing element 10 . opening of the valve takes place , if the pressure in the cavity 18 increases . if the hydraulic media can leave the cavity through line 24 , it is possible to move the piston 14 upwards . if the valve is closed the pressure increases over line 24 in the cavity 20 . if this way the flow through line 22 is open this allows the piston to move downwards , and the valve is closed . fig2 shows the same valve actuator as shown in fig1 . the actuator housing 2 is connected to the valve body 4 , an inlet 6 , and an outlet 8 . the shaft 12 is connected to the piston 14 , which can be moved inside the chamber by changing the pressure in the chambers 18 and 20 . the lines 22 and 24 are connected to a hydraulic valve 30 . this valve 30 comprises a valve slider 32 , which controls the flow through the valve 30 . the slider 32 is a possible embodiment connected to a magnetic slider operated by a magnetic coil 34 . furthermore , the hydraulic valve 30 has a pressure inlet 38 and a tank connection 36 . during operation , the hydraulic valve 30 regulates the flow in lines 22 and 24 . the slider 32 as shown allows positive flow to a cavity 20 and backwards from the cavity 18 . this allows the piston 14 to be moved downwards . if the slider 32 is moved to the middle position , there is no flow and the valve is closed . this leads to a blocking of the piston 14 in the actual position . if the piston is relatively tight and separates the cavities 18 and 20 , the piston is blocked in its actual position . this means that any pressure fluctuation in the line 6 or 8 is unable to influence the position of the actual valve in the valve housing 4 . moving the slider 32 into its third position results in a positive flow in line 22 which flow increases the pressure in the cavity 18 and reduces the pressure in the chamber 20 . this moves the piston 14 upwards , which could lead to an opening of the valve . the slider 32 can in some situations be magnetically activated by the coil 34 . in this situation the slider could be moved very fast between the different positions . depending on the slider 32 , the flow regulation could take place in an analogous way where there is an analogue regulation between the positions for flow and the position for closing . this way it is possible to regulate the pressure in the chamber 18 and 20 efficiently . the coil 34 could be connected to computer controlled regulation which can achieve a very precise regulation of the slider 32 . the position of the slider 32 could be indicated by indicating means which could send signals back to the computer control . fig3 shows a valve actuator housing 2 during operation . the cavity is connected by a line 22 to a pump , where the cavity 20 is connected by line 24 to the pump 40 . this pump is by a rotating shaft 42 connected to a motor 44 . during operation the pump 40 could be of the gerotor type which is able to move liquid in both directions depending on the direction of the rotation . this way , very small amounts of fluid are moved by line 20 and 24 , which slightly changes the pressure in the cavities 18 and 20 . the pump 40 and the motor 44 can in fact be part of the same system and be integrated into a common housing , this way it is achieved that an actuator system is achieved , which system can operate as a stand - alone - system with electrical connection to the motor 44 , which motor could be any kind of electric motor . this way it is achieved that no pressure or return lines are necessary . even in situations where many different valves operate very close to each other this method is highly efficient because a high number of valves can operate simultaneously . especially when dealing with sanitary valves for food or medicine production it is very important that the valves as such operate without connection in the shape of lines . only electrical supply is necessary . fig4 shows a valve actuator 102 connected to a valve body 104 . the valve body 4 comprises an inlet 106 and an outlet 108 . the valve body 104 comprises a valve closing element 110 . the valve closing element 110 is operated by a shaft 112 which shaft is connected directly or indirectly to a piston 114 which piston 114 is movable inside the actuator housing 102 . an o - ring 116 is tied against the housing 102 . below the piston 114 a cavity 118 is shown . a fluid connection 112 is indicated to connect the cavity 118 to a hydraulic liquid . as indicated by the arrow at the fluid connection 122 , flow can take place in both directions if connected to a control valve as shown in fig2 . above the piston 114 , a further cavity 120 is indicated . this cavity comprises a spring 124 . in operation of a valve actuator as indicated in fig4 , the spring 124 will force the valve into a closed position . the valve will be opened if fluid is pressed into the cavity 118 and the pressure in the cavity 118 is higher than the forces acting from the spring 124 . then the piston 114 will be moved upwards and the valve element 110 will open for a flow from the inlet 106 to the outlet 108 . under normal working conditions , the