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in accordance to the preferred embodiment of the invention , a garden building ( 100 ) as shown in fig1 is made up basically of the following elements : wall panels ( 300 ), door panels ( 310 ), ring beams ( 200 ), triangular frames ( 410 ), roof pieces ( 400 ) and ridge capping ( 420 ). a ring beam ( 201 ) is a rigid , strong and elongated flat beam . four ring beams ( 201 a , 201 b , 201 c , 201 d ) are joined together using bolts and nuts at each of their ends are used to form a rectangular base frame ( 105 ) ( fig2 ). the width and length of the garden building ( 100 ) is width and length of the rectangular base frame ( 105 ). furthermore , the ring beams ( 201 c ) corresponding to the rear side and left ( 201 a ) and right side ( 201 b ) of the building ( 100 ) has holes ( 202 ) spaced at regular intervals for interconnection with wall panels ( 300 ) that will be explained later . regular vertical wall panels ( 300 ) form the sidewalls ( 101 a , 102 a , 103 a ) of the building on the rear side ( 103 ), left ( 101 ) and right side ( 102 ) of the building . each wall panels ( 300 ) may be embodied as a frame as shown in fig1 and 3 . each vertical wall panel ( 300 ) has at least two dowels ( 301 a , 301 b , 302 a , 302 b ) located at each top ( 304 ) and bottom end surface ( 303 ) of the wall panels ( 300 ) for interconnection of wall panels ( 300 ) with base frame ( 105 ). the dowels ( 301 a , 301 b ) at the bottom end surface ( 303 ) of any particular wall panel are located in such a manner that each wall panel ( 300 ) can be inserted into the predetermined holes ( 202 ) on the base ring beams ( 201 a , 201 b , 201 c ). furthermore , the holes ( 202 ) on the base ring beams ( 201 a , 201 b , 201 c ) are distanced so that they not only receive any particular wall panel ( 300 ) but can also receive other similar wall panels ( 300 ): placed side by side to an already interconnected wall panel . thus the rear side ( 103 ), left ( 101 ) and right sidewalls ( 102 ) are erected by this means of interconnections using dowels such as those of 301 a , 301 b , 302 a , 302 b . these walls ( 101 a , 102 a , 103 a ) are further steadied by the following manner . side ringbeams ( 204 a , 204 b ) that are similar to ringbeams described beforehand ( 201 a , 201 b ) are interconnected with left ( 101 a ) and right sidewalls ( 102 a ) at their respective top ends ( 304 ). these side ringbeams ( 204 ) have holes ( 205 ) on them at predetermined locations so that they can be inserted into dowels ( 302 a , 302 b ) on the top end ( 304 ) of these sidewalls ( 101 a , 102 a , 103 a ); in similar manner with the dowels ( 301 a , 301 b ) inserted into the base frame ( 101 ). a triangular frame ( 410 ) is interconnected with the top ( 304 ) of the rear sidewall ( 103 a ) in similar manner of interconnection using dowels ( 302 a , 302 b ) on the wall panels ( 300 ) with holes ( hidden from view ) located on the base end surface ( 411 ) of triangular frame ( 410 ); as in the case with other sidewalls ( 101 a , 102 a , 103 a ). this rear end triangular frame ( 410 c ) or referred to as first triangular frame is also joined to the side ringbeams ( 204 a , 204 b ) using bolts and nuts to form a top frame ( 106 ). at this juncture it is evident that this top frame ( 106 ) is isometric with the base frame ( 101 ). another triangular frame ( 410 d ) similar to the first triangular is joined to the other end of the side ringbeams ( 204 a , 204 b ) at the front side of the garden building . these triangular frames ( 410 c , 410 d ) have holes ( 412 ) predetermined at location on their inclined surfaces ( 411 ). by now roof pieces ( 400 ), which are roof sheets ( 401 ) mounted on a frame can be supported on the triangular frames ( 410 ) by similar means of interconnections that uses dowel and hole sockets as described above . the roof pieces ( 400 ) has dowels ( 402 ) at predetermined locations to be inserted into the holes ( 412 ) on the inclined surface ( 411 ) of the triangular frames ( 410 ). after the installations of roof pieces ( 400 ) there ridge capping ( 420 ) put over two peaks of the triangular frames ( 410 ) to complete the assembly . lastly , the door panels ( 310 ) are removable panels placed on the opening of the front side ( 104 ) of the garden building ( 100 ) to cover it . seams in between one wall panel with other wall panels ( 300 ) and with the ringbeams ( 200 ) are sealed with weather seals to prevent water leakage . it is to be understood that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms and is not limited to the sole embodiment described above . however modification and equivalents of the disclosed concepts such as those which readily occur to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the claims which are appended thereto . | 4 |
fig1 shows an interrupter unit 1 for a high - voltage circuit breaker . the interrupter unit 1 is arranged within an encapsulation enclosure 23 , only parts of which are illustrated in the figure . the encapsulating enclosure 23 is filled with a pressurized insulating gas , for example sulfur hexafluoride . the interrupter unit 1 has a first electrical connection 2 , as well as a second electrical connection 3 . the first electrical connection 2 as well as the second electrical connection 3 are used to link the interrupter unit 1 to an electrical current path , which can be interrupted or made by means of the interrupter unit 1 . the first electrical connection 2 as well as the second electrical connection 3 may , for example , be passed by means of outdoor bushings through the encapsulating enclosure 23 of the high - voltage circuit breaker . the interrupter unit 1 is supported and mounted with respect to the encapsulating enclosure 23 by means of isolators 4 a , 4 b . the interrupter unit 1 has a first mounting element 5 as well as a second mounting element 6 . the second mounting element 6 has a flow deflection device at one end . the first mounting element 5 has a separate associated flow deflection device 7 . the separate flow deflection device 7 is composed of an insulating material . the first mounting element 5 as well as the second mounting element 6 have a tubular structure , and are each formed from a first section and a second section . furthermore , bodies whose shape is not in the form of a circular tube can also be used to form the mounting elements . the first section 5 a of the mounting element 5 has a smaller diameter than the second section 5 b of the first mounting element 5 . the first section 6 a of the second mounting element 6 likewise has a smaller diameter than that of the second section 6 b of the second mounting element 6 . the first section 5 a and the second section 5 b of the first mounting element 5 are mechanically coupled to one another in an overlapping area ( see the reference symbol 8 ). the first section 6 a as well as the second section 6 b of the second mounting element are likewise mechanically connected to one another in an overlapping area ( see the reference symbol 9 ). the mechanical attachment points 8 , 9 are , for example , arranged at each of three points which are symmetrically distributed on the circumference of the mounting elements 5 , 6 . a first outlet flow opening 10 for quenching gas is provided between the first section 5 a and the second section 5 b of the first mounting element 5 . a second outlet flow opening 11 for the quenching gas is provided between the first sections 6 a and the second section 6 b . both the first outlet flow opening 10 and the second outlet flow opening 11 have an annular profile , interrupted by the attachment points 8 , 9 , around the respective first section 5 a , 6 a , and are in the process aligned such that the outlet flow openings 10 , 11 point away from the switching gap in the interrupter unit 1 . the respective first sections 5 a , 6 a support the respective second sections 5 b , 6 b . further attachment points 12 a , 12 b are arranged at that end of the second section 5 b of the first mounting element 5 which points towards the switching gap . an annular fixed contact 13 of a sliding contact arrangement is attached to the further attachment points 12 a , 12 b . a rated current contact piece 14 is mounted in the fixed contact 13 of the sliding contact arrangement such that it can move . a dielectric nozzle 15 is rigidly connected to the moving rated current contact piece . the dielectric nozzle 15 and the moving rated current contact piece 14 concentrically surround a moving arc contact piece 16 . the moving arc contact piece 16 is tubular , and represents a hollow channel . the moving rated current contact piece 14 , the moving arc contact piece 16 and the dielectric nozzle 15 are supported by the second section 5 b of the first mounting element 5 . further attachment points 12 c , 12 d are arranged at that end of the second section 6 b of the second mounting element 6 which faces the switching gap . a stationary rated current contact piece 17 is supported by the further attachment points 12 c , 12 d . furthermore , a tubular piece 18 which forms a channel is held on the further attachment points 12 c , 12 d with a stationary arc contact piece 19 being arranged in its interior . the stationary arc contact piece 19 projects into the dielectric nozzle 15 . the moving rated current contact piece 14 and the moving arc contact piece 16 are arranged coaxially opposite the stationary rated current contact piece 17 and the stationary arc contact piece 19 . the stationary rated current contact piece 17 , the stationary arc contact piece 19 and the tubular piece 18 are supported by the second section 6 b of the second mounting element 6 . the second sections 5 b , 6 b are rounded at those ends of the second sections 5 b , 6 b of the mounting elements 5 , 6 which face the switching gap , where they form a respective field control electrode 5 c , 6 c . an arc 24 is struck between the two arc contact pieces 16 , 19 during a switching - off movement of the moving arc contact piece 16 , of the moving rated current contact piece 14 and of the dielectric nozzle 15 in the direction of the arrow , which is annotated with the reference symbol 20 . the thermal effect of the arc 24 results in a quenching gas being formed in the area of the switching gap formed by the arc contact pieces 16 , 19 , and this quenching gas flows on the one hand through the moving arc contact piece 16 and on the other hand through the tubular piece 18 , as a result of the pressure increase produced by the arc 24 . the moving arc contact piece 16 has openings at the end facing away from the switching gap , through which the quenching gas flows out , and strikes the separate flow deflection device 7 . the quenching gas is deflected from there , and is deflected outside the moving arc contact piece 16 in the opposite direction to the direction of the flow of quenching gas in the interior of the moving arc contact piece 16 . the quenching gas flows radially outwards through a radial opening 21 a which is formed by the first section 5 a and the second section 5 b , and is then blown out through the first outlet flow opening 10 . the quenching gas flowing in the area of the second mounting element 6 is guided in an analogous manner . a portion of the quenching gas generated in the switching gap is passed through the tubular piece 18 from the switching gap , and strikes the deflection device of the second mounting element 6 . from there , it is forced outwards along the outside of the tubular piece 18 through a radial opening 21 b which is formed between the first section 6 a and the second section 6 b of the second mounting element 6 . the second section 6 b in the second mounting element 6 then results in a further reversal of the flow direction and in the quenching gas being emitted from the second outlet flow opening 11 , such that the quenching gas is carried away from the switching gap . a cooling device 22 is arranged in the area of the radial opening 21 b which is formed between the first section 6 a and the second section 6 b of the second mounting element 6 . the cooling device 22 has a tubular structure , essentially being formed from a perforated metal sheet , through whose holes the quenching gas can pass . the quenching gas is cooled down further as it passes through the holes in the cooling device 22 . the arrows which are illustrated by means of interrupted lines in the figure symbolize the path of the quenching gas from the switching gap to the outlet flow openings 10 , 11 . the current path from the electrical connections 2 , 3 to the arc contacts 16 , 19 and to the rated current contacts 14 , 17 respectively is represented by the dotted lines . since fig1 is a schematic illustration , the outlet flow path of the quenching gas is illustrated only in principle . in particular , the separation of the quenching gas flows before and after passing through the flow deflection devices can also be achieved by further components . furthermore , the flow resistance can be minimized by breaking off or rounding body edges . | 7 |
the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig3 and 5 shows a first and a second embodiments of insulated gate control thyristors according to the present invention , respectively , and fig4 illustrates an equivalent circuit of both embodiments . in these figures , like or corresponding parts to those of fig1 a , 1b and 2 are designated by the same reference numerals . fig3 is a cross - sectional view showing a unit structure of the first embodiment : a real insulated gate control thyristor whose current capacity is on the order of several tens of amperes includes a plurality of the unit structures which are repeated in the lateral directions in fig3 and which are connected in parallel fashion . a wafer or a semiconductor body 10 of this embodiment comprises a p - type substrate of a high impurity concentration functioning as an anode region 11 , and an n - type epitaxial layer grown on the p - type substrate as a base region 12 . the anode region 11 is about 50 μm thick and has a resistivity of approximately 30 - 40 ω - cm . p after forming a thin gate oxide layer or an insulating layer 13 of 500 - 1000 å thickness by oxidizing the surface of the wafer 10 at 1000 ° c ., for 1 - 2 hours , in an oxidation furnace , each gate 20 is patterned by growing polysilicon film or the like over the entire surface of the wafer 10 , and then by carrying out reactive ion etching by using ccl 4 and cl 2 on the polysilicon film to form patterns covering substantially the entire surface of each chip . subsequently , a plurality of narrow , stripe - like windows are formed in the direction normal to the sheet of fig3 . in this first embodiment , alternate first and second windows w1 and w2 are formed in such a manner that each of the windows w1 and w2 is a few micrometers to ten micrometers wide , and adjacent windows are each spaced approximately the same distance apart . each gate 20 patterned on the base region 12 serves as a mask for the p - type impurity implantation followed by the annealing to form an emitter layer 30 and a collector layer 50 . the impurity implantation is performed using boron as the p - type impurity at the energy of 100 kev , followed by the annealing at 1100 ° c .- 1150 ° c ., for several hours , to a depth of several micrometers . these layers 30 and 50 are simultaneously embedded to the depth of 3 - 5 μm in the base region 12 under the first window w1 and the second window w2 , respectively , and have impurity concentration of about 10 17 - 10 18 atoms / cm 3 . after that , an n - type cathode layer 40 is formed in the emitter layer 30 under the first window w1 to the depth of about 1 μm or less . the cathode layer 40 has an impurity concentration of about 10 19 atoms / cm 3 . incidentally , n - type impurities such as arsenic have slower diffusion rate than p - type impurities such as boron . for this reason , using these impurities makes it possible to anneal the cathode layer 40 simultaneously with the emitter layer 30 and the collector layer 50 . after that , the surface of the wafer 10 is covered by an insulating film 14 composed of phosphosilicate glass or the like . subsequently , contact windows are defined and etched in the insulating film 14 , and electrode films 15 and 17 composed of aluminum or the like are deposited and patterned on both surfaces of the wafer 10 , so that an anode terminal a , a cathode terminal c , and a gate terminal g are led out of the anode region 11 , the cathode layer 40 and the collector layer 50 , and the gate 20 , respectively . in this case , the gate terminal g is led out of a cross - section different from that of fig3 . a complete insulated gate control thyristor is a square chip whose side is a few millimeter long , and has current capacity of several tens of amperes . incidentally , the top electrode film 15 is usually formed as a continuous film like the bottom electrode film 17 , though only portions of the electrode 15 making contact with the semiconductor layers are illustrated in fig3 for simplicity of the drawing . the operation of the insulated gate control thyristor having the above - described arrangement will be described with reference to an equivalent circuit shown in fig4 . this equivalent circuit differs from that of fig1 b in that a transistor 63 is connected between the anode terminal a and the cathode terminal c , and in that the mos transistor 72 in fig1 b is replaced with a mos transistor 70 . the transistor 63 is a pnp - type transistor comprising a p - type anode region 11 , an n - type base region 12 and a p - type collector layer 50 . the mos transistor 70 is a p - channel type which has a channel ch0 induced in the surface of the n - type base region 12 under the gate 20 , between the p - type emitter layer 30 and the collector layer 50 . the insulated gate control thyristor is turned on by conducting the n - channel mos transistor 71 , that is , by conducting the channel ch1 at the surface of the emitter 30 under the gate 20 by applying a positive control voltage to the gate terminal g in fig3 . thus , electrons are injected into the base region 12 from the cathode layer 40 through the channel ch1 , which in turn causes the base current to be injected into the base region 12 from the anode region 11 , thereby turning on the pnp transistors 61 and 63 . this causes the npn transistor 62 to be turned on , thereby turning on the insulated gate control thyristor and maintaining its conductive state after the control voltage has been removed . in contrast , the insulated gate control thyristor is turned off by conducting the p - channel mos transistor 70 by applying a negative control voltage to the gate terminal g . this causes the current in the emitter layer 30 to flow toward the collector layer 50 through the channel ch0 , thereby reducing the base current of the transistor 62 . as a result , the transistor 62 is turned off , followed by the turning off of the transistors 61 and 63 , resulting in the turning off of the insulated gate control thyristor . during the turn - off operation , the current flowing to the collector layer 50 passes two different passages as shown in fig3 : a current i1 flows from the emitter layer 30 to the collector layer 50 through the channel ch0 ; and a current i2 flows directly from the base region 12 to the collector layer 50 . this facilitates the extraction of the current from the cathode terminal c connected to the collector layer 50 , and reduces the base current to be extracted from the emitter layer 30 , that is , reduces the base current flowing into the inner resistance 31 from the base of the transistor 62 . consequently , the inner resistance 31 existing in the emitter layer 30 as shown in fig1 b can be ignored , and hence , the voltage rise in the emitter layer 30 immediately under the cathode layer 40 is restricted to a small value . this will reduce the reinjection of electrons across the junction 35 between the cathode layer 40 and the emitter layer 30 , thereby increasing the turn - off speed . furthermore , it is unnecessary to form the channel ch2 at the surface of the cathode layer 40 as in fig2 . this makes it possible to increase the impurity concentration of the cathode layer 40 to about 10 19 atoms / cm 3 as mentioned before , and hence , to improve the recovery of the junction 35 between the emitter layer 30 and the cathode layer 40 , thus further speeding up the turn off . in the present invention , the length of the channel ch0 formed in the surface of the base region 12 under the gate 20 can be reduced to approximately 1 μm by controlling the diffusion depth of the emitter layer 30 and the collector layer 50 , and accordingly , by controlling the lateral diffusion length of these layers . this makes it possible to reduce the on - state resistance of the mos transistor 70 , and hence , to further facilitate the extraction of the current from the emitter layer 30 , thereby further speeding up the turn off . excessive reducing of the channel length , however , will hinder the turn on of the thyristor . this is because the voltage applied to the thyristor during the off - state grows a depletion layer near the channel ch0 in the base region 12 when the channel length of the channel ch0 is reduced too much , and the depletion layer hinders the current from flowing through the channel ch1 when the mos transistor 71 is to be conducted to turn on the thyristor . a second embodiment of the present invention shown in fig5 is proposed to eliminate this problem . fig5 shows about half of a unit structure of a thyristor of the second embodiment of the present invention , and fig6 a and 6b are schematic cross - sectional view contrastively showing the structure of the thyristors of the first and second embodiments , respectively . in these figures , the unit structure of the first and second embodiments are indicated by u1 and u2 , respectively , and the width of the unit structure u2 of the second embodiment is about double that of the unit structure u1 of the first embodiment . the second embodiment is similar to the first embodiment in that it includes a first window w1 and a second window w2 , but is different in the following : the first embodiment illustrated in fig6 a has the first and second windows w1 and w2 alternately provided adjacent to the gate 20 , and includes the emitter layer 30 and the collector layer 50 alternately disposed correspondingly to these windows w1 and w2 . in contrast , the second embodiment illustrated in fig6 b has two first windows w1 and one second window w2 alternately provided adjacent to a gate 20 so that two narrow gates 21 and one wide gate 22 are alternately disposed as the gate 20 , and includes two emitter layers 30 and one collector layer 50 alternately disposed correspondingly to the windows w1 and w2 . thus , in the second embodiment , the first and second windows w1 and w2 are spaced different intervals apart as shown in fig6 b , and two emitter layers 30 are disposed immediately next to one collector layer 50 . under the narrow gates 21 , the edges of the collector layer 50 are located close to the edges of the adjacent emitter layers 30 so that they are only about 1 μm apart , whereas under the wide gate 22 , the edges of the two adjacent emitter layers 30 are spaced wide apart . another difference of the second embodiment from the first embodiment is that the impurity concentration of the emitter layer 30 is preferably reduced to approximately 10 16 - 10 17 atoms / cm 3 . the remaining portions and an equivalent circuit of the second embodiment are similar to those of the first embodiment . in the second embodiment as shown in fig5 the growth of a depletion layer into a base region 12 from the left - hand edge 30a of the emitter layer 30 of fig5 is reduced , that is , from the edge not immediately next to the collector layer 50 . this makes it easy for a current to flow through the channel ch1 in the left top surface of the emitter 30 , thereby facilitating the turning on of the thyristor . in this case , the length of the surface of the base region 12 under the gate 22 must be longer than 5 - 10 μm . although this reduces the availability of the chip area by a small amount , the insulated gate control thyristor of the second embodiment can balance turn - on and turn - off characteristics . fig7 is a plan view showing a third embodiment of an insulated gate control thyristor of the present invention . in the first and second embodiments of the present invention , the stripe - like windows w1 and w2 in the gate 20 are arranged in one dimension . in the third embodiment , however , cell - like windows are patterned in two dimensions : ring - like windows wa are disposed in a lattice arrangement , and island - like windows wb are disposed in a two dimensional arrangement as shown in fig7 so that lattice - like gates 23 and ring - like gates 24 are formed as gates . the third embodiment can be modified to the first embodiment by using the windows wa as the first windows w1 and the windows wb as the second windows w2 , and to the second embodiment by using the windows wb as the first windows w1 and the windows wa as the second windows w2 with enlarging size of the gate 24 . although specific embodiments of an insulated gate control thyristor constructed in accordance with the present invention have been disclosed , it is not intended that the invention be restricted to either the specific configurations or the uses disclosed herein . modifications may be made in a manner obvious to those skilled in the art . for example , the semiconductor regions and layers may have opposite conductivity types , and the values of the impurity concentration and sizes are shown only as examples and can be suitably chosen as needed . accordingly , it is intended that the invention be limited only by the scope of the appended claims . | 7 |
preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the annexed drawings . in the drawings , the same or similar elements are denoted by the same reference numerals even though they are depicted in different drawings . in the following description , a detailed description of known functions and configurations incorporated herein has been omitted for the sake of clarity and conciseness . according to the present invention , a base station controls only the interference caused by the terminals located in a specific area using multiple antenna techniques in order to improve throughput in each sector . the multiple antenna techniques included in the base station is a beamforming , which beamforms a specific signal in a desired direction by controlling phases of arranged antennas and transmits the beamformed signal . fig2 illustrates a cellular mobile communication system employing a reverse channel control method according to an embodiment of the present invention . sector 1 and sector 2 shown in this embodiment are controlled by a base station with multiple transmission antennas , and sector 3 is controlled by a base station with a single transmission antenna . although it is shown in fig2 that two transmission antennas are installed in each of the sector 1 and the sector 2 , the number of transmission antennas installed in each sector can be 3 or more according to the base station . in a sector with 3 transmission antennas , no more than 3 iabs beamformed from the antennas are transmitted in their corresponding directions , dividing the corresponding sector uniformly or non - uniformly . referring back to fig2 , sector 1 and sector 2 with multiple transmission antennas transmit iabs using beamforming . a value of the iab is generated independently for each beam . accordingly , iabs transmitted into service regions 210 and 211 of a beam 1 and a beam 2 in sector 1 are defined as iab 11 and iab 12 , respectively , and iabs transmitted into service regions 220 and 221 of beam 1 and beam 2 in sector 2 are defined as iab 21 and iab 22 , respectively . as sector 3 uses a single transmission antenna , an iab transmitted into a service region 230 of the sector is defined as iab 3 . referring to fig2 , if it is determined that an at 201 causes substantial interference , the base station of sector 1 transmits the iab 11 of ‘ down ’ command to service region 210 via a transmission antenna of beam 1 , and the base station of sector 2 transmits the iab 21 of ‘ down ’ command to service region 220 via the transmission antenna of beam 1 . therefore , it is possible to allow only the terminals causing the interference to decrease their transmission power , and prevent all terminals in the sector from unnecessarily decreasing their transmission power . the base stations of sector 1 and sector 2 can transmit the iab 12 and the iab 22 of ‘ up ’ commands so as to increase transmission power in the service regions of beam 2 . as a result , the entire throughput of the cellular system can be improved . fig3 illustrates a frame structure applied to a cellular mobile communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig3 , one frame 303 is composed of a plurality of slots . the number of slots can be changed to 6 or 12 according to the system . iabs 305 and 307 are inserted into specific regions in each frame 303 , and periodically transmitted by a base station in each sector . for example , in the ofdm system , the iabs are transmitted through ofdm symbols . fig4 illustrates a base station for performing a reverse channel control method according to an embodiment of the present invention , wherein a transmission scheme of beamformed iabs is shown . the present invention transmits a plurality of iabs through a plurality of beams . for convenience , however , it is assumed herein that 2 iabs 401 and 403 are input to a multiplexer ( mux ). referring to fig4 , a base station inputs a plurality of iabs to a mux 407 in order to transmit a plurality of iabs through a plurality of beams . in addition , the base station inputs a pilot 405 for channel estimation to the mux 407 in order to demodulate the iabs . herein , the pilot 405 is used even for channel estimation for demodulating the iabs , and can also be used when a terminal measures received strengths of beams in order to determine the beams that it will monitor . the mux 407 generates symbols by inserting the input iab 1 401 , iab 2 403 and pilot 405 into subcarriers and multiplexes the symbols according to a transmission scheme of the present invention . thereafter , the mux 407 delivers the multiplexed symbol ( s ) to a beamformer 409 . the mux 407 can support both time multiplexing and frequency multiplexing . if the mux 407 is a frequency multiplexer , the iab 1 401 , iab 2 403 and pilot 405 are transmitted through one ofdm symbol , and if the mux 407 is a time multiplexer , the iab 1 401 , iab 2 403 and pilot 405 are transmitted through a plurality of ofdm symbols . alternatively , the iab 1 401 , iab 2 403 and pilot 405 can simultaneously undergo time multiplexing and frequency multiplexing . the mux 407 sets a plurality of subcarriers according to the transmission scheme of the present invention . the beamformer 409 forms a corresponding beam using a subcarrier including the iab 1 and iab 2 from the mux 407 , and sets a weight thereof . an ifft block 407 performs ifft on a received beamformed signal and finally transmits the ifft - processed signal to a terminal . fig . illustrates a terminal for performing a reverse channel control method according to an embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig5 , a terminal 500 includes an fft block 501 , a pilot receiver 503 , a channel estimator 505 and a controller 507 . a description of the parts unrelated to the present invention is omitted herein . in the terminal 500 , the fft block 501 performs fft on a beamformed signal received from a corresponding base station . the pilot receiver 503 receives a pilot to determine a beam that it will monitor . herein , the pilot can be a common pilot or a beamformed pilot . a transmission scheme of the pilot will be described below . the channel estimator 505 receives an iab using a received pilot . the controller 507 receives the iab from the channel estimator 505 . if the received pilot is a beamformed pilot , the channel estimator 505 receives the iab through an estimated channel response . if the received pilot is a common pilot , the channel estimator 505 receives the iab through a channel response using a beamforming coefficient . upon receipt of the iab from the channel estimator 505 , the controller 507 controls transmission power based on the received iab . fig6 illustrates an ofdm symbol structure using a beamformed pilot scheme in a base station according to an embodiment of the present invention , wherein the vertical axis indicates frequency and the horizontal axis indicates time . referring to fig6 , the upper half subcarriers t 1 among the subcarriers are used for sending an iab 1 , and the lower half subcarriers t 2 are used for sending an iab 2 . the subcarriers corresponding to the iab 1 and the iab 2 are beamformed with weights corresponding to their associated beam 1 and beam 2 by a beamformer 409 of a base station . similarly , as for the pilots , the upper half pilots p 1 are beamformed with a weight corresponding to beam 1 and the lower half pilots p 2 are beamformed with a weight corresponding to beam 2 before transmission , so as to help demodulation of iab 1 and iab 2 . a terminal , when it uses the beamformed pilot scheme according to the present invention , receives the iab 1 through a channel response estimated using the beamformed pilot p 1 and receives the iab 2 through a channel response estimated using the beamformed pilot p 2 . fig7 illustrates an ofdm symbol structure using a common pilot scheme in a base station according to an embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig7 , because the common pilot scheme uses a common pilot channel , there is no beamforming process in the base station . therefore , unlike the beamformed pilot scheme , the common pilot scheme uniformly mixes iab 1 and iab 2 , and arranges them over the full band . subcarriers corresponding to iab 1 and iab 2 are beamformed with weights corresponding to their associated beam 1 and beam 2 . although the common pilot is not beamformed , because a terminal is previously aware of a beamforming coefficient through an agreement with the base station , the terminal can determine channel responses of beam 1 and beam 2 , beamformed by applying the beamforming coefficient to received common pilots . similarly , even in the common pilot scheme , the beamformed pilot can be used instead of the common pilot . in fig6 and 7 , because iab 1 and iab 2 are beamformed , a method for transmitting the same subcarriers is also available . in this case , however , interbeam interference may occur . in addition , it is also possible to transmit iabs using only partial subcarriers , and transmit data or control signals using the remaining subcarriers . fig8 illustrates a process of generating an iab in a base station according to an embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig8 , each base station of the present invention , as it includes a multi - input / output antenna , measures interferences received in specified directions in step 801 . that is , the base station can measure interferences in corresponding beam directions according to the multi - input / output antenna . herein , the number of the beam directions is n . after measuring the interference received for each beam , the base station compares in step 803 the measured interference with a threshold to determine the amount of interference . the base station generates a value of the iab for each beam according to the amount of interference . the iab generated for each beam is beamformed in each beam direction and then transmitted in step 805 . fig9 illustrates a reverse channel rate control method performed in a terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig9 , in step 901 , a terminal measures received strength of each beam through pilots or preambles transmitted from beams of neighbor sectors . if the measured received strength of the beam is greater than or equal to a threshold , the terminal receives in step 903 an iab transmitted through a corresponding beam , determining that the received beam affects its own transmission power . upon receipt of a plurality of iabs , the terminal gives in step 905 a weight considering the influence given to a beam of each sector , and controls its transmission power or channel rate depending on the iabs . as can be understood from the foregoing description , according to the present invention , a base station with a multi - input / output antenna generates an iab considering only the interference in a specific area , performs beamforming thereon , and provides the resulting information to a terminal , thereby efficiently controlling a reverse channel rate and thus contributing to an increase in throughput in the sector . while the invention has been shown and described with reference to a certain preferred embodiment thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . | 7 |
1 . a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device which includes the following steps : ( a ) dry etching a first main surface of a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type to make many trenches in the main surface of the semiconductor substrate ; ( b ) forming a buried epitaxial layer over the first main surface of the semiconductor substrate through buried epitaxial growth in the first main surface by filling the trenches with an epitaxial layer of a second conductivity type , opposite to the first conductivity type ; ( c ) performing a first planarization process on the first main surface by removing the buried epitaxial layer over the first main surface of the semiconductor substrate except the trenches so that a first group of trenches among the filled trenches , along with the semiconductor substrate of the first conductivity type around them , make up a superjunction structure ; ( d ) after the above step ( c ), forming an alignment mark in the first main surface of the semiconductor substrate ; and ( e ) after the above step ( d ), performing alignment using the alignment mark . 2 . in the method for manufacturing a semiconductor device as described above in 1 , the alignment mark includes a recess made in the first main surface of the semiconductor substrate . 3 . in the method for manufacturing a semiconductor device as described above in 1 or 2 , the dry etching at the step ( a ) and the buried epitaxial growth at the step ( b ) are performed while a hard mask film lies over the first main surface of the semiconductor substrate . 4 . the method for manufacturing a semiconductor device as described above in any one of 1 to 3 , further includes the steps of , ( f ) after the step ( c ) and before the step ( d ), performing alignment for the step ( d ) using a second group of trenches among the many trenches as temporary alignment marks . 5 . in the method for manufacturing a semiconductor device as described above in 3 or 4 , the hard mask film includes a silicon oxide insulating film as a main component . 6 . the method for manufacturing a semiconductor device as described above in any one of 3 to 5 , further includes the step of ( g ), after the step ( d ) and before the step ( e ), removing the hard mask film . 7 . the method for manufacturing a semiconductor device as described above in any one of 3 to 6 , further includes the step of ( h ) performing a second planarization process on the first main surface of the semiconductor substrate to eliminate a level difference in the first main surface of the semiconductor substrate resulting from the removal of the hard mask film at the step ( g ). 8 . the method for manufacturing a semiconductor device as described above in 7 , further includes the step of ( i ) measuring the depth of the recess before and after the second planarization process at the step ( h ). 9 . the method for manufacturing a semiconductor device as described above in 8 , further includes the step of ( j ) controlling an amount of polishing in the second planarization process at the step ( h ) based on a result of measurement of the depth of the recess before and after the second planarization process at the step ( i ). 10 . in the method for manufacturing a semiconductor device as described above in any one of 4 to 9 , the second group of trenches among the many trenches are located separately from the first group of trenches among the many trenches . 11 . in the method for manufacturing a semiconductor device as described above in any one of 4 to 10 , the second group of trenches among the many trenches are located adjacent to the alignment marks . 12 . in the method for manufacturing a semiconductor device as described above in any one of 1 to 11 , the alignment marks have a plurality of linear recesses arranged virtually parallel . 13 . in the method for manufacturing a semiconductor device as described above in any one of 4 to 12 , the alignment process at the step ( e ) is an alignment process for patterning to form a gate electrode . 14 . in the method for manufacturing a semiconductor device as described above in any one of 4 to 13 , optical level differences around the temporary alignment marks on a flat surface subjected to the first planarization are used in performing alignment using the temporary alignment marks . 1 . the preferred embodiments may be described separately in different sections as necessary , but such descriptions are not irrelevant to each other unless otherwise specified . one description may be , in part , a detailed form of another or one description may be , in whole or in part , a variation of what is described in another . basically , the same explanations are not repeated . in the preferred embodiments , even when a specific numerical value is indicated for an element , the numerical value is not essential for the element unless otherwise specified or unless limited to the numerical value theoretically or obviously in the context . here the term “ semiconductor device ” mainly refers to various discrete transistors ( active devices ) or semiconductor chips or the like ( for example , single - crystal silicon substrates ) on which resistors and capacitors are integrated with such transistors . among such transistors are typically misfets ( metal insulator semiconductor field effect transistors ) including mosfets ( metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors ). the present invention is intended to be applied to power semiconductor devices and here the term “ power semiconductor device ” mainly refers to many types of semiconductor devices which deal with electric power of 5 watts or more , such as power mosfets , igbts ( insulated gate bipolar transistors ), power diodes and composite devices which include at least one of these devices . 2 . when a material or composition in an embodiment of the invention is described , the expression “ x comprising a ” or “ x which comprises a ” does not exclude a main component other than a unless otherwise specified or unless exclusion of another component is obvious in the context . if the expression concerns a component , it means “ x which includes a as a main component ”. for example , the term “ silicon member ” represents not only a member made of pure silicon but also a member made of a multi - component alloy which contains sige alloy or another type of silicon as a main component or a member which includes another additive . similarly , the terms “ silicon oxide film ,” “ silicon oxide insulating film ” and so on obviously refer to not only relatively pure undoped silicon dioxide film but also thermally oxidized film , cvd oxidized film or sog ( spin on glass ) film of fsg ( fluorosilicate glass ), teos - based silicon oxide , sioc ( silicon oxicarbide ), carbon - doped silicon oxide , osg ( organosilicate glass ), psg ( phosphorus silicate glass ) or bpsg ( borophosphosilicate glass ), or ncs ( nano - clustering silica ) coating type oxide silicon , silica low - k insulating film with vacant holes in a similar material ( porous insulating film ) or film which contains any of them as a main component and is combined with another silicon insulating film . along with silicon oxide insulating film , silicon nitride insulating film is commonly used as a silicon insulating film in the semiconductor field . materials for this type of film include sin , sicn , sinh , and sicnh . the term “ silicon nitride ” here includes both sin and sinh unless otherwise specified . 3 . similarly , preferred examples of figures , positions , and attributes are shown here ; however it is needless to say that they are not limited to these examples in a strict sense unless otherwise specified or unless obviously limited so in the context . 4 . also , even when a volume or value is indicated by a specific numerical value , it is not limited to the specific numerical value unless otherwise specified or unless limited to the numerical value theoretically or obviously in the context ; it may be larger or smaller than the specific numerical value . 5 . the term “ wafer ” generally refers to a single - crystal silicon wafer on which a semiconductor device ( including a semiconductor integrated circuit device or electronic device ) is formed . however , obviously it also includes a wafer which combines an insulating substrate , such as an epitaxial wafer , soi substrate or lcd glass substrate , and a semiconductor layer . 6 . generally a superjunction structure is a structure that in a conductive semiconductor region with positive or negative polarity , pillar or plate - like column regions with opposite polarity are inserted at virtually regular intervals so as to maintain charge balance . in the present invention , when reference is made to a “ superjunction structure ” formed by a trench fill method , basically it should be interpreted to be a structure that in a conductive semiconductor region with positive or negative polarity , plate - like “ column regions ” with opposite polarity ( usually plate - like but , in some cases , curved or bent ) are inserted at virtually regular intervals so as to maintain charge balance . in the preferred embodiments described below , p type columns are formed at regular intervals and parallel to each other in an n type semiconductor layer ( for example , drift region ). therefore , as for the expression “ superjunction structure is exposed on a chip lateral side ”, it means not only that p type column regions are exposed but also that regions which function as p type column regions or n type column regions are exposed on the chip lateral side . in the present invention , the term “ drift region ” refers not only to an epitaxial layer portion which serves as a current path when a power semiconductor device such as a power mosfet is on , but also to a peripheral epitaxial layer portion ( including p type column regions or n type column regions ) which contributes to maintaining a reverse withstand voltage when the power semiconductor device is off . 7 . in the present invention , for example , when ( 100 ) or a similar symbol is used to describe a crystal surface , it also includes a crystal surface equivalent to it . similarly , & lt ; 100 & gt ;, & lt ; 110 & gt ; or a similar symbol is used to describe a crystal orientation , it also includes a crystal orientation equivalent to it . the preferred embodiments are further described in detail below . in the drawings , like or similar elements are designated by like or similar symbols or reference numerals and descriptions of such elements are not repeated . in the drawings , in some cases , hatching is omitted even for a cross section if hatching may make the illustration complicated or it can be clearly distinguished from a void space . in this connection , even for a closed hole in a plan view the background contour line may be omitted as far as it is clear from an explanation , etc . furthermore , in a drawing , even if an area is not a cross section , it may be indicated by hatching in order to show that it is not a void space . among related patent applications which disclose a power mosfet using a superjunction structure are japanese patent application no . 2009 - 263600 ( filed on nov . 19 , 2009 in japan ) and japanese patent application no . 2010 - 81905 ( filed on mar . 31 , 2010 in japan ). 1 . description of the planar layout , chip peripheral area layout , on - wafer element arrangement , and alignment system of a power mosfet as an example of a semiconductor device according to an embodiment of the present invention ( see fig1 to 3 and fig1 .) the example which is concretely explained below is a planar power mosfet formed on a silicon semiconductor substrate with a source / drain withstand voltage of 600 volts or so ( the planar power mosfets described hereinafter are the same as this one ). however , it is needless to say that what is discussed below is true for any other power mosfet with a different withstand voltage . fig1 is a top view of a wafer showing an on - wafer layout in the method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to an embodiment of the invention . fig2 is a top view of the chip of a power mosfet as a semiconductor device to be manufactured by the method according to the embodiment . fig3 shows the planar layout of peripheral part r 1 in a chip corner as shown in fig1 and 2 . fig1 is an alignment system diagram showing the relations among alignment tasks at different steps of the semiconductor device manufacturing method according to the embodiment . referring to these figures , the planar layout , chip peripheral area layout , on - wafer element arrangement , and alignment system of the power mosfet as an example of the semiconductor device according to the embodiment of the present invention are described next . fig1 shows the layout of a chip region 2 of the device main surface 1 a of a wafer 1 ( if the wafer diameter is 200 mm and each chip is 3 mm square , actually the number of chips on the wafer will be about 100 times as many as shown here , but for illustration convenience , the chip size is exaggerated here ). as shown in fig1 , many chip regions 2 or areas to be chip regions are arranged almost in a matrix pattern on the front main surface 1 a of the wafer 1 ( device main surface , source side main surface , namely first main surface ) in which they are separated from each other by scribe line regions 32 ( x scribe line regions 32 x and y scribe line regions 32 y ) orthogonally crossing in the x and y directions . in this example , the crystal surface of the front main surface 1 a of the wafer 1 is , for example , ( 100 ) and the crystal orientation of a notch 9 is , for example , & lt ; 100 & gt ; or & lt ; 110 & gt ; ( obviously there is no problem that the crystal surface and orientation are different from these ). fig2 shows the overall planar layout of the upper surface ( corresponding to the front main surface 1 a of the wafer 1 ) of the chip 2 ( chip region ) which is almost completed ( for easy understanding , the chip inner metal layer is omitted in the figure ). as shown in fig2 , the chip 2 ( 2 a ) has the shape of almost a square or near - square rectangle in which a guard ring 10 lies in a chip peripheral region 20 and an active cell region 13 lies in the center . a polysilicon film ( gate electrode ) 21 as a multiply - connected structure ( in the form of a sheet with many holes of the same shape ) lies in the active cell region 13 and many p type column regions 6 lie in the whole active cell region 13 and a specific portion of the chip peripheral region 20 . fig3 shows peripheral part r 1 in one of the chip corners shown in fig1 and 2 . as shown in fig3 , a p + type body contact region 27 lies in the active cell region 13 of the chip region 2 a and many p type column regions 6 are formed in an n type silicon epitaxial layer 1 e from the active cell region 13 to the chip peripheral region 20 . these p type column regions 6 and n type column regions 7 ( n type silicon epitaxial layer 1 e ) between p type column regions 7 make up a superjunction structure . the chip region 2 a adjoins a chip region 2 b with a y scribe line region 32 y between them and adjoins a chip region 2 c with an x scribe line region 32 x between them , and adjoins a chip region 2 d with the intersection of the scribble line regions 32 x and 32 y between them . in each of the scribe line regions 32 x and 32 y , there is provided an alignment mark region 5 ( for example , 36 × 32 micrometers ) for the formation of alignment marks 8 used for alignment between the superjunction structure and a process layer at a subsequent step and also provided adjacent to it a temporary alignment mark region 4 ( for example , 36 × 32 micrometers ) for the formation of temporary alignment marks 33 as auxiliary alignment marks for the formation of alignment marks 8 . the alignment mark region 5 of the x scribe line region 32 x contains x alignment marks 8 x and the alignment mark region 5 of the y scribe line region 32 y contains y alignment marks and the temporary alignment mark regions 4 adjacent to them contain x temporary alignment marks 33 x and y temporary alignment marks 33 y respectively . an alignment task ( position detection and alignment ) is performed by scanning these alignment marks with a laser beam , for example , along an alignment laser scan path 34 . it is desirable that each temporary alignment mark region 4 ( a second group of buried trenches ) be adjacent to an alignment mark region 5 . also from the viewpoint of alignment convenience , it is desirable that the second group of buried trenches is located in a different position from the position of the first group of buried trenches ( a group of p type column regions which configure the superjunction ). furthermore , it is preferable that the alignment marks ( recesses ) 8 and temporary alignment marks be disposed in a line - and space pattern , specifically slit - like lines with the same width ( three - dimensionally , plural linear recesses ) be arranged at regular intervals in a plan view . next , the alignment system for the whole wafer process is summarized referring to fig1 . as shown in fig1 , in this embodiment , the alignment marks 8 for alignment between the superjunction structure and a process layer at a subsequent step are aligned to temporary alignment marks 33 formed in the course of forming the superjunction structure ( step 51 in which alignment marks for alignment between the superjunction structure and a subsequent process layer are aligned ). the alignment marks 8 are used for alignment at immediately subsequent processing steps , for example , an alignment step 57 for the formation of gate electrodes and an alignment step 53 for the formation of p type body regions . as for further subsequent processing steps , for example , the alignment marks formed at the step of forming gate electrodes are used , for example , for alignment at an alignment step 54 for the formation of contact holes . at further subsequent steps , for example , an alignment step 55 for the formation of a source metal electrode and an alignment step 56 for the formation of a final passivation film , the alignment marks formed in the course of making contact holes are used for alignment . 2 . description of the wafer process in the semiconductor device manufacturing method according to the embodiment ( see fig4 and fig1 and 19 ). fig4 is a sectional view showing the device region 3 , temporary alignment mark region 4 , and alignment mark region 5 at a wafer processing step ( step of forming a hard mask film for trench etching ) in the semiconductor device manufacturing method according to the embodiment . fig5 is a sectional view showing the device region 3 , temporary alignment mark region 4 , and alignment mark region 5 at a wafer processing step ( trench etching step ) in the semiconductor device manufacturing method according to the embodiment . fig6 is a sectional view showing the device region 3 , temporary alignment mark region 4 , and alignment mark region 5 at a wafer processing step ( trench filling step ) in the semiconductor device manufacturing method according to the embodiment . fig7 is a sectional view showing the device region 3 , temporary alignment mark region 4 , and alignment mark region 5 at a wafer processing step ( first planarization step ) in the semiconductor device manufacturing method according to the embodiment . fig8 is a sectional view showing the device region 3 , temporary alignment mark region 4 , and alignment mark region 5 at a wafer processing step ( resist film coating step for forming alignment marks ) in the semiconductor device manufacturing method according to the embodiment . fig9 is a sectional view showing the device region 3 , temporary alignment mark region 4 , and alignment mark region 5 at a wafer processing step ( step of forming alignment marks ) in the semiconductor device manufacturing method according to the embodiment . fig1 is a sectional view showing the device region 3 , temporary alignment mark region 4 , and alignment mark region 5 at a wafer processing step ( step of removing the hard mask ) in the semiconductor device manufacturing method according to the embodiment . fig1 is a sectional view showing the device region 3 , temporary alignment mark region 4 , and alignment mark region 5 at a wafer processing step ( second planarization step ) in the semiconductor device manufacturing method according to the embodiment . fig1 is a sectional view showing the active cell part r 2 of the device region shown in fig1 at a subsequent wafer processing step ( step of forming p type body regions ). fig1 is a sectional view showing the active cell part r 2 of the device region shown in fig1 at a subsequent wafer processing step ( step of forming a gate polysilicon film ). fig1 is a sectional view showing the active cell part r 2 of the device region shown in fig1 at a subsequent wafer processing step ( step of patterning the gate polysilicon film ). fig1 is a sectional view showing the active cell part r 2 of the device region shown in fig1 at a subsequent wafer processing step ( step of making contact holes ). fig1 is a sectional view showing the active cell part r 2 of the device region shown in fig1 at a subsequent wafer processing step ( step of forming a source metal electrode ). fig1 is a sectional view showing the active cell part r 2 of the device region shown in fig1 at a subsequent wafer processing step ( back grinding step ). fig1 is a sectional view showing the active cell part r 2 of the device region shown in fig1 at a subsequent wafer processing step ( step of forming a back metal electrode ). the wafer processing steps of the semiconductor device manufacturing method according to the embodiment are described below referring to these figures . first , as shown in fig4 , a semiconductor wafer 1 is prepared in which , for example , a phosphorous - doped n epitaxial layer 1 e ( drift region with a concentration in the order of 10 15 / cm 3 or so ) with a thickness t of 45 micrometers or so is formed over an antimony - doped ( in the order of 10 18 to 10 19 / cm 3 or so ) n + silicon single - crystal substrate is ( the wafer diameter is 200 mm in this example ; instead the wafer diameter may be 150 , 300 , or 450 mm ). a hard mask film 11 for the formation of trenches for p type columns , for example , of p - teos ( plasma - tetraethylorthosilicate ) ( for example , with a thickness of 1 micrometer or so ) is formed over the device surface 1 a ( main surface opposite to the back surface 1 b ) of the semiconductor wafer 1 . the hard mask film 11 may be a thermally oxidized film , cvd oxidized film or a combination of these . if its major portion is silicon oxide film , it is acceptable that the rest is another type of insulating film . in this example , the “ first conductivity type ” is n type and the “ second conductivity type ” is p type , but the opposite is all right . next , as shown in fig5 , many trenches 12 for p type columns and trenches 35 for temporary alignment marks are made by dry etching the n epitaxial layer 1 e , etc using the hard mask film 11 for the formation of trenches for p type columns as a mask . as etching gas , chf 3 , cf 4 , or o 2 gas is used to etch the silicon oxide film and sf 6 or o 2 gas is used to etch the silicon epitaxial portion . next , as shown in fig6 , a p type buried epitaxial layer 14 ( for example , with a concentration in the order of 10 15 / cm 3 ) is formed by filling the p type column trenches 12 and temporary alignment mark trenches 35 by epitaxial growth . for this step , dcs ( dichlorosilane ) gas , hcl gas , tcs ( trichlorosilane ) gas or hcl gas may be used . then , as shown in fig7 , by carrying out a first planarization process using the hard mask film 11 as the stopper , for example , by cmp ( chemical mechanical polishing ), the p type epitaxial layer 14 except its portions buried in the p type column trenches 12 and temporary alignment mark trenches 35 is removed and the surface 1 a of the semiconductor wafer 1 is flattened . the slurry used here should have a high selectivity ( si / sio 2 ). consequently the first group of trenches among the many trenches are filled with the buried epitaxial layer 14 . then , as shown in fig8 , a resist film 15 for the formation of alignment marks is coated virtually all over the front main surface 1 a ( device main surface , namely first main surface ) of the wafer 1 . as explained earlier in reference to fig1 , alignment for patterning the resist film 15 for the formation of alignment marks is performed by detecting the positions of temporary alignment marks 33 using optical level differenced 41 between temporary alignment marks 33 and their surroundings in the temporary alignment mark region 4 ( though the surface is flat , such level differences arise because of optical path length difference due to medium difference ). after alignment ( step 51 for alignment of alignment marks in fig1 ), exposure and development are performed . here , for example , the width of each n type column region 7 is 6 micrometers or so and the width of each p type column region 6 is 4 micrometers or so . also , the width and spacing of the temporary alignment marks 33 are , for example , 2 micrometers or so . consequently , among the many buried trenches , a second group of trenches are used as temporary alignment marks to perform alignment in the exposure for the formation of alignment marks and exposure is made based on the temporary alignment marks . as shown in fig9 , alignment marks 8 are formed by dry etching using the patterned resist film 15 . after that , the resist film 15 which has become useless is all removed by ashing or a similar technique and the hard mask 11 for trench etching is all removed by wet etching or a similar technique . the alignment marks 8 are thus formed after the formation of the superjunction , which is advantageous as compared with the formation of alignment marks before or at the same time as the formation of the superjunction , in that there is no need to protect the alignment marks . in addition , it is easier to optimize the depth or shape of alignment marks . the result of the above process is shown in fig1 . as shown in fig1 , the upper surfaces 36 of the p type column regions or temporary alignment marks ( upper level in the level difference ) slightly protrude from the upper surface 1 a of the wafer 1 . the amount of this protrusion , namely level difference d in the device region or temporary alignment mark region before a second polishing process , is , for example , 1 micrometer or so . the width of each alignment mark 8 is , for example , 2 micrometers or so and the depth d 1 of each recess ( depth of the trench for an alignment mark before the second polishing process ) is 5 micrometers or so . then , as shown in fig1 , a second planarization step is carried out . it is preferable that at this step the depth of removal , namely the amount of second polishing p be about three times as much as the level difference d , so in this example , the amount of second polishing p is 3 micrometers or so . as a result , the depth d 2 of an alignment mark 8 after the second planarization step ( depth of the trench for the alignment mark after second polishing ) is 2 micrometers or so . since the exact thickness t of the epitaxial layer ( for example , 45 micrometers ) is known , the depth of the superjunction can be determined accurately by measuring the recess depth d 1 and recess depth d 2 by an optical or other method , so the depth of the superjunction can be controlled accurately . in other words , since the difference between the recess depths d 1 and d 2 is equal to the amount of second polishing , a certain superjunction depth can be always obtained by calculating an adequate amount of second polishing p from the measured recess depths d 1 and d 2 and the measured epitaxial layer thickness t and controlling the amount of polishing . another advantage is that the amount of polishing for the second planarization process can be minimized . hereinafter , the process layers at the following steps are explained referring to sectional views of the active cell part r 2 of the device region 3 as shown in fig1 . as shown in fig1 , a resist film 17 for the formation of p type body regions is coated and patterning of the film is done ( for example , by an ordinary lithographic technique ; alignment at this step is performed by detecting the alignment marks 8 as shown in fig1 , which corresponds to alignment step 53 for the formation of p type body regions ). using the patterned resist film 17 as a mask , p type body regions 16 ( p type channel regions are formed by ion implantation ( the ion species here is , for example , boron and its concentration is , for example , in the order of 10 17 / cm 3 ). next , as shown in fig1 , a gate oxide film 19 is formed over the surface 1 a of the semiconductor wafer 1 ( for example , by wet oxidation at 950 degrees celsius ) and a gate polysilicon film 21 ( phosphorous - doped polysilicon film ) is formed over it , for example , by low pressure cvd ( chemical vapor deposition ). for wafer cleaning before gate oxidization , wet cleaning may be done using a first cleaning liquid , a mixture of ammonia , hydrogen peroxide , and deionized water ( volume ratio of 1 : 1 : 5 ) and a second cleaning liquid , a mixture of hydrochloric acid , hydrogen peroxide , and deionized water ( volume ratio of 1 : 1 : 6 ). then , as shown in fig1 , by dry etching a resist film 22 for the formation of gate electrodes ( for example , using sf 6 pr o 2 etching gas for the polysilicon and chf 3 or cf 4 etching gas for the oxide film ), a pattern of gate electrodes 21 is made ( for example , by an ordinary lithographic technique ; alignment at this patterning step is performed by detecting the alignment marks 8 as shown in fig1 , which corresponds to alignment step 57 for the formation of gate electrodes ). then , n + source regions 23 are formed by ion implantation ( the ion species here is , for example , arsenic and its concentration is , for example , in the order of 10 20 / cm 3 ). then the resist film 22 which has become useless is all removed . as explained above , the temporary alignment marks 33 are formed simultaneously with the trenches for the formation of p type column regions 6 of the superjunction and the alignment marks 8 for the following steps are aligned to them accurately and alignment in lithography for the formation of gate electrodes is based on these alignment marks 8 , so high alignment accuracy is assured at the step of forming gate electrodes next , as shown in fig1 , a psg ( phospho - silicate - glass ) film 24 ( interlayer insulating film ) is formed virtually all over the surface 1 a of the semiconductor wafer 1 by cvd or a similar technique ( instead an sog film may be formed over it and planarized ). then , a resist film 25 for source contact holes is formed over the surface 1 a of the semiconductor wafer 1 (( for example , by an ordinary lithographic technique ; alignment at this step is performed by detecting the alignment marks 8 formed at the step of forming gate electrodes as shown in fig1 , which corresponds to alignment step 54 for the formation of contact holes ) and using the film as a mask , source contact holes 26 , etc are made by dry etching and a p + body contact region 27 is formed in the bottom of each source contact hole 26 by ion implantation ( for example , the ion species is bf 2 and its concentration is in the order of 10 19 / cm 3 ). after that , the resist film 26 which has become useless is all removed . next , as shown in fig1 , a tungsten plug 28 is buried in each source contact hole 26 through a titanium barrier metal film . then , an aluminum metal layer is formed by sputtering or a similar technique and patterned ( for example , by an ordinary lithographic technique ; alignment at this step is performed by detecting the alignment marks formed for the formation of contact holes as shown in fig1 , which corresponds to alignment step 55 for the formation of source metal electrodes ) to form a metal source electrode 29 and a guard ring electrode ( fig2 ). furthermore , after that , if necessary , an overlying final passivation film ( inorganic or organic - inorganic final passivation film ) is formed and pad holes and gate holes are made ( for example , by an ordinary lithographic technique ; alignment at this step is performed by detecting the alignment marks formed for the formation of contact holes as shown in fig1 , which corresponds to alignment step 56 for the formation of a passivation film ). the final passivation film is typically an inorganic final passivation film or organic - inorganic final passivation film in the form of a single layer film but it may be a laminate in which an organic - inorganic final passivation film or the like lies over an inorganic final passivation film . then , back grinding is performed up to an upper limit for back grinding so as to decrease the wafer thickness from the initial thickness ( equivalent to the substrate thickness , for example , 700 micrometers or so ) to a range between 200 and 20 micrometers as required , as shown in fig1 . then , as shown in fig1 , a back metal electrode 30 is formed on the back surface 1 b of the wafer 1 by sputtering or a similar technique . then , the wafer 1 is divided into individual chip regions 2 by blade dicing ( or laser dicing , laser grooving or blade dicing combined with these methods ). the invention made by the present inventors has been so far explained in reference to the preferred embodiments thereof . however , the invention is not limited thereto and it is obvious that these details may be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . in the foregoing explanation of the preferred embodiments , it is assumed that the mos structure is a planar gate structure ; however , the present invention is not limited thereto and obviously it may be applied to a trench type gate structure in the same way . as for layout , in the example given here , mosfets are parallel to p and n columns and arranged in a stripe pattern ; however , they may be perpendicular to p and n columns or arranged in a grid pattern or another pattern . in the foregoing explanation of the preferred embodiments , it is assumed that an n channel device is mainly formed over the upper surface of an n epitaxial layer over an n + silicon single - crystal substrate ; however , the present invention is not limited thereto . instead , a p channel device may be formed over the upper surface of a p epitaxial layer over a p + silicon single - crystal substrate . in the foregoing explanation of the preferred embodiments , the device is assumed to be a power mosfet ; however the present invention is not limited thereto . obviously it may be applied to a power device with a superjunction structure , namely a diode , bipolar transistor , and igbt ( insulated gate bipolar transistor ). also it is obvious that the invention may be applied to a semiconductor integrated circuit which incorporates a power mosfet , diode , bipolar transistor or igbt . furthermore , in the foregoing explanation of the preferred embodiments , it is assumed that the trench fill method is used to form the superjunction structure ; however the invention is not limited thereto . the multi - epitaxial method or the like may be used instead . | 7 |
a method of manufacturing an integrated circuit containing bipolar devices will now be described in conjunction with the figures . an understanding of the present invention can be obtained through the explanation of the manufacturing of a single bipolar device as illustrated in the drawings ; however , it will be understood that an integrated circuit contains many such devices or other devices such as pnp transistors , diodes , capacitors , resistors , etc . with or without the npn transistor illustrated . to simplify the explanation , conventional process steps will be described only briefly , while those steps relating to the novel aspects of the process will be described in greater detail . fig1 illustrates a cross - sectional view of a small portion of a semiconductor substrate 10 having diffused dopants 11 . substrate 10 is of p conductivity type material having a top surface from which n + conductivity type dopant extends to form a buried layer 11 . fig2 illustrates an epitaxial layer 12 grown over substrate 10 and covering buried layer 11 . epitaxial layer 12 is of lightly doped p conductivity type material . the resistivity of epitaxial layer 12 will be close to the resistivity of substrate 10 . epitaxial layer 12 serves as a capping layer to prevent auto doping during subsequent processing steps . as will be seen subsequently epitaxial layer 12 also provides additional height of p conductivity type substrate 10 around buried layer 11 . fig3 illustrates two additional epitaxial layers covering first epitaxial layer 12 . second epitaxial layer 13 is directly on top of epitaxial layer 12 and is of a lightly doped n conductivity type material . third epitaxial layer 14 covers epitaxial layer 13 and is also of n conductivity type material which has a higher dopant concentration than does epitaxial layer 13 . there are advantages resulting from the two step n conductivity type epitaxial layers which will be more apparent hereinafter . by way of example only and not as a limitation , in one embodiment , the dopant concentration of buried layer 11 is 5 × 10 18 atoms per cubic centimeter , the dopant concentration of epitaxial layer 12 is 1 × 10 15 atoms per cubic centimeter , the dopant concentration of epitaxial layer 13 is 1 × 10 15 atoms per cubic centimeter , and the dopant concentration of epitaxial layer 14 is 2 × 10 15 atoms per cubic centimeter . typically , the dopant concentration of epitaxial layer 14 is twice that of epitaxial layer 13 . the dopant concentration of epitaxial layer 14 can range from 1 × 10 15 atoms per cubic centimeter to 5 × 10 15 atoms per cubic centimeter depending upon the desired breakdown voltage characteristics of the resulting transistor . the higher the dopant concentration the lower the voltage . as an example , for a dopant concentration of 1 × 10 15 for epitaxial layer 14 the resulting device will be a 120 volt transistor , and for a dopant concentration of 5 × 10 15 the resulting device will be a 25 volt transistor with the appropriate epitaxy thickness . fig4 illustrates the integrated circuit further along in its process . an oxide layer 16 has been grown over epitaxial layer 14 . a dielectric layer 17 has been grown over oxide layer 16 . dielectric layer 17 can be any suitable material such as silicon nitride or the like . dielectric layer 17 has been patterned by using well known techniques to provide openings 18 , 19 , 21 , and 22 . openings 18 and 22 define the location for an isolation region , opening 19 defines the location for a collector plug , and opening 21 defines the location for a base region . by using dielectric layer 17 as a master mask , self - alignment results between the isolation region , the collector plug , and the base region . a master mask technique is described in u . s . pat . reissue no . 30 , 282 , reissued on may 27 , 1980 to hunt et al . fig5 shows a patterned layer of photoresist 23 covering the integrated circuit . photoresist 23 is patterned to prevent covering openings 18 and 22 . using conventional techniques , the portion of oxide layer 16 existing in openings 18 and 22 has been suitably etched away to expose the top surface of epitaxial layer 14 . this permits the placement of dopants through openings 18 and 22 to provide an isolation region . fig6 illustrates these dopants as regions 24 . in addition , fig6 shows that photoresist 23 has been removed . note that the dopants 24 are not completely diffused at this point in time , and form a continuous perimeter to completely surround the resulting bipolar device . fig7 illustrates the integrated circuit having a new layer of patterned photoresist 26 . photoresist 26 has been patterned to expose opening 19 . it can also be seen , in fig7 that additional oxide has been grown and covers the portions of epitaxial layer 14 that were exposed in fig6 . at the same time additional oxide was grown in opening 21 . after the growth of the additional oxide , photoresist 26 is applied and then oxide 16 that existed through opening 19 is etched away to expose epitaxial layer 14 through opening 19 . an n type dopant is then introduced into epitaxial layer 14 through opening 19 . once this dopant is introduced into epitaxial layer 14 a diffusion step is performed to drive in that dopant along with the dopants 24 . this diffusion step will produce isolation regions 24 and collector plug 28 illustrated in fig8 . also note that buried layer 11 has diffused upward through epitaxial layer 12 . since epitaxial layer 12 has provided an additional height to substrate 10 , isolation region 24 does not have to diffuse as deeply as it had to in prior art devices . as is well recognized , not only does the dopant provided for isolation region 24 diffuse downward but it also diffuses laterally and therefore by shortening the distance that the dopants must diffuse downwardly this also reduces the amount of lateral diffusion that occurs . since the amount of lateral diffusion is reduced , the overall area provided for the bipolar device can be reduced also . it has been found that using the present invention results in approximately 50 % reduction in the amount of silicon area required . fig8 also illustrates that photoresist layer 26 has been removed and additional oxide grown in order to cover the portion of epitaxial layer 14 exposed through opening 19 . then a patterned layer of photoresist 27 is applied which has an opening to coincide with opening 21 . the portion of oxide layer 16 existing in opening 21 is etched away to expose that portion of epitaxial layer 14 existing under opening 21 . a p type dopant is then added through opening 21 to provide base area 29 ( shown in fig9 ). after base well or region 29 is formed photoresist 27 , dielectric layers 17 , and oxide layer 16 are all removed . as shown in fig9 a new layer of oxide 32 is then grown over the integrated circuit and patterned to provide metal contact areas and to provide emitter area 31 . emitter area 31 is made from n type dopants . the metal layer provided to make contact through the openings in oxide layer 32 are not illustrated since these are well known to those skilled in the art . in a typical integrated circuit , multiple metal layers are generally required . in a typical device the dopant concentrations provided in base well or region 29 are 5 × 10 18 atoms per cubic centimeter and are of p type while the dopant concentration in emitter area 31 are 1 × 10 21 atoms per cubic centimeter . in one embodiment of the present invention , epitaxial layer 12 is approximately 4 microns thick , epitaxial layer 13 is approximately 10 microns thick , and epitaxial layer 14 is approximately 5 microns thick . the dopant concentration of isolation area 24 is 2 × 10 19 atoms per cubic centimeter and the dopant concentration of collector plug 28 is 5 × 10 19 atoms per cubic centimeter . these parameters will vary depending on the desired breakdown voltage . the preferred dopant to use in buried layer 11 is antimony because it exhibits less severe auto doping than does arsenic or phosphorus . epitaxial layers 13 and 14 are doped with arsenic . epitaxial layer 12 is doped with boron . several advantages are achieved by having higher dopants in epitaxial layer 14 than exist in epitaxial layer 13 . first the surface effects are reduced . as an example , the mos field effect transistor action between base region 29 and isolation area 24 is decreased since the higher doped surface layer causes the threshold voltage of this parasitic mos field effect transistor to be higher . the highly doped surface epitaxial layer 14 also helps to neutralize the charge in oxide layer 32 . thirdly the highly doped epitaxial layer 14 permits a shrinking of the spacing rules because base region 29 does not spread as far in the lateral direction through the highly doped epitaxial layer 14 . a fourth benefit achieved by the dual epitaxial layers 13 and 14 is that the breakdown voltage of the bipolar transistor increases because of the lower dopants in epitaxial layer 13 . by now it should be appreciated that there has been provided a new and improved bipolar integrated circuit which requires less silicon area . the number of critical process steps in making the integrated circuit is reduced by the use of a master mask . | 8 |
referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first , particularly , to fig1 thereof , there is seen an end section of a rail vehicle 10 , which has a body 12 with side walls 14 , constructed as a frame 16 , and wheel sets 18 with wheels 19 disposed in a known manner on the body 12 . the frame 16 includes an configuration of sloping supporting beams 20 and longitudinal beams 22 which run parallel to the body 12 and are respectively connected to the supporting beams 20 . the frame is in turn respectively provided , as can be seen in particular in fig2 on the inner side and on the outer side with panelling 24 , 26 which rests closely against the frame 16 or is held by the latter . the manner in which the supporting beams 20 are connected to the body 12 or to the roof part 13 of the rail vehicle 10 is not illustrated in detail . fig2 is a vertical view of a supporting beam 20 in the region of a connection to a longitudinal beam 22 which clearly illustrates a cross - section of the longitudinal beam 22 according to the invention . the longitudinal beam 22 includes two parts , a load - absorbing bearing part 21 and a holding part 23 which secures the position of the bearing part in relation to the respective supporting beam 20 . the bearing part 21 is provided with a recess 28 , illustrated in fig3 at points of assembly with the respective supporting beam 20 . the recess 28 is a cutout in the longitudinal side of the longitudinal beam 22 facing the inside of the vehicle . the longitudinal beam is attached from the outside to the respective supporting beams 20 . the supporting beam 20 is hollow like the bearing part 21 of the longitudinal beam . however , it has a rectangular cross - section , preferably with rounded longitudinal edges , whereas the bearing part 21 of the longitudinal beam 22 has a trapezoidal cross - section with a projecting web 30 or bridge formed on the surface facing outside the vehicle . the web 30 serves both to align and to attach outer panelling 26 which is placed against the surface of the bearing part 21 facing outside the vehicle and is formed from wall elements 32 and glass windows 34 which are prefabricated . it can furthermore be expedient to allow the window panes 34 to terminate flush with the outer panelling 26 by placing the window panes 34 on the supporting beams 20 and the longitudinal beams 22 from the outside and attaching them thereto by elastic holding devices , for example , through the use of silicone rubber . the wall elements 32 are preferably plates produced in sandwich construction with a core formed from an insulating layer and a fully painted covering layer disposed at least on the surface facing outside the vehicle , e . g . a thin layer of light metal or of wood or plastic . if appropriate , both sides of the wall elements 32 can be provided with the prefabricated covering layer . retaining plates 36 are provided on the supporting beams 20 , which are obliquely disposed relative to the horizontal , in regions of a connection with a longitudinal beam 22 . the retaining plates 36 serve as a rest or support and to connect the bearing part 21 of the longitudinal beam 22 . the longitudinal beams 22 are releasably connected to the retaining plates 36 via screw or bolt members 51 . the retaining plates 36 are mounted on respective supporting beams 20 so as to be vertically adjustable for aligning the longitudinal beam 22 without difficulty in relation to the body 12 . holding screws 38 connect the bearing part 21 of the longitudinal beam 22 to the respective retaining plate 36 . similarly , screws 39 connect the holding part 23 to the bearing part 21 . the retaining plates 36 are respectively provided with elongated bores 40 for the holding screws 38 . the holding part 23 , which is connected to the bearing part 21 with the aforementioned screws 39 , has an approximately u - shaped cross - section . one leg 42 of the u - shaped cross - section , namely the leg to be connected to the bearing part 21 and which is disposed towards the outer surface of the vehicle , has approximately twice the length of the other leg 44 . in this case , the u - shaped cross - section of the holding part 23 forms an undercut or groove 46 for fastening the inner panelling 24 , as will be described below . as illustrated in fig2 the cross - section of the longer leg 42 has a constriction 48 with a depth corresponding at least to the thickness of the screw head of the screw 39 , which attaches the holding part 23 to the bearing part 21 . as a result , a flat contact of the inner panelling 24 is guaranteed , which is disposed with its upper longitudinal edge in the gap of the u - shaped holding part 23 and is , thus , form - lockingly held . a form - locking connection is one which is provided by the shapes of the elements themselves , as distinguished from a force - locking or frictional connection in which the elements are connected by a force external to the elements . in order to prevent potential play within the groove 46 and to prevent the development of noise by such play , lips 50 are provided in the groove 46 and on the longer leg 42 . contact strips 52 of elastic material , for example , rubber , against which the inner panelling 24 rests also serve to prevent play and noise . the non - illustrated lower region of the inner panelling 24 is provided with an adhesive connection , for example , using velcro ®, or a positive - locking clamping connection or adhesive bonding . although a screw connection of the inner panelling would also be possible , the intention of the present invention is indeed to guarantee a sturdy attachment of the inner panelling 24 without the attachment device being visible . for this purpose , the countersink configuration of the holding screws 39 for the attachment of the holding part 23 to the bearing part 21 is provided , which is achieved with the inner panelling 24 covering the screw heads . the longitudinal beam 22 composed of the bearing part 21 and the holding part 23 is illustrated in fig3 with a plan view in the region of a connection to a supporting beam 20 , which engages in the recess 28 , provided for this purpose , in the longitudinal beam 22 , or more specifically the bearing part 21 . | 1 |
the present invention provides a system and method , in at least some embodiments , for a reverse database proxy which optionally also features integrated security . referring now to the drawings , fig1 a - 1c show exemplary , illustrative non - limiting systems for a reverse proxy that is separate from the database , according to some embodiments of the present invention . as shown in fig1 a , a system 100 features a plurality of accessing applications 102 for providing a software application interface to access one or more of a plurality of databases 104 . two accessing applications 102 , a and b , are shown ; as are two databases 104 , a and b , for the purpose of illustration only and without any intention of being limiting . accessing application 102 may optionally be any type of software , or many optionally form a part of any type of software , for example and without limitation , a user interface , a back - up system , web applications , data accessing solutions and data warehouse solutions . accessing application 102 is a software application ( or applications ) that is operated by some type of computational hardware , shown as a computer 106 . however , optionally computer 106 is in fact a plurality of separate computational devices or computers , any type of distributed computing platform and the like ; nonetheless , a single computer is shown for the sake of clarity only and without any intention of being limiting . similarly , database 104 is a database software application ( or applications ) that is operated by some type of computational hardware , shown as a computer 128 . again , optionally computer 128 is in fact a plurality of separate computational devices or computers , any type of distributed computing platform and the like ; nonetheless , a single computer is shown for the sake of clarity only and without any intention of being limiting . in a typical prior art system , accessing application 102 would communicate directly with database 104 , and would therefore need to be able communicate in the query language and according to the query protocol for database 104 . however , in this illustrative embodiment of the present invention , accessing application 102 communicates with database 104 through a translating apparatus 108 , shown as part of a reverse proxy 107 . as described in greater detail below , translating apparatus 108 preferably receives database queries from accessing application 102 , which would otherwise have been sent directly to database 104 . translating apparatus 108 therefore preferably acts as a forwarding solution for database 104 . translating apparatus 108 is shown as being operated by a computer 112 , but in fact could optionally be implemented as software ( by computer 112 for example ), hardware , firmware or a combination thereof . again , if present , optionally computer 112 is in fact a plurality of separate computational devices or computers , any type of distributed computing platform and the like ; nonetheless , a single computer is shown for the sake of clarity only and without any intention of being limiting . in order to provide security for databases 104 , reverse proxy 107 also features a security apparatus 109 . security apparatus 109 , as shown in greater detail below , preferably screens all received queries and data from portions of system 100 that are external to databases 104 , including for example accessing applications 102 a and b . although security apparatus 109 and translating apparatus 108 are shown as separate components , in fact preferably both security apparatus 109 and translating apparatus 108 interact through a plurality of different modules and interactions for providing both security and translation functionalities for system 100 , as shown in greater detail below . reverse proxy 107 also optionally comprises a caching module 170 , for at least temporarily storing requests and responses for example , or any other data or information which could improve the performance of system 100 . caching 170 may optionally be used alone or in combination with a database acceleration module 172 for further improving the performance of system 100 . also optionally one or more databases 104 may be encrypted , such that queries to and responses from such an encrypted database 104 are also encrypted , through a database encryption module 174 . data itself may also optionally be masked through a data masking module 176 as described in greater detail below . fig1 b shows translating apparatus 108 in greater detail , preferably comprises a plurality of front ends 120 , of which two are shown ( a and b ) for the purpose of description only and without wishing to be limiting in any way , for receiving queries from the respective accessing application 102 a or b . each front end 120 , a or b , is preferably accessed through a particular port or address , which may optionally be an ip address for example , such that accessing application 102 ( a or b ) sends database queries to the particular port or address through which the particular front end 120 , a or b , is accessible . for the embodiment shown , front end 120 preferably does not need to analyze the received query in order to determine the database software and / or protocol and / or language that is suitable for the query . each front end 120 preferably comprises a front end parser 122 , shown as a or b , for parsing queries received from accessing application 102 into a general format and for returning the results of a query in the proper language , protocol , format etc to accessing application 102 . optionally front end parser 122 operates only to prepare the results of the query and does not operate on the query itself . it should be noted that optionally and preferably , accessing application 102 does not need to be adjusted in any way , apart from transmitting queries to a particular port or address ; instead , accessing application 102 is preferably implemented as for any other prior art system . thus , accessing application 102 could optionally be a legacy application , for example , which does not necessarily need to be adjusted for interoperation with system 100 . the query is preferably passed to security apparatus 109 , which checks the query for conformation to one or more policies ( for example optionally stored in a policy module 142 , as described in greater detail below ), before passing the query to a translator 140 . according to the information provided with the query , translator 140 determines to which database 104 ( in this example , a or b ), the query is to be directed and then translates the query to the specific language of the particular database 104 a or b , according to the specific software implementation of database 104 a or b ( for example , a particular implementation of sql ). the translated query is then sent to an appropriate back end parser 126 , which is operated by an appropriate back end 124 , as determined according to information received by translator 140 with the query . back end parser 126 prepares the translated query according to any requirements of the receiving database 104 . back - end 124 then preferably sends the translated query to database 104 . for example , back end parser 126 a receives translated queries intended for database 104 a , prepares the queries accordingly , and transfers the queries to back end 124 a , which then sends the prepared queries to database 104 a . database 104 then preferably sends the results of the query to the appropriate back - end 124 , at which point the process is preferably repeated in reverse , as described in greater detail below . also as described in greater below , in some cases , translator 140 is unable to translate all or part of the query , in which case the query ( in whole or in part ) is passed to the appropriate back end parser 126 without translation . back end parser 126 may still need to prepare at least some aspects of the query for transfer to the appropriate database 104 . optionally , the translated query and / or any portions thereof ( for example during the translation process ) is stored , at least temporarily , in an associated storage 114 , which could optionally be implemented as some type of memory ( and / or optionally as a portion of memory of computer 112 , for example if shared with one or more other applications , in which an area is dedicated to storage of such queries ). also , in cases where at least a portion of the query cannot be translated ( for example , as described in greater detail below with regard to raw data or binary data ), optionally a message indicating the nature of the non - translated portion and how to read or otherwise access it is stored in associated storage 114 ; preferably , however , such a message is stored in database 104 itself . other types of data and information , including but not limited to any type of policy , stored parameters etc may optionally be stored in associated storage 114 but are preferably stored in database 104 . also optionally and preferably , the determination of the appropriate database 104 ( and hence the appropriate back end parser 126 and back end 124 ) is determined according to a policy stored in policy module 142 . for example , translator 140 may optionally be able to look up the appropriate identity of the back end 124 through policy module 142 . such flexibility also enables the exact type and / or port or address of databases 104 to be determined according to information stored in policy module 142 . also , optionally back end 124 is able to locate the appropriate port or address through policy module 142 , for transmitting the translated query . optionally , according to at least some embodiments of the present invention , reverse proxy 107 may select a database 104 from a plurality of databases 104 that are in communication with a specific back end 124 . for example as shown , reverse proxy 107 may optionally select database a - 1 104 or database a - 2 104 , both of which are in communication with back end a 124 . for example , database a - 1 104 and database a - 2 104 may optionally represent mirror or “ back - up ” databases , containing the same or substantially the same information . back end a 124 may optionally select a particular database a 124 according to one or more parameters , including but not limited to location of the specific accessing application 102 , query type ( for example optionally view information and update information may be implemented through different databases ) and so forth . optionally , database a - 1 104 and database a - 2 104 may have the same or different ip addresses ; if they share an ip address , then each database a 104 would communicate with back end a 124 through a different port . reverse proxy 107 , accessing application 102 and database 104 preferably communicate through some type of computer network , although optionally different networks may communicate between accessing application 102 and reverse proxy 107 ( as shown , a computer network 116 ), and between reverse proxy 107 and database 104 ( as shown , a computer network 118 ). for example , computer network 116 may optionally be the internet , while computer network 118 may optionally comprise a local area network , although of course both networks 116 and 118 could be identical and / or could be implemented according to any type of computer network . in this embodiment of the system 100 according to the present invention , reverse proxy 107 preferably is addressable through both computer networks 116 and 118 ; for example , reverse proxy 107 could optionally feature an ip address for being addressable through either computer network 116 and / or 118 . database 104 may optionally be implemented according to any type of database system or protocol ; however , according to preferred embodiments of the present invention , database 104 is implemented as a relational database with a relational database management system . non - limiting examples of different types of databases include sql based databases , including but not limited to mysql , microsoft sql , oracle sql , postgresql , and so forth . optionally and preferably , system 100 may comprise a plurality of different databases 104 operating according to different database protocols and / or query languages and / or even having different structures . however , system 100 is also useful for a single database 104 ( or multiple databases 104 of a single type , having a common database protocol , structure and / or query language ), in that system 100 permits complete flexibility with regard to accessing application 102 and database 104 ; these two components do not need to be able to communicate with each other directly . as previously described , this lack of a requirement for direct communication may optionally be useful , for example , for legacy systems , or indeed for any system in which it is desirable to remove this requirement . furthermore , this lack of a requirement may optionally be useful for organizations which have knowledge and skills with regard to particular types of database protocols , languages and / or software , but which may lack knowledge with regard to one or more other types . these embodiments with regard to different database types and non - limiting examples of advantages may also optionally be applied to any of the embodiments of the system according to the present invention as described herein . fig1 c shows a similar system to fig1 b , except that a single front end 120 and front end parser 122 , and a single back end 124 and back end parser 126 , are provided . as shown , all accessing applications 102 transmit queries to security apparatus 109 of reverse proxy 107 , followed by translation by translating apparatus 108 , and receive results from translating apparatus 108 through security apparatus 109 and hence through single front end 120 and front end parser 122 . furthermore , all databases 104 communicate with translating apparatus 108 through a single back end 124 and back end parser 126 . each of front end 120 and back end 124 preferably analyzes communications received from accessing application 102 or database 104 , respectively , to determine the proper format for translation . again policy module 142 is used to determine the format to which the query / results should be translated , according to the recipient database 104 / accessing application 102 , respectively . fig1 d shows security apparatus 109 according to at least some embodiments of the present invention in more detail . as shown , security apparatus 109 features a database firewall 150 , which preferably handles all communications into security apparatus 109 ( and hence into reverse proxy 107 ) from an external source represented by a double - headed arrow 152 , such as the accessing application 102 of fig1 a - 1c ( not shown ), and also all communications from security apparatus 109 ( and hence from reverse proxy 107 ) to the external source represented by arrow 152 . firewall 150 may optionally block one or more communications in either direction , for example according to one or more policies stored in policy module 142 ( not shown , see fig1 a - c ) and / or according to instructions from a database ids ( intrusion detection system ) 154 and / or a database ips ( intrusion prevention system ) 156 . database ids 154 detects potential security breaches in terms of incoming queries , instructions or even data from an external source represented by arrow 152 . database ids 154 preferably operates according to one or more policies stored in policy module 142 ( not shown ) with regard to whether one or more incoming queries , instructions or data is permitted to pass or should be rejected . non - limiting examples of such policies include those which provide rules according to one or more specific query parameters and / or categories of such parameters , rules addressing specific users and / or categories of users ( for example , according to permissions accorded to such users ), ip address of the external source , type of application at the external source , specific database being queried and so forth . optionally , a policy may feature automatic grouping — by users , source ip addresses and so forth — to allow a human administrator to review the policy and to adjust the policy manually . database ids 154 optionally has a learning mode process , in which one or more initial rules are provided through one or more policies . next , database ids 154 applies the rules and determines whether one or more additional rules are required . for example , database ids 154 may optionally request clarification from a human administrator as to whether a certain action is permitted and according to such clarification , determine one or more additional rules . the human administrator may also optionally manually add such one or more additional rules , whether separately from any particular event or in action to an event ( including retroactively ). if the incoming one or more incoming queries , instructions or data passes database ids 154 , then optionally database ips 156 determines whether to permit access to one or more databases ( not shown ). database ips 156 optionally provides a more binary response to such incoming queries , instructions or data , as they are either permitted or rejected . database ids 154 may optionally instruct database ips 156 as to whether they should be rejected ; however , preferably database ips 156 determines acceptance separately according to one or more “ fail safe ” rules , which must be followed for the incoming queries , instructions or data to be accepted . such fail safe rules may optionally be determined according to known , analyzed types of attacks , known malware and so forth ; therefore , they may optionally be updated as new information is received . during the initial learning phase for database ids 154 , optionally only database ips 156 is operative to provide at least a basic level of security . after the response is received from the database ( represented by an arrow 162 ; optionally the response is translated first ( not shown )) by security apparatus 109 ( and hence by reverse proxy 107 ), then a sanitation module 160 reviews the proposed response to determine whether it may be sent outside of reverse proxy 107 . for example , a query may contain information that is not desirable for transmission beyond reverse proxy 107 , for example to the external source represented by arrow 152 . such information may include for example internal information — database system time and version , database name , database subversion , error messages and so forth . such internal information does not need to be sent with the response to the query , and in fact may be dangerous from a security perspective ( as it may for example enable an attacker to learn about one or more vulnerabilities ), so such sensitive information is preferably removed from the response , for example by changing one or more fields to null . this removal prevents sending sensitive information such as credit card number , id number , telephone number etc , as well as internal system information which needs to be removed . sanitation module 160 operates according to one or more policies in policy module 142 ( not shown ), preferably including determinations of whether specific information or types of information may be sent according to the ip address of the external source and / or the user of the external source ( for example with regard to an ip address and / or user within the organization as opposed to one operating remotely and / or through a web or http based application ). optionally , error messages from the database are only released to certain users and / or are only released within the organization . again , database firewall 150 may determine whether the response is released from reverse proxy 107 , for example according to one or more specific policies . optionally , an audit module 164 logs all incoming queries and outgoing responses , along with any reactions from any of the above components . fig2 a - c show alternative , illustrative exemplary systems according to at least some embodiments of the present invention , in which the reverse proxy is incorporated within the database , such that the reverse proxy is operated by the same hardware as the database ; the hardware may optionally be a single hardware entity or a plurality of such entities . for this exemplary system , the database is shown as a relational database with a relational database management system for the purpose of illustration only and without any intention of being limiting . components with the same or similar function are shown with the same reference number plus 100 as for fig1 a - c . the operation of security apparatus 209 is similar for fig2 a - c , except that for those embodiments , reverse proxy 207 ( and hence security apparatus 209 ) is operated by the same hardware that operates the database , as described in greater detail below . as shown with regard to fig2 a , system 200 again features a plurality of accessing applications 202 , of which two are shown , accessing applications 202 a and b , but in this case these accessing applications 202 are addressing a single database 204 . database 204 is preferably implemented as a relational database , with a data storage 230 having a relational structure and a relational database management system 232 . accessing application 202 addresses database 204 according to a particular port ; however , as database 204 is operated by a server 240 as shown , accessing application 202 sends the query to the network address of server 240 . unlike for the system of fig1 a , reverse proxy 207 , security apparatus 209 and a translating interface 234 are all preferably running over the same hardware as database 204 , optionally by single server 240 as shown or alternatively through distributed computing , rather than being implemented as a separate apparatus . as shown in fig2 b and 2c , front end 120 a or b again receives queries from accessing applications 202 a or b , respectively , each of which is preferably addressable as previously described through a particular port or address . translator 140 again translates the queries and the respective results , as previously described . the operation is preferably substantially similar to that of the translating apparatus of fig1 b . reverse proxy 207 and accessing application 202 preferably communicate through a computer network 218 , which may optionally be implemented according to any type of computer network as described above . also as noted above , accessing application 202 sends the query for database 204 to the network address of server 240 . the query is sent to a particular port ; this port may optionally be the regular or “ normal ” port for database 204 , in which case translating interface 234 communicates with database 204 through a different port . otherwise , accessing application 202 may optionally send the query to a different port for reverse proxy 207 , so that reverse proxy 207 communicates with database 204 through a different port . preferably , reverse proxy 207 receives queries through a particular port for each database type . by “ database type ” it is meant a particular combination of database structure , protocol and query language ; databases of the same database type can communicate freely without translation . for example , one database type could optionally be a relational database operated by mysql , while another database type could optionally be a relational database operated by ms ( microsoft ) sql . queries for each such type are preferably received through a different port , which accessing application 202 is more preferably configured to access . optionally there could be a generic port for any non pre - configured database types . fig2 c shows a similar system as to fig2 b , except that there is a single front end 120 and a single front end parser 122 , which analyzes the received queries to determine how they should be translated by translator 140 , and which also prepares the results for transmission back to the requesting accessing application 202 . fig3 is a flowchart of an exemplary , illustrative method for operation of a reverse proxy according to at least some embodiments of the present invention , with interactions between the accessing application , reverse proxy , and the database . arrows show the direction of interactions . as shown , in stage 1 , a query is transmitted from some type of query generating application , shown as the accessing application as a non - limiting example only , and is sent to the reverse proxy , preferably to a particular front end being addressed through a particular port or address , according to the specific query generating application . as described above , the query generating application may optionally be any type of application , such as for example the accessing application of fig1 or 2 . in stage 2 , the front end preferably passes the query to the translation mechanism for translation , preferably with information regarding the query and the identity of the query generating application . in stage 3 , the translated query is reviewed by the security apparatus , to determine whether it is to be accepted or rejected . optionally , the translation and security review process occurs in two parts as shown , with a first translation / review occurring at stages 2 and 3 ; if the initial translation shows that the query is acceptable , then the security apparatus informs the translation mechanism that a full translation may occur in stage 4 , after which the full translation is passed from the translation mechanism to the security apparatus in stage 5 . in stage 6 , the translated query is provided to the back end and back end parser , for preparation for transmission to the specific database to which query is to be addressed . in stage 7 , the translated query is sent to the back end database that is being used to store the data . in stage 8 , the retrieved data is returned to the security apparatus . in stage 9 , the security apparatus reviews the retrieved data and optionally removes part or all of the data , such as sensitive information , as previously described . in stage 10 , any permitted data is passed to the translating apparatus or interface , if necessary , translates the received data . in stage 11 , the front end parser converts the retrieved , translated data to a format which is useable by the accessing application . in stage 12 , the retrieved data is returned to the query generating application by the front end . the below relates to a non - limiting example of translation of a query from mysql to postgresql , and then the response is translated back from postgresql to mysql . an sql command is received from an application which sends this query command to a mysql database : create table table2 ( table2_id bigint primary key auto_increment , descr char ( 50 ), table1_id bigint not null references table1 ( table1_id ) on update cascade on delete cascade ); the query is parsed and analyzed by the translation mechanism , according to the policy , and this command is sent to the back end postgresql database : create table table2 ( table2_id serial primary key , descr char ( 50 ), table1_id bigint not null references table1 ( table1_id ) on update cascade on delete cascade ); notice : create table will create implicit sequence “ table2_table2_id_seq ” for serial column “ table2 . table2_id ” notice : create table / primary key will create implicit index “ table2_pkey ” for table “ table2 ” create table the translation apparatus replies with these commands in a mysql format : query ok , 0 rows affected ( 0 . 03 sec ) the below is a non - limiting , illustrative example of advanced translation between postgresql to mysql . an sql command is received from an application which sends this query command to a postgresql database : declare curs1 scroll cursor with hold for select table2 . table2_id as id , table1 . table1_id as typeid , table1 . name as typename , table2 . descr as description from table1 , table2 where table1 . table1_id = table2 . table lid ; fetch forward 5 from curs1 ; the query is parsed and analyzed by the translation mechanism , according to the policy , and this command is sent to the back end in mysql : delimiter $$ create procedure curdemo ( ) begin declare done boolean default 0 ; declare i int default 0 ; declare id varchar ( 255 ); declare typeid varchar ( 255 ); declare typename varchar ( 255 ); declare descr varchar ( 255 ); declare curs1 cursor for select table2 . table2_id as id , table1 . table lid as typeid , table1 . name as typename , table2 . descr as description from table1 , table2 where table1 . table1_id = table2 . table1_id ; declare continue handler for sqlstate ‘ 02000 ’ set done = 1 ; open curs1 ; repeat fetch curs1 into id , typeid , typename , descr ; select id , typeid , typename , descr ; set i = i + 1 ; until done or i = 5 end repeat ; close curs1 ; end $$ delimiter ; call curdemo ; drop procedure curdemo ( ); in this example , the “ fetch backward ” command doesn &# 39 ; t exist in mysql , so the translation apparatus places the data into temp variables or temp table and then echoes it to screen . the translation apparatus then replies with these commands in a postgresql format , as shown by the below table : fig4 is a flowchart of an exemplary , illustrative method for translations of database queries / results according to at least some embodiments of the present invention , after review for security aspects by the reverse proxy . it is assumed that before the initiation of the method as shown , the reverse proxy has either analyzed the query and has determined that it can be passed to the translator , or alternatively , that the translator is required to translate the query before the reverse proxy can analyze it with regard to security aspects . as shown , in stage 1 , the translator ( whether an apparatus or interface ) receives a database query , preferably with information regarding the query , optionally and more preferably including one or more of the identity of the querying application , the type of the requesting application , the database protocol and / or language and / or software , and also the identity of the front end which is to receive the translated database results . in stage 2 , stateful information regarding the query is preferably retained , in order to enable the results to be provided to the correct querying application , for example as described above with regard to the information received with the query . in stage 3 , the query is preferably analyzed , to determine whether one or more parts of the query may or may not be translated . also preferably the analysis determines whether the query is read only , or includes writing and / or updating . in stage 4 , optionally one or more parts of the query are manipulated , if they cannot be translated directly , preferably as determined according to the above analysis stage . as a non - limiting example , if the query features binary data that cannot be translated , then this stage prepares the binary data so that it can be sent directly to the database , preferably with a message indicating the nature of the binary data and how to read it ( for example , the type of application that is able to read the binary data ). as another non - limiting example , if the query is “ chained ” or features a plurality of linked queries , the query is preferably decomposed to these smaller queries . in stage 5 , one or more parts of the query are translated . in stage 6 , the query is analyzed for one or more security aspects by the reverse proxy , if it was not able to do so ( partially or fully ) before translation . also the translated query is packaged for being sent to the database , for example by preparing the query according to the required format for the database and / or by providing any necessary auxiliary information . in stage 7 , the packaged query is sent to the database . in stage 8 , the results are received as an answer from the database . the answer is then translated in stage 9 , optionally with one or more parts of the results not being translated for the reasons described herein . in stage 10 , the translated results are optionally again analyzed according to one or more security aspects by the reverse proxy ; alternatively , such analysis may optionally be performed after stage 8 but before stage 9 . in stage 11 , the packaged results are sent to the querying application . the above described translating apparatus ( or interface ) is preferably able to operate with multiple different types of databases . non - limiting examples of different types of databases include 3d databases , flat file databases , hierarchical databases , object databases or relational databases , including the various types described above . the translating apparatus ( or interface ) is preferably also adjusted for different types of database languages for any given type of database as described herein . fig5 relates two different exemplary embodiments of a combined smart caching and translation process according to the present invention . the smart caching process and system may optionally be implemented as described with regard to the concurrently filed u . s . provisional application entitled “ smart database caching ”, owned in common with the present application and having at least one inventor in common , which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein . fig5 a shows an exemplary , illustrative process for translation before smart caching , while fig5 b shows an exemplary , illustrative process for translation after smart caching . turning now to fig5 a , as shown , in stage 1 , a query is received , indicating both the original query language and format , and also the query language / format for the intended receiving database . in stage 2 , the query is reviewed for security aspects as previously described . in stage 3 , the query is translated into the query language / format for the intended receiving database as described herein according to any of the embodiments of the present invention . in stage 4 , the translated query is compared to stored query / response pairs by the smart caching apparatus ( or interface ). in stage 5 , if the translated query is found to have a stored response , then that response is returned back to the querying application ( optionally with translation if necessary , although of course the response could be stored in the desired form for the querying application ). optionally in some situations , only stored information may be retrieved , for example to provide greater security . otherwise in stage 6 , the process described in the concurrently filed u . s . provisional application is performed for determining whether to store the query / response pair . optionally any such process may be performed , but preferably a process is performed which enables the query / response pair to be stored according to one or more rules , including but not limited to popularity , security , type of information provided , type of database and so forth . also optionally , a security review is performed before storage ( for example to avoid storing sensitive information as previously described ). fig5 b shows an exemplary , illustrative process for translation after smart caching . as shown , in stage 1 , as for fig5 a , a query is received , indicating both the original query language and format , and also the query language / format for the intended receiving database . in stage 2 , the non - translated query ( ie the query as received ) is compared to stored query / response pairs by the smart caching apparatus ( or interface ). in stage 3 , if the query is found to have a stored response , then that response is returned back to the querying application ( optionally with translation if necessary ). otherwise in stage 4 , the process described in the concurrently filed u . s . provisional application is performed for determining whether to store the query / response pair . optionally any such process may be performed , but preferably a process is performed which enables the query / response pair to be stored according to one or more rules , including but not limited to popularity , security , type of information provided , type of database and so forth . in stage 5 , at least the response is translated , for example to the language of the querying application , before being returned to the querying application . however , preferably the query and the response are not translated before being stored . fig6 relates to an exemplary , illustrative embodiment of the present invention for providing a secure channel for communication between the accessing application ( s ), the reverse proxy and the database ( s ). for both embodiments , it is assumed that the secure channel is implemented through ssl , by using a certificate , for the purposes of illustration only and without any intention of being limiting in any way . fig6 shows interactions between the accessing application , a certificate mechanism , the reverse proxy , and the database . arrows show the direction of interactions . as shown , in stage 1 , a query is transmitted from some type of query generating application , shown as the accessing application as a non - limiting example only , and is sent to the reverse proxy , preferably to a particular front end being addressed through a particular port or address , according to the specific query generating application . as described above , the query generating application may optionally be any type of application , such as for example the accessing application of fig1 or 2 . although the translator is not explicitly shown it may optionally be incorporated to the process as previously described . in stage 2 , the front end preferably passes the query to a certificate mechanism for processing the query according to the requirements of the secure channel , so that the information of the query is available for further analysis . in stage 3 , the query is reviewed by the security apparatus , to determine whether it is to be accepted or rejected . in stage 4 , if acceptable , the query is again preferably processed by the certificate mechanism to maintain security . in stage 5 , the secured query is provided to the back end for transmission to the specific database to which query is to be addressed . in stage 6 , the secured query is sent to the back end database that is being used to store the data . in stage 7 , the retrieved data is returned to the back end and hence , in stage 8 to the certificate mechanism for accessing the response data . in stage 9 , the security apparatus reviews the retrieved data and optionally removes part or all of the data , such as sensitive information , as previously described . in stage 10 , any permitted data is passed to the certificate mechanism . in stage 11 , the front end parser converts the secured data to a format which is useable by the accessing application . in stage 12 , the secured data is returned to the query generating application by the front end . the above method may optionally be performed such that a different certificate is used for communications between the requesting application and the reverse proxy , and the reverse proxy and the database . alternatively , the same certificate may optionally be used for all communications . while the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments , it will be appreciated that many variations , modifications and other applications of the invention may be made . | 6 |
referring to fig1 and 2 , a flexible member , in the form of a pipe 10 , is shown , and it is understood that it is disposed in an environment in which it is subjected to the bending moments discussed above . a cylindrical bend stiffener 12 surrounds a portion of the pipe 10 that needs to be stiffened , such as a joint between two adjacent sections of the pipe , an area near a termination point of the pipe , or the like . the inner surface of the bend stiffener 12 is in contact with the corresponding outer surface of the pipe 10 , and it is understood that the outer surface of the remaining portion ( not shown ) of the bend stiffener 12 can be tapered slightly in a direction towards the pipe . preferably , the bend stiffener 12 is fabricated from an elastomer material , such as polyurethane or polychloroprene . a mounting ring 16 extends around the pipe 10 and is bolted to the upper end of the bend stiffener , as viewed in fig1 . the lower end of a cylindrical adapter 20 is welded to the upper surface of the ring 16 by an annular weldment 22 . the inner diameter of the adapter 20 extends in a spaced relation to the corresponding outer surface of the pipe 10 to form an annulus which receives a cylindrical insert 24 . the inner surface of the insert 24 is in contact with the corresponding outer surface of the pipe 10 , and the outer surface of the insert is in contact with the corresponding inner surface of the adapter 20 . the inner surface of the lower end portion of the insert 24 is welded to the lower end of the adapter 20 and to the upper surface of the ring 16 by an annular weldment 26 . the insert 24 is split , e . g ., it is formed by two sections 24 a and 24 b ( fig2 ), each having a semi - circular cross section , to facilitate the assembly of the insert in the above annulus between the pipe 10 and the adapter 20 . preferably the insert 24 is fabricated from polyurethane . the outer surface of the insert 24 is stepped ( fig1 ), and an annular tapered flange 30 is welded to the shoulder formed at the step . in the event an outer tube structure ( not shown ) is placed around the pipe 10 , or a portion of the pipe , above the bend stiffener 12 , the flange 30 permits an enlarged mouth of the tube structure to be secured to the adapter 20 and the bend stiffener 12 by a tube bellmouth system ( not shown ). an annular flange 24 a extends radially outwardly from the upper end of the insert 24 , and four padkeys 32 a - 32 d ( fig2 ), spaced at ninety degree intervals , are bolted to the flange to receive a tow line , or the like ( not shown ). the assembly formed by the bend stiffener 12 , the adapter 20 , and the insert 24 stiffens the portion of the pipe 10 extending within the assembly while the insert eliminates any engagement , and resultant wear , between the adapter and the pipe . it is understood that variations may be made in the above , without departing from the scope of the invention . for example , spatial references , such as “ upper ”, “ lower ”, “ vertical ”, “ angular ”, “ radial ” etc . are for the purpose of illustration only and do not limit the specific orientation or location of the structure described above . also , the weldments 22 and 26 can be replaced by any other type of connectors such as bolts , etc . the foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description . they are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed , and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching . the embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application , to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . it is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents . | 5 |
the embodiments of the present invention will be explained in detail hereunder with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 shows the configuration of a millimeter wave radar system for car to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied . a millimeter wave radar system 407 has a power supply & amp ; car if ( interface ) circuit 416 , a digital circuit 418 , an analog circuit 419 , and an rf ( radio frequency ) circuit 421 . thus the radar system 407 is given a supply voltage vin from a car - side host system 415 , and executes two - way communication with the car - side host system 415 . the rf circuit 421 includes a high frequency ic ( mmic ) with a built - in fet . a modulation / demodulation timing signal generator 402 outputs a modulation timing signal . a modulator 403 modulates a frequency for transmitting on the basis of the modulation timing signal , and a millimeter wave oscillator 401 transmits a transmitting signal ( millimeter waves ) at the frequency modulated by the modulator 403 from a transmitting antenna 404 . the transmitting signal is reflected from a precedent car 405 , changed to a receiving signal ( echo ), and inputted to a receiving antenna 406 . at this time , when there is a range rate v between the precedent car 405 and the millimeter wave radar system 407 ( own car ), a doppler frequency is generated . the frequency of the receiving signal is equal to a doppler - shifted transmitting frequency . when the receiving signal passes through a mixer 408 , the doppler frequency ( an intermediate frequency signal ( hereinafter , referred to as an if signal )) is output from the mixer 408 . the if signal is amplified by an amplifier 409 and then demodulated by a demodulation circuit 410 on the basis of the signal outputted from the modulation / demodulation timing signal generator 402 . the demodulated signal is converted to a digital signal by an adc ( analog to digital converter ) 411 and input to a dsp ( digital signal processor ) 412 . the dsp 412 performs fft ( fast fourier transform ) analysis for the input digital signal and obtains the range , range rate , and azimuth with the precedent car . and , the obtained information on range rate and range is output to the car - side host system 415 by a system control microcomputer 413 via a car interface circuit 414 . the circuits explained above are operated by electric power from a power source circuit ( hereafter it is referred a power supply ) 417 installed in the power source & amp ; car interface circuit 416 . the supply voltage vin is inputted to the power supply 417 from the car - side host system 415 . the power supply 417 outputs the electrical power necessary for each circuit to operate on the basis of vin . the outputted power is supplied to the digital circuit 418 and the analog circuit 419 . on the basis of the power from the power supply 417 , an analog power supply 420 for rf outputs the power necessary for the analog circuit 419 and the rf circuit 421 to operate . a power source control & amp ; monitoring circuit 422 controls the operation timing of each power supplies ( source circuit ) and monitors the voltages . next , the block constitution of the power supply 417 , the analog power supply 420 for rf , and the power source control & amp ; monitoring circuit 422 will be explained in detail by referring to fig2 . further , in fig2 , the solid lines indicate power lines and the dashed lines indicate control signals . the power supply 417 has a 5v power source circuit ( 5v power supply ) 501 , a 3 . 3v power source circuit ( 3 . 3v power supply ) 502 , and a first discharge circuit 503 . the 5v power supply 501 is controlled in the on - off operation by a control signal from a 5v power source control circuit 504 of the power control & amp ; monitoring circuit 422 . the 5v power supply 501 is constituted by a dc - dc converter circuit , and upon receipt of an on signal , the 5v power supply 501 generates output voltage 5v with the dc - dc converter circuit on the basis of the supply voltage vin . the 3 . 3v power supply 502 is constituted by a dc - dc converter circuit , and when the supply voltage vin is inputted , the 3 . 3v power supply 502 generates output voltage 3 . 3v with the dc - dc converter circuit on the basis of the supply voltage vin . the first discharge circuit 503 has a function for short - circuiting the 5v power line and gnd terminal at the time of the on operation and discharging the 5v power line . the first discharge circuit 503 is controlled in the on - off operation by a control signal from the 5v power source control circuit 504 . namely the first discharge circuit 503 is operated so as to turn off when a signal for turning on the 5v power supply 501 is outputted from the 5v power source control circuit 504 , and operated so as to turn on when a signal for turning off the 5v power supply 501 is outputted from the 5v power source control circuit 504 . the analog power supply 420 for rf has an analog 5v power supply 505 , an analog (−) 5v power supply 506 , a drain power supply 507 for rf , a gate power supply 508 for rf , and a second discharge circuit 509 . the analog 5v power supply 505 is controlled in the on - off operation by a control signal from a first timer circuit 510 of the power source control & amp ; monitoring circuit 422 , and when it receives an on signal , the built - in switching circuit turns on . thereby an output voltage of the 5v power supply is supplied to the analog circuits and the drain power supply for rf . the (−) 5v power supply 506 is composed of a switching capacitor power source circuit etc ., and when the 5v power is inputted , converts to the 5v power to the (−) 5v power by the switching capacitor power source circuit . the drain power supply 507 for rf includes a series regulator circuit and is controlled in the on - off operation by a control signal from an rf drain power source control circuit 511 of the power source control & amp ; monitoring circuit 422 . the drain power supply 507 for rf , upon receipt of the control signal from the rf drain power source control circuit 511 , turns on the series regulator circuit , thereby supplies the drain power to the rf circuit 421 . the gate power supply 508 for rf , when the analog 5v power (−) 5v power are supplied , supplies a gate power at a predetermined output voltage to the rf circuit 421 . the second discharge circuit 509 constitutes a part of the third power supply control means described in “ summary of the invention ”, and has a function for short - circuiting the drain power line for rf and gnd terminal at the time of the on operation and discharging the drain power line for rf . the second discharge circuit 509 is controlled in the on - off operation by the control signal from the rf drain power source control circuit 511 of the power supply control & amp ; monitoring circuit 422 . namely the second discharge circuit 509 is operated so as to turn off when a signal for turning on the gate power supply 508 for rf is outputted from the drain power source control circuit 501 for rf , and operated so as to turn on when a signal for turning off the gate power supply 508 for rf is outputted . the second discharge circuit 509 prevents the gate power supply from shutting - off when some charge remains in the drain circuit . the power source control & amp ; monitoring circuit 422 has the first timer circuit 510 , a second timer circuit 512 , an analog 5v monitoring circuit 513 , an analog (−) 5v monitoring circuit 514 , a vin monitoring circuit 515 , a 3 . 3v monitoring circuit 516 , the 5v power source control circuit 504 , and the drain power source control circuit 511 for rf . the first timer circuit 510 and the second timer circuit 512 constitutes a part of the second power supply control means described in “ summary of the invention ”, and the analog 5v monitoring circuit 513 , the analog (−) 5v monitoring circuit 514 , the vin monitoring circuit 515 , and the 3 . 3v monitoring circuit 516 constitute a voltage monitoring means , and the drain power source control circuit 511 constitutes the first power supply control means described in “ summary of the invention ”. the first timer circuit ( timer 1 ) 510 and the second timer circuit ( timer 2 ) 512 are a delay circuit . the first timer circuit 510 , after a predetermined time from starting of the 3 . 3v power supply 502 , outputs an on signal to the analog 5v power supply 505 . the second timer circuit 512 , after a predetermined time longer than that of the first timer circuit 510 from starting of the 3 . 3v power supply 502 , outputs an on signal to the drain power supply 511 for rf . the analog 5v monitoring circuit 513 monitors whether the voltage outputted from the analog 5v power supply 505 is higher than a predetermined voltage or not . when the output voltage of the analog 5v power supply lower than the predetermined voltage , the analog 5v monitoring circuit 513 outputs an off signal to the drain power source control circuit 511 for rf . the analog (−) 5v monitoring circuit 514 monitors whether the voltage outputted from the analog (−) 5v power supply 506 is lower than a predetermined voltage or not . when the voltage of the analog (−) 5v power supply increases higher than the predetermined voltage , the analog (−) 5v monitoring circuit 514 outputs an off signal to the drain power source control circuit 511 for rf . the vin monitoring circuit 515 monitors whether the vin supply voltage which is the original supply voltage is a higher than predetermined voltage or not . when the vin supply voltage decreases lower than the predetermined voltage , the vin monitoring circuit 515 outputs an off signal to the drain power source control circuit 511 for rf and the 5v power source control circuit 504 . the 3 . 3v monitoring circuit 516 monitors whether the voltage outputted from the 3 . 3v power supply 502 is higher than a predetermined voltage or not . when the output voltage of the 3 . 3v power supply decreases lower than the predetermined voltage , the 3 . 3v monitoring circuit 516 outputs an off signal to drain power source control circuit 511 and the 5v power source control circuit 504 . the drain power source control circuit 511 for rf is an and circuit and inputs signals from the second timer circuit 512 , the analog 5v monitoring circuit 513 , the analog (−) 5v monitoring circuit 514 , the vin monitoring circuit 515 , and the 3 . 3v monitoring circuit 516 . and only when these input signals are all on , the drain power source control circuit 511 for rf outputs an on signal to the drain power supply 507 for rf . the 5v power source control circuit 504 is also an and circuit and inputs signals from the vin monitoring circuit 515 and the 3 . 3v monitoring circuit 516 . and only when both input signals are on , the 5v power source control circuit 504 outputs an on signal to the 5v power supply 501 . next , the relationship between the drain power supply and the gate power supply for rf will be explained by referring to fig3 . the rf circuit 421 ( refer to fig1 ) has a built - in fet ( p - hemt ) circuit with an algaas / ingaas double hetero structure having excellent high frequency characteristics . the two power supplies of the drain power and the gate power for rf control the fet . the fet is an element able to control a drain current by controlling the gate voltage . accordingly if a voltage is applied to the drain in a state that the gate voltage is not controlled , a large current flows through the fet . and in the worst case , the fet may be broken down by an excessive current . to prevent the fet built in the rf circuit 421 from breaking , as shown in fig3 , at the tome of starting the rf circuit 421 , it is necessary to always start ( rise ) the gate power supply before starting of the drain power supply . further , when shutting off the rf circuit 421 , it is necessary to shut off ( fall ) the gate power supply after shutting off the drain power supply . in fig3 , the output voltage of the gate power supply rises at the point of time t 1 . and at the point of time t 2 when a predetermined time ta elapses after ti , the output voltage of the drain power supply rises . further , the output of the drain power supply falls at the point of time t 3 , and at the point of time t 4 when a predetermined time tb elapses after t 3 , the gate power supply falls . next , the concrete circuit constitution examples of the respective circuits of the power source control & amp ; monitoring circuit 422 will be explained by referring to fig4 to 8 . fig4 ( a ) shows a circuit constitution example of the first timer circuit 510 and the second timer circuit 512 . the timer circuits are respectively constitute by a low - pass filter circuit to input an output voltage from the 3 . 3v power supply and output the 3 . 3 v power with the delay of a predetermined time . the predetermined time ( delay time ) is set by adjusting the constants of the resistance of a resistor 701 and the capacity of a capacitor 702 . as shown in fig4 ( b ), a delay time of td 1 is set in the first timer circuit 510 , and a delay time of td 2 is set in the second timer circuit 512 . the timer circuits may be constituted by a counter circuit for counting a predetermined time and performing a delay operation instead of the low - pass filter as shown in fig4 ( a ). fig5 shows a circuit constitution example of the analog 5v monitoring circuit 513 . the analog 5v monitoring circuit 513 is equipped with a comparator 801 operating at 5v and a shunt regulator 802 . the voltage from the 5v power supply is regulated to 2 . 5v by shunt regulator 802 , and 2 . 5v is inputted to the inverted terminal of the comparator 801 as a reference voltage . the analog 5v monitoring circuit 513 divides analog 5v by resistors 803 and 804 , and inputs it as a voltage to be monitored to the non - inverted terminal of the comparator 801 . by use of this circuit constitution , whether the output voltage of the analog 5v power supply is at a predetermined voltage or higher can be monitored . fig6 shows a circuit constitution example of the analog (−) 5v monitoring circuit 514 . the analog (−) 5v monitoring circuit 514 is equipped with a comparator 901 operating at 5v and a shunt regulator 902 . the output voltage from the 5v power supply is regulated to 2 . 5v by shunt regulator 902 , and 2 . 5v is inputted to the non - inverted terminal of the comparator 901 as a reference voltage . the analog (−) 5v monitoring circuit 514 divides the voltage between analog 5v and (−) 5 v by resistors 903 and 904 , and inputs it as a voltage to be monitored to the inverted terminal of the comparator 901 . by use of this circuit constitution , whether the output voltage of the analog (−) 5v power supply is at a predetermined voltage or higher can be monitored . however , the monitoring results of the analog (−) 5v monitoring circuit , since the analog 5v and analog (−) 5v are divided and inputted as monitoring voltages , are subordinately effective only when the analog 5v power supply is normal . in this embodiment , since the output voltage of the analog 5v power supply is separately monitored by the analog 5v monitoring circuit 513 , whether the monitoring results of the analog (−) 5v monitoring circuit 514 are effective or not can be judged . fig7 shows a circuit constitution example of the vin monitoring circuit 515 . the vin 5v monitoring circuit 515 is equipped with a comparator 1001 operating at 3 . 3v and a shunt regulator 1002 . the output voltage from the 3 . 3v power supply is regulated to 2 . 5v by shunt regulator 1002 , and 2 . 5v is inputted to the inverted terminal of the comparator 1001 as a reference voltage . the vin monitoring circuit 515 divides vin voltage by resistors 1003 and 1004 , and inputs it as a voltage to be monitored to the non - inverted terminal of the comparator 1001 . by use of this circuit constitution , whether the vin voltage is at a predetermined voltage or higher can be monitored . the 3 . 3v monitoring circuit 516 judges using a voltage monitoring ic whether the output voltage of the 3 . 3v power supply is at a predetermined voltage or higher . the circuit can be realized by using a signal of a voltage monitoring function such as an external watch dog ic for a microcomputer which is not shown in the drawing . fig8 shows a circuit constitution example of the drain power source control circuit 511 for rf . the drain power source control circuit 511 inputs an output signal of the 3 . 3v monitoring circuit 516 to an inversion circuit 1101 and turns an npn transistor 1102 on or off . when an input signal of the inversion circuit 1101 is low , an output signal of the inversion circuit goes high , and the npn transistor 1102 is turned on , and a power source ( power supply ) control signal goes low . in this circuit constitution , the 3 . 3v power supply rise up to the vbe of the npn transistor 1102 and simultaneously operates so as to shift the output on the low level , so that the drain power supply 507 for rf will not be turned on in an unstable state . input signals other than a 3 . 3v monitoring signal are input via diodes 1103 to 1105 . since signals are input by the diodes like this , when even any one of the input signals other than the 3 . 3v monitoring signal is low , the output signals cannot be made high . the circuit constitution of the 5v power source control circuit 504 is the same as that of the drain power source control circuit 511 for rf except different input signals . next , a circuit constitution example of the first discharge circuit 503 and the second discharge circuit 509 will be explained by referring to fig9 . the first discharge circuit 503 and the second discharge circuit 509 can be composed of the same circuit , and when the power supply control signal is low , the npn transistor 1201 is turned off , and a high signal is input to the gate of an fet 1202 from the 5v power supply , and the fet 1202 is turned on . by doing this , when the control signal is low , even if the drain power supply is turned on by mistake , no voltage is supplied to this terminal . when the output voltage of 5v power supply becomes 0 v at the time of shut - off of the power supply ( at the fall time ), by the charge stored in a capacitor 1203 , until the charge is discharged from resistors 1204 and 1205 , the fet 1202 can be surely kept in the on state , so that the time for discharging the 5v power line and drain power line can be held . next , the operation at the time of start of the power supply will be explained by referring to the time chart shown in fig1 . firstly , at the point of time t 11 , the supply voltage vin is supplied from the car side , and starts ( rises ). simultaneously with the start of the vin power supply , the output voltage of the 3 . 3v power supply starts ( rises ). thereafter , at the point of time t 12 , when the output voltage of the 3 . 3v power supply reaches the operation guarantee levels of 3 . 3v power system circuits , the output of the 3 . 3v monitoring circuit 516 goes high . further , at the point of time t 13 , when the output voltage of the vin power supply reaches the operation guarantee level of the 5v power supply circuit 501 , the output of the vin monitoring circuit 515 goes high . at the point of time t 13 , input signals of the 5v power source control circuit 504 go all high and the output of the 5v power control signal goes high . by doing this , the 5v power supply 501 operates , and the output voltage of the 5v power supply starts ( rises ), and at the point of time t 14 , the output voltage of the 5v power supply reaches the operation guarantee levels of the 5v power system circuits . in correspondence with the start ( rises ) of the 5v power supply , the (−) 5v power supply also starts ( rises ) and at the point of time t 15 , when the (−) 5v power supply reaches the operation guarantee levels of the (−) 5v power system circuits , the output of the (−) 5v monitoring circuit goes high . thereafter , at the point of time t 16 when a predetermined time of td 1 elapses from the point of time t 12 , the output of the first timer circuit ( timer 1 ) 510 goes high and the analog 5v power supply 501 is operated . when the output voltage of the analog 5v power supply rises and at the point of time t 17 , the analog 5v power supply reaches the operation guarantee levels of the analog 5v power system circuits , the output of the analog 5v monitoring circuit 513 goes high . at the point of time t 17 , both supply voltages of analog 5v and analog (−) 5v are supplied , so that the gate power supply 508 for rf is operated and the gate voltage for rf is decided . thereafter , the output of the second timer circuit ( timer 2 ) 512 measuring a predetermined time of td 2 from the point of time t 12 goes high . at the point of time t 18 , the input signals of the drain power source control circuit 511 for rf all go high , and a the drain power supply control signal for rf goes high , and the output voltage of the rf drain supply is supplied . since such a start ( rise ) sequence is performed , at the time of start , a voltage for causing failure to the rf circuit 421 will not be applied . next , the operation at the time of shut - off of the power supply will be explained by referring to the time chart shown in fig1 . firstly , at the point of time t 21 , the supply of the supply voltage vin is stopped and the supply voltage vin lowers . when the supply voltage vin lowers down to the operation guarantee level of the 5v power supply ( at the point of time t 22 ), the output of the vin monitoring circuit 515 goes low . by doing this , the 5v power control signal of the 5v power source circuit 504 and the drain power control signal of the drain power source control circuit 511 go low . when the 5v power control signal of the 5v power source control circuit 504 goes low , the 5v power supply 501 is turned off , and the supply of 5v power is stopped , and the first discharge circuit simultaneously discharges the 5v power line . as a result , the output voltage of the 5v power supply suddenly lowers . when the drain power supply control signal of the drain power source control circuit 511 for rf goes low in the same way , the drain power supply 507 for rf is turned off , and the supply of the drain power is stopped , and the second discharge circuit 509 simultaneously discharges the drain power line . as a result , the voltage of the drain power supply suddenly lowers . at this time , since the gate power supply is not provided with a discharge circuit , so that the output voltage of the drain supply falls earlier than the output of the gate supply . by this operation , also at the time of shut - off of the power supply , a power supply shut - off sequence causing no failure to the rf circuit 421 can be realized . an embodiment of the present invention is described in detail above . however , the present invention is not limited to the aforementioned embodiment and without being deviated from the spirit of the claims , various modifications are available in the design . in the aforementioned embodiment , the circuit constitution is broadly divided into the power supply - car interface circuit 416 , the digital circuit 418 , the analog circuit 419 , and the rf circuit 421 . however , to realize the present invention , the circuit constitution is not necessarily divided in such a way and for miniaturization , the power supply - car interface circuit 416 , the digital circuit 418 , and the analog circuit 419 may be mounted on one substrate . or , all the circuits may be integrated in the rf circuit 421 . as shown by the above explanation , by use of the radar system and car radar system of the present invention , at the rise time ( ex . the start time ) and the fall time ( ex . shut - off ) of the power supply , the power can be supplied and stopped safely without causing failure to the rf circuit . | 6 |
the transport frame holds the device using a battery compartment or battery compartment area of the device only , rather than external features of the device , and is defined by the accompanying claims . if desired , the transport frame may be mounted in a fixture , for example at a testing location . for convenience , most references herein will be to mounting the device on a transport frame for testing purposes . however , it should be appreciated that the transport frame may be useful in any other situation where it is desired to mount or transport the device without handling it externally , and the invention is therefore not limited to testing applications . in the following description , specific examples of the invention will be described . for purposes of explanation , specific configurations and details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention . however , it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the invention may be practiced without the specific details . furthermore , well - known features may be omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the examples being described . the transport frame 1 supports and retains the device 2 by emulating a battery , in the sense that the transport frame provides engagement elements which fit into the device &# 39 ; s battery compartment 3 and / or its battery compartment cover securing means , to retain the device . the frame can then be handled to transport the device and if desired mount it in a fixture for testing or other purposes , avoiding or minimizing contact with the external surfaces of the device . typically , the transport frame is configured to mate with a fixture 4 , at a fixed test location . thus in an assembly - line process , devices can be mounted onto transport frames at one or more locations , and carried or transported to the test location for mounting in the fixture for testing . once the testing is completed , the transport frame and device can be removed from the fixture , and the device can be removed from the transport frame for further processing , for example packaging for sale . a first example of the invention is illustrated in fig1 - 10 . fig1 shows the transport frame 1 , having a body 10 , with a fixed block 12 and a movable block 14 as the engagement elements , both extending from a rear surface 16 thereof . the body 10 preferably has a grippable feature or handle 18 extending therefrom , allowing the transport frame to be easily moved from one location to another , whether manually or via automation . fig2 shows the transport frame 1 and device 2 positioned for mounting on a fixture 4 , and fig3 shows the transport frame and device mounted on the fixture . as shown in fig4 and 5 , the fixed and movable blocks 12 and 14 fit within the battery compartment 3 . for testing of the device , one of the blocks , in this example the fixed block 12 , may include electrical contacts 30 which mate with electrical contacts 32 within the battery compartment to provide power to the device while it is being tested . the powering of the transport frame will be understood by one skilled in the art , and typically may be supplied to the transport frame by the fixture 4 once the transport frame is mounted therein , for example via contacts 80 on the transport frame engaging contacts 82 on the fixture , as shown in fig2 . the blocks 12 and 14 each have portions which engage with complementary features in the battery compartment . the actuator 20 moves the blocks from a removal position where they are readily insertable in the battery compartment , to an expanded position where they are spaced farther apart to secure the device using the battery compartment . the movable block 14 is mounted on a proximal end of a pair of shafts 40 which are movable axially through bushings 42 . springs 44 act against preferably larger - diameter distal ends of the shafts , to bias the shafts and hence the movable block 14 towards the fixed block 12 . the actuator 20 operates to overcome that bias , to move the movable block away from the fixed block . the actuator 20 includes a lever 22 mounted on a shaft 24 . a cam 26 is also mounted on the shaft , so that operation of the lever produces rotation of the cam . the cam bears against the movable block 14 , so that movement of the lever from the “ ready ” position shown in fig7 and 8 , through the intermediate position shown in fig9 , to the locked position shown in fig1 , moves the movable block 14 to an “ expanded ” position where it is farthest from the fixed block 12 . as can be seen from these drawings , this results in tabs 50 or other engagement features on the fixed and movable blocks engaging recesses , slots or other such receptors 52 in the battery compartment 3 , resulting in the device 2 thereby being secured on the frame 1 . as can be seen from fig1 , the cam goes slightly “ over center ” against the spring force to get to the locked position , resulting in it staying in that position once placed there . the shaft 24 could be mounted directly on the body 10 of the frame . when the actuator was moved to the locked position , this would result in the fixed and movable blocks 12 and 14 being at a fixed minimum expanded distance from each other . that could be acceptable , but it is preferable not to have that distance fixed , and therefore preferably the shaft is permitted to float somewhat . this is accomplished by mounting the shaft on two opposing shaft mounts 28 , which are free to move a limited distance within the body 10 . shaft biasing springs 29 bias the shaft away from the fixed block . thus in the locked position , the movable block has a limited degree of freedom in both directions away from its basic locked position , i . e . slightly towards or slightly away from the fixed block . this has the significant advantage that the pressure of the blocks against the battery compartment of the device is governed by the springs 44 and 29 , not by the mechanical dimensions . this of course results in more consistency , given the inevitable small differences in dimensions due to normal manufacturing tolerances . movement of the actuator 20 through the intermediate position via its lever 22 may result in one of the tabs 50 mating with a complementary recess 52 within the battery compartment to partially lock the device against the transport frame , as illustrated , or in both tabs moving part way towards their respective recesses . after the device 2 has been mounted to the transport frame 1 , the assembly may then mounted in an exemplary fixture 4 as shown in fig2 and 3 . although many different ways of mounting the transport frame in the fixture could be employed , and many different fixture configurations could be contemplated , in this example the body 10 includes a pair of holes 60 for mating with a pair of posts 62 located on the fixture . the fixture also includes a guide 64 for aligning and positioning the transport frame as it is being mounted to the fixture . once the transport frame is mounted to the fixture , various quality control tests may be performed on the device . these tests may include , but are not limited to rf alignment and tests , audio tests , display tests , charger tests , etc . notwithstanding the preceding , as stated previously , the invention is not limited to testing applications , nor to any specific testing . it may be convenient to mount the device in a fixture for purposes other than testing . in the preceding example , the locking of the frame to the device takes place entirely within the battery compartment , via a movable block . however , in another example of the invention , shown in fig1 - 16 , the locking is partly within the battery compartment , and partly making use of the battery compartment cover securing means . other examples could conceivably make use of battery compartment cover securing means only , or of features within the battery compartment other than those specifically described herein . in this second example of the invention , there are still opposing engagement elements which move apart from each other to lock the device 2 in place . however , in this example , the transport frame 1 ′ has a main body 102 , a sliding portion 104 and an actuator 20 ′ with a lever 22 ′. the main body has lugs 106 extending therefrom which engage battery compartment cover securing slots 107 . the sliding portion 104 is movable away from the main body 102 by operation of the lever 22 ′, and has an extension 108 therefrom which corresponds in effect to the movable block 14 of the first example . the main body preferably has a handle 18 ′. fig1 shows this example with the device mounted on it , ready for mounting in a fixture 4 ′, including guides 64 ′. fig1 shows that a simulated earphone connector 110 can be provided on the fixture if desired , to plug into an earphone jack on the device for audio output testing . fig1 shows the device and frame mounted in the fixture . fig1 illustrates the features used to secure the device to the frame , i . e . the lugs 106 engaging the battery compartment cover securing slots 107 , and the extension 108 which extends into a recess 109 in the battery compartment . fig1 - 16 show the operation of the transport frame . a pair of shafts 112 are slidably housed within the main body 102 and are connected to the sliding portion 104 , so that when the shafts move axially , the sliding portion moves towards or away from the main body . ( in fig1 , a cover plate has been removed to show one of the shafts , the other being hidden under cover plate 113 .) as seen best in fig1 and 16 , the actuator 20 ′ and its lever 22 ′ have cam portions 26 ′ which act against the ends of the shafts 112 to move the sliding portion 104 away from the main body when the lever is moved from the fig1 “ ready ” position to the fig1 “ locked ” position . a return spring 44 ′ biases the sliding portion towards the main body , so that it is only expanded when the actuator and lever are moved to the fig1 position . the cam design is again such that it goes “ over center ” so as to remain in the fig1 locked position once there . note that the sliding portion 104 may be provided with electrical contacts 30 ′ to engage corresponding contacts in the device . the contacts are wired through the frame to a second set of contacts ( not shown ). when the frame is mounted on the fixture 4 ′, this second set of contacts connects with power supplied to the fixture in order to provide power to the battery contacts of the device . several examples of the invention are described above . variations of those examples may be or become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description . it is expected that such persons will employ such variations as appropriate , and it is therefore expected that the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described above . accordingly , the invention is defined not by the above examples , but by the claims appended hereto , and includes such variations on the above examples as may be adopted by those knowledgeable in the field of the invention . without limiting the generality of the foregoing statement , some specific examples of possible variations may include the following , though others may be apparent to those knowledgeable in the field of the invention . the invention may not necessarily involve a fixture , for testing or otherwise . in some applications , mounting the device on the transport frame may suffice for that application , and there may be no need to place the device and transport frame in any fixture . details of size , shape and specific configuration of the transport frame and the features by which it engages the device may obviously be varied according to the desired engagement details and according to the configuration of the battery compartment and battery compartment area of the device . similarly , details of any fixture , for testing or otherwise , may also vary . the examples described above both include cam actuation via a lever . however , it is conceivable that the engagement means might not involve any elements requiring positive actuation . for example , the engagement means could simply snap into position in the battery compartment in a manner similar to a battery . alternatively , there could be resilient engagement elements which displace slightly on insertion in the battery compartment , and are biased by that resilience towards a locked position . or there could be movable elements as in the above examples , without positive actuation , i . e . the elements could be biased apart , for example by one or more springs , and insertion in the battery compartment could compress the spring or springs , or they could be manually compressed during or before insertion . the spring or springs would then move the elements apart to a locked position . | 0 |
with reference to the figures where like elements have been given like numerical designations to facilitate an understanding of the present subject matter , various embodiments of a system and method for compensating for timing misalignments are described . in order to more fully understand the present subject matter , a brief description of applicable circuitry will be helpful . an exemplary pll 11 is shown in fig1 . the pll 11 includes a phase - frequency detector 20 , a charge pump 30 , a low pass filter 40 , a differential vco 150 , and a divider circuit 60 . the low pass filter 40 includes a first capacitor , denoted c p , and a second capacitor , denoted c z , which is arranged in series with a resistor , denoted r z . typically , the capacitance of capacitor c z is ten times the capacitance of capacitor c p . the vco 150 includes one or more vco cells ; as shown , vco 150 is a four stage vco and has four vco cells numbered 151 , 152 , 153 , and 154 . one of skill in the art will readily understand that a typical vco in a pll may contain more or fewer than four stages . the vco cells in vco 150 are cascaded and looped and each vco cell provides a time delay t d which is typically in the picosecond range . the output of differential vco 150 , denoted f out , can be determined by the equation : in the pll 11 , the charge pump 30 , the low pass filter 40 , and the vco cells 151 - 154 are each connected to a voltage source denoted v dd . certain details of vco cell 151 are shown which include a first cmos ( complementary metal oxide semiconductor ) 111 which includes a first pmos ( a p - channel mosfet ( metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor )) 111 a , and a second cmos 112 which includes a second pmos 112 a . cmos 111 and cmos 112 are connected between voltage source v dd and ground , as shown . in operation , phase - frequency detector 20 receives a reference signal , denoted f ref , and compares a feedback signal , denoted f fdbk , to f ref . alternatively , the frequency control signal may be derived from a comparison of the phase of the reference signal with the phase of the feedback signal . based on the results of the comparison of f fdbk to f ref , the phase - frequency detector 20 provides a frequency control signal to charge pump 30 . as is known in the art , if f fdbk is greater than f ref , the frequency control signal dn will be supplied to charge pump 30 , whereas if f fdbk is less than f ref , the frequency control signal up will be supplied to charge pump 30 . the charge pump 30 receives the appropriate frequency control signal and generates therefrom a control current signal , denoted i cp , as is known in the art . the control current signal i cp is operated on by low pass filter 40 to thereby generate a control voltage signal , denoted v c . the control voltage signal v c is applied to the gate terminal of each of pmos 111 a and pmos 112 a , as is known in the art . pmos 111 a and pmos 112 a are controlled by the control voltage signal v c such that the current through pmos 111 a and pmos 112 a changes in response thereto . for example , as is known in the art , a higher current through pmos 111 a and pmos 112 a causes the delay value t d of vco cell 151 to decrease which causes the output of the vco 150 , f out , to increase . likewise , a lower current through pmos 111 a and pmos 112 a causes the delay value t d of vco cell 151 to increase which causes the output of the vco 150 , f out , to decrease . as stated above , vco 150 provides an output f out which is input to divider circuit 60 . divider circuit 60 divides f out by a predetermined value n , as is known in the art , to produce feedback signal f fdbk . fig2 is a simplified schematic drawing of a phase lock loop 12 with a voltage controlled oscillator 250 according to an embodiment of the present subject matter . similar to pll 11 in fig1 , pll 12 also includes a phase - frequency detector 20 , a charge pump 30 , a low pass filter 40 , and a divider circuit 60 , each as described above with respect to fig1 . the vco 250 includes a vco cell 251 which contains pmos 111 a and pmos 112 a where pmos 111 a and 112 a are controlled by the control voltage signal v c applied to the gate terminals thereof such that the current through pmos 111 a and pmos 112 a changes in response thereto . a terminal of pmos 111 a is connected to voltage source v dd through resistor r 1 and switch s 1 where r 1 and s 1 are connected in parallel . likewise , a terminal of pmos 112 a is connected to voltage source v dd through resistor r 2 and switch s 2 where r 2 and s 2 are connected in parallel . switches s 1 and s 2 may each be operated automatically based on an electrical control signal as is known in the art . in an embodiment , each vco cell 252 - 254 of vco 250 is configured in a similar way to the configuration described above for vco cell 251 . for high data rate applications where a large operational frequency range of the vco 250 is desirable , switches s 1 and s 2 are closed and therefore resistors r 1 and r 2 , respectively , are shorted out . thus , vco 250 operates in a similar manner as described above for vco 150 in fig1 . in this configuration , the transconductance of , for example , pmos 111 a in vco cell 251 is the same as the transconductance of pmos 111 a in vco cell 151 in fig1 , and may be a predetermined value g m1 . as is known in the art , the transconductance is representative of a current change in a pmos device due to a change in a voltage of control voltage signal v c for the pmos device . similarly , in this configuration , the transconductance of , for example , pmos 112 a in vco cell 251 is the same as the transconductance of pmos 112 a in vco cell 151 in fig1 , and may be a predetermined value g m2 . in an embodiment , g m1 and / or g m2 may be in the range of milliamps / volt . for low data rate applications , switches s 1 and s 2 in fig2 are open thus placing resistors r 1 and r 2 , respectively , in between voltage source v dd and pmos 111 a and pmos 112 a , respectively . one of the effects of this configuration is that the transconductance for pmos 111 a in vco cell 251 is reduced to g ′ m2 as follows : where r 1 is the resistance value for resistor r 1 in fig2 . thus , the current change in pmos 111 a is reduced for a given change in control voltage signal v c . likewise , the transconductance for pmos 112 a in vco cell 251 is reduced to g ′ m2 as follows : where r 2 is the resistance value for resistor r 2 in fig2 . thus , the current change in pmos 112 a is reduced for a given change in control voltage signal v c . in an embodiment , r 1 = r 2 and g m1 = g m2 so that g ′ m1 = g ′ m2 . due to the insertion of r 1 and r 2 between v dd and pmos 111 a and 112 a , the current into the vco 250 is reduced thus reducing the operational frequency range of vco 250 which , consequently , reduces k vco . fig3 is a simplified schematic drawing of a phase lock loop 13 with a voltage controlled oscillator 350 according to another embodiment of the present subject matter . similar to pll 11 in fig1 , pll 13 also includes a phase - frequency detector 20 , a charge pump 30 , a low pass filter 40 , and a divider circuit 60 , each as described above with respect to fig1 . the vco 350 includes a vco cell 351 which contains pmos 311 a , pmos 311 b , pmos 312 a , and pmos 312 b . pmos 311 a and 311 b are connected in parallel to voltage source v dd . likewise , pmos 312 a and 312 b are connected in parallel to voltage source v dd . pmos 311 a and 312 a are controlled by the control voltage signal v c applied to the gate terminals thereof such that the current through pmos 311 a and pmos 312 a changes in response thereto . pmos 311 b and 312 b are controlled by the control voltage signal v z applied to the gate terminals thereof such that the current through pmos 311 b and pmos 312 b changes in response thereto . control voltage signal v z is taken from the junction between capacitor c z and resistor r z in low pass filter 40 . in an embodiment , the capacitance of c z is approximately ten times the capacitance of c p . thus , the voltage of the junction between c z and r z , i . e ., v z , is relatively static in comparison to the voltage of v c . in an embodiment , each vco cell 352 - 354 of vco 350 is configured in a similar way to the configuration described above for vco cell 351 . in an embodiment , a ratio of the physical size ( e . g ., the physical length or width ) of pmos 311 b to pmos 311 a is k : 1 , where k & gt ; 1 . in a particular embodiment , k = 4 . similarly , a ratio of pmos 312 b to pmos 312 a is also k : 1 . a comparison of vco cell 251 in fig2 ( in the configuration where switches s 1 and s 2 are shut ) with vco cell 351 in fig3 reveals that replacing pmos 111 a in vco cell 251 with pmos 311 a and 311 b ( connected as shown in fig3 ) and replacing pmos 112 a in vco cell 251 with pmos 312 a and 312 b ( connected as shown in fig3 ) results in vco cell 351 . as discussed above with respect to fig2 , the transconductance for pmos 111 a ( in the configuration where switches s 1 and s 2 are shut ) is equal to a predetermined value g m1 , and the transconductance for pmos 112 a ( for this configuration ) is equal to a predetermined value g m2 . for pmos 311 a , it can be seen that the transconductance is equal to which is less than g m1 while for pmos 312 a , the transconductance is equal to which is less than g m2 . therefore , the current into the vco 350 is reduced thus reducing the operational frequency range of vco 350 which , consequently , reduces k vco of vco 350 . the reduction in k vco is by a factor of however , the operational frequency range of vco 350 is not reduced since the charge in capacitor c z can adjust while pll 13 is operating in a long - term non - linear mode . fig4 is a simplified schematic drawing of a phase lock loop 14 with a voltage controlled oscillator 450 according to yet another embodiment of the present subject matter . as can be seen from a comparison of fig2 and 3 with fig4 , fig4 is a combination of some components in fig2 and 3 , e . g ., vco 450 includes a vco cell 451 which contains pmos 311 a , pmos 311 b , pmos 312 a , and pmos 312 b . pmos 311 a and 311 b are connected in parallel and are connected to voltage source v dd through resistor r 1 and switch s 1 where r 1 and s 1 are connected in parallel . likewise , pmos 312 a , and pmos 312 b are connected in parallel and are connected to voltage source v dd through resistor r 2 and switch s 2 where r 2 and s 2 are connected in parallel . pmos 311 a and 312 a are controlled by the control voltage signal v c applied to the gate terminals thereof such that the current through pmos 311 a and pmos 312 a changes in response thereto . pmos 311 b and 312 b are controlled by the control voltage signal v z applied to the gate terminals thereof such that the current through pmos 311 b and pmos 312 b changes in response thereto . control voltage signal v z is taken from the junction between capacitor c z and resistor r z in low pass filter 40 . for low data rate applications , switches s 1 and s 2 are open thus placing resistors r 1 and r 2 , respectively , in between voltage source v dd and pmos 311 a and 311 b and pmos 312 a and 312 b , respectively . therefore , the operation of vco 450 is a combination of the operating characteristics described above with respect to fig2 ( with switches s 1 and s 2 open ) and fig3 . the insertion of the resistors r 1 and r 2 between v dd and pmos 311 a and 311 b and pmos 312 a and 312 b reduces the current into vco 450 which reduces the operational frequency range of vco 450 and , consequently , reduces k vco of vco 450 . additionally , the ratio of pmos 311 b to pmos 311 a is k : 1 , where k & gt ; 1 and , similarly , a ratio of pmos 312 b to pmos 312 a is also k : 1 . consequently , as described above with respect to fig3 , this has the effect of reducing the current into vco 450 which reduces the operational frequency range of vco 450 and , consequently , reduces k vco of vco 450 . thus , k vco of vco 450 is lower than k vco of either vco 250 in fig2 or vco 350 in fig3 . while the above embodiments in fig2 through 4 discuss the use of pmos , the present inventive subject matter contemplates the use of nmos as well . fig5 a is an exemplary schematic circuit diagram of a portion of a voltage controlled oscillator , such as vco 350 in fig3 , including pmos 311 a and pmos 311 b . as described above , the ratio of pmos 311 b to pmos 311 a is k : 1 , as shown . also , pmos 311 a is controlled by control voltage signal v c while pmos 311 b is controlled by control voltage signal v z . for the sake of simplicity , pmos 312 a and pmos 312 b , along with other circuit devices , are not shown in fig5 a . fig5 b is an exemplary schematic circuit diagram of a portion of a voltage controlled oscillator , such as vco 350 in fig3 , where nmos ( an n - channel mosfet ) devices are used instead of pmos devices . nmos 311 c is controlled by control voltage signal v c while nmos 311 d is controlled by control voltage signal v z . the ratio of nmos 311 c to nmos 311 d is 1 : k . in an embodiment , nmos devices would also be used to replace pmos 312 a and pmos 312 b in vco 350 in fig3 . according to embodiments of the present subject matter , a circuit includes a voltage controlled oscillator (“ vco ”) having a vco cell which includes a first cmos circuit including a first pmos device having a gate terminal which receives a control voltage signal , and having a second terminal operatively connected to a first resistor where the first resistor is operatively connected to a first voltage source , and a second cmos circuit including a second pmos device having a gate terminal which receives the control voltage signal , and having a second terminal operatively connected to a second resistor where the second resistor is operatively connected to the first voltage source , and the vco further having an output terminal and providing an output frequency signal thereon . in other embodiments of the present subject matter , the circuit above includes a first switch operatively connected in parallel with the first resistor . in yet other embodiments , the circuit further includes a second switch operatively connected in parallel with the second resistor . in still further embodiments , the circuit has an operational parameter d for the first pmos device which is equal to a predetermined number g when said first switch is closed and the operational parameter d is equal to when the first switch is open , where the operational parameter d is representative of a current change in the first pmos device due to a change in a voltage of the control voltage signal , and where r is a resistance value for the first resistor . in still other embodiments , the circuit includes a phase - frequency detector which detects a difference between a reference frequency signal and a feedback frequency signal to thereby produce a frequency control signal , a charge pump which receives the frequency control signal and generates a control current signal therefrom , and a low pass filter operatively connected to the charge pump where the low pass filter integrates the control current signal and generates the control voltage signal therefrom . in yet still other embodiments , this circuit further includes a divider circuit operatively connected to the output terminal of the vco and to the phase - frequency detector , where the divider circuit reduces a frequency of the output frequency signal to thereby generate the feedback frequency signal . in some embodiments , the phase - frequency detector detects a difference between a phase of a reference signal and a phase of a feedback signal to thereby produce a frequency control signal . in accordance with additional embodiments of the present subject matter , a circuit includes a phase - frequency detector which detects a difference between a reference frequency signal and a feedback frequency signal to thereby produce a frequency control signal , a charge pump which receives the frequency control signal and generates a control current signal therefrom , a low pass filter operatively connected to the charge pump where the low pass filter integrates the control current signal and generates a first control voltage signal therefrom , and where the low pass filter includes a first capacitor operatively connected to a first resistor , and an output terminal operatively connected to a junction between the first capacitor and the first resistor , where a second control voltage signal is applied to the output terminal . additionally , the vco includes a first pmos device having a gate terminal which receives the first control voltage signal , a second pmos device having a gate terminal which receives the first control voltage signal , a third pmos device having a gate terminal which receives the second control voltage signal , and a fourth pmos device having a gate terminal which receives the second control voltage signal . also , the vco further includes an output terminal on which an output frequency signal is placed . furthermore , the vco includes a divider circuit operatively connected to the output terminal of the vco and to the phase - frequency detector , where the divider circuit reduces a frequency of the output frequency signal to thereby generate the feedback frequency signal . in further embodiments of the above circuit , a first ratio of the third pmos device to the first pmos device is k : 1 , wherein k is a predetermined value and wherein k & gt ; 1 . in still further embodiments , a second ratio of the fourth pmos device to the second pmos device is k : 1 . in yet further embodiments , a second terminal of the first pmos device is operatively connected to a second terminal of the third pmos device . in some embodiments , the said phase - frequency detector detects a difference between a phase of a reference signal and a phase of a feedback signal to thereby produce the frequency control signal . in other embodiments , the second terminal of the first pmos device is operatively connected to a second resistor where the second resistor is operatively connected to a first voltage source . yet other embodiments include a first switch operatively connected in parallel with the second resistor . in still other embodiments , a second terminal of the second pmos device is operatively connected to a second terminal of the fourth pmos device . in still other embodiments , the second terminal of the second pmos device is operatively connected to a third resistor where the third resistor is operatively connected to the first voltage source . in yet still other embodiments , a second switch is operatively connected in parallel with the third resistor . according to yet another embodiment of the present subject matter , a vco circuit includes a phase - frequency detector which detects a difference between a reference frequency signal and a feedback frequency signal to thereby produce a frequency control signal , a charge pump which receives the frequency control signal and generates a control current signal therefrom , a low pass filter operatively connected to the charge pump where the low pass filter integrates the control current signal and generates a first control voltage signal therefrom , and where the low pass filter includes a first capacitor operatively connected to a first resistor , and an output terminal operatively connected to a junction between the first capacitor and the first resistor , where a second control voltage signal is applied to the output terminal . additionally , the vco includes a first nmos device having a gate terminal which receives the first control voltage signal , a second nmos device having a gate terminal which receives the first control voltage signal , a third nmos device having a gate terminal which receives the second control voltage signal , a fourth nmos device having a gate terminal which receives the second control voltage signal . also , the vco further includes an output terminal on which an output frequency signal is placed . furthermore , the vco includes a divider circuit operatively connected to the output terminal of the vco and to the phase - frequency detector , where the divider circuit reduces a frequency of the output frequency signal to thereby generate the feedback frequency signal . in certain further embodiments of the above circuit , a first ratio of the first nmos device to the third nmos device is k : 1 , where k is a predetermined value and where k & gt ; 1 . in still further embodiments , a second ratio of the second nmos device to the fourth nmos device is k : 1 . while some embodiments of the present subject matter have been described , it is to be understood that the embodiments described are illustrative only and that the scope of the invention is to be defined solely by the appended claims when accorded a full range of equivalence , many variations and modifications naturally occurring to those of skill in the art from a perusal hereof . | 7 |
reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the present invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . in fig1 a block diagram of an example embodiment of the present invention is disclosed . the example embodiment comprises a workstation 10 , a mobile device 11 , a mobile network 12 , a serving node 13 and a target network 17 . the workstation is connected to the mobile device by available connectivity means 14 . these can be for example a wireless connection or a wired connection . typically the workstation is a portable computer and the mobile device is a data communications enabled mobile telephone , but it is obvious to a person skilled in the art that also different types of terminals may be used . typically the connectivity means 14 are enabled only when needed as there might be expenses for keeping the connection opened , or there might be bandwidth limitations that require terminating the connection for allowing others to have the best possible quality of service . the mobile device 11 is arranged to function as a network connectivity device . the mobile device 11 is connected to the mobile network 12 by the connection 15 . the type of the connection depends on the type of the mobile device . typically the connection 15 is a pre - configured network connection . thus , there is no need to choose connectivity parameters . however , the invention does not limit the type of the connection . thus , it is possible to use for example a packet switched wireless local area network or a circuit switched data call . in case there is no pre - configured connection available , the user may choose the connection type . the mobile device includes means for receiving , transmitting and forwarding data communication . thus , the mobile device is able to receive connection requests and network initialization signals and able to act accordingly to fulfill the requests . the further connection 16 that is arranged to connect the mobile network to the target network 17 can be any available network known to a person skilled in the art . in the example of fig1 there is the separate serving node 13 , which is the case for example in the gprs ( general packet radio system ). fig2 discloses a signaling chart of an example implementation presented in fig1 , wherein a workstation 20 , a mobile device 21 , a mobile network 22 and a serving node 23 correspond to those of fig1 . in fig2 the network initialization signal is an ipv6 router solicitation according to the example the workstation 20 is initializing a network connection . the workstation 20 connects to the network via the mobile device 21 , signal 24 . after establishing the connection between the workstation and the mobile device , a router solicitation message is sent , signal 25 . this signal is typically an ipv6 router solicitation . when the mobile device receives the router solicitation , it establishes a pre - configured connection to the mobile network , signal 26 . using the pre - configured connection , the mobile device forwards the router solicitation to the serving node , signal 27 . the serving node establishes the connection and informs the mobile node with a router advertisement , signal 28 . the router advertisement is forwarded to the workstation , signal 29 . after receiving the advertisement , the workstation is connected to the network and may start the communication with other devices , signal 210 . if the signal 29 is not received , the mobile device may use a local address , such as ipv6 link - local address . in another embodiment the network connection is already opened by the mobile device . for example , if two workstations desire to share the connection or the connection is always open , the connection from the mobile device to the mobile network needs not to be established twice . the end user does not notice any difference if the connection has been already opened . it is possible to arrange a network address translation service to the mobile device . the network address translation is typically used when communicating with target network instead of one link . thus , the mobile device is able to serve several workstations that have their own addresses even if the used protocol would not support it . however , if the user does no want to use network address translation , further signaling is required for obtaining a proper network address and connection . fig3 discloses a signaling chart of an example implementation presented in fig1 , wherein a workstation 30 , a mobile device 31 , a mobile network 32 and a serving node 33 correspond to those of figure 1 . the signaling chart of fig3 discloses terminating the connection that was opened in the signaling chart of fig2 . if the communication represented by signal 34 is not active during pre - determined timeout , the mobile device sends a neighbor solicitation , signal 35 . in the example of fig3 the workstation first responds to the solicitation by sending an activity indication , signal 36 . after a second timeout the mobile device sends again the neighbor solicitation , signal 37 . the workstation does not respond to the solicitation and the mobile device terminates the network connection , signal 38 . in another embodiment of the invention the mobile device is arranged to send an inactivity indication to indicate that it does not need the network connection anymore . if the mobile device serves a plurality of workstations , the connection is terminated when there are no active workstations left . in another embodiment , the invention is implemented as a computer program that is executed in the mobile device . in accordance with fig2 and the embodiment , the mobile device 21 is configured to expect a connection establishment request 24 and a router solicitation 25 from the workstation 20 . in the embodiment the mobile device 21 opens a pre - configured network connection 26 and forwards the router solicitation 27 . after forwarding the router solicitation 27 the mobile device 21 is arranged to expect a router advertisement 28 that is forwarded back to the workstation 20 . when the workstation 20 has received the router advertisement 29 , the network connection has been set up . in accordance with fig3 and the embodiment , the mobile device 31 is arranged to check the activity of the workstation 30 if the communication represented by signal 34 is active during a pre - determined timeout . if the workstation 30 is still active , the connection is maintained . otherwise the communication is terminated . in case there are several workstations connected to the mobile device 31 , the mobile device 31 terminates the connection when there are no active workstations left . it is obvious to a person skilled in the art that with the advancement of technology , the basic idea of the invention may be implemented in various ways . the invention and its embodiments are thus not limited to the examples described above ; instead they may vary within the scope of the claims . | 7 |