position of the valve element 110 can be very precisely regulated by changing the pressure in the chamber 118 . in an emergency situation where , e . g ., there is a power failure , the control valve could be designed to automatically enter into an open position which will reduce the pressure in the chamber 118 . the spring 124 will then automatically close the valve by pressing the valve element 110 into its closed position . the valve will then at first be opened if the pressure in the chamber 118 is increased . fig5 shows a double acting valve . an actuator housing 202 is shown which actuator housing is connected to a valve housing 204 . the valve housing 204 has a first inlet 206 and a first outlet 208 . the flow between inlet 206 and outlet 208 is controlled by a valve closing element 210 . the valve element 210 is connected by means of a hollow shaft 212 which is further connected to a piston 214 . this piston 214 is movable in the actuator housing 212 and below the piston 214 is shown a first cavity 218 above the piston 214 is shown further a cavity 220 . the lower cavity 218 is connected by means of a fluid connection 222 which is connected to a control valve which is not shown . as shown in fig2 , the cavity 220 is connected by means of a fluid connection 224 also to the control valve . a further fluid inlet 236 is shown below the figure and a further fluid outlet is shown at 238 . a valve closing element is operating in the flow line between inlet 236 and 238 . the valve closing element 240 is activated by a shaft 242 . this shaft 242 is placed inside the shaft 212 . the shaft 242 is directly or indirectly connected to a piston 244 where a cavity 248 is placed below the piston 244 and a cavity 250 is placed above the piston 244 . the piston 244 comprises a tightening o - ring 246 . the cavity 248 is connected by means of a fluid connection 252 to a control valve as shown at fig2 . fig6 shows an alternative embodiment to fig5 in that fig6 also describes a double acting valve , but where the actuators are operating independently in two different actuator housings from each side . the first actuator 302 is connected to the common valve housing 304 . the valve housing 304 comprises a first inlet 306 and a first outlet 308 . a valve closing element 310 is regulating the flow between 306 and 308 . the valve element 310 is connected directly or indirectly to a shaft 312 to a piston 314 . the piston 304 has an o - ring 316 to close against the housing in the valve body 302 . a cavity 318 is formed below the piston 314 and a further cavity 320 is formed above the piston 314 . the lower cavity 318 is connected by means of a fluid connection 332 to a control valve ( not shown ). the cavity 320 is connected by means of a fluid connection 324 . the figure further shows the second actuator housing 334 which is operation a closing element 340 which is placed between an inlet 336 and an outlet 338 of a second fluid line . the valve closing element 340 is connected by means of a shaft 342 to a piston 344 . this piston 344 comprises an o - ring 346 . a cavity has been placed above the piston and a cavity 350 is shown below the piston 344 . the upper cavity 348 is connected by means of a fluid connection 352 to a control valve as shown at the fig2 . the cavity 350 is connected to a fluid connection 354 .	5
the device proposed by the invention resolves in a fully satisfactory manner the drawbacks set forth above , constituting a single compact , small - sized element that can be detachably mounted on the handlebar of a bicycle , and can easily be handled with a high performance level . to that end and more specifically , said device integrates in a small casing provided with fixing means for fixing lights , a horn , a music player and an intercommunication system ( walkie - talkie ) to the handlebar of the bicycle , constituting a portable element , further including a speaker so that the music can be heard without needing to use earphones , which reduce the acoustic connection of the cyclist with his / her surrounding environment , and accordingly the safety of the cyclist , also including a vox ( voice operated transmission ) system for being able to communicate by means of radio - frequency without needing to use his / her hands , specifically by means of the use of a microphone built into the device and the previously mentioned speaker , and it should be indicated that to assure the quality in the voice operated transmission , the device has been provided with a connection jack for an auxiliary microphone with an extensible cable . it includes a voice recognition module for remotely actuating certain functionalities of the device and , like in the previous cases , not having to use his / her hands or stop . it also includes an electronic system , which could optionally be mechanical or electrical , by means of which the apparatus detects that it has been fixed to the handlebar of the bicycle , and in a programmed or automatic manner renders the earphone audio functions and the push button for communication with wt useless , whereas it simultaneously