overview — fig2 depicts a diagram of the salient components of wireless telecommunications system 200 in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention . wireless telecommunications system 200 comprises : wireless terminal 201 , cellular base stations 202 - 1 , 202 - 2 , and 202 - 3 , wi - fi base stations 203 - 1 and 203 - 2 , wireless switching center 211 , assistance server 212 , location client 213 , location engine 214 , and gps constellation 221 , which are interrelated as shown . the illustrative embodiment provides wireless telecommunications service to all of geographic region 220 , in well - known fashion , hypothesizes the location of wireless terminal 201 within geographic region 220 at different times , and uses those hypotheses in a location - based application . in accordance with the illustrative embodiment , wireless telecommunications service is provided to wireless terminal 201 in accordance with the air - interface standard of the 3 rd generation partnership project (“ 3gpp ”). after reading this disclosure , however , it will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention that operate in accordance with one or more other air - interface standards ( e . g ., global system mobile “ gsm ,” umts , cdma - 2000 , is - 136 tdma , is - 95 cdma , 3g wideband cdma , ieee 802 . 11 wi - fi , 802 . 16 wimax , bluetooth , etc .) in one or more frequency bands . as will be clear to those skilled in the art , a wireless terminal is also known as a “ cell phone ,” “ mobile station ,” “ car phone ,” “ pda ,” and the like . wireless terminal 201 comprises the hardware and software necessary to be 3gpp - compliant and to perform the processes described below and in the accompanying figures . for example and without limitation , wireless terminal 201 is capable of : a . measuring one or more location - dependent traits of each of one of more electromagnetic signals ( transmitted by cellular base stations 202 - 1 , 202 - 2 , and 202 - 3 and wi - fi base stations 203 - 1 and 203 - 2 ) and of reporting the measurements to location engine 214 , and b . transmitting one or more signals and of reporting the transmission parameters of those signals to location engine 214 , and c . receiving gps assistance data from assistance server 212 to assist wireless terminal 201 in acquiring and processing gps ranging signals . wireless terminal 201 is mobile and can be at any location within geographic region 220 at any time . although wireless telecommunications system 200 comprises only one wireless terminal , it will be clear to those skilled in the art , after reading this disclosure , how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention that comprise any number of wireless terminals . cellular base stations 202 - 1 , 202 - 2 , and 202 - 3 communicate with wireless switching center 211 via wireline and with wireless terminal 201 via radio in well - known fashion . as is well known to those skilled in the art , base stations are also commonly referred to by a variety of alternative names such as access points , nodes , network interfaces , etc . although the illustrative embodiment comprises three base stations , it will be clear to those skilled in the art , after reading this disclosure , how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention that comprise any number of base stations . in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention , cellular base stations 202 - 1 , 202 - 2 , and 202 - 3 are terrestrial , immobile , and within geographic region 220 . it will be clear to those skilled in the art , after reading this disclosure , how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention in which some or all of the base stations are airborne , marine - based , or space - based , regardless of whether or not they are moving relative to the earth &# 39 ; s surface , and regardless of whether or not they are within geographic region 220 . cellular base stations 202 - 1 , 202 - 2 , and 202 - 3 comprise the hardware and software necessary to be 3gpp - compliant and to perform the processes described below and in the accompanying figures . for example and without limitation , cellular base stations 202 - 1 , 202 - 2 , and 202 - 3 are capable of : a . measuring one or more location - dependent traits of each of one of more electromagnetic signals ( transmitted by wireless terminal 201 ) and of reporting the measurements to location engine 214 , and b . transmitting one or more signals and of reporting the transmission parameters of those signals to location engine 214 . wi - fi base stations 203 - 1 and 203 - 2 communicate with wireless terminal 201 via radio in well - known fashion . wi - fi base stations 203 - 1 and 203 - 2 have a shorter range than cellular base stations 202 - 1 , 202 - 2 , and 202 - 3 , but have a higher bandwidth . the location of wi - fi base stations 203 - 1 and 203 - 2 is only known to within approximately 30 meters by detecting their signals through drive testing . wi - fi base stations 203 - 1 and 203 - 2 are terrestrial , immobile , and within geographic region 220 . wi - fi base stations 203 - 1 and 203 - 2 are capable of : c . measuring one or more location - dependent traits of each of one of more electromagnetic signals ( transmitted by wireless terminal 201 ) and of reporting the measurements to location engine 214 , and d . transmitting one or more signals and of reporting the transmission parameters of those signals to location engine 214 . wireless switching center 211 comprises a switch that orchestrates the provisioning of telecommunications service to wireless terminal 201 and the flow of information to and from location engine 214 , as described below and in the accompanying figures . as is well known to those skilled in the art , wireless switching centers are also commonly referred to by other names such as mobile switching centers , mobile telephone switching offices , routers , etc . although the illustrative embodiment comprises one wireless switching center , it will be clear to those skilled in the art , after reading this disclosure , how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention that comprise any number of wireless switching centers . for example , when a wireless terminal can interact with two or more wireless switching centers , the wireless switching centers can exchange and share information that is useful in estimating the location of the wireless terminal . for example , the wireless switching centers can use the is - 41 protocol messages handoffmeasurementrequest and handoffmeasurementrequest2 to elicit signal - strength measurements from one another . the use of two or more wireless switching centers is particularly common when the geographic area serviced by the wireless switching center is small ( e . g ., local area networks , etc .) or when multiple wireless switching centers serve a common area . in accordance with the illustrative embodiment , all of the base stations servicing wireless terminal 201 are associated with wireless switching center 211 . it will be clear to those skilled in the art , after reading this disclosure , how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention in which any number of base stations are associated with any number of wireless switching centers . assistance server 212 comprises hardware and software that is capable of performing the processes described below and in the accompanying figures . in general , assistance server 212 generates gps assistance data for wireless terminal 201 to aid wireless terminal 201 in acquiring and processing gps ranging signals from gps constellation 221 . in accordance with the illustrative embodiment , assistance server 212 is a separate physical entity from location engine 214 ; however , it will be clear to those skilled in the art , after reading this disclosure , how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention in which assistance server 212 and location engine 214 share hardware , software , or both . location client 213 comprises hardware and software that uses the hypothesis for the location of wireless terminal 201 — provided by location engine 214 — in a location - based application , as described below and in the accompanying figures . location engine 214 comprises hardware and software that generates one or more hypotheses of the location of wireless terminal 201 as described below and in the accompanying figures . it will be clear to those skilled in the art , after reading this disclosure , how to make and use location engine 214 . furthermore , although location engine 214 is depicted in fig2 as physically distinct from wireless switching center 211 , it will be clear to those skilled in the art , after reading this disclosure , how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention in which location engine 214 is wholly or partially integrated with wireless switching center 211 . in accordance with the illustrative embodiment , location engine 214 communicates with wireless switching center 211 , assistance server 212 , and location client 213 via a local area network ; however it will be clear to those skilled in the art , after reading this disclosure , how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention in which location engine 214 communicates with one or more of these entities via a different network such as , for example , the internet , the public switched telephone network ( pstn ), a wide area network , etc . in accordance with the illustrative embodiment , wireless switching center 211 , assistance server 212 , location client 213 , and location engine 214 are physically located within geographic region 220 . it will be clear to those skilled in the art , however , after reading this disclosure , how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention in which some or all of wireless switching center 211 , assistance server 212 , location client 213 , and location engine 214 are physically located outside of geographic region 220 . location engine 214 — fig3 depicts a block diagram of the salient components of location engine 214 in accordance with the illustrative embodiment . location engine 214 comprises : processor 301 , memory 302 , and local - area network transmitter / receiver 303 , which are interconnected as shown . processor 301 is a general - purpose processor that is capable of executing operating system 311 and application software 312 , and of populating , amending , using , and managing location - trait database 313 , as described in detail below and in the accompanying figures . for the purposes of this specification , a “ processor ” is defined as one or more computational elements , whether co - located or not and whether networked together or not . for the purposes of this specification , the “ location - trait database ” is defined as a database that associates one or more location - dependent traits of electromagnetic signals processed ( i . e ., transmitted and / or received ) by wireless terminal 201 with each of a plurality of locations . in general , the location - trait database is what enables location engine 214 to convert observed location - dependent traits into an estimate for the location of wireless terminal 201 . it will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use processor 301 . a . operating system 311 , and b . application software 312 , and c . location - trait database 313 . it will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use memory 302 . transmitter / receiver 303 enables location engine 214 to transmit and receive information to and from wireless switching center 211 , assistance server 212 , and location client 213 . in addition , transmitter / receiver 303 enables location engine 214 to transmit information to and receive information from wireless terminal 201 and cellular base stations 202 - 1 through 202 - 3 via wireless switching center 211 . it will be clear to those skilled in the art how to make and use transmitter / receiver 303 . operation of the illustrative embodiment — fig4 depicts a flowchart of the salient processes performed in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention . at task 401 , location engine 214 receives signals from wireless switching center 211 whose values are evidence of the location of wireless terminal 201 at different times . each signal radiates from a different source ( e . g ., cellular base stations 202 - 1 , 202 - 2 , and 202 - 3 , wi - fi base stations 203 - 1 and 203 - 2 , wireless terminal 201 , etc .). table 1 depicts three signals , s ( 1 ), s ( 2 ), and s ( 3 ), and the values of those signals at times t ( 1 ), t ( 2 ), t ( 3 ), and t ( 4 ). in accordance with the illustrative embodiment , the value of each signal is a signal - strength measurement made by wireless terminal 201 of a radio signal transmitted by one of cellular base stations 202 - 1 and 202 - 2 and wi - fi base station 203 - 1 . it will be clear to those skilled in the art , however , after reading this disclosure , how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention in which the value of each received signal is a measurement of any location - dependent trait of an electromagnetic signal that is evidence of the location of wireless terminal 201 . for example and without limitation , each signal can be : i . evidence of the propagation delay — in either one - direction or round - trip — between wireless terminal 120 and another entity ( e . g ., a cellular base station , a gps satellite , a wi - fi base station , etc . ), or ii evidence of the time difference of arrival of a signal transmitted by wireless terminal 201 and two other entities ( e . g ., a cellular base station , a gps satellite , a wi - fi base station , etc . ), or iii . evidence of the angle of arrival of a signal transiting between wireless terminal 201 and another entity ( e . g ., a cellular base station , a gps satellite , a wi - fi base station , etc . ), or iv . evidence that wireless terminal 201 can receive and decode a signal from another entity ( e . g ., a cellular base station , a gps satellite , a wi - fi base station , etc . ), or v . evidence that an entity ( e . g ., a cellular base station , a gps satellite , a wi - fi base station , etc .) can receive and decode a signal from wireless terminal 201 , or vi . evidence of any location - dependent trait ( e . g ., signal strength , rake receiver coefficients , phase delay , etc .) of an electromagnetic signal that is processed by wireless terminal 201 , or vii . any combination of i , ii , iii , iv , v , or vi . in accordance with the illustrative embodiment , three signals are received for time t ( 2 ) but only two signals are received for times t ( 1 ), t ( 3 ), and t ( 4 ) because signal value sv ( 1 , 3 ), sv ( 3 , 2 ) and sv ( 4 , 1 ) were not measured or reported . it will be clear to those skilled in the art , however , after reading this disclosure , how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention in which any number of signals are received and used for each moment of time . in accordance with the illustrative embodiment , all of the signals are evidence of the same type of physical quantity ( i . e ., received signal strength ), but it will be clear to those skilled in the art , after reading this disclosure , how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention in which the type of physical quantity represented varies ( e . g ., three signal - strength measurements are received for one moment , one signal - strength measurement and two time - difference of arrival measurements are received for the next moment , etc .). in accordance with the illustrative embodiment , there is signal data available for four moments of time , but it will be clear to those skilled in the art , after reading this disclosure , how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention in which data is available for any number of moments . at task 402 , location engine 214 generates an “ initial ” hypothesis for the location of wireless terminal 201 at each of times t ( 1 ), t ( 2 ), t ( 3 ), and t ( 4 ). each hypothesis and each estimate of the location of wireless terminal 201 is a latitude - longitude pair . each initial hypothesis for the location of wireless terminal 201 is a hypothesis that does not discount the probative value of any signal value . in other words , all of the signals that are evidence of the location of wireless terminal 201 at one time are accorded equal probity for the purposes of creating the initial hypotheses . in practice , this is achieved by weighting each signal value sv ( t , j ) with weight w ( t , j , 0 ), wherein w ( t , j , 0 ) are equal and non - negative real values for all t and all j . in accordance with the illustrative embodiment , location engine 215 generates the initial hypotheses using the signals received at task 401 and the technique of wireless location signatures . the wireless location signatures technique is well - known to those skilled in the art and is taught , for example , in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 257 , 414 b2 , which is incorporated by reference . it will be clear to those skilled in the art , after reading this disclosure , how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention in which the initial hypotheses are generated using : i . wireless location signatures , or ii . triangulation , or iii . trilateration , or iv . cellular - base - station cell identification , or v . wi - fi - base - station cell identification , or vi . any combination of i , ii , iii , iv , and v . at time t ( 2 ), the initial hypothesis is based on three signals , but at times t ( 1 ), t ( 3 ), and t ( 4 ) the initial hypotheses are based on only two signals . table 2 depicts the values of each of the four initial hypotheses . fig5 depicts a road map of geographic region 220 that indicates the four initial hypotheses from table 2 . in the map the initial hypothesis for the location of wireless terminal 201 at time t ( i ) is depicted by a bull &# 39 ; s - eye with the identifier ih ( i ). therefore , the initial hypothesis ih ( 1 ) for wireless terminal 201 at time t ( 1 ) is on west street , just south of left street . the initial hypothesis ih ( 2 ) at time t ( 2 ) is between top street and north street , just east of west street . the ambiguity of whether wireless terminal 201 was on top street or north street at time t ( 2 ) is undesirable because a known drug - dealer operates on top street and it would be advantageous to know whether the operator of wireless terminal 201 might be involved with the drug dealer or not . the illustrative embodiment of the present invention resolves that ambiguity beginning in task 403 below . the initial hypothesis ih ( 3 ) for wireless terminal 201 at time t ( 3 ) is between lakeside road , north street , and east street . the initial hypothesis ih ( 4 ) at time t ( 4 ) is unambiguously on lakeside road . in accordance with the illustrative embodiment , the initial hypotheses are used as is , but it will be clear to those skilled in the art , after reading this disclosure , how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention in which one or more of the initial hypotheses are “ snapped ” or repositioned to one or more roadways or other transportation paths in the vicinity of the initial hypothesis . referring again to fig4 , at task 403 location engine 214 generates additional “ alternative ” hypotheses for the location of wireless terminal 201 at each time for which two or more signal values are available . each alternative hypothesis is also a hypothesis for the location of wireless terminal 201 . in accordance with the illustrative embodiment , location engine 214 uses the same location technique to generate the alternative hypotheses as it did to generate the initial hypotheses in task 402 . it will be clear to those skilled in the art , however , after reading this disclosure , how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention in which the candidates hypotheses are generated using an alternative method , such as : i . wireless location signatures , or ii . triangulation , or iii . trilateration , or iv . cellular - base - station cell identification , or v . wi - fi - base - station cell identification , or vi . any combination of i , ii , iii , iv , and v . in accordance with the illustrative embodiment , each alternative hypothesis for a given time is generated by discounting as unreliable exactly one signal value . for example , when there are n & gt ; 1 signal values available for a given time , there are n alternative hypotheses generated for that time . when there is only one signal available for a given time , no alternative hypotheses are generated because the one signal value cannot be discounted with respect to itself . it will be clear to those skilled in the art , however , how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention in which there are a different number of alternative hypotheses generated for a given time ( e . g ., 1 , 2 , 3 , n - 1 , 2 n - 2 , n !, etc .). for example , it will be clear to those skilled in the art , after reading this disclosure , how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention in which each alternative hypothesis for a given time is generated by discounting as unreliable every combination of signal values . this would generate 2 n - 2 alternative hypotheses . furthermore , some alternative embodiments of the present invention could discount each signal value by a continuous value , which would generate up to n ! alternative hypotheses . in practice , the illustrative embodiment generates each alternative hypothesis ah ( t , k ) for the location of wireless terminal 201 at time t by weighting each signal value sv ( t , j ) with weight w ( t , j , k ), wherein w ( t , j , k ) is a non - negative real value for all times i , all signals j , and all hypotheses k . it will be clear to those skilled in the art , after reading this disclosure , how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention in which some or all of the discounted signal &# 39 ; s values have a weight of zero ( 0 ). table 3 depicts signals sv ( 1 , 1 ) and sv ( 1 , 2 ) and their associated weights for the purposes of generating alternative hypotheses ah ( 1 , 1 ) and ah ( 1 , 2 ). in table 4 , w ( 2 , 2 , 1 )= w ( 2 , 3 , 1 ), w ( 2 , 1 , 2 )= w ( 2 , 3 , 2 ), and w ( 2 , 1 , 3 )= w ( 2 , 2 , 3 ), but it will be clear to those skilled in the art , after reading this disclosure , how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention in which some or all of these relationships are not true in order to partially discount some signal values . for example , w ( 2 , 2 , 1 )& lt ; w ( 2 , 3 , 1 ), w ( 2 , 1 , 2 )& lt ; w ( 2 , 3 , 2 ), w ( 2 , 1 , 3 )& lt ; w ( 2 , 2 , 3 ), w ( 2 , 2 , 1 )& gt ; w ( 2 , 3 , 1 ), w ( 2 , 1 , 2 )& gt ; w ( 2 , 3 , 2 ), and w ( 2 , 1 , 3 )& gt ; w ( 2 , 2 , 3 ). table 5 depicts signals sv ( 3 , 1 ) and sv ( 3 , 3 ) and their associated weights for the purposes of generating alternative hypotheses ah ( 3 , 1 ) and ah ( 3 , 3 ). fig6 depicts a road map of geographic region 220 that indicates the four initial hypotheses generated in task 402 plus the nine alternative hypotheses generated in task 403 . in the map the alternative hypotheses of the location of wireless terminal 201 are represented by a bull &# 39 ; s - eye with the identifier ah ( t , k ). in general , the alternative hypotheses for time t ( t ) are in the general vicinity of the initial hypotheses for the same time , as generally would be expected . but the generation and mapping of the alternative hypotheses does not , per se , resolve the ambiguities presented by the initial hypotheses . for example , the alternative hypothesis ah ( 1 , 2 ) on left street and the alternative hypothesis ah ( 1 , 1 ) on west street do not unambiguously resolve the question presented by the initial hypothesis ih ( 1 ) of whether wireless terminal 201 was on west street or left street at time t ( 1 ). ambiguities like these are resolved beginning in task 404 below . at task 404 , location engine 214 generates a snapped alternative hypothesis sah ( t , k ) for each alternative hypothesis ah ( t , k ). the snapped alternative hypothesis sah ( t , k ) is also a hypothesis for the location of wireless terminal 201 . in accordance with the illustrative embodiment , the snapped alternative hypothesis sah ( t , k ) is a location on a road that is the shortest euclidean distance between the alternative hypothesis ah ( t , k ) and any point on any road . the snapped alternative hypothesis sah ( t , k ) corresponding to each alternative hypothesis ah ( t , k ) is depicted in table 7 and fig7 . in accordance with the illustrative embodiment , there is one snapped alternative hypothesis for each alternative hypothesis , but it will be clear to those skilled in the art , after reading this disclosure , how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention in which some or all of the alternative hypothesis have a plurality of snapped alternative hypotheses . referring again to fig4 , at task 405 , location engine 214 generates a measure of distance between each snapped alternative hypothesis sah ( t , k ) and the corresponding initial hypothesis b ( t ) to generate a measure of discrepancy mod ( t , k ). in accordance with the illustrative embodiment , the measure of distance is the euclidean distance . the measures of discrepancy are depicted in table 8 . ( i ) a node that corresponds to each initial hypothesis b ( t ), for all t , and ( ii ) a node that corresponds to each snapped alternative hypothesis sah ( t , k ), for all t and all k , and ( iii ) a directed link from each initial hypothesis b ( t ) to initial hypothesis b ( t + 1 ), for all t , and ( iv ) a directed link from each initial hypothesis b ( t ) to each snapped alternative hypothesis sah ( t + 1 , k ), for all t and all k , and ( v ) a directed link from each snapped alternative hypothesis sah ( t , k ) to each initial hypothesis b ( t + 1 ), for all t and all k , and ( vi ) a directed link from each snapped alternative hypothesis sah ( t , k ) to each snapped alternative hypothesis sah ( t + 1 , k ) for all t and all k . the result is a directed graph , as shown in fig8 , that represents every possible combination of paths from time t ( 1 ) to time t ( 4 ). all of the nodes that correspond to the same time t are depicted in a single column , and the nodes corresponding to time t are depicted in a column to the left of the nodes corresponding to time t + 1 . ( i ) each node that corresponds to a initial hypothesis b ( t ) has an associated cost of zero ( 0 ), and ( ii ) each node that corresponds to a snapped alternative hypothesis sah ( t , k ) has an associated cost equal to its associated measure of discrepancy mod ( t , k ), and ( iii ) each directed link from node x to node y has a cost equal to a measure of the distance between the location associated with node x and the location associated with node y . in accordance with the illustrative embodiment , the measure of distance from node x to node y is the road travel time , but it will be clear to those skilled in the art , after reading this disclosure , how to make and use alternative embodiments of the present invention in which the measure of distance is another metric , such as for example and without limitation , the euclidean distance from node x to node y , the road travel time , etc . at task 407 , location server 214 generates an estimate e ( t ) for the location of wireless terminal 201 for all t . to accomplish this , location server 214 determines the minimum - cost path through the graph constructed in task 406 using well - known dynamic programming techniques . once the minimum - cost path has been determined , the nodes in the minimum - cost path constitute the final , best estimates of the location of wireless terminal 201 at each time . the minimum - cost path through the directed graph is depicted in fig9 as beginning at snapped alternative hypothesis sah ( 1 , 1 ), proceeding to snapped alternative hypothesis sah ( 2 , 3 ), proceeding to snapped alternative hypothesis sah ( 3 , 3 ), and terminating at initial hypothesis ih ( 4 ). therefore , e ( 1 ) is the location corresponding to snapped alternative hypothesis sah ( 1 , 1 ), e ( 2 ) is the location corresponding to base hypothesis sah ( 2 , 3 ), e ( 3 ) is the location corresponding to snapped alternative hypothesis sah ( 3 , 3 ), and e ( 4 ) is the location corresponding to snapped alternative hypothesis ih ( 4 ). this is summarized in table 9 . fig1 depicts the road map of geographic region 220 that indicates the final refined hypotheses of the location of wireless terminal at time t , for all t . as part of task 407 , each of the refined hypotheses is transmitted from location engine 214 to location client 213 for use in a location - based application . | 6 |
the exemplary dhcp protocol extends the standard dhcp protocol to include virtual addresses . dhcp is a client - server protocol used for passing configuration information ( e . g ., ip address ) to hosts on a tcp / ip network . it allows automatic allocation of reusable network addresses . the host acts as a dhcp client and discovers the dhcp server in the network by broadcasting a discover message to the broadcast ip address , 255 . 255 . 255 . 255 . the dhcp server in the same network sends an offer message to the client indicating that the client can contact this server for further information . the client then requests the dhcp configuration parameters from the server . the server sends an ack message to the client indicating the configuration information , including the ip address and the lease time until which the ip address and other configuration parameters will be valid . the client should renew the lease before it expires , by sending another request to the server . in one example , a node in the same network as the dhcp server ( s ), e . g ., node a , obtains the ip address from s directly , whereas a node b from a different network than s uses a dhcp relay agent ( r ). the relay agent receives the client broadcast request from b and forwards it to the server s using unicast . the dhcp server s knows the subnet of the client from the relay - agent address in the request . the client ip address is allocated based on the subnet in which the relay agent resides . network address translation ( nat ) is a technique for translating one set of ip addresses known in one network to another set of ip addresses known in another . typically , an organization maps its local inside private addresses to one or more global external public ip addresses . there are pre - defined private ip address spaces , e . g ., 10 . 0 . 0 . 0 to 10 . 255 . 255 . 255 is one such range . these ip addresses do not have any global routing significance in the public internet . the source ip address in the outgoing ip packets from hosts with such an address needs to be translated from private to public , and the destination ip address in the incoming packets from public to private . nat conserves the global ip address space by providing independent islands of private ip address networks . usually the mapping is established when a new session ( e . g ., a tcp connection ) is established from a node in the private network to a node in the public network . the mapping exists as long as the session is active . network address and port translation ( napt ) allows use of the same external public ip address for more than one internal private node by using tcp / user datagram protocol ( tcp / udp ) port number for multiplexing multiple sessions . some mobilenat embodiments use napt in the architecture . for example , when a host a , with private address 10 . 0 . 1 . 23 , sends a tcp syn connection establishment packet to an external node b with public address 128 . 59 . 16 . 149 , the packet is intercepted by the nat router ( 10 . 0 . 0 . 1 ). this nat box with external ip 135 . 180 . 132 . 24 , creates a mapping from the private address 10 . 0 . 1 . 23 and port 1987 to its external ip address 135 . 180 . 132 . 24 and port 1734 . the packet is forwarded to node b , as if it was originated from the nat box , by changing the source ip and port to 135 . 180 . 132 . 24 and 1734 respectively . the nat intercepts incoming packets having a destination address 135 . 180 . 132 . 24 and port 1734 , and changes the destination to 10 . 0 . 1 . 23 and the port to 1987 . node a thinks that it is connected to node b &# 39 ; s ip , whereas node b thinks that it is connected to nat &# 39 ; s ip . nats are also useful in connecting the ipv6 islands with the core ipv4 internet . nat devices break application level protocols ( e . g ., real time streaming protocol ( rtsp ) and file transport protocol ( ftp )) that use the host and port information in the application payload for signaling . for example , the rtsp client in private address space may use rtsp messages to ask the server in the public address space to stream the video to 10 . 0 . 1 . 23 . however , this ip address is not visible for the public address node b . this is achieved using application level gateways on the nat box , that can modify the application specific signaling messages for ftp or rtsp . exemplary embodiments can also use midcom . ietf &# 39 ; s midcom ( middle - box communication ) framework decomposes such middle - boxes like nat and firewalls into the application independent ( translation and filtering ) and application dependent ( policy decision and application specific message intercepting ) functions . the router can just implement the application independent filtering and translation , that is in turn controlled by an application level gateway , either co - located or external , in conjunction with appropriate security ( authentication and authorization ) framework . this description of the exemplary embodiments is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings , which are to be considered part of the entire written description . the embodiments described herein address the problem of mobility across address spaces delineated by nat devices . these embodiments provide seamless mobility for devices such as laptops , pdas and sensors with client initiated sessions from the private address space to the public address space . the general architecture is referred to below as , “ mobilenat ,” because address translation may occur in the mobile node and the nat device . an exemplary mobilenat system includes the following features : 1 . use of two ip addresses : an invariant “ virtual ip address ” for host identification at the application layer and an actual routable address at the network layer that changes when the mobile node moves . because virtual address from a private address space can be used without any global routing significance , such virtual addresses do not deplete the ip address resource . 2 . dhcp is used to distribute the virtual and actual ip addresses . a dhcp extension provides virtual ip address and other mobilenat specific parameters . 3 . a new signaling element called the mobility manager ( mm ) may be included . in some embodiments , an mm uses the middle - box communication ( midcom ) framework to signal to the nats the changes in packet processing rules in the event of node movement . in some embodiments , mobilenat can co - exist with mobile ip functions and also , eliminate several mobile ip drawbacks . in particular , overheads such as need for a home agent and home address and use of udp - in - ip tunnels with nated domains can be eliminated in mobilenat systems . also , mobilenat does not require any modifications to the access networks and therefore can be used to provide seamless mobility across heterogenous wireline and wireless networks . different domains may use different access mechanisms ; for example , one domain may use 802 . 11 wireless lans whereas other domain may use 3 g wide area wireless access . each nated domain can be a layer - 2 ( e . g . switched ethernet ) or layer - 3 ( e . g . ip ) routed network . if it is a layer - 3 ip routed domain , then it includes several layer - 2 subnets that are interconnected by ip routers . a mobile node ( mn ) in such a case can experience three kinds of mobility : ( 1 ) layer - 2 mobility within the same subnet , ( 2 ) layer - 3 mobility across subnets , and ( 3 ) layer - 3 mobility across adjacent domains . a mobile node ( mn ) may have several on - going tcp / ip connections ( e . g : web , ftp , telnet , imap ) and udp / ip ( e . g . : voip , rtp ) traffic which are collectively referred to as active sessions . in fig1 , a mobile node mn communicates with a corresponding node cn by way of an anchor node an and at least one router 101 . one problem with the ip address is that it is overloaded with two functionalities : ( a ) host identification by the tcp / udp layer , and ( b ) network attachment information for routing . consider a mobile node ( mn ) with ip address 135 . 180 . 32 . 4 connected to a corresponding node ( cn ) with ip address 128 . 59 . 16 . 149 using tcp . suppose the local and remote port numbers at mn is 1733 and 80 , respectively , for this connection . the tcp layer at mn maintains the five - tuple [ tcp , 135 . 180 . 32 . 4 , 128 . 59 . 16 . 149 , 1733 , 80 ] identifying this connection . similarly the tcp layer in cn identifies the connection as [ tcp , 128 . 59 . 16 . 149 , 135 . 180 . 32 . 4 , 80 , 1733 ]. when the mn moves to a new network , and gets a new ip address ( e . g ., 135 . 180 . 34 . 7 ), the original tcp connection association breaks and the connection is lost . one exemplary approach to solve this problem is to use two ip addresses as shown in fig1 . virtual ip address : a fixed and unique ip address is used for host identification that does not change on mobility . the virtual address is used by the tcp / ip stack and higher layer applications . actual ip address : a routable actual ip address is used for routing purposes , that can change when the host moves . the fixed virtual ip address corresponds to a fixed ( non - mobile ) anchor node ( an ) in the network . it is assumed that one or more mobility domains each include a homogenous address space such as ipv4 or ipv6 address space , and is delineated from the rest of the network by a respective an . using the same example , if the mn &# 39 ; s virtual ip is 135 . 180 . 32 . 4 , then the tcp association at cn will be [ tcp , 128 . 59 . 16 . 149 , 135 . 180 . 32 . 4 , 80 , 1733 ] ( where the five - tuple represents [ tcp , virtual ip , cn , source port and destination port ]). cn sends the packets to this virtual ip , that is received by the an and forwarded to the actual ip of the mn . when the mn moves , its actual ip changes . now the an can forward the packets to the new actual ip of mn . inside the mn , the virtual ip is exposed to the tcp / ip stack and higher layer applications , whereas the actual ip is used for actual routing of the packets . fig2 is a block diagram of the mobile node mn . a thin layer 200 is provided between the tcp / ip stack 202 , 204 and the network interface 201 in the client machine to convert from actual ip to virtual ip and vice - versa . this layer is referred to herein as the shim layer 200 . the address translation happens both in the client &# 39 ; s shim layer 200 as well as at the anchor node ( an ). the an node therefore is a standard nat or napt device . the packet translation is transparent to the cn , as well as the socket 206 and application 208 . both the actual and the virtual ip addresses are unique and different . preferably , the available address range is divided into an actual ip range and a virtual ip range . this division helps in intra - domain sessions as discussed below . the packets from the an to the mn can be forwarded in two modes as shown in fig3 a and 3b : tunneling ( fig3 a ): in this mode an ip - in - ip tunnel is used to forward the packet from the an to the mn . the outer ip header contains the tunnel address to the actual ip of the mn , whereas the inner ip header contains the virtual ip of the mn as known by the cn . the reverse traffic does not necessarily need a tunnel from mn to an . also , the source ip in the outer tunnel header from an to mn can be that of the cn or the mn . translation ( fig3 b ): in this mode the ip header is modified such that the ip addresses are changed from virtual to actual ip of the mn . the advantage of tunneling is that it involves less processing overhead . the disadvantage is the additional header , hence the increased packet size on the wireless link . for example , in the case of a internet telephony application using g . 729 audio codec with 20 ms packetization interval with 20 bytes payload , 12 bytes real - time transport protocol ( rtp ) header , 8 bytes udp header and 20 bytes of ip header , each ip packet in translate mode will have a size of 60 bytes , whereas the size in tunnel mode is 80 bytes ( 33 % more ). in translation mode , one actual ip and one virtual ip address are used per mobile node . in tunnel mode , the same virtual ip address can be shared across multiple nodes , provided a private node does not talk to another private node with the same virtual ip address . the choice between tunnel or translate mode can be made by the client node or can be a domain - wide service provider policy . the chosen mode can be signaled using dhcp . if the network already has a nat at the an , then processing overhead in translation mode is not an issues since the existing nat will already be performing translation . dhcp may be used to allocate the virtual and actual ip of the mn . in some embodiments , a new dhcp option ( shim layer address ) is defined to request and allocate the virtual ip address . the mn requests the dhcp server to allocate a new virtual ip address by setting the shim layer address option to 0 . 0 . 0 . 0 in the request . the server allocates a virtual ip address for this mn , and returns it in the shim layer address option in the dhcp response ( ack ). if the mn is requesting to renew a previously assigned virtual ip address , the mn puts the old shim layer address in this option . typically a mobile node acquires a virtual and an actual ip address on initial boot . for subsequent change in the network , the node renews the old virtual ip address , and get a new actual ip address in each network . although most of the discussion below uses both actual and virtual ip addresses from the private address space , this is not a requirement . a simple translation scheme will work even if both the ip addresses are chosen from the public ip address space as long as the packets go through an intermediate nat device . this can be relevant in the case of communication between nodes in ipv4 internet and ipv6 nat domains . use of a public ip address as virtual or actual ip means that the address should be allocated from the external addresses available with the nat device . this allows the external public node to send the packets to that address and still allows the nat device to intercept and modify the packets . the choice of public virtual address and private actual address is useful for hosting services like web server from the private address space . consider a mn in a private address space connected to a cn in the public address space via a nat device at the address space boundary . when the mn moves , and gets a new actual ip address , the mapping ( packet processing rule ) from the virtual ip to old actual ip should now be changed to a mapping from the same virtual ip to the new actual ip for the mn at the nat for the existing connection . some embodiments include a new network component called mobility manager ( mm ) 412 for the nat domain as shown in fig4 . a nat domain 400 includes a plurality of subnets 401 - 403 , each served by a respective dhcp relay 415 - 417 . the nat 411 serves as the boundary of the nat domain 400 . in some embodiments , every nat domain 400 , 450 has a mm 412 , nat 411 and a dhcp server 410 . these three components may be included in a single physical box 413 ( as shown in fig5 ), or they may be implemented in three separate hardware and / or software components , as shown in fig4 . the mm 412 informs the nat device 411 using the midcom ( middle - box communication ) protocol to change the packet processing rule for the existing connection . a midcom agent 419 ( shown as a small circle in fig4 ) runs on the nat box 411 , receives the requests and updates the packet processing rules . the mm 412 receives the change in ip address indication from the dhcp server 410 . the dhcp server 410 knows the actual and virtual ip address of the mn 412 and informs the mm every time the mn moves to a new actual ip location . in these embodiments , every mobile node knows the ip address of the mm in its domain , as this ip address is sent in a new dhcp options in the response from the dhcp server . some features of mobilenat can be considered analogous to a mobile ip system in co - located mode that is reconfigured with the foreign agent ( fa ) located in the shim - layer ( i . e ., between the network layer software and the network interface card ) and the home agent ( ha ) located in the nat . however , mobilenat has other advantages . for example , using mobilenat , the mn does not need a fixed home agent , and it can dynamically detect and use a nat as a home agent . thus , the nat can be viewed as a per - connection ha as opposed to the per - host ha . the mn can use one nat as a ha for one connection , and another nat as ha for another connection if the node moves from one nat domain to another as discussed below . when the node moves to a new nat domain , it uses the new nat as the home agent for the new connections . fig5 shows the mn startup process . when the mn is started ( initial boot ), it sends a dhcp request ( discover ) 501 to the dhcp server 410 indicating that mn does not have a virtual ip address ( in the request , the shim layer address option contains 0 . 0 . 0 . 0 , and the media access control ( mac ) layer address of mn is included ) as shown in fig5 . the dhcp server 410 allocates a virtual ip of 10 . 128 . 0 . 2 from the free pool of virtual ip range ( 10 . 128 . 0 . 1 - 10 . 255 . 255 . 254 ), and an actual ip of 10 . 0 . 1 . 5 from the free pool of addresses in the actual ip range within this subnet ( 10 . 0 . 1 . 4 - 10 . 0 . 1 . 254 ). the server 410 sends mn a dhcp response 502 that includes virtual and actual ip addresses . the dhcp server 410 also informs the mm 412 to update the nat processing rules of nat 411 . fig5 also shows that the dhcp server 410 , nat 411 and mm 412 may all be contained within a single physical box , and may be implemented as separate processes that share processing , memory and storage hardware resources . fig6 a and 6b shows the address translation process for this example . fig6 a shows the source and destination addresses as seen by various nodes in the system . fig6 b shows the hardware devices and software processes corresponding to the nodes in fig6 a . when the application ( e . g ., a telnet client ) 208 in mn sends a tcp message to the cn with ip 128 . 59 . 16 . 149 , the tcp / ip stack uses the virtual ip of 10 . 128 . 0 . 2 as the source ip as shown in fig6 a . the shim layer 200 translates the source ip from virtual ip address ( 10 . 128 . 0 . 2 ) to actual ip address of 10 . 0 . 1 . 5 and sends it to the network interface driver 201 . the packet reaches the nat device 411 , where it picks up a new external ( public ) ip address of 135 . 180 . 32 . 4 and port 7088 , from it range of external ip and port , for this new connection . the packet processing rule at the nat 411 maps the tuple [ tcp , 10 . 0 . 1 . 5 , 128 . 59 . 16 . 149 , 1756 , 80 ] to [ tcp , 135 . 180 . 32 . 4 , 128 . 59 . 16 . 149 , 7088 , 80 ] in the outgoing direction and the reverse in the incoming direction . similarly the destination ip in packets from cn to mn is changed from 135 . 180 . 32 . 4 to 10 . 0 . 1 . 5 and port from 7088 to 1756 at the nat device 411 . the shim layer 200 in the mn further changes the destination ip from actual ip address 10 . 0 . 1 . 5 to virtual ip address 10 . 128 . 0 . 2 and gives it to the tcp / ip stack 202 , 204 . fig7 shows the dhcp exchange when the mn moves to a new subnet . mn sends a dhcp request 701 with shim layer address option containing the old virtual ip of 10 . 128 . 0 . 2 and requested ip of old actual ip 10 . 0 . 1 . 5 . since the dhcp server 410 discovers that the mn &# 39 ; s relay is not in the same subnet as 10 . 0 . 1 . 5 , but is in the subnet 10 . 0 . 2 . x , it can not allocate the same actual ip of 10 . 0 . 1 . 5 . so the dhcp server sends a nack 702 to the mn . the mn now sends a discover message 703 with the shim layer address option containing 10 . 128 . 0 . 2 and no requested ip . now the dhcp server 410 allocates a new actual ip of 10 . 0 . 2 . 7 in the new subnet , and sends a response 704 to mn . it also informs the mm 412 about the change in the virtual to actual ip mapping so that the mm can change the nat packet processing rules . all occurrences of old actual ip is changed to the new actual ip in the nat packet processing tables . fig8 a and 8b show the various addresses seen by the various nodes after mn has moved to a second subnet . now the shim layer 200 changes the source ip to the new actual ip of 10 . 0 . 2 . 7 for outgoing packets . the source ip is changed to the same old external ip 135 . 180 . 32 . 4 and port 7088 at the nat 411 . a close comparison between fig6 a and 8a shows that the only change is in the actual ip address . since the change in actual ip address from 10 . 0 . 1 . 5 to 10 . 0 . 2 . 7 is visible only in the nat domain between the shim layer 200 and the nat 411 , and is transparent to the tcp / ip stack 202 , 204 and the cn , the connections are preserved . fig9 shows intra - domain sessions when a node mn moves from one subnet 401 to another subnet 402 . for an existing session between the mn ( in subnet 401 ) and the cn , the nat 411 applies the source address translation ( snat ) from actual ip to virtual ip , and the destination address translation ( dnat ) from virtual ip to actual ip . when the mn sends packets to cn , the packets follow route 901 directly to the cn at ip address 10 . 0 . 4 . 9 without going through the nat 411 . when the cn sends packets to the mn , to virtual ip 10 . 128 . 0 . 2 , the packet follows route 902 to reach the nat device 411 , which translates the destination from virtual 10 . 128 . 0 . 2 to actual 10 . 0 . 1 . 5 . note that all the virtual ip addresses are routable to the nat device 411 within the domain . when the mn moves to a new subnet 402 and gets a new actual ip 10 . 0 . 2 . 7 , both the snat and dnat tables are updates to reflect the new actual ip address . the packets from the mn to cn still go directly by route 911 , but packets from cn to the new actual ip 10 . 0 . 2 . 7 of the mn follow route 902 , in which they are forwarded by the nat 411 . although the example shows that the cn is stationary , the scheme works even if cn is also mobile . consider another mobile node mn 2 ( not shown ) with actual ip address as 10 . 10 . 1 . 2 and virtual ip as 10 . 128 . 0 . 3 , talking to first mn ( say mn 1 , not shown ). an application on mn 1 sends the packet with destination ip 10 . 128 . 0 . 3 and source 10 . 128 . 0 . 2 . the shim layer 200 translates the source to actual 10 . 0 . 1 . 5 . nat 411 intercepts the packet , changes the destination address from virtual 10 . 128 . 0 . 3 to actual 10 . 10 . 1 . 2 . it also changes the source address from actual 10 . 0 . 1 . 5 to virtual 10 . 128 . 0 . 2 . the packet is forwarded to mn 2 with source 10 . 128 . 0 . 2 and destination 10 . 10 . 1 . 2 . the shim layer 200 of mn 2 further translates the destination from actual 10 . 10 . 1 . 2 to virtual 10 . 128 . 0 . 3 . both the applications on mn 1 and mn 2 think that the connection is established between the virtual addresses 10 . 128 . 0 . 2 and 10 . 128 . 0 . 3 . now if either mn 1 or mn 2 moves to a new actual ip address , the packets can still be delivered through nat 411 , by mapping the virtual ip to actual ip . in some embodiments , optimization may be performed when both the end - points have mobilenat implementations , so that the packets can be exchanged directly between the two endpoints instead of going through the nat 411 . fig1 shows an exemplary network in which the mobile node mn ( with actual ip 10 . 0 . 2 . 24 and virtual ip 10 . 128 . 0 . 2 ) moves from one nat domain 400 ( with external ip 135 . 180 . 32 . 4 ) to another nat domain 1000 ( with external ip 143 . 32 . 2 . 70 ) and acquires a new actual ip address of 10 . 5 . 7 . 19 . the tcp connection is with the cn 64 . 236 . 16 . 20 at port 80 . since the cn still thinks that it is connected to the old ip 135 . 180 . 32 . 4 , the system signals the old nat 411 ( referred to as home nat for the mobile node ) to forward the packets to the external ip address of the new nat 1011 ( this is called the visited nat ). the new nat 1011 is signaled to forward the packet on this external ip and port to the internal mobile node at its actual ip address . again , the choice of either tunneling or translation between the two nats 411 or 1011 is possible . since the nats 411 , 1011 are expected to be on high - speed wireline network , the bandwidth overhead of tunneling is not really an issue . however , tunneling reduces the number of external ip addresses needed for this migrated connections , as all connections can share the same ip address . there is a problem if another node ( mn 2 not shown ) in the new domain 1000 has the same virtual ip address 10 . 128 . 0 . 2 as this mobile node mn . in this case , the mobile node mn will not be able to connect to the other node mn 2 with same virtual address unless mobile node mn changes it virtual address ( at least for connections in the nat domain 1000 where mn 2 is located ). when the node mn moves to a new nat domain 1000 , it notifies the new dhcp server ( not shown ) that its old virtual ip address was 10 . 128 . 0 . 2 and the old mobility manager ( mm ) 412 associated with old nat 411 was 135 . 180 . 32 . 4 . if the new dhcp server , after authentication , find out that the virtual address 10 . 128 . 0 . 2 is used by another node mn 2 , then the new dhcp server allocates a new unused virtual address ( e . g ., 10 . 128 . 0 . 5 ). the new mm queries the old mm 412 about the existing connections and updates the mapping tables in the home and visited nats 411 and 1011 , respectively . the mobile node mn keeps using the old virtual address 10 . 128 . 0 . 2 for the old connections , and uses the new virtual address 10 . 128 . 0 . 5 for the new connections . the node mn sets the new virtual ip address as the more preferred virtual ip address . unless the mn closes all the old sessions , it can not release the old virtual ip address 10 . 128 . 0 . 2 . until then , mn cannot establish new connection to the other node mn 2 in the network with the same virtual ip address 10 . 128 . 0 . 2 . however mn can still establish connections to other nodes with different ip addresses using its more preferred new virtual ip address 10 . 128 . 0 . 5 . if the node &# 39 ; s os is not capable of assigning two virtual ip addresses to the same interface , the shim layer 200 tries to expose another virtual adaptor with the new virtual ip address 10 . 128 . 0 . 5 . if this also fails , then it gives a choice to the user to ( 1 ) continue with the old sessions , and not establish new sessions , or ( 2 ) close all the existing sessions and start afresh . when the shim layer 200 detects that all the sessions are closed it automatically removes the old virtual ip mappings and uses the new ip for all purposes . however , this involves additional connection tracking overhead in the shim layer 200 . in some embodiments , to avoid the overhead , the shim layer 200 can always prompt the user to make the decision when to start afresh with the new virtual ip address . note that the traffic from the visited nat 1011 to the cn can be either direct , in which case the visited nat fakes its source address as that of the home nat 411 , or it can be through the home nat 411 ( in either tunnel or translate mode ). when the mn moves to a third nat domain ( not shown ), the old visited nat 1011 becomes home nat for some connections , whereas the old home nat 411 remains home nat for the old connections if they are still active . long lived sessions , while the host moves across multiple nat domains may result in many visited and home nats for different connections . local mms may enforce a policy as to how long a node can use its nat as home nat after moving out of this domain . when the node returns back to the home nat , the mm detects this and updates the existing connections mappings . as long as the mn is using the old virtual ip of the home nat domain 400 , it must refresh this address with the old dhcp server . since , the old dhcp server is not accessible from the new nat domain , the mn signals the mobility manager ( mm ) which in turn signals the dhcp server . when the node mn moves to the new nat domain 1000 , the existing intra - domain sessions can also be preserved by altering the translation tables at the visited and home nats 1011 and 411 , respectively . the scenario of a node mn moving from a private nat domain 400 to a public address space 1100 is similar , as shown in fig1 . in tunnel mode , the operation is analogous to mobileip with the home agent at the home nat 411 , and the co - located foreign agent at the mobile node mn . since there is no visited nat in public address space 1100 , the shim layer 200 of mn does the translation on a per - connection basis . moreover , in the absence of a new mm 412 , the shim layer 200 also does additional authentication with the old mm for updating the home nat tables . to simplify the shim layer implementation , some embodiments do not to support this kind of mobility , and instead terminate existing sessions . when a node that is already in a public address space ( presumably using mobile ip with a global home address ), moves to the nat domain , that node can use the existing ip - in - udp tunnel approach . this technique does not use the capabilities of mobilenat . however , if the node &# 39 ; s home agent is co - located with the nat 411 , then it may choose to switch from the mobile ip mode to mobilenat mode . this section describes the design and implementation details of an exemplary mobilenat implementation using windows xp client and a linux nat box . this example supports connection migration of an active tcp telnet session with an external public corresponding node when the internal private mobile node moves from one subnet to another in the same nat domain . there are two main components as shown in fig1 - 14 : client : one exemplary client side implementation shown in fig1 is divided into two parts : the driver layer ( called the shim - layer ) 200 that sits between the tcp / ip stack 202 , 204 and the network interface 201 , and the application level processing ( called mnatc client ) 1201 that processes application level dhcp client messages and interacts with the shim - layer using ioctl calls . a unified mobility client implementation is shown in fig1 . the mobilenat client 1303 and dhcp server client 1304 are provided , similar to those in fig1 . in addition , a mobile ip client 1304 and a network interface selector 1305 are included . server : fig1 shows the server ( nat ) side implementation divided into two parts 1401 and 1402 . portion 1401 includes the dhcp server application 410 that allocates the virtual and actual ip addresses and calls the linux netfilter modules 1408 to change the nat tables 1406 . in portion 1402 , the new setsockopt option allows changing the ip address of the existing connections in the linux connection tracking module 14 - 4 . the example uses the netfilter 1408 , iptables 1406 , ip_conntrack 1404 and ip_nat modules 1411 in the red - hat linux kernel 2 . 4 . 18 for nat functions . the netfilter module 1408 provides a generic framework for any filtering and translation of ip packets for router or host . there are various stages in the routing path where the processing hooks can be applied . in particular , for routers , the pre - routing stage can have destination address translation ( dnat ) and the post - routing stage can have the source address translation ( snat ). moreover , standard nat functionality of mapping internal private ip and port to external public ip and port is implemented using the nat masquerade table in the post routing stage for packet going to the external interface . a connection tracking table maintains the ongoing active or pending connections such that , with the mapping specified in one direction , the reverse mapping is automatically established when the connection is established . for instance , when the private node makes a tcp connection to an external public host , the masquerade table picks up an available external ip and port for the connection and creates the connection tracking entry ( internal datastructure in the memory ). when the reply comes from the public host , the connection tracking entry makes sure that the packet goes to the appropriate internal private node . the various tables like snat , dnat and masquerade can be specified using the iptables command . the iptables module 1406 ( that is a replacement for the old ipchains module ) maintains all these tables . the ip_conntrack 1404 and ip_nat 1411 modules are hooked into the netfilter framework . for every packet , these modules are invoked . the first packet in a session is processed by the ip_nat module 1411 , that looks up into the various iptables tables 1406 , translates the ip address , and creates a connection tracking mapping . all subsequent packets in the session are applied the same address translation . iptables can help specify the initial translation mechanism . for example , one can specify to pick a ip in range 135 . 180 . 32 . 1 - 135 . 180 . 32 . 7 and port 8000 - 10000 for outgoing connections in the masquerade table . however , the exact ip address and port picked up by the ip_nat module 1411 for a connection is stored internally in memory by the ip_conntrack 1404 and ip_nat 1411 modules . to change the actual ip address in the connection tracking , a new setsockopt option is provided . the iptables command is not sufficient for this purpose . the connection tracking module 1404 maintains a hash - table of all the connections in each direction . the hash table has information about the source / destination ip and port and the protocol . the forward direction structure is linked to the reverse direction . the connection structure also has protocol specific information ( port number ) and information about other modules like nat and ftp helper . the hash is computed using the source / destination ip / port and protocol . when the actual ip is changed , the hash for the connection changes , hence it is removed from the old slot in the hash - table and moved to the new slot . the same is true for the internal hash tables in the nat and ftp modules . in one exemplary implementation , the connection tracking module 1404 invokes a call back from the nat module 1411 when such change in ip address happens . a new option so_replace_nat_ip as shown in the code below . this implementation changes the connection structure for forward and reverse connections in the conntrack module 1404 . it also changes the connection hash in ip_conntrack 1404 and ip_nat 1411 modules . the implementation resides in the ip_conntrack module 1404 . the ip_nat module 1411 plugs in a call back in to the ip_conntrack module 1404 , that gets invoked when setsockopt is called . this callback function changes the hash in the ip_nat module 1411 , since those data - structures are not directly accessible from the ip_conntrack module 1404 . since the ip_conntrack module 1404 is loaded before the ip_nat module 1411 , this scheme works . alternatively , one can provide many setsockopt commands , one in each module to update the ip address . in the first scheme , the call back is plugged in from other modules like ftp that maintain their own hash - table with hash consisting of the ip address . in linux nat , snat can be applied only in post - routing ( and not in pre - routing ) and dnat can be applied only in pre - routing ( and not in post - routing ) stages . this means , for intra - domain sessions , the destination is converted from virtual to actual ip before a routing decision is made , and then after the routing decision is made , the source converted from actual to virtual . this causes a problem with the application level helper function , like ftp module in linux nat . the ftp helper module traps the signaling messages , opens the appropriate ports and creates the association with the old connection . for example , consider a node with private address 10 . 0 . 1 . 5 does an ftp transfer to external host 128 . 59 . 16 . 149 , and the nat has allocated the external ip of 135 . 180 . 32 . 4 and port 7088 for this connection . when the node sends an ftp command to download a file , the ftp module in the nat 411 traps the message and changes the source ip and port to that of the external ip and a chosen port . now the ftp server sends the data packets to this new port of nat 411 . the nat 411 in turn forwards the packet to the actual ip and port from the initial signaling message of the private node . now if the actual ip changes from 10 . 0 . 1 . 5 to 10 . 0 . 2 . 7 the ftp module does not know about this change and the old association for the data traffic breaks . in general , nat causes a problem for any protocol that uses the ip address in the signaling messages , e . g ., ftp , rtsp and sip , because the signaling messages generated by the private node contain the private ip address in the messages , whereas the external public host expects a public address . linux nat provides hooks to plug in helper modules ( e . g ., ftp helper module ) to examine the signaling message and alter future ip datagrams related to this signaling session . however , with mobilenat , the ftp module also breaks , since the association is maintained with respect to the actual ip rather than the virtual ip . linux nat does not allow snat in the pre - routing stage so the actual source ip is not changed to the virtual source ip before the ftp module is invoked . an alternative approach is to use two different nats . an internal nat changes the virtual ip to actual ip and vice - versa , and the external nat applies the standard masquerade table for the virtual ip to external ip and port for the connection . however , this involves more processing as the translation needs to be done twice . in other embodiments , the ftp and other helper modules may be enhanced to also provide setsockopt to change the ip from old to new . the udhcp dhcp server is enhanced to support mobilenat . the modifications for virtual ip address affects only mobilenat hosts , and the server can still be used to allocate ip addresses to non - mobilenat hosts . fig1 is a flow - chart for processing at the dhcp server 410 . the server 410 maintains a range of virtual ip addresses and set of ranges for actual ip addresses for different subnets . at step 1500 , the dhcp server 410 reads the configuration of the nat domain , including the dhcp relays included therein . at step 1502 , the server 410 receives a packet , which may be from a mobile node previously assigned virtual and / or actual ip addresses , or from a newly activated mobile node that has not been assigned a virtual or actual ip address . at step 1504 , the server 410 processes the request . steps 1500 to 1504 are repeated for each packet . the details of processing a packet are shown by steps 1506 - 1540 . at step 1506 , the server 410 determines the type of message . if the client indicates that it does not yet have a virtual ip address ( by providing a virtual ip address of 0 . 0 . 0 . 0 in the options ), step 1508 is executed . step 1508 is always the path selected if the mobile node sends a discover message . if the packet is a request message , step 1518 is executed . at step 1508 , the server 410 determines whether the mobile node has a valid lease on the pertinent actual ip address . if the mobile node has a valid lease for a given actual ip address , then at step 1510 , server 410 assigns the leased ip address as the actual ip address . then step 1517 is executed . if ( at step 1508 ) there is no valid lease , then step 1512 is executed . at step 1512 , the ip options requested in the discover message are examined . the mobile node provides its mac address to the server 410 . at step 1514 , if an ip address is requested , then the requested actual ip address is assigned to the mobile node . then step 1517 is executed . at step 1516 , if no ip address is specified in the discover message , then server 410 finds a free address . then step 1517 is executed . at step 1517 , the server 410 sends an offer message to the mobile node , inviting the mobile node to contact the server further . if the message type is request , then at step 1518 , server 410 determines whether the mobile node has a valid lease . if not , then at step 1520 , the request is ignored . if a valid lease exists at step 1518 , then at step 1522 , the server 410 determines whether the requested actual ip address is within the allowable range for the subnet in which the mobile node is currently located ( determined by the location of the access point used ). if not , then at step 1538 , server 410 sends a nack to mobile node mn . in response to the nack , the mobile node will send a new request , including its previously assigned virtual ip address and its mac address ( in place of an actual ip address ). if , at step 1522 , the actual ip address of the mobile node is within the allowable range for the subnet in which the mobile node is currently located , then step 1524 is executed . at step 1524 , server 410 determines whether a matching serverid is present in the configuration parameters and the requested ip matches . if the answer is “ yes ,” then at step 1540 , server 410 sends an ack to the mobile node . this indicates that the mobile node can continue to use the requested virtual and actual ip addresses . if , at step 1524 , either the serverid is absent or not matching , or the requested ip does not match , then step 1526 is executed . at step 1526 , a determination is made whether a requested ip is present in the ip options . if there is a requested ip , step 1528 is executed . at step 1528 , a determination is made whether the requested ip equals the ip leased by this mobile node . if the answer is “ yes ,” then server 410 sends an ack to the mobile node , renewing the lease on the requested ip addresses . if the requested ip does not equal the ip leased by this mobile node , then step 1530 is executed , by sending a nack to the mobile node . in response to the nack , the mobile node will send a new request , including its previously assigned virtual ip address and its mac address ( in place of an actual ip address ). for the case where the requested ip is not present , at step 1532 , if the client address equals the leased address , then step 1534 is executed by sending an ack . for the case where the requested ip is not present , at step 1532 , if the client address does not equal the leased address , then step 1536 is executed by sending a nack . note that a new ip address is allocated in response to a discover message , whereas the existing allocated ip is returned in response to a request message . the virtual ip address is returned in the shim layer address option in both offer and ack only if the corresponding request had a shim layer address option . the actual ip address is allocated based on the sub - net of the relay agent . once virtual and actual ip are allocated for a host , the dhcp server updates the snat and dnat tables in nat to map the actual source ip to virtual source ip and the virtual destination ip to the actual destination ip for the packets coming in and going out on internal interface respectively . note that snat and dnat are not applied for the connection from internal private node to external public node . these are used only for intra - domain sessions . if the dhcp server detects that the actual ip was changed for a give virtual ip for a node , then it also updates the connection tracking module with setsockopt command to change the internal hash - table for the connection . receives notification about actual and virtual ip address allocation from dhcp server 410 . update nat packet processing rules using the midcom framework . listen to administrative commands from other mm in other nat domains for connection list , or change in ip address . inform the dhcp server 410 to renew a given virtual ip address for a node which has left this domain . in one exemplary embodiment , the mm is part of the dhcp server and has only limited functionality . in other embodiments , the mm may be implemented in a standalone hardware or software component . the network driver interface specification ( ndis ) is a set of standards developed by microsoft and 3com for network drivers that enables ( 1 ) communication between a network interface card ( nic ) and a protocol ( such as tcp / ip or netbios ), and ( 2 ) use of multiple protocols on the same network . the windows os supports several types of kernel - mode network drivers . for instance , a miniport driver directly manages a network interface card ( nic ) and provides an interface to higher - level drivers . an intermediate driver interfaces between upper - level protocol drivers , such as a legacy transport driver , and a miniport driver . a typical reason to develop an intermediate protocol driver is to perform media translation between an existing legacy transport driver and a miniport driver that manages a nic for a new media type unknown to the transport driver . an upper - level protocol driver implements a transport driver interface ( tdi ) or an application - specific interface , at its upper edge to provide services to users of the network . at its lower edge , a protocol driver provides a protocol interface to pass packets to and receive incoming packets from the next - lower driver . in addition , there can be a filter - hook driver to extend the functionality of the ip filter driver in the os . in one embodiment , a new intermediate driver exposes itself as a miniport driver to the protocol level and a protocol driver to the miniport level drivers . the relationships between miniport drivers , protocol drivers , intermediate drivers and ndis are illustrated in fig1 . one problem with the windows network driver implementation is that the tcp / ip and bunch of other protocols like arp , dhcp , icmp , etc ., are combined into a single black - box called the tcpip . sys driver . since the application developer and driver developers do not have control over the intermediate functionality of the different layers like tcp and ip , or different protocols like dhcp and icmp , much functionality is duplicated in the intermediate driver , to handle the dhcp , arp , and re - computation of check - sum when an ip address changes from actual to virtual and vice - versa . in one embodiment , the shim - layer 200 is implemented as an intermediate driver . it forwards all the dhcp messages to the external mobilenat client . shim layer 200 gets notification of its actual ip , virtual ip , subnet mask and gateway ip from this mobilenat client 1201 . once the shim layer 200 gets its gateway ip , it initiates an outgoing arp request for this gateway ip to get the mac address of the gateway . the mobilenat client 1201 is responsible for sending the dhcp responses to the client dhcp requests from tcp / ip layer 202 , 204 . it also does the actual dhcp client transactions with the external dhcp server 410 to get the actual ip , virtual ip , subnet mask , gateway ip and other configuration parameters . the intermediate driver , called the passthru driver is modified from the windows ddk example driver . essentially the driver examines all the messages going in either direction . if the packet contains a dhcp message , than the packet is forwarded to the registered client application . the driver allows registering client applications as message consumers . a dhcp message is essentially a udp message with source port 68 and destination port 67 for outgoing direction , and source port 67 and destination port 68 for the incoming direction . the dhcp standard client port is 68 and server port is 67 . the driver also provides a new ioctl command to set the mode to one of mobile_ip_home , mobile_ip_foreign , mobile_nat_translate and passthru . in the passthru mode the driver acts as a passthru module without modifying any packet . the other modes allow a single driver to be used in the mobileip and mobilenat clients . other ioctl commands are used in mobilenat mode to set the virtual ip , actual ip , gateway ip and subnet mask . in the mobile_nat_translate mode the packet is processing in the outgoing direction in virtual - miniport as follows : else if the arp is done for an ip that is not one embodiment detects if the ip address is in the same subnet as the actual ip by masking the ip address and the actual ip address with the actual subnet mask . if the masked network part are same then the two ip addresses are in the same subnet . the connection status indication ( media disconnect or connect ) from the miniport are blocked at the driver so that the higher tcp / ip layer never knows about the network disconnection . the mobilenat client 1201 implements a dhcp client state machine as shown in r . droms ., “ dynamic host configuration protocol .” rfc 2131 , internet engineering task force , march 1997 , which is incorporated by reference herein . however , to combat the huge dhcp latency the timer values are manipulated for faster response . the client , mnatc . exe must be running on the mobile node for mobilenat functionality . the client state machine is explained in the following pseudo - code . the client 1201 responds with the virtual ip address to the tcp / ip layer in the dhcp response . the default gateway address is fixed as 10 . 0 . 0 . 1 and the subnet mask is 255 . 0 . 0 . 0 . other parameters , like dns server ip address , domain name , server id , etc ., are passed as they are received from the actual dhcp server . in a way , the client 1201 implements a dhcp server to respond to the dhcp requests from the tcp / ip layer 202 , 204 , and a dhcp client to actually request the external dhcp server for configuration parameters . the response to the tcp / ip layer 202 , 204 indicates that the virtual ip lease will never expire , whereas the client state machine takes care of renewing the actual ip lease from the external dhcp server 410 before it expires , transparent to the tcp / ip layer . since the media disconnect indication is blocked in the shim layer 200 , tcp / ip layer 202 , 204 does not know about the media status and does not initiate any new dhcp translation when the cable is re - connected . one embodiment 1301 ( fig1 ) separates the dhcp client and server functions 1304 from the mobilenat client 1303 such that the client 1301 can be used by both mobilenat 1303 and mobileip 1305 clients as an integrated unified mobility client . the dhcp functionality is used in co - located mobile ip mode . secondly , the interface and network selector module 1306 allows selecting the appropriate interface ( e . g ., if the host has both 3 g access and 802 . 11 access ) and appropriate network ( e . g ., if the host is within range of two different access points , it can use the signal strength and / or user defined priority to determine which interface type and access point to choose ). these modules enable a unified mobility client that can operate in simple ip , mobile ip or mobile nat modes as needed . mobile node is authorized to use the access point . this happens even before the first dhcp message is exchanged . the dhcp messages exchanged between the mobile node and the dhcp server are authenticated . the timestamp is included in the signature to prevent replay attacks . this verifies to the dhcp server 410 that it is talking to the correct client , and to the client that it is talking to the correct server . dhcp authentication is used for this . the dhcp server 410 , mobility manager 412 and nat 411 are mutually trusted entities and provide secure communication among themselves . the mobility managers 412 in different domains should use appropriate secure communication for signaling . mobilenat should work with ip security ( ipsec ). the ah ( authentication header ) mode is not possible with network address translator devices in the network , however the esp ( encapsulated security payload ) should be allowed . ipsec is used in vpns ( virtual private networks ). mobilenat should work with transport layer security ( tls ) like secure socket layer ( ssl ). the inter - domain mobility requires packet flow between two different nats 411 in two different domains , i . e ., the home nat forwards the packets to the visited nat . the system should provide an option to allow reverse tunneling from visited nat to home nat also such that the visited nat does not have to spoof the source ip address . the mobile nodes subscribed to an independent service provider with appropriate authentication , authorization and accounting ( aaa ) infrastructure should be allowed to roam in the mobilenat domain . in some embodiments , using a mobile ip driver below ipsec provides additional advantages . typically , when an mn is connected to a network ipsec software will establish a tunnel between the mn and the ipsec gateway that is sitting in some enterprise network . the examples described above enable moving the tunnel ( when the mn moves its local attachment ). thus , in addition to mobile ip &# 39 ; s general support for moving between networks , the examples allow the tunnel sitting on top to actually moves along with the mobile ip client movement . when the mn moves from one network to another , locally , whatever the gateway ipsec remembers would be wrong . in the example , by putting in the mobility client driver below ipsec , a dummy ip address and a dummy mac address are provided to the gateway , and then the ipsec client driver remembers that to always be the same . thus , the ipsec client driver already thinks that it is attached to the same gateway even though underneath the interfaces are changing , and the networks are changing . in one exemplary implementation , the ipsec client driver inquires about the gateway using arp by sending a packet down to the network . the inquiry is intercepted , and a mac address is provided in return , without sending the inquiry out into the network . a number of other issues like scalability , security , paging , fast - handoff and deployment issues are addressed for a complete mobility solution . route optimization for intra - domain sessions : all packets to the virtual address of mn goes to the nat devices 411 before getting routed to the actual address of the mn . if an mn ( mn 1 ) is talking to another mn ( mn 2 ) in the same nat domain , then the routing path can be optimized by sending packets directly between the two nodes . however mn 1 needs to detect that the other side mn 2 is also a mobilenat client in the same domain and indicate to it the actual ip address , such that the packets by other side mn 2 can be sent directly to the actual ip address of mn 1 . when mn 1 moves , the other side mn 2 will detect the icmp host unreachable error and will start sending the packets to the virtual ip ( to the nat 411 ) again . this requires additional signaling to convey the actual ip of the other end point . there are two options : define a signaling between the two mns or define a signaling from the nat / mm to the mn . either approach should allow secure ( authenticated and authorized ) signaling . co - existence with mobile ip and hawaii : if a mobile node mn uses mobile ip instead of mobilenat it can still roam in the nat domain . the only difference is that it does not have a virtual ip address . other ip based micro - mobility mechanisms ( like hawaii or heirarchical mobile ip ) can also co - exist with the mobilenat scheme . co - existence with other ip clients that are not mobile : a non - mobile client using ip can also exist in the nat domain . embodiments using parts of other existing protocols : parts of protocols like idmp , rsip , ipv6 may be used in some of the exemplary embodiments . for example , address translation from idmp and destination option from ipv6 can be reused in some embodiments instead of inventing a new signaling option . ipv6 in nat domain : with an ipv6 nat domain , there is no need to use private ip addresses , as there will be plenty of ipv6 public addresses . this involves the case when the mn has virtual and actual public ip addresses . however , the nat device 411 is still used to translate between this ipv6 domain and the external ipv6 public internet . single unified mobile ip and simple ip client : one embodiment ( not shown ) includes a combined unified mobile ip , simple ip and mobilenat client such that the client can use the best available and best suited mechanism for mobility and network access . for instance , if a foreign agent is not found but a mobility manager is present , then it uses the mobilenat scheme , whereas if a foreign agent is found and a mobility manager is also present but the user wants to host a service ( e . g ., web server ) then it may use the mobile ip scheme with a well known external public ip address . mobility to 3 g network : some embodiments use the system to provide mobility to a node in 3 g network . the nat , mobility manager and dhcp server sit on the packet data serving node ( pdsn ) of the 3 g network . paging using ip multicast : some embodiments may reuse existing ip multicast based paging mechanisms in mobilenat . multiple nat for load balancing : in some embodiments , it may be desirable to share the address translation load among multiple distributed nat devices in a single domain . secondly , in some embodiments , a network can have more than one nat devices along the path from mn to cn . services by mobile node using dns updates or public ip address : if a mobile user wants to host a public service ( e . g ., web server or media server ) it should be accessible from outside the nat domain . this is a generic problem with nat . in some embodiments , the mobilenat system is extended to allow leasing a public virtual ip address to the internal node from the external public address pool available with the nat device . alternatively , dynamic dns updates can be used to update the host name to ip address mapping for the mobile node . aaa integration : in some embodiments , the system may integrate with existing authentication mechanisms , e . g ., using remote authentication dial - in user service ( radius ), to an external aaa infrastructure . mobilenat at both end - points : if mobilenat is used at both the end - points in the connection , then there is no need for any intermediate nat device . however , additional signaling is used between the two endpoints to convey the mappings as dhcp can not be used . change in the client : in the examples described above , the client software is changed ( installing the shim layer driver 200 and running the mobilenat client 1201 ). even mobile ip requires change in the client software . an alternative approach could be to move the address translation function from the shim layer to the default gateway ( or foreign agent ) in the sub - net . however , this alternative approach requires deploying foreign agents in every domain . changing the client machine may be easier than change in the infrastructure , given that installing a new software or driver is simple for the microsoft windows users . fast hand - off and dhcp latency : dhcp introduces additional latency that is not suitable for fast hand - off . in some embodiments , the dhcp implementation is modified so as to remove the timeouts on mobility ( of the mobile node ). however this approach implies a non - standard dhcp implementation . alternatively a different signaling protocol may be used for mobility between the mobile node and the mobility manager . intra - domain session in the case of inter - domain mobility : if a mobile node is talking to another node in the same domain , and the mobile node moves to another domain , there can be problems , as noted above . ( this kind of problem happens only when there is a collision in the ip address in the new domain .) these can be resolved by user intervention . the user can choose to continue with the existing sessions and do not allow new sessions , or stop the existing sessions and start afresh . an alternative approach is to allocate exclusive - or ( independent ) range of virtual ip addresses among different nat domains . this procedurally ensures that a mobile node in one nat domain does not have the same virtual ip address as another mobile node in a different nat domain . this may be relatively easy to implement in a single service provider network with multiple nat domains . application layer signaling with nat : as discussed above , nat causes problems with application level protocols like sip , ftp and rtsp that use the ip address in the signaling messages . the nat implementation should allow helper functions for these protocols to take care of the change in actual ip address without breaking the connection . in some alternative embodiments , existing helper functions in linux nat can be used with virtual ip address instead of actual ip address . this approach uses double translation at the nat device , first from actual ip to virtual ip and then from virtual ip to the external public ip address of the nat device . in some embodiments , intra - domain sessions are optimized to reduce load on the nat . the exemplary embodiment does not require any change in the routing infrastructure in the domain and does not require any foreign agent . a domain wide dhcp server , nat and mobility manager are deployed . most routers have built - in address translation functions that can be enabled . the present invention may be embodied in the form of computer - implemented processes and apparatus for practicing those processes . the present invention may also be embodied in the form of computer program code embodied in tangible media , such as floppy diskettes , read only memories ( roms ), cd - roms , hard drives , zip ™ disks , flash memory , or any other computer - readable storage medium , wherein , when the computer program code is loaded into and executed by a computer , the computer becomes an apparatus for practicing the invention . the present invention may also be embodied in the form of computer program code , for example , whether stored in a storage medium , loaded into and / or executed by a computer , or transmitted over some transmission medium , such as over the electrical wiring or cabling , through fiber optics , or via electromagnetic radiation , wherein , when the computer program code is loaded into and executed by a computer , the computer becomes an apparatus for practicing the invention . when implemented on a general - purpose processor , the computer program code segments configure the processor to create specific logic circuits . although the invention has been described in terms of exemplary embodiments , it is not limited thereto . rather , the appended claims should be construed broadly , to include other variants and embodiments of the invention , which may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and range of equivalents of the invention . | 7 |
the present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings , in which typical embodiments of the invention are shown . the invention may , however , be embodied in 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 . in the drawings , the thickness of layers and regions are exaggerated for clarity . it will also be understood that when a layer is referred to as being “ on ” another layer or substrate , it can be directly on the other layer or substrate , or intervening layers may also be present . like numbers refer to like elements throughout . referring now to fig4 and fig5 , a device isolation layer 53 is located at a predetermined area of a semiconductor substrate 51 to define a plurality of active regions 53 a . a plurality of insulated gate electrodes 57 ( i . e ., a plurality of word lines ) are arranged across the active regions 53 a and the device isolation layer 53 . the gate electrodes 57 are parallel and extend along a row direction ( y - axis ). each of the active regions 53 a intersects a couple of gate electrodes 57 to divide each of the active regions 53 a into three parts . a common drain region 61 d is formed at an active region 53 a between the pair of the gate electrodes 57 . source regions 61 s are formed at active regions 53 a that are located at both sides of the common drain region 61 d . cell transistors are formed at points where the gate electrodes 57 intersect the active regions 53 a . the cell transistors are arrayed along a column direction ( x - axis ) and the row direction ( y - axis ). the cell transistors are covered with a lower interlayer insulating layer 74 . a plurality of bit lines 71 are arranged in the lower interlayer insulating layer 74 , transverse to the word lines 57 . the bit lines 71 are electrically connected to the common drain regions 61 d through bit line contact holes 71 a . the source regions 61 s are exposed by storage node contact holes 75 a that penetrate the lower interlayer insulating layer 74 . preferably , an upper sidewall of the storage node contact hole 75 a has a sloped profile . each of the storage node contact holes 75 a is filled with contact plugs 75 . an upper diameter of the contact plug 75 is larger than a lower diameter thereof , as shown in fig5 . a plurality of ferroelectric capacitors 82 ( cp shown in fig4 ) are arrayed along the column direction ( x - axis ) and the row direction ( y - axis ). each of the ferroelectric capacitors 32 includes a bottom electrode 77 , a ferroelectric layer pattern 79 , and a top electrode 81 . respective ones of the bottom electrodes 77 are located on respective ones of the contact plugs 75 . as a result , the bottom electrodes 77 are electrically connected to the source regions 61 s through the contact plugs 75 . preferably , gaps between the ferroelectric capacitors 82 are filled with insulating layer patterns 85 a . preferably , a hydrogen barrier layer pattern 83 a is disposed between the insulating layer pattern 85 a and the ferroelectric capacitors 82 . preferably , the hydrogen barrier layer pattern 83 a is made of titanium oxide ( tio 2 ), aluminum oxide ( al 2 o 3 ), silicon nitride ( si 3 n 4 ), or a combination thereof . this makes it possible to prevent hydrogen atoms from penetrating into the ferroelectric layer pattern 79 . if hydrogen atoms are implanted into the ferroelectric pattern 79 , a reliability of the ferroelectric pattern 79 may be degraded . for example , if hydrogen atoms are injected into a ferroelectric layer such as pzt ( pb , zr , tio 3 ) layer , oxygen atoms in the pzt layer may react with the hydrogen atoms to cause an oxygen vacancy therein . owing to the oxygen vacancy , a polarization characteristic of the ferroelectric layer may deteriorate and cause malfunction . if hydrogen atoms are captured in interface traps between the ferroelectric layer pattern and top / bottom electrodes , an energy barrier therebetween may be lowered . accordingly , leakage current characteristics of the ferroelectric capacitors may be deteriorated . a plurality of local plate lines 87 ( pl shown in fig4 ) are arranged on the ferroelectric capacitors 82 and the insulating layer pattern 85 a . the local plate lines 87 extend along the row direction ( y - axis ). a respective one of the local plate lines 87 covers a respective pair of adjacent rows of ferroelectric capacitors 82 . the local plate line 87 directly contacts with the top electrodes 81 of the underlying adjacent rows of capacitors 82 . the local plate lines 87 are covered with an upper interlayer insulating layer . the upper interlayer insulating layer may include first and second upper interlayer insulating layers 89 and 93 . a plurality of main word lines 91 may be disposed between the first and second upper interlayer insulating layers 89 and 93 . generally , each of the main word lines 91 controls four word lines 57 using a decoder . a main plate line 97 may be arranged in the upper interlayer insulating layer between the main word lines 91 . the main plate lines 97 are electrically connected to the local plate lines 87 through a slit - type via hole 95 penetrating the upper interlayer insulating layer . the slit - type via hole 95 extends in parallel along the row direction ( y - axis ). a width of the slit - type via hole 95 is larger than a diameter of the via hole ( 39 of fig3 ) of the prior art . the local plate line 87 directly contacts the upper surfaces of the top electrodes 81 . in some embodiments , a plate line may be composed of the local plate line 87 and the main plate line 97 . in other embodiments , the plate line may be composed of only the local plate line 87 or only the main plate line 97 . particularly , if the plate line is composed of only the main plate line 97 , the insulating layer pattern 85 a is preferably made of material having an etch selectivity with respect to the upper interlayer insulating layer . for example , if the upper interlayer insulating layer is made of silicon oxide , the insulating pattern 85 a is preferably made of silicon nitride . a ferroelectric memory device according to second embodiments of the invention is shown in fig6 . in these embodiments , cell transistors , a lower interlayer insulating layer , and contact plugs have the same configuration as those in the embodiments of fig5 . further description of these components is therefore omitted in light of the foregoing description . referring to fig4 and fig6 , a plurality of ferroelectric capacitors covering the contact plugs 75 are located on the lower interlayer insulating layer 74 . therefore , the ferroelectric capacitors are 2 - dimensionally arranged along the row and column directions . each of the ferroelectric capacitors includes a bottom electrode 101 , a ferroelectric layer pattern 103 , and a common top electrode 109 . the common top electrode 109 is extended to cover ferroelectric layer patterns 103 in adjacent rows . the common top electrode 109 extends along the row direction , similar to the local plate line pl shown in fig4 . preferably , gaps between the ferroelectric patterns 103 and between the bottom electrodes 101 are filled with an insulating layer pattern 107 a . preferably , a hydrogen barrier layer pattern 105 a is disposed between the lower insulating layer pattern 107 a and at least the ferroelectric layer pattern 103 . the common top electrode 109 is covered with an upper insulating layer 111 . the upper insulating layer 111 has a slit - type contact hole that exposes the common top electrode 109 . the slit - type contact hole extends along the row direction ( y - axis ) and is covered with a local plate line 113 ( pl shown in fig4 ). the local plate line 113 is electrically connected to the common top electrode 109 through the slit - type contact hole . the local plate line 113 is covered with an upper interlayer insulating layer including first and second upper interlayer insulating layers 115 and 119 . a plurality of main word lines 117 may be disposed between the first and second upper interlayer insulating layers 115 and 119 . the main word lines 117 extend in parallel along the row direction . a main plate line 123 may be located in the upper interlayer insulating layer between the main word lines 117 . the main plate line 123 is electrically connected to the local plate line 113 through a slit - type via hole 121 that penetrates the upper interlayer insulating layer . the slit - type via hole 121 extends along the row direction ( y - axis ). a plate line includes the local plate line 113 and the main plate line 123 . alternatively , the plate line may consist of only the local plate line 113 or only the main plate line 123 . a ferroelectric memory device according to third embodiments of the invention is shown in fig7 . in these embodiments , cell transistors , a lower interlayer insulating layer , and contact plugs have the same configuration as those in the embodiments of fig5 . further description of these components will therefore be omitted in light of the foregoing description . referring to fig4 and fig7 , a plurality of ferroelectric capacitors covering respective ones of the contact pugs 75 is arranged on the lower interlayer insulating layer 74 , such that the ferroelectric capacitors are arrayed along row and column directions . each of the ferroelectric capacitors includes a bottom electrode 151 , a common ferroelectric layer pattern 155 , and a common top electrode 157 . the common ferroelectric pattern 155 is extended to cover the bottom electrodes 151 of at least two adjacent rows . the common top electrode 157 is stacked on the common ferroelectric layer pattern 155 . therefore , the common ferroelectric pattern 155 and the common top electrode 157 extend along the row direction , similar to the local plates line pl shown in fig4 . preferably , a gap area between the bottom electrodes 151 is filled with a lower insulating layer pattern 153 a , and gap areas between the common ferroelectric layer patterns 155 and between the common top electrodes 157 are filled with a top insulating layer pattern 161 . a hydrogen barrier layer pattern 159 may be disposed between the top insulating layer pattern 161 and at least the common ferroelectric layer pattern 155 . a local plate line 163 ( e . g ., corresponding to the plate line pl shown in fig4 ) is located on the common top electrode 157 . the local plate line 163 extends in the row direction . the local plate line 163 is covered with an upper interlayer insulating layer , which includes first and second upper interlayer insulating layers 165 and 169 . a plurality of main word lines 167 may be disposed between the first and second upper interlayer insulating layers 165 and 169 . the main word lines 167 extend in parallel along the row direction . a main plate line 173 may be disposed in the upper interlayer insulating layer between the main word lines 167 . the main plate line 173 is electrically connected to the local plate line 163 through a slit - type via hole 171 that penetrates the upper interlayer insulating layer . the slit - type via hole 171 extends along the row direction ( y - axis ). a plate line includes the local plate line 163 and the main plate line 173 . alternatively , the plate line may consist of only the local plate line 163 or only the main plate line 173 . a method of fabricating a ferroelectric memory device according to some embodiments of the present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to fig8 through fig1 . referring now to fig8 , a device isolation layer 53 is formed in a predetermined area of a semiconductor substrate 51 to define a plurality of active regions 53 a . a gate insulating layer , a gate conductive layer , and a capping insulating layer are sequentially formed on the semiconductor substrate 51 . the capping insulating layer , the gate conductive layer , and the gate insulating layer are successively patterned to form a plurality of gate patterns 60 crossing over the active regions and the device isolation layer 53 . each of the gate patterns 57 includes a gate insulating layer pattern 55 , a gate electrode 57 , and a capping insulating layer pattern 59 . using the gate patterns 60 and the device isolation layer 53 as ion implantation masks , impurities are implanted into the active regions to form three impurity regions in each of the active regions . a central impurity region corresponds to a common drain region 61 d , and the other regions correspond to source regions 61 s . therefore , a couple of cell transistors are formed in each of the active regions . the cell transistors are arrayed on the semiconductor substrate 51 along row and column directions . then , a spacer 63 is formed on a sidewall of the gate pattern 60 using , for example , conventional processes . referring now to fig9 , a first lower interlayer insulating layer 65 is formed on the semiconductor substrate . the first lower interlayer insulating layer 65 is patterned to form pad contact holes exposing the source / drain regions 61 s and 61 d . a conventional technique may be used to form storage node pads 67 s and bit line pads 67 d in the pad contact holes . the storage node pads 67 s are connected to the source regions 61 s , and the bit line pad 67 d is connected to the common drain region 61 d . a second lower interlayer insulating layer 69 is formed on the pads 67 s and 67 d . the second lower interlayer insulating layer 69 is patterned to form a bit line contact hole ( 71 a shown in fig4 ) exposing the bit line pad 67 d . a bit line 71 is formed , contacting the bit line pad 67 d . referring now to fig1 , a third lower interlayer insulating layer 73 is formed on the bit line 71 . the second and third lower interlayer insulating layers 69 and 73 are patterned to form storage node contact holes ( 75 a shown in fig4 ) exposing the storage node pads 67 s . the storage node contact hole may be formed by a wet and / or dry etch process to increase an upper diameter thereof . accordingly , an upper sidewall of the storage node contact hole may have a sloped profile , as shown in the drawing . this is aimed at decreasing in an electrical resistance between a lower electrode , formed in a subsequent process , and the source region 61 s . contact plugs 75 are formed in the storage node contact holes . referring now to fig1 , a conductive bottom electrode layer , a ferroelectric layer , and a conductive top electrode layer are sequentially formed on the contact plugs 75 and the lower interlayer insulating layer 74 . the top electrode layer , the ferroelectric layer , and the bottom electrode layer are successively patterned to form a plurality of ferroelectric capacitors 82 ( cp shown in fig4 ) that are arrayed along row and column directions . each of the ferroelectric capacitors 82 includes a bottom electrode 77 , a ferroelectric layer pattern 79 , and a top electrode 81 . respective ones of the bottom electrodes 77 are in contact with respective ones of the contact plugs 75 . thus , respective ones of the ferroelectric capacitors 82 are electrically connected to respective ones of the source regions 61 s . an insulating layer 85 is formed on the resultant structure . prior to formation of the insulating layer 85 , a conformal hydrogen barrier layer 83 may be formed . preferably , the hydrogen barrier layer 83 is made of titanium oxide ( tio 2 ), aluminum oxide ( al 2 o 3 ), silicon nitride ( si 3 n 4 ), or combination thereof . referring now to fig1 , the insulating layer 85 and the hydrogen barrier layer 83 are planarized to expose the top electrodes 81 . thus , a hydrogen barrier layer pattern 83 a and an insulating layer pattern 85 a are formed between the ferroelectric capacitors 82 . the hydrogen barrier layer pattern 83 a covers sidewalls of the ferroelectric capacitors 82 ( i . e ., sidewalls of the ferroelectric layer patterns 79 ), thereby preventing hydrogen atoms from being injected into the ferroelectric layer patterns 79 . if hydrogen atoms are injected into , the ferroelectric layer patterns 79 , characteristics of ferroelectric capacitors 82 , such as a polarization characteristic or a leakage current characteristic , may be deteriorated . as a result , the hydrogen barrier layer pattern 83 a can improve characteristics of the ferroelectric capacitors 82 . a conductive lower plate layer is formed on an entire surface of the semiconductor substrate including the insulating layer pattern 85 a . the conductive lower plate layer is patterned to form local plate line 87 ( pl shown in fig4 ) that extends parallel with the word lines 57 . the local plate line 87 directly contacts the common electrode 81 . an upper interlayer insulating layer is formed on the local plate line 87 . the upper interlayer insulating layer is formed by sequentially stacking first and second upper interlayer insulating layers 89 and 93 . prior to formation of the second upper interlayer insulating layer 93 , a plurality of parallel main word lines 91 may be formed on the first upper interlayer insulating layer 89 . one main word line 91 may control four word lines 57 through a decoder . referring now to fig1 , the upper interlayer insulating layer is patterned to form a slit - type via hole 95 exposing the local plate line 87 . the slit - type via hole 95 is formed between the main word lines 91 , in parallel with the main word lines 91 . compared with a prior art , the slit - type via hole 95 has greater width , as shown in the drawing . nevertheless , a spacing ( a ) between the slit - type via hole 95 and the adjacent main word lines 91 can be greater , compared with the prior art . this can lead to a significant decrease in the probability that the word lines 91 will be exposed , even though the slit - type via hole 95 is formed by wet and dry etch in order to lower an aspect ratio thereof . a conductive upper plate layer , such as a metal layer , is formed on the resultant structure , passing through the slit - type via hole 95 to contact the common top electrode 87 . the upper plate layer may exhibit good step coverage because the aspect ratio of the slit - type via hole 95 may be kept relatively low . the upper plate layer is patterned to form a main plate line 97 . modifications of the embodiments described in fig8 - 13 will now be described with reference to fig1 . these modified embodiments differ in the manner in which local plate lines 87 are formed . in the modified embodiments , not only the top electrodes 81 , but also the insulating layer pattern 85 a therebetween , are exposed during formation of the slit - type via hole 95 . accordingly , the insulating layer pattern 85 a is preferably made of material ( e . g ., silicon nitride ) having an etch selectivity with respect to the upper interlayer insulating layer . operations for fabricating a ferroelectric memory device according to additional embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to fig1 through fig1 . in these embodiments , cell transistors , a lower interlayer insulating layer , and contact plugs can be formed in the same manner as the embodiments described in fig8 - 13 . referring now to fig1 , a conductive bottom electrode layer and a ferroelectric layer are sequentially formed on the lower interlayer insulating layer 74 and the contact plugs 75 . the ferroelectric layer and the bottom electrode layer are successively patterned to form a plurality of bottom electrodes 101 covering the contact plugs 75 , and a plurality of ferroelectric layer patterns 103 stacked on the bottom electrodes 101 . a hydrogen barrier layer 105 and a lower insulating layer 107 are sequentially formed on the ferroelectric layer patterns 103 . referring now to fig1 , the lower insulating layer 107 and the hydrogen barrier layer 105 are planarized to expose the ferroelectric layer patterns 103 . thus , a lower insulating layer pattern 107 a and a hydrogen barrier layer pattern 105 a are formed in gaps between the ferroelectric layer patterns 103 and between the bottom electrodes 101 . a conductive top electrode layer is formed on the lower insulating layer pattern 107 a , the hydrogen barrier layer pattern 105 a , and the ferroelectric layer patterns 103 . the top electrode layer is patterned to form a common top electrode 109 that extends parallel to the word lines 57 . the common top electrode 109 covers the ferroelectric layer patterns 103 . referring now to fig1 , an upper insulating layer 111 is formed on the common top electrode 109 . the upper insulating layer 111 is patterned to form a slit - type contact hole exposing the common top electrode 109 . a conductive lower plate layer is formed , contacting the common top electrode 109 through the slit - type contact hole . the lower plate layer is patterned to form a local plate line 113 ( pl shown in fig4 ). first and second upper interlayer insulating layers 113 and 119 are sequentially formed on the local plate line . a plurality of main word lines 117 may be formed between the first and second interlayer insulating layers 113 and 119 . the main word lines 117 are formed in the same manner as in the previously described embodiments . referring to fig1 , a slit - type via hole 121 is formed in the upper interlayer insulating layer . a main plate line 123 is then formed as previously described . modifications of the embodiments described in fig1 - 18 will now be described with reference to fig1 . the modified embodiments are identical to the embodiments of fig1 - 18 , except that the local plate line 115 is not formed . in this case , the slit - type via hole 121 exposes the common top electrode 109 . a method of fabricating a ferroelectric memory device according to further embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to fig2 through fig2 . in these embodiments , cell transistors , a lower interlayer insulating layer , and contact plugs are formed in the same manner as in the previously described embodiments . referring now to fig2 , a conductive bottom electrode layer is formed on the lower interlayer insulating layer 74 and the contact plugs 75 . the bottom electrode layer is patterned to form a plurality of bottom electrodes 151 covering the contact plugs 75 . a lower insulating layer 153 is formed on the bottom electrodes 151 . referring now to fig2 , the lower insulating layer 153 is planarized to expose upper surfaces of the bottom electrodes 151 , thus forming an insulating layer pattern 153 a in a gap between the bottom electrodes 151 . a ferroelectric layer and a conductive top electrode layer are sequentially formed on the lower insulating layer pattern 153 a and the bottom electrodes 151 . the upper electrode layer and the ferroelectric layer are successively patterned to form a common ferroelectric layer pattern 155 and a common top electrode 157 . the common ferroelectric layer pattern 155 covers the adjacent bottom electrodes 151 . a hydrogen barrier layer pattern 159 and an upper insulating layer pattern 161 are formed in gaps adjacent the common ferroelectric pattern 155 and the common top electrode 157 . referring now to fig2 , a conductive lower plate layer is formed on the upper insulating layer pattern 161 . the lower plate layer is patterned to form a local plate line 163 ( pl shown in fig4 ) covering the common top electrode 163 . an upper interlayer insulating layer is formed on the local plate line 163 . the upper interlayer insulating layer is formed by sequentially stacking first and second upper interlayer insulating layers 165 and 169 . a plurality of parallel main word lines 167 may be formed between the first and second upper interlayer insulating layers 165 and 169 . the main word lines 167 may be formed as in previously described embodiments . referring now to fig2 , a slit - type via hole 171 is formed in the upper interlayer insulating layer . a conductive main plate line 173 is formed , extending through the slit - type via hole 171 . the slit - type via hole 171 and the main plate line 173 may be formed as in the previously described embodiments . a modification of the embodiments of fig2 - 23 will now be described with reference to fig2 . the modified embodiments are identical to the embodiments of fig2 - 23 except that the local plate line 163 is omitted . in this case , the slit - type via hole 171 exposes the common top electrode 157 . in the drawings and specification , there have been disclosed typical preferred embodiments of the invention and , although specific terms are employed , they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation , the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims . | 7 |
the interface circuit of the invention , shown in fig2 can be constructed as a mos insulated gate , enhancement , field - effect transistor integrated circuit . the interface circuit can form part of a more complex integrated circuit which is not further illustrated . the interface circuit comprises a first transistor m1 and a second transistor m2 , of the p - channel and n - channel types respectively , having their source electrodes connected to the positive pole + v dd and the negative pole - v ss respectively of a supply voltage generator , the potentials of these poles being equal and opposite with respect to the common potential or earth of the circuit , also identified as the &# 34 ; analog earth &# 34 ; and ground potential in the prior art . the gate electrodes of the transistor m1 and m2 are respectively coupled to a first v + ref and a second voltage reference v - ref , constituted by circuit means ( not shown ) which set these electrodes to predetermined potentials with respect to the positive pole + v dd and the negative pole - v ss respectively . a third , fourth , fifth and sixth transistor m3 , m4 , m5 and m6 , each of which is of the n - channel type and has its gate electrode connected to the drain electrode , are inserted in series by means of their source and drain electrodes between the drain electrode of the transistor m1 and the drain electrode of the transistor m2 . the central connection node between the source electrode of the transistor m4 and the drain electrode of the transistor m5 is coupled to the common potential . the interface circuit has a first input terminal c and a second input terminal c and a first and second output terminal , ck and ck respectively . the first input terminal c is constituted by the coupled point between the gate electrodes of a seventh m7 and the eighth transistor m8 , respectively p - channel and n - channel , which drain electrodes are coupled together to form the second output terminal ck . the source electrodes of the seventh and eighth transistors , m7 and m8 , are respectively coupled to the drain electrode of the first transistor m1 , at a circuit node v h , and to the drain electrode of the second transistor m2 , at a circuit node v l . the second input terminal c is constituted by the connection point between the gate electrodes of a ninth and tenth transistor m9 and m10 , respectively p - channel and n - channel , which drain electrodes are coupled together to form the first output terminal ck . the source electrodes of the ninth and tenth transistors m9 and m10 are respectively coupled to the drain electrodes of the first transistor m1 , at the node v h , and to the drain electrode of the second transistor m2 , at the node v l . the transistors m7 , m8 , m9 and m10 act exclusively as switches , driven by the timing signals suppled to the input terminals c and c , in order to transfer alternately to each of the output terminals ck and ck , the potential levels of the nodes v h and v l . timing signals , which are still in two non - superimposed phases and having a pulse waveform of rectangular type , are therefore obtained at the output terminal of the interface circuit shown in fig2 . in contrast , however , to the input signals , these output timing signals in practice contain no noise due to the supply source . in accordance with the invention , the potential difference between the two nodes v h and v l is maintained constant by decoupling these nodes electrically from the supply so as to keep their potential largely independent of fluctuations in the supply voltage . in order to prevent the fluctuations of the potential of the negative pole - v ss of the supply from causing , as a result of a variation of the polarization of the integrated circuit substrate , variations of the threshold voltage of the transistors m3 , m4 , m5 and m6 , which operate at saturation as they are of the enhancement type and have a diode connection , use is made of the technical possibility of shortcircuiting the regions , doped with p - type impurities , in which these transistors are provided , to the source electrodes of the respective transistors . the total voltage drop across the transistors inserted between the nodes v h and v l is therefore kept constant . the main feature of the invention consists , however , in that the two complementary transistors m1 and m2 are biased such that they always operate at saturation because they also have their respective source electrodes short - circuited to the regions in which these transistors are provided . for this purpose the voltage references v + ref and v - ref and the values of the threshold voltages of the transistors m3 , m4 , m5 and m6 inserted between the nodes v h and v l are selected in a suitable way . because the gate - source voltages supplied to the transistors m1 and m2 are constant , their drain currents are therefore constant and independent of fluctuations in the supply . it can be seen from the circuit diagram of fig2 that a variation δv h of the potential of the node v h corresponds to a variation δv dd of the potential of the positive pole + v dd expressed by the following relationship : ## equ2 ## in which g m is the transconductance of the transistors m3 and m4 , assumed to be identical , and go1 is the output conductance of the transistor m1 . a similar relationship exists between the variations of the potential of the negative pole - v ss and the consequent potential variations of the node v l . in order to minimize δv h it is necessary to make the ratio go1 / g m as small as possible . because in a field - effect transistor operating at saturation the transconductance , for a specific bias current , has a value which is much greater than that of the output conductance , in order of minimize the potential variation δv h of the node v h due to the supply noise , the transistor m1 is kept in the saturation zone of its field of operation . similarly , the transistor m2 is also caused to operate at saturation . this solution to the problem of noise in the supply source can then be optimized by taking suitable technical steps , on the basis of known teaching , for example , by making m1 and m2 transistors having particularly long channels so as to reduce the gol / gm ratio as much as possible . in an interface circuit of the invention it is possible in practice to obtain a drastic noise reduction (˜ 46 db ) at the cost of a reduction of the dynamic range of the signal which is of no importance at all for the requirements of normal applications . the maximum output signal voltage available when the transistors m1 and m2 are operating at saturation is given by : in which v tn and v tp respectively stand for the threshold voltages of the complementary transistors m2 and m1 . by selecting the reference voltage for v + ref and v - ref such that the transistors m1 and m2 are only biased by a few hundred mvolts above the threshold voltage , the dynamic range of the output synchronization signals is also close to the supply voltage between + v dd and - v ss . in order to provide an optimum dynamic range for the output pulse signals , a greater number of diode - connected transistors may , for example , be inserted between the nodes v h and v l , while maintaining a symmetrical configuration with respect to the central connection node connected to earth . the foregoing description is included to illustrate the operation of the preferred embodiment and is not meant to limit the scope of the invention . the scope of the invention is to be limited only by the following claims . many variations will be apparent to one skilled in the art that would yet be encompassed by the spirit and scope of the invention . | 7 |
fig1 shows a first embodiment of a sensor system 1 of the present invention which has only one sensor 2 constructed as a cylinder sensor . sensor 2 is arranged in a guide groove 20 on the exterior of a working cylinder 16 in which a pneumatically , hydraulically or otherwise driven piston 18 moves . the sensor has two sensing positions 3 , 4 in the form of electronic triggering thresholds which are electronically adjustable with a positioning device . the positioning device can be a mechanical device , for example a potentiometer , or it can be software which is programmed to electronically adjust the spacing between or location of the triggering thresholds and therewith the sensing positions . as an example , the sensing positions of sensor 2 can be the terminal positions of the piston travel in the cylinder . sensor 2 can be an analog distance sensor which has as its primary electronic component a coil 5 with a non - homogeneous winding density . fig2 illustrates a second embodiment of the present invention , a sensor system 10 that has at least two sensors 12 , 14 made as cylinder sensors . sensors 12 , 14 can be installed , for example , on the exterior of a pneumatically operated working cylinder 16 which houses a pneumatically movable piston 18 . as an example , sensors 12 , 14 can be positioned to detect the terminal positions of piston 18 , with sensor 12 being triggered when piston 18 is fully retracted and sensor 14 being triggered when piston 18 is fully extended . the two sensing positions are identified by reference numerals 3 and 4 . sensors 12 and 14 are fixed in guide groove 20 at the desired positions with a positioning device 25 , as is illustrated in fig3 a - c . cylindrical sensors 12 , 14 have an approximate elliptical cross - section with a major axis a that is greater than the width of longitudinal slit “ d ” of groove 20 . groove 20 has a t or c shape with lateral walls 22 , 24 that are spaced apart by a distance greater than the width of slit “ d ”. the minor axis h of cylindrical sensors 12 , 14 is smaller than “ d ” so that the sensor can be inserted into groove 20 by moving the sensor from above in an inclined direction into the groove , as is illustrated in fig3 a . sensors 12 , 14 are then rotated about their longitudinal axis while in groove 20 as illustrated in fig3 b . at this point , the sensor cannot be removed from groove 20 without further rotation about its axis because its major axis a is greater than the width of slit “ d ”. the sensors 12 , 14 are fixed at the desired positions by tightening positioning device 25 , for example with a securing bolt 26 . bolt 26 is rotated so that its head engages shoulders 28 , 30 of the groove while sensors 12 , 14 are pressed against the base of the groove . alternatively , bolt 26 is tightened so that it engages the base of the groove while the sensor housing is pressed against groove shoulders 28 , 30 . in this way , the sensors 12 and 14 can be repositioned and fixed , respectively , along guide groove 20 by correspondingly loosening and tightening securing bolt 26 . in accordance with the present invention , the cabling for sensors 12 and 14 for supplying the needed voltage and current and for transmitting signals to and from the sensors is arranged so that only one connecting cable 32 for the entire sensor system is needed . connecting cable 32 is coupled to only one of the sensors , in the illustrated example to sensor 12 at its left end 34 as illustrated in fig2 . connecting cable 32 is used for supplying all current and voltage to both sensors 12 and 14 and for conducting the switching signals generated by sensors 12 and 14 . a conductor 16 is arranged between sensors 12 and 14 which connects the opposite ends 38 , 40 of the sensors to each other . conductor 36 supplies sensor 14 with current and voltage and conducts the signals generated by sensor 14 . this permits a serial connection of sensors 12 and 14 , and conductor 36 is preferably also arranged in guide groove 20 . it is preferred to form conductor 36 as a coiled cable so that the distance between the sensors can be readily adjusted and conductor 36 does not limit longitudinal adjustments . a further embodiment of the present invention is shown in fig4 , where sensors 12 , 14 are arranged in a housing 15 the length of which can be telescopically adjusted ( not further illustrated in the drawings ) to vary and fix the distance between the sensors as required by a given application or installation . the electrical connection between sensors 12 and 14 is constructed as described in the first embodiment of the present invention with a connector arranged inside housing 50 . the individual sensors are positioned relative to each other by fixing the housing 50 in the groove in a manner analogous to the manner in which the sensors of the first embodiment are fixed , as is shown in fig3 a - c . sensors 12 and 14 are both fixed in the housing . alternatively , sensor 12 only can be fixed in the groove . the fixation of the other sensor 14 is accomplished by telescopically increasing or decreasing the length of housing 50 . this permits fixation of the entire sensor system with a single fixation bolt 26 for sensor 12 . | 5 |
it is an object of the present invention to isolate , characterize ( through structure determination ), synthesize , and to provide methods of using new biologically active decalactones from associated fungi of marine sponges as pharmaceuticals . the synthetic derivatives of these biologically active decalactones are also contemplated . the compounds of the present invention are to be used as active components of pharmaceuticals . the pharmaceuticals can be used to combat diseases in man and animals . the new decalactones of the present invention are 10 - membered macrolides with a fused 1 , 3 - dihydroxybenzene ring . these natural products were neither synthesized nor isolated from any biological source previous to the work described in this invention . 12 - membered macrolides of the curvularin type have been described from terrestrial strains of curvularia ( o . c . musgrave , j . org . chem . 1956 , 4301 - 4305 ), penicillium sp . ( s . lai , y . shizuri , s . yamamura , k . kawai , y . tearda and h . furukuwa , tetrahedron lett ., 1989 , 2241 - 2244 ), cochliobulus ( e . l . ghisalberti and c . y . rowland , j . nat . prod ., 1993 , 56 , 2175 - 2177 ) and alternaria ( d . j . roberson and g . a . strobel , j . nat . prod ., 1985 , 48 , 139 - 141 ). other decalactones previously isolated include those from fungi of the diplodia species ( k . wada and t . ishida , jcs perkin i , 1979 , 1154 - 1158 ) and penicillium ( s . lai , y . shizuri , s . yamamura , k . kawai , y . tearda and h . furukuwa , tetrahedron lett ., 1989 , 2241 - 2244 ) and their action as steriod hydroxylase inhibitors described . likewise , structurally similar lactones can be found in the pathogenic plant fungus diplodia pinea ( k . wada and t . ishida , jcs perkin i , 1979 , 1154 - 1158 ) and as metabolites in the insect phoracanta synonyma ( b . p . moore and w . v . brown , aust . j . chem ., 1976 , 29 , 1365 - 1369 ). however , the structure and properties of these decalactones differ from those of the compounds described in this invention . the invention relates to new biologically active decalactones such as those isolated from associated fungi of marine sponges and their synthetic derivatives as pharmaceuticals . the synthesis of this class of compounds is also described . wherein r 1 is hydrogen ; a linear or branched c 1 - 6 alkyl , suitably methyl ; c 1 - 6 alkyl which is mono - or poly - substituted by c 6 - 14 aryl , suitably benzyl ; linear or branched carboxy c 1 - 18 alkyl ; linear or branched c 1 - 6 alkoxycarbonyl ; linear or branched c 1 - 12 alkylcarbonyl , suitably acetyl ; c 2 - 6 alkenyl , suitably allyl ; c 2 - 6 alkinyl , suitably ethinyl or propargyl ; linear or branched cyano c 1 - 6 alkyl , suitably cyanomethyl ; benzyloxy ; 9 - fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl ( fmoc ); triphenylmethyl ( tr ); 2 -( 4 ′- pyridyl ) ethoxycarbonyl ( pyoc ); or diphenylmethylsilyl ( dpms ) residues . r 2 is hydrogen ; a linear or branched c 1 - 6 alkyl , suitably methyl ; c 1 - 6 alkyl , which is mono - or poly - substituted by c 6 - 14 aryl , suitably benzyl ; linear or branched carboxy c 1 - 18 alkyl ; linear or branched c 1 - 6 alkoxycarbonyl ; linear or branched c 1 - 12 alkylcarbonyl , suitably acetyl ; c 2 - 6 alkenyl , suitably allyl ; c 2 - 6 alkinyl , suitably ethinyl or propargyl ; linear or branched cyano c 1 - 6 alkyl , suitably cyanomethyl ; benzyloxy ; 9 - fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl ( fmoc ); triphenylmethyl ( tr ); 2 -( 4 ′- pyridyl ) ethoxycarbonyl ( pyoc ); or diphenylmethylsilyl ( dpms ) residues . x is o , s , noh , nor 4 , in which r 4 is a linear or branched c 1 - 6 alkyl , suitably methyl ; linear or branched c 1 - 6 alkyl , which is mono - or poly - substituted by c 6 - 14 aryl , suitably benzyl ; linear or branched carboxy c 1 - 18 alkyl ; linear or branched c 1 - 6 alkoxycarbonyl ; and linear or branched c 1 - 12 alkylcarbonyl , suitably acetyl residues . z is h or or 3 , in which r 3 can be h ; a linear or branched c 1 - 6 alkyl , suitably methyl ; c 1 - 6 alkyl , which is mono - or poly - substituted by c 6 - 14 aryl , suitably benzyl ; linear or branched carboxy c 1 - 18 alkyl ; linear or branched c 1 - 6 alkoxycarbonyl ; linear or branched c 1 - 12 alkylcarbonyl , suitably acetyl ; c 2 - 6 alkenyl , suitably allyl ; c 2 - 6 alkinyl , suitably ethinyl or propargyl ; linear or branched cyano c 1 - 6 alkyl , suitably cyanomethyl ; benzyloxy ; 9 - fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl ( fmoc ); triphenylmethyl ( tr ); 2 -( 4 ′- pyridyl ) ethoxycarbonyl ( pyoc ); or diphenylmethylsilyl ( dpms ) residues . when z is h , the compounds of general formula ( i ) can be present as r or s enantiomers , or a mixture of r and s enantiomers . alternatively , when z is not h but is otherwise defined as above , the compounds of general formula ( i ) can be present as ( r , r ), ( s , s ), ( r , s ), ( s , r ) stereoisomers or in the form of all possible mixtures of such stereoisomers . when r 1 and r 2 represent h , x and y are o and z is h in general formula ( i ), the compound is named xestodecalactone a . when r 1 , r 2 and r 3 are h , x and y are o , and z is or 3 in general formula ( i ), the compounds are named xestodecalactone b or c , depending on the stereochemistry . the marine sponge xestospongia exigua occurs in the bali sea of indonesia . this sponge was collected and the penicillium sp . fungus was isolated from it . the fungus was cultured and after investigations of the extract with hplc - ms / ms , hplc - nmr and hplc - cd , new natural products were isolated from the culture broth in the form of fungal metabolites . the new compounds isolated are named xestodecalactone a , b and c . the xestodecalactone a , b and c were converted by conventional chemical reactions into new chemical derivatives , which were previously not known . the compounds of the present invention can be converted with conventional methods into galenic forms , which are suitable for therapeutic applications . suitable galenic forms of administrations are ointments , drops , tablets , capsules , suppositories , forms suitable for injection , forms suitable for nasal administration and forms suitable for inhalation . the galenic dosage forms can be used intravenously , intramuscularly , intradermally , subcutaneously , intraperitoneally , rectally , topically and intravenously in the form of liposomes . the invention further comprises a process for the synthesis of compounds of general formula ( i ) from a biological source . for this purpose , the penicillium sp . fungus is isolated and cultured and compounds are isolated in a suitable manner from the culture broth and purified . the invention further comprises a process for the synthesis of compounds of general formula ( i ) from known chemical precursors by conventional chemical reactions . the invention is a meaningful combination of these reactions in accordance with the following synthesis procedure designated herein and in the claims as synthesis procedure a . the compounds of the present invention can be used as pharmaceuticals for combating diseases in man or animals . such diseases include cancers and disorders of the endocrine metabolism inflammatory diseases such as psoriasis , arthritis , crohn &# 39 ; s diseases or asthma . moreover , the compounds of the present invention can be used for the treatment of infectious diseases such as fungal diseases or diseases due to plasmodia or trypanosomes . the compounds of the present invention suitably act through interactions of the endogenous proteins , cellular kinases or through hormone receptors , which affect cell metabolism or cell growth . the kinases can be receptors and enzymes of the signal transduction cascade of the cell , such as receptor tyrosine , non - receptor tyrosine and serine threonine kinases . for example , hormone receptors can be coupled to g protein . in addition , an interaction with proteins of the cellular cyto - skeleton is possible such as with tubulin . it is possible that the compounds of the present invention act through a biological mechanism which was previously unknown . the compounds of the present invention can also kill microorganisms . the compounds of the invention are obtained from the mycelia and culture filtrate of a fungus . the fungus is suitably of the penicillium sp . strain . the compounds of the invention can also be isolated from other biological sources , especially from other strains of penicillium . the fungus of the penicillium sp . occurs in association with a marine sponge xestospongia exigua . the fungus can also occur in other marine sponges . the marine sponge xestospongia exigua can be found in coastal waters of the island of mengangan in the bali sea of indonesia . the marine sponge xestospongia exigua , as a source of the fungus of the penicillium sp ., can also occur in other waters . moreover , the fungus of the penicillium sp . can also occur in other sponges . it is also possible to artifically grow the marine sponge containing the fungus of the penicillium sp . in marine aquaculture . the compounds of the invention are isolated from the culture medium of the fungus of the penicillium sp . by known methods described below . the fungus of the penicillium sp . can also be reproduced and artifically cultured without a sponge . a strain of the fungus of the pencillium sp . with the register no . hbi - 3 is kept at the alfred wegener institute for polar and ocean research in bremerhaven . the fungus of the pencillium sp . is isolated from freshly collected samples of the marine sponge xestospongia exigua . the sponge is collected by divers . tissue samples are obtained from a portion of the sponge and transferred to suitable culture medium . agar is suitably used . the incubation is carried out at temperatures between 25 ° c . and 32 ° c . the medium used contains nutrients , auxiliary materials and salts , suitably malt abstract and sea salt . the culture is reproduced in the usual manner and pure strains of the penicillium sp . are isolated by re - inoculation on the nutrient medium . before the extraction , the fungus is permitted to grow in a suitable medium , such as a molt broth medium . after a number of days of incubation , mycelia and culture filtrate are collected and extracted with an organic solvent . methanol and ethyl acetate are suitably used . other solvents , such as ethanol , butanol , ether , n - hexane , gasoline , toluene , acetone , methylene chloride , methyl ethyl ketone and t - butyl acetate can also be used . the combined extracts are concentrated to dryness under a vacuum . the contents of the extract are investigated with the help of hplc - nmr - ms / ms - cd coupling . the crude product thus obtained is separated with the help of a chromatographic method . suitably , vacuum liquid chromatography is used , but alternative chromatographic procedures may also be employed . silica is used as stationary phase , but other stationary phases , such as aluminum oxide or cellulose or a separation by liquid chromatography , such as nscc , are also suitable . a solvent gradient of two or more organic solvents , suitably methylene , chloride and methanol are used but other solvent mixtures , of the combination of 2 or 3 of the following solvents , may also be used : ethanol , propanol , butanol , ether , n - hexane , gasoline , toluene , acetone , ethyl acetate , methyl ethyl ketone , t - butyl acetate . different fractions are collected and analyzed for their content of the compound of the invention . suitably , the coupling of hplc with nmr , ns / nmr ms / ms and cd spectroscopy is used to analyze the mixture . usually , the compounds of the invention are obtained after the lipophilic components of the abstract . after the fractions of interest are concentrated , the crude product is purified by a chromatographic method on a suitable support material with a solvent gradient . semi - preparative hplc , for example , if used as chromatographic method , but purification can also be accomplished by a recrystallization from a suitable solvent or solvent mixture . the fungus of the penicillium sp . is isolated from freshly collected samples of the marine sponge xestospongia exigua . tissue samples are obtained from the inside of the sponge under sterile conditions and applied on malt agar salt culture . these slant cultures contain malt extract ( 15 g / l ) as well as bay salt ( 24 . 4 g / l ) and are incubated at 27 ° c . pure strains of penicillium sp . are isolated from the growing culture by re - inoculation on malt agar plates . before the extraction , the fungi are grown in a malt broth medium of 25 g malt extract and one liter of sea water . after 41 days of incubation , the mycelia and culture filtrate are collected and extracted with methanol and ethyl acetate . the combined extracts are concentrated to dryness under vacuum . 6 . 31 g of crude product is obtained and chromatographed on silica gel with liquid chromatography . a solvent gradient of methylene chloride and methanol is used . the lipophilic fractions 1 to 3 contain fatty acids and steroids , and the xestadecalactones of the present invention are collected infractions 4 to 6 . the fractions are concentrated and the crude products are purified by a semi - preparative hplc ( merck ) on a eurospher c18 column with a methanol gradient of the following composition : 0 minutes 40 % meoh , 30 minutes 60 % meoh , 35 - 40 minutes 100 % meoh . the compounds of examples 1 to 3 are obtained . eims ( 70 ev ) m / z [ m ] + 264 ( 88 ), [ h - h 2 o ] + 246 ( 22 ) the chemical structures of the claimed compounds are confirmed by modem spectroscopic methods , which include nmr spectroscopy , mass spectrometry and cd spectroscopy . aside from being isolated from biological material , the compounds of the present invention can also be produced by chemical synthesis from known starting materials . the compounds may be synthesized by the process shown above in synthesis procedure a . the compounds are obtained as racemic mixtures . alternatively , compound e ( infra ) can also be enantioselectively synthesized in any configuration by a selective reducing agent and used for the synthesis of compound f ( infra ). in this way , compound i ( infra ) can be synthesized in any possible configurations . methyl -( 3 , 5 - dihydroxyphenyl ) acetate 1 ( 1 g , 5 . 6 mmoles ), 7 g of potassium carbonate and 7 . 5 ml of benzyl chloride are heated in 20 ml of acetone until reaction is completed . subsequently , the inorganic salts are removed by filtration through celite and the solvent is removed under vacuum . the remaining oil residue is dissolved in 40 ml of 2 n sodium hydroxide , refluxed for 30 minutes and the aqueous phase acidified with 10 n sulfuric acid and extracted with toluene . the organic phase is evaporated to dryness and the residue is recrystallized from ethyl acetate and petroleum ether . 1 . 66 g ( 4 . 7 mmoles ) of 2 is obtained which represents a yield of 86 %. 5 - hydroxy hexanoic acid 3 ( 1 g , 7 . 69 mmoles ) is dissolved in 30 ml of methanol , mixed with a catalytic amount of sulfuric acid and heated until the reaction is completed . subsequently , the solvent is removed under vacuum and the residue distilled under the vacuum of an oil pump . 870 mg ( 6 . 00 mmoles ) of methyl - 5 - hydroxyhexanoate 4 is obtained which represents a yield of 78 %. methyl - 5 - hydroxy hexanoate 4 ( 0 . 1 moles ) is added at room temperature in portions , with stirring , to a solution of 0 . 04 moles of nabh 4 in 120 ml of isopropyl alcohol . the reaction mixture is stirred overnight which allows the reaction to run to completion . dilute hydrochloric acid is then added carefully until hydrogen is no longer evolved . the solution obtained is extracted 5 times with ether . the extract is dried with sodium sulfate and the solvent is distilled off . synthesis of compound 6 . ( analogous to f . bracher , b . schulte , liebigs ann ./ recueil 1997 , 1979 - 1982 ). ( 3 , 5 )- dibenzyloxyphenylacetic acid ( 2 , 2 . 73 g , 7 . 84 mmoles ) and oxalyl chloride ( 25 ml ) are stirred at room temperature under nitrogen for 1 hour . the excess of oxalyl chloride is then removed by vacuum distillation . the residue is dissolved in anhydrous methylene chloride ( 100 ml ), anhydrous potassium carbonate ( 19 g ) and 5 ( 7 . 84 mmoles ) are added and the mixture is stirred under nitrogen for 6 hours . the precipitate formed is removed by filtration and washed with methylene chloride . the combined filtrates are concentrated under vacuum and the residue is purified by flash chromatography ( hexane / ethyl acetate , 8 : 2 ). the ester 6 is obtained in this manner . synthesis of compound 7 , ( analogous to f . bracher , b . schulte , liebigs ann ./ recueil 1997 , 1979 - 1982 ). the compound 6 ( 6 . 4 mmoles ) is dissolved in the anhydrous triamide of hexamethylphosphoric acid ( hmpa , 30 ml ) and powdered sodium cyanide ( 0 . 945 g , 19 . 3 mmoles , dried under vacuum at 170 ° c .) is added . the mixture is stirred for 12 hours at 75 ° c . cooled , treated with 2 m hydrochloric acid ( 100 ml , hot ) and then extracted with ethyl acetate ( 2 × 100 ml ). the combined organic phases are washed with water , dried over sodium sulfate and concentrated under vacuum . the residue is purified by flash chromatography ( hexane / ethyl acetate 8 : 2 , then ethyl acetate / methanol 9 : 1 ). the desired acid 7 is obtained in this manner . synthesis of compound 8 , ( analogous of h . gerlach , helv . chim . acta , 1977 , 60 , 3039 - 3044 ). the carboxylic acid 7 ( 0 . 59 mmoles ) was dissolved in 12 ml of a 2 : 1 mixture of trifluoroacetic acid and trifluoroacetic anhydride and kept for 2 hours at room temperature . subsequently , the reagent was removed under vacuum and the residue distributed between benzene and 2 n potassium bicarbonate . after the benzene layers were evaporated , the residue was recrystallized from a mixture of ethyl acetate and hexane . synthesis of compound 9 , ( analogous to h . gerlach , helv . chim . acta , 1977 , 60 , 3039 - 3044 ). dibenzyl ether 8 in 15 ml of a 1 : 1 mixture of tetradrofuran and methanol was shaken with 25 mg of 10 % palladium on charcoal under hydrogen . the catalyst was filtered off , the solvent was removed under vacuum and the residue was recrystallized from a mixture of methanol and benzene . other routes are also available for the synthesis of the compounds of the present invention . s - 3 - hydroxybutyric acid methyl ester is reacted with acetic acid tert - butyl ester in the presence of lithium diisoproylamine ( lda ) to form s - 5 - hydroxy - 3 - keto - caproic acid tert - butyl esters . reaction with nabh 4 will stereospecifically reduce the ketone to the r , s - or s , s - 3 , 5 - dihydrocaproic acid tert - butyl esters , respectively , which are then converted into the methyl esters . protection of a hydroxy group and completion of the synthesis follows synthesis procedure a . derivatives of the class of decalactones can be prepared from the new compounds isolated from the culture of the fungus of the penicillium sp by suitable chemical reactions . these suitable chemical reactions are described in the chemical literature ( organikum , houben - weyl method of organic chemistry ). these reactions suitably are alkylation reactions , acylation reactions and benzylation of the hydroxy group in the compounds of general formula ( i ). the oxygen atoms of the ketone and ester carbonyl groups may be replaced , for example , by sulfur . the derivatization of the compounds of general formula ( i ) is illustrated by the following compounds . the compounds of the present invention have interesting biological properties , which makes them suitable for use as active compounds in pharmaceuticals . in particular , the claimed compounds can be used as agents against carcinoses and as anti - infective agents . the compounds and derivatives inhibit the reproduction of certain strains of yeast , such as c . albicans and have fungicidal properties . testing the biological activity for prevention of the growth of tumor cells is accomplished with the help of conventional commercial xtt testing . for this purpose , different tumor cell lines , such as l 1210 , skov3 and mcf - 7 are used . the effect of the compounds on cell proliferation and on cell count is determined indirectly by their mitochondrial activity . this non - radioactive colorimetric system is based on the test system of scudiero et al ., cancer res ., 1988 , 48 , 4827 - 4833 . the basic reaction is the mitochondrial dehydrogenation of the yellow tetrazolium salt xtt into the orange formazan dye . the dehydrogenation takes place only in the active mitochondria and thus correlates with the number of living cells . the formazan dye formed is measured spectrophotometrically at 490 nm and subsequently quantified . the compounds are used in concentrations of 0 . 003 μg to 3 . 16 μg per ml for the testing . the anti - infective activity is tested by conventional and commercially available test methods . | 2 |
in the following , the embodiments of the present invention will be described in further detail with reference to the illustrative figures as attached hereto . as illustrated in fig1 and 2 , a male incontinence guard 1 is shown which comprises a liquid - permeable topsheet 18 , a backsheet 19 , which preferably is liquid - impermeable , and an absorbent core 20 ( fig3 and 4 ) located therebetween . the guard 1 may furthermore comprise a not shown fluid acquisition layer located between said topsheet 18 and said absorbent core 20 . the guard 1 has a body - facing surface 2 , which is the surface that makes contact with the user when the guard 1 is being worn . the guard 1 has a garment - facing surface 3 , which is the surface that makes contact with the garment of the user when the guard is being worn . typically , the body - facing surface 2 of the guard 1 comprises ( or consists of ) the topsheet 18 , while the garment - facing surface 3 comprises ( or consists of ) the backsheet 19 . the topsheet 18 and the backsheet 19 of the male incontinence guard 1 preferably have a somewhat greater extension in the plane than the absorbent core 20 and the acquisition layer , and extend outside the edges thereof . the topsheet 18 and the backsheet 19 are connected to each other within the projecting portions thereof . with regard to the geometrical shape of the male incontinence guard 1 of the present invention , a preferred shape of the guard is illustrated in e . g . fig1 . as schematically illustrated , the guard 1 has a front transverse edge ( first end ) 4 , intended to be located forward on the user , a rear transverse edge ( second end ) 5 , intended to be located rearward on the user , and at least two longitudinal side edges 6 , 7 extending between the front transverse edge 4 and the rear transverse edge 5 . the guard 1 preferably tapers towards the rear transverse edge 5 , i . e . the front transverse edge 4 is longer than the rear transverse edge 5 . the tapered shape allows the guard 1 to fit comfortably in the crotch region of a male user . thus , the male incontinence guard 1 of the present invention may be essentially isosceles trapezoid having a triangular base shape in use , when being shaped like a bowl . herein the term “ isosceles trapezoid ” is a quadrangle with a line of symmetry bisecting one pair of opposite sides , making it automatically a trapezoid . in other words , the front and rear transverse edges 4 , 5 are substantially parallel to each other , and the longitudinal side edges 6 , 7 are of equal length . the diagonals are also of equal length . an isosceles trapezoid &# 39 ; s base angles are congruent , i . e . it has corresponding sides and angles that are equal . the expression essentially isosceles trapezoid in this context means that , for instance , the corners of the essentially isosceles trapezoid may be rounded or that the edges 4 , 5 , 6 and / or 7 of the male incontinence guard 1 may not be completely linear , but that the guard has the general form as described above . in another alternative embodiment the geometrical shape of the guard 1 may be t - shaped . according to such an embodiment the longitudinal side edges 6 , 7 may include one or several angles of different directions . according to the present invention and as shown in fig1 , the elastics 22 , 23 on both sides of the longitudinal center line have a distance to the longitudinal side edges 24 , 25 of the absorbent core . the elastics have two opposite ends 28 , 29 and 30 , 31 , one end 28 , 30 is connected to the top sheet 18 and the back sheet in the vicinity of the first end 4 whereas the opposite end 29 , 31 is connected to the top sheet 18 and the back sheet 20 in the vicinity of a second end 5 . in the depicted embodiment , the elastics 22 , 23 are formed by an elastic foam material which increases comfort compared to elastic threads or bands which are shown as alternative schematically in fig3 . the elastics 22 , 23 between their ends 28 , 29 and 30 , 31 are constituted by a first portion 32 , 33 and a second portion 34 , 35 . as shown in fig1 , the first portion 32 , 33 extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal center line y whereas the second portion 34 , 35 extends from the first portion 32 , 33 towards the longitudinal center axis y and the second end 5 . the first portion 32 , 33 is connected at the first end 4 and the second portion 34 , 35 is connected at the second end 5 . in the depicted embodiment , the portions 32 , 34 and 33 , 35 each have a substantially linear extension connected by a curved portion 36 , 37 . at the curved portion 36 , 37 the distance between the elastics 32 , 33 and the longitudinal outer edges 24 , 25 of the absorbent core is largest . that is , at this position resides the apex of the convexly curved extension of the elastics 22 , 23 . the elastics 22 , 23 may be one piece elastics . however , it is as well conceivable to form the elastics from a plurality of pieces . for example , the first portion 32 may be one piece and the portion 34 may be another piece . in addition , there does not need to be a curved portion 36 between the portions , but the portions 32 , 34 or the pieces if constituted by separate piece may intersect each other under a particular angle , wherein the portions / pieces diverge from the point of intersection which would equal the curved portion 36 . as shown in fig1 , the elastics 22 and 23 follow the extension ( run ) of the outer edges 42 , 43 of the side barriers 40 , 41 and , hence , have an extension parallel to the extension of these outer edges . considering fig2 showing the guard of fig1 in use , it becomes apparent that the elastics 22 , 23 pull the first end 4 and the second end 5 together to provide for bowl shape . in this illustration , the side barriers 40 , 41 formed from the top sheet 18 and the back sheet 19 are highest in the region of the curved portion 36 . the position of the curved portion 36 or in other words the position where the distance between the elastics 22 , 23 is largest to the longitudinal outer edges 24 , 25 of the absorbent core will be selected based on an experiment indicating at which portions lateral leakage most likely occurs . first , a plurality of used ( test users ) incontinence guards is investigated . in this investigation , the area of the absorbent core of the product is diverted into a plurality of squares having a side length of 10 mm ( see fig3 ). subsequently , the used product is visually analyzed to determine which square contains urine . each square reflects in term of percentage the number of products that showed urine in that particular square . that is , the more of the products showed urine in a square , the higher the percentage . hence , fig3 reflects the probability of a product being wet in that particular area . that square on the longitudinal center line y with the highest percentage of products which showed urine in that square is selected as the wetting point and forms the center of a clock , wherein the first end defines 12 o &# 39 ; clock and the second defines 6 o &# 39 ; clock . as shown in fig3 , the squares over the planar extension of the absorbent core indicate the percentage of products which showed urine in that square . the present inventors concluded on this experiment , that the squares 60 and 61 and 62 and 63 out of the squares at the outer circumferential edge of the absorbent core 20 indicated the highest percentage . as a result , lateral leakage in most cases will occur along this portion of the longitudinal side edges 24 , 25 of the absorbent core 20 so that the elastics 22 , 23 should be most distant to the longitudinal side edges 24 , 25 of the absorbent core 20 between these squares . hence , it is preferred that the elastics are most distant between 2 : 30 and 5 o &# 39 ; clock , preferably 3 to 4 : 30 on the right hand side in fig3 and between 7 and 9 : 30 o &# 39 ; clock , preferably 7 : 30 and 9 o &# 39 ; clock on the left hand side in fig3 . finally , an explanation is being given regarding a possible process for manufacturing the product as shown in fig1 and 2 . in this context , it is preferred that a continuous web 70 is continuously transported in a machine direction md , wherein the web material 70 represents the back sheet and / or top sheet material . during manufacture , the absorbent core 20 is placed upon the web 70 and encapsulated between the top sheet and the back sheet . subsequently , the elastics ( not shown in fig4 ) are applied by known methods as aforesaid . in a final step , the products are cut from the web 70 to form the final product . as shown in fig4 b considering the corresponding process of a known product , the areas w of the web 70 are waste material which , after the cutting process , is not part of the product . these areas are much larger than in fig4 a . hence , the waste material w in the manufacturing process of the male incontinence guard according to the present invention is reduced . as a portion of the outer edges 42 , 43 of the side barriers 40 , 41 extends parallel to the longitudinal direction , this may be formed by the longitudinal edges 72 of the web 70 in the machine direction so that no cutting process is required in regard of these edges . hence , the process of manufacturing the product is still as simple as in the prior art but uses more material than the prior art product . to put it differently , a material web having a certain width is required for manufacturing both a prior art product and a product of the present invention having the same maximum width at one of their ends . this material web is , hence , the same for the product of the invention and the prior art product . however , more of the material web constitutes the product of the invention than the prior art product . hence , the present invention makes more effective use of this material . the above description of a particular embodiment is only exemplary and various modifications will be apparent to the skilled person . therefore , the present invention should not be limited by the above embodiment and the enclosed figures . rather , the scope of protection is determined by the following claims . | 0 |
fig1 depicts one prior art optical touch system . on the vertical axis , emitters are placed on the left side of display 10 , while corresponding detectors are placed on the opposite edge of the display , thus forming emitter / detector pairings 001 - 007 along the vertical ( y ) axis . note that each pair ( such as pair 001 ) includes an emitter ( such as emitter e 001 ) and a detector ( such as detector d 001 ). the same pairings occur on the horizontal axis of display 10 , with emitters placed at the top of display 10 and corresponding detectors located at the bottom of the display , forming emitter / detector pairings 011 - 016 along the horizontal ( x ) axis . under the prior art , when contact 130 is sensed , the system scans the y - coordinate by activating emitter / detector pairs 001 - 007 sequentially . thus , beginning with emitter / detector pair e 001 and d 001 , the system determines whether the infrared signal between the emitter and corresponding detector has been blocked . this process occurs until the system activates emitter e 003 and detector d 003 , and recognizes that the signal between emitter e 003 and detector d 003 has been interrupted . thus , the y - coordinate of contact 130 is known . the system then scans the x - axis by sequentially activating emitter / detector pairs 011 - 016 to determine where the infrared signal has been blocked . upon activating emitter e 015 , the system recognizes that the signal to detector d 015 has been blocked , and the x - coordinate of contact 130 is thus known . as both the horizontal and vertical axis have been scanned , the position of contact 130 is now known . in actual practice , several beams would be interrupted ( unless the stylus was very small ) and the position would be determined by averaging the x position and then the y position . the conventional touch screen system works relatively well when large objects make contact with a particular position on the screen and completely block the infrared signals produced by two intersecting emitter / detector pairings . however , a number of problems arise under the prior art . as depicted in fig1 , the resolution of the display screen is limited by the density of the emitter / detector pairs . since the emitted infrared signal from an emitter is conical in shape it tends to “ fan ” out as it traverses the panel and thus a signal from one detector would fall upon not only the diode directly opposite , but on adjacent diodes as well . this will cause cross - talk and by enabling the emitter / diode pairs sequentially such cross - talk is reduced . because the signal is a conical beam the area that can be detected is limited by the width of the detecting diode . this , as will be noted below , allows “ holes ” in the coverage for touches having small size and results in areas of display 10 that are not covered by an infrared signal . for example , if contact occurs precisely at position 101 , 110 , 120 , 130 , or 140 , blockage of intersecting signals is recognized and the exact location of contact can be determined . however , if contact occurs at positions 105 , 115 , 125 , or 135 , upon sequential activation of the emitter / detector pairs on both the vertical and horizontal axis , the signal is not blocked , and contact is not registered . using the conventional method , contact is detected on less than 50 % of the screen and blind spots , such as blind spot 100 , result . this will cause serious problems when the stylus size is small because the stylus cannot block any beam if the stylus is touching areas such as 100 , 105 , 115 , 125 or 135 . fig1 also depicts one attempt by the prior art to increase the density of infrared signals as shown , additional emitters are positioned between the existing emitters e 001 to e 007 . however , simply inserting additional emitters , such as additional emitter e 002 . 5 does not work because there is not sufficient room to insert matching diodes between diode d 002 and d 003 . in order to make room for additional detectors ( thereby increasing sensitivity ), the size of each detector would have to be made smaller with the result that the sensitivity of the detectors actually decreases ( less volume upon which light can fall ) on thus the power of each emitter must be increased to maintain sensitivity . other problems also arise when an object only partially blocks an infrared signal . for example , contact - area 160 , while interrupting x - axis emitter / detector pair 012 fails to interrupt any cross - signal produced by any emitter / detector pair on the y - axis , and contact - area 170 only partially interrupts a signal between emitter / detector pairs 004 and 012 . in the case where only one signal is partially or fully blocked , only one coordinate can be obtained and the system must employ alternative methods to determine the second coordinate of the object . off - axis sweeping has been suggested as a possible remedy to this problem . however , if off - axis sweeping is to be done , the system would require higher speed processing capabilities and more complicated algorithms for mapping from a non - uniform ( cross - axis ) grid to a uniform one . as depicted in fig2 , attempts have been made to alternate emitters and detectors around a display such as display 20 , in an effort to ameliorate the density issues noted with respect to fig1 . in this configuration , emitter 201 is situated adjacent to detector 202 , which is situated adjacent emitter 203 , etc . on the opposite side of display 20 , detector 210 receives a signal from emitter 201 , emitter 211 produces a signal received by detector 202 , etc . although an improvement over the conventional touch - screen method , this alternating scheme still results in less than 50 % of display 20 being covered by infrared signals . fig3 depicts one embodiment of a high resolution touch screen . along each horizontal and vertical axis , emitters and diodes are alternated and integrated into arrays . in these arrays , the emitter size is fairly small and the detector diameter is fairly large . by increasing the proportional size of a detector relative to its corresponding emitter , the sensitivity of the sensor is maintained and thus less power consumption is required by the emitter . additionally , the gaps between emitters and detectors are kept as small as possible ( on the order of 1 mm , thus increasing the number of emitters and detectors that can be inserted around the display system in a given area a typical detector would be at least 3 times the size of an emitter . as a result of the interleaving configuration with such a small gap size and emitter / detector ratio to length , the overall sensitivity of the system to contact is increased due to greater signal coverage . by constructing these arrays using integrated circuit technology , the arrays can be positioned around the four edges of display 30 and can have a height of 0 . 4 mm with a width of 0 . 4 mm . this results in an emitter on one - axis aligned with a detector on the same axis across display 30 . for example , the array comprising the left y - axis is arranged such that emitter e 301 is placed directly adjacent to detector d 302 . located directly across display 30 on the right y - axis are corresponding detector d 301 and emitter e 302 . the same pairing occurs on the horizontal axis — emitter e 314 at the top display 30 is paired with detector d 314 at the bottom of display 30 and emitter d 324 at the top display 30 is paired with detector d 324 at the bottom of display 30 . as shown in fig4 a for a relatively large stylus , when an object 410 comes into contact with display 40 , the system performs on - axis x and y direction sweeping to provide the coarse position ( xi , yi ) and size information of the stylus . this coarse information is ( x 1 , x 2 ; y 1 , y 2 ), where x 1 and x 2 ( x 2 & gt ;= x 1 ) are the starting and ending coarse coordinates in the x direction , while y 1 and y 2 ( y 2 & gt ;= y 1 ) are the starting and ending coarse coordinates in the y - direction . the detected amplitudes at x 1 , x 2 , y 1 , y 2 is more than or equal to zero ( partially or completely blocked ), while the amplitudes of those between them are zero ( completely blocked ). as depicted in fig4 a , the emitter and detector pairs on the x axis are labeled ex 00 , dx 00 , ex 01 , dx 01 to ex 13 , dx 13 and on the y axis , ey 00 , dy 00 to ey 21 , dy 21 . the coarse x coordinates are defined from 0 to 13 y from 0 to 21 . note that any number of pairs can be used on the x or y axis . the panel is divided so that the fine x coordinates are from 0 to 50 and the fine y coordinates are from 0 to 96 . for different panel sizes and the ratio of emitter to detector pairs and gap size , the fine coordinate dividing may be different . slight approximation is needed for establishing the coordinate dividing . the controller will activate the emitter / detector pairs simultaneously in any sequence . one example would be to scan x 00 , x 02 , x 04 , . . . x 20 , x 01 , x 03 , . . . x 21 , y 00 , y 02 , y 04 , . . . y 24 , y 01 , y 03 , . . . y 25 sequentially . another example would be to scan x 00 , x 01 , x 02 , . . . x 21 , y 00 , y 01 , y 02 , . . . y 25 sequentially . the coarse coordinates and the detected signal amplitudes are recorded for those blocked ( completely or partially ) pairs . the starting and ending of the x coarse coordinates are denoted as x 1 and x 2 , and those of y coarse coordinates y 1 and y 2 . the signals amplitudes of these four detectors are ax 1 , ax 2 , ay 1 , ay 2 . for example , if stylus position 410 is shown as in fig4 a , x 1 = 7 , x 2 = 10 , y 1 = 7 , y 2 = 10 , ax 1 = 10 %, ax 2 = 60 %, ay 1 = 70 %, ay 2 = 70 %. ne nd and ng are denoted as the number of fine grids of the emitter , detector and gap . nx and ny are denoted as the maximum of coarse x and y coordinate . in the example , ne = 1 , nd = 5 , ng = 1 , nx = 13 , ny = 21 . ax and ay are denoted as the amplitude of each detector without any portion of the signal being blocked . for simplicity of explanation , assume ax and ay to be 1 . the above information will be used to calculate the fine starting and ending x and y coordinates following the algorithm shown below . the method utilizes similitude triangular relationships between the un - blocked detector width ( proportional ) to the signal amplitude and the blocked beam width in the stylus position . the geometric gravity center of the stylus expressed in coarse coordinate ( x 1 + x 2 )/ 2 , ( y 1 + y 2 )/ 2 and nx , ny will be involved in the calculation . // algorithm to map the starting and ending detector &# 39 ; s coarse coordinate ( x1 , x2 , y1 , y2 ) + amplitude ( ax1 , ax2 , ay1 , ay2 ) to fine coordinate ( xx1 , xx2 , yy1 , yy2 ). // determine xx1 if ( x1 % 2 == 1 ) { // if starting x coordiante is on top , which is the case here xx1 = int ( x1 *( ne + nd + ng * 2 )/ 2 . 0 −( 1 . 0 / 2 . 0 − ax1 / ax )* nd *( y1 + y2 )/ 2 . 0 / ny ); } else { // if starting x coordinate is on bottom xx1 = int ( x1 *( ne + nd + ng * 2 )/ 2 . 0 −( 1 . 0 / 2 . 0 − ax1 / ax )* nd *( 1 . 0 − ( y1 + y2 )/ 2 . 0 / ny )); } // determine xx2 if ( x2 % 2 == 1 ) { // if ending x coordinate is on top xx2 = int ( x2 *( ne + nd + ng * 2 )/ 2 . 0 +( 1 . 0 / 2 . 0 − ax2 / ax )* nd *( y1 + y2 )/ 2 . 0 / ny ); } else { // if ending x coordinate is on bottom , which is the case here xx2 = int ( x2 *( ne + nd + ng * 2 )/ 2 . 0 +( 1 . 0 / 2 . 0 − ax2 / ax )* nd *( 1 . 0 − ( y1 + y2 )/ 2 . 0 / ny )); } // determine yy1 if ( y1 % 2 == 1 ) { // if starting y coordinate is in right , which is the case here yy1 = int ( y1 *( ne + nd + ng * 2 )/ 2 . 0 −( 1 . 0 / 2 . 0 − ay1 / ay )* nd *( 1 . 0 − ( x1 + x2 )/ 2 . 0 / nx )); } else { // if starting y coordinate is in left yy1 = int ( y1 *( ne + nd + ng * 2 )/ 2 . 0 −( 1 . 0 / 2 . 0 − ay1 / ay )* nd *( x1 + x2 )/ 2 . 0 / nx ); } // determine yy2 if ( y2 % 2 == 1 ) { // if ending y coordinate is in right yy2 = int ( y2 *( ne + nd + ng * 2 )/ 2 . 0 +( 1 . 0 / 2 . 0 − ay2 / ay )* nd *( 1 . 0 − ( x1 + x2 )/ 2 . 0 / nx )); } else { // if ending y coordinate is in left , which is the case here yy2 = int ( y2 *( ne + nd + ng * 2 )/ 2 . 0 +( 1 . 0 / 2 . 0 − ay2 / ay )* nd *( x1 + x2 )/ 2 . 0 / nx ); } as shown in fig4 b , when the stylus , such as stylus 400 , is small it might be located within a beam . in this case , x 1 = x 2 and / or y 1 = y 2 . in this case , off - axis sweeping is needed to acquire the fine coordinates . for example , as shown in fig4 b , for the initial scanning we obtain the coarse coordinates y 1 = y 2 = 3 . by activating the nearby led e 402 and then sequentially activating the detectors on the opposite side , the blocked area in the right side frame can be determined . again using similitude relationship between the two triangles , we can obtain accurate information of the y coordinates . note that the selection of activated led is based on the position ( coarse coordinates ) of the stylus . for example , if the stylus is located in the first quadrant of the panel , then the led to determine the fine y coordinate should be the one on the left and directly above the coarse coordinate ; while the led to determine the fine x coordinate should be on the top and directly to the left of the coarse coordinate . the principle is to “ project ” the small value of width to the frame so as to “ amplify ” it . upon calculation of the coordinates of a touched position , the system is then able to utilize the precise coordinates of contact to accomplish a myriad of activities , including , but not limited to , handwriting analysis , invocation of various applications , name - recognition dialing , memo functions , and changes in user preferences . fig5 illustrates the logic controlling one embodiment of the system . display 50 is connected to controller 51 by cable 52 , which typically would be a wireline connection , such as a flexible pcb , but could , if desired , be wireless . controller 51 would typically also be formed as part of display 50 , perhaps on the back thereof , or in a separate control unit attached nearby . within controller 51 reader multiplexer 507 is syncronized with driver multiplexer 502 so that driver multiplexer turns on an emitter , such as emitter e 313 , and multiplexer 507 turns on diode d 313 , which is matched to emitter e 313 . for off - axis sweeping , one emitter is enabled and the photodiodes on the opposite side of frame are also enabled sequentially , because they are sharing the same amplifier / filter / adc circuits . for on - axis screening , all other diodes are switched to ground to avoid cross - talk . this then allows for sequential enablement of the diode - emitter pairs around periphery of the device for on - axis screening . for off - axis screening , one emitter is enabled all of the diodes along the opposite edge are enabled in sequence . this allows for detection of a small stylus . reader multiplexer 507 is connected to amplifier / filter 506 , which is in turn connected to analog - to - digital converter ( adc ) 505 . the adc 505 , memory / software 501 , and driver / multiplexer 502 and reader multiplexer 507 all feed into microcontroller 504 . software in memory 501 can control microcontroller 504 , if desired , note that control 51 can , if desired , be one or more asics . in one embodiment , microcontroller 504 is connected to a host computer , such as computer 503 , which can be in the same physical location , as would occur for a cellular phone or pda , or can be remote and accessed wirelessly for other types of touch screens . use of an array of alternating emitters and detectors on integrated circuits solves a number of problems present in the prior art . first , there are fewer “ blind spots ” on the display screen . by alternating emitters and diodes , decreasing the gaps between the two , and increasing the size of the detectors , the current system is able to significantly increase the density of the infrared signals over the prior art without significantly increasing the emitter / diode pairs . this increase in density allows for use of a smaller stylus and better coordinate mapping . second , instead of determining the coordinates of a touch by detecting whether a beam has been blocked , the present system arguments its detection by also determining coordinates by determining a change in amplitude of the infrared signal and also by off - axis screening . although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail , it should be understood that various changes , substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the invention as defined by the appended claims . moreover , the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process , machine , manufacture , compositions of matter , means , methods and steps described in the specification . as one will readily appreciate from the disclosure , processes , machines , manufacture , compositions of matter , means , methods , or steps , presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized . accordingly , the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes , machines , manufacture , compositions of matter , means , methods , or steps . | 6 |
referring to the drawings and in particular fig1 , one embodiment of an isolated torque / force sensor assembly 10 , according to the present invention , is shown in operational relationship with a robot , generally indicated at 12 . in one embodiment , the robot 12 is of a force controlled type and includes a robot arm 14 extending from a body ( not shown ) of the robot 12 . the robot 12 also includes a wrist joint , generally indicated at 16 , attached to an end of the robot arm 14 . in this embodiment , the wrist joint 16 includes a bracket 18 attached to the robot arm 14 . the bracket 18 is generally “ u ” shaped . the wrist joint 16 also includes a flange 20 pivotally connected to the bracket 18 . the flange 20 is generally rectangular in shape , but may be any suitable shape . the flange 20 is disposed in the opening of the bracket 18 and pivotally connected to the bracket 18 by a suitable mechanism such as a pin ( not shown ). it should be appreciated that the flange 20 pivots or rotates relative to the bracket 18 . it should also be appreciated that the flange 20 is controlled by an actuator ( not shown ) such as an encoder , motor , and gearbox that is grounded to the bracket 18 to pivot the flange 20 . in one embodiment , the robot 12 further includes an end effector , generally indicated at 22 in the dashed lines , mounted to the wrist joint 16 . the end effector 22 includes a tool holder or guide 24 . the guide 24 includes a guide portion 26 extending axially . the guide portion 26 is generally cylindrical in shape . the guide portion 26 includes an aperture 28 extending axially therethrough to allow a tool such as a reamer or impacter ( i ) to extend therethrough . the guide 24 also includes a support portion 30 extending radially from the guide portion 26 . in one embodiment , the support portion 30 extends from an upper end of the guide portion 26 . the guide 24 further includes a mounting portion 32 extending from the support portion 30 for attachment to the flange 20 of the wrist joint 16 . the mounting portion 32 may be mounted to the flange 20 by a suitable mechanism such as fasteners ( not shown ). the guide 24 is integral , unitary , and / or one - piece to form a single rigid body . it should be appreciated that the guide 24 is used by a user ( not shown ) to insert the tool such as the reamer or impacter during hip replacement surgery . as illustrated in fig1 , the isolated force / torque sensor assembly 10 includes a user interface , generally indicated at 34 , operatively cooperating with the guide 24 . in one embodiment , the user interface 34 includes a gripping portion 36 extending axially to allow a hand of the user to grip the user interface 34 . the gripping portion 36 is generally cylindrical in shape . the gripping portion 36 includes an aperture 38 extending axially therethrough to allow the guide portion 26 of the guide 24 to extend therethrough . the user interface 34 may also include a shaft portion 40 extending radially from the gripping portion 36 . the user interface 34 is integral , unitary , and / or one - piece to form a single rigid body . it should be appreciated that the gripping portion 36 has one hundred percent clearance around the guide portion 26 of the guide 24 . it should also be appreciated that the user interface 34 is shaped for being gripped by a hand of the user . referring to fig1 , the isolated force / torque sensor assembly 10 includes a force / torque sensor , generally indicated at 42 in phantom lines . as illustrated , the force / torque sensor 42 is provided to react to loads applied to the user interface 34 . the loads include forces and torques applied to the user interface 34 by a user when the user desires to set a position and / or orientation of the guide 24 . it should be appreciated that a robot controller ( not shown ) sets the position of the robot arm 14 and wrist joint 16 , and thus the guide 24 , based on the forces and torques measured by the force / torque sensor 42 . as illustrated in fig1 , the force / torque sensor 42 acts between the robot arm 14 and the user interface 34 . the force / torque sensor 42 includes a high force end effector interface 44 , a transducer 45 , and a low force end effector interface 48 . the interfaces 44 and 48 support the force / torque sensor 42 for operation between the robot arm 14 and the user interface 34 . the high force end effector interface 44 may either be part of the guide 24 or end effector 22 . the low force end effector interface 48 may be part of the user interface 34 . it should be appreciated that the force / torque sensor 42 is of a six axis force transducer type . it should also be appreciated that the high force end effector interface 44 may be connected to or integral with the mounting portion 32 of the guide 24 . as illustrated in fig1 , the high force end effector interface 44 is a plate mounted to the flange 20 of the robot 12 by a suitable mechanism such as fasteners ( not shown ). the low force end effector interface 48 is mounted to or integral with the user interface 34 . the transducer 45 is disposed between the interfaces 44 and 48 . the transducer 45 includes a first sensor member 46 such as a first sensor plate fixed to the high force end effector interface 44 by a suitable mechanism such as fasteners ( not shown ). the transducer 44 also includes a second sensor member 47 such as a second sensor plate fixed to the low force end effector interface 48 by a suitable mechanism such as fasteners ( not shown ). a plurality of beams ( not shown ) is flexibly mounted between the first sensor member 46 and second sensor member 47 . one or more strain gauges ( not shown ) are associated with each beam . each strain gauge generates an electrical signal proportional to a flexure of the beam with which the strain gauge is associated . the transducer 45 may be of a silicon strain gauge type . such a transducer 45 is commercially available from ati industrial automation of apex , n . c . the transducer 45 is connected by cabling to a force / torque controller ( not shown ) or the robot controller . it should be appreciated that the high force end effector interface 44 is mechanically grounded to the robot arm 14 , bypassing the transducer 45 of the force / torque sensor 42 when any forces and / or torque are applied to the guide 24 . it should also be appreciated that the low force end effector interface 48 is mechanically attached to the force / torque sensor 42 for fine motion control . it should be appreciated that the first sensor member 46 may be integrated into the high force end effector interface 44 and the second sensor member 47 may be integrated into the low force end effector interface . it should still further be appreciated that the force / torque sensor 42 may be integrated into the robot 12 and not the end effector 22 . in addition , the isolated force / torque sensor assembly 10 may include a second force / torque sensor ( not shown ) placed on the guide 24 to measure the other forces and added to the hand force of the first force / torque sensor 42 to compute total force . in the same way , the second force / torque sensor could be placed directly at the end of the flange 20 to measure total force and be able to compute a tool force by subtracting hand force of the first force / torque sensor 42 from the total force . the isolated force / torque sensor assembly 10 is considered to be in a loaded state when loads are applied to the user interface 34 . when loads ( e . g ., forces and / or torques ) are applied to the isolated force / torque sensor assembly 10 , the interfaces 44 and 48 can engage in six types of displacement relative to each other . three of the movements are translation , along the x - axis , arbitrarily , the horizontal axis through the interfaces 44 and 48 , along the y - axis , arbitrarily the vertical axis through the interfaces 44 and 48 , and along the z - axis , arbitrarily the axis through the center of the interfaces 44 and 48 that extends in and out of the plane of fig1 . the low force end effector interface 48 can also engage in at least some rotational movement around each of the above - identified axes . typically as a result of the application of forces and torques to the isolated force / torque sensor assembly 10 , the low force end effector interface 48 engages in several of these movements . in one application , a user ( not shown ) may dispose a reamer ( not shown ) through the aperture 28 of the guide portion 26 of the guide 24 to ream out bone ( not shown ) of a hip socket ( not shown ) of a patient ( not shown ) for an acetabular cup implant ( not shown ). once completed , the user may place the acetabular cup implant in the hip socket . the user may then dispose a tool such as an impactor ( i ) through the aperture 28 of the guide portion 26 of the guide 24 and hit the impacter ( i ) with a hammer ( not shown ). the user may then use the robot 12 in a vibration mode to set the acetabular cup implant in place . when hitting the impactor ( i ) with the hammer , high forces may be imparted to the guide 24 . these high forces are grounded by virtue of the high force end effector interface 44 . these forces also bypass the transducer 45 owing to the clearance between the guide portion 26 and the gripping portion 36 . referring to fig2 , another embodiment , according to the present invention , of the isolated force / torque sensor assembly 10 is shown . like parts of the isolated force / torque sensor assembly 10 have like reference numerals increased by one hundred ( 100 ). in this embodiment , the isolated force / torque sensor assembly 110 includes the force / torque sensor 142 integrated into the user interface 134 . the end effector 122 includes the guide 124 having the guide portion 126 with the aperture 128 , support portion 130 , and mounting portion 132 . the user interface 134 includes the gripping portion 136 disposed about the guide portion 126 of the guide 124 . there is one hundred percent ( 100 %) clearance between the guide portion 126 and the gripping portion 136 . the force / torque sensor 142 includes the high force end effector interface 144 , transducer 145 , and the low force end effector interface 148 . in this embodiment , the guide 124 is part of the high force end effector interface 144 mounted to the flange 20 and the low force end effector interface 148 is at an end of the gripping portion 136 . the transducer 145 is generally circular in shape and has an aperture 150 extending therethrough to allow the guide portion 126 of the guide 124 to extend therethrough . the transducer 145 includes a first sensor member 146 such as a first sensor plate fixed to the guide portion 126 by a suitable mechanism and a second sensor member 147 such as a second sensor plate fixed to the gripping portion 136 by a suitable mechanism . a plurality of beams ( not shown ) is flexibly mounted between the first sensor member 146 and second sensor member 147 . one or more strain gauges ( not shown ) are associated with each beam . each strain gauge generates an electrical signal proportional to a flexure of the beam with which the strain gauge is associated . the low force end effector interface 148 of the force / torque sensor 142 is disposed about the guide portion 126 of the guide 124 . the transducer 145 is connected by cabling to a force / torque controller ( not shown ) or the robot controller . it should be appreciated that the high force end effector interface 144 is mechanically grounded to the robot arm 14 , bypassing the transducer 145 of the force / torque sensor 142 when any forces and / or torque are applied to the guide 124 . it should be appreciated that the gripping portion 136 floats about the guide portion 126 when connected to the transducer 145 of the force / torque sensor 142 . it should be appreciated that the high force end effector interface 144 is mechanically grounded to the robot arm 14 . it should also be appreciated that the low force end effector interface 148 is mechanically fixed to the gripping portion 136 and is connected by the transducer 145 to the high force end effector interface 144 for fine motion control . it should further be appreciated that the operation of the isolated force / torque sensor assembly 110 is similar to the isolated force / torque sensor assembly 10 . referring to fig3 , yet another embodiment , according to the present invention , of the isolated force / torque sensor assembly 10 is shown . like parts of the isolated force / torque sensor assembly 10 have like reference numerals increased by two hundred ( 200 ). in this embodiment , the isolated force / torque sensor assembly 210 includes the user interface 234 bridged across the force / torque sensor 242 . in one embodiment , the user interface 234 includes a gripping portion 236 extending axially to allow a hand of the user to grip the user interface 234 . the gripping portion 236 is generally cylindrical in shape . the gripping portion 236 includes an aperture 238 extending axially therethrough for receiving tools such as the reamer or impactor ( i ). the user interface 234 may also include a shaft portion 240 extending radially from the gripping portion 236 . the user interface 234 is integral , unitary , and / or one - piece to form a single rigid body . it should be appreciated that , in this embodiment , the end effector 232 may be solely the user interface 234 or the user interface 234 and force / torque sensor 242 combined . as illustrated in fig3 , the force / torque sensor 242 includes a high force end effector interface 244 , a transducer 245 , and a low force end effector interface 248 . the low force end effector interface 248 has attachments such as flexible beams 252 for high force use that bridge across the sensitive transducer 245 that increase the overload capacity of the isolated force / torque sensor assembly 210 , but still allow the force / torque signal to be generated . the beams 252 are generally rectangular in shape , but may be any suitable shape . the beams 252 are disposed circumferentially about the low force end effector interface 248 and have one end connected by a suitable mechanism such as welding to the low force end effector interface 248 . the beams 252 have another end spaced a predetermined distance from the high force end effector interface 244 . the beams 252 may be machined or otherwise arranged to contact the high force end effector interface 244 upon application of larger loads to prevent overload of the transducer 245 . the beams 252 may be calibrated so that the beams 252 contact the high force end effector interface 244 at a predetermined load . thus , the beams 252 may act as stops to contact the high force end effector interface 244 when larger loads , such as the predetermined load , are applied to the user interface 232 . in one embodiment , strain gauges 246 may be disposed on the beams 252 . thus , force and / or torque measurements could continue to be made once the beams 252 contact the high force end effector interface 244 albeit at a lower sensitivity / resolution . it should further be appreciated that the operation of the isolated force / torque sensor assembly 210 is similar to the isolated force / torque sensor assembly 10 . the present invention has been described in an illustrative manner . it is to be understood that the terminology , which has been used , is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation . many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings . therefore , the present invention may be practiced other than as specifically described . | 1 |