activates the audio music speaker and activates the vox system . the device also includes a visually communication display for communicating with the cyclist , it includes keys or buttons for quickly actuating the horn and lights and includes a usb port for transmitting data from external memory devices and for connecting to a webpage . to complement the description being made and to aid in better understanding the features of the invention according to a preferred practical embodiment thereof , a set of drawings is attached to said description as an integral part thereof which show the following with an illustrative and non - limiting character : fig1 shows a perspective view of a schematic representation of the ( equipment , system , device ) once installed on the handlebar of a two - wheel vehicle , such as a bicycle for example , of an electric bicycle or of a motorcycle . fig2 shows a schematic representation of the internal functional electronic configuration of the invention . fig3 shows a perspective view of the back of a possible external physical configuration of the mechanical components of the invention . fig4 shows a perspective view of the obverse of a possible external physical configuration of the mechanical components of the invention . fig5 shows a flowchart of the installation of the management program of the device object of the present invention and its interactivity with the internal program of the device and the remote database designed to include the data for the installation , identification and authentication of the user and for storing all those data which are needed to offer optimized management and / or added value services for the user . fig6 shows the operating flowchart of the device when it is used formally and independently of the management system of the device and in reference to the communication functionalities . fig7 shows the operating flowchart of the device when it is used formally and independently of the management system of the device and in reference to the music playing functionalities . in view of the mentioned figures , it can be observed how the device proposed by the invention is formed by a casing ( 1 ) especially designed for the fixing thereof to the handlebar of a bicycle , as shown in fig1 , by means of a suitable fixing system ( 2 ), reinforced by a multifunctional elastic band ( 3 ). in a first embodiment , several integrated modules connected to one another are arranged in the casing ( 1 ) allowing the operation of the different mentioned functionalities , as shown in fig2 , specifically a lighting module ( 17 ), digital music playing means ( 7 ) with or without an internal memory , horn means , digital intercommunication means ( 5 ) with other devices , and presence detection means ( 18 ) for detecting the device in the fixing system ( 2 ) connected to the power module ( 12 ) once both elements ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) are coupled . in a first particular embodiment , the digital intercommunication means use radio - frequency technology , and in a second particular embodiment they use bluetooth technology . the device additionally comprises an antenna ( 4 ), a microphone ( 6 ), a video camera and / or digital camera module ( 8 ) with its corresponding lens , a graphic or color display module ( 9 ), an internal button assembly ( 10 ) allowing access to the different functionalities and browsing , a speaker ( 11 ) allowing playing sounds , music and voice ; a power module ( 12 ) with its corresponding battery , an external memory port ( 13 ), a port ( 14 ) for connecting to a personal computer , an input port for an external microphone ( 15 ), an audio output port ( 16 ), and a brightness level detector . as previously mentioned , fig3 shows the back of the device , where the fixing system ( 19 ) complementary to the previously mentioned fixing system ( 2 ), the multifunctional elastic band ( 3 ), an access ( 20 ) to the power module ( 12 ) and more specifically to the battery of the module , a protected area ( 21 ) providing access to the mentioned ports ( 13 ), ( 14 ), ( 15 ) and ( 16 ), an optic ( 22 ) specific for the lighting module ( 17 ), the lens of the video camera and / or digital camera module ( 8 ) and a housing ( 23 ) for the also mentioned antenna ( 4 ) of the device can be seen , whereas fig4 , corresponding to the obverse thereof , shows the window ( 24 ) provided for seeing the graphic display or color module ( 9 ), an assembly of external buttons ( 25 ) for actuating the corresponding internal button assembly ( 10 ), and the housing ( 26 ) for the speaker ( 11 ). according to this structure and with the collaboration of a self - executable program ( 27 ) in a storage system such as a cd - rom for example , the user can easily install the management program of the device ( 28 ) in his / her personal computer or pc . once the client program is installed , it automatically starts to offer its functionalities and options to the user ( 29 ), as shown in the flowchart of fig5 , visibly carrying out different functions towards the user in a