according to an aspect of the present invention , there is provided a rotatable link as defined in claim 1 . the rotatable link may be described as a rotary friction link . the rotary link has a certain sluggishness which is owing to friction in the parts of the link . in an embodiment , the pipe is a pipe stub which is short measured in the longitudinal direction relative to the diameter of the pipe . in an embodiment , the pipe is round . the pipe may also be elliptic . the pipe may also be made of metal , such as a steel alloy . the pipe may be deformed elastically . the thickness of the pipe depends on the material of the pipe and on the load which the link is to be capable of carrying and rotating . the pipe has two ends which each have a rim . part of the one rim constitutes contact faces for the first objects . the rim may be shaped so as to form a support for the first objects in order to create contact along the first object in such as 25 % or more of the circumference of the first object , such as 50 % or more of the circumference of the first object , such as 75 % or more of the circumference of the first object . the remaining part of the one rim constitutes two rim sections . the rim sections may be configured such that they have notches and cut - outs therein . in an embodiment , the one rim section forms part of a plane which forms an angle of 0 - 40 ° with the horizontal , such as 10 - 30 ° with the horizontal , and the other rim section is part of a plane which forms an angle of 40 - 80 ° with the horizontal , such as 50 - 70 ° with the horizontal . in an embodiment , a pawl is provided in the interior of the pipe , extending from the interior of the pipe wall inwards toward the centre of the pipe . in an embodiment , the first objects are cylinders . the first objects may have two end faces of essentially the same size . in another embodiment , the first objects taper in the longitudinal axis of the object , so that one end face is smaller than the other end face . in an embodiment , the contour of the first objects are curved and may have a convex or a concave contour , while , in another embodiment , the contour is essentially rectilinear . the first objects may be secured to the pipe edge by welding or soldering , e . g . tig - welding , or another form of attachment . in an embodiment , the second object is a cylinder . in an embodiment , the second object is a regular cylinder having a rectilinear contour and end faces of essentially the same size . in another embodiment , the contour of the object is curved and may be convex or concave . the rims of each of the end faces of the second object may be formed by e . g . milling so that the rim has no sharp edges or burrs . in an embodiment , the attachment means is a screw . the screw fits a thread on one of the two first objects . the attachment means has a diameter which allows it to pass through the bores in the objects , and the diameter is essentially equal to the diameter of the bored hole in the objects . in an embodiment , there is one or more points on the contour of the second object which are more remote from the axis of the attachment means , measured perpendicularly to the axis of the attachment means , than the distance of points on the contour of each the two first objects from the axis of the attachment means , measured perpendicularly from the axis of the attachment means . in an embodiment , the area of an end face of a first object , said end face being the one closest to the second object , is smaller than the area of the end faces of the second object , for each of the first objects . in an embodiment , the unit is secured with its longitudinal direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the pipe . by assembling the first objects and the second object with the attachment means into a unit , it is ensured that the objects are kept together about a common axis which constitutes the axis of rotation of the link . by providing a unit like the foregoing one and mounting it in a pipe , a simple and inexpensive rotatable link consisting of few components is provided . when the mechanical tension in the pipe produces compressive forces from the walls of the pipe inwards toward the centre of the pipe , this causes the link to be sufficiently slack for it to be affected by hand , while the link is also sluggish . in addition , as a result of the mechanical tension in the pipe the attachment means need not be tightened very much in the assembly of the objects , for the given desired sluggishness . thus , the attachment means is not very prone to work loose , resulting in few post tightenings . a mechanical tension in the pipe may be detected by separating the second object from the unit and then measuring the distance between the two first objects . if the distance between the two first objects is smaller , when the second object has been separated from the unit , than the length of the second object , this indicates that a mechanical tension was present in the pipe before the second object was separated from the unit . the distance and the length are measured in the direction of the bores . according to an aspect of the present invention , there is provided a rotatable link as stated in claim 2 . an apertured disc is an object with a hole . in an embodiment , the apertured disc is an object having a small thickness relative to the size of the width of the disc . in an embodiment , the apertured disc is essentially circular . the use of apertured discs results in a smoother operation of the link , among other things . in an embodiment , use is made of apertured discs to reduce the number of post tightenings of the attachment means in the link . in an embodiment , the frictional forces in the link are essentially smoothed out in the entire range of rotation of the link by the use of apertured discs according to claim 2 . the apertured discs may be positioned with their faces in contact with an end face of the second object and an end face of the first object , or in contact with an end face of the second object and a second apertured disc face , or in contact with an end face of the first object and a second apertured disc face , or in contact with two different apertured disc faces . the apertured discs may be of the same size or of different sizes . according to an aspect of the present invention , there is provided a rotatable link as stated in claim 3 . in an embodiment , four pairs of apertured discs are used in a rotary link . according to an aspect of the present invention , there is provided a rotatable link as stated in claim 4 . the apertured discs may be of the same material or of different materials . in an embodiment , there are one pair of apertured discs of one material and three pairs of apertured discs of another material . in an embodiment , there are one pair of apertured discs of brass and three pairs of apertured discs of steel . according to an aspect of the present invention , there is provided a rotatable upright as stated in claim 5 . thus , there is a provided an upright which , in addition to being sufficiently slack to be affected by hand , is also suitably tight so that the plate maintains its position after forces have been exerted by hand , and even if objects are mounted on the plate , and a moment is produced about the axis of the rotatable link . the plate may be secured to the rotatable link part by welding . in an embodiment , the plate is secured with a large face to the rotatable link part . according to an aspect of the present invention , there is provided a rotatable upright as stated in claim 6 . by providing an upright according to claim 6 , forces may readily be applied by hand to effect a rotary movement of the rotatable link by gripping the handle . the handle may be shaped as a strap or the like . according to an aspect of the present invention , there is provided a rotatable upright as stated in claim 7 . by providing an upright according to claim 7 , simple mounting of the rotatable upright on a rod may be achieved . the rod has an outside diameter which is approximately equal to and smaller than the inside diameter of the pipe . the pipe may be mounted on other objects , such as other rods in extension of the rod in one and the same direction measured along the longitudinal directions of the rod and the object . in an embodiment , the rotatable upright may perform a rotary movement of the pipe about the rod . hereby , a rotatable upright is achieved which has two rotary axes that are essentially perpendicular to each other . according to an aspect of the present invention , there is provided a use as stated in claim 8 . a use according to claim 8 ensures that an object may be placed on an upright with the object in a first position , and that the object may be brought to a second position by rotary movements , and that the second position is maintained after rotary movements have been performed . in an aspect of the present invention , the use according to claim 8 is particularly advantageous when the object is a piece of hardware , such as a card terminal which is to be operated by wheelchair users as well as non - wheelchair users , where the position is changed by the two types of users when using the hardware . according to an aspect of the present invention , there is provided a method as stated in claim 9 . in an embodiment , the attachment of the unit to the pipe is performed by welding . in an embodiment , it is ensured by the welding that the pipe is deformed elastically , and that the elastic deformation thereby contributes to a mechanical tension in the pipe . in an embodiment , a mechanical tension in the pipe may be achieved by first applying a mechanical deformation of the pipe , thereby deforming the pipe mechanically , and then attaching the unit so that a mechanical tension is maintained after the application of the mechanical deformation has been discontinued . according to an aspect of the present invention , there is provided a method as stated in claim 10 . in an embodiment , the mechanical tension of the pipe may be changed by adding / removing one or more pairs of discs after the unit has been secured to the pipe . this provides a simple manner in which the mechanical tension in the pipe may be changed . embodiments of the invention will be illustrated below by means of examples with a detailed description of preferred embodiments . reference is made to the figures in which : fig1 shows an embodiment of the invention , illustrating an upright comprising a rotatable link , a plate and a handle ; fig2 illustrates individual parts incorporated in a link in an embodiment of the invention ; fig3 illustrates individual parts incorporated in a link in an embodiment of the invention ; fig4 shows an embodiment of the invention , illustrating a rotatable link ; fig5 a shows an embodiment of the invention , illustrating an upright in a first position ; fig5 b shows an embodiment of the invention , illustrating an upright in a second position ; fig6 a shows an embodiment of the invention , illustrating another rotatable link seen perpendicularly to the axis of rotation ; fig6 b shows an embodiment of the invention , illustrating another rotatable link seen along the axis of rotation . fig1 shows the plate 11 on the link 1 as well as the strap 12 on the plate 11 . see fig2 - 4 for the following description of the link 1 . the link 1 is composed of : a through - going machine screw 5 having therearound two small cylinders 3 of a first diameter , two discs 8 of said first diameter and a large cylinder 4 of a second diameter , said second diameter being larger than the first diameter . a round hole of approximately the same diameter as the diameter of the screw 5 has been milled in both the two small cylinders 3 , the two discs 8 and the large cylinder 4 , said machine screw 5 extending through said hole . the large cylinder 4 is present on the longitudinal axis of the machine screw 5 , approximately centrally thereon , and the two discs 8 and the small cylinders 3 are arranged symmetrically around the large cylinder 4 such that a disc 8 is disposed between each of the small cylinders 3 and the large cylinder 4 . one of the small cylinders 3 has threads for the machine screw 5 into which the machine screw 5 is screwed . the small cylinders 3 and the large cylinder 4 are of compressed round steel and the discs 8 are of brass . the small cylinders 3 , the discs 8 and the large cylinder 4 are assembled with the machine screw 5 , see fig2 , and constitutes a unit 71 as described above and indicated in fig3 . the above - mentioned unit 71 is welded to a pipe stub 2 , see fig3 . at one end the pipe stub 2 is cut at an angle of about 20 ° perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction of the pipe stub 2 , and two openings 6 are milled in this inclined pipe edge . the two openings 6 in the inclined pipe edge form the contact face for welding to the two small cylinders 3 of the unit 71 . the link 1 is shown assembled and mounted in fig4 . in the mounted state , the pipe 2 is slightly elastically deformed by being expanded slightly in the direction of the machine screw 5 . this gives rise to a compressive force of an elastic nature on the unit 71 from the pipe stub 2 inwards toward the centre of the unit 71 , see the arrows of force in fig4 . in the mounted link 1 , it is only the large cylinder 4 which is rotatable ( and partly the discs 8 ), whereas the two small cylinders 3 are fixed and integrated with the pipe stub 2 . welding of the plate 11 takes place on the large cylinder 4 , see fig1 for a plate 11 welded on a link 1 . the pipe stub 2 applies a force to the unit 71 . the force is generated by the elastic deformation of the pipe stub 2 and acts along the axis of the link 1 from both sides of the pipe stub 2 inwards toward the centre of the unit 71 . the machine screw 5 is tightened firmly , which also produces compressive forces that act inwards and compress the unit 71 . the total compressive force on the unit 71 causes a certain desirable sluggishness in the link 1 , cf . the above - mentioned objects . the sluggishness is partly brought about by applied forces from the pipe stub 2 , and the sluggishness is therefore partly dependent on the compressive forces produced by the tightening of the machine screw 5 . the machine screw 5 primarily has the effect of holding the parts of the unit 71 together rather than the effect of causing sluggishness in the link 1 . the frictional forces in the link 1 during rotation act inter alia on the machine screw 5 in the direction of rotation , and the frictional forces are assumed to be proportional to the force by which the screw 5 is tightened . if a very firmly tightened machine screw 5 were used , this would cause great frictional forces that might undesirably loosen the screw 5 . the use of the compressive forces of the pipe stub 2 means that the screw 5 need not be tightened very much for the given desired sluggishness . in this example , the screw 5 thus does not tend to loosen , which results in few post tightenings . in this example , the discs 8 neutralize the frictional forces in the link 1 in that the discs 8 are made of a softer material than the cylinder parts 3 , 4 . in this example , the larger diameter of the large cylinder 4 relative to the diameter of both the small cylinders 3 and the discs 8 makes it possible to achieve a point on the link 1 for the welding of the plate 11 , which has been lifted clear of the partially concealed link 1 in the pipe opening , whereby the plate 11 may be rotated through the desired range in an angle of rotation of about 40 °, see fig5 . fig6 a and 6 b show an embodiment of a rotatable link 1 , where , in addition to two first cylinders 3 and the second cylinder 4 , apertured discs 8 are provided in the rotatable link 1 . between a first cylinder 3 and a second cylinder 4 and in the mentioned order and on each side of the second cylinder 4 , there are : an apertured disc 82 of a first material and three apertured discs 81 of a second material . in this example the first material is brass , and the second material is steel . the second material may be spring steel . the second cylinder 4 and the two first cylinders 3 are made of sulphur - alloyed free - cutting steel in this example . the pipe 2 is cut with two rim sections , and the upper rim section is produced such that it comprises a step . one rim section is part of a plane that forms an angle of about 20 ° with the horizontal , and the other rim section is part of a plane that forms an angle of about 60 ° with the horizontal . in this example , there is a hole in the wall of the pipe 2 in its lower area shown by a cantilever in profile in fig6 b . a pawl may be inserted through this hole into the interior of the pipe 2 , extending from the interior of the pipe wall inwards toward the centre of the pipe 2 . if the pipe 2 is mounted on a rod 13 having a slot , the pawl has the function of controlling the rotary movement in that the pawl is present in the slot during the rotary movement . see fig1 for an example of a slot in a rod 13 . fig1 a and 5 b show examples of uprights 10 in embodiments of the invention . fig1 shows an upright 10 mounted on a horizontal face . a description of the upright 10 is given below , based on the mounted part of the upright 10 on the horizontal face . the upright 10 comprises a foot secured to an object , which is in turn secured to the rod 13 . the object , shown here as a rod part , is secured in extension of the rod 13 with its longitudinal direction different from the longitudinal direction of the rod 13 . the rod 13 is a circular hollow pipe and has a slot configured as a section in the rod 13 near the end of the rod 13 , and the rod 13 has an outside diameter approximately equal to and smaller than the inside diameter of the pipe 2 . a pipe 2 is disposed around and connected to the rod 13 . a pawl ( not shown ) may be mounted in the pipe 2 , engaging the slot such that the pipe 2 is kept in its vertical position in that the pawl is in contact with the edges of the slot , and such that , simultaneously with the vertical attachment , it is possible to rotate the pipe about the longitudinal direction of the pipe 2 . the pipe 2 has a secured unit 71 , and together they form a rotatable link 1 . a plate 11 is secured on the rotatable link 1 , welded to the rotatable link part of the unit 71 . the plate has secured thereto a handle 12 which a user may grip and move the plate 11 in a rotary movement about the axis of the rotatable link part and / or about the axis along the longitudinal direction of the pipe 2 . an object ( not shown ), such as a piece of hardware , e . g . a card terminal , may be mounted or placed on the plate . a screen capable of screening the hardware is shown mounted on the plate . fig5 a and 5 b show an example of an upright 10 . an object 14 is mounted on the upright 10 . in fig5 a , the upright 10 has a position where the plate 11 has been rotated maximally in one direction about the axis of the rotatable link part , such that it hits an upper part of the rim of the pipe 2 , said upper part forming a rim section . this rim section is part of a plane having an inclination of about 20 ° with the horizontal . in fig5 b , the upright 10 has a position in which the plate 11 has been rotated maximally in the other direction about the axis of the rotatable link part , such that it hits a lower part of the rim of the pipe 2 , said lower part forming a rim section . when contacting this rim section , the plate has an inclination of about 60 ° with the horizontal . | 8 |
in the following description , various encasings of the present invention will be described . for purposes of explanation , specific configurations and details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the encasings . however , it will also be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without the specific details . furthermore , well - known features may be omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the encasing being described . referring now to the drawings , in which like reference numerals represent like parts throughout the several views , fig1 shows an aquatic light 8 in accordance with an encasing of the invention . the aquatic light 8 includes an encasing 1 having waterproof properties . the encasing 1 forms a seal between the light emitting diode 2 , the battery 3 , and the transistor 4 . although a light emitting diode is shown , the aquatic light may include any form of lamp , an incandescent lamp , a fluorescent lamp , or other lamps or lights . the aquatic light 8 includes a battery 3 and / or batteries 3 mounted inside of the encasing 1 . as an alternate to batteries 3 , a rechargeable battery or batteries may be used within the encasing 1 . the encasing contains the battery were the negative and positive terminals of the batteries 3 connect to the led 2 and the transistor 4 , respectively . the negetive terminal from the battery 3 is connected to the collector 7 leg . the positive terminal of the battery 3 is connected to the positive leg 10 for the led 2 . a wire 9 extends from the battery 3 positive terminal to the outside of the encasing 1 . the base 6 leg from the transistor 4 also extends outside the encasing 1 . the emitter 5 leg connects to the negetive leg 11 of the led 2 . additionally a resistor 12 may be added between the negative leg 11 of the led 2 and the emitter 5 leg of the transitor . in the encasing shown in fig1 , the aquatic light 8 floats . that is , the aquatic light 8 stays at a top surface of a body of water , even if only a slight portion or none of the aquatic light extends above a surface of the water . the floatation provided may be sufficient only to make the aquatic light buoyant . to this end , the aquatic light 8 is preferably sized so that the buoyant material , for example behind the led 2 , is sufficient to support the aquatic light 8 along with the battery 3 , when the aquatic light 8 is dropped in water . for the aquatic light 8 shown in fig1 , a buoyant material is provided for this function , although air pockets may be formed at any location so as to provide this function . the amount of boyant material needed to float a aquatic light 8 may be determined empirically or by experimentation . in addition , the aquatic light 8 may be floatable in other ways , for example by the addition of styrofoam or other buoyant materials . fig1 also shows the exterior of the aquatic light 8 , and is helpful in showing that the base 6 leg and the wire 9 are exposed on the exterior of the aquatic light 8 . the wire 9 and the base 6 leg are positioned so that they are in contact with water when the aquatic light 8 is floating , regardless of the orientation of the aquatic light 8 . in the encasing shown in the drawings , as can be seen in fig1 , the aquatic light is mostly submerged when floating at a surface of the water . although the aquatic light 8 is shown on its side at the surface of the water , an aquatic light may be configured in a different manner so that a different portion is presented at the surface . as an example , an aquatic light may be configured to float upside down . as can be understood , the aquatic light 8 the present invention is very useful when night aquatic . not only does the aquatic light 8 float , but , the aquatic light 8 will only turn on the led 2 when the water is arcing across the base 6 and the wire 9 . in the encasing shown in fig2 , the aquatic light 8 sinks . that is , the aquatic light 8 stays below the surface of a body of water , even if only a slight portion or none of the aquatic light extends above the surface of the water . the weight provided may be sufficient only to make the aquatic light sink . to this end , the aquatic light 8 is preferably sized so that the weight formed , for example behind the led 2 , is sufficient to sink the aquatic light 8 along with the battery 3 when the aquatic light 8 is dropped in water . for the aquatic light 8 shown in fig2 , a weighted material is provided for this function . the amount of weighted material needed to sink a aquatic light 8 may be determined empirically or by experimentation . in addition , the aquatic light 8 may be sinkable in other ways , for example by the addition of lead or other weighted materials . fig3 , fig4 , and fig5 shows a top and side view of the interior of the encasing , respectively . this is helpful in showing how all the connections come together within the encasing . all connections are positioned to avoid any false contacts which may cause a short circuit whithin the encasing . fig6 shows the electrical schematic of the aquatic light . lamp 1 has the positive leg connected directly to the battery and / or batteries 2 . the negative leg is connected to the emitter leg of the transistor 4 with or without a resistor 3 . the emitter leg of the transistor 4 is connected to the negative terminal of the battery and / or batteries 2 . the base leg of the transistor 4 is positioned to be protruding outside of the encasing 6 along with an additional wire that is connected to the positive side of the battery and / or batteries 2 which are labeled as exposed electrodes 5 . the use of the terms “ a ” and “ an ” and “ the ” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention ( especially in the context of the following claims ) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural , unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context . the terms “ comprising ,” “ having ,” “ including ,” and “ containing ” are to be construed as open - ended terms ( i . e ., meaning “ including , but not limited to ,”) unless otherwise noted . the term “ connected ” is to be construed as partly or wholly contained within , attached to , or joined together , even if there is something intervening . recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range , unless otherwise indicated herein , and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein . all methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context . the use of any and all examples , or exemplary language ( e . g ., “ such as ”) provided herein , is intended merely to better illuminate encasings of the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed . no language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non - claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention . preferred encasings of this invention are described herein , including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention . variations of those preferred encasings may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description . the inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate , and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein . accordingly , this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law . moreover , any combination of the above - described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context . | 5 |
an exemplary solution to the problem disclosed in fig1 and 2 is illustrated by the improved led driver circuit 300 in fig3 . in fig3 , elements corresponding to elements in fig1 are identified with corresponding element numbers and are not described in detail below . the power tank circuit 190 and the charge pump circuit 260 are represented as blocks . the components within the two circuits are illustrated in fig1 and are described above . unlike the driver circuit 100 in fig1 , the driver circuit 300 in fig3 does not connect the power input resistor 280 directly to the v cc node 272 and the power input terminal of the controller 180 . instead , the power input resistor is connected to a voltage sensing node 310 , which has a sense voltage ( v sense ) thereon . the voltage sensing node 310 is also connected to the cathode of a zener diode 312 . in the illustrated embodiment , the zener diode has a zener voltage of approximately 10 volts . the anode of the zener diode is connected to the anode of an isolation diode 314 . the cathode of the isolation diode is connected to the v cc node 272 . thus , the passive voltage source in fig3 includes three passive components : the power input resistor ; the zener diode ; and the isolation diode . the v cc node is connected to the power input terminal ( v cc ) of the controller . the v cc node is also connected to the first terminal of the v cc filter capacitor 270 and to the output of the charge pump 260 as described above in connection with fig1 . unlike the previously described driver circuit 100 , the led driver circuit 300 in fig3 further includes a voltage drop sensing circuit 320 . the voltage drop sensing circuit has an input terminal 322 connected to the voltage sensing ( v sense ) node 310 and has an output terminal connected to the v cc node 272 . the structure and the operation of the voltage drop sensing circuit are described in more detail below . during power up and during normal operation , the led driver circuit 300 in fig3 operates in a similar manner to the led driver circuit 100 in fig1 . when power from the ac source 110 is initially applied to the driver circuit in fig3 , the voltage v bridge on the v bridge bus 144 is applied to the v cc node 272 via the power input resistor 280 , the zener diode 312 and the isolation diode 314 . the zener diode and the isolation diode cause the voltage at the v cc node provided from the v sense node 310 to be approximately 10 . 7 volts below the voltage v bridge . the initial voltage on the v cc node is sufficient to charge the v cc filter capacitor 270 to a sufficient voltage level to cause the controller 180 to begin operating . thus , the two switching elements 182 , 184 begin switching to supply the ac voltage to the power tank circuit 190 and to the charge pump circuit 260 as described above . the charge pump provides current to further charge the v cc filter capacitor . when the v cc filter capacitor is fully charged , the voltage provided by the charge pump circuit is greater than the voltage provided by the power input resistor via the zener diode and the isolation diode . thus , the isolation diode is reverse - biased when the controller is operating . while the ac source is connected , the led driver circuit of fig3 operates to provide power to the led load via the power tank circuit 190 as described above . the voltage drop sensing circuit 320 operates to prevent the led flash problem described above . the voltage drop sensing circuit includes a discharge resistor 340 , which has a first terminal connected to the v cc node 272 via the output terminal 324 . the discharge resistor has second terminal connected to the emitter terminal of a discharge transistor 342 , which is a pnp bipolar transistor in the illustrated embodiment . the collector of the discharge transistor is connected to the ground reference 146 . the anode of a base clamping diode 344 is connected to the base of the discharge transistor 342 . the cathode of the base clamping diode is connected to the emitter of the discharge transistor . the base clamping diode prevents the voltage on the base of the discharge transistor from exceeding the voltage on the emitter of the discharge transistor by more than one forward diode drop . the anode of a base diode 346 is also connected to the base of the discharge transistor 342 . the cathode of the base diode is connected to a first terminal of a voltage sensing capacitor 350 and to the first terminal of a bleeder resistor 352 . the commonly connected cathode and first terminals are connected to the input terminal 322 of the voltage drop sensing circuit 320 are thus connected to the v sense node 310 . the respective second terminals of the voltage sensing capacitor and the bleeder resistor are connected to the ground reference . the voltage drop sensing circuit 320 does not affect the operation of the led driver circuit 300 when the ac power is initially applied and while the led driver circuit continues to operate with the ac power connected . when ac power is initially applied to the led driver circuit , the voltage on the v bridge bus 144 is applied to the voltage sensing node 310 via the power input resistor 280 . accordingly , the voltage is applied to the respective first terminals of the bleeder resistor 352 and the voltage sensing capacitor 350 via the input 332 of the voltage drop sensing circuit . the resistance of the bleeder resistor is substantially greater than the resistance of the power input resistor . thus , substantially all of the v bridge voltage is applied across the voltage sensing capacitor as the v sense voltage . the capacitance of the voltage sensing capacitor is relatively small compared to the capacitance of the v cc filter capacitor 270 . thus , the voltage sensing capacitor charges very quickly while the v cc filter capacitor charges slowly on initial power up such that the voltage on the voltage sensing capacitor is initially greater than the voltage on the v cc filter capacitor . the higher voltage on the voltage sensing capacitor prevents the emitter - base junction of the discharge transistor 342 from being forward biased . thus , the discharge transistor remains off during initial power on of the led driver circuit . after the led driver circuit 300 is powered up , the voltage sensing capacitor 350 remains charged to the v sense voltage determined by the voltage divider formed by the power input resistor 280 and the bleeder resistor 352 . the voltage is slightly less than the v bridge voltage . the v cc filter capacitor 270 is charged to a voltage less than the v rail voltage , which is less than the v bridge voltage . accordingly , the emitter - base junction of the discharge transistor 342 remains reverse biased during normal operation . when the ac source 110 is disabled or is no longer connected to the inputs 122 , 124 of the led driver circuit 300 , the voltage drop sensing circuit 320 operates to prevent the led driver circuit from causing the led flash described above . the operation of the voltage drop sensing circuit is illustrated by waveforms in fig4 . an upper waveform in fig4 represents a timing diagram illustrating the reduction in a rail voltage v rail after the ac source to the led drive circuit of fig3 is disconnected . a second waveform in fig4 represents a voltage v led across the led load connected to the led drive circuit of fig3 . a third waveform in fig4 represents a current i led through the led load connected to the led drive circuit of fig3 . a fourth waveform in fig4 represents the v sense voltage across the voltage sensing capacitor 350 and thus represents the voltage on the voltage sensing node 310 . a fifth waveform in fig4 represents the voltage on the v cc node 272 corresponding to the voltage across the v cc filter capacitor 270 . the five waveforms in fig4 represent the normal operation of the led driver circuit 300 from a time t 0 to a time t 1 when the ac power from the ac source 110 continues to be applied to the inputs 122 , 124 of the full - wave bridge rectifier 120 . at the time t 1 , the ac power is disconnected or otherwise disabled such that the v rail voltage begins to decrease as the v rail filter capacitor 168 discharges . the decreasing v rail voltage causes corresponding decreases in the v led voltage and the i led current . as further shown in fig4 , the v cc voltage on the v cc node 272 initially remains substantially constant because the charge pump 260 continues to provide charging current to the v cc filter capacitor 270 as the controller 180 continues to operate despite the decreasing v rail voltage . if the v cc voltage across the v cc filter capacitor 270 were allowed to remain at the initial level as the v rail voltage decreases , the controller 180 would continue to switch the two switching elements 182 , 184 , and the led flash would occur as before ; however , in the embodiment of fig3 , the voltage drop sensing circuit 320 prevents the led flash . when the ac source 110 is disconnected or otherwise disabled , the v bridge voltage on the v bridge voltage bus 144 decreases rapidly and no longer provides current through the power input resistor 280 to maintain the charge across the voltage sensing capacitor 350 . the voltage sensing capacitor begins to discharge through the bleeder resistor 352 , the power input resistor 280 and the bridge load resistor 150 . the capacitance of the voltage sensing capacitor is much less than the capacitance of the v cc filter capacitor . thus , the discharge rate of the voltage sensing capacitor is much greater than the discharge rate of the v cc filter capacitor as illustrated by the steep decrease in the v sense voltage in fig4 between the time t 1 and a time t a . as discussed above , the decreasing straight line actually represents a first portion of an exponential discharge . at the time t a , the v sense voltage on the voltage sensing capacitor 350 drops below the v cc voltage ( e . g ., by the total of a forward emitter - base drop and a forward diode drop ) such that the discharge transistor 342 starts conducting and the emitter of the discharge transistor is pulled down to a voltage near the zero volts on the ground reference 146 . the v sense voltage on the voltage sensing capacitor continues to exponentially discharge through the bleeder resistor 352 , the power input resistor 280 and the bridge load resistor 150 as represented by a second straight line segment . when the discharge transistor conducts , the v cc filter capacitor 270 is discharged rapidly through the discharge resistor 340 as illustrated by a steep discharge portion of the v cc waveform in fig4 between the time t a and a time t b . when the v cc filter capacitor discharges below the operating voltage threshold of the controller 180 , the controller will no longer switch the two switching elements 182 , 184 to produce an ac voltage on the common node 186 . thus , the power tank circuit 190 no longer provides a dc voltage to maintain the charge on the load capacitor 240 . the v led voltage on the load capacitor will continue to decrease as the voltage is discharged through the led load 172 . when the v led voltage on the load capacitor 240 reaches the threshold voltage for the series - connected leds in the led load 172 at a time t 2 , the leds will discontinue conducting , which causes the i led current to quickly drop to zero . although the load on the output of the power tank circuit 190 is reduced , the reduction in the load does not cause the voltage across the load capacitor to temporarily increase because the controller and the two switching elements are no longer operating drive to produce an ac voltage at the input to the power tank circuit . accordingly , the charge pump circuit 260 is not able to replenish the charge on the load capacitor . as a result the v led voltage continues to slowly discharge without producing a voltage spike to cause the led flash described above . as described above , the led drive voltage ( v led ) drifts downward as the v rail filter capacitor 168 and the load capacitor 250 discharge in the embodiment of fig3 . the capacitance of the voltage sensing capacitor 350 and the resistance of the bleeder resistor 352 are selected such that the discharge transistor 342 is turned on well before the v led voltage decreases to the threshold voltage of the led load 172 . the v cc filter capacitor 270 is discharged rapidly via the discharge resistor 340 such that the controller 180 is disabled while the v led voltage is still above the threshold voltage of the led load . thus , when the v led voltage reaches the threshold voltage and the leds in the led load turn off , the disabled controller cannot cause switching of the two switching elements 182 , 184 to increase the v led voltage regardless of the voltage remaining on the v rail filter capacitor . fig5 illustrates a second embodiment of an led drive circuit 500 , which is similar to the led drive circuit 300 of fig3 . the led drive circuit of fig5 includes a modified voltage drop sensing circuit 510 having fewer components than the voltage drop sensing circuit 320 of fig3 . the led drive circuit of fig5 also has fewer components providing power to the controller 180 . other than as described below , the elements in fig5 correspond to the elements in fig3 and are numbered accordingly . the voltage drop sensing circuit 510 includes an input terminal 512 and an output terminal 514 . the output terminal is connected to the v cc node 272 and thus is connected to the first terminal of the v cc filter capacitor 270 as previously described . the input terminal of the voltage drop sensing circuit of fig5 is connected directly to the second terminal of the power input resistor 280 via the v sense node 310 as in fig3 . the led drive circuit 500 does not include the zener diode 312 and the isolation diode 314 shown in fig3 to provide power to the v cc node 272 from the power input resistor 280 . rather , power from the power input resistor is provided to the v cc node via the base clamping diode 344 and the discharge resistor 340 in the voltage drop sensing circuit . thus , the passive voltage source in fig5 comprises the power input resistor , the base clamping diode and the discharge resistor . the discharge resistor 340 in the voltage drop sensing circuit 510 of fig5 has the first terminal connected to the output terminal 514 and has the second terminal connected to the emitter of the discharge transistor 342 as previously described . the collector of the discharge transistor is connected to the ground reference 146 . unlike the discharge transistor in the previously described embodiment , the base of the discharge transistor in fig5 is connected directly to the input terminal 512 and to the first terminal of the voltage sensing capacitor 350 . the second terminal of the voltage sensing capacitor is connected to the ground reference . the bleeder resistor 352 ( fig3 ) is not included in the embodiment of fig5 to reduce parts count and to reduce power dissipation . in the voltage drop sensing circuit 510 of fig5 , the base clamping diode 344 has the anode connected to the base of the discharge transistor 342 and has the cathode connected to the emitter of the discharge transistor as in the embodiment of fig3 . the anode of the base clamping diode in fig5 is connected directly to the input terminal 512 of the voltage drop sensing circuit . in the embodiment of fig5 , the base clamping diode 344 is in the supply path to the v cc filter capacitor 270 when the led drive circuit 500 is initially powered on . current flows from the v bridge bus 144 through the power input resistor 280 to the v sense node 310 . current is conducted from the v sense node through the base clamping diode and through the discharge resistor 340 to the v cc node 272 to charge the v cc filter capacitor 270 . the v cc filter capacitor is charged via the charging path until the voltage on the v cc node reaches the threshold voltage for operation of the controller 180 . after the controller starts to operate to switch the two switching elements 182 , 184 , power is provided to the v cc node via the charge pump circuit 260 to maintain the charge on the v cc filter capacitor as described above . the voltage drop sensing circuit 510 of fig5 operates in a similar manner to the previously described voltage drop sensing circuit 310 of fig3 . the voltage sensing capacitor 350 remains charged while the v bridge voltage on the v bridge bus 144 is maintained at a high voltage level by the rectified output of the full - wave bridge rectifier 120 . when the ac source 110 is disconnected or otherwise disabled , the v bridge voltage drops rapidly as described above . the v sense voltage on the v sense node 310 is initially maintained by the voltage sensing capacitor 350 ; however , the voltage sensing capacitor begins to discharge via the power input resistor 280 and the bridge load resistor 150 . the base clamping diode 344 is reverse - biased , which precludes the v cc node 272 from providing current to maintain the charge on the voltage sensing capacitor . accordingly , the voltage on the base of the discharge transistor 244 drops to cause the emitter - base junction of the discharge transistor to become forward biased . the discharge transistor conducts to start discharging the v cc filter capacitor 270 via the discharge resistor 340 . thus , the voltage on the v cc node drops rapidly while the voltage on the v rail bus 166 remains at a relatively higher voltage and decreases at a slower rate . when the voltage on the v cc node 272 drops below the operational threshold voltage of the controller 180 , the controller ceases operation and no longer switches the two switching elements 182 , 184 to produce the ac voltage on the common node 186 . the power tank circuit 190 ceases operation , and the v led voltage on the rectifier output node 236 continues to drop as the load capacitor 240 discharges through the led load 172 . since the controller remains off , the v led voltage does not spike when the leds within the led load no longer conduct . the previous detailed description has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description . thus , although there have been described particular embodiments of the present invention of a new and useful “ circuit and method for eliminating power - off flash for led drivers ,” it is not intended that such references be construed as limitations upon the scope of this invention except as set forth in the following claims . | 7 |
deuterium ( d or 2 h ) is a stable , non - radioactive isotope of hydrogen and has an atomic weight of 2 . 0144 . hydrogen naturally occurs as a mixture of the isotopes 1 h ( hydrogen or protium ), d ( 2 h or deuterium ), and t ( 3 h or tritium ). the natural abundance of deuterium is o . 015 %. one of ordinary skill in the art recognizes that in all chemical compounds with a h atom , the h atom actually represents a mixture of h and d , with about 0 . 015 % being d . thus , compounds with a level of deuterium that has been enriched to be greater than its natural abundance of 0 . 015 %, should be considered unnatural and , as a result , novel over their non - enriched counterparts . all percentages given for the amount of deuterium present are mole percentages . it can be quite difficult in the laboratory to achieve 100 % deuteration at any one site of a lab scale amount of compound ( e . g ., milligram or greater ). when 100 % deuteration is recited or a deuterium atom is specifically shown in a structure , it is assumed that a small percentage of hydrogen may still be present . deuterium - enriched can be achieved by either exchanging protons with deuterium or by synthesizing the molecule with enriched starting materials . the present invention provides deuterium - enriched odiparcil or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof there are sixteen hydrogen atoms in the odiparcil portion of odiparcil as show by variables r 1 - r 16 in formula i below . the hydrogens present on odiparcil have different capacities for exchange with deuterium . hydrogen atoms r 1 - r 3 are easily exchangeable under physiological conditions and , if replaced by deuterium atoms , it is expected that they will readily exchange for protons after administration to a patient . hydrogen atoms r 13 - r 16 can be exchanged for deuterium atoms by the action of a base system such as t - buok / t - buoh . the remaining hydrogen atoms are not easily exchangeable for deuterium atoms . however , deuterium atoms at the remaining positions may be incorporated by the use of deuterated starting materials or intermediates during the construction of odiparcil . the present invention is based on increasing the amount of deuterium present in odiparcil above its natural abundance . this increasing is called enrichment or deuterium - enrichment . if not specifically noted , the percentage of enrichment refers to the percentage of deuterium present in the compound , mixture of compounds , or composition . examples of the amount of enrichment include from about 0 . 5 , 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 12 , 16 , 21 , 25 , 29 , 33 , 37 , 42 , 46 , 50 , 54 , 58 , 63 , 67 , 71 , 75 , 79 , 84 , 88 , 92 , 96 , to about 100 mol %. since there are 16 hydrogens in odiparcil , replacement of a single hydrogen atom with deuterium would result in a molecule with about 6 % deuterium enrichment . in order to achieve enrichment less than about 6 %, but above the natural abundance , only partial deuteration of one site is required . thus , less than about 6 % enrichment would still refer to deuterium - enriched odiparcil . with the natural abundance of deuterium being 0 . 015 %, one would expect that for approximately every 6 , 667 molecules of odiparcil ( 1 / 0 . 00015 = 6 , 667 ), there is one naturally occurring molecule with one deuterium present . since odiparcil has 16 positions , one would roughly expect that for approximately every 106 , 672 molecules of odiparcil ( 16 × 6 , 667 ), all 16 different , naturally occurring , mono - deuterated odiparcils would be present . this approximation is a rough estimate as it doesn &# 39 ; t take into account the different exchange rates of the hydrogen atoms on odiparcil . for naturally occurring molecules with more than one deuterium , the numbers become vastly larger . in view of this natural abundance , the present invention , in an embodiment , relates to an amount of an deuterium enriched compound , whereby the enrichment recited will be more than naturally occurring deuterated molecules . in view of the natural abundance of deuterium - enriched odiparcil , the present invention also relates to isolated or purified deuterium - enriched odiparcil . the isolated or purified deuterium - enriched odiparcil is a group of molecules whose deuterium levels are above the naturally occurring levels ( e . g ., 6 %). the isolated or purified deuterium - enriched odiparcil can be obtained by techniques known to those of skill in the art ( e . g ., see the syntheses described below ). the present invention also relates to compositions comprising deuterium - enriched odiparcil . the compositions require the presence of deuterium - enriched odiparcil which is greater than its natural abundance . for example , the compositions of the present invention can comprise ( a ) a μg of a deuterium - enriched odiparcil ; ( b ) a mg of a deuterium - enriched odiparcil ; and , ( c ) a gram of a deuterium - enriched odiparcil . in an embodiment , the present invention provides an amount of a novel deuterium - enriched odiparcil . examples of amounts include , but are not limited to ( a ) at least 0 . 01 , 0 . 02 , 0 . 03 , 0 . 04 , 0 . 05 , 0 . 1 , 0 . 2 , 0 . 3 , 0 . 4 , 0 . 5 , to 1 mole , ( b ) at least 0 . 1 moles , and ( c ) at least 1 mole of the compound . the present amounts also cover lab - scale ( e . g ., gram scale ), kilo - lab scale ( e . g ., kilogram scale ), and industrial or commercial scale ( e . g ., multi - kilogram or above scale ) quantities as these will be more useful in the actual manufacture of a pharmaceutical . industrial / commercial scale refers to the amount of product that would be produced in a batch that was designed for clinical testing , formulation , sale / distribution to the public , etc . in another embodiment , the present invention provides a novel , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof . wherein r 1 - r 16 are independently selected from h and d ; and the abundance of deuterium in r 1 - r 16 is at least 6 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 13 %, ( b ) at least 19 %, ( c ) at least 25 %,( d ) at least 31 %, ( e ) at least 38 %, ( f ) at least 44 %, ( g ) at least 50 %, ( h ) at least 56 %, ( i ) at least 63 %, ( j ) at least 69 %, ( k ) at least 75 %, ( l ) at least 81 %, ( m ) at least 88 %, ( n ) at least 94 %, and ( o ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides a novel , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 1 - r 3 is at least 33 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 67 %, and ( b ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides a novel , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 13 - r 16 is at least 33 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 67 %, and ( b ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides a novel , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 1 - r 3 and r 13 - r 16 is at least 17 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 33 %, ( b ) at least 50 %, ( c ) at least 67 %, ( d ) at least 83 %, and ( e ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides a novel , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 4 - r 9 is at least 17 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 33 %, ( b ) at least 50 %, ( c ) at least 67 %, ( d ) at least 83 %, and ( e ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides a novel , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 10 - r 12 is at least 33 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 67 %, and ( b ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides a novel , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 13 - r 15 is at least 33 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 67 %, and ( b ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides a novel , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 16 is at least 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides an isolated novel , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof . wherein r 1 - r 16 are independently selected from h and d ; and the abundance of deuterium in r 1 - r 16 is at least 6 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 13 %, ( b ) at least 19 %, ( c ) at least 25 %,( d ) at least 31 %, ( e ) at least 38 %, ( f ) at least 44 %, ( g ) at least 50 %, ( h ) at least 56 %, ( i ) at least 63 %, ( j ) at least 69 %, ( k ) at least 75 %, ( l ) at least 81 %, ( m ) at least 88 %, ( n ) at least 94 %, and ( o ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides an isolated novel , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 1 - r 3 is at least 33 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 67 %, and ( b ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides an isolated novel , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 13 - r 16 is at least 33 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 67 %, and ( b ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides an isolated novel , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 1 - r 3 and r 13 - r 16 is at least 17 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 33 %, ( b ) at least 50 %, ( c ) at least 67 %, ( d ) at least 83 %, and ( e ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides an isolated novel , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 4 - r 9 is at least 17 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 33 %, ( b ) at least 50 %, ( c ) at least 67 %, ( d ) at least 83 %, and ( e ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides an isolated novel , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 10 - r 12 is at least 33 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 67 %, and ( b ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides an isolated novel , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 13 - r 15 is at least 33 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 67 %, and ( b ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides an isolated novel , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 16 is at least 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides novel mixture of deuterium enriched compounds of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof . wherein r 1 - r 16 are independently selected from h and d ; and the abundance of deuterium in r 1 - r 16 is at least 6 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 13 %, ( b ) at least 19 %, ( c ) at least 25 %,( d ) at least 31 %, ( e ) at least 38 %, ( f ) at least 44 %, ( g ) at least 50 %, ( h ) at least 56 %, ( i ) at least 63 %, ( j ) at least 69 %, ( k ) at least 75 %, ( l ) at least 81 %, ( m ) at least 88 %, ( n ) at least 94 %, and ( o ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides a novel mixture of , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 1 - r 3 is at least 33 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 67 %, and ( b ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides a novel mixture of , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 13 - r 16 is at least 33 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 67 %, and ( b ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides a novel mixture of , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 1 - r 3 and r 13 - r 16 is at least 17 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 33 %, ( b ) at least 50 %, ( c ) at least 67 %, ( d ) at least 83 %, and ( e ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides a novel mixture of , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 4 - r 9 is at least 17 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 33 %, ( b ) at least 50 %, ( c ) at least 67 %, ( d ) at least 83 %, and ( e ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides a novel mixture of , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 10 - r 12 is at least 33 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 67 %, and ( b ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides a novel mixture of , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 13 - r 15 is at least 33 %. the abundance can also be ( a ) at least 67 %, and ( b ) 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides a novel mixture of , deuterium enriched compound of formula i or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof , wherein the abundance of deuterium in r 16 is at least 100 %. in another embodiment , the present invention provides novel pharmaceutical compositions , comprising : a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and a therapeutically effective amount of a deuterium - enriched compound of the present invention . in another embodiment , the present invention provides a novel method for prevention of venous thromboembolism comprising : administering to a patient in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of a deuterium - enriched compound of the present invention . in another embodiment , the present invention provides an amount of a deuterium - enriched compound of the present invention as described above for use in therapy . in another embodiment , the present invention provides the use of an amount of a deuterium - enriched compound of the present invention for the manufacture of a medicament ( e . g ., for the prevention of venous thromboembolism ). the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof . this invention encompasses all combinations of preferred aspects of the invention noted herein . it is understood that any and all embodiments of the present invention may be taken in conjunction with any other embodiment or embodiments to describe additional more preferred embodiments . it is also to be understood that each individual element of the preferred embodiments is intended to be taken individually as its own independent preferred embodiment . furthermore , any element of an embodiment is meant to be combined with any and all other elements from any embodiment to describe an additional embodiment . the examples provided in the definitions present in this application are non - inclusive unless otherwise stated . they include but are not limited to the recited examples . the compounds of the present invention may have asymmetric centers . compounds of the present invention containing an asymmetrically substituted atom may be isolated in optically active or racemic forms . it is well known in the art how to prepare optically active forms , such as by resolution of racemic forms or by synthesis from optically active starting materials . all processes used to prepare compounds of the present invention and intermediates made therein are considered to be part of the present invention . all tautomers of shown or described compounds are also considered to be part of the present invention . “ host ” preferably refers to a human . it also includes other mammals including the equine , porcine , bovine , feline , and canine families . “ treating ” or “ treatment ” covers the treatment of a disease - state in a mammal , and includes : ( a ) preventing the disease - state from occurring in a mammal , in particular , when such mammal is predisposed to the disease - state but has not yet been diagnosed as having it ; ( b ) inhibiting the disease - state , e . g ., arresting it development ; and / or ( c ) relieving the disease - state , e . g ., causing regression of the disease state until a desired endpoint is reached . treating also includes the amelioration of a symptom of a disease ( e . g ., lessen the pain or discomfort ), wherein such amelioration may or may not be directly affecting the disease ( e . g ., cause , transmission , expression , etc .). “ therapeutically effective amount ” includes an amount of a compound of the present invention that is effective when administered alone or in combination to treat the desired condition or disorder . “ therapeutically effective amount ” includes an amount of the combination of compounds claimed that is effective to treat the desired condition or disorder . the combination of compounds is preferably a synergistic combination . synergy , as described , for example , by chou and talalay , adv . enzyme regul . 1984 , 22 : 27 - 55 , occurs when the effect of the compounds when administered in combination is greater than the additive effect of the compounds when administered alone as a single agent . in general , a synergistic effect is most clearly demonstrated at sub - optimal concentrations of the compounds . synergy can be in terms of lower cytotoxicity , increased antiviral effect , or some other beneficial effect of the combination compared with the individual components . “ pharmaceutically acceptable salts ” refer to derivatives of the disclosed compounds wherein the parent compound is modified by making acid or base salts thereof . examples of pharmaceutically acceptable salts include , but are not limited to , mineral or organic acid salts of the basic residues . the pharmaceutically acceptable salts include the conventional quaternary ammonium salts of the parent compound formed , for example , from non - toxic inorganic or organic acids . for example , such conventional non - toxic salts include , but are not limited to , those derived from inorganic and organic acids selected from 1 , 2 - ethanedisulfonic , 2 - acetoxybenzoic , 2 - hydroxyethanesulfonic , acetic , ascorbic , benzenesulfonic , benzoic , bicarbonic , carbonic , citric , edetic , ethane disulfonic , ethane sulfonic , fumaric , glucoheptonic , gluconic , glutamic , glycolic , glycollyarsanilic , hexylresorcinic , hydrabamic , hydrobromic , hydrochloric , hydroiodide , hydroxymaleic , hydroxynaphthoic , isethionic , lactic , lactobionic , lauryl sulfonic , maleic , malic , mandelic , methanesulfonic , napsylic , nitric , oxalic , pamoic , pantothenic , phenylacetic , phosphoric , polygalacturonic , propionic , salicyclic , stearic , subacetic , succinic , sulfamic , sulfanilic , sulfuric , tannic , tartaric , and toluenesulfonic . table 1 provides compounds that are representative examples of the present invention . when one of r 1 - r 16 is present , it is selected from h or d . table 2 provides compounds that are representative examples of the present invention . where h is shown , it represents naturally abundant hydrogen . numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings . it is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims , the invention may be practiced otherwise that as specifically described herein . | 2 |
fig1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a graphics computer . a graphics computer is typically comprised of a well known central processing unit ( cpu ) 102 , a memory subsystem 104 , and an input output ( i / o ) subsystem 106 . these subsystems communicate through a data bus 108 . the system might also include a graphics coprocessor 110 which can offload from the cpu many computation - intensive tasks . an optional graphics accelerator subsystem 112 can also be used by the system . the images produced by the graphics computer are visualized using the display 114 . the processes 1000 described in fig1 and 11 a - 11 h are typically stored in the memory 104 and executed by the cpu 102 . fig2 is a drawing of six polyhedral cells 203 in space together with a viewpoint 201 and viewing direction 202 . to illustrate the concept of a visibility ordering , we have numbered each of the cells according to their visibility ordering . to render the cells in correct order , we render the cells from largest number to smallest number . fig3 is a drawing of the same six polyhedral cells in fig2 together with the mpvo visibility ordering relations . to determine the mpvo ( prior art ) relations , or dependencies , a viewpoint 301 and a view direction 302 are specified . mpvo dependencies exist between cells that share a face . in this diagram 300 , cell 5 ( 309 ) and cell 6 ( 308 ) do not have any mpvo dependencies since they do not share faces with any other cells . however , cell 1 ( 303 ), cell 2 ( 304 ), cell 3 ( 306 ), and cell 4 ( 305 ) do have some faces in common . therefore , we have indicated the mpvo dependencies by arrows 307 in the figure . note that the direction of the arrow is of vital importance , as it indicates that which of the two neighboring cells needs to be projected , or rendered , first . here , the arrow 307 points from the cell that should be projected first towards the cell that should be projected second . for example , we know that cell 2 ( 304 ) should be projected before cell 1 ( 303 ) since we are projecting cells in a back - to - front order with respect to the current viewpoint 301 . therefore , we have included an arrow 307 which points from cell 2 ( 304 ) to cell 1 ( 303 ). fig4 is a drawing of a graph which indicates the mpvo ordering dependencies among polyhedral cells . the graph is used as a simple illustration of the mpvo dependencies . each of the six original cells is represented by a numbered node of the graph 401 - 406 . the mpvo dependencies highlighted in fig3 are again represented by arrows 407 - 410 , pointing from the cell that needs to be projected first , to the cell that needs to be projected second . fig5 is a drawing of the same six polyhedral cells in fig2 together with their xmpvo ( ray shooting ) ordering indicated . in this case , the xmpvo ordering adds only one dependency between cell 5 ( 507 ) and cell 4 ( 506 ), which can be seen by the arrow 509 from cell 5 507 to cell 4 ( 506 ). additional ray shooting queries 510 are indicated for clarity , even though they do not add any dependencies . the ray shooting queries are made in the opposite direction of the view direction 502 . fig6 is a drawing of a graph which indicates the xmpvo ordering dependencies among polyhedral cells . the graph is used as a simple illustration of the xmpvo dependencies . each of the six original cells is represented by a numbered node of the graph 601 - 606 . the xmpvo dependency highlighted in fig5 is again represented by an arrow 607 , pointing from the cell that needs to be projected first 605 , to the cell that needs to be projected second 604 . fig7 is a drawing of six polyhedral cells in a space with a binary space partitioning ( bsp ) tree used in a preferred embodiment of the invention . the viewpoint 701 and view direction 702 are indicated with an arrow . the bsp - tree is built upon the boundary faces of the cells . the cutting planes associated with the bsp - tree are highlighted by the letters a through l and the numbers 703 through 714 , respectively . the bsp - tree was constructed in the order of the cutting planes . that is , plane a 703 was used first to cut the region of space into two smaller regions . plane b 704 was used next to cut the right region , with respect to plane a 703 , into two smaller regions . from the figure , we can see that cell 6 ( 720 ) has three boundary faces ( 704 , 705 , 706 ), none of which were cut by the bsp - tree construction phase . however , cell 5 ( 725 ), which originally had three boundary faces , ended up with five boundary segments ( 707 , 708 , 712 , 713 , 714 ) after the bsp - tree was constructed . fig8 is a drawing of a graph which indicates the bsp ordering dependencies among the six polyhedral cells in fig7 . each cutting plane from fig7 was referenced by a letter a through l , respectively . each of these cutting planes is represented here by circles labeled a through l , respectively . in addition , the cutting planes have been placed within larger circles 801 - 805 to indicate the cell that has a boundary face which lies on the cutting plane . for example , cell 4 ( 803 ) had only one boundary face in fig7 therefore , the circle which represents cell 4 ( 803 ) in fig8 contains only one smaller circle which represents the cutting plane along this boundary face . similarly , cell 6 ( 805 ) had three boundary faces in fig7 and thus has three smaller circles in this fig8 . the arrows 806 - 816 , in the figure represent the bsp dependencies between the cells . fig9 is a block diagram 900 which indicates how a total visibility ordering 901 can be achieved by our invention . the visibility ordering can be comprised of the mpvo dependencies 902 and the xmpvo dependencies 903 . in this case , all the visibility ordering relations among boundary cells are achieved by using ray - shooting queries . however , a more efficient means of achieving the ordering can be accomplished by using the mpvo dependencies 904 , the bsp dependencies 905 , and the ppc dependencies 906 . essentially , the introduction of the bsp dependencies enables us to eliminate a large number of ray - shooting queries , but not all of them . cells that have a face cut by more than one bsp plane will be “ partially projected ” by the bsp . we collect these cells into a ppc ( partially projected cell ) set . in this case , ray - shooting queries only have to be performed against cells in the ppc . note then , that using the bsp amounts to optimizing the visibility ordering graph . in the simple example illustrated in fig2 through fig8 the partially projected cell dependencies are equivalent to the xmpvo dependencies 903 , although in general they are only a subset of them . consequently , the bsp dependencies 905 and the ppc dependencies 906 are needed to replace the more expensive xmpvo dependencies . fig1 is a flow chart of a rendering process 1000 , which sequentially renders the input polyhedral cells in visibility order for a series of viewpoints . the render cells process 1000 takes as input an initial viewpoint 1002 and a set of polyhedral cells 1004 . initially , the plane equation for each face of each input cell is computed 1006 using well - known techniques . the plane equations will be used later to determine 1103 the mpvo dependencies among the cells . a binary space partition tree , or bsp - tree , is computed 1008 using the boundary faces of the input cells . the technique used to build the bsp can be chosen among several well - known algorithms . a novel piece of our algorithm is that we use the bsp built upon the only the boundary faces to sort the internal cells . using the current viewpoint and the bsp - tree , a visibility sort process 1010 is performed to sort in visibility order the input cells 1004 . our traversal algorithm is highlighted in fig1 a - h . using the visibility order , the input cells 1004 can then be rendered , using standard techniques , 1012 in the correct order . the viewpoint is then updated 1014 so that we can again perform our visibility sort process 1010 and render the cells 1012 using the updated viewpoint . fig1 a is a flow chart of the visibility sort process 1010 . input for the visibility sort are the current viewpoint 1101 and the bsp - tree 1102 which was previously built upon the boundary faces of the input cells in process 1008 . refer back to the piece in 1008 so it ties together ? the first step in our visibility sort is to compute 1103 the mpvo dependencies between all cells which share a face . this prior art was described in “ visibility ordering meshed polyhedra ” by peter williams . the process 1010 then calls our recursive function bsp traversal 1104 , with the current viewpoint 1101 and the root node of the bsp - tree as input parameters . once the recursive function has finished , the visibility sort is completed and we return 1105 . fig1 b is a flow chart of the bsp traversal process 1104 . the input parameters are a node 1106 of the bsp - tree and the current viewpoint 1107 . initially , we test 1108 if the node is equal to null . if it is , we return 1109 from the function . otherwise , we test 1110 if the viewpoint 1107 is in front of the cutting plane associated with the node . this test is necessary as we want to visit the regions of space defined by the bsp - tree in back - to - front order , thereby helping us to find the visibility order of the cells . if the viewpoint is in front of the cutting plane , then to project the cells in a back - to - front order , we will need to visit the back child node , process the current node , and then visit the front child node . if the viewpoint is in back of the cutting plane , we need to do the reverse : visit the front child node , process the current node , and then visit the back child node . if the node is in front of the cutting plane , we recursively call 1114 the bsp traversal process with the current viewpoint and the back node child of the current node as input . once this function call has returned , we call a process 1115 to update all dependencies , and then recursively call 1116 the bsp traversal process with the current viewpoint and the front node child of the current node as input . once this function call is finished , we return 1117 . if the viewpoint is not in front of the cutting plane associated with the current node , we perform a similar sequence of function calls , although in the opposite order . thus , we recursively call 1111 the bsp traversal process with the current viewpoint and the front node child of the current node as input . the update all dependencies process 1112 is then called , followed by the second call of the bsp traversal process 1113 , with the current viewpoint and the back child node of the current node as input . once these function calls are finished , we return 1117 . fig1 c is a flow chart of the update all dependencies process 1112 , 1115 . the input parameters for this process are a node of the bsp - tree 1120 and the current viewpoint 1121 . an initial test is performed 1122 to determine if there are any partially projected cells , or ppcs . recall that a partially projected cell c is a cell such that one of the pieces , created by the bsp construction , that compose it , say c ′, has been projected by the bsp , but there exist other pieces of cell c that have not been projected . if there are ppcs , we call another process 1123 to update ppc dependencies , using the same input 1120 , 1121 as this process . the remaining steps in this process are straightforward . we call three processes : update ppc list 1124 , update bsp dependencies 1125 , and mpvo traverse 1126 . finally , we return 1127 . see the description fig1 f , 11 g , and 11 h , below . the update ppc dependencies process 1123 is described by a flow chart in fig1 d . the input to this process are a node of the bsp - tree 1130 and the current viewpoint 1131 . this process is only called if we know there are partially projected cells , therefore , we begin by assigning 1132 to the current_ppc_cell variable the first partially projected cell . associated with the current node 1130 is a cutting plane . we assign to the current_ccn_cell variable the first cell with a face that lies on this cutting plane . clearly there exists at least one such cell since the cutting plane was defined by a face of one of the original input cells 1004 . using the current_ppc_cell and the current_ccn_cell , we call a process 1134 to update ppc dependency count . if there are additional cells which lie on the cutting plane 1135 , we update 1136 the current_ccn_cell variable and again call the update ppc dependency count process 1134 . if there are no additional ccn cells , we test whether there are additional ppc cells 1137 . if there are , we update 1138 the current_ppc_cell variable and again loop through all of the cells with faces that lie on the cutting plane 1133 . if there are no remaining ppc cells , we are finished and we return 1139 . fig1 e is a flow chart of the update ppc dependency count process 1134 . the input to this process are a partially projected cell c_i 1140 , a cell c_j 1141 with a face which lies on the current cutting plane , and the current viewpoint 1142 . initially we compute the spheres s_i 1143 and s_j 1144 around the two input cells c_i and c_j . with respect to the current viewpoint , we then test 1145 if the sphere s_i is behind sphere s_j . if it is , we add 1146 a ppc dependency between cells c_i and c_j , to indicate that cell c_i must be projected before cell c_j . either way , the process is finished and we return 1147 . the update ppc list process 1124 , described by the flow chart in fig1 f , takes one input parameter , a node of the bsp - tree 1150 . associated with each node of the bsp - tree is a cutting plane . the update ppc list process 1124 considers each cell that has a face which lies on the cutting plane associated with the current node 1150 , and determines whether we need to add or delete the cell to the partially projected cell list . initially , we set 1151 the current_cell variable to be the first cell which has a face that lies on the current cutting plane . if the current_cell has already been visited 1152 , meaning that it has already been considered for the partially projected cell list , we determine 1153 if the number of bsp dependencies for the current_cell is equal to one . if so , then the current cutting plane represents this last bsp dependency and so we can remove 1154 the current_cell from the ppc list . if the number of bsp dependencies is greater than one , we will consider any additional cells that have faces which lies on the current cutting plane 1157 . if the current_cell has not been considered for the ppc list yet , we determine 1155 it has more than one bsp dependency . if it does , then we insert 1156 the current_cell to the ppc list . otherwise , we determine 1157 if there are any remaining cells that have faces which lie on the current cutting plane . if yes , we update 1158 the current_cell variable to be the next such cell , and repeat our tests 1152 to determine if we need to add or delete the cell from the ppc list . once there are no additional cells to test , we return from this function 1159 . fig1 g details our update bsp dependencies process 1125 . for a node 1162 of the bsp - tree , the process will decrement the bsp dependency count for each cell that has a face which lies on the cutting plane associated with the current node 1162 . afterward , we determine if any of these cells are now free to be projected . initially , we assign 1163 the current_cell variable to be the first cell that has a face which lies on the current cutting plane . the bsp dependency count for the current cell is then decremented 1164 . if the current_cell has no remaining mpvo , bsp , or ppc dependencies 1165 , then we add 1166 the current_cell may be projected and we add it to the deque data structure . if there are additional cells that have faces on the current cutting plane 1167 , we update 1168 the current_cell variable to be the next such cell , and repeat this process again 1164 . otherwise , we are finished updating the bsp dependencies for this node and we return 1169 . fig1 h is a flow chart of our mpvo traverse process 1126 , which is responsible for projecting the input cells in the order determined by the visibility sort . we maintain a deque data structure to determine what cell to project next . cells to be projected are taken from the head , or front , of the deque , and once cells are determined to be free to be projected are added to the tail , or back , of the deque . if the deque is empty 1175 , we will return 1176 since there is nothing to be done . otherwise , we set 1177 the current_cell variable to be the cell at the head of the deque , and remove this cell from the deque . the current_cell is then projected 1178 . we would like to now update the mpvo dependencies for the cells which are neighbors of the current_cell . therefore , for each face f of the current_cell , we will consider the cell adjacent to the current_cell , as determined by f , and update the dependency as needed . we assign 1179 the current_face variable to be the first face of the current_cell . if the mpvo dependency for the current face is inbound 1180 , meaning that the neighboring cell had to be projected before the current_cell , nothing needs to be done . if there are additional faces of the current cell 1181 , we update 1182 the current_face to be the next face of the current_cell , and again test what type of mpvo dependency exists for the current_face 1180 . if there are no faces remaining , we are done processing the current_cell and we return to test whether there are any additional cells that need to be rendered 1175 . if the mpvo dependency for the current_face is not inbound , meaning that the current_cell had to be projected before the neighboring cell , we assign 1184 c_i to be the neighboring cell of the current_cell with respect to the current_face . we can then decrement 1185 the number of mpvo dependencies for cell c_i since the current_cell , upon which c_i was dependent , has just been rendered . if cell c_i has no mpvo , bsp , or ppc dependencies remaining 1186 , we add 1187 c_i to the deque since it can now be projected . either way , we then test 1181 if there are additional faces to test for the current cell . | 6 |
embodiments of the present invention provide medical devices for implantation in a body vessel . such medical devices , e . g ., stents , each have a solvent swell layer and a solvent cast layer for enhanced drug eluting capabilities . other examples of the present invention include methods of making the medical devices and methods of treatment that utilize the medical devices . each of the solvent swell layer and the solvent cast layer contains at least one of an antimicrobial agent and an antithrombogenic agent for reduced stent clogging , lessened reflux , reduced bacteria attachment , and lessened bile film accumulation . it is to be noted that the medical devices discussed herein are described with respect to an exemplary biliary stent embodiment comprising a solvent cast layer over a solvent swell layer . however , other medical devices , such as ureteral stents , esophageal stents or catheters can also be used as implantable medical devices according to other embodiments of the present invention . fig1 illustrates an endolumenal medical device configured as a biliary stent 10 having a solvent cast layer disposed about a solvent swell layer in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . in this embodiment , the dual - layer stent 10 provides an efficient mechanism for eluting anti - microbial and anti - thrombogenic agents therefrom within a desired body vessel . as shown , the stent 10 is a biliary drainage stent having a drainage tube 16 including a drainage lumen 18 formed therethrough from an inlet 14 to an outlet 12 . preferably , inlet 14 allows fluid to enter the drainage lumen 18 within the drainage tube 16 , and outlet 12 allows fluid to exit the drainage tube 16 from the drainage lumen 18 . the stent 10 is preferably configured for placement within a biliary or pancreatic duct and extends the length of the duct into the duodenum . for example , the inlet 14 of the stent 10 may be placed within a biliary or pancreatic duct . the stent 10 extends the length of the duct into the duodenum in which the outlet 12 may be placed . while the preferred embodiment describes a stent 10 intended for use in the common bile duct or pancreatic duct of a patient having a ductal occlusion or obstruction , the stent 10 may also be configured for use in other areas within the body . for example , the stent could be configured for use within a urethral , ureteral , esophageal or blood vessel . the drainage tube 16 can be substantially straight and symmetrically disposed about a longitudinal axis x , as shown in fig1 . for example , diameters of about 7 - 12 french ( 2 . 3 mm - 4 . 0 mm , or 0 . 091 - 0 . 156 inch ) may be suitable external diameters for the drainage tube 16 , and lengths of between about 25 - 180 mm ( 0 . 98 - 7 . 1 inches ) may be suitable for the distance between the inlet 14 and the outlet 12 . preferably , the medical device comprises an anchoring component to anchor the device within a body passage . the anchoring component of the biliary stent may include flaps extending from the outer surface of the drainage tube . the number , size and orientation of anchoring flaps can be modified to accommodate the migration - preventing requirements of the particular medical device to be implanted , the site of implantation and the desired function of the device . for example , the stent 10 comprises an outlet array 30 and an inlet array 32 of radially extending flaps extending from the outer surface of the drainage tube 16 , proximate the outlet 12 and the inlet 14 , respectively . the outlet array 30 and inlet array 32 of flaps can have any suitable number , size and configuration of flaps selected to anchor stent 10 within a biliary duct . for example , the outlet array 30 comprises one row of four flaps ; the inlet array 32 comprises two rows of four flaps . the arrays of anchoring flaps 30 , 32 can be formed by any suitable means such as by slicing small longitudinal sections in the distal or proximate ends of the drainage tube 16 and orienting the sliced sections radially . preferably , the slice incisions are made on the outer surface of the tube 16 in a shallow manner so as to not create holes therethrough . of course , in other embodiments , the slice incisions may create holes therethrough without falling beyond the scope or spirit of the present invention . as shown in fig1 and 2 a , the drainage tube 16 comprises an outer surface including a swell layer 22 and a cast layer 24 circumferentially disposed about the swell layer . the drainage tube 16 is preferably comprised of polymeric material that is capable of being “ swelled ” by penetration of a swelling solution containing a swelling solvent and a solute that includes at least one of an antimicrobial agent and an antithrombogenic agent . when applied on the outer surface of the tube , the swelling solution penetrates and “ swells ” the entire body of the tube . as a result , a substantially homogeneous dispersion of the antimicrobial or anti - thrombogenic agent ( s ) throughout the tube is observed at steady state . that is , the antimicrobial agent ( s ) and / or anti - thromobogenic agent ( s ) are able to disperse within enlarged intermolecular spaces of the body of the drainage tube when applied thereon , defining the swell layer for drug elution . it is to be understood that before a steady state condition is reached before the swelling / infusion process , a non - homogeneous dispersion of the antimicrobial and / or anti - thrombogenic agent ( s ) will be dispersed within the enlarged intermolecular spaces of the body of the drainage tube . that is , during dispersion , the concentration of solvent and agent into the polymer wall will be highest at the surface and lower in the middle until a steady state is reached . as depicted in fig2 b and 2 c , the inner and outer walls at d 1 and d 1 , respectively , have a higher concentration of agent as the portions toward the center have a lesser concentration as a function of swelling time ( t ). as time increases ( t 1 & lt ; t 2 & lt ; t 3 ), the concentration differences between the various portions of the wall approach zero and become negligible ( steady state ). as the swell process is terminated before a steady state condition is reached , a non - homogeneous condition will result . in this embodiment , the polymeric material of the drainage tube also preferably is capable of being casted by a casting solution containing a polymer , a casting solvent and a solute that includes at least one of an antimicrobial agent and an antithrombogenic agent . when applied on the swell layer , the casting solution is able to effectively partially dissolve the polymeric material so that a cast layer may be formed circumferentially about the swell layer . thus , the antimicrobial agent or antithrombogenic agent is incorporated onto the solidified polymeric material by solvent casting for drug elution . the polymer of the casting solution is a polymer that is dissolved by the solvent and preferably a polymer that is known to be relatively easily dissolved by the solvent . the polymer may be the same polymer as the polymeric material discussed herein . in one embodiment , the casting solvent comprises at least one of the following : acetone , tetrahydrofuran ( thf ), methyl ethyl ketone , n , n - dimethylformamide ( dmf ), and diemthyl sulfoxide ( dmso ). moreover , in this embodiment , the casting solute comprises at least one of the following : cephaloporins , clindamycin , chlorampheanicol , carbapenems , minocyclines , rifampin , penicillins , monobactams , quinolones , tetracycline , macrolides , sulfa antibiotics , trimethoprim , fusidic acid , aminoglycosides , amphotericin b , azoles , flucytosine , cilofungin , nikko z , phosphorylcholine , a polymer , and heparin . alternatively , the casting solution may contain the casting solvent , the solute , and a known monomer or a known oligomer . in this example , the monomer or oligomer will react during casting to form a polymer . each of the polymeric material of the drainage tube and the polymer of the casting solution ( discussed herein ) may be formed from elastomers such as elastomeric polyurethanes and polyurethane copolymers ; silicones ; polycarbonates . mixtures or random copolymers of any of the foregoing are non - limiting examples of non - biodegradable biocompatible matrix polymers useful for manufacturing the medical devices of the present invention . other suitable polymers are a polyolefin such as polyethylene , polypropylene , polybutylene or copolymers thereof ; vinyl aromatic polymers such as polystyrene ; vinyl aromatic copolymers such as styrene - isobutylene copolymers and butadiene - styrene copolymers ; ethylenic copolymers such as ethylene vinyl acetate ( eva ), ethylene - methacrylic acid and ethylene - acrylic acid copolymers where some of the acid groups have been neutralized with either zinc or sodium ions ( commonly known as ionomers ); polyacetals ; chloropolymers such as polyvinylchloride ( pvc ); polyesters such as polyethyleneterephthalate ( pet ); polyester - ethers ; polyamides such as nylon 6 and nylon 6 , 6 ; polyamide ethers ; polyethers . it is to be understood that there are a number of substances that may be used as the casting solvent to form the casting layer about the swell layer . table a shows an example list of casting solvents for the casting layer . it is to be understood that there are a number of substances that may be used as the swell solvent to form the swelling layer . table b shows an example list of swell solvents for the swelling layer . as shown in fig2 a , the drainage tube 16 forms a drainage lumen 18 centered along the longitudinal axis x of the stent 10 . the drainage tube 16 is configured as a continuous uninterrupted tube adapted to provide drainage through an obstructed portion of a body vessel , such as a biliary duct . in another embodiment shown in fig3 b , the stent 10 may further include an outer coating 25 comprising a lubricious biodegradable coating material applied to the cast layer 24 of the drainage tube 16 . the term “ antimicrobial agent ” refers to a bioactive agent effective in the inhibition of , prevention of or protection against microorganisms such as bacteria , microbes , fungi , viruses , spores , yeasts , molds and others generally associated with infections such as those contracted from the use of the medical articles described herein . the antimicrobial agents include antibiotic agents and antifungal agents . the antimicrobial agent may include one of the following : cephaloporins , clindamycin , chlorampheanicol , carbapenems , minocyclines , rifampin , penicillins , monobactams , quinolones , tetracycline , macrolides , sulfa antibiotics , trimethoprim , fusidic acid and aminoglycosides . antifungal agents include amphotericin b , azoles , flucytosine , cilofungin and nikko z . moreover , bactericidal nitrofuran compounds , such as those described by u . s . pat . no . 5 , 599 , 321 ( conway et al . ), incorporated herein by reference , can also be used as antimicrobials . examples of suitable antimicrobial materials include nanosize particles of metallic silver or an alloy of silver containing about 2 . 5 wt % copper ( hereinafter referred to as “ silver - copper ”), salts such as silver citrate , silver acetate , silver benzoate , bismuth pyrithione , zinc pyrithione , zinc percarbonates , zinc perborates , bismuth salts , various food preservatives such as methyl , ethyl , propyl , butyl , and octyl benzoic acid esters ( generally referred to as parabens ), citric acid , benzalkonium chloride ( bzc ), rifamycin and sodium percarbonate . it should be noted that the agent used in the solvent swelling and solvent casting process may be the same or different drug . in each process , single or multiple kinds of antimicrobial agents may be used . specific non - limiting examples of suitable antibiotic agents include : ciprofloxacin , doxycycline , amoxicillin , metronidazole , norfloxacin ( optionally in combination with ursodeoxycholic acid ), ciftazidime , and cefoxitin . other suitable antibiotic agents include rifampin , minocycline , novobiocin and combinations thereof discussed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 217 , 493 ( raad et al .). rifampin is a semisynthetic derivative of rifamycin b , a macrocyclic antibiotic compound produced by the mold streptomyces mediterranic . rifampin is believed to inhibit bacterial dna - dependent rna polymerase activity and is bactericidal in nature . rifampin is available in the united states from merrill dow pharmaceuticals , cincinnati , ohio . minocycline is a semisynthetic antibiotic derived from tetracycline . it is primarily bacteriostatic and is believed to exert an antimicrobial effect by inhibiting protein synthesis . minocycline is commercially available as the hydrochloride salt which occurs as a yellow , crystalline powder and is soluble in water and slightly soluble in alcohol . minocycline is available from lederle laboratories division , american cyanamid company , pearl river , n . y . novobiocin is an antibiotic obtained from cultures of streptomyces niveus or s . spheroides . novobiocin is usually bacteriostatic in action and is believed to interfere with bacterial cell wall synthesis and inhibit bacterial protein and nucleic acid synthesis . novobiocin also appears to affect stability of the cell membrane by complexing with magnesium . novobiocin is available from the upjohn company , kalamazoo , mich . bactericidal nitrofuran compounds , such as those described by u . s . pat . no . 5 , 599 , 321 ( conway et al . ), incorporated herein by reference , can also be used as an antimicrobial bioactive agent . preferred nitrofuran bioactive agents include nitrofurantoin , nitrofurazone , nidroxyzone , nifuradene , furazolidone , furaltidone , nifuroxime , nihydrazone , nitrovin , nifurpirinol , nifurprazine , nifuraldezone , nifuratel , nifuroxazide , urfadyn , nifurtimox , triafur , nifurtoinol , nifurzide , nifurfoline , nifuroquine , and derivatives of the same , and other like nitrofurans which are both soluble in water and possess antibacterial activity . references to each of the above cited nitrofuran compounds may be found in the merck index , specifically the ninth edition ( 1976 ) and the eleventh edition ( 1989 ) thereof , published by merck & amp ; co ., inc ., rahway , n . j ., the disclosures of which are each incorporated herein by reference . the antimicrobial agent can also comprise nanosize particles of metallic silver or an alloy of silver containing about 2 . 5 wt % copper ( hereinafter referred to as “ silver - copper ”), salts such as silver citrate , silver acetate , silver benzoate , bismuth pyrithione , zinc pyrithione , zinc percarbonates , zinc perborates , bismuth salts , various food preservatives such as methyl , ethyl , propyl , butyl , and octyl benzoic acid esters ( generally referred to as parabens ), citric acid , benzalkonium chloride ( bzc ), rifamycin and sodium percarbonate . another example of a suitable antimicrobial agent is described in published u . s . patent application us2005 / 0008763a1 ( filed sep . 23 , 2003 by schachter ), incorporated herein by reference . it is also to be understood that the antithrombogenic agent mentioned above may include any suitable antithrombogenic agent known in the art such as phosphorylcholine and heparin , to reduce thrombus formation about the device while in a body vessel of a patient . in one embodiment ( fig3 a ), the radial thicknesses of the swell layer ( r 2 − r 1 ) and cast layer ( r 3 − r 2 ) of the drainage tube 16 may be varied . in one aspect , the combined radial thickness of swell layer and the cast layer together ( r 3 − r 1 ) can be kept constant , while varying the radial thicknesses of the swell layer and the cast layer . the radial thickness of the swell layer can be selected to provide the stent with a desired amount of flexibility or rigidity for an intended application . the radial thickness and composition of the cast layer can be selected to provide a desired rate of drug elution therethrough . referring to fig3 a , the outer radius r 3 may be measured as the radial distance from the longitudinal axis x to the outer surface of the tube . r 1 is the radius of the drainage lumen 18 . the thickness of the swell layer depends on the material selected , and can be any thickness providing a desired amount of radial support , while retaining a desired level of flexibility . for example , a polyurethane biliary stent swell layer may have a thickness of about 0 . 2 mm ( 0 . 01 - inch ) to about 1 . 0 mm ( 0 . 04 - inch ), preferably about 0 . 4 mm ( 0 . 02 - inch ) for a 10 f stent . values for the radius r 1 for a biliary stent can vary from about 0 . 5 mm ( 0 . 02 - inch ) to about 1 . 5 mm ( 0 . 06 - inch ) for a 10 f stent , and from about 0 . 25 mm ( 0 . 01 - inch ) to about 0 . 75 mm ( 0 . 03 - inch ) for a 5 f stent . the drainage lumen 18 is preferably configured to maximize the surface area of the swell layer defining the drainage lumen 18 . generally , the total radial thickness of the swell layer and the cast layer will be about 0 . 4 mm ( 0 . 02 - inch ) to about 1 . 5 mm ( 0 . 06 - inch ), preferably between about 0 . 6 mm ( 0 . 06 - inch ) and about 1 . 0 mm ( 0 . 04 - inch ). the radial thicknesses of the swell layer and the cast layer can be selected to provide at least a minimal desired amount of radial strength to maintain patency of the drainage lumen 18 upon implantation . the ratio of the radial thickness of the swell layer to the radial thickness of the cast layer is preferably less than about 20 : 1 — more preferably less than about 10 : 1 , 5 : 1 , 3 : 1 or 2 : 1 and most preferably about 1 : 1 — prior to implantation of the drainage stent within a biliary or pancreatic duct . one preferred biliary stent provides a polyurethane swell layer having a radial thickness of about 1 . 75 mm ( 0 . 07 - inch ). as the inner surfaces and outer surfaces of the device may be masked by known means , it is understood that one of the surfaces may be selectively masked to treat the other surface without falling beyond the scope or spirit of the present invention . it is understood that the swelling treatment may not affect dimensions whereas coating with casting solution may affect dimensions . for example , in fig3 c and 3 d , diameters d 1 and d 1 were not affected when the swell layer 22 was applied to the tube or base polymer 16 . in this example , the solvent swells the polymer and loosens the polymeric chains and the agent dissolves in the solvent . in fig3 c - 3 e , diameters d 1 and d 1 were affected and now are represented by diameters d 2 and d 2 , respectively , where diameters d 1 & gt ; d 2 and d 1 & gt ; d 2 . this is due to the application of the casting layer to the device . in use , the cast layer is preferably configured to a relatively slow release of anti - microbial and / or anti - thrombogenic agent ( s ) therefrom . the swell layer , on the other hand , is configured to relatively quickly release antimicrobial and / or anti - thrombogenic agents therefrom . the disposition of the cast layer causes the cast layer to act as a decelerator to the drug release from the swell layer to slow the rate of drug elution therefrom . this provides an enhanced device for drug elution into a body vessel . fig4 illustrates a device 110 comprising a drainage tube 116 having one or more bends . in this embodiment , the drainage tube 116 includes a bend 115 positioned about mid way between the outlet 112 and the inlet 114 , so as to accommodate the anatomical structure of a biliary duct . the bend preferably conforms to the duodenal anatomy , and can be about 120 degrees . alternatively , the bend can be positioned about ⅓ of the distance from the inlet 114 and the outlet 112 . fig5 illustrates a medical device 210 comprising a drainage tube 216 having any particular shape , e . g ., a “ pigtail ” configuration 220 , in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention . in this example , the device 210 comprises a swell layer ( as mentioned above ) and a polymeric layer disposed about the swell layer . preferably , the swell layer is a layer that is swelled with a swelling solution ( as discussed above ). in this embodiment , the polymeric layer is not solvent casted . as shown , the polymeric layer comprises a plurality of pores formed radially through the polymeric layer to expose the swell layer of the drainage tube 216 . as shown , the pores 204 are filled or “ plugged ” with biodegradable material 206 that degrades when implanted in a body vessel of a patient . in use , as the biodegradable plugs dissolve or degrade within a body vessel , the swell layer is exposed thereby activating drug elution from the swell layer into the body vessel . thus , degradation of the plugs “ turns - on ” exposure of the underlayer or swelled layer as the over - layer or outer polymeric layer becomes depleted . fig6 illustrates a device 310 comprising a drainage tube 316 having an anti - reflux member 317 cooperable and attached to an outlet 312 of the drainage tube 316 . the drainage tube 316 comprises components similar to the drainage tube 16 mentioned above . in this embodiment , the anti - reflux member 317 comprises an inlet bore 324 and an outlet bore 326 in fluid communication with the inlet bore 324 . as shown , the inlet and outlet bores 324 , 326 are in non - alignment relationship to prevent backflow from the outlet bore 326 through the inlet bore 324 during use of the device . the drainage tube can be formed from any suitable biocompatible and biostable material . the tube is preferably resiliently compliant enough to readily conform to the curvature of the duct in which it is to be placed , while having sufficient “ hoop ” strength to retain its form within the duct . preferably , the tube is formed from a thermoformable material that can be coextruded in a separate layer with a biodegradable material ( discussed below ). one suitable drainage tube is the cotton - leung ® ( amsterdam ) biliary stent ( cook endoscopy inc ., winston - salem , n . c ., usa ). examples of suitable drainage tubes having a bent configuration include : cotton - huibregtse ® biliary stents , cotton - leung ® ( amsterdam ) stents , geenen ® pancreatic stents , st - 2 soehendra tannenbaum biliary stents and johlin ® pancreatic wedge stents , all commercially available from wilson - cook medical inc . ( winston - salem , n . c ., usa ). examples of suitable stents 10 having a coiled (“ pigtail ”) inlet and outlet configuration include : double pigtail stent , the zimmon ® biliary stent and the zimmon ® pancreatic stents , all commercially available from wilson - cook medical inc . ( winston - salem , n . c ., usa ). the endolumenal medical device may include a means for orienting or viewing the orientation or position of the medical device within a body vessel . for example , an endolumenal medical device or a medical device delivery system can comprise radiopaque indicia providing information on the position or the orientation of the medical device within a body vessel . an endolumenal medical device or delivery device may comprise one or more radiopaque materials to facilitate tracking and positioning of the medical device . the radiopaque materials may be added in any fabrication method or absorbed into or sprayed onto the surface of part or all of the medical device to form one or more marker bands . a marker band may be formed from a suitably radiopaque material . radiopacity may be imparted to the marker band by covalently binding iodine to the polymer monomeric building blocks of the elements of the medical device . common radiopaque materials include barium sulfate , bismuth subcarbonate , and zirconium dioxide . other radiopaque elements include : cadmium , tungsten , gold , tantalum , bismuth , platinum , iridium , and rhodium . in one preferred embodiment , iodine may be employed for its radiopacity and antimicrobial properties . radiopacity is typically determined by fluoroscope or x - ray film . imagable markers , formed from radiopaque material , can be incorporated in any portion of a medical device . for example , radiopaque markers can be used to identify a long axis or a short axis of a drainage tube within a body vessel . a radiopaque material may be attached to a drainage tube of a drainage stent . the marker band can provide a means for orienting endolumenal medical device within a body lumen . the marker band can be identified by remote imaging methods including x - ray , ultrasound , magnetic resonance imaging and the like , or by detecting a signal from or corresponding to the marker . for example , marker bands may be provided at one or both of the inlet and outlet of a biliary drainage stent . as mentioned above , the device may include a biodegradable coating disposed thereon . the biodegradable coating may include one or more coating layers that dissolve over a desired time within the body in a manner that is biocompatible . dissipation ( e . g ., by dissolution or degradation ) of the biodegradable coating material can result in “ flaking off ” of sludge components such as bacteria or biofilm that may have accumulated on the surface of the layer after implantation . therefore , the actual diameter of drainage lumen 18 can increase over time , as more of the biodegradable coating dissipates . the biodegradable material can comprise any suitable biodegradable material that can be degraded and absorbed by the body over time to gradually remove ( e . g ., by “ flaking off ”) sludge accumulation within , and enlarge , the drainage lumen 18 over time . a number of other biodegradable homopolymers , copolymers , or blends of biodegradable polymers can be included in the biodegradable coating . these include , but are not necessarily limited to , polyesters , poly ( amino acids ), copoly ( ether - esters ), polyalkylenes oxalates , polyamides , poly ( iminocarbonates ), polyorthoesters , polyoxaesters , polyamidoesters , polyoxaesters containing amido groups , poly ( anhydrides ), polyphosphazenes , poly - alpha - hydroxy acids , trimethylene carbonate , poly - beta - hydroxy acids , polyorganophosphazines , polyanhydrides , polyesteramides , polyethylene oxide , polyester - ethers , polyphosphoester , polyphosphoester urethane , cyanoacrylates , poly ( trimethylene carbonate ), poly ( iminocarbonate ), polyalkylene oxalates , polyvinylpyrolidone , polyvinyl alcohol , poly - n -( 2 - hydroxypropyl )- methacrylamide , polyglycols , aliphatic polyesters , poly ( orthoesters ), poly ( ester - amides ), polyanhydrides , modified polysaccharides and modified proteins . the biodegradable coating may include one or more biodegradable materials , selected from the group consisting of : a hydrogel , an elastin - like peptide , a polyhydroxyalkanoates ( pha ), polyhydroxybutyrate compounds , and co - polymers and mixtures thereof . the biodegradable material can be selected and varied based on various design criteria . the biodegradable material preferably comprises one or more hydrolyzable chemical bonds , such as an ester , a desired degree of crosslinking , a degradation mechanism with minimal heterogeneous degradation , and nontoxic monomers . the biodegradable material may be a polyhydroxyalkanoate compound , a hydrogel , poly ( glycerol - sebacate ) or an elastin - like peptide . the biodegradable material may comprise a poly - α - hydroxy acid , such as polylactic acid ( pla ). pla can be a mixture of enantiomers typically referred to as poly - d , l - lactic acid . alternatively , the biodegradable material is poly - l (+)- lactic acid ( plla ) or poly - d (−)- lactic acid ( pdla ), which differ from each other in their rate of biodegradation . plla is semicrystalline . in contrast , pdla is amorphous , which can promote the homogeneous dispersion of an active species . unless otherwise specified , recitation of “ pla ” herein refers to a biodegradable polymer selected from the group consisting of : pla , plla and pdla . in another example , the biodegradable material includes a polyhydroxyalkanoate biodegradable polymer such as polylactic acid ( poly lactide ), polyglycolic acid ( poly glycolide ), polylactic glycolic acid ( poly lactide - co - glycolide ), poly - 4 - hydroxybutyrate , or a combination of any of these . suitable biodegradable polymers include poly - l - lactide ( plla ), poly - d - lactide ( pdla ), polyglycolide ( pga ), copolymers of lactide and glycolide ( plga ), polydioxanone , polygluconate , polylactic acid - polyethylene oxide copolymers , modified cellulose , collagen , poly ( hydroxybutyrate ), polyanhydride , polyphosphoester , poly ( amino acids ) or related copolymers , each of which have a characteristic degradation rate in the body . for example , pga and polydioxanone are relatively fast - bioabsorbing materials ( weeks to months ) and plla and polycaprolactone are a relatively slow - bioabsorbing material ( months to years ). thus , a skilled person will be able to choose an appropriate biodegradable material , with a degradation rate that is suitable for a desired application . the biodegradable material may also comprise polyglycolic acid ( pga ). polyglycolic acid is a simple aliphatic polyester that has a semi - crystalline structure , and substantially degrades in 3 months . compared with pla , pga is a stronger acid and is more hydrophilic , and thus more susceptible to hydrolysis . pla is generally more hydrophobic than pga , and undergoes a complete mass loss in 1 to 2 years . a summary of the properties of some desirable biodegradable material polymers are shown below in table c . the composition of the biodegradable coating may be selected to provide a degradation rate that is suitable for a desired application . the molecular weight of the biodegradable material can be selected to provide desired rates of bioabsorption and desired physical properties , such as radial strength , for the device . for example , pga and polydioxanone are relatively fast - bioabsorbing materials ( weeks to months ) and plla and polycaprolactone are a relatively slow - bioabsorbing material ( months to years ). the biodegradable material can also be a polylactic glycolic acid ( plga ), or other copolymers of pla and pga . the properties of the copolymers can be controlled by varying the ratio of pla to pga . for example , copolymers with high pla to pga ratios generally degrade slower than those with high pga to pla ratios . plga degrades slightly faster than pla . the process of lactic acid hydrolysis can be slower than for the glycolic acid units of the plga co - polymer . therefore , increasing the pla : pga ratio in a plga co - polymer generally results in a slower rate of in vivo bioabsorption of a plga polymer . the biodegradable material should be strong enough to withstand mechanical stress or strain anticipated during delivery and upon implantation within the body . the molecular weight of the polymer ( s ) should be high enough to provide sufficient durability so that the polymers will not be rubbed off during sterilization , handling , or deployment of the medical device and will not crack when the device is expanded . exemplary polymer systems that may also be used in one or more coating layers include polymers that are biocompatible when the medical device is implanted . preferably , the molecular weight of the biodegradable material is about 50 - 500 kda , or higher . generally , mechanical properties of polymers increase with increasing molecular weight . for instance , the strength and tensile modulus of plla generally increases with increasing molecular weight . plla , pdla and pga include tensile strengths of from about 40 thousands of pounds per square inch ( psi ) ( 276 mpa ) to about 120 psi ( 827 mpa ), a tensile strength of 80 psi ( 552 mpa ) is typical and a preferred tensile strength is from about 60 psi ( 414 mpa ) to about 120 psi ( 827 mpa ). the endolumenal medical devices can be formed in any suitable manner that provides the drainage tube defining at least a portion of the drainage lumen . the drainage tube is preferably a thermoformable , non - biodegradable material providing a desired level of mechanical strength to the medical device . preferably , the drainage tube is formed by an extrusion process . the drainage tube may also be formed by other processing and shaping techniques such as laminar injection molding ( lim ) technology . for example , a polymer to be extruded may be brought to an elevated temperature above its melting point . plla , for instance , may be heated to between 210 ° c . and 230 ° c . the polymer is then extruded at the elevated temperature into a continuous generally flat film using a suitable die , at a rate of about three to four feet per minute . the continuous film may then be cooled by passing the film through a nucleation bath of water . the drainage tube may then undergo a solvent swell process . for example , the drainage tube may be soaked in a swelling solution mentioned above at between about 30 ° c . and 60 ° c ., more preferably about 40 and 45 ° c ., and containing a swelling solvent and a solute that includes at least one of an antimicrobial agent and an antithrombogenic agent mentioned above . the drainage tube may be soaked for between about 30 and 50 minutes . when applied on the outer surface of the tube , the swelling solution penetrates and “ swells ” the entire body of the tube . as a result , a substantially homogeneous dispersion of the antimicrobial or anti - thrombogenic agent ( s ) throughout the tube is observed at steady state . the drainage tube is then rinsed with purified water and air dried . upon drying , the swelling solvent is evaporated from the tube while leaving the antimicrobial or antithrombogenic agent within the matrix of the polymeric material comprising the drainage tube . that is , the antimicrobial agent ( s ) and / or anti - thromobogenic agent ( s ) are able to disperse within enlarged intermolecular spaces of the body of the drainage tube when applied thereon , defining the swell layer for drug elution . the drainage tube may then be casted by a casting solution at between about 30 ° c . and 60 ° c ., more preferably about 40 ° c . and 45 ° c ., and containing a solute that includes at least one of an antimicrobial agent and an antithrombogenic agent . the casting solution may be applied thereon by any suitable matter , e . g ., dipping or spraying . when applied on the swell layer , the casting solution is able to effectively partially dissolve the polymeric material of the drainage tube so that a cast layer may be formed circumferentially about the swell layer . the drainage tube is then rinsed with purified water and air dried . upon drying , the casting solvent is evaporated from the tube while leaving the antimicrobial or antithrombogenic agent within the matrix of the polymeric material comprising the drainage tube . thus , the antimicrobial agent or antithrombogenic agent is incorporated or casted about the solidified polymeric material by solvent casting for drug elution . the endolumenal medical device can be delivered to a point of treatment within a body vessel in any suitable manner . preferably , the endolumenal medical device is delivered endoscopically . for example , a biliary stent can be inserted into a biliary lumen in one of several ways : by inserting a needle through the abdominal wall and through the liver ( a percutaneous transhepatic cholangiogram or “ ptc ”), by cannulating the bile duct through an endoscope inserted through the mouth , stomach , and duodenum ( an endoscopic retrograde cholangiogram or “ ercp ”), or by direct incision during a surgical procedure . a preinsertion examination , ptc , ercp , or direct visualization at the time of surgery may be performed to determine the appropriate position for stent insertion . a guidewire can then be advanced through the lesion ; a delivery catheter is passed over the guidewire to allow the stent to be inserted . in general , plastic stents are placed using a pusher tube over a guidewire with or without a guiding catheter . delivery systems are now available for plastic stents that combine the guiding and pusher catheters ( oasis , wilson - cook medical inc ., winston - salem , n . c .). the stent may be placed in the biliary duct either by the conventional pushing technique or by mounting it on a rotatable delivery catheter having a stent engaging member engageable with one end of the stent . typically , when the diagnostic exam is a ptc , a guidewire and delivery catheter may be inserted via the abdominal wall . if the original exam was an ercp , the stent may be placed via the mouth . the stent may then positioned under radiologic , endoscopic , or direct visual control at a point of treatment , such as across the narrowing in the bile duct . the stent may be released using the conventional pushing technique . the delivery catheter may then be removed , leaving the stent to hold the bile duct open . a further cholangiogram may be performed to confirm that the stent is appropriately positioned . alternatively , other endolumenal medical devices can also be delivered to any suitable body vessel , such as a vein , artery , urethra , ureteral passage or portion of the alimentary canal . as used herein , the term “ body vessel ” means any body passage cavity that conducts fluid , including but not limited to biliary ducts , pancreatic ducts , ureteral passages , esophagus , and blood vessels such as those of the human vasculature system . as used herein , the term “ implantable ” refers to an ability of a medical device to be positioned at a location within a body , such as within a body vessel . furthermore , the terms “ implantation ” and “ implanted ” refer to the positioning of a medical device at a location within a body , such as within a body vessel . as used herein , “ endolumenally ,” “ intraluminal ” or “ transluminal ” all refer synonymously to implantation placement by procedures wherein the prosthesis is advanced within and through the lumen of a body vessel from a remote location to a target site within the body vessel . endolumenal delivery includes implantation in a biliary duct from an endoscope or catheter . as used herein , “ circumferentially enclose ” or “ circumferentially disposed ” means to form a perimeter having any desired cross - sectional configuration . the circumferentially enclosing or disposed structure forms a perimeter around a circumferentially enclosed structure , with or without physically contacting the circumferentially enclosed structure . the material forming the circumferentially enclosing structure may have any suitable surface morphology , and may include smooth or rough surfaces . the circumferentially enclosing structure perimeter may have any cross sectional configuration , but preferably has a circular or elliptical cross sectional shape . one preferred embodiment provides a drainage stent having a support member circumferentially enclosing a biodegradable coating with one or more drainage lumen extending through the biodegradable coating . a “ biocompatible ” material is a material that is compatible with living tissue or a living system by not being toxic or injurious and not causing immunological rejection . the term “ biodegradable ” is used herein to refer to materials selected to dissipate upon implantation within a body , independent of which mechanisms by which dissipation can occur , such as dissolution , degradation , absorption and excretion . the actual choice of which type of materials to use may readily be made by one ordinarily skilled in the art . such materials are often referred to by different terms in the art , including “ bioresorbable ,” “ bioabsorbable ,” or “ biodegradable ,” depending upon the mechanism by which the material dissipates . for the purposes of this application , unless otherwise specified , the term “ biodegradable ” includes materials that are “ bioresorbable ,” and “ bioabsorbable .” the prefix “ bio ” indicates that the erosion occurs under physiological conditions , as opposed to other erosion processes , caused by , for example , high temperature , strong acids and / or bases , uv light or weather conditions . as used herein , “ biodegradable material ” includes materials , such as a polymer or copolymer , that are absorbed by the body , as well as materials that degrade and dissipate without absorption into the body . as used herein , “ biodegradable polymer ” refers to a polymer or copolymer which dissipates upon implantation within the body . a large number of different types of materials are known in the art which may be inserted within the body and later dissipate . graph 1 ( fig7 ) provided below depicts the following : ( 1 ) ciprofloxacin is very effective in inhibiting e . coli ; which is not sensitive to salicylic acid ; and ( 2 ) coating methods ( solvent swelling and solvent casting ) used in this study are equally good in either polyurethane or polyethylene materials . however , those methods did not show desirability in teflon material . note the zone diameter as known in the art refers to the size of inhibited ring in which the tested bacteria is inhibited to grow . graph 2 ( fig8 ) below depicts that drug elution behaviors of ciprofloxacin coated plastic stent . those drug - coated plastic stents were soaked in water for a period of time before being tested in a bacteria inhibition experiment . based on graph 2 , it has been concluded that : ( 1 ) it appears that solvent - swelling coating method is advantageous for short - term applications , since the zone diameter dropped to less than 10 mm after the drug - coated sample being soaked in water for 14 days ; and it appears that that solvent - casting coating method may be advantageous for long - term application , since the zone diameter was still more than 15 mm after being soaked in water for 30 days . testing with 10 times diluated bateria suspension ( dropped from 10 ^ 8 cfu / ml to 10 ^ 7 cfu / ml ), graph 3 ( fig9 ) below shows similar information : ( 1 ) ciprofloxacin is very effective in inhibiting e . coli ; and ( 2 ) coating methods ( solvent swelling and solvent casting ) used in this study are also advantageous in either polyurethane or polyethylene or thoralon materials . however , those methods did not show desirability in teflon material . while the present invention has been described in terms of preferred embodiments , it will be understood , of course , that the invention is not limited thereto since modifications may be made to those skilled in the art , particularly in light of the foregoing teachings . | 0 |
until now , one has had to use cumbersome , often repetitious forms in such areas as bank loans , college applications , or subscriptions to controlled - circulation magazines . dynamic signup , however , combines the information requirements of each pertinent category and presents unified indicia , so that duplication is eliminated and the indicia is tailored to the applicant &# 39 ; s specified interests . controlled - circulation magazines , for example , ask a variety of questions of readers both for the publisher &# 39 ; s research purposes and to assure advertisers that the advertising is reaching a well - defined market . these questions vary from publisher to publisher , but often overlap to a significant degree . dynamic signup embodies a superset of these questions in each industry . if the reader wishes to subscribe to more than one magazine , a succession of reader qualification forms , one for each magazine , does not have to be completed ; instead , the reader checks off the desired magazines from a list of choices and dynamic signup presents a blended form that includes only the questions applicable to the selected magazines . dynamic signup not only embodies a superset of attributes , but rules - based logic and collaborative filtering that predict ( 1 ) how the user is likely to answer questions and ( 2 ) other areas in which the user is likely to have an interest . in the previous example the job function of the reader thus might be used to predict the kind of products for which he or she has budgetary responsibility , a favorite question of publishers . these products would be suggested , subject to the reader &# 39 ; s approval or modification . similarly , the reader profile , especially from multiple magazines , allows dynamic signup to predict commercial offers for which the reader should qualify . dynamic signup retrieves these offers , presents them to the reader , and either through itself or links to third parties , acts as clearinghouse for this commercial activity . rules serve a variety of other functions , such as “ if applicant subscribes to e - week and pc magazine , 90 % of the registration for infoworld is already complete — ask the applicant if she wishes infoworld as well ;” “ if applicant is of demographic profile x , she qualifies for commercial offer 5 , 7 , and 12 — show these offers ”; “ if last update was over six months ago , ask the user if information has changed ”; “ if applicant is listed in a public directory , applicant is probably not fictitious ”; “ if applicant lives in florida , display ad for sun - oriented products like a convertible ”; “ if applicant lives in colorado , display ski - oriented advertising ”; “ deny information to anyone not deliberately designated by the user ”. underlying dynamic signup is a database such as oracle , and dynamic signup is a front - end to this database . the database maintains user information and periodically asks the user if it has changed . when new information is required by the service provider ( e . g ., publisher , bank , college , web site ), only it is presented , not the entire registration form . in other words , to renew a magazine , the reader no longer has to complete a fresh registration form , with only address information filled in . instead , known answers from the previous registration are filled in . similarly , in a new registration dynamic signup fills in any known information about the user from any other registration logged by dynamic signup . yet , under password protection , the user has the ability to review the entire profile at any time and to modify it , as required . because of privacy concerns , the user has the ability to exclude personal information from any entity not explicitly chosen by the user . the mechanism by which this information is excluded is a simple checkbox or default to “ none ,” unless overridden by the user . normally , by checking off something of interest , the user authorizes the sending of profile information to the listed entities . this profile information is displayed before it is sent so that it can be reviewed and edited . where the user , by choice or necessity , works offline with paper - based forms , the same technology is used , except that the paper forms are either processed by data entry clerks or scanned via optical character recognition ( ocr ). alternatively , if paper forms are desired , the electronic data is faxed or merely printed and mailed to the recipient . 1 . a menu of choices and computerized means of entering those choices , as on a web page . 3 . the presentment of a uniform registration form based on the amalgamation of attributes . 5 . the fact that the registration form is dynamically - generated : what is included on the form depends on the choices made by the user and the operation of the rules - based system . thus , there is not just one registration form , but a constantly changing form depending on how the user is interpreted by the system . 6 . automated updating of user information through periodic queries to the user , with the user spared the drudgery of having to re - answer information already known to the system : registration information is restricted to what is new or changed . 7 . the predicting of related areas of interest on the basis of the amalgamated attributes . 8 . an e - comrnmerce engine that , with the user &# 39 ; s approval , acts on the provided information . | 6 |
turning now to the drawings , and referring first of all to fig1 illustrated generally at 20 is a system which is employed according to the present invention to implement a methodology for processing the internal crystalline structure of various different semiconductor materials in accordance with the invention , and all for the purpose of creating one or more mechanical devices that are intended to perform respective , predetermined , pre - chosen tasks . included in system 20 are a block 22 which represents a suitably programmed digital computer , a block 24 which is operatively connected to block 22 , and which represents the presence of appropriate laser structure and controls , such as beam - shaping and optics controls using optical or masking methods , fluency controls , angularity controls , and other , for defining the functional characteristics of a appropriate laser beam shown at 26 which is to be employed in accordance with the invention to produce internal crystalline - structure processing of any one of a number of different semiconductor materials , as will be more fully mentioned below . in fig1 a material for processing is shown generally at 28 , with this material having a layer form , and being suitably supported on an appropriate supporting substrate 30 which rests upon , and is anchored to , a three - axis translation table ( a driven table ) 32 . table 32 is drivingly connected to a motion drive system , represented by block 34 in fig1 which drive system is under the control of computer 22 . this motion drive system , under the control and influence of computer 22 , is capable of translating table 32 , and thus material supported on this table , in each of the three usual orthogonal axes known as the x , y , and z axes , such axes being pictured at the right side of fig1 . very specifically , control over motion of table 32 is directed by an appropriate algorithm 36 which is resident within computer 22 , and which , fundamentally , is equipped to direct a laser beam for processing in accordance with device configuration and device internal mechanical properties that have been chosen and selected , and for which algorithm 36 is especially designed . the exact nature of the construction of computer 22 , of controls 24 , of algorithm 36 , and of the driven table and the motion drive therefor , form no part of the present invention , and accordingly are not further detailed herein . fundamentally , what takes place in the operation of system 20 to produce a given type of mechanical device is that a user selects a particular kind of device to build , selects an appropriate size and configuration for that device , and then determines what are the best and most appropriate internal mechanical properties that should be created in that device in order to enable it to function properly with respect to implementing a selected task . in general terms , the semiconductor materials out of which a particular material can be selected to produce such a device are those whose internal crystalline structures are closely linked to the material &# 39 ; s mechanical properties . specifically , the various useable semiconductor materials are those whose internal crystalline structures can be modified by laser processing to produce desired mechanical properties for a device . various materials with respect to which the present invention can conveniently and very successfully work will be discussed very shortly , but it might be noted at this point that these materials , with respect to their precursor states , i . e . their states before processing , range from fully amorphous materials through and into a range of various categories of polycrystalline materials . for example , practice of the invention can begin with precursor material which can fit into any one of the following categories : amorphous , nanocrystalline , microcrystalline , and polycrystalline . all such materials can be generally described as having an internal crystalline structure which , initially in a precursor state , is less than single crystalline in nature . semiconductor materials which can very successfully be processed in accordance with this invention include silicon , germanium and silicon - germanium . for the purpose of further illustration in this description , a manner of practicing the invention , and a device emerging from that practice , will be described in conjunction with full - layer - depth processing of a precursor amorphous silicon material , which will thus be treated as the specific kind of material which is pictured at 28 in fig1 . also for the purpose of focused illustration herein , this precursor illustrative amorphous silicon material is deployed as an appropriate thin layer on a glass substrate , which is designated by reference numbered 30 in fig1 . other substrate materials , as will become apparent , may include quartz , various metals , plastics , flex materials , fabrics and others . all of these materials have what are referred herein as relatively low melting ( or destruction ) temperatures which are well below the melting temperature of the silicon precursor material . as has already been suggested above , practice of the present invention can produce a wide variety of uniquely configured and constructed semiconductor mechanical devices which can be extremely small in size , ranging down even to a small molecular cluster size . devices which can be produced include various mems devices , micro - mechanical devices that are sensitized to act as sensors for various environmental events , such as chemical and biological events , various motion elements generally , oscillating elements , cantilever beams , actuators , relay switches , and other devices . with respect to formation of a particular device &# 39 ; s three - dimensional configuration , this can be done in any one of a number of conventionally known ways . the exact processes employed to give three - dimensional definition to a finally produced device , as for example to singulate an element from a mass of material in which it has been formed , and / or to individuate ( for performance purposes ) plural devices in a monolithic array of devices , can take the form of various conventional processes which form no particular parts of the present invention . thus they are not discussed herein in detail . for the purpose of illustration herein , processing will be described in the setting , initially , of creating a single micro - mechanical cantilever mechanical device , using single - side , translated laser - beam processing . while various specific types of lasers can be employed such as a excimer laser , a solid - state laser , a continuous - wave laser , and a femto laser , to name several , description will proceed in the context of using an excimer laser . describing now a typical practice implemented by the present invention , an amorphous silicon layer having an appropriate precursor thickness is suitably formed on the surface in a glass substrate , such as substrate 30 . this assembly is placed on table 32 with appropriate initial alignment , and is then translated relatively with respect to a laser beam , such as excimer laser beam 26 , which beam is pulsed during translation of the material relative to the source of the laser beam , to produce full - depth , small - area quick melting and re - crystallizing of the silicon material . an appropriate excimer laser , driven and pulsed at an appropriate pulse rate , and with an appropriate fluency and footprint in the sense of how and with what outlines it strikes the surface of the amorphous silicon material , is directed toward this surface under the control of computer 22 , algorithm 36 , and controls 24 . in accordance with the desired end - result internal crystalline structure , and in a relative motion sense , the impingement point of this beam from a laser is moved in a defined way over the surface of the amorphous silicon material to produce rapid , full - depth melting and re - crystallizing in a manner designed to achieve the pre - determined desired internal crystalline structure . employing an excimer laser in this fashion allows one to process material in such a fashion that the high - temperature events are essentially confined very locally to the regions specifically where material melt is occurring . very little , and no dangerous , temperature rise occurs in the surrounding area , such as within substrate 30 , and the whole process can take place in a normal atmospheric environment and completely at room temperature . [ 0033 ] fig2 and 4 show several different approaches to implement such laser processing . in fig2 the laser beam strikes the surface of the amorphous silicon material on the upper side which is spaced away from supporting substrate 30 . processed material is indicated ( darkened ) at 27 . in fig3 dual - sided processing takes place with two laser beams cooperating on opposite sides of the material , with the lower beam effectively processing the underside of the silicon material through the transparency afforded by glass substrate 30 . such dual - sided laser processing effectively allows melting and re - crystallizing to take place simultaneously on opposite sides of the supported silicon material , and with each laser , therefore , requiring only a portion of the power required for similar processing to take place under the influence of a single laser beam . where a mask is employed for beam shaping , this dual - laser approach promotes longer - term durability of such a mask — a typically expensive device , and which is subject to significant degradation at high laser power levels two - sided dual - beam processing can also be effective to allow processing to be performed in otherwise difficult to reach areas with just a single processing beam .. in fig4 single - side processing is demonstrated where , in this case , the processing laser beam is directed toward the silicon material from the bottom side ( i . e . the substrate supported side ) of this material . [ 0035 ] fig5 illustrates single - side , less than full - depth processing of the silicon material , here employed to create ultimately a mechanical device which effectively becomes a device that is composited with unprocessed material lying beneath it , as illustrated in fig5 . [ 0036 ] fig6 and 8 show different manners of modifying the kinds of laser processing illustrated in fig2 - 4 inclusive , and specifically a modified processing approach which employs an additional broad area wash of illumination 38 from another illumination source which could be , but is not necessarily , a laser source .. in fig6 this wash of illumination strikes the upper side of the silicon material in companionship with laser beam 26 , and is effective essentially to create an overall temperature rise in the silicon material which permits a lower energy laser beam to perform appropriate full - depth processing . in fig7 and 8 this wash 38 of illumination is directed toward the underside of the silicon material and the supporting substrate , with fig7 illustrating a condition where the substrate support material shown at 40 is not transparent to illumination . in this implementation of the invention , the silicon material which is being processed is heated in a conduction manner through heating of substrate 40 . in fig8 glass substrate 30 is again pictured , and here , the wash 38 of illumination passes through this substrate to heat the silicon material above the substrate directly . according to practice of the invention , once a particular semiconductor mechanical device to build has been decided upon , the desired three dimensional configuration of this device is chosen , and algorithm 36 is designed to direct laser processing in such a fashion as to create a regional volume of material within the processed material on the substrate adequate for the ultimate individuation and singulation , if that is what is desired , of an end - result mechanical device . with such a chosen device configuration in mind , the most desired internal mechanical properties are predetermined , and algorithm 36 is also constructed so that it will control the operation of a laser beam , such as beam 26 , to produce internal melting and re - crystallization in order to achieve an internal crystalline structure that will yield the desired mechanical properties . in some instances , it may be more appropriate to create differentiated regions of crystalline structure within a device being built in order to produce different specific mechanical properties in different within that material . such is entirely possible utilizing the processing approach which has just been outlined above . [ 0038 ] fig9 and 10 show a side cross section and an idealized top plan view of a stylized cantilever - beam mechanical device 42 which has been so defined by processing within the body of silicon material 28 . [ 0039 ] fig1 , in an idealized fashion , isolates an illustration of cantilever beam 42 , and shows by way of suggestion , produced by the darkened patch which appears in fig1 , how an appropriate event sensor , such as a chemical sensor , a biological sensor , and other kinds of sensors could be applied , in any suitable manner , to the beam so as to respond to selected environmental events in a manner which causes deflection in the beam . the present invention is not concerned with the specific kinds of sensitivity for which a device , such as beam 42 , is to be prepared , and thus details of how sensitizing can take place are not presented herein . [ 0040 ] fig1 can also be read to illustrate yet another interesting component offering of the present invention which is that it is possible to create within the mechanical body of the device , such as cantilever beam 42 , an electronic device , such as a semiconductor transistor which can be thought of as being represented by the darkened patch appearing in fig1 . [ 0041 ] fig1 and 13 illustrate use of the invention to modify internal crystalline structure inside a bulk material 43 , either with a full - depth approach ( fig1 ) or with a partial - depth approach ( fig1 ) in accordance with the invention . these two figures are included here to help establish a part of the underlying background of this invention . [ 0042 ] fig1 illustrates still another processing approach which utilizes a single - crystalline material seed 44 which rests in a tiny indentation formed in an appropriate layer 45 of a supporting material , such as silicon dioxide . see 44 lies adjacent an amorphous layer 50 of silicon . laser processing takes place with initial illumination of the seed , followed by the laser - beam progression from the seed in a defined pattern over the amorphous silicon material . this action causes the single crystalline character of the seed 44 to become telegraphed into the internal structure of silicon layer 50 , thus to characterize the internal crystalline structure in this layer to make it more nearly single crystalline in structure at the conclusion of processing . [ 0043 ] fig1 illustrates , in simplified fragmentary form , a monolithic layer structure 52 of processed , initially amorphous material which as been processed in an array fashion , and at discrete locations , to create a monolithic array of mechanical devices such as the devices shown at 54 . while it is certainly possible that each and every one of devices 54 is essentially the same in construction , and intended to perform the same kind of function , it is entirely possible , according to practice of the invention , to differentiate the functionalities and thus the structures of these arrayed elements . it should thus be apparent that a unique process capable of creating a wide range of unique mechanical devices , down to small molecular cluster devices , with a high degree of precise control over internal mechanical properties , is made possible by the present invention . also made possible is the opportunity to do this insofar as laser processing is involved , in a completely atmospheric environment and at room temperature , and also in a manner which is one that does not attack and destroy supporting structure , such as substrate structure . accordingly , while several embodiments and manners of practicing the invention , and a system for doing all of this , have been illustrated and described herein , it is appreciated that variations and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention . | 2 |
the housing body 10 is illustrated in fig1 to 3 , and is a preferably rectangular block with a central , cylindrical bore defined by the radially inwardly facing , preferably cylindrical , surface 14 . the housing body 10 could alternatively have other exterior shapes . a wall 18 is formed on one longitudinal end of the housing body 10 , and the wall 18 has an aperture 20 formed therethrough . the aperture 20 is defined by a radially inwardly facing sidewall 21 that is preferably circular cylinder . the axis of the sidewall 21 is offset from the center of the radially inwardly facing cylindrical surface 14 , as described below . for the purposes of the present invention , the term “ longitudinal ” is defined as substantially parallel to the axis of the bore defined by the radially inwardly facing cylindrical surface 14 . additionally , the terms “ cylindrical ” and “ cylinder ” include not only the commonly - understood circular cylinder , but also all other polygonal cylinders , such as elliptical cylinders , rectangular cylinders and oddly - shaped cylinders . although the radially inwardly facing cylindrical surface 14 preferably forms an elliptical cylinder , it could be modified to form cylinders having other shapes . a hub 30 is shown in fig4 to 6 having a main body 32 with a preferably circular cylindrical outer surface , a reduced - diameter , preferably circular cylindrical necked region 34 and a pair of transverse radial slots 36 and 37 extending longitudinally the length of the main body 32 . a pair of protrusions , preferably the tangs 38 a and 39 a , extend longitudinally from one end of the hub 30 , and are radially aligned on opposite sides of the hub &# 39 ; s 30 axis , as shown in fig4 and 5 . additionally , a pair of corresponding recesses , preferably the slots 38 b and 39 b , are formed in the opposite end of the hub 30 , as shown in fig6 . in an operable orientation , the hub 30 is mounted in the chamber of the housing body 10 that is defined by the radially inwardly facing cylindrical surface 14 and the wall 18 . the necked region 34 is inserted through the aperture 20 , which has a diameter that is only a very small amount ( e . g ., 0 . 002 inch ) larger than the diameter of the necked region 34 . because of the close tolerances and because the housing body 10 and hub 30 are preferably made of a very low friction , food grade material , such as that sold under the trademark delrin , the hub 30 can rotate relative to the sidewall 21 , but there can be no substantial radial movement of the hub 30 relative to the housing body 10 . furthermore , the shoulder 33 , which is formed where the necked region 34 meets the main body 32 , seats against the wall 18 when the hub 30 is mounted in the housing body 10 . therefore , longitudinal movement of the hub 30 relative to the housing body 10 in one direction , i . e ., toward the wall 18 , is prevented when the hub 30 is in its operable position . movement of the hub 30 away from the wall 18 is possible when the hub 30 is first mounted to the housing body 10 , but not when the invention is fully assembled as discussed below . the substantially identical planar vanes 50 and 52 shown in fig7 and 8 are preferably rectangular with notches 54 and 56 , respectively , formed intermediate the opposing vane ends . also preferably formed of low friction , food grade material such as delrin , the vanes 50 and 52 are inserted in the slots 36 and 37 formed in the body 30 as shown in fig9 and 10 , by aligning the notches 54 and 56 in a facing relation to one another . thus , the vanes 50 and 52 are aligned transverse , and preferably substantially perpendicular , to one another in the preferably substantially perpendicular slots 36 and 37 in the hub 30 . the vanes 50 and 52 are 0 . 245 inches thick , approximately 4 inches long and approximately 2 inches wide in one embodiment . the vanes 50 and 52 cross over one another , and the longitudinal length of the vanes in their operable position shown in fig1 is no greater than the longitudinal length of each vane . this is due to the notches 36 and 37 that permit overlapping of the vanes 50 and 52 . of course , there could be more than two vanes on a hub , as shown in fig2 and 22 . when the hub 30 is mounted with the necked region 34 inserted in the aperture 20 , and the vanes 50 and 52 are in the operable position on the hub 30 as shown in fig1 , the radially extreme tips of the vanes 50 and 52 seat against the radially inwardly facing cylindrical surface 14 in a sealing manner and the longitudinally extreme edges also seat in a sealing manner against the wall 18 and an opposing wall described below . the axis of rotation of the hub 30 is aligned coaxially with the aperture 20 , but is positioned nearer to one radial end of the elliptical , radially inwardly facing cylindrical surface 14 than the opposite end . rotation of the hub 30 about its axis causes the tips of the vanes 50 and 52 to slide along the radially inwardly facing cylindrical surface 14 , which surface varies in its distance from the hub &# 39 ; s axis of rotation . this variation causes the vanes 50 and 52 to be displaced radially as the hub 30 rotates about its axis . thus , rotation of the hub 30 through multiple revolutions causes the vanes 50 and 52 to slide in a reciprocating manner through the slots 36 and 37 in the hub 30 while the radially extreme tips of the vanes 50 and 52 maintain contact with the radially inwardly facing cylindrical surface 14 . the preferred elliptical cylinder is defined as having a major axial diameter ( d maj ), a minor axial diameter ( d min ) no greater than 1 . 5 times the diameter of the hub ( d h ), and an elliptical ratio ( d maj / d min ) of no greater than 1 . 05 : 1 . d min is preferably equal to the length of the vane , and d maj is preferably no more than the vane length multiplied by 1 . 05 . of course , elliptical shapes and sizes other than the preferred ellipse could be used , but this particular ellipse has been found to be useful . the housing body 10 has an inlet cavity 12 that extends radially outwardly from the radially inwardly facing cylindrical surface 14 into the housing body 10 as shown in fig3 . the passage 15 extends tangentially from the inlet cavity 12 toward the passage 13 , which extends longitudinally through the housing body 10 . the passages 13 and 15 are in fluid communication with the inlet cavity 12 , and , in an operable configuration , with a source of fluent material , such as ground sausage . thus , fluent material can be supplied to the chamber of the housing body 10 by conveying it through the passage 13 , through the passage 15 and then through the inlet cavity 12 . the inlet cavity 12 could alternatively be made up of a plurality of inlet cavities . this is not preferred but is a possible alternative to the preferred embodiment . the housing body 10 also has an outlet cavity 16 that extends radially outwardly from the radially inwardly facing cylindrical surface 14 into the housing body 10 as shown in fig2 . the passage 17 , which extends tangentially through the housing body 10 and terminates in the flange 19 , is in fluid communication with the outlet cavity 16 . in an operable configuration , the flange 19 is connected to a tube or other conduit that connects to a food slicing machine , such as those machines sold by the j . e . grote company . thus , through the conduit and the passage 17 , the outlet cavity 16 is in fluid communication with a destination of fluent material , such as a food slicing machine . fluent material is thereby removed from the chamber of the housing body 10 by conveying it through the outlet cavity 16 and the passage 17 . the outlet cavity 16 could be made up of a plurality of outlet cavities . this is not preferred but is a possible alternative to the preferred embodiment . the housing body 10 has a plurality of sub - chambers within the chamber . these sub - chambers are formed between the vanes 50 and 52 , the hub &# 39 ; s radially outwardly facing surface and the radially inwardly facing cylindrical surface 14 . these sub - chambers can change in volume as the hub 30 is rotated , as in a conventional vane pump so that during a portion of each revolution of the hub each sub - chamber is increasing , during a portion of each revolution each sub - chamber is decreasing , and during a portion of each revolution each sub - chamber stays the same . this increasing and decreasing volume causes the hub to rotate as described next . each sub - chamber receives fluent material , such as ground sausage , through the inlet cavity 12 when the raw sausage is forced through the passage 13 . the sausage enters the sub - chamber under pressure , and an outward force is exerted by the sausage against all sides of the sub - chamber . because the vane on one side of the sub - chamber has greater surface area than the vane on the opposite side , the outward force caused by the pressurized sausage exerts a net force on the hub 30 in one circumferential direction . this force causes the hub 30 to rotate . as the hub 30 rotates , the sub - chamber being filled continues to be filled , and the next adjacent sub - chamber begins to be filled once its leading vane passes over the inlet cavity 12 . after the trailing vane of the first sub - chamber travels past the inlet cavity 12 , the first sub - chamber ceases to be filled , and the next adjacent sub - chamber is the only sub - chamber being filled with sausage under pressure , which continues the rotation of the hub 30 . the rotation of the hub 30 drives the sausage in the sub - chambers around the hub to the opposite side of the radially inwardly facing cylindrical surface 14 where the outlet cavity 16 is formed . when the leading vane of the sub - chamber passes over the outlet cavity 16 , the sub - chamber begins to decrease in volume due to the shape of the radially inwardly facing cylindrical surface 14 , thereby forcing the sausage in the sub - chamber out of the sub - chamber into the outlet cavity 16 . this continues until the sub - chamber is substantially empty . the forcing of sausage or other fluent material into the chamber and forcing of sausage out of the chamber is a continuous process . it is important to note that the sub - chambers are of consistent volume once they have been filled and before the sausage begins to be conveyed out of the sub - chamber . there is no substantial leaking of sausage from one sub - chamber to another , and there is no substantial difference in the volume of sausage in one sub - chamber and the volume of sausage of another sub - chamber during the same position of the sub - chamber in the revolution of the hub 30 . these equal volume sub - chambers make the invention an effective flow divider when two or more such combinations of the housing body 10 , hub 30 and vanes 50 and 52 are drivingly linked together . such a combination is shown in fig1 to 14 . for example , the housing body 210 is shown in fig1 in a coaxial relation to the housing body 10 described above . the housing body 210 is substantially identical in all respects to the housing body 10 , although a person of ordinary skill will recognize that some modifications could be made to the housing body 210 . the housing body 210 has a hub 230 and vanes 250 and 252 mounted therein . the hub 230 is rotatably mounted in the housing body 210 in the same manner as described above for the hub 30 in the housing body 10 . the housing bodies 10 and 210 are rigidly mounted together , preferably by screws , as shown in fig1 , or by any other preferably removable fastener , such as clamps or bands . as shown in fig3 , the integral machined tabs 22 and mating notches 24 which are preferably formed on opposite sides of all housing bodies , matingly engage to align the adjacent housing bodies to one another to accurately hold their coaxial relations and simplify assembly of the device . conventional rubber o - rings 60 and 62 are inserted in grooves adjacent the radially inwardly facing cylindrical surface 14 and the passage 13 , respectively , in order to obtain a seal between the housing bodies . it is possible to weld or otherwise permanently fasten the housing bodies 10 and 210 together , but this eliminates the possibility of separating the housing bodies later for thorough cleaning . the wall 218 ( not shown ) of the housing body 210 is substantially identical to the wall 18 of the housing body 10 , and encloses the chamber of the housing body 10 at the side opposite the wall 18 . the end of the hub 30 seats against this wall 218 . it is desirable in some circumstances to have a plurality of housing bodies 10 , 210 , 310 and 410 mounted together as illustrated in fig1 and 14 . the number of housing bodies that can be mounted together is essentially unlimited . the housing bodies 310 and 410 are substantially identical to the housing bodies 10 and 210 , and include corresponding hubs , vanes , inlet and outlet cavities , and all other components that are combined with the housing bodies 10 and 210 as described above . these housing bodies 210 , 310 and 410 have the flanges 219 , 319 and 419 , respectively , which are in fluid communication with outlet cavities ( not shown ) in the respective chambers that are substantially identical to the outlet cavity 16 . in an operable configuration , the flanges are all connected to tubes or other conduits that connect the chambers to a food slicing machine . when the housing bodies 10 , 210 , 310 and 410 are mounted together , their respective tabs and notches engage for alignment , and their respective hubs are also drivingly linked together . the linking of the hubs 30 and 230 will be described for illustrative purposes , with the understanding that a substantially identical link is used with the hubs in the housing bodies 310 and 410 and any other housing bodies that are mounted thereto . the tangs 38 a and 39 a extend longitudinally into the slots 238 b and 239 b , which are substantially identical to the slots 38 b and 39 b in the hub 30 , when the housing bodies 10 and 210 are displaced longitudinally toward one another to mount the housing bodies 10 and 210 together . the tangs 38 a and 39 a are inserted longitudinally into the slots 238 b and 239 b , and are engaged frictionally by the surfaces that define the slots to prevent any substantial relative rotational motion between the hubs 30 and 230 , but to permit longitudinal withdrawal . therefore , when one hub is rotated , the other hub is rotated the same amount and in the same direction . the hubs 30 and 230 are , in effect , therefore a single rotating body . many other equivalent means for drivingly linking the hubs will become apparent to the person of ordinary skill from the description . once the entire combination of housing bodies and their corresponding hubs and vanes are assembled into the combination shown in fig1 , the end caps 80 and 90 are attached at opposite ends . the end cap 80 is shown in detail in fig1 , and the end cap 90 is shown in detail in fig1 . the end caps 80 and 90 are preferably made of a food grade , low friction polymer , such as delrin . the end caps 80 and 90 are closures over the internal chambers of the housing bodies to prevent leakage of gases , liquids or the fluent sausage out of the housing bodies . the end cap 90 is a solid , planar structure having an aperture 94 formed through it that terminates in a flange 92 . the flange 92 is on the side of the cap 90 that will be placed outside of the combination of housing bodies , and permits attachment of a tube or other fluent material - conveying conduit having a central passageway that aligns with the aperture 94 . the end cap 90 aligns with the adjacent housing body by receiving the housing body &# 39 ; s tab into the notch 98 . sausage , or other fluent material , is conveyed under pressure through the aperture 94 and into the passage 13 of the housing body 10 ( see fig1 and 3 ), which is in fluid communication with the substantially identical passages formed in the housing bodies 210 , 310 and 410 , which align longitudinally with the passage 13 and the aperture 94 . each housing body &# 39 ; s passage is in fluid communication with its corresponding inlet cavity to permit sausage or other fluent material conveyed therethrough to enter the chambers of the respective housing bodies . the end of the longitudinal passage formed by the aperture 94 and the passages in the housing bodies terminates at the opposite end of the combination of housing bodies where the end cap 80 attaches . the end cap 80 is a solid , planar structure having an aperture 84 formed through it that terminates in a flange 82 . the flange 82 is on the side of the cap 80 that will be placed outside of the combination of housing bodies , and is capped in a preferred embodiment , but can be used instead of the flange 92 if it is desired to attach the tube or other conduit from that side of the apparatus . this makes the apparatus reversible . additionally , it is contemplated that if a large number of housing bodies are used , one might wish to supply fluent material to both ends of the apparatus to avoid “ starving ” some chambers . still further , the flange 82 could be used to remove air from the system at startup . this is not necessary under normal operation with sausage , but could be desirable in the future , or when used with a different fluent material . the cap 80 has a preferably circular recess 86 formed in the side that faces toward the housing 410 to which the cap 80 attaches . the recess 86 is slightly deeper than the length of the tangs 438 a and 439 a ( not shown ) formed on the hub 430 ( not shown ) mounted in the housing 410 , which hub and tangs are substantially identical to the hub 30 with tangs 38 a and 39 a shown in fig4 . additionally , the recess 86 has a diameter slightly greater than the distance between the extreme radial edges of the tangs 438 a and 439 a . in an operable position the recess 86 is aligned coaxially with the hub 430 with the tangs 438 a and 439 a inserted within the recess 86 . the recess 86 accommodates the protruding tangs that would otherwise be drivingly linked to an adjacent hub , and makes unnecessary the use of a different hub with no tangs . the cap 80 aligns with the adjacent housing body by inserting its tab 88 into the mounting body &# 39 ; s notch . when sausage is forced into the chambers of the housing bodies 10 , 210 , 310 and 410 , the hubs 30 and 230 ( and the corresponding hubs within the housing bodies 310 and 410 ) rotate together and at the same rate described above in relation to the housing body 10 . thus , the volume of sausage that enters the entire apparatus is divided between the chambers in the apparatus , and exits the chambers in equal volume streams . the combination of such housing bodies , hubs and vanes functions as a flow divider , inasmuch as there is one inlet for pressurized sausage ( or other fluent material ) to enter the combination , and each housing body has its own outlet that , due to the function of the drivingly linked hubs , meters out a volume of sausage that is equal at all outlets . the apparatus functions as a very effective flow divider that can have its inlet connected to a source , such as a sausage - making machine or pump , and each of its outlets connected to a destination , such as one lane of a sausage - slicing machine . in experiments , the invention has produced results varying between 0 . 06 to 0 . 08 ounces in weight between its outlet flow streams . in the preferred embodiment described above , there is a source of fluent material , or possibly two sources of fluent material , that are forced into the apparatus , which divides the fluent material into a greater number of equal flow rate streams of fluent material . the number of sources is not critical , although in a preferred embodiment only one source exists , and the number of destinations is not critical . the apparatus operates to divide one or a small number of sources of fluent material into a greater number of equal volumetric flow rate streams of fluent material . alternatively , the relative sizes of the chambers can be modified to have unequal volume flow rates at different outlets , if desired . the apparatus described above can also operate in reverse by forcing fluent material under pressure into the outlet cavities . this causes the hubs and vanes to rotate backward at the same rate and force the fluent material out the inlet cavities to be combined in the single passage and flow out of the passage as a single stream . this may be desirable , for example , if one wishes to combine various types of fluent material from a plurality of sources into a single stream of fluent material . when the apparatus is operated in this manner , it will be noticed that the inlets and outlets have the opposite function than their names imply , and therefore the names used in the description above for the flow divider can appropriately be changed . the embodiments described above permit detachment of all components of the present invention from one another for cleaning . additionally , each of the hubs , housing bodies and vanes is substantially identical to , and therefore interchangeable with , every other hub , housing body and vane . this makes re - assembly after cleaning very easy . of course , it would be possible to make some of the parts permanently attached , but this could result in more difficulty in cleaning . nonetheless , such embodiments fall within the scope of the invention . for example , the housing bodies could be a single housing that is divided into two chambers , each accessible from an opposite end of the housing . thus , it will be seen that the housing can be made up of multiple housing bodies , each having at least one chamber , or one housing body with at least two chambers . the number of “ modules ” of housing bodies , vanes and hubs is virtually unlimited , and could range from two to any number greater than two . while certain preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed in detail , it is to be understood that various modifications may be adopted without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the following claims . | 8 |
throughout all the figures , same or corresponding elements may generally be indicated by same reference numerals . these depicted embodiments are to be understood as illustrative of the invention and not as limiting in any way . it should also be understood that the figures are not necessarily to scale and that the embodiments are sometimes illustrated by graphic symbols , phantom lines , diagrammatic representations and fragmentary views . in certain instances , details which are not necessary for an understanding of the present invention or which render other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted . turning now to the drawing , and in particular to fig1 , there is shown a structural part for a motor vehicle in accordance with the present invention for use as crash box , generally designated by reference numeral 1 . the crash box 1 includes an inner component 2 and an outer component 3 . the inner component 2 nests within the outer component 3 . the crash box 1 is shown in fig1 in an idle state r . arranged on the left - hand - side of the outer component 3 in the drawing plane is a spring 5 which is maintained under tension in the idle state r . the outer component 3 is arranged on a flange plate 6 which is mounted to a not shown motor vehicle . the flange plate 6 has a spring pocket 7 for providing an abutment for the spring 5 . as shown in fig1 by way of example , the locking of the idle state r is realized by providing predetermined breaking points s . in the event of a crash , the predetermined breaking points s rupture and trigger activation , i . e . telescoping movement between the inner and outer components 2 , 3 to assume the activated state a . reference sign “ b ” indicates the positions of the predetermined breaking points s after the crash . arranged in the outer component 3 are detent noses 8 which are engageable in oblong holes 9 during and / or at and / or after activation of the crash box 1 . the oblong holes 9 are arranged in the inner component 2 . fig2 shows the crash box 1 in the activated state a . in the activated state , the crash box 1 has been released so that the spring 5 is able to relax from the idle state r to thereby telescopically move the inner component 2 in relation to the outer component 3 . the detent noses 8 of the outer component 3 snap into the oblong holes 9 of the inner component 2 so as to establish a formfitting overall system which is stiff in thrust direction . the path or distance 10 traveled by the inner component 2 is thereby substantially doubled in this non - limiting example and available for energy absorption . fig3 is an enlarged detailed perspective view of the locked activated state a of the crash box 1 . the detent noses 8 of the outer component 3 engage the oblong holes 9 of the inner component 2 thereby extending the path 10 for crash energy absorption . as an alternative to the oblong holes 9 , abutments such as weld - on necks may be provided to prevent a weakening of the inner component 2 as a result of perforating the inner component 2 to form the oblong holes . the inner and outer components 2 , 3 have an essentially rectangular cross section , although round , elliptic , trapezoidal , star - shaped and / or combinations thereof are of course also conceivable . fig4 is a perspective sectional view of another embodiment of a crash box 1 in the locked activated state a . parts corresponding with those in fig1 are denoted by identical reference numerals and not explained again . the description below will center on the differences between the embodiments . in this embodiment , the inner component 2 has an end formed with a bulge 11 for engagement in a circumferential embossment 12 of the outer component 3 . this also results in a formfitting locking which is stiff in thrust direction , when the crash box 1 assumes the activated state a , to thereby establish a prolongation of the path 10 for crash energy absorption . fig5 shows a sectional view of a crash box 1 which includes a guide 13 in the form of rollers between the inner component 2 and the outer component 3 . the presence of rollers reduces friction between the inner component 2 and the outer component 3 to ensure a telescoping movement at any time . fig6 a is a perspective view of another embodiment of a crash box 1 in accordance with the present invention . parts corresponding with those in fig1 are denoted by identical reference numerals and not explained again . the description below will center on the differences between the embodiments . in this embodiment , the inner component 2 has a multichamber profile , shown in fig6 , and thus can be made from a multichamber hollow section of aluminum to improve a guidance of the inner and outer components 2 , 3 while effecting a substantially even energy absorption over the entire length of the crash box 1 when moved out to assume the activated state a . the hollow multichamber inner component 2 has inner webs 18 of a thickness in the range between 1 and 3 mm . as a result , the hollow multichamber inner component 2 of aluminum allows easier variation of the wall thickness as compared to an inner component of steel . the inner component 2 and the outer component 3 ( not shown in fig6 a ) have a substantially rectangular cross section . this configuration has the advantage that the inner and outer components 2 , 3 can be made from extruded sections . as shown in fig6 a , the inner component 2 has welded thereon a locking lug 19 which snaps in a locking mechanism , generally designated by reference numeral 14 , when the crash box 1 assumes the activated state a . the locking mechanism 14 is mounted to the locking - lug - distal side of the flange plate 6 and includes a plate - like locking element 17 which is shown in greater detail in fig6 b and is resiliently received in an embossment 16 of the inner component 2 . the locking element 17 has hereby a configuration which conforms to a cross section of the embossment 16 of the inner component 2 . in the idle state r , the locking lug 19 slides underneath the locking element 17 to lock the retracted assembly in place . a welding of the locking lug 19 onto the inner component 2 is currently preferred because it does not weaken the inner component 2 , as would be the case if holes or recesses or the like were to be provided . as shown in fig8 , the locking mechanism 14 is operably connected with a recognition sensor system which operates like an early crash warning sensor system to detect the imminent occurrence of an accident . the crash warning sensor system causes a release of the locking lug 19 from the locking element 17 before the actual collision takes place to thereby extend the crash box 1 by the telescoping movement between the inner and outer components . fig7 a is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of a crash box 1 in accordance with the present invention . parts corresponding with those in fig6 a are denoted by identical reference numerals and not explained again . the description below will center on the differences between the embodiments . in this embodiment , the flange plate 6 that is mounted to the inner component 2 has guide rails 15 for guiding the inner component 2 , when moving to the activated state a . the provision of guide rail 15 is , however , not necessarily required to realize accurate guidance during telescoping movement between the inner and outer components 2 when moving from the idle state r to the activated state a . placed against the flange plate 6 on its side distal to the guide rails 15 is the outer component 3 . in the idle state r of the crash box 1 , the locking element 17 of the mechanism 14 is engaged by the locking lug 19 which is not shown in fig7 a . fig7 b is a detailed perspective front view of the inner component 2 of the crash box 1 to show in greater detail the locking mechanism 14 . while the invention has been illustrated and described in connection with currently preferred embodiments shown and described in detail , 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 and scope of the present invention . the embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the invention and practical application to thereby enable a person skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated . | 5 |
fig1 shows an overall arrangement of a pattern data processing apparatus according to the present invention . the pattern data processing apparatus includes data buffers 1 , 2 for storing received data , a flag data memory 3 , and a processor 4 comprising a microcomputer . in the embodiment of the present invention , a language called pdi ( picture description instruction ) is employed for expressing graphics patterns . the language expresses a graphics pattern through a combination of five basic pattern display elements : point , line , arc , rectangle , and polygon . received data written in this language is composed of common control commands , a picture description command , and vertex data . the common control commands include a command for instructing the display of a character or a graphics pattern , a command for setting a parameter such as the size of a logic pixel , and others , and are stored in the data buffer 1 . the picture description command serves to designate a display area , an image color , a contour line , and a processing type for a closed area . the vertex data includes vertex data as defined by a coordinate system for a data calculating area and a command for indicating whether the vertex data forms a straight line , an arc , or a polygon and whether a closed area is to be processed . the picture description command and the vertex data are stored in the data buffer 2 . the processor 4 operates to generate flags ( described later ) using the data stored in the data buffers 1 , 2 and to write the flags into the flag memory 3 . the processor 4 also reads the flags out of the flag memory 3 and writes desired picture data from the processor 4 into a raster memory 5 at predetermined addresses therein . the raster memory 5 has a memory area corresponding to a display area ( one frame , for example ). the picture data as read out of the raster memory 5 is supplied through a display control circuit 6 to a monitor display 7 . the raster memory 5 is scanned in synchronism with beam scanning in the monitor display 7 . as shown in fig2 the flag memory 3 has a memory area corresponding to the display area and composed of horizontal x pixels and vertical y pixels and outer frames 8a , 8b , 8c and 8d added respectively to four sides of the area and each having a width equal to that of one pixel . the display area corresponds to an entire screen , or a portion thereof , of the monitor display 7 . the data calculating area is composed of an area obtained by removing the display area from an area having a size determined by bit numbers in a two - dimensional plane . as an example , the data calculating area and the display area jointly form four frames . for reducing necessary calculations , a closed area is detected and processed with a logic pixel composed of a plurality of physical pixels being handled as a unit . flags are generated respectively in the display area and the data calculating area . as illustrated in fig3 a closed area 9 and a straight line 10 intersect each other at an even number of points . assuming that the straight line 10 is indicative of a processing direction , therefore , a shading process is effected from the first intersection point to a next intersection point , and no shading is performed between the next intersection point and a succeeding next intersection point since no closed area 9 is interposed between the points . thus , the areas sandwiched between two adjacent intersection points are alternately shaded . the detection of a closed area will be described with reference to an example in which vertex data in received data indicates a polygon . a prescribed initial flag ( expressed by &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;) is set in each of the pixels of the flag memory 3 . then , one straight line constituting a contour of the polygon is calculated from the received data and whether a plurality of pixels corresponding to the calculated straight line are contained in a display area is determined . thereafter , prescribed flags different from the initial flags are written in addresses corresponding to the pixels that are contained in the display area . the flags related to the pixels contained in the display area are composed of a plurality of bits having first , second , and third identifying information , as described later on . the pixels outside of the display area , that is , contained in the data calculating area , are successively mapped into the outer frames 8a through 8d . as shown in fig4 a straight line contained in an area 11a having a width x and extending upward vertically in the data calculating area is mapped into the outer frame 8a , a straight line contained in an area 11b having the width x and extending downward vertically is mapped into the outer frame 8b , a straight line contained in an area 11c having a width y and extending horizontally in one direction is mapped into the outer frame 8c , and a straight line contained in an area 11d having the width y and extending horizontally in the opposite direction is mapped into the outer frame 8d . the flags written in the outer frames 8a through 8d are each in the form of one bit which is either in an initial state ( expressed in &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;) or in a set state ( expressed in &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;). when they are mapped , they are in a state different from that prior to the mapping . accordingly , when an odd number of straight lines ( hereinafter referred to as odd lines ) are contained in each of the areas 11a through 11d , the flags become &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; as a result of successive mapping . conversely , when an even number of straight lines ( hereinafter referred to as even lines ) are contained in each of the areas 11a through 11d , the flags become &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; as a result of successive mapping . a process for mapping singular points contained in the areas 11a through 11d will be described with reference to fig5 . the mapping is to be performed in a horizontal direction in fig5 . a singular point pa comprising a vertex where two oppositely slanting straight lines intersect will not be mapped . singular points pb , pc comprising intersections of two oppositely slanting straight lines and a horizontal line will not be mapped with the points interconnected , because they will be regarded as the same as the singular point pa . singular points pd , pe comprising intersections of two similarly slanting straight lines and a horizontal line will be mapped with the points interconnected , because they will be regarded as the same as a singular point pf . a singular point pf comprising a vertex where two similarly slanting straight lines intersect will be mapped . the foregoing processing for singular points is basically the same in the display area and the data calculating area . whether a point is a singular point or not can be determined by checking address information on successive pixels for a straight line sought to be processed . each of the straight lines of a polygon contained in the areas 11a through 11d of the data calculating area is mapped into the outer frames 8a through 8d . the outer frames 8a through 8d and the display area ( flag memory 3 ) are scanned in a predetermined direction and sequence to read the flags . the areas between the flags in the set state are alternately shaded . the type and direction of shading , and whether the shading should contain the contour line , are determined by the received data . a specific example wherein flags are generated when received data is representative of a polygon will be described with reference to fig6 ( a ) and 6 ( b ). when a polygon is given which extends over a display area and a data calculating area as illustrated in fig6 ( a ), flags are generated as shown in fig6 b for the pixels in the memory area and the outer frames 8a through 8d in the flag memory 3 . the flags in the initial state are omitted from illustration in fig6 b . a flag indicated by &# 34 ; 2 &# 34 ; in the flag memory 3 is indicative of a singular point ( same as the singular point pa in fig5 ). since a point p 1 in fig6 a corresponds to the singular point pa , as shown in fig5 the flag at the corresponding address in the outer frame 8c is &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; as illustrated in fig6 b . three points p 2 , p 3 , p 4 in the same horizontal position are successively mapped into the corresponding address in the outer frame 8c . as a result , the flag at this address is &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; as shown in fig6 b . the flag corresponding to a singular point p 5 in the display area is &# 34 ; 2 &# 34 ;. since no polygonal straight line is present in the area 11a , the flags in the outer frame 8a are well &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;. the flags in the outer frame 8b are all &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; as there is a straight line extending throughout the outer area 11b . pixels can be shaded vertically , horizontally , or obliquely by using the flags in the outer frame 8a through 8d and the flag memory 3 . more specifically , the shading process is started from a flag &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; out of the flags in the outer frames 8a through 8d , and the pixels sandwiched between the flags &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; are alternately shaded such that a pixel or pixels positioned up to a next flag &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; in the scanning direction will be shaded , and a pixel or pixels succeeding the next flage &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; will not be shaded . such shading processing is performed by the processor 4 which receives the flags read out of the flag memory 3 and writes processed picture data into addresses in the raster memory based on the received flags . shading processing for a circular or arcuate pattern will now be described . when a circle is to be processed , two vertex data and a picture description command indicative of a circle are received . the receiving side determines data on a circle with the two vertex data serving as a diameter through calculations . when an arc is to be processed , three vertex data and a picture description command indicative of an arc are received . the receiving side then determines data on an arc . the arcuate pattern can be formed by shading the data on the arc . a circle intersects a straight line at two points at most . based on this property , where circle portions are displaced off the display area , flags may be set at all times in the corresponding frames . fig7 illustrates , by way of example , the flags set when displaying a shaded quarter of a circle . in the foregoing embodiment , pattern information in four areas 11a through 11d is mapped into the outer frames 8a through 8d , respectively . in the case where the direction of shading ( the direction of scanning the flag memory 3 and the outer frames 8a through 8d ) is known in advance to be vertical or horizontal , only upper and lower or lateral outer frames may be added dependent on the direction of shading . where the shading direction is known , furthermore , all of the outer frames 8a through 8d may be dispensed with , and the memory area corresponding to the outermost peripheral rows of pixels in the flag memory 3 may be used for mapping . for example , where a polygon extending over the display area and the data calculating area is to be shaded as shown in fig8 in a horizontal direction , the memory area corresponding to the two lateral outermost rows of pixels can be used for mapping . this arrangement allows a required flag memory to be smaller in capacity . shading of logic pixel units can be effected accurately by extracting closed area contours and identifying shaded areas in a coordinate system of logic pixel units . a flag related to each logic element is composed of a code signal having the following identification information α , β , γ , rather than the simple &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; 2 &# 34 ;. the first identification information α serves to determine whether logic pixels belong to the same straight line . a plurality of straight lines forming a closed area are numbered for extracting the contours of the closed area . as illustrated in fig9 a plurality of logic pixels ( shown by the broken lines ) related to one straight line have the same flag bit as the first identification information α . by assigning n bits to the first identification information α , 2 n straight lines can be identified . it is possible for a plurality of straight lines to be contained in one logic pixel as shown by the broken line in fig1 . such a situation needs to be identified for determining the continuity of shading . when a plurality of straight lines are present in one logic pixel , the second identification information β of a flag is indicative of whether such lines are even or odd in number . identification of shaded areas will be described with reference to fig1 ( a )- 11 ( d ) which shows a logic pixel 13 , a plurality of logic pixels 14 contiguous to the logic pixel 13 , a logic pixel 15 contiguous to the logic pixels 14 and containing straight lines which are indicated by the second identification information β as being even lines or odd lines , and a plurality of logic pixels 16 contiguous to the logic pixel 15 . in fig1 ( a )- 11 ( d ), a straight line 12 extends through the logic pixel 13 , and odd or even straight lines extend through the logic pixel 15 . where odd straight lines are contained in the logic pixel 15 and the logic pixels 14 are determined to be shaded as shown in fig1 a , the logic pixels 16 will not be shaded . where odd straight lines are contained in the logic pixel 15 and the logic pixels 14 are determined not to be shaded as shown in fig1 b , the logic pixels 16 will be shaded . where even straight lines are contained in the logic pixel 15 and the logic pixels 14 are determined to be shaded as shown in fig1 c , the logic pixels 16 will be shaded . where even straight lines are contained in the logic pixel 15 and the logic pixels 14 are determined not to be shaded as shown in fig1 d , the logic pixels 16 will not be shaded . since the logic pixel 13 contains one , or odd , straight line 12 , it will be understood from the foregoing description that the logic pixels disposed between the logic pixels positioned in the direction of shading and containing odd straight lines are alternately shaded . the third identification information γ is related to singular points , and will be processed in the same manner as the flags in the data calculating area as described above . for example , the singular points indicated respectively by pa , pb , pc in fig5 are skipped in the direction of shading , and the singular points pd , pe are processed as one point indicated by pf . as described above , a flag in the display area is composed of n bits indicative of the first identification information α corresponding to the number of straight lines forming a polygon , one bit indicative of the second identification information β representing whether the number of straight lines in one logic pixel is even or odd , and one bit indicative of the third identification information γ for identifying a singular point , the flag comprising a total of ( n + 2 ) bits . the shading processing can accurately be performed by allocating such a flag to each logic pixel in the display area . with the arrangement of the invention , a closed area can be detected and flags can be generated for shading the closed area by employing a memory having a size corresponding to a display area or a combination of a display area and outer frames each having a width equal to that of a pixel . since all flags for shading a closed area in a given graphics pattern are written in the memory , various types of shading can be carried out and the time required for pattern data processing can be shortened . a flag corresponding to each logic pixel in the display area has an amount of information necessary for shading the closed area in the given pattern , so that the closed area can be shaded accurately and easily . with the flags for shading the closed area being written in the memory , it is possible to perform various shading types as compared with a process which determines whether an area is to be shaded successively on the basis of intersection information . according to the present invention , the contour of a graphics pattern can be drawn , and it is possible to effect hatching or crosshatching with horizontal and vertical lines and shading in a horizontal or vertical direction by using contour information . although certain preferred embodiments have been shown and described , it should be understood that many changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the appended claims . | 6 |