transparent manner for him / her . the program specifically launches a detection protocol of the connectivity ( 30 ) between the pc and the device ( 31 ), and between the pc and the internet network ( 32 ) for enabling the exchange of information and requirements between device , pc and remote database . the management program will ask the user who is connected to the device or to internet , or to both at the same time , for the instructions to carry out the different tasks , execute orders and generally manage the device . the first time a user installs the management program and connects his / her device to his / her pc and the latter , in turn , is connected to internet , the system will assign the device a unique identifying marker which is available in the remote database ( 33 ) and which will be unequivocally and uniquely associated to the user profile that the user himself / herself assigns at the time of the installation and which he / she can modify at any time . among other records , this profile includes an alias or nickname and a password such that safe and private use of his / her device , the management program and the remote services provided through the internet network is assured . this alias and password will be required every time that the user wishes to act on the device through the management program or wishes to access the remote services . once the user is authenticated , it could handle the different settings of the device ( 34 ), such as the setting of the time , date , for changing sounds , for handling the sound of the keys , creating private groups , changing his / her alias , etc . once the process for installing the management program has ended and the recording and assignment of the unique identifying marker has been carried out , the device object of the present invention and the different elements for its management and service are fully operative and available to the user ( 35 ). once the device ( 36 ) is started up , the modules forming it , its processor or processors and its internal program automatically launches two protocols : the safety protocol ( 37 ) and the detection protocol ( 39 ). the safety protocol ( 37 ) checks the state of the device in relation to whether or not it is coupled to the fixing system ( 2 ) for fixing it to the two - wheel vehicle . this protocol is always on alert for detecting at any time if the device is installed or uninstalled in the fixing system ( 2 ). the purpose of this protocol is to increase the safety of the user when he / she uses the device object of the present invention installed in the bicycle , an alternation of functions occurring according to if it is in one state or another ( 38 ). as specific though non - limiting examples , the alternation first mentioned is the alternation of the possibility of listening to music of the player with stereophonic earphones as the result of a jack - type connector ( 16 ) when it is not installed in the bicycle to listening to the music exclusively as a result of one or more speakers ( 26 ) included in the device when it is installed in the bicycle . this allows the user to listen to the environmental sound , and more specifically sounds or horns warning of the presence of other vehicles and allowing to user to comply with the rules for using stereophonic earphones while riding a bicycle which is prohibited in many countries . the second alternation mentioned is the alternation of a hands - free system to a touch system for speaking for the case of the communication module . the communication module will pass to a hands - free a system if the safety protocol ( 37 ) detects that the device is mounted in the fixing system ( 2 ) such that the user does not have to press any key to be heard and as a result of the microphone ( 6 ) included in the device ; if the device is not mounted in the fixing system ( 2 ) the user may continue to using the hands - free system or alternate it to the touch mode for speaking . the detection protocol ( 39 ) is in turn launched automatically and independently of the safety protocol ( 37 ) and its management corresponds to the digital radio - frequency module ( 4 ). the focus of this protocol is to emit and receive a radio - frequency signal and process it to first detect the presence of homologous devices in the coverage area and second to identify the unique identifying marker of said devices ( 40 ). a list of corresponding aliases is prepared with the identified markers which is deployed and displayed on the graphic display ( 9 ). this protocol ( 39 ) is continually active and periodically updates the list of aliases . once both protocols ( 37 ) ( 39 ) are launched , the different communication protocols are activated ( 41 ). the communication protocol ( 42 ) allows setting up one by one a bidirectional and private communication between two single devices in the following manner : a user identifies a third user present in the coverage area appearing on the identification list as a result of protocol ( 39 ), either of the two users selects the alias with which he / she wishes to set up communication , opens the options menu and indicates to the device the desire to set up communication one by one , the receiving user will at that time receive a call acceptance message ; in the event of accepting the call , and transparently for the users , the communication protocol is set up one by one ( 42 ). the private group communication protocol ( 43 ) operates in a manner similar to the previous manner , although it is formed by two or more members . the prompting user of the group selects from the list set up by the protocol ( 39 ) the members who he / she wishes to invite to a private group ; once selected , it displays the options menu and indicates to the device the desire to set up a private group ; once the option is selected , the prompting device sends an invitation message to the members which are desired to enter in the group ; the devices which accept said invitation will generate , in a transparent manner for the users , a private group that is identical to the characteristics proposed by the prompting device ; a clone private group is thus set up in each of the invited devices . as in the previous case ( 42 ), the communication set up by this protocol ( 43 ) is private . the communication protocol in a public channel ( 44 ) operates in a manner similar to the previous one ( 43 ) even though the groups are public , i . e . any user who wants to can enter and they are selected independently of the detection protocol ( 39 ). any user who wants to can activate this protocol by manually selecting one of the public channels provided for that purpose through the options menu ; once this protocol ( 44 ) is launched , the user will enter in communication with whoever is in the same public channel . in any case , and for the mentioned communication protocols ( 42 ) ( 43 ) and ( 44 ), the detection protocol ( 39 ) allows associating the voice of a user to his / her alias , which allows a user who hears the voice of another user through his / her device to identify the alias of the receiver to be recognized on his / her graphic display ( 9 ). this function is very useful because , for example and in the case of the public channel communication protocol being used , the system identifies the alias of the transmitter and allows the receiver to determine the identity of the emitter , even without knowing who is in a certain public channel . the contact list communication protocol ( 45 ) allows a user to temporarily store the aliases that have been or are present in the list resulting from the protocol ( 39 ), such that once the device is connected to the pc of the user and the management program of the device ( 28 ) is launched , these stored aliases will be loaded in the management program , allowing a subsequent communication through internet using known means , for example chat systems , e - mail , voip ( voice over internet protocol ) or the like , allowing a non - presential communication which is not dependent on the device itself . in the case of using voip and in the case that the pc of the user lacks a microphone and speaker needed for setting up communication , the microphone ( 6 ) and the speaker ( 26 ) of the device can be used to allow this communication . as in the case of fig6 , in fig7 the detection ( 39 ) and safety ( 37 ) protocols are active , although in this case and for facilitating understanding thereof , the detection protocol ( 38 ) is visually eliminated and replaced by the music playing protocol ( 46 ). as previously mentioned , the safety protocol ( 37 ) is activated once the operations of the device ( 36 ) are initiated , in this case , and as previously mentioned , the music will be played either solely and exclusively through the speaker ( 26 ) or indistinctly through said speaker or stereophonic earphones that can be coupled to the audio output ( 16 ) of the device , depending on the safety rules applied by the protocol ( 37 ). the music playing protocol ( 46 ) first detects accessibility to the memory ( 47 ) containing the digital music files ; this step is needed to identify and verify the correct insertion of the memory in the case that the device uses an external memory coupled to the port ( 13 ) of the device , thus being able to notify the user of different situations in which the card is either not coupled or is incorrectly coupled . once the memory is detected , the device opens in the graphic display ( 9 ) the song list and / or play list ( 48 ) that the user was able to record using the management program ( 29 ) of the device or through means other than the device , such that the user selects the file he / she wishes to play in the device ( 49 ). once the music is playing , the play controls are managed ( 50 ) by the multifunction button ( 25 ), being able to flip forwards and backwards through files , to turn the volume up or down or access the options menu of this protocol ( 46 ). the different protocols ( 37 ) ( 39 ) ( 41 ) and ( 46 ) are kept active and / or in stand - by , allowing interactivity between them in any case and / or at any time .	1

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