a device 1 shown in fig1 measures the mass flow of a particulate solid 2 , which is conveyed using a gas within a flow channel 3 . the solid 2 is indicated by a single particle . a measuring device 4 according to the invention is connected laterally to the flow channel 3 , and can measure the mass flow or throughput of the solid 2 . the measuring device 4 has a transmitter with an oscillator 5 for producing an electromagnetic field 6 and also a receiver with an evaluation device 7 for measuring the power reflected by the particles of the solid , or the like measure of reflection . this takes place , as described in more detail herein below , in that the mass flow is formed from the amount of reflection alone . for this purpose , the reflection is measured at least on the solid within the measurement region of the electromagnetic field , from the time course of the measurement signal of the differential quotient of according to time , and the absolute value formed therefrom . the measure of reflection can , as previously mentioned , be proportional to a function of the reflected power , or else proportional to a function of the reflected energy or a function of the reflected intensity or a function of the reflected radiation flow . a measurement region covering the cross section of the flow channel is defined within the electromagnetic field , in which the electromagnetic radiation reflected from the solid is evaluated . this takes place , as described in more detail hereinbelow , in that the mass flow is determined from the amount of reflection alone . for this purpose , the reflection is measured at least from the solid within the measurement region of the electromagnetic flow , from the time course of the measurement signal of the differential quotient according to time , and the absolute value formed therefrom . in the device 1 shown in fig1 , a microwave field is produced as the electromagnetic field by a gunn oscillator 5 with a gunn diode . the microwave field produced is conducted from the gunn diode via a hollow conductor 10 to a horn antenna 15 , and from this is irradiated through a wall aperture 9 of the flow channel 3 into the flow channel 3 . the electromagnetic field irradiated into the flow channel 3 is indicated by dashed arrows . the hollow conductor as intermediate element is in particular advantageous when the flow channel and / or the solid is particularly hot . the waves reflected from the solid 2 and indicated by the arrows pf 2 reach a detector 11 , which is formed by a schottky diode as a reflection receiver in the exemplary embodiment according to fig1 . the sensor formed of transmitter and receiver is constructed here as a transceiver , i . e . the sensor transmits and receives simultaneously . the gunn diode and the schottky diode are built together into a housing . these microwave modules are obtainable as standard parts ( e . g ., macon 86849 - m01 ). the schottky diode 12 converts the microwaves into an electrical voltage signal . this voltage from the schottky diode 12 is not proportional to power over the whole measurement region . however , this is insignificant for the generation of the mass flow signals , since arbitrary functions of the power are suitable for this . the voltage at the schottky diode results both from the irradiated power and also from the received power ; therefore , in this embodiment , the mass flow signal is not determined using the common power , but from the ratio of irradiated power to received power . the function block connected to the schottky diode 12 includes a differentiator 13 , through which the differentiation of the schottky diode supplied signal takes place . through this a differential quotient over time if formed . there is adjoined an intermediate stage 14 with a capacitor 26 by which a null point displacement is effected , by means of which and whereby a separation of this constant direct current portion takes place . the signal is then supplied to a rectifier stage 16 with a bridge rectifier and is rectified there . mathematically , a sum formation is effected with the measurement signal derived with the differentiator 13 . the rectified signal is smoothed with a capacitor 18 . this signal represents the mass flow signal , and is the integral formed over time of the amount of the reflected power according to time . this signal can now be supplied to a digital unit , consisting of an a / d converter 19 and processor 20 . the processor can convert the signal to a magnitude which is reasonable for the user . the possibility also exists of placing the digital unit directly behind the circuit which differentiates the signal . in this case , the processor must continue the null point displacement and the rectification of the signal , which is possible in principle but requires processors with high computing power . it is likewise possible to set the processor directly on the schottky diodes ; a / d converters are then of course then required with a substantially higher precision , and processors with still more computing power . in fig2 – 16 , the physical connections of the invention are shown . fig2 and 3 show the power reflected from a solid particle over time at different conveying speeds . it is assumed for simplicity that the electromagnetic field just rises linearly up to a first position at p 0 , then runs constant to a second position , to then fall linearly again to zero . corresponding to this assumed course of the field , the reflected power of a particle at a conveying speed v 1 is as shown in fig2 . if now the conveying speed is doubled to v 2 = 2 * v 1 , the course of the curve shown in fig3 results . the areas under the curves in fig1 and 2 correspond to the energy which a particle reflects on passing through the field . it can be seen that at a doubled speed only half as much energy is reflected as at a single speed . however , since at double the speed and the same particle concentration , the overall reflected energy of all particles which are located exactly in the field is exactly as large as when the particles with single speed are transported ( cf . u . s . pat . no . 5 , 550 , 537 ). lastly , the total reflected energy is thus a measure of the concentration and not of the mass flow . fig4 – 6 show how the mass flow can be determined from the measurement of the reflected power or the like reflection measurement . fig4 shows the reflected power p ( t ) of a solid particle with a field geometry such as was used as the basis in fig2 and 3 . if the field strength of the field increases linearly , the reflected power p ( t ) can be described by a * t with the simplification that the amount of the reflected power is constant , independently of the angle which the direction of light of the particle forms to the sensor . furthermore it is assumed that the velocity of the particle is constant . taking the derivatives of these equations with respect to time , for the linearly rising portion : mathematically , as can be seen from fig5 , the area under the curve for the linearly falling portion is negative and for the linearly rising portion is positive . this is expressed in fig5 by a plus sign and minus sign in the hatched surfaces . however , the actual area under the curves is to be determined ( fig6 ). for this reason the absolute value is formed . the thus hatched surface is the integral formed over time of the absolute value of reflected power , derived over the time . the integral over the amount of the time derivative of the reflected power is thus proportional to the mass flow . furthermore , the integral formed over time of the reflected power derived according to time is termed the mass flow signal . the thus formed measurement result is proportional to the mass flow , since each particle produces an equally large mass flow signal , independent of speed . this is indicated in fig7 – 10 , the speed being v = v 1 , while in fig9 and 10 the speed v = v 2 = 2 * v 1 . the mass flow signal is equal at both speeds , since the area under the curve is equal at both speeds . for speed v = v 1 , the area is calculated as follows : mass flow signal v 1 = a * t 1 + a * ( t 3 − t 2 ) equation 9 : for a speed v = v 2 = 2 * v 1 , the area is calculated as follows : mass flow signal v 2 = 2 a * ( t 1 )/ 2 + 2 a *( t 3 − t 2 )/ 2 equation 11 : with ( t 3 − t 2 )= t 1 , there holds ( cf . fig1 ): thus on passing across the field , each particle produces , independently of its speed , an identical signal , provided that each particle has the same geometry and that their other material properties are identical . a comparison of fig2 and 3 shows that only the reflected energy is considered there . in this case , a particle moving twice as fast produces only half as large a signal as a particle traversing the field half as fast . the consequence is clear in fig1 – 16 . in fig1 – 16 , a conveying state is shown in which the solid particles are passed through with twice the speed of those in the conveying state shown in fig1 – 13 . the mass flow signal for the respective conveying state already mentioned is shown in fig1 and 15 . it can be seen in fig1 and 16 that in the conveying state shown on the right - hand side in which the mass flow is twice as large for that shown on the left - hand side , a mass flow signal twice as large can also be measured . the individual hatched surfaces present , as shown on the left - hand side in the time window are all of equal size , but on the right - hand conveying state there are twice as many hatched rectangles as for the conveying state on the left - hand side . in order to indicate that the mass flow signal produced according to the measures of this patent , it is shown in fig1 – 22 that for two conveying states with the same speed but different concentration , the mass flow signal is likewise correlated with the mass flow and not with the speed . it can be seen in these figures that with the conveying state shown on the left - hand side , the concentration is only half as great as for the conveying state shown on the right - hand side . since both conveying states have the same speed , the mass flow signal of a particle is also identical for the two conveying states ( fig1 and 21 ). the conveying state shown on the left - hand side conveys with only half the throughput as that shown on the right - hand side ; the mass flow signal behaves correspondingly . in the time window on the left - hand side corresponding to fig1 , only half as many hatched surfaces are present as on the right - hand side according to fig2 . expressed illustratively , in this measurement method the particles are counted , because each particle produced the same signal independently of the concentration and the speed at which it is conveyed . larger particles produce larger signals than smaller particles of the same kind . if a larger particle reflects k times more power that smaller , then : thus also the mass flow signal is k times greater , when a larger particle reflects k times more power . thus not only can particles be counted but also the weight of an individual particle can be correctly determined . thus it can finally be said that the integral over the sum of the reflected power derived according to time is very well correlated with the mass low . it is a general rule the correlation is linear , but this does not always have to be so . it is theoretically sufficient to measure only the total reflected power , since with signal generation in an intermediate stop the derivative of the reflected power is formed , with which constant fractions of reflected power likewise fall out of the calculation , so that reflected power from pipe wall and / or adherent deposits do not lead to a false result . since the fraction of reflected power from pipe walls and / or adherent is often very much greater than that reflected from the solid , this however leads to a poor signal / noise ratio . it is therefore more favorable to measure only the power of the electromagnetic wave reflected at the solid . the doppler effect can be used for this purpose , in that only the power of frequency - shifted electromagnetic waves is used to produce the mass flow signal . furthermore it is possible to use the difference from the entitled and reflected power instead of the reflected power to generate the mass flow signal . particularly when the irradiated power is constant or undergoes a known time variation . the equivalence of the measurement of the ratio of reflected to irradiated power is a pure power measurement , may be explained briefly by the example of a constant irradiated power . equation 14 : ∫ ( ∂ ( pr ( t ) ) pa ) ( ∂ t ) ⅆ t = 1 pa ∫ ( ∂ pr ( t ) ) ( ∂ t ) ⅆ t since the constantly irradiated power or respectively the inverse ratio thereof , may mathematically be taken out before the integral , calibration into weight units per time unit must be solely by means of this constant factor , so that likewise the mass throughput can be determined . in the example shown here , the extent of the field has been taken as greater than the particle size ; however , the measurement effect is independent of the ratio of field extent to particle size . furthermore , the measurement effect was shown at only a few special fields and the further limitation is made that this reflected power is independent of the angle which the direction of flight makes to the sensor . however this is only a simplification of the representation . the measuring effect works also without this limitation and at given fields . it is decisive that the reflected power depends only on the particle geometry , the specific properties of the material , and the irradiated power of the sensor . thus for the reflected power of two particles one of which moves twice as fast as the other , with a given field and taking into account the angle which the direction of flight of the particle makes with the sensor : a voltage or a current is usually produced in an electrical measuring device , and is proportional to the quantity to be measured . however , there are cases where this is not possible , and the voltage or the current produced is only proportional to a function of the quantity to be measured . in this case , equation 16 must be extended to : p 1 = reflected power from particle 1 p 2 = reflected power from particle 2 t = time v 1 = speed of particle 1 v 2 = speed of particle 2 f = symbol for function it is to be noted that a particle which passes twice as fast through the field of a sensor than a second similar particle which produces the same signal . expressed formally in equation 18 . this case is generally valid , because the constant t 0 is replaced with the variable t . t 0 is a special case of t . furthermore all functions of the power are taken into account . for evaluation , equation 17 is inserted into the left - hand position of equation 19 : equation 20 : ∫ 0 t ∂ f ( p1 ( t ) ) ∂ t ⅆ t = ∫ 0 t ∂ f ( p2 ( 2 t ) ) ∂ t ⅆ t in equation 22 , t is now differentiated in respect to time : hereinbelow , equation 22 and equation 24 are substituted in equation 20 . furthermore , first the outer and then the inner derivative are formed within the summation signal : constants also have to be taken out of the sum and should therefore be abbreviated ; thus there results from equation 28 since the result of an integral does not depend on the sign of the variables and constraints , equation 28 can be written as : the assertion is thus proved . the constant 2 can be replaced by another given constant without further proof , so that in the most general case as equation 32 : when equation 30 : v 1 = a * v 2 holds , then likewise equation 31 : p 1 ( t )= p 2 ( a * t ) holds , so that to / a g = ∫ ∂ f ( p ( t ) ) ∂ t ⅆ t is independent of the speed . each particle of the same kind which passes through the field of a sensor which generates this measurement quantity produces the same signal g independent of its speed . now only the sum of all these signals has to be formed and measured over a given time ; then a signal is obtained which is proportional to the number of particles which were transported through the field in this given time . since not only are particles counted , but simultaneously also larger particles produce more signal , the weight of the particles is also detected , so that finally the signal is proportional to the mass flow . as already mentioned , this kind also functions to determine the mass flow if not only the power can be directly determined , hereby a function of the power , for example p 2 . this can be seen if for p 1 and p 2 respectively p 1 2 and p 2 2 are respectively inserted in equation 33 : if the outer derivative is formed respectively within the sum , these results : with the respective equation 18 or 19 , there directly follows that g1 = g2 , since this has a direct consequence if microwaves are used as the electromagnetic waves . for measuring the power of the reflected microwaves , relatively inexpensive diodes can be used . these however have the disadvantage that the output voltage is not proportional to the power . the schottky diode shows a kind of saturation behavior at high powers , since the characteristic of the schottky diode flattens out . since however it is not the power which has to be determined with the signal magnitude , but the mass flows signal using only the characteristic , or the output voltage of the schottky diode as a function of the power , this means that there is no disadvantage , and the inexpensive schottky diodes can be used without the characteristic having to be linearized . fig2 and 24 show a measurement arrangement which is generally comparable to fig1 . the receiver transmitter however do not form a unit here , but are arranged separately . there are several receivers ; it is to be indicated that the receivers can be installed above and below , and also right and left , of the transmitter . exhaust air mostly contains only slight amounts of dust . it is often necessary to measure the amount of dust in order to maintain legal standards . this can take place using the devices according to the invention , corresponding for example to fig1 or fig2 and 24 . for example , in fig2 a laser 21 is installed on a chimney or exhaust air channel as the flow channel 3 . plural reflectors are installed on the inner wall of the chimney or exhaust air channel , and reflect the laser back and forth so that the greatest possible region of the cross section is detected . the detector ( s ) which measure the reflective power can be installed laterally of , or above or below , the laser 21 . the receiver can have a condenser 23 which focuses the reflected light onto a photocell 24 . if the reflection is too weak , a photomultiplier 25 can be placed between the condenser 25 and the photocell 24 . the photocell generates , from the reflected power of the electromagnetic wave , a voltage or a current signal , which has to be differentiated in the next step . for this , and for the further steps , the measuring device according to fig1 can be used . the photocell 24 or a phototransistor can be used , instead of the schottky diode 12 used as detector 12 there . alternatively according to the arrangement , according to fig2 , the cross section of the flow channel 3 can be scanned using a laser , the laser being continuously or discontinuously sweeping over the cross section , so that this is detected as completely as possible . with a higher dust or particle density , it is advantageous to use a microwave as the electromagnetic wave . they are poorly reflected because of their greater wavelength , so that at high particle concentrations , the saturation of the signal is reached substantially later . for example , in coal power stations , in which large amounts of coal are comminuted , microwaves can therefore advantageously be used for mass flow determination . | 6 |
now referring specifically to the drawings , a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described . fig1 of the drawing shows a block diagram of an embodiment of an apparatus used for a method for smelting and reducing iron ores according to the present invention . in a smelting reduction furnace 10 , molten metal bath 11 and slag layer 12 are formed , first shoot 13 through which lime stone and flux is set in an upper portion of the smelting reduction furnace and oxygen lance 21 through which oxygen gas is blown in is vertically inserted down into the smelting reduction furnace . fig2 of the drawing illustrates an enlarged vertical section view of the tip end portion of oxygen lance 21 used for an embodiment of a method for smelting and reducing iron ores according to the present invention . as seen from fig2 decarbonizing nozzles 22 and post combustion nozzles 23 are arranged in the oxygen lance 21 so as to supply oxygen gas independently through the decarbonizing nozzles and the post combustion nozzles from individual oxygen supply sources set outside the smelting reduction furnace by means of controlling a pressure and a flow amount respectively . furthermore , center nozzle 24 for supplying mainly carbonaceous material , lime stone or the like other than iron ores is arranged , passing through the center tip of the oxygen lance . the center nozzle can be replaced by the decarbonizing nozzles , thereby to introduce the carbonaceous material and the lime stone or the like together with the oxygen gas , depending on capacity and operational condition of the furnace 11 . arrow symbols 28 and 29 at the tip of oxygen lance 21 , each , show directions of injecting out oxygen gas respectively through the decarbonizing nozzles and the post combustion nozzles . chain line 40 is the center axis of the oxygen lance . above said smelting reduction furnace 10 , there is provided preheat and prereduction furnace 30 , which is a fluid bed type reaction vessel , having second sheet 31 and third sheet 32 . through the second shoot 31 , iron ores are charged into the preheat and prereduction furnace and through the third shoot leading from the preheat and prereduction furnace to the smelting reduction furnace the iron ores preheated and prereduced are transferred and charged into the smelting reduction furnace . in addition , leading pipe 33 connects smelting reduction furnace 10 to preheat and prereduction furnace 30 , exhaust gas generated from the smelting reduction furnace is transferred to the preheat and prereduction furnace . from the view point of material , equipment cost , smooth operation and so forth , as the preheat and prereduction furnace , a shaft furnace type vessel with a good heat efficiency or a rotary kiln type vessel useful for cost reduction and easy operation can be employed without any difficulty in carrying out the present invention . furthermore , hot cyclone 34 for removing dust from exhaust gas generating from preheat and prereduction furnace 30 and steam generator 35 for obtaining steam by making use of sensible heat of the exhaust gas , each , are set , connected with the preheat and prereduction furnace as shown in fig1 . on the other hand , side tuyeres 25 and bottom tuyeres 26 through which stirring gas is respectively blown in are built in a side wall and a bottom of smelting reduction furnace 10 , each . furthermore , gas selector valve 38 is set , which controls transfer direction of the exhaust gas coming out of steam generator so as to send the exhaust gas to side tuyeres 25 and bottom tuyeres 26 or to exhaust the same to the outside of the system . it should be noted that the steam generator can be alternated to preheat iron ores , using the exhaust gas generating from the preheat and prereduced furnace . now , a preferred embodiment of a method of the present invention , using an apparatus constituted as above mentioned will be described . before iron ores are charged into a smelting reduction furnace , so called seed molten metal is already charged therein in ordinary operation to make the operation start up smoothly and quickly . when the seed molten metal is not in the smelting reduction furnace , iron scraps are melted to prepare the seed molten metal . at the start up of the operation , no slag exists . slag such as at least one selected from the group consisting of basic oxygen furnace slag , smelting reduction furnace slag , blast furnace slag and electric furnace slag is charged together with carbonaceous material and the slag is melted with combustion of the carbonaceous material by oxygen . iron ores do not begin to be charged until an amount of slag reaches 30 kg per 1 ton molten metal bath in the smelting reduction furnace . if the amount is less than 30 kg , the slag does not work satisfactorily as a solvent , while if the amount is over 100 kg , the effect of the slag , as a solvent , hits the ceiling . charging amount of carbonaceous material and blowing amount of oxygen gas are increased in proportion to charging amount of iron ores . but , unless the start - up slagging is completed , heat efficiency is insufficient or temperature of molten metal does not rise promptly . as a result , abnormal operation such as melting loss of a furnace wall or slopping occurs . fluxing material is normally charged in the form of bulky lumps or rough grains into smelting reduction furnace 10 . however , in case that it is necessary to shorten a time of melting the fluxing material , it is effective that the powdered fluxing material is blown in together with carrier gas through oxygen nozzle 21 or side tuyeres 25 and bottom tuyeres 26 . 80 kg / t . molten metal , basic oxygen furnace slag was blown in through tuyeres 26 by using ar or n 2 inert gas , as carrier gas . on the other hand , in comparison , as the normal method , 60 kg / t . molten metal lime stone and 20 kg / t . molten metal silica were charged through first shoot 13 . as to the time period from the start of blowing up to the start of charging the iron ores , the method using carrier gas required 14 minutes , while the normal method required 20 minutes . after molten slag is thus formed , iron ores , as material of molten metal , is charged into smelting reduction furnace 10 , and the smelting reduction of the iron ores are started . normal and basic operational conditions such as production amount of molten metal , charging amount of iron ores , blowing amount of oxygen gas are shown in table 1 . an operation example described hereinbelow was carried out on the same conditions as those shown or the like . table 1______________________________________smelting reduction preheat and prereductionfurnace furnace______________________________________molten metal 27 . 3 ( t / hr ) iron ores 40 . 1 ( t / hr ) iron ores 40 . 1 ( t / hr ) preheat temp . 800 (° c . ) silica 18 ( t / hr ) prereduction 15 % ratiolimestone 3 ( t / hr ) oxygen gas 6650 ( nm . sup . 3 / hr ) decarboniza - tionpost com - 6650 ( nm . sup . 3 / hr ) bustiontemp . of 1510 (° c . ) molten metal 4 . 8 %[ c ] ______________________________________ iron ores , carbonaceous material and lime stone which have been charged onto molten metal bath 11 and slag layer 12 through first shoot 13 are amply stirred by stirring gas which has been blown in through side tuyeres 25 and bottom tuyeres 26 , thereby the reduction reaction being promoted . the stirring gas used for the stirring is process gas which is exhaust gas from steam generator 35 , n 2 and / or ar and is made use of properly , depending on operation conditions and material gas . if a flow amount of stirring gas is excessive , the stirring gas is blown out through the surface of slag layer 12 to make blow - out gas channeling and the affect of the stirring is lost , or at least cannot be expected . preferable range of the flow amount of the stirring gas blown in through side tuyeres 25 is 0 . 3 to 2 nm 3 / min / t . molten metal and the preferable range of the flow amount of the stiring gas through each of bottom tuyeres 26 is 0 . 5 to 3 nm 3 / t . molten metal bath . now with specific reference to fig3 a typical example of the blow - in of the stirring gas will be described . fig3 shows graphically a relation between fe content in slag ( t , fe ) and amount of stirring gas blown in through bottom tuyeres 26 . the fe content in slag affects a yield of molten metal to be produced and in this respect , it is clear that the less the fe content in slag is , the better the yield is . this graphic representation gives a case that the flow amount of the stirring gas blown in through side tuyeres 25 is constantly set as 1 . 0 nm 3 / min / t . molten metal bath . the amount of the fe content in slag shows the lowest value , when the blowing amount of the stirring gas is 3 . 0 nm 3 / min ./ t . molten metal bath , and the effect of the reduction hits the ceiling even if the flow amount is raised more than 3 . 0 nm 3 / min ./ t . molten metal bath . on the other hand , if the flow amount is less than 0 . 5 nm 3 / min ./ t . molten metal bath , there is possibility that slopping will occur due to high slag iron content . consequently , the flow amount of the stirring gas blown in through tuyeres 26 ranges preferably 0 . 5 to 3 . 0 nm 3 / min ./ t . molten metal . 2 to 3 nm 3 / min ./ t . molten metal is more preferable . fig4 shows graphically a relation of temperature difference between molten slag and molten metal in the smelting reduction furnace with blow amount of stirring gas through side tuyeres 25 . the temperature difference indicates a degree of stirring molten metal bath 11 and slag layer 12 . the small difference means that the stirring is amply performed . in other words , it is shown that the heat transfer efficiency to the molten metal is high and consequently , the heat efficiency is good . the graph gives a case that the flow amount of stirring gas through bottom tuyeres 26 is constantly set as 1 . 8 / min ./ t . molten metal bath . the mentioned temperature difference shows the lowest when the flow amount of the stirring gas is 2 . 0 nm 3 / min ./ t . molten metal bath . even if the flow amount of the stirring gas is increased more than 2 . 0 nm 3 / min ./ t . molten metal bath , the effect of reducing the temperature balance hits the ceiling . on the contrary , if the flow amount is less than 0 . 3 nm 3 / min / t . molten metal bath , the temperature difference is excessive to allow . consequently , the flow amount of the stirring gas through the side tuyeres ranges preferably 0 . 3 to 2 . 0 nm 3 / min / t . molten metal . furthermore , the temperature difference is 40 ° to 60 ° c . in case that side tuyeres 25 are not built in the side wall of the smelting reduction furnace . as shown in fig4 if the stirring gas is blown in through side tuyeres 25 , the temperature difference is 30 ° c . or less , and the effect of the stirring is remarkable . oxygen gas blown in through decarbonizing nozzles 22 oxidates the carbonaceous material to supply heat enough to reduce iron ores . in addition , oxygen gas is blown in through post combustion nozzles 23 , and this oxygen gas is mainly consumed for burning co gas generated from carbonaceous material by means of oxidation in molten metal bath 11 and slag layer 12 . in fig2 chain line 40 indicates the center axis of oxygen lance 21 . an injection angle of α of decarbonizing nozzles 22 is determined as 15 ° or less , based on the conventional bof oxygen lance , where α is an angle formed by chain line 40 and arrow 28 which is the center axis of decarbonizing nozzles 22 and shows a blowing direction . however , an injection angle of θ of combustion nozzles 23 has an important role of improving the heat efficiency of the smelting reduction furnace , where θ is an angle formed by chain line 40 and arrow 29 which is the center axis of post combustion nozzles 23 and shows a blowing direction . a preferable range of this injection angle is determined , based on a relation between the slope angle and the oxidation degree of the exhaust gas generated from the smelting reduction furnace . the relation is graphically represented in fig5 . the degree of the oxidation ( od ) is given by the following equation : as seen from fig5 if the injection angle of θ is less than 30 °, co 2 produced by post combustion becomes easy to be reduced by c contained in ferrous grains splashed from molten metal bath 11 or c of carbonaceous material and the od represented by the equation decreases remarkably . consequently , the post combustion efficiency i . e . the heat efficiency of the smelting reduction furnace is lowered . furthermore , if the injection angle of θ is over 45 °, melting loss of the inner wall of the smelting reduction furnace caused by oxygen gas coming out of the post combustion is remarkably increased . as this result , the preferable range of the injection angle of θ is 30 ° to 45 °. as described in the foregoing , oxygen gas is blown in by means of the post combustion nozzles . however , if the basicity of slag is not appropriate , the operation is disturbed . with specific reference to fig6 the preferable range of the basicity will be described . fig6 shows a relation between a slag ratio and basicity of slag . the slag ratio is represented by l s / l m . on the y axis , l s represents thickness of slag layer 12 and l m represents depth of molten metal bath 11 . the drop of the basicity of slag is caused mainly because sio 2 contained in coal which is charged into the smelting reduction furnace is melted into slag when the smelting reduction reaction proceeds in the smelting reduction furnace . as seen from fig6 slag if the basicity goes down less than 1 . 2 , slag foaming increases and this causes slopping . slopping gives unfavorable influence to the operation of the smelting reduction operation greatly . in order to reduce this phenomenon , fluxing material containing a large amount of cao such as lime stone , burnt dolomite or basic oxygen furnace slag granule is added to slag to increase the basicity of the slag . on the other hand , if the basicity is over 1 . 8 , fe content in slag increases and this results in causing a drop of yield of the molten metal . as mentioned , the basicity can be reduced by sio 2 contained in coal . in addition , in order to reduce the basicity quickly , powder coal is blown in through nozzle 24 of oxygen lance 21 or side tuyeres 25 and / or bottom tuyeres 26 . addition of fluxing material raising the basicity is carried out similarly . ordinarily the fluxing material is supplied through first shoot 13 . to control the basicity quickly , powder fluxing material is blown in through nozzle 24 of oxygen lance 21 or side tuyeres 25 and / or bottom tuyeres 26 . | 2 |
in a 500 ml three - neck , round - bottom flask , 300 g of polybutene ( average molecular weight 1080 ) and 60g of maleic anhydride were charged and the whole was heated to 160 °- 200 ° c under stirring . after the reaction for about 24 hours , the mixture was air - cooled and added with 300ml of n - pentane . the n - pentane solution was filtered and n - pentane was distilled out with a rotary evaporator . the residue was transferred into a glass sublimation apparatus and heated to about 200 ° c under vacuum to remove unreacted maleic anhydride and a trace amount of the solvent . yield of thus obtained polybutenylsuccinic anhydride was 90 - 95 %. 40 grams of polyethylene glycol ( average molecular weight 400 ) were added to 118g ( corresponding to about 0 . 1 mole ) of the product of step 1 and the whole was heated to 150 °- 220 ° c under stirring to obtain homogeneous solution ( transparent ). the reaction procedure was traced by measuring infrared absorption spectrum . the reaction was completed after about 3 hours . the product was obtained quantitatively . 158 grams of the product of step 2 were mixed with 5 . 3g ( 0 . 05 mole ) of diethanolamine and the mixture was heated to 150 °- 180 ° c under stirring under reduced pressure . in the course of the reaction , the reaction mixture became turbid temporarily because polyethylene glycol was liberated . as the heating and stirring were continued to carry out the esterification reaction , the mixture became transparent again . at that time , a part of the reaction mixture was taken out and dissolved in n - pentane and the solution was ice - cooled . no turbidity was observed and , therefore , the completion of the reaction was proved . the whole quantity of the product of step 3 was added with 6 . 2g ( 0 . 1 mole ) of boric acid and the mixture was heated to 100 °- 160 ° c under reduced pressure of 20 - 50mmhg under stirring . water formed as the reaction proceeded was collected with a freezing trap and weighed to calculate the amount of generation ( about 0 . 3 mole ). yield 164g × ( 94 %). step 1 was carried out in the same manner as in example 1 . 118 grams ( corresponding to about 0 . 1 mole ) of the product of step 1 were added with 20g ( 0 . 05 mole ) of polyethylene glycol ( average molecular weight 400 ) and the mixture was heated to 220 ° c under stirring . infrared absorption spectrum of the reaction mixture was determined to prove that the absorption at 1870 and 1790cm - 1 had disappeared completely . thereafter , the heating and stirring were stopped . the whole quantity of the product of step 2 was added with 5 . 3g ( 0 . 05 mole ) of diethanolamine and the mixture was heated to 160 ° c under stirring . the reaction product showed two . sup . ν c ═ o at 1750 and 1650cm - 1 . the heating and stirring were continued until no more increase in strength of the absorption at 1650cm 1 was observed . the whole quantity of the product of step 3 was mixed with 6 . 2g ( 0 . 1 mole ) of boric acid and 100ml of toluene and the mixture was heated to a reflux temperature . water formed by the reaction was removed by azeotropic distillation . after the water formation ceased , toluene was distilled out by vacuum stripping . yield 142g ( 99 %). step 1 was carried out in the same manner as in example 1 . 118 grams ( corresponding to 0 . 1 mole ) of the product of step 1 in example 1 were added with 55g of polypropylene glycol ( average molecular weight 1100 ) and the whole was heated to about 200 ° c under stirring . the heating was continued until absorptions at 1870 and 1790cm - 1 disappeared in infrared absorption spectrum . the whole quantity ( 173g ) of the reaction product of step 2 was added with 6 . 5g ( 0 . 05 mole ) of diisopropanolamine and the whole was heated to 180 ° c under reduced pressure under stirring . the completion of the reaction was judged by confirmation of no more change in absorption strength at 1750 and 1650cm - 1 in infrared absorption spectrum . the whole quantity of the reaction product of step 3 was added with 3 . 5g of boric anhydride and the mixture was heated to 150 ° c under reduced pressure . during the heating , a part of the reaction mixture was taken out at intervals , dissolved in n - pentane and ice - cooled to examine presence of turbidity or precipitate . said heating was continued until no turbidity or precipitate was observed by this examination method . the product exhibited no absorption of . sup . ν oh at ˜ 3450cm - 1 in infrared absorption spectrum . step 1 was carried out in the same manner as in example 1 . 118 grams ( corresponding to about 0 . 1 mole ) of the product of step 1 in example 1 were added with 25 . 3g ( about 0 . 033 mole ) of n , n , n &# 39 ;- tris ( polyoxyethylene ) stearylpropylenediamine ( trade name : diamiet r 310 ) and the whole was heated to 200 ° c under stirring . after confirming that absorptions at 1870 and 1790cm - 1 had disappeared in infrared absorption spectrum of the reaction mixture , the following step was effected . the total quantity of the product of step 2 was added with 5 . 3g ( 0 . 05 mole ) of diethanolamine and the whole was heated to 170 ° c under reduced pressure under stirring . ( another method may be employed in which the product is treated with 0 . 03 mole or 0 . 06 mole of diethanolamine ). infrared absorption spectrum of the reaction mixture was nearly the same as that of the product is the step 3 of example 3 . the total quantity of the product of step 3 was added with 6 . 2g ( 0 . 1 mole ) of boric acid and the whole was heated to 190 ° c under reduced pressure under stirring . after boric acid disappeared apparently to yield homogeneous mixture , infrared absorption spectrum of the mixture was measured to confirm that the absorption at ˜ 3450cm - 1 disappeared . yield 147g ( 99 %). in utilizing the polyether or polyether - boron detergent - dispersant obtained according to the process of the present invention as lubricating oil additive for internal - combustion engines , concentration of the detergent - dispersant can be varied over a considerably wide range . generally , practical effect can be obtained in an amount of 0 . 5 - 25 wt . %. though the effect as detergent - dispersant may be obtained in a concentration of less than 0 . 5 wt . % or more than 25 wt . %, the concentration should be determined from economical viewpoint and in view of conditions of use of the lubricant to which the additive prepared by the process of the invention is to be added . the effects of the additives prepared by the process of the present invention will be proved by tests described below . in samples of additives used in the tests , additive a is a reaction product of step 3 ( example 2 ), additive b is a reaction product of step 4 ( example 2 ), additives 1 and 2 are most powerful commercial ashless detergent - dispersants , i . e . polyalkenylsuccinic imide and polyalkenylhydroxybenzylamine , respectively , and 3 is a control ( non - additive ). as clearly shown in table 2 , an oil containing polyether - boron detergent - dispersant has the highest dispersibility . particularly , the dispersibility is remarkable with a dispersant concentration of around 0 . 5 wt . %. table 2______________________________________results of carbon black dispersion test 25 ° c 100 ° c concen - darkness of darkness ofaddi - tration supernatant supernatanttive ( wt . %) time liquid ( a ) time liquid ( a ) ______________________________________a 0 . 5 50 & lt ; ++++ 50 & lt ; +++ a 0 . 2 50 & lt ; ++++ 50 & lt ; ++ b 0 . 5 50 & lt ; ++++ 50 & lt ; ++++ b 0 . 2 50 & lt ; ++++ 50 & lt ; +++ 1 0 . 5 50 & lt ; ++++ 50 & lt ; ++ 2 0 . 5 50 & lt ; ++++ 50 & lt ; ++ 3 -- 3 -- 0 . 2 -- ______________________________________ ( the oil x shown in table 3 was used ) ( the numerals show time ( hr .) required for complete precipitation of carbon black ; 0 . 2 wt . % carbon black was added .) ( a ) darkness and dispersibility increase as number of symbols &# 34 ;+&# 34 ; increases . table 3 shows properties of base oils used in oxidation stability test according to the specification of jis k 2514 . in fact , the test sample was prepared from a mixture of x : y = 80 : 20 vol . % in tables 4 , 5 , 6 and 7 . table 3______________________________________properties of base oils used inoxidation stability test x y______________________________________specific gravity ( 15 / 4 ° c ) 0 . 861 0 . 887flash point (° c ) 218 -- viscosity37 . 8 ° c 26 . 21 142 . 2 ( cst ) 98 . 9 ° c 4 . 79 13 . 84viscosity index 113 102______________________________________ tables 4 , 5 and 6 show the results of comparative tests of oil samples containing additives a and b synthesized in example 2 and the above described , commercial ashless detergent - dispersants 1 and 2 . the oxidation stability test was effected according to the specification of jis k 2514 . table 7 shows the results of oxidation stability test of oil samples which were prepared in such a manner that 2 . 0 wt . % of the reaction product [ a &# 39 ;] of step 3 in example 1 ( the product which is not reacted with boric acid . ashless detergent - dispersants of the general formula ( i ) described in the present specification ), 2 . 0 wt . % of the reaction product [ b &# 39 ;] of step 4 in example 1 ( the product which is reacted with boric acid . detergent - dispersants of the general formula ( ii ) described in the present specification ) and 2 . 0 wt . % of the reaction product [ c ] of step 4 in example 4 were separately added to the lubricating base oils described in table 3 . table 4__________________________________________________________________________ [ test 2 - 1 ] the results of tests at 165 . 5 ° c for 72 hours : increase insoluble matter in total ( g / 100g ) conc . viscosity acid value n - pentane - sample ( a ) additive wt . % ratio ( b ) ( kohmg / g ) lacquer n - pentane coag . ( c ) __________________________________________________________________________1 a 2 . 0 1 . 196 thin 1 . 540 1 . 869 adhesion2 a 0 . 7 1 . 100 &# 34 ; 0 . 851 0 . 9313 b 2 . 0 1 . 010 2 . 10 not adhered 0 . 223 1 . 5584 b 0 . 7 1 . 050 2 . 50 &# 34 ; 0 . 832 1 . 9195 1 2 . 0 1 . 253 3 . 43 thin 2 . 658 4 . 153 adhesion6 2 2 . 0 1 . 765 1 . 82 &# 34 ; 5 . 281 6 . 679__________________________________________________________________________ ( a ) all samples do not contain any additive other than 1 . 0 wt . % of zinc dialkyldithiophosphate and an additive to be tested . ( b ) viscosity after the test / viscosity prior to the test . ( c ) 1 wt . % n - butyldithianol solution . [ test 2 - 2 ] results of test at 165 . 5 ° c for 48 hours table 5 shows the results of test of oil samples in which additive a or b had been incorporated to yield practical general multigrade motorcar engine oil . samples 1 through 4 contain a zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate , a rust inhibitor , an agent for increasing viscosity index , a pour point depressant and detergent - dispersant a or b prepared according to the present invention or commercial detergent - dispersant 2 in a predetermined quantity . table 5__________________________________________________________________________ increase ( a ) insoluble matter in total ( g / 100g ) conc . viscosity acid value n - pentanesample additive wt . % ratio ( kohmg / g ) lacquer n - pentanecoag . __________________________________________________________________________1 a 2 . 0 0 . 991 - 0 . 22 not ad - 0 . 0 0 . 647 hered2 b 2 . 0 1 . 035 - 0 . 60 &# 34 ; 0 . 0 0 . 7463 b 0 . 7 1 . 024 - 0 . 17 &# 34 ; 0 . 0 0 . 7834 2 2 . 0 0 . 997 - 0 . 57 &# 34 ; 0 . 0 0 . 873__________________________________________________________________________ ( a ) &# 34 ;-&# 34 ; represents decrease in total acid value . table 6__________________________________________________________________________ [ test 2 - 3 ] results of tests at 165 . 5 ° c for 64 hours : table 6 shows the results of the same test as said test 2 - 2except that time was 64 hours . increase in insoluble matter total acid ( g / 100g ) conc . viscosity value n - pentanesample additive wt . % ratio ( kohmg / g ) lacquer n - pentanecoag . __________________________________________________________________________1 a 2 . 0 1 . 085 2 . 72 thin 1 . 254 2 . 702 adhesion2 b 2 . 0 1 . 078 2 . 97 not adhered 0 . 891 2 . 5703 b 1 . 0 0 . 997 1 . 28 &# 34 ; 0 . 048 1 . 4294 1 2 . 0 1 . 125 2 . 87 within 1 . 652 3 . 364 adherent layer5 2 2 . 0 1 . 092 2 . 77 thin 0 . 913 2 . 594 adhesion__________________________________________________________________________ table 7__________________________________________________________________________ [ test 2 - 4 ] dry air of 10 l per hour was passed to 25 ml of oil samples at160 ° c for the periodof 48 hours in the presence of lead , aluminum copper and iron catalysts . ( a ) increase loss increase acid in total in lead appearance viscosity ratio in value acid weight of oilssampleadditive initial final viscosity initial final ( kohmg / g ) ( mg ) sludge used__________________________________________________________________________1 a &# 39 ; 9 . 465 9 . 721 1 . 03 2 . 1 2 . 9 0 . 8 6 . 3 nil transparent2 b &# 39 ; 9 . 500 9 . 573 1 . 01 2 . 0 2 . 1 0 . 1 2 . 1 nil transparent3 c 9 . 654 9 . 751 1 . 01 2 . 0 2 . 4 0 . 4 4 . 6 nil transparent4 1 ( b ) 9 . 672 10 . 301 1 . 06 2 . 0 4 . 7 2 . 7 14 . 5 nil turbid__________________________________________________________________________ ( a ) ratio of viscosity after test ( cst at 98 . 9 ° c )/ viscosity befor test ( cst at 98 . 9 ° c ). ( b ) presumed to be a commercial additive , polyalkenylhydroxybenzyl amines from tables 5 and 6 , it is noted that the sample oil containing additive a or b prepared according to the present invention has a total acid value lower than that of conventional one within 48 hours . under the test conditions employed , break point of oil resides between 48 hours and 72 hours ( estimated from the curves of increasing total acid number ) and lacquer - preventing effect of additives a and b is remarkable , while with the conventional additive , lacquer is formed within 64 hours . examples of lubricating oil compositions of the present invention will be shown . a composition of the present invention was obtained by adding the following components to a sample oil comprising oil 1 and base oil 2 in a ratio of 80 : 20 : ______________________________________detergent - dispersant of the invention ( obtained in example 1 ; the sameshall apply hereinafter ) 2 . 0 wt . % zinc dialkyldithiophosphate 1 . 0 wt . % rust inhibitor 0 . 1 wt . % viscosity index - increasing agent 4 . 0 wt . % pour point depressant 1 . 5 wt . % ______________________________________ a conventional composition was obtained by adding the following components to a sample oil comprising base oil 1 and base oil 2 in a ratio of 80 : 20 : ______________________________________commercial ashless detergent - dispersant , polyalkenyloxybenzylamine 2 . 0 wt . % zinc dialkyldithiophosphate 1 . 0 wt . % rust inhibitor 0 . 1 wt . % viscosity index - increasing agent 4 . 0 wt . % pour point depressant 1 . 5 wt . % ______________________________________ properties of base oils used in example 1 and the comparative example are shown in table 1 - 1 and effects of the lubricating oil composition are shown in comparison with those of the conventional one in table 1 - 2 . table 1 - 1______________________________________ specific flash viscosity gravity point ( cst ) viscosity ( 15 / 4 ° c ) (° c ) 27 . 8 ° c 98 . 9 ° c index______________________________________properties of 0 . 861 218 26 . 21 4 . 79 118base oil 1properties of 0 . 887 -- 142 . 2 13 . 84 102base oil 2______________________________________ table 1 - 2__________________________________________________________________________ composition of the pre - sent conventional__________________________________________________________________________ invention compositionneutralization value ( kohmg / g ) jis k 2502 2 . 3 3 . 8viscosity 100 ° f cst 59 . 74 61 . 49__________________________________________________________________________results of carbon time 50 & lt ; 50 & lt ; black dispersion 25 ° ctest ( the numerals darkness ofshow time ( hr .) supernatant ++++ ++++ required for com - liquid aplete precipita - tion of carbon time 50 & lt ; 50 & lt ; black : 0 . 2 wt . % 100 ° cof carbon black darkness ofadded ) supernatant ++++ ++ note 3 liquid viscosity 1 . 035 0 . 997 ratio dresults ofoxidation increase instability test total acid value - 0 . 60 - 0 . 57jis k 2514 165 . 5 b ( kohmg / g ) ° c lacquer not adhered not adhered 48 hrs . insol - 0 . 0 0 . 0 uble n - matter pentane ( g / 100 n - g ) pentane 0 . 746 0 . 873 c - coag viscosity 1 . 078 1 . 092 ratioresults ofoxidation increase instability test total acid 2 . 97 2 . 77jis k 2514 165 . 5 value ° c ( kohmg / g ) 64 hrs lacquer not adhered thin adhe - sion insol - uble n - pentane 0 . 891 0 . 913 matter g / 100 n - g ) pentane - 3 . 570 2 . 594 coag__________________________________________________________________________ a darkness and dispersibility increase as number of symbol ˜ &# 34 ;+&# 34 ; increases . b &# 34 ;-&# 34 ; represents decrease in total acid number . c 1 wt . % n - butyldithianol solution . d viscosity after the test / viscosity prior to the test . a composition of the present invention was obtained by adding the following components to a sample oil [ solvent purified oil comprising a mixture of 55 vol . % of 350 n ( 95 v . i .) and 45 vol . % of 700 n ( 95 v . i . )]: ______________________________________detergent - dispersant of the invention ( obtained in example 1 ) 1 . 2 wt . % zinc dialkyldithiophosphate 0 . 6 wt . % ultrabasic dispersant 0 . 8 wt . % pour point depressent 0 . 1 wt . % ______________________________________ an engine test was carried out for examining piston - deterging effect of the composition of the present invention . the results are shown in table 11 . table 11______________________________________caterpillar - l - 1 engine test ( supplement 1 ) time top - ring group filling (%) lacquer * ______________________________________120 5 . 9 1 . 4480 13 . 6 2 . 4______________________________________ * demerit rating as shown in the table , top ring group filling was 13 . 6 % ( 480 hours ) and stood the test . | 2 |
fig1 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary wireless communication device 10 . wireless communication device 10 comprises a controller 20 , a memory 30 , a user interface 40 , a transceiver 50 , and a multi - band antenna 100 . controller 20 controls the operation of wireless communication device 10 responsive to programs stored in memory 30 and instructions provided by the user via user interface 40 . transceiver 50 interfaces the wireless communication device 10 with a wireless network using antenna 100 . it will be appreciated that transceiver 50 may operate according to one or more of any known wireless communication standards , such as code division multiple access ( cdma ), time division multiple access ( tdma ), global system for mobile communications ( gsm ), global positioning system ( gps ), personal digital cellular ( pdc ), advanced mobile phone system ( amps ), personal communication service ( pcs ), wideband cdma ( wcdma ), etc . multi - band antenna 100 transmits and receives signals according to one or more of the above wireless communication standards . for purposes of illustration , the following describes the antenna 100 in terms of a low frequency wireless communication band and a high frequency wireless communication band . an exemplary low frequency wireless communication band includes an amps frequency band ( 850 mhz ) and / or a gsm low frequency band ( 900 mhz ). an exemplary high frequency wireless communication band includes a gsm high frequency band ( 1800 mhz ) and / or a pcs frequency band ( 1900 mhz ). however , it will be appreciated that antenna 100 may be designed to cover additional or alternative wireless communication frequency bands . fig2 and 3 illustrate a multi - band antenna 100 according to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention . the exemplary multi - band antenna 100 comprises a bent monopole antenna . however , the present invention also applies to other types of antennas , such as a planar inverted f - antenna ( pifa ) as described in the co - pending application filed concurrently with the instant application and entitled “ multi - band pifa ” ( attorney docket no . 2002 - 204 ). this application is hereby incorporated by reference . antenna 100 comprises a main antenna element 110 , a parasitic element 120 , and a selection circuit 140 . main antenna element 110 transmits and receives wireless communication signals in the low and high wireless communication frequency bands . selection circuit 140 selectively couples the parasitic element 120 to a ground 132 of a printed circuit board ( pcb ) 130 to selectively enable capacitive coupling between the parasitic element 120 and the main antenna element 110 when the antenna 100 operates in the low frequency band . in addition , selection circuit 140 selectively disables the capacitive coupling when the antenna 100 operates in the high frequency band . as a result , selection circuit 140 controls the capacitive coupling between parasitic element 120 and main antenna element 110 . main antenna element 110 comprises a radiating element 112 elevated from the antenna ground 132 by rf feed 114 , where rf feed 114 electrically connects the radiating element 112 to transceiver 50 . radiating element 112 transmits wireless communication signals in one or more frequency bands provided by transceiver 50 via rf feed 114 . further radiating element 112 receives wireless communication signals transmitted in one or more frequency bands and provides the received signals to the transceiver 50 via rf feed 114 . according to one embodiment of the present invention , radiating element 112 comprises a feed end 116 connected to the rf feed 114 and a terminal end 118 , where the feed end 116 and the terminal end 118 are on opposite ends of the radiating element 112 . as shown in fig2 , the radiating element 112 is bent along the length of the radiating element 112 to generate the bent monopole shape . according to one exemplary embodiment , radiating element 112 is 40 mm long and 12 mm wide , where the terminal end 116 is 32 mm long , and rf feed 114 positions the radiating element 112 approximately 7 mm from pcb 130 . parasitic element 120 is disposed generally in the same plane as the radiating element 112 and along terminal end 118 so that the parasitic element 120 runs generally parallel to the terminal end 118 . because of the orientation and location of the parasitic element 120 relative to the terminal end 118 , electromagnetic interaction between the terminal end 118 and the parasitic element 120 occurs when selection circuit 140 connects the parasitic element 120 to ground 132 . this electromagnetic interaction causes the parasitic element 120 to capacitively couple to the radiating element 112 . generally , this capacitive coupling increases the bandwidth of the low frequency band , but adversely affects operation in the high frequency band . by disconnecting the parasitic element 120 from ground 132 when the antenna 100 operates in the high frequency band , the selection circuit 140 removes the negative effects of the capacitive coupling on the high frequency band . selection circuit 140 controls the capacitive coupling between the parasitic element 120 and the radiating element 112 by controlling the connection between the parasitic element 120 and the antenna ground 132 . selection circuit 140 may control the connection between the parasitic element 120 and ground 132 using any means that creates a low impedance connection between the parasitic element 120 and ground 132 when the antenna 100 operates in the low frequency band , and that creates a high impedance connection between the parasitic element 120 and ground 132 when the antenna 100 operates in a high frequency band . in one exemplary embodiment , selection circuit 140 may comprise a switch controlled by controller 20 . closing switch 140 creates a short circuit ( low impedance connection ) between the parasitic element 120 and the ground 132 , while opening switch 140 creates an open circuit ( high impedance connection ) between the parasitic element 120 and the ground 132 . according to another exemplary embodiment , selection circuit 140 may comprise a frequency dependent lump element circuit , such as a filter 140 . by designing the filter 140 to have a low impedance at low frequencies and a high impedance at high frequencies , the filter 140 selectively connects the parasitic element 120 to ground 132 only when the antenna 100 operates in the low frequency band . according to one exemplary embodiment , the selection circuit 140 may comprises an inductance in series with the parasitic element 120 , where the inductance ranges between 6 . 8 nh and 22 nh . fig4 and 5 illustrate the efficiency of the antenna 100 as a function of frequency . the efficiency curves illustrated in these figures represent the simulated efficiency as generated by an electromagnetic simulator , such as zealand ie3d . as such , these efficiency curves represent an ideal efficiency of the antenna and do not consider dielectric / conductor losses or mismatch losses . regardless , these efficiency curves accurately represent the effect of the capacitive coupling on the antenna &# 39 ; s bandwidth and relative efficiency . efficiency curve 60 in fig4 and 5 illustrate the efficiency response of the antenna 100 when the parasitic element 120 is not capacitively coupled to the radiating element 112 . the efficiency curve 60 shows that the low frequency band has approximately 0 . 75 ghz of bandwidth with at least 96 % efficiency and a peak efficiency of 99 %. further , efficiency curve 60 shows that more than 1 . 2 ghz of the high frequency band has at least 96 % efficiency and a peak efficiency of 99 . 5 %. by applying capacitive coupling between the parasitic element 120 and the radiating element 112 , antenna 100 increases the field storage inside the radiating element 112 , which in turn , increases the bandwidth of the low frequency band . because the bandwidth is inversely proportional to the efficiency , increasing the bandwidth necessarily decreases the efficiency . for frequencies in the low frequency band , this drop in efficiency is minimal relative to the significant bandwidth increase . however , for frequencies in the high frequency band , the efficiency loss can be significant . efficiency curve 70 in fig4 and 5 illustrates these effects . as shown by efficiency curve 70 , capacitively coupling the parasitic element 120 to the radiating element 112 reduces the peak efficiency of the low frequency band to 98 . 5 %, but widens the low frequency bandwidth having at least 96 % efficiency to approximately 1 . 25 ghz . however , efficiency curve 70 also illustrates a significant reduction in the high frequency bandwidth and efficiency . the present invention addresses this problem by selectively applying the capacitive coupling only when the antenna 100 operates in the low frequency band ; when the antenna 100 operates in the high frequency band , the capacitive coupling is disabled . efficiency curve 80 in fig4 illustrates the efficiency of the antenna 100 when the selection circuit 140 comprises a switch 140 , while efficiency curve 90 in fig5 illustrates the efficiency of the antenna 100 when the selection circuit 140 comprises a filter 140 . in either case , when selection circuit 140 generates a low impedance connection between the parasitic element 120 and the antenna ground 132 , efficiency curves 80 and 90 follow curve 70 . however , when selection circuit 140 generates a high impedance connection between parasitic element 120 and the antenna ground 132 , efficiency curves 80 and 90 follow curve 60 . as a result , the low frequency band has increased the bandwidth having at least 96 % efficiency to between 0 . 8 and 0 . 9 ghz , while the high frequency band has maintained the bandwidth having at least 96 % efficiency at more than 1 . 2 ghz . as shown in fig4 , switch 140 abruptly disables the capacitive coupling at approximately 1 . 7 ghz . the filter 140 , in contrast , gradually disables the capacitive coupling as the impedance approaches 1 . 7 ghz , as shown in fig5 . while the illustrated examples show a cutoff frequency for the capacitive coupling at 1 . 7 ghz , those skilled in the art will appreciate that antenna 100 may be designed to cutoff the capacitive coupling at any frequency . the capacitive coupling between the parasitic element 120 and the radiating element 112 may cause a slight shift in the low frequency band resonant frequency . to correct for this shift , rf feed 114 may include matching circuitry that tunes the antenna 100 to relocate the resonant frequency to the pre - capacitive coupling resonant frequency . it will be appreciated that the matching circuit may also be modified to shift the resonant frequency to any desired frequency . the exemplary embodiment described above increases the bandwidth of the low frequency band without adversely affecting the bandwidth of the high frequency band . however , it will be appreciated that the present invention is not so limited . for example , the parasitic element 120 may be designed to increase the bandwidth of the high frequency band . in this embodiment , selection circuit 140 would be designed and / or controlled to enable capacitive coupling between the parasitic element 120 and the radiating element 112 when the antenna 100 operates in the high frequency band , and to disable the capacitive coupling when the antenna 100 operates in the low frequency band . further , it will be appreciated that antenna 100 may include a low - band parasitic element 120 and a high - band parasitic element 122 , as shown in fig6 . according to this embodiment , selection circuit 140 enables the low - band capacitive coupling by connecting the low - band parasitic element 120 to ground while selection circuit 142 disconnects the high - band parasitic element 122 from ground during low frequency operation . this increases the low frequency bandwidth when the antenna 100 operates in the low frequency band . when the antenna 100 operates in the high frequency band , selection circuit 142 connects the high - band parasitic element 122 to ground 132 while selection circuit 140 disconnects the low - band parasitic element 120 from ground . this increases the high frequency bandwidth when the antenna 100 operates in the high frequency band . the present invention improves the bandwidth of at least one frequency band of a compact multi - band antenna 100 without negatively impacting the bandwidth of the remaining frequency bands . as such , the multi - band antenna 100 of the present invention may be used with a wider range of wireless communication standards and / or in a wider range of wireless communication devices 10 . the present invention may , of course , be carried out in other ways than those specifically set forth herein without departing from essential characteristics of the invention . the present embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive , and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein . | 7 |
in fig1 , a pneumatic core sampling biopsy system 10 includes a handpiece 30 that may be held comfortably in a single hand , and may be manipulated with a single hand . handpiece 30 may include a probe assembly 32 and a detachably connected holster 34 . probe assembly 32 may be operatively connected to a vacuum source 36 , such as by a first , lateral tube 38 and a second , axial tube 40 . first and second tubes 38 , 40 may be made from a flexible , transparent or translucent material , such as silicon tubing , pvc tubing or polyethylene tubing . using a transparent material enables visualization of the matter flowing through tubes 38 , 40 . first tube 38 may include a y connector 42 for connecting to multiple fluid sources . a first proximal end of y connector 42 may extend to a first solenoid controlled rotary valve 44 in a control module 46 , while the second proximal end of the y connector 42 may extend to a second solenoid controlled rotary valve 48 in control module 46 . the first solenoid controlled rotary valve 44 in control module 46 may be operable to connect either the vacuum source 36 or a compressed air source 50 to lateral tube 38 . it is understood within this specification that compressed air means air pressure at or above atmospheric pressure . in one configuration , when valve 44 is activated , vacuum is supplied to tube 38 from vacuum source 36 , and when valve 44 is not activated , pressurized air from compressed air source 50 is supplied through tube 38 . the solenoid associated with valve 44 may be controlled by a microprocessor 52 in control module 46 , as indicated by dashed line 54 . the microprocessor 52 may be employed to adjust the position of valve 44 automatically based upon the position of a cutter 55 ( as shown in fig7 ) movably supported within probe assembly 32 . the second solenoid controlled rotary valve 48 in control module 46 may be employed to either connect a saline supply 56 ( such as a saline supply bag , or alternatively , a pressurized reservoir of saline ) to a tube 58 or to seal off the proximal end of tube 58 . for instance , rotary valve 48 may be activated by microprocessor 52 to supply saline when one of switches 60 on handpiece 30 is actuated . when rotary valve 48 is activated , first rotary valve 44 may be automatically deactivated ( such as by microprocessor 52 ) to prevent the interaction of vacuum and saline within lateral tube 38 . a stopcock 61 may be included in lateral vacuum tube 38 to allow for a syringe injection of saline directly into the tube 38 , if desired . for instance , a syringe injection may be employed to increase the saline pressure in the tube to dislodge any clogs that may occur , such as tissue clogging fluid passageways . in one version , axial vacuum tube 40 may be employed to communicate vacuum from source 36 to probe assembly 32 through a tissue storage assembly 62 . axial tube 40 may provide vacuum through the cutter 55 within probe assembly 32 to assist in prolapsing tissue into a side aperture 64 prior to cutting . after cutting occurs , the vacuum in axial tube 40 may be employed to help draw a severed tissue sample from probe assembly 32 and into tissue storage assembly 62 . holster 34 may include a control cord 66 for operationally connecting handpiece 30 to control module 46 . a pneumatic drive motor 70 advantageously replaces a rotatable drive cable used in generally - known mri - compatible core sampling biopsy systems . the pneumatic drive motor 70 would be located proximal of the handpiece 30 . the pneumatic drive motor 70 has two pneumatic input lines 68 and 69 . when compressed gas is applied to one of the two lines 68 , 69 , the output shaft ( not shown ) of pneumatic drive motor 70 rotates in a given direction . when compressed gas is applied to the other line 69 , 68 , the output shaft of the pneumatic drive motor 70 rotates in the opposite direction . in each case , the pneumatic input line 68 , 69 that does not carry the compressed gas is the exhaust or vent line for the compressed gas . this switching between off / input 1 on and input 2 vent / input 1 vent and input 2 on may be accomplished by microprocessor 52 commanding a pneumatic switching valve 72 that receives compressed air from a source 73 and selectively switches the compressed air to pneumatic input lines 68 , 69 . the compressed gas rotates the output shaft of the pneumatic drive motor 70 via a rotor blade assembly ( not shown ). the output shaft of the pneumatic drive motor 70 then drives the input shaft of a cutter drive assembly ( not shown in fig1 ). an example of a pneumatic drive motor 70 is available from pro - dex micro motors inc . model mmr - 0700 . switches 10 are mounted on holster upper shell 74 to enable an operator to use handpiece 30 with a single hand . one - handed operation allows the operator &# 39 ; s other hand to be free , for example , to hold an ultrasonic imaging device . switches 60 may include a two - position rocker switch 76 for manually actuating the motion of the cutter 55 ( e . g . forward movement of the rocker switch 76 moves the cutter 55 in the forward ( distal ) direction for tissue sampling and rearward movement of the rocker switch 76 actuates the cutter 55 in the reverse ( proximal ) direction ). alternatively , the cutter 55 could be automatically actuated by control module 46 . an additional switch 78 may be provided on holster 34 for permitting the operator to activate saline flow on demand into lateral tube 38 ( for instance , switch 78 may be configured to operate valve 48 for providing saline flow to tube 38 when switch 78 is depressed by the user ). as an alternate configuration , it should be noted that the pneumatic drive motor drive assembly described herein could rotate and translate a cutter within biopsy devices where the cutter translates the entire length of the needle to extract the tissue from the patient . in fig2 , a piezoelectrically - driven biopsy system 10 a is similar to that described above for fig1 but includes some changes . in particular , a piezoelectric motor 70 a is advantageously completely or partially replacing a generally known mechanical rotatable drive cable . the piezoelectric drive motor 70 a may be located immediately proximal of the cutter drive assembly ( not shown in fig2 ). the piezoelectric drive motor 70 a is driven by motor driver circuitry 77 , which is powered by power source 72 , via electrical cable 79 . it should be appreciated that the motion of a piezoelectric crystal material rotates a rotor attached to the output shaft ( not shown ) of the piezoelectric drive motor 70 a . the output shaft of the piezoelectric drive motor 70 a then drives the input shaft of the cutter drive assembly . an example of a piezoelectric drive motor 70 a is available from shinsei corporation drive motor model usr 10 - e3n and electronic driver model d6060 . a design aspect of current piezoelectric motors is the low power density of the motors . this results in piezoelectric motors with a relatively large volume when compared to conventional dc motors at a given power rating . in the event the piezoelectric drive motor 70 a is too large to be attached directly to the input shaft of the cutter drive assembly 107 ( fig3 ), the output of the piezoelectric drive motor 70 a may drive a rotatable drive cable 81 . this would allow the piezoelectric drive motor 70 a to be located some distance from the holster to reduce the holster mass . as an additional alternate configuration , one piezoelectric motor could rotate the cutter assembly and a second piezoelectric motor could translate the cutter assembly . piezoelectric motors are particularly suited for mri applications based on their material properties . it should be noted that the piezoelectric motor drive assembly described herein could rotate and translate a cutter within biopsy devices where the cutter translates the entire length of the needle to extract the tissue from the patient . with the pneumatic drive motor 70 of fig1 or the alternative piezoelectric drive motor 70 a of fig2 omitted , the components of the handpiece 30 will now be described . fig3 shows probe assembly 32 disconnected from holster 34 . probe assembly 32 includes an upper shell 80 and a lower shell 82 , each of which may be injection molded from a rigid , biocompatible plastic , such as a polycarbonate . upon final assembly of probe assembly 32 , upper and lower shells 80 , 82 may be joined together along a joining edge 84 by any of a number of methods well known for joining plastic parts , including , without limitation , ultrasonic welding , snap fasteners , interference fit , and adhesive joining . fig4 - 7 illustrate probe assembly 32 in greater detail . fig4 depicts a cutter assembly and carriage 86 retracted proximally . fig5 depicts the cutter assembly and carriage 86 partially advanced . fig6 depicts the cutter assembly and carriage 86 advanced distally . with particular reference to fig7 , the probe assembly 32 may include a biopsy needle ( probe ) 88 located at a distal end of a handle 89 of the probe assembly 32 for insertion into a patient &# 39 ; s skin to obtain a tissue sample . needle 88 comprises an elongated , metallic cannula 90 , which may include an upper cutter lumen 92 for receiving the cutter 55 and a lower vacuum lumen 94 for providing a fluid and pneumatic passageway . cutter 55 may be disposed within cannula 90 , and may be coaxially disposed within cutter lumen 92 . cannula 90 may have any suitable cross - sectional shape , including a circular or oval shaped cross - section . adjacent and proximal of the distal end of cannula 90 is the side ( lateral ) tissue receiving port ( side aperture ) 64 for receiving the tissue to be severed from the patient . the sharpened tip of needle 88 may be formed by a separate endpiece 96 attached to the distal end of cannula 90 . the sharpened tip of endpiece 96 may be used to pierce the patient &# 39 ; s skin so that the side tissue receiving port may be positioned in the tissue mass to be sampled . endpiece 96 may have a two - sided , flat - shaped point as shown , or any number of other shapes suitable for penetrating the soft tissue of the patient . the proximal end of needle 88 may be attached to a union sleeve 98 having a longitudinal bore 100 therethrough , and a transverse opening 102 into a widened center portion of the bore 100 . the distal end of lateral tube 38 may be inserted to fit tightly into transverse opening 102 of union sleeve 98 . this attachment allows the communication of fluids ( gas or liquid ) between the lower vacuum lumen 94 and the lateral tube 38 . the cutter 55 , which may be an elongated , tubular cutter , may be disposed at least partially within upper cutter lumen 92 , and may be supported for translation and rotation within cutter lumen 92 . cutter 55 may be supported within vacuum lumen 94 so as to be translatable in both the distal and proximal directions . cutter 55 may have a sharpened distal end 106 for cutting tissue received in upper cutter lumen 92 through side tissue receiving port 64 . the cutter 55 may be formed of any suitable material , including without limitation a metal , a polymer , a ceramic , or a combination of materials . cutter 55 may be translated within cutter lumen 92 by a suitable cutter drive assembly 107 such that distal end 106 travels from a position proximal of the side tissue port 64 ( illustrated in fig4 ) to a position distal of side tissue port 64 ( illustrated in fig6 ), in order to cut tissue received in cutter lumen 92 through the side tissue port 64 . in an alternative embodiment , an exterior cutter ( not shown ) may be employed , with the exterior cutter sliding coaxially with an inner cannular needle , and the inner needle may include a side tissue receiving port . union sleeve 98 is supported between probe upper and lower shells 80 , 82 to ensure proper alignment between cutter 55 and the union sleeve 98 . the cutter 55 may be a hollow tube , with a sample lumen 108 extending axially through the length of cutter 55 . the proximal end of cutter 55 may extend through an axial bore of a cutter gear 110 . cutter gear 110 may be metallic or polymeric , and includes a plurality of cutter gear teeth 112 . cutter gear 110 may be driven by a rotary drive shaft 114 having a plurality of drive gear teeth 116 designed to mesh with cutter gear teeth 112 . drive gear teeth 116 may extend along the length of drive shaft 114 so as to engage cutter gear teeth 112 as the cutter 55 translates from a proximal most position to a distal most position , as illustrated in fig4 - 6 . drive gear teeth 116 may be in continual engagement with cutter gear teeth 112 to rotate cutter 55 whenever drive shaft 114 is rotatably driven . drive shaft 114 rotates cutter 55 as the cutter advances distally through tissue receiving port 64 for the cutting of tissue . drive shaft 114 may be injection molded from a rigid engineered plastic such as liquid crystal polymer material or , alternatively , could be manufactured from a metallic or non - metallic material . drive shaft 114 includes a first axial end 120 extending distally from the shaft 114 . axial end 120 is supported for rotation within probe lower shell 82 , such as by a bearing surface feature 122 molded on the inside of the probe shells 80 , 82 . similarly , a second axial end 124 extends proximally from rotary drive shaft 114 and is supported in a second bearing surface feature 126 , which may also be molded on the inside of probe lower shell 82 . an o - ring and bushing ( not shown ) may be provided on each axial end 120 , 124 to provide rotational support and audible noise dampening of the shaft 114 when rotary drive shaft 114 is mounted in probe lower shell 82 . as shown in fig4 - 6 , a drive carriage 134 is provided in probe assembly 32 to hold cutter gear 110 , and carry the cutter gear and attached cutter 55 during translation in both the distal and proximal directions . drive carriage 134 may be molded from a rigid polymer and has a cylindrically - shaped bore 136 extending axially therethrough . a pair of j - shaped hook extensions 140 extend from one side of drive carriage 134 . hook extensions 140 rotatably support cutter 55 on either side of cutter gear 110 to provide proximal and distal translation of the cutter gear 110 and cutter 55 during proximal and distal translation of drive carriage 134 . hook extensions 140 align cutter 55 and cutter gear 110 in the proper orientation for cutter gear teeth 112 to mesh with drive gear teeth 116 . drive carriage 134 is supported on a translation shaft 142 . shaft 142 is supported generally parallel to cutter 55 and rotary drive shaft 114 . rotation of the translation shaft 142 provides translation of the drive carriage 134 ( and thus also cutter gear 110 and cutter 55 ) by employing a lead screw type drive . shaft 142 includes an external lead screw thread feature , such as lead screw thread 144 , on its outer surface . the screw thread 144 extends into the bore 136 in drive carriage 134 . the screw thread 144 engages an internal helical threaded surface feature ( not shown ) provided on the inner surface of bore 136 . accordingly , as shaft 142 is rotated , the drive carriage 134 translates along the threaded feature 144 of the shaft 142 . the cutter gear 110 and the cutter 55 translate with the drive carriage 134 . reversing the direction of rotation of shaft 142 reverses the direction of translation of the drive carriage 134 and the cutter 55 . translation shaft 142 may be injection molded from a rigid engineered plastic such as liquid crystal polymer material or , alternatively , could be manufactured from a metallic or non - metallic material . translation shaft 142 with lead screw thread feature 144 may be molded , machined , or otherwise formed . likewise , drive carriage 134 may be molded or machined to include an internal helical thread in bore 136 . rotation of shaft 142 drives the carriage and cutter gear 110 and cutter 55 in the distal and proximal directions , depending upon the direction of rotation of shaft 142 , so that cutter 55 translates within probe assembly 32 . cutter gear 110 is rigidly attached to cutter 55 so that the cutter translates in the same direction and at the same speed as drive carriage 134 . in one version , at the distal and proximal ends of lead screw thread 144 , the helical thread is cut short so that the effective pitch width of the thread is zero . at these distal most and proximal most positions of thread 144 , translation of drive carriage 134 is no longer positively driven by shaft 142 regardless of the continued rotation of shaft 142 , as the carriage effectively runs off the thread 144 . biasing members , such as compression coil springs 150 a and 150 b ( fig7 ), are positioned on shaft 142 adjacent the distal and proximal ends of the screw thread 144 . springs 150 a - b bias drive carriage 134 back into engagement with lead screw thread 144 when the carriage runs off the thread 144 . while shaft 142 continues rotating in the same direction , the zero pitch width thread in combination with springs 150 a - b cause drive carriage 134 and , therefore , cutter 55 to “ freewheel ” at the end of the shaft . at the proximal end of the threaded portion of shaft 142 , the drive carriage 134 engages spring 150 a . at the distal end of the threaded portion of shaft 142 , the drive carriage 134 engages spring 150 b . when the drive carriage 134 runs off the screw thread 144 , the spring 150 a or 150 b engages the drive carriage 134 and biases the drive carriage 134 back into engagement with the screw thread 144 of shaft 142 , at which point continued rotation of the shaft 142 again causes the drive carriage 134 to run off the screw thread 144 . accordingly , as long as rotation of shaft 142 is maintained in the same direction , the drive carriage 134 ( and cutter 55 ) will continue to “ freewheel ”, with the distal end of the cutter 55 translating a short distance proximally and distally as the carriage is alternately biased onto the thread 144 by spring 150 a or 150 b and then run off the screw thread 144 by rotation of shaft 142 . when the cutter is in the distal most position shown in fig6 , with the distal end 106 of the cutter 55 positioned distal of side tissue port 64 , spring 150 b will engage drive carriage 134 , and repeatedly urge drive carriage 134 back into engagement with screw thread 144 when drive carriage 134 runs off the screw thread 144 . accordingly , after the cutter 55 is advanced such that the distal end 106 of the cutter 55 translates distally past the side tissue port 64 to cut tissue , to the position shown in fig6 , continued rotation of the shaft 142 will result in the distal end 106 oscillating back and forth , translating a short distance proximally and distally , until the direction of rotation of shaft 142 is reversed ( such as to retract the cutter 55 distally to the position shown in fig4 ). with the cutter 55 in its distal most position shown in fig6 , the slight movement of drive carriage 134 into engagement with the screw thread 144 and out of engagement with the screw thread 144 against the biasing force of spring 150 b , causes the distal end 106 of cutter 55 to repetitively reciprocate a short distance within cannula 90 , which distance may be about equal to the pitch of threads 144 , and which distance is shorter than the distance the cutter travels in crossing the side tissue port 64 . this reciprocal movement of the cutter 55 may provide alternate covering and uncovering of at least one fluid passageway disposed distally of the side tissue port 64 , as described below . the zero pitch width ends of lead screw thread 144 provide a defined stop for the axial translation of cutter 55 , thereby eliminating the need to slow drive carriage 134 ( i . e . cutter 55 ) as it approaches the distal and proximal ends of the thread . this defined stop reduces the required positioning accuracy for drive carriage 134 relative to shaft 142 , resulting in reduced calibration time at the initialization of a procedure . the freewheeling of drive carriage 134 at the distal and proximal most positions of translation shaft 142 eliminates the need to rotate the shaft 142 a precise number of turns during a procedure . rather , translation shaft 142 only needs to translate at least a minimum number of turns to insure drive carriage 134 has translated the entire length of lead screw thread 144 and into the zero width thread . additionally , the freewheeling of drive carriage 134 eliminates the need to home the device , allowing probe assembly 32 to be inserted into the patient &# 39 ; s tissue without first being attached to holster 34 . after probe assembly 32 is inserted , holster 34 is attached and sampling may be commenced . as shown in fig7 , a non - rotating rear tube 152 may be provided in which tube 152 may extend from the proximal end of cutter 55 just proximal of cutter gear 110 . rear tube 152 may be hollow and may have substantially the same inner diameter as cutter 55 , and may be comprised of the same material as the cutter 55 . a seal 154 may be positioned between cutter 55 and rear tube 152 to enable the cutter 55 to rotate relative to the rear tube 152 while providing a pneumatic seal between the rear tube 152 and the cutter 55 . a rear lumen 156 may extend through the length of tube 152 and may be aligned with sample lumen 108 in cutter 55 . rear lumen 156 transports excised tissue samples from sample lumen 108 through probe assembly 32 to the tissue storage assembly 62 . sample lumen 108 and rear lumen 156 are axially aligned to provide a continuous , generally straight line , unobstructed passageway between tissue receiving port 64 and tissue storage assembly 62 for the transport of tissue samples . the inner surfaces of cutter 55 and tube 152 may be coated with a hydrolubricous material to aid in the proximal transport of the excised tissue samples . a lateral extension 158 may be supported by and extend distally from rear tube 152 for securing the tube 152 to drive carriage 134 . the extension 158 connects tube 152 to drive carriage 134 so that tube 152 translates with cutter 55 , and maintains lumens 108 , 156 in continuous fluid - tight communication throughout the cutting cycle . in fig8 , the rotary drive shaft 114 and translation shaft 142 are driven by a single drive input 180 via a single rotatable input 55 ( also shown in fig1 ) via a holster gearbox assembly 182 . the single drive input 180 is driven in turn by either the pneumatic drive motor 70 ( fig1 ) or the piezoelectric motor 70 a ( fig2 ). rotatable drive input 180 attaches to a drive cable input coupling 352 for providing rotational drive to holster 34 . a drive shaft 354 from input coupling 352 extends to a proximal housing 356 . within proximal housing 356 , an input gear 360 is mounted on input drive shaft 354 between spacer 362 and bearing 389 so as to engage corresponding gears on a translation drive shaft 364 and a rotation drive shaft 366 . the interaction of the input gear 360 with translation shaft gear 370 and rotation shaft gear 372 transmits the rotational drive to translation and rotation drive shafts 364 , 366 . translation and rotation drive shafts 364 , 366 extend from proximal housing 356 through a pair of bores in a center housing 374 . translation and rotation gears 370 , 372 are spaced between the proximal and center housings by bearings 376 . distal of center housing 374 , holster 34 includes a rotary encoder 380 for providing a feedback signal to control module 46 regarding rotation of the drive shafts . encoder 380 may be mounted on either the translation or the rotation drive shafts . holster 34 also includes an optional planetary gearbox 382 on translation drive shaft 364 . gearbox 382 provides a gear reduction between the rotary drive shaft 114 and translation shaft 142 to produce differing speeds for the translation of drive carriage 134 and the rotation of cutter 55 . distal of gearbox 382 and encoder 380 , drive assembly 350 includes a housing 384 . housing 384 includes connections for coupling the translation shaft 142 with translation drive input shaft 386 , and the rotational drive shaft 114 with rotary drive input shaft 388 . each of the drive input shafts 386 , 388 has a distal end shaped to operatively engage slots on corresponding drive shafts 114 , 142 in probe assembly 32 . in particular , translation drive input shaft 386 is shaped to engage a slot of translation shaft 142 ( shown in fig7 ), and rotary drive input shaft 388 is shaped to engage a slot of rotary drive shaft 114 . alternatively , drive input shafts may have molded interfaces rather than the mating slots and tips as shown in fig7 and 8 to reduce the coupling length between the shafts . translation and rotary drive shafts 386 , 388 extend distally from housing 384 for engagement with drive and translation shafts 114 , 142 when probe assembly 32 and holster 34 are connected . while illustrative versions of the present invention have been shown and described herein , it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only . numerous variations , changes , and substitutions will now occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims . additionally , each element described in relation to the invention may be alternatively described as a means for performing that element &# 39 ; s function . for example , while a microprocessor control console 46 is advantageously described , it should be appreciated that an alternate control approach may be employed . for instance , switchology on a handpiece may activate pneumatic valves to cause rotation and translation . for instance , a single pneumatic input line to the handpiece may be manually switched at the handpiece to a rotary motor to achieve one of three conditions : off , clockwise , and counterclockwise . for another example , a core sampling biopsy system as described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 273 , 862 that performs a long cutting stroke to take samples and to retract them from the probe may also advantageously benefit from an mri - compatible power source ( e . g ., pneumatic , piezoelectric ) as described herein . for a further example , while vacuum assist is advantageously described herein to assist in functions such as prolapsing tissue and retracting samples through the probe , it should be appreciated that applications consistent with the present invention would benefit from pneumatic or piezoelectric driven biopsy devices . for yet a further example , while a version described herein illustrates compressed air to drive a cutter drive assembly , it should be appreciated that a incompressible fluid may be used in applications consistent with aspects of the present invention . for yet a further example , while a version described herein illustrates compressed air to drive a cutter drive assembly , it should be appreciated that vacuum may be used to drive the pneumatic motor to then drive the cutter drive assembly , in applications consistent with aspects of the present invention . | 0 |
[ 0041 ] fig1 is a high level schematic diagram of an exemplary implementation of the present invention . a customer and customer computer system 10 is in communication with a customer database 12 . customer database 12 preferably stores a plurality of records , arranged in files , representing accounts to be opened and closed and disbursements to be made . in one possible use of the present invention , the accounts to be opened and closed are escrow accounts associated with real estate transactions . as mentioned previously , there may be on the order of 100 accounts to be opened , updated and / or closed on a given day . ( the following description focuses on escrow type accounts , but those skilled in the art will appreciate that any type of bank account could be opened , closed or modified in accordance with the present invention .) these account openings and closings correspond to the initiation of a real estate transaction and the closing of real estate transactions , respectively . in conventional banking operations that handle escrow accounts , it is necessary to assign several people to handle the significant number of account openings and closings . however , the present invention permits customers , via customer system 10 and customer database 12 , to automatically interact with a bank and thereby avoid the pitfalls of human error and related inefficiencies . referring still to fig1 a bank preferably operates a server 16 that comprises storage means such disk drives , etc . as is well - known in the art . as shown in the figure , customer system 10 can communicates via an electronic network , such as the internet with server 16 . as will be explained in more detail below , customer system 10 can access server 16 and interact with the systems and processes in accordance with the present invention . in one aspect of the present invention , after the customer system successfully logs in , customer system 10 uploads a file via using secure http ( https ) or file transfer protocol ( ftp ) to ftp server 16 . in the preferred embodiment of the present invention , a firewall 20 is provided to prevent unauthorized access to server 16 . files that are uploaded to server 16 may be stored in the storage means ( not shown ). ultimately , information that is uploaded is passed to back end systems 24 , such as well known systems that manage accounts , balances and funds transfers . one such well known system is a dda system . preferably , before a customer system 10 is permitted access to the systems and processes of the present invention , a customer profile is established . fig2 depicts an exemplary customer profile registry page that can be used to register customers and thus control access to the systems and processes of the present invention . as shown , a customer profile preferably includes a customer id , which is a shortened label for a customer &# 39 ; s full name . in this case , coldwell banker of indiana is the customer with a representative customer id of “ coldwlin .” in addition a bank code and branch number are identified to indicate which bank and branch of the bank the customer operates with . also , an officer code and cost center are provided . other fields may be added or still others may be deleted depending on the type of information that may necessary or desired to operate a system and method according to the present invention . further , the operating account and disbursement account numbers for the customer are provided , as is a legal title ( or name ) for the accounts . in this case , the accounts are dedicated to client trust accounts for real estate escrows . finally , the customer profile page of fig2 includes a server id , as well as a field for a password to allow access to the systems and processes of the present invention . once a customer &# 39 ; s profile has been completed and registered , and the operating and disbursement accounts are available for use ( assuming they had not yet been set up before the customer profile had been set up ), then customer system 10 will have the ability to communicate fully with server 16 ( fig1 ). fig3 - 11 show a series of exemplary screen shots that are preferably used to interact with the system of the present invention . referring first to fig3 customer system 10 , using a conventional worldwide web browser , accesses a login page 300 , served up by server 16 , at which a customer id , user id and password are entered . by clicking on a login button this information is passed via http ( or https ) over , e . g ., the internet , to server 16 . upon successful login ( i . e ., by checking the input information with that received through the registration process exemplified by fig2 ), screen 400 depicted in fig4 is preferably presented via customer system 10 . screen 400 is a gateway screen via a which a user can navigate through the several options and features provided by the present invention . the substance of the screen preferably includes data on the number of transaction pending approval , number of batches of files pending approval , the number of accounts and amount deposited , number of accounts closed and the amount withdrawn , balance of the customer &# 39 ; s operating account , and information on transaction volume , including a total number , the number processed , the number failed , the number that are inprocess , and the number rejected by the customer . of course , the type of information presented is not limited to the exemplary types shown in the fig4 or described here , but may also include , for example , the times at which batches were approved , or which user id was used to upload files . in addition to the substantive information discussed above , screen 400 preferably also comprises a series of tabs that identify other screens that can be accessed . in screen 400 , the status page tab is highlighted . screen 500 of fig5 is the avenue via which a customer can upload files . as shown , a browse button can be selected to browse customer database 12 to select the appropriate file or files to be uploaded to the bank . once the desired files have been selected , namely files that designate accounts to be opened , closed , etc ., the upload button on screen 500 is selected causing the files to be transferred to server 16 . a batch number is also preferably assigned to each uploaded batch file to facilitate tracking . optionally , when the file or files are processed , an email notification is sent to an “ approving ” agent of the customer . the email indicates that a batch file has been received and is pending approval . the email further states to re - access server 16 to approve the opening and funding of the accounts ( or the closing of the accounts and the disbursement of money , as necessary ). [ 0050 ] fig6 depicts a web page 600 similar to that of fig3 except that the user id is different . more specifically , in accordance with the present invention , it is possible that the approving agent is different from the person who was responsible for uploading the account opening and closing information in the first place . once the approving agent logs in , screen 700 of fig7 is preferably presented to the approving agent ( or whoever is operating customer system 10 ). screen 700 lists the information that was uploaded in the batch file transfer . as shown , all of these transactions can be selected , deselected or individually selected for approval . also , as shown , each line item identifies a transaction type ( i . e ., update , open or close ), a date , a deal number , an account number , a batch number , and other details of the transaction . thus , screen 700 displays for a user all of the unapproved transactions for a particular date . it is preferably also possible to filter the items shown on screen 700 by selecting the filter button near the middle top area of the screen . filtering can be accomplished on any of the columns as is well known in the relational database arts . when the “ approve ” button on the bottom of screen 700 is selected , then all of the transactions for which a check mark was indicated will be acted upon in the appropriate manner . that is , the information is passed to the appropriate back end systems 24 as though the information were being input manually by a bank employee . accordingly , upon approval , accounts are automatically opened or closed using precisely the same information that was sent to the bank in the first place by the customer . figure shows screen 800 , which shows to a user the status of one or more batch files that have been uploaded to server 16 . this screen indicates whether particular batches have been rejected , completed , are in process , or an error has occurred . an error might occur , for example , if there are insufficient funds in an operating account intended to fund an account to be opened . [ 0052 ] fig9 shows screen 900 , which displays an account summary for the logged in customer . account summary screen 900 permits the user to quickly review all of the accounts that have been opened or closed on a given day or period of days . unlike present day procedures under which a bank representative would have to request from an internal banking officer a status chart of a particular customer &# 39 ; s accounts , which would then be sent on to the customer , the customer can now immediately have access to this information through server 16 and customer system 10 . in addition , by selecting any one of the accounts in the account # column , screen 910 of fig9 a is displayed , giving a user detailed information about the selected account . screen 1000 , depicted in fig1 , shows how customer system 10 can receive a trial balance report at the click of a button , namely one of the tabs near the top of the screen . thus , again , in accordance with the present invention , it is possible to completely avoid having to contact bank personnel to obtain information about a customer &# 39 ; s accounts . [ 0054 ] fig1 shows screen 1100 that can be used to download files . this permits a user to download information electronically directly from a bank , thereby facilitating the possibility of importing the information into a spreadsheet program , or other computer data processing program , as desired . [ 0055 ] fig1 and 13 depict exemplary series of steps for practicing aspects of the present invention . fig1 depicts an exemplary series of steps for opening a plurality of accounts in accordance with the present invention . at step 120 a customer logs onto an application running on a server , such as server 16 of fig1 . however , those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention could be implemented over a dedicated network such that a public network such as the internet is not required . at step 121 , the customer uploads a batch file that contains information for opening one , and preferably several , bank accounts . in a preferred use of the present invention , the bank accounts are escrow accounts that can be used in real estate transactions . optionally , upon receipt of the files , a notification , preferably in the form of an email , requesting approval for opening the accounts identified in the file just uploaded is sent to the customer at step 122 . this step , in combination with steps 123 and 124 described below , fulfills a dual authorization requirement for transactions of this type . upon receipt of the notification sent at step 122 , a customer again logs on at step 123 to an application running at server 16 , and at step 124 is given the opportunity to approve the account opening requests . once approval has been received , the information uploaded in the files is used , at step 125 , to populate the back end systems 24 of the bank to formally open the desired new accounts . finally , at step 126 , the new accounts that were just opened at step 125 are funded in accordance with the request in the uploaded file ( s ). in a preferred embodiment of the present invention , funds are transferred from an operating account of the customer such that the entire process of opening new accounts is conducted without human intervention on the bank - side of the transaction . this is a substantial improvement over existing procedures in which bank personnel must be intimately involved in every step of opening and funding new accounts . [ 0059 ] fig1 depicts exemplary steps for closing accounts and making disbursements , as necessary , in accordance with the present invention . steps 130 - 135 are substantially the same as steps 120 - 125 described with respect to fig1 , but instead of uploading files describing accounts to be opened , steps 131 and 134 involve uploading information directed to closing accounts and making disbursements , and approving account closings and disbursements , respectively . likewise , step 135 involves populating a bank &# 39 ; s bank end system 24 with information regarding account closings and disbursements . finally , in step 136 , checks are cut , as necessary , if disbursements are to be made . thus , like an account opening process , the account closing process removes the necessity for having bank employees involved in the details of the transaction . while fig1 and 13 are described separately , a single batch file uploaded to server 16 might very well include both instructions / requests for opening and closing accounts ( or updating account information ). the discussion of fig1 and 13 has been separated only to simplify the discussion of the features of the features of the present invention . as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art , by having the ultimate customer ( e . g ., law office , realtor ) input all of the information for account openings and closings directly into a bank &# 39 ; s back end system that then formally opens and closes the accounts , the possibility for errors committed by others associated with the process is eliminated . moreover , it is possible to significantly reduce the number of bank employees involved in bulk account management , thereby reducing costs and increasing efficiency . in addition , the processes described herein are easily scalable by adding additional customers through the registration process described with respect to fig2 and by providing sufficient server capability for server 16 to handle additional customers and / or larger files . as a by product of the ability to handle significantly larger numbers of account openings and closings , it is also possible for a bank to maintain higher operating balances for individual customers . as a result , revenues accruing to the bank increase thereby further increasing the value of the present invention . finally , although a batch upload process has been described , the present invention also preferably provides direct input of account opening , closing and updating information . though not shown as a separate screen in the drawings , those skilled in the art can appreciate that a separate screen could be provided that allowed users to directly complete a http form presented to them to open / close / update a single or even multiple accounts , thereby avoiding having to generate batch files for uploading . the foregoing disclosure of the preferred embodiments of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed . many variations and modifications of the embodiments described herein will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the above disclosure . the scope of the invention is to be defined only by the claims appended hereto , and by their equivalents . further , in describing representative embodiments of the present invention , the specification may have presented the method and / or process of the present invention as a particular sequence of steps . however , to the extent that the method or process does not rely on the particular order of steps set forth herein , the method or process should not be limited to the particular sequence of steps described . as one of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate , other sequences of steps may be possible . therefore , the particular order of the steps set forth in the specification should not be construed as limitations on the claims . in addition , the claims directed to the method and / or process of the present invention should not be limited to the performance of their steps in the order written , and one skilled in the art can readily appreciate that the sequences may be varied and still remain within the spirit and scope of the present invention . | 6 |
fig2 shows the complete flow regulating valve 1 , which comprises a connection 7 for the flow pipe and a connection 8 for the return flow pipe . the valve is provided with measuring outlets to be able to control the actual total drop of pressure across pressure difference part 2 and check valve part 3 . in connection 4 the pressure in the flow pipe can be measured / registered as can the pressure in the return flow pipe in connection 5 . the construction of the measuring nipples is known in the art . examples regarding construction and operation are described in i . a . document se 020 2851 - 2 . also , the valve is provided with a stop valve 6 , mounted in extended part 9 of return connection 8 of the valve . this stop valve can advantageously be a ball valve , in which is mounted with sealing elements 10 and a stop ball 11 and in which place these parts are fixed in an axial direction by means of a stop nut 12 . the regulating function of the complete valve consists of two interacting parts , which are mounted in the common valve housing 1 . the upper part , which contains check valve function 3 , is mounted in the valve housing by fixing top piece 13 to housing 1 through locking nut 14 , lower annular part 15 of the top piece being pressed against gasket 38 , which is inserted into cylinder head 16 of the pressure difference part , which in its turn presses pressure difference part 2 downwards against control plane 18 of valve housing 1 . on upper , outer thread 46 of top piece 13 a protective cover 37 is suitably mounted , which after its installation can be replaced by a suitable type of adjusting means — not shown in the figure . a sealing in order to prevent outer leakage between the valve housing and the top piece is done by means of o - ring 19 . in a similar way outer leakage via the inner components of check valve part 3 is prevented by the mounting of o - rings 20 and 21 respectively . the construction of the pressure difference part is shown in fig3 , fig3 a showing the pressure difference regulating part in its fully open position , i . e . when the spring force of spring 23 presses the cylindrical , basket - like part 24 with its upper sleeve - like part 25 upwards towards cylinder head 16 of the pressure difference part . in order to guarantee a small distance between sleeve - like part 25 and its upper side and the lower side of the cylinder head 16 , the cylinder head is provided with a distance shoulder 42 . this will enable the pressure level , which exists inside components 24 and 24 — the pressure difference - part — having a pressure pd — to act on as large a surface as possible . in this position , i . e . when the cylindrical basket - like part 24 is in its highest position , passage 26 is fully open . in fig3 b an operation position is shown , in which spring unit 23 partially has been compressed , passage 26 having been reduced in this way . this operation position is obtained , when the pressure level of inlet side 7 , called pi , is higher than pressure level pd , which is obtained after passage 26 in a downstream direction . thus , when inlet pressure pi increases , basket - like part 24 will be pressed downwards and will consequently restrict / reduce passage 26 and the result of this will be a pressure loss of from level pi to level pd . the pressure difference between pd and the pressure level of outlet side 8 , called pr , is chosen to let the pd - force times the upper surface of sleeve - like part 25 compress spring 23 into a position , in which the spring force jointly with the force , which pressure pr times the surface , on which pr acts in space 39 between basket - like part 24 and the inner diameter of the cylindrical casing , is balanced . thus , the pressure difference between pd and pr is constant and not dependent on pressure level pi of inlet side 7 . this constant pressure difference is the basis of the operation of check valve 3 . thus , in case pi increases , from the position shown in fig3 b , spring unit 23 will be compressed additionally and this will in its turn result in a reduction of passage 26 , since the pressure difference between pd and pr must be kept constant . pressure pr enters into space 39 via slots 29 , which are present in lower cylindrical casing ring 41 . in order to prevent , that the higher pressure pi will enter into this space 39 , an o - ring 22 is provided , which seals between valve housing 1 and lower cylindrical casing part 41 , and sealing rings 30 respectively , which seals between this cylindric casing part 41 and the cylindrical basket - like part 24 . also between cylindrical casing 40 and sleeve - like part 25 in the upper end of the pressure difference part there are sealing rings 30 , designed to guarantee partly , that the higher pressure level pi does not leak into space 39 and partly that sealing rings 30 are provided , designed to provide a low friction between components 24 and 28 and between components 25 and 40 respectively . a low pressure is important in order to guarantee , that changes of the input static pressure quickly leads to a new operation position for the movable 24 flow checking part of the pressure difference regulating part . the construction of the check valve part is shown in fig4 , which shows the check valve fully open , i . e . revolving check device 34 has been rotated into a position , in which passage 43 outwards towards outlet side 8 of the valve is fully open , and simultaneously cone 31 is positioned in its upper , open position . the check valve will , due to its construction , always make it possible to choose an opening degree , which makes it possible to choose exactly the maximal flow , which is appropriate for the separate application case , and simultaneously it is possible to restrict this flow by means of the axial movement of check device 34 . the desired maximal flow is guaranteed thanks to the fact , that the pressure difference part always provides a constant , maximal drop of pressure , which the check valve must manage . with this drop of pressure as a starting point it is then possible to choose the flow , which the valve is to provide by rotating check device 34 in a stepless manner , the chosen opening degree corresponding to the desired flow . check device 34 cooperates with fixed check veil 32 , which is mounted into top piece 13 . on top piece 13 it is advantageous to attach a graduated collar 17 , according to fig2 , which interacts with a pre - adjustment tool — not shown in the drawings — which is used , when a position for check device 34 is to be chosen in relation to check veil 32 . pre - adjustment tool gears with holding case 45 , which in its turn rotates check device 34 . thus , through the described pre - adjustment it is possible to always dimension the opening degree of the valve , the so called kvs - value , depending on the present need , and thus , it is not necessary to choose a valve having rigid steps between different openings degrees , different flows . in addition to this function , the one with a stepplessly chosen kvs - value , it is also possible to restrict this flow by means of a cone 31 , which can be displaced in an axial direction along spindle 33 . the axial movement can always be utilized in its entire length , regardless of the opening degree , which has been chosen by means of check device 34 . this means , that it is really possible to regulate the flow , regardless of whether the valve / cone is to restrict a small or a large flow . when the cone reaches its lowest position , i . e . when the valve is to stop the flow entirely , this has been secured by letting the cone be lowered and sealed against rubber gasket 38 , provided on top of cylinder head 16 of the pressure difference valve . in this position , when the cone seals , pressure level pi , present in the system , would press the cone upwards . by introducing a small slot 44 between spindle 33 and cone 31 a small leakage flow up to the upper side of the cone is permitted and in this way a decompression of the cone is achieved and consequently the undesirable effect of a pressure / force increase on the cone is prevented and in this way the sealing functioning is secured . the decompression also implies , that the closing per se can be accomplished through minor forces , and it will be easy to operate the valve . the check valve is provided with o - rings 20 and 21 in order to prevent an outer leakage via the inner parts in top piece 13 and also an o - ring 27 in order to limit an inner leakage . o - ring 19 will prevent an outer leakage between top piece 13 and valve housing 1 . in fig4 b and 4 c , which shows the check valve from below , the check valve is seen in a position , where the opening degree of the valve is limited to a certain extent . check device 34 has in this situation been rotated , the opening in relation to check veil 32 having been reduced . simultaneously this lateral view shows cone 31 in a position , in which it has been removed downwards somewhat in relation to its upper position , its starting position . check device 34 can in principle be rotated 180 ° and in its final position , when the opening between the check device and the fixed check veil is completely closed , the check device stops against an inner shoulder 47 on check veil 32 . veil 32 has also an opening , a recess ( 180 °), which means , that the opening — when the valve is fully open — is a 180 °— segment , the height of which is “ a ” according to the figure . of course , the solution described above for a device , designed for a flow regulation , can be modified to some extent within the scope of the inventive idea . | 5 |
one embodiment of the present invention is explained in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 shows a block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention . in fig1 a crystal oscillator 1 generates a reference clock for an overall system . the clock is supplied to a cpu 2 including a microprocessor as the reference clock . the cpu 2 is connected to a rom 3 , a ram 4 , a timer 5 , programmable parallel i / o &# 39 ; s ( ppi &# 39 ; s ) 6 , 7 and 10 , and peripheral cpu &# 39 ; s ( upi &# 39 ; s ) 9 , 11 and 12 through a data bus and an address bus . the cpu 2 controls the overall facsimile system and encodes and decodes image data . when a half - tone mode is selected , the cpu 2 transmits image information without storing it in the memory ( ram 4 ). a dma controller 13 controls the memories ( rom 3 and ram 4 ), and the upi 9 controls the drive of a text sheet and a record sheet . the upi 11 controls a parallel - to - serial converter 25 , and a record unit of a thermal head , and the upi 12 displays a key input switch 31 and a liquid crystal display lcd 32 . a modem 14 modulates and demodulates image data , and transmits and receives facsimile communication protocol signals . a network control unit ( ncu ) 15 selectively connects a line to a telephone set 34 or the modem 14 . a dialer 16 sends a dialing signal to the line in accordance with telephone number data of a communication equipment supplied from the cpu 2 to the ppi 7 . further , a relay 8 , a speaker driver 18 , a speaker 19 and an analog - to - digital converter 21 are provided . fig2 a and 2b show flow charts of a control operation of the cpu of the embodiment . when a one - touch key is depressed , the cpu 2 receives information of a sensor ( text sheet sensor ) through the ppi 10 to determine presence or absence of the text sheet ( s1 ). if there is no text sheet , polling is carried out ( s10a ). if there is a text sheet , whether a user has set the half - tone mode or not is checked ( s2 ). the cpu 2 determines , through the upi 12 , whether a half - tone key of the keys 31 has been depressed or not . in the half - tone mode , automatic calling is carried out to a designated destination . the cpu 2 determines , through the ppi 7 , whether the destination station is busy or not based on a detection signal by the ncu 15 ( s13 ). the ncu 15 is provided with a detection circuit to detect a tone signal supplied from the line . when it detects a busy tone , it produces a busy tone detection signal . when the cpu 2 receives the busy tone detection signal through the ppi 7 , it determines that the destination station is busy . if the destination station is busy , redialing is waited for ( s16 , s17 ). if data is sent from another facsimile machine , the memory reception is carried out on a condition that the ram 4 has a sufficient vacant area to store the received data ( s18 ). thereafter , the destination station which was busy is automatically recalled ( s12 ). if the destination station is not busy , the text set in the read unit in the half - tone mode is read and it is encoded and transmitted ( non - memory transmission ) ( s14 ). then , it is turned off ( s15 ). on the other hand , if the half - tone mode has not been set ( s2 ), the text is read , the read data is mh or mr - encoded , and it is stored in the ram 4 ( s3 ). the destination station designated by the keys 31 is automatically dialed ( s4 ), and whether the destination station is busy or not is checked ( s5 ). if it is not busy , the memory transmission is carried out ( s6 ), and after the transmission , it is turned off ( s7 ). in this manner , the memory transmission is carried out . if the destination station which was automatically called is busy ( s5 ), redialing is waited for . ( s8 , s9 ). if auto - receive in step 8 , it is automatically received ( s10 ). since the image data to be transmitted has been stored in the memory ( ram 4 ) in the step s3 , the non - memory reception is carried out to sequentially decode the received data and record it on a record sheet ( s10 ). the transmission with a communication charge , that is , the transmission by a calling station can be done by the fast memory transmission ( s6 ) so that the charge payable by a user can be reduced . it is assumed that the facsimile machines a , b and c are connected to lines of different telephone numbers . it is also assumed that a text sheet has been set in the facsimile machine a having a memory transmission function , a user thereof has selected the half - tone mode and intends to carry out the automatic transmission to the facsimile machine b . assuming further that the facsimile machine b is busy with other facsimile machine than the facsimile machines a and c , the facsimile machine a waits for redialing . it is assumed that the facsimile machine c has started the memory transmission to the facsimile machine a . since the facsimile machine a has been waiting for the redialing , it does not yet read the text sheet to be transmitted in the half - tone mode but the text sheet is left set on a text table . accordingly , while the facsimile machine a has a memory for memory transmission / reception , the memory is unused and it may be used for receiving the data . accordingly , the facsimile machine a carries out the memory reception in response to the memory transmission from the facsimile machine c . since it is the memory communication of the binary image , the communication speed of the facsimile machine is increased . after the memory communication , the line is released and the data is recorded on the record sheet . after the recording , the facsimile machine a automatically recalls the facsimile machine b which was waiting for the redialing , and transmits the dithered half - tone image to the facsimile machine b as it is without memory transmission . the memory transmission is not carried out because the speed - up is not expected since it is the half - tone image . in this case if the half - tone image ( data quantity of the half - tone image is usually larger than data quantity of binary image , and all memory areas may be exhausted ) to be transmitted from the facsimile machine a to the facsimile machine b is stored into the memory of the facsimile machine a , the memory of the facsimile machine a is occupied by the data supplied from the facsimile machine c . as a result , the facsimile machine a cannot receive the memory communication from the facsimile machine c . accordingly , the automatic reception is accepted while the facsimile machine is waiting for the radial for the automatic transmission . in the present embodiment , the memory size of the ram 4 is in the order of 1m bytes which can store 6 to 7 standard size a4 text sheets . in the facsimile machine of such a small memory capacity , it is necessary to effectively utilize the memory . in accordance with the present embodiment , a small capacity memory ( ram 4 ) can be efficiently utilized . in accordance with the present invention , in the facsimile machine which carries out the memory transmission and the half - tone transmission , the communication time can be shortened when the half - tone mode is selected . the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment but various modifications thereof may be made . | 7 |
the several blocks to be described presently are shaped ans sized to produce a block wall lay up of the character seen from the exterior and interior respectively in fig1 and 2 . stretcher blocks are laid up in a running bond and are directed to converge at a corner made up of left hand corner blocks 12 ( fig3 ) and right hand corner blocks 13 ( fig7 ) such that the corner blocks are compatible with the usual running bond and carry the running bond through the corner . the modular dimensions for masonry blocks may be 8 inches × 16 inches in which the 16 inches length and 8 inches height is exposed to the exterior surface of the wall layup , while the width of stretcher blocks establishes the wall thickness . the blocks of the present invention are disclosed with exposed surfaces which conform to the foregoing 8 inches × 16 inches modular dimensions for the length and height of the blocks , but the blocks have a width for carrying loads usually imposed on exterior walls , as distinguished from interior wall that are generally less heavily loaded or non - load bearing . in order to achieve a wall with interlocking masonry blocks otherwise conforming to the usual modular dimensions it is important to provide right hand and left hand corner blocks having the particular configurations to be described hereinafter . as seen , the assembly is made up of stretcher blocks which converge from two sides into a corner having corner blocks 12 and 13 . as will appear presently , certain of the stretcher blocks which abut corner blocks 12 are seen at 14 , and certain other stretcher blocks 15 abut corner blocks 13 . the important blocks are those located at the corners for the reason that in erecting a 12 inches thick wall with blocks in running bond courses , and duplicating the standard modular block dimension of 16 inches length and 8 inches height , a major portion of the body of the corner blocks is formed with an 8 inches width to maintain the running bond overlap but it must also have a portion compatible with the width of the stretcher blocks , such as blocks 14 and 15 . looking at fig3 and 4 , it can be seen that the corner block 12 is formed with a cored body of generally rectangular shape having top and bottom surfaces 16 and 17 , interior and exterior faces 18 and 19 , and opposed end faces 20 and 21 . these surfaces and faces are generally perpendicular to each other , and in the example shown the elongated exterior face 19 is 16 inches long and 8 inches high . the end face 21 is 8 inches high and wide , while the end face 20 is made to be 8 inches high and 12 inches wide by the formation of a body extension 22 projecting outwardly from the interior face 18 . since the blocks are intended to be used in an interlocking mortarless wall assembly , the top surface of block 12 is formed with a pair of spaced projecting ribs 23 and 24 , each having a flat facet 23a and 24a topping off a triangular shape having a flat vertical wall and a sloping wall , as clearly shown . these ribs 23 and 24 are directed across the width of the body beginning adjacent end face 21 and separated by the cored out through opening 25 . there is a second pair of ribs 26 and 27 , each having a flat facet 26a and 27a and a shape as noted above . the rib 26 is adjacent the longitudinal face 19 and the cored out opening 28 , while rib 27 is on the top of the body extension 22 , and ribs 26 and 27 are parallel , while being perpendicular to the first described ribs 23 and 24 . in making up a mortarless wall assembly with a corner block 12 , the bottom surface 17 is formed with longitudinally extending and parallel grooves 29 and 30 , and the body extension is formed with a bottom groove 31 which is parallel to grooves 29 and 30 . in addition to the grooves in the bottom of the block 12 there are grooves 32 and 33 , one in the end face 20 and the other in the body extension 22 . also , the interior face 18 is formed with projecting ribs 34 and 35 , and each rib is formed with a flat facet 34a and 35a . the rib 34 is aligned with top rib 23 , and the end grooves 32 and 33 are aligned with bottom grooves 29 and 31 . the grooves are also formed with a facet which matches the facets noted for the ribs so that when ribs and grooves are mated the facets will match and carry vertical loads . the stretcher block 14 of fig5 and 6 is adapted to abut the corner block 12 of fig4 by being placed in abutment against the interior face 18 . this block 14 has a generally rectangular body shape with top and bottom surfaces 36 and 37 , interior and exterior faces 38 and 39 , and end faces 40 and 41 . the top surface 36 is formed with spaced parallel and longitudinal ribs 42 and 43 between faces 38 and 39 and cored out openings 44 and 45 . these ribs 42 and 43 are aligned with ribs 46 and 47 on the end face 41 , while the opposite end face 40 of this block 14 has grooves 48 and 49 which are aligned with top ribs 42 and 43 , as well as with longitudinally directed parallel bottom grooves 50 and 51 . this stretcher block 14 has a special feature in which the top rib 43 adjacent the interior face 38 is shortened or cut off to form a short length flat 36a so the rib 43 will be clear of the end of the short top rib 27 on the body extension 22 for block 12 . as noted before , the respective ribs on block 14 have load bearing facets 42a , 43a , 46a and 47a ; and the grooves have matching facets 48a , 49a , 50a and 51a . alternate courses of blocks in the wall of fig1 and 2 have corner blocks 13 seen in detail in fig7 and 8 . this block is formed with a cored body of generally rectangular shape having top and bottom surfaces 52 and 53 , interior and exterior faces 54 and 55 , and opposed end faces 56 and 57 . these surfaces and faces are generally perpendicular to each other , and the elongated exterior face 55 maay be 16 inches long and 8 inches high to correspond to modular standards . in such event , the end face 57 is 8 inches high and wide , while the end face 56 is made to be 12 inches wide by the formtion of a body extension 58 projecting outwardly from the interior face 54 . block 13 is formed on its top surface 52 with two pairs of ribs , one parallel pair 59 and 60 being directed across the block width on each side of the cored opening 61 , and the other parallel pair of ribs 62 and 63 being perpendicular to the first rib pair and spaced across the 12 inches wide portion of the block with rib 63 being located on the body extension 58 and rib 62 being spaced therefrom across the cored opening 64 . ribs 65 and 66 on the end face 56 of the block 13 align with the top ribs 62 and 63 . in addition to the several ribs , block 13 is formed in its bottom surface with a pair of longitudinally extending and parallel grooves 67 and 68 , and the body extension 58 has a bottom groove 69 that is parallel to the other grooves 67 and 68 . also , the interior face 54 is formed with grooves 70 and 71 . as before pointed out the ribs 59 , 60 , 62 , 63 , 65 and 66 are formed with load bearing facets 59a , 60a , 62a , 63a , 65a and 66a . similarly the grooves have matching facets that are shown but not enumerated specifically . in fig9 and 10 there is seen a stretcher block 15 adapted to cooperate with the corner block 13 of fig8 by being placed with one end face in abutment with the interior face 54 thereof . block 15 has a generally rectangular body with top and bottom surfaces 72 and 73 , interior and exterior faces 74 and 75 , and opposite end faces 76 and 77 . top surface 72 has spaced parallel ribs 78 and 79 on each side of cored openings 80 and 81 . these ribs are aligned with ribs 82 and 83 on end face 76 and are also aligned with grooves 84 and 85 on the opposite end 77 . the bottom surface 73 is formed with parallel and longitudinal grooves 86 and 87 which align with end face grooves 84 and 85 and with end face ribs 82 and 83 . the top rib 79 of block 15 is shorter than rib 78 to form a flat 72a which clears the rib 63 on body extension of block 13 so the groove in the next overlying block will mate properly . furthermore , the ribs 78 , 79 , 82 and 83 are formed with facets 78a , 79a , 82a and 83a , and the grooves 84 , 85 , 86 and 87 have matching facets 84a , 85a , 86a and 87a . the wall assembly of fig1 includes regular stretcher blocks 90 of the character seen in fig1 . block 90 has a rectangular body with cored openings 91 and 92 . the top surface is provided with parallel and longitudinal ribs 93 and 94 which are aligned with ribs 95 and 96 on one end face , and with grooves 97 and 98 on the opposite end face . the bottom surface of the block 90 is formed with parallel and longitudinal grooves 99 and 100 which align with end grooves 97 and 98 . the respective ribs and grooves on block 90 have facets of the character before noted for the other blocks , and the same are shown but not enumerated specifically . it will now appear that regular stretcher blocks 90 are like stretcher blocks 14 and 15 , but in which the top longitudinal ribs 93 and 94 are continuous and not shortened as is rib 43 on block 14 or rib 79 on block 15 . the several blocks above described are embodied in a wall assembly in the following manner . the bottom course a may begin at corner block 12 seen in fig3 and 4 and it is located with its elongated exterior face 19 directed to the left and its shorter end face 21 directed to the right . this position will place the end grooves 32 and 33 to the left and the ribs 34 and 35 on the interior face to the right , all as viewed in fig1 . a stretcher block 14 of the form seen in fig5 is positioned with its end 40 abutting the interior face 18 of corner block 12 ( by placing the fig5 block against the fig4 block ) so the grooves 48 and 49 mate with the ribs 34 and 35 on block 12 , and with the flat 36a adjacent the body extension 22 but clear of the top rib 27 . the stretcher block 14 will be at the right of the corner block 12 , and now a stretcher block of the regular form of block 90 in fig1 is placed to the left of and in abutment with the end face 20 on block 12 so the grooves 32 and 33 receive the ribs 97 and 98 . the wall run outwardly from stretcher blocks 14 and 90 is made up of blocks 90 until another corner or window or door opening is reached . when corner block 12 of fig4 and stretcher block 14 of fig5 are joined at faces 18 and 40 , ribs 23 and 42 line up along the exterior end 21 and 39 . that places rib 24 on block 12 and ribs 43 on block 14 out of line as is necessary so that when the overlying corner block 13 of fig8 is put into position the bottom groove 67 will engage the aligned ribs 23 and 42 , and the groove 68 will engage the rib 24 and part of the length of groove 68 will extend over the top of block 14 between ribs 42 and 43 . at the same time block 13 is put into place the short groove 69 under the body extension 58 will engage the rib 43 adjacent the clear area 36a ( fig5 ). in this manner corner block 13 has its three bottom grooves 67 , 68 and 69 mating with four ribs which are ribs 23 , and 24 on block 12 ( fig4 ) and ribs 42 and 43 on block 14 ( fig5 ). by reason of this multiple mating of three grooves with four ribs , the corner layup are greatly strengthened so that it is not always necessary to fill the vertically aligned cored opening with grout , which is a step in the wall layup to add strength at the corners . another important feature of the present corner blocks , like 12 and 13 , is that ( as seen in fig1 ) corner block 13 is interlocked with six other blocks which are indicated at 12 and 14 below it , 15 and 90 at the interior face and end face , and 12 and 14 above it . each corner block is interlocked in this manner . the next upper course b is made up of blocks which must match the several ribs of the blocks in course a . thus the corner block 13 of fig7 and 8 is placed over the corner block 12 of fig3 and 4 with its bottom longitudinal grooves 67 an 68 mating with ribs 23 and 24 of block 12 . this locates the longitudinal external face 55 of block 13 in a running bond over the end face 21 of block 12 and also over half of the longitudinal exterior face 39 of the adjacent stretcher block 14 of fig5 . the placement of block 13 in this manner also mates the bottom groove 69 of the body extension 58 over the rib 43 of stretcher block 14 of fig5 . the interior face 54 of block 13 is exposed so as to mate with the stretcher block 15 of the form shown in fig9 whereby the grooves 70 and 71 in this face 54 mate with the projecting ribs 82 and 83 on the end face 76 of the block 76 . additionally , the bottom grooves 86 and 87 in the stretcher block 15 mate with the ribs 26 and 27 on the upper face 16 of the corner block 12 . it is noted that the flat 72a on the stretcher block 15 is positioned so as to clear the rib 63 on the body extension 58 on the corner block 13 . the wall runs outwardly from the corner of course b is made up of regular stretcher blocks 90 , with the ends ribs and grooves suitably oriented to mate with the stretcher blocks 14 and 15 . subsequent courses c , d and e are made up in accordance with the foregoing description relating to course a and b . this will mean that course c is identical with course a and course d is identical with course b . the wall is laid up in this fashion with alternate courses so that running bonds are established between all blocks . in the view of fig1 there is seen a door opening which is formed by stretcher block 101 with flat ends , and blocks 102 which are approximately one - half length of blocks 101 . these blocks 101 and 102 are grooved at 103 and 104 in the vertical ends . normally grooves like these are provided for receiving a window frame ( not shown ). when the courses have reached the proper height , lintel blocks of the type shown at 104 are used to bridge the door opening . these blocks have grooves 105 and 106 in the bottom surfaces which mate with ribs 92 and 94 on the top surface of the underlying courses of stretcher blocks 90 . the main body of the lintel blocks 104 are formed with adjacent upwardly opening channels 107 which receive reinforcing rods 108 and mortar so as to form a rigid load carrying beam across openings . of course , the lintel blocks 104 are formed with ribs so as to make them compatible with the grooves 99 and 100 in the bottom surface of overlying courses of stretcher blocks 90 . the foregoing has described very briefly the formation of an opening in a wall made up of the mortarless interlocking masonry blocks of this invention , and it is understood that window openings may be similarly formed by using the special shapes of blocks seen at 101 and 102 . it can now be appreciated that the facets formed on the several ribs which mate with the corresponding facets in the grooves carry loads and also distribute loads so that there will be no load concentration or no high unit loading between ribs and grooves . it is also appreciated from the foregoing description that the ribs and grooves are formed with slanting surfaces so as to form right triangular configurations for the purpose of securing self - alignment and also positive interlock of the blocks in and between courses so that the final wall will not require mortar and will be desirably resistant to lateral loads and have weather barrier properties . the foregoing description has set forth details of a preferred embodiment of masonry blocks 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 and 90 which are essential to the erection of the mortarless interlocking block wall . in erecting such a wall the key blocks are those at the corners which establish the running bond layup and preserve the interlocking cooperation with all adjacent blocks . | 4 |
exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . first , with reference to fig1 and 2 , an led package module according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention will be described . fig1 is a view schematically illustrating a lateral cross - section of an led package module according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention . fig2 is a plan view schematically illustrating the led package module , shown in fig1 . as shown in fig1 and 2 , an led package module according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention includes a substrate 10 , a body 20 , and a plurality of led chips l 1 and l 2 . the led chips l 1 and l 2 are positioned in the body 20 and mounted onto the substrate 10 by bonding . the substrate 10 is a ceramic substrate on which electrode patterns 12 are formed to provide an electrical connection with other components . via electrodes 11 are formed in the substrate 10 to electrically connect the substrate 10 and the led chips l 1 and l 2 mounted above the electrode patterns 12 . heat sinks 15 are provided to dissipate heat from the led chips l 1 and l 2 . vias 14 are formed through the substrate 10 such that the heat sinks 15 and the led chips l 1 and l 2 are thermally connected to each other . the body 20 has two layers . that is , a first layer 21 forms the lower side of the body 20 , and a second layer 22 forms the upper side thereof . the first layer 21 and the second layer 22 may be separately manufactured and then connected to each other . alternatively , the first layer 21 and the second layer 22 may be formed integrally with each other . the first layer 21 includes a plurality of cavities 31 and 32 in which the plurality of led chips l 1 and l 2 are respectively received . each of the cavities 31 and 32 has a reflective surface inclined at a predetermined angle and a bottom surface through which the via 14 and the via electrode 11 are exposed . the via 14 is thermally connected to the led chip l 1 or l 2 , and the via electrode 11 is connected to the led chip l 1 or l 2 by bonding using wires w or flip chip bonding . the cavities 31 and 32 are filled with a red resin portion 41 including a red phosphor and a green resin portion 42 including a green phosphor , respectively . preferably , the heights of the red resin portion 41 and the green resin portion 42 filling the cavities 31 and 32 , respectively , do not exceed the height of the interface between the first layer 21 and the second layer 22 . an opening 33 is formed in the second layer 22 . as shown in fig1 and 2 , the opening 33 is preferably large enough to encompass both the cavities 31 and 32 that are formed in the first layer 21 . then , the opening 33 is filled with a blue resin portion 43 including a blue phosphor . that is , the blue resin portion 43 fills the opening 33 to thereby encompass the red resin portion 41 and the green resin portion 42 that fill the cavities 31 and 32 , respectively . that is , the red resin portion 41 and the green resin portion 42 are disposed adjacently on the first layer 21 . the blue resin portion 43 is placed in the opening 33 of the second layer 22 formed on the first layer 21 . light generated from the led chip l 1 around which the red resin portion 41 is molded supplies energy to the red phosphor included in the red resin portion 41 , thereby generating red light . light generated from the led chip l 2 around which the green resin portion 42 is molded supplies energy to the green phosphor included in the green resin portion 42 , thereby generating green light . here , the red light and the green light move toward the blue resin portion 43 . in the blue resin portion 43 , the red light and the green light are mixed together and affected by the blue phosphor included in the blue resin portion 43 to thereby generate white light , which is then emitted to the outside . as the red resin portion 41 and the green resin portion 42 are disposed in the first layer 21 , and the blue resin portion 43 is disposed in the second layer 22 formed on the first layer 21 , light ultimately passes through the blue resin portion 43 to thereby generate white light with high luminance . in this embodiment , illustrated in fig1 and 2 , the red resin portion 41 and the green resin portion 42 are disposed in the first layer 21 , and the blue resin portion 43 is disposed in the second layer 22 formed on the first layer 21 . however , the invention is not limited thereto , and the arrangement of the red , green , and blue resin portions can be changed . however , when the color arrangement is changed , white light is not necessarily emitted . referring to fig3 , an led package module according to another exemplary embodiment of the invention will be described . like the body of the led package module according to the embodiment , illustrated in fig1 and 2 , the body 20 of an led package module according to the embodiment , illustrated in fig3 , includes a first layer 21 and a second layer 22 . the first layer 21 includes a plurality of cavities 31 and 32 . the second layer 22 has an opening 33 that is large enough to encompass both the cavities 31 and 32 . here , in the same manner as the first and second layers of the led package module according to the embodiment , shown in fig1 , the first layer 21 and the second layer 22 may be separately manufactured and then are connected to each other , or be formed integrally with each other . the cavities 31 and 32 , formed in the first layer 21 of the body 20 of the led package module according to the embodiment , shown in fig3 , include inclined surfaces 31 a and 32 a , respectively . that is , the bottom surface of each of the cavities 31 and 32 is inclined at a predetermined angle . that is , in the embodiment , illustrated in fig3 , the bottom surfaces of the cavities 31 and 32 form the inclined surfaces 31 a and 32 a , respectively , such that the central line of the optical path of a first led chip l 1 and the central line of the optical path of a second led chip l 2 cross each other . as shown in fig3 , the cavities 31 and 32 have the inclined surfaces 31 a and 32 a at the bottom surfaces thereof , respectively , so that the led chips l 1 and l 2 are inclined in a direction in which the led chips l 1 and l 2 face each other . as a result , red light and green light can be effectively mixed together to thereby generate high quality white light . in fig3 , the two led chips in the cavities are mounted so that they are inclined at predetermined angles in a direction in which they face each other . however , the invention is not limited thereto . when more than two led chips are mounted , the led chips are inclined at predetermined angles in a direction in which all of the led chips face each other , so that color separation can be prevented and color mixing can be more efficiently performed . since the led package module according to this embodiment is substantially the same as the led package module according to the embodiment , illustrated in fig1 and 2 , except for the inclined surfaces formed on the cavities , a detailed description thereof will be omitted . an led package module according to another exemplary embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to fig4 . basically , the led package module according to the embodiment , illustrated in fig4 , does not have a body . that is , a plurality of led chips l 1 and l 2 are separated from each other at a predetermined interval and mounted onto a substrate 10 . resins having different colors are applied to the led chips l 1 and l 2 . in the led package module according to the embodiment of the invention , illustrated in fig4 , the led chip l 1 is mounted onto the first substrate 10 , and a red resin portion 41 is in the form of a dome and molded around the first led chip l 1 . when the second led chip l 2 is separated from the first led chip l 1 , a green resin portion 42 is in the form of a dome and molded around the second led chip l 2 . further , a blue resin portion 43 is in the form of a dome and molded around the red resin portion 41 and the green resin portion 42 . that is , the red resin portion 41 and the green resin portion 42 are disposed adjacently on the substrate 10 , and the blue resin portion 43 encompasses the red resin portion 41 and the green resin portion 42 . light generated from the led chip l 1 around which the red resin portion 41 is molded supplies energy to a red phosphor included in the red resin portion 41 , thereby generating red light . light generated from the led chip l 2 around which the green resin portion 42 is molded supplies energy to a green phosphor included in the green resin portion 42 , generating green light . here , red light and green light move toward the blue resin portion 43 . in the blue resin portion 43 , the red light and the green light are mixed together and affected by the blue phosphor included in the blue resin portion 43 to generate white light , which is then emitted to the outside . here , like the embodiment , illustrated in fig1 , the arrangement of the red resin portion , the green resin portion , and the blue resin portion may be changed . here , white light is not necessarily emitted from the led package module . since the led package module according to this embodiment , illustrated in fig4 , is substantially the same as the led package module according to the embodiment , illustrated in fig1 , that is , the substrate 10 and the via electrodes formed thereon , except for the above - described features , a detailed description thereof will be omitted . as set forth above , according to exemplary embodiments of the invention , the led package module prevents a reduction in luminous efficiency of an led caused by yellowing , thereby increasing luminous efficiency and achieving a reduction in size . while the present invention has been shown and described in connection with the exemplary embodiments , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . | 7 |
reference now should be made to the drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and its operation . fig1 is a diagrammatic representation of the salient operating features of circuitry implementations which produce a unique triple waveform asymmetry useful for various transcranial electrostimulation applications . the unique waveform which is described in detail in conjunction with fig2 produces little to no discomfort to the user of the device . as illustrated in fig1 , the basic high frequency current signals are produced by a high frequency generator 10 , which may employ a frequency control 12 and a pulse duration control 14 to establish the basic frequency and to provide the desired asymmetry between the positive and negative portions of each of the pulses produced by the generator 10 . typically , the generator 10 may include a crystal oscillator operating at 1 , 000 to 1 , 200 khz , which then is divided down to the desired operating frequency of the alternating current pulses applied to the transcranial stimulation electrodes . typically , the division ratio may be a 1 : 4 ratio to produce signals which then are modulated by a low frequency generator 16 . as illustrated in the diagrammatic representation of fig1 , the output of the low frequency generator 16 may be established by means of a conventional frequency control 18 , a pulse duration control 20 , and a modulation depth control 22 to produce a composite modulated output signal at 24 , which comprises the pulses from the output of the high frequency generator 10 modulated by the low frequency generator 16 . the output 24 then is provided with an amplitude control 26 to establish the amplitude of the pulse train supplied through the system to a power amplifier 28 . the current at the power amplifier 28 may be varied in accordance with the treatment modality to be used by the system ; and this current is measured by an ammeter 34 . the power amplifier 28 then supplies appropriate transcranial alternating current pulses to a pair , or multiple pairs , of electrode outputs , illustrated as a single pair 30 and 32 in fig1 . the operation of a preferred embodiment of the invention , for producing a waveform having triple asymmetry in order to produce effective transcranial electrostimulation , now should be considered in conjunction with the waveform of fig2 and the block diagram of the system shown in fig3 . the block diagram of the system shown in fig3 is typical of a manner of implementation of the various circuit functions required to produce the waveform of fig2 ; but other arrangements for producing the signal waveform also may be utilized . in fig3 , a crystal oscillator 50 is employed to provide the basic alternating current operating signals utilized for both the high frequency pulses and the modulating pulses illustrated in fig1 as being produced by the high frequency generator 10 and the low frequency generator 16 . typically , the oscillator 50 may have an operating frequency in the order of 1 , 000 khz to 1 , 200 khz ( although other frequencies may be used ). the output of this oscillator is supplied to a divider 52 , which may comprise multiple division stages , to produce the lower modulating frequency ( illustrated in fig1 as being generated by the low frequency generator 16 ). the output signals from the oscillator 50 also are supplied through a divider 54 to produce the operating signal waveform shown as the squarewave signal in the waveform of fig2 , after being shaped by a pulse shaper 56 , to achieve the generally squarewave configuration of fig2 . in the example given , these pulses occur at an alternating current rate of 100 khz ; although they could be at higher or lower frequencies in accordance with particular applications of the system . the pulses from the output of the divider 54 also are supplied to a counter 60 , which may be of any suitable type such as a cascade counter or a ring counter , for producing outputs on leads 64 and 66 utilized in controlling the amplitude of the pulses from the pulse shaper 56 . the counter 60 is reset by the output of the divider 52 , applied over the lead 62 , to reset the counter for each cycle of operation of the divider 52 . in the present example , the output of the divider 52 ( comprising the low frequency modulation control signal ) is selected to be 77 . 5 hz , since this repetition frequency has been found to be highly effective in conjunction with transcranial electrostimulation devices . repetitive frequencies which are in the range of 70 hz to 85 hz have been found to be effective , but a frequency of 77 . 5 hz has been empirically ascertained as a general ideal operating frequency for producing the maximum efficacy of the system . the modulating or reset frequency , applied over the lead 62 , could as well be supplied by a second independent crystal oscillator , operating at a lower initial frequency than the oscillator 50 , if desired . if two different signal sources are employed , synchronization between the two should be effected to cause the various pulse transitions of the signals to be correlated with one another in order to produce the signal waveform of fig2 . the system shown in fig3 , however , is one effective way of accomplishing this . assume , for the present example , that the counter 60 has been reset to its initial or “ zero ” count . the system then operates to supply output pulses at the high frequency of the divided down signal from the divider 54 to the counter input , which advances one count for each of the applied pulses . in the waveform shown in fig2 , the initial pulses ( the first four in fig2 ) cause the counter outputs on 64 and 66 to be such that , as these outputs are applied to the amplitude control 68 , a maximum amplitude ( which may be adjusted if desired ) is produced . this is illustrated in the left - hand portion of the waveform signal of fig2 . when pulse no . 4 in the group or packet is applied , a signal is obtained from one or both of the outputs 64 and 66 of the counter 60 and applied to the amplitude control circuit 68 to switch it to a lower amplitude , as illustrated for the right - hand portion of the signal shown in fig2 . this causes the output of the amplitude control circuit 68 as applied to a regulator amplifier 58 , to produce the signal waveforms in the asymmetrical pattern shown in fig2 , wherein the left - hand one - fourth ( 42 ) of each of the signal bursts is at a high amplitude ; and the right - hand portion ( 44 ) comprising the remainder of the pulses is at a lower amplitude . the ratio is such that one - fourth ( the initial amplitude ) is at the high amplitude range , and that the remainder three - fourths is at the low amplitude range . this is the first level of asymmetry of the applied signals . the regulator amplifier 58 also operates on the squarewave shaped pulses from the pulse shaper 56 to cause a second asymmetry in the positive and negative going aspects of the signal . as shown in fig2 , the negative going amplitude is one - fourth of the total excursion of the signal ; and the positive going portion is three - fourths of the total excursion . this is true of both the maximum amplitude pulse 42 burst at the beginning of each of the burst groups or packets , and the lower amplitude portion 44 at the end of each of the burst groups or packets . finally , the third asymmetry is produced within the thirteen milisecond squarewave burst envelope illustrated as 40 in fig2 . this is the result of the operation of the divider signal on the lead 62 comprising the reset operation for the counter 60 . the composite asymmetrical signal illustrated in fig2 then is provided by the output of the regular amplifier 58 to a power amplifier 70 . the amplification may be adjusted to change the amount of current applied by the system ( while maintaining the relative waveform shapes and patterns shown in fig2 ) in accordance with the treatment modality to be utilized by users of the system . the ammeter 74 is employed to measure the magnitude of the current supplied by the system . it may be a simple analog ammeter , or it may be a digital ammeter providing separate readings of the maximum amplitude and minimum amplitude portions of the signal which is shown in fig2 . the output of the amplifier 70 may be applied through a polarity switch 72 which allows the polarity of the signals applied to the spaced electrodes to be reversed , if desired . the polarity switch 72 supplies the signals across a pair of spaced output electrodes 76 and 78 which may in the form of pairs of split anodes and split cathodes , or which may be a single “ anode ” and “ cathode ” pair . since no direct current components are present , the electrode paths connected to the outputs 76 and 78 are not really anodes and cathodes ; but , depending upon the treatment which is being effected , it may be desirable to apply the positive going portions of the pulses to one or the other of these electrodes and the negative going portions to the other to achieve specific results . it should be noted that in the system which is shown and described , there - are no direct current components . it also should be noted that although the system essentially is illustrating 70 khz to 120 khz tone bursts in each of the burst envelopes 40 shown in fig2 , other frequencies could be employed . as noted , the 77 . 5 hz waveform , derived through the timing cycle , is used to complete each burst envelope including first pulses of a relatively high amplitude , followed by a series of pulses of a relatively low amplitude , in accordance with the signal pattern shown in fig2 . the frequency of pulse comprising the asymmetrical tone burst is approximately 1150 to 1450 times the repetition frequency of the burst envelopes . in the system which is disclosed , an individual squarewave pulse of 0 . 01 ms is utilized with 0 . 0075 ms in the negative portion of the pulse and 0 . 0025 ms in the positive portion of each of the pulses . the general asymmetrical waveform which is described above in conjunction with fig2 has been found to be effective when it is centered around three - to - one ratios throughout the system operation . these ratios of course may be varied , in accordance with corresponding variations of other ratios of the system ; but it has been found that the asymmetrical relationship which is disclosed replaces the formerly necessary , but unpleasant , dc portion of the operating protocol of earlier systems . the dc current employed in some of the prior art devices was designed to provide a path penetrating the natural capacitive resistance of human skin . the dc current reduced the resistance to approximately 300 to 400 ohms . the cost , however , was a high level of discomfort for the user of the device . it has been found that the utilization of the unique asymmetrical signal produced by the system shown in fig3 and illustrated in the waveform of fig2 effectively lowers the capacitive resistance of the epidermal layer to something on the order of 100 ohms . since less resistance is presented to the integrated 77 . 5 hz modulating frequency , lower current levels are capable of achieving the same desired result which previously required much higher current levels . the lower current levels translate into a greater level of comfort for the patient or user of the device . the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention is to be considered as illustrative and not as limiting . various changes and modifications will occur to those skilled in the art for performing substantially the same function , in substantially the same way , to achieve substantially the same result without departing from the true scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims . | 0 |
with reference now to the drawings , and in particular to fig1 through 5 thereof , a new hunting blind device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 will be described . as best illustrated in fig1 through 6 , the adjustable hunting blind 10 generally comprises a pole 12 and an extension arm 14 selectively couplable to and extendable from the pole 12 . a spike 16 is couplable to a bottom end 18 of the pole 12 such that the spike 16 extends from the bottom end 18 of the pole 12 . thus , the pole 12 is configured for extending upwardly from a ground surface 20 when the spike 16 is inserted into the ground surface 20 . the spike 16 may have threading 22 so that the spike 16 is selectively removable from the pole 12 . the spike 16 may be further couplable to the pole 12 in an inverted position 24 , as shown in fig3 , such that the spike 16 extends into the bottom end 18 of the pole 12 . the inverted position 24 of the spike 16 exposes a frictional planar end surface 26 of the spike 16 extending from the bottom end 18 of the pole 12 such that the pole 12 is configured for use as a walking stick . a hand grip 36 is coupled to the pole 12 to facilitate manipulation of the pole 12 during use as a walking stick . a canvas 28 is couplable to the extension arm 14 such that the canvas 28 hangs from the extension arm 14 . an expansion ring 30 is coupled to the canvas 28 proximate a top 32 of the canvas 28 for holding the canvas 28 in an expanded position 34 when the canvas 28 hangs from the extension arm 14 . a loop 38 is coupled to the top 32 of the canvas 28 . a carabineer 38 or similar connector is coupled to a distal end 40 of the extension arm 14 relative to the pole 12 for facilitating attachment of the top 32 of the canvas 28 to the extension arm 14 . a pair of opposed foot levers 42 , 44 are coupled to the pole 12 proximate the bottom end 18 of the pole 12 . the foot levers 42 , 44 are pivotable between a storage position 46 and a use position 48 . a plurality of openings 50 are provided in the canvas 28 . a plurality of flaps 52 is also provided . the flaps 52 are securable to selectively open and close the openings 50 in the canvas 28 as desired . the flaps 52 may be secured by hook and loop fastener , zippers or other conventional means of closure . a plurality of bands 54 is provided . the bands 54 extend from the canvas 28 and are vertically aligned along a vertical length of the canvas 28 . the bands 54 are positioned for securing the canvas 28 to the pole 12 when the top 32 of the canvas 28 is hung from the extension arm 14 . complimentary portions of hook and loop fastener 56 may be coupled to the bands 54 for facilitating securing the canvas 28 to the pole 12 . a closure 112 extends along a length of the canvas 28 downward from the expansion ring 30 for facilitating entry into and exit from the canvas 28 when the canvas 28 hangs from the extension arm 14 . an overlap 114 is coupled to the canvas 28 covering the closure 112 . an upper section 58 of the pole 12 is slidably inserted into a lower section 60 of the pole 12 . a stop member 62 is couplable to the upper section 58 of the pole 12 and the lower section 60 of the pole 12 for securing the upper section 58 in a stable position relative to the lower section 60 . thus , the pole 12 is telescopic . the stop member 62 may be internally positioned in the pole 12 and biased outwardly to facilitate engagement of a selected one of a plurality of apertures 64 . the apertures 64 extend in spaced relationship to each other along a length of the upper section 58 of the pole 12 . the stop member 62 is engageable to a selectable one of the apertures 64 for adjusting the pole 12 to a desired length . an upper peg 66 may be coupled to and extend from the pole 12 . a lower peg 68 may similarly be coupled to and extend from the pole 12 . a collapsible chair assembly 70 may be provided having an upper attachment arm 72 and a lower attachment arm 74 . a hook 76 is coupled to the chair assembly 70 proximate a head support 78 of the chair assembly 70 . the hook 76 is couplable to the upper peg 66 when the chair assembly 70 is attached to the pole 12 . the lower attachment arm 74 is coupled to and extends from a seat portion 80 of the chair assembly 70 . the lower attachment arm 74 has a groove 82 . the lower peg 68 is insertable into the groove 82 when the hook 76 is coupled to the upper peg 66 such that the lower attachment arm 74 engages the lower peg 68 to stabilize the chair assembly 70 . a plurality of straps 92 is coupled to the chair assembly 70 . the straps 92 are configured for passing over and around shoulders of a user to facilitate carrying the chair assembly 70 in a collapsed position 94 during periods of non - use . a shooting rest 96 may extend from a top portion 98 of the chair assembly 70 when the chair assembly 70 is in an expanded position 100 . the shooting rest 96 may have a break 102 between opposite sides 104 , 106 that are pivotable to provide open access to the seat portion 80 of the chair assembly 70 . thus , the shooting rest 96 may extend fully across a front 108 of the chair assembly 70 while still providing easy access to the seat portion 80 . a plurality of collapsible and extendable support legs 110 is also provided for supporting the chair assembly 70 in the expanded position 100 . an umbrella attachment 84 may be provided having a post 86 insertable into a top 88 of the lower section 60 of the pole 12 . thus , the lower section 60 of the pole 12 may alternatively be used to support the umbrella attachment 84 in an upright position 90 substantially over the chair assembly 70 . the canvas 28 may also be provided with a plurality of exterior loops to facilitate the application and retention of brush to an exterior surface 116 of the canvas 28 to facilitate camouflaging the blind 10 . tent pegs may also be provided for securing a bottom perimeter 118 of the canvas 28 to further secure the canvas 28 during use . the exterior loops may be arranged in spaced rings along the vertical length of the canvas 28 to facilitate securing the canvas 28 to the ground surface 20 at a desired vertical length to permit standing or sitting in the blind 10 as desired while minimizing the profile of the blind 10 . drawstrings may also be provided at the top 32 of the canvas 28 and a bottom of the canvas 28 so that the canvas 28 may be used as an emergency shelter or hammock in a horizontal position between two vertical supports if desired or required . in use , the pole 12 is assembled and erected at a desired length using the spike 16 and the foot levers 42 , 44 . the extension arm 14 is positioned and the canvas 28 is hung from the extension arm 14 . the expansion ring 30 holds the canvas 28 in a tubular shape providing a space surrounded by the canvas 28 . the canvas 28 is further secured to the pole 12 using bands 54 . the user may enter the canvas 28 through the opened closure 112 and close the closure 112 to obscure the user from view . the flaps 52 may be opened as desired to provide a view out of the canvas 28 . if desired , the pole 12 may also be used as a walking stick with the spike 16 in the inverted position 24 . alternatively to the canvas 28 , the chair assembly 70 may be attached to the pole 12 to provide a comfortable seated position while hunting . with respect to the above description then , it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure , to include variations in size , materials , shape , form , function and manner of operation , assembly and use , are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art , and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure . therefore , the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure . further , since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art , it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described , and accordingly , all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to , falling within the scope of the disclosure . | 4 |
in the following , the present invention will be explained with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawings . fig1 is a structural view showing an electrophotographic machine as an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention . the electrophotographic machine comprises an apparatus body 1 . an image forming section 2 for forming an image on a paper sheet as an object to be carried ( e . g ., a transfer - target material ) in an electrostatic photographic method , a sheet feeder 3 for carrying and supplying a paper sheet for the image forming section 2 , and a reverse carrying apparatus 4 for reversing the front and back surfaces of the paper sheet and for returning the paper sheet to the sheet feeder 3 . since the reverse carrying apparatus 4 does not comprise an intermediate tray , the apparatus serves as a so - called non - stack adu . the image forming section 2 comprises rotatably a photosensitive drum 6 as an image carrier . provided in the peripheral part of the photosensitive drum 6 along the rotating direction of the drum are members for executing a so - called electrostatic photographic process by means of a process cpu ( not shown ). more specifically , the photosensitive drum 6 is constructed by an application type opc charged in the minus polarity , and this photosensitive drum 6 includes a conductive base member and a photosensitive layer covering the surface of the conductive base member . the photosensitive layer has a film thickness of 15 to 30 μm and a dielectric constant of 2 . 0 to 5 . 0 . the conductive base member of the photosensitive drum 6 is grounded . provided in the peripheral part of the photosensitive drum 6 along the rotating direction thereof are a charger 7 , an optical scanning system ( not shown ) for emitting imaging light 8 , a developing device 9 , a transfer device 10 , a separator 11 , a cleaning device 12 , and a discharger 13 . the sheet feeder 3 includes a sheet feed cassette 15 and a carrying route 16 for carrying a paper sheet supplied from the sheet feed cassette 15 to the upside . paper sheets p are contained in the sheet feed cassette 15 , and are fed one after another by rotation of the sheet feed roller 14 . the carrying route 16 is provided along the vertical direction . paired carrying rollers 17 , paired resist rollers 18 , an image transfer section 19 , paired fixing rollers 20 , and paired discharge rollers 21 are provided respectively from the side of the lower part to the side of the upper part on the carrying route 16 . a sheet discharge tray 22 is provided in the side of the paired discharge rollers 21 in which paper sheets are discharged . the reverse carrying device 4 has a reverse carrying route 24 which connects the sheet discharge side of the paired rollers 20 with the sheet introducing side of the paired resist rollers 18 . the reverse carrying route 24 is constructed by a horizontal part 24 a , a corner part 24 b in the upper side , a vertical part 24 c , a corner part 24 d in the lower side , and a substantial horizontal part 24 e . the corner part 24 b in the upper side , the vertical part 24 c , and the corner part 24 d in the lower side are respectively provided with pairs of carrying rollers 25 a , 25 b , and 25 c . meanwhile , upper and lower detection sensors 27 a and 27 b are provided in the upstream sides of the paired rollers 25 a and 25 c provided at the upper and lower corner parts 24 b and 24 d in the sheet carrying direction . fig1 is a block diagram showing the drive control system of the reverse carrying apparatus 4 . the upper and lower detection sensors 27 a and 27 b are connected to a control device 30 through a signal circuit , and the control device 30 is connected to a drive motor 31 through a control circuit . the drive motor 31 serves to rotate and drive the pairs of carrying rollers 25 a to 25 c . also , the control device 30 is connected with a fee counter 29 through a signal circuit . the fee counter 29 is attached to an accounting device such as a coin controller or the like which will be explained later . the fee counter 29 counts inserted money and calculates the balance remaining . the control device 30 receives a money insertion signal or a no - balance signal concerning the fee , thereby to control driving of the paired carrying rollers 24 a to 24 c on the reverse carry route 24 . next , explanation will be made of a double - side image forming operation with reference to fig1 to 9 . when forming images on both sides , the surface of the photosensitive drum 6 is charged by the charger 7 at first , and imaging light 8 is irradiated on the surface of the charged photosensitive drum 6 , so that an electrostatic latent image corresponding to an original document image is formed on the surface of the charged photosensitive drum 6 . this electrostatic latent image is sent to the developing device 9 by rotation of the photosensitive drum 6 and is supplied with magnetic toner as a developing agent from the developing device 9 , to form a magnetic toner image . at this time , a paper sheet p is supplied by rotation of the sheet feed roller 14 and is clamped and carried by the paired carrying rollers 17 . this paper sheet p is aligned by the paired resist rollers 18 and is thereafter supplied to the image transfer section 19 between the photosensitive drum 6 and the transfer device 10 . here , the magnetic toner image on the photosensitive drum 6 is transferred to the paper sheet p . the paper sheet p on which the magnetic toner image has been transferred is separated from the photosensitive drum 6 and carried by the operation of the separator 11 . as shown in fig3 this paper sheet is then supplied to the paired fixing rollers 20 where the transferred toner image is fixed to the paper sheet p and is fed out toward the discharge tray 22 . after the paper sheet p is fed by a predetermined amount , the paper sheet p is fed in the reverse direction , as shown in fig4 and a following paper sheet p is carried along the carrying route 16 . subsequently , as shown in fig5 the preceding paper sheet p is carried out along the reverse carrying route 24 , and a toner image on the photosensitive drum 6 is transferred to the following paper sheet p which is then fed out . after the following paper sheet p is fed by a predetermined amount , it is also fed in the reverse direction as shown in fig6 while the preceding paper sheet p is also carried continuously along the reverse carrying route 24 . thereafter , the preceding paper sheet p is fed into the image transfer section 19 , reversed as shown in fig7 and a toner image is transferred to the back surface thereof . the following paper sheet p is carried along the reverse carrying route 24 . the preceding paper sheet p with a toner image transferred to its back surface is discharged onto the discharge tray 22 , as shown in fig8 . at this time , the following paper sheet p reversed is fed to the image transfer section 19 , and a toner image is transferred to its back surface . thereafter , the following paper sheet p is fed as shown in fig9 and is carried out onto the discharge tray 22 . meanwhile , there is a case of using the above - described stack - less adu attached with an accounting device such as a coin controller . for example , if data of four pages should be printed on both surfaces of two paper sheets by an electrophotographic copying machine , there is a case that money runs short at the time point when printing of the first , second , and fourth pages are finished . in this case , the paper sheets will be directly discharged without printing the third page or will be kept on the reverse carrying route 24 . however , it would be unkind to the user to discharge the paper sheets p without printing the third page . otherwise , if the paper sheet p is kept on the reverse carrying route 24 , the paper sheet p may be positioned at the corner part 24 b ( or 24 d ) of the reverse carrying route 24 . if a paper sheet p is positioned at the corner part 24 b ( or 24 d ), the paper sheet p is curled along the corner part 24 b ( or 24 d ). hence , in the present invention , if a paper sheet p is positioned at a corner part 24 b ( or 24 d ) and detected by a detection sensor 27 a ( or 27 b ) when the paper sheet p is kept , a detection signal from the sensor is transmitted to the control device 30 . upon transmission of the detection signal , the control device 30 does not stop but continues rotating the paired carrying rollers 25 a , 25 b , and 25 c by the drive motor 31 . as a result , the paper sheet p is fed from the corner part 24 b ( or 24 d ). accordingly , the detection sensor 27 b ( or 27 d ) does not detect the paper sheet p any more , and the control device 30 then stops the drive motor 31 to stop rotating the paired carrying rollers 25 a , 25 b , and 25 c . as described above , in the present invention , if a paper sheet p is positioned at the corner part 24 b ( or 24 d ) and detected by the detection sensor 27 a ( or 27 d ) when the paper sheet is temporarily kept on the reverse carrying route 24 , the paired carrying rollers 25 a , 25 b , and 25 c are kept rotating until the paper sheet p is fed out from the corner part 24 b ( or 24 d ). therefore , no paper sheet p stays at the corner part 24 b ( or 24 d ), so that curling of paper sheets p can be prevented . accordingly , paper sheets p can be maintained in an excellent condition , and failures in transfer of images can be prevented . in addition , the occurrence of jamming during carrying can be prevented , and paper sheets can be discharged in an orderly fashion . in the above embodiments , the detection sensors 27 a and 27 b are respectively provided on the upstream sides of the paired carrying rollers 25 a and 25 c in the sheet carrying direction . the present invention , however , is not limited hitherto . the sensors may be respectively provided in the downstream sides of the paired carrying rollers 25 a and 25 c or may be respectively provided in the upstream and downstream sides of the paired carrying rollers 25 a and 25 c in the sheet carrying direction . further , one or more detection sensors may be provided between the upper and lower corner parts 24 b and 24 d on the reverse carrying route 24 so that a paper sheet p can be detected steadily . 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 and representative embodiments shown 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 . | 8 |
particular embodiments of the invention will be described below in details with reference to the drawings in order to make the foregoing objects , features and advantages of the invention more apparent and readily understood . numerous details will be set forth in the following description so as to facilitate understanding of the invention , but the invention can alternatively be practiced in other embodiments than those described here , so the invention will not be limited to the particular embodiments to be disclosed below . an embodiment of the invention provides a shift register , and fig1 illustrates a schematic circuit scheme of the shift register comprising : a first transistor m 1 , a second transistor m 2 , a third transistor m 3 , a fourth transistor m 4 , a fifth transistor m 5 and a sixth transistor m 6 . a gate of the first transistor m 1 is connected to a first clock signal terminal ck 1 , a source of the first transistor m 1 is connected to a first input signal terminal in 1 , and a drain of the first transistor m 1 is connected to a source of the second transistor m 2 and a gate of the sixth transistor m 6 to a node n 1 ; a gate of the second transistor m 2 is connected to a first level signal terminal vgl , the source of the second transistor m 2 is connected to the drain of the first transistor m 1 and the gate of the sixth transistor m 6 to the node n 1 , and a drain of the second transistor m 2 is connected to a gate of the third transistor m 3 to a node n 3 ; the gate of the third transistor m 3 is connected to the drain of the second transistor m 2 , a source of the third transistor m 3 is connected to a second clock signal terminal ck 2 , and a drain of the third transistor m 3 is connected to an output terminal out and a drain of the fifth transistor m 5 ; a gate of the fourth transistor m 4 is connected to a source thereof and a second input signal terminal in 2 , and a drain of the fourth transistor m 4 is connected to a gate of the fifth transistor m 5 and a drain of the sixth transistor m 6 to a node n 2 ; the gate of the fifth transistor m 5 is connected to the drain of the fourth transistor m 4 and the drain of the sixth transistor m 6 to the node n 2 , a source of the fifth transistor m 5 is connected to a second level signal terminal vgh and a source of the sixth transistor m 6 , and the drain of the fifth transistor m 5 is connected to the output terminal out and the drain of the third transistor m 3 ; and the gate of the sixth transistor m 6 is connected to the drain of the first transistor m 1 and the source of the second transistor m 2 , the source of the sixth transistor m 6 is connected to the second level signal terminal vgh and the source of the fifth transistor m 5 , and the drain of the sixth transistor m 6 is connected to the drain of the fourth transistor m 4 and the gate of the fifth transistor m 5 to the node n 2 . furthermore all of the first transistor m 1 , the second transistor m 2 , the third transistor m 3 , the fourth transistor m 4 , the fifth transistor m 5 and the sixth transistor m 6 are pmos transistors . in this embodiment , an input signal at the first level signal terminal vgl is a low - level signal , an input signal at the second level signal terminal vgh is a high - level signal , a first input signal is input to the first input signal terminal in 1 , a second input signal is input to the second input signal terminal in 2 , a first clock signal is input to the first clock signal terminal ck 1 , and a second clock signal is input to the second clock signal terminal ck 2 , where the second clock signal is opposite in phase to the first clock signal . fig2 illustrates a timing diagram thereof in operation , and a method of driving the shift register according to this embedment will be described with reference to fig1 and fig2 . as illustrated in fig1 and fig2 , a drive process comprises three phases including a reset phase a , a shift phase b and a turn - off phase c respectively . the first clock signal which is a low - level pulse signal in the reset phase a is input to the first clock signal terminal ck 1 to turn on the first transistor m 1 ; the low - level signal is input to the first input signal terminal in 1 and is transmitted by the first transistor m 1 to the gate of the sixth transistor m 6 and the source of the second transistor m 2 , and the potential at the node n 1 is at a low level , thus turning on the sixth transistor m 6 ; since the source of the sixth transistor m 6 is connected to the second level signal terminal vgh to which the second level signal which is a high - level signal is input , that is , the level of the signal is constant and higher than the level of the subsequent first level signal , the high - level signal is transmitted by the sixth transistor m 6 to the gate of the fifth transistor m 5 , and the potential at the node n 2 is at a high level , thus turning off the fifth transistor m 5 so that the fifth transistor m 5 will not contribute to any change in output ; the first level signal which is a low - level signal is input to the first level signal terminal vgl , that is , the level of the signal is constant and lower than the second level signal described above , thus turning on the second transistor m 2 ; and the low - level signal transmitted by the first transistor m 1 is transmitted by the second transistor m 2 to the gate of the third transistor m 3 , and the potential at the node n 3 is at a low level , thus turning on the third transistor m 3 ; and since the fifth transistor m 5 will not contribute to any change in output , an output at the output terminal out is only the second clock signal , transmitted by the third transistor m 3 , connected to the second clock signal terminal , where the second clock signal opposite in phase to the first clock signal is at a high level at this time , that is , the output at the output terminal out is also at a high level thus resetting the entire shift . the first clock signal connected at the first clock signal terminal ck 1 is changed to a high level , thus turning off the first transistor m 1 , and at this time the potential at the node n 1 is kept at a low level in the reset phase a , and the sixth transistor m 6 is kept turned on , and since the signal at the gate of the second transistor m 2 is constantly at a low level , the second transistor m 2 and also the third transistor m 3 are kept turned on ; and at this time the second clock signal is input to the second clock signal terminal ck 2 is changed to a low level , and the potential at the node n 3 will be pulled lower due to coupling by the circuit , and at this time the second transistor m 2 can suppress excessive leaked current of a parasitic capacitor to thereby achieve an effect of stabilizing the circuit . also the high - level signal is still input to the second input signal terminal in 2 , thus further turning off the fourth transistor m 4 , and the high - level signal , transmitted by the sixth transistor m 6 , input to the second level signal terminal is still input to the gate of the fifth transistor m 5 , thus turning off the fifth transistor m 5 so that the fifth transistor m 5 will not contribute to any output at the output terminal , but only the low - level signal which is input to the second clock signal terminal will be transmitted by the third transistor m 3 to the output terminal , and the shift function of the shift register has been embodied so far , that is , the low - level pulse signal at the input terminal is shift by one stage for output . since the shift register according to this embodiment is typically used in a gate driver , it will be further provided with a hold function for a period of time in which the shift register needs to well hold a output at a high level in the turn - off phase c : the first clock signal is input to the first clock signal terminal ck 1 and is changed to a low level , thus turning on the first transistor m 1 ; the high - level signal is input to the first input signal terminal in 1 and is transmitted by the first transistor m 1 to the gate of the sixth transistor m 6 and the source of the second transistor m 2 , and the potential at the node n 1 is at a high level , thus turning off the sixth transistor m 6 ; since the signal at the gate of the second transistor m 2 is constantly at a low level , the second transistor m 2 is kept turned on to transmit the high - level signal , transmitted by the first transistor m 1 , to the gate of the third transistor m 3 , and the potential at the node n 3 is at a high level , thus turning off the third transistor m 3 so that the third transistor m 3 will not contribute to any output of the circuit ; the second input signal is input to the second input signal terminal in 2 and is changed to a low level , thus turning on the fourth transistor m 4 ; the low - level signal is transmitted by the fourth transistor m 4 to the gate of the fifth transistor m 5 , and since the sixth transistor m 6 is turned off , the potential at the node n 2 is at a low level , thus turning on the fifth transistor m 5 ; and the high - level signal is input to the second level signal terminal and is transmitted by the fifth transistor m 5 to the output terminal . as can be apparent , the shift register according to this embodiment of the invention can enable a correct operation of the circuit , and the second transistor m 2 can suppress excessive leaked current of a parasitic capacitor in the shift phase b to thereby have the gate thereof driven correctly ; and furthermore the shift register according to this embodiment of the invention can dispense with a capacitor to thereby significantly lower the width of a drive area for a display device , i . e ., a non - display area , which is a edge frame area . moreover the shift register according to this embodiment of the invention comprises only six pmos transistors , and since a p - channel transistor ( pmos ) circuit alone can be fabricated in a process using two fewer masks than in a process of fabricating an n - channel transistor circuit ( nmos ), the shift register according to this embodiment of the invention can be fabricated in a lower number of process steps and at a lower cost than a shift register comprising an nmos transistor circuit . an embodiment of the invention further provides a group of shift registers comprising a number n of shift registers ( n & gt ; 1 and n is an integer ) connected to each other to have n stages . as illustrated in fig3 , the group of shift registers comprises a first - stage shift register p 1 , a second - stage shift register p 2 , a third - stage shift register p 3 , . . . , and an n - th shift register pn connected to each other to have n stages . an output terminal out 1 of the first - stage shift register p 1 is connected to a first input signal terminal p 2 - in 1 of the second - stage shift register p 2 , an output terminal out 2 of the second - stage shift register p 2 is connected to a second input signal terminal p 1 - in 2 of the first - stage shift register p 1 and a first input signal terminal p 3 - in 1 of the third - stage shift register p 3 , an output terminal out 3 of the third - stage shift register p 3 is connected to a second input signal terminal p 2 - in 2 of the second - stage shift register p 2 and a first input signal terminal p 4 - in 1 of the stage 4 shift register p 4 ( not illustrated ), . . . , a first input signal terminal pn - in 1 of the n - th shift register pn is connected to an output terminal outn − 1 of the ( n − 1 )- th shift register ( not illustrated ), and a second input signal terminal pn − 1 − in 2 of the ( n − 1 )- th shift register ( not illustrated ) is connected to an output terminal outn of the n - th shift register . first level signal terminals vgl of the respective stages of shift registers p 1 , p 2 , p 3 , . . . , pn are connected in parallel , and second level signal terminals vgh of the respective stages of shift registers p 1 , p 2 , p 3 , . . . , pn are connected in parallel . first clock signal terminals ck 1 of the odd - stage shift registers p 1 , p 3 , . . . , p 2 k − 1 ( k is a positive integer ) are connected to each other , second clock signal terminals ck 2 of the even - stage shift registers p 2 , p 4 , . . . , p 2 k are connected to each other , and the first clock signal terminals ck 1 of the odd - stage shift registers p 1 , p 3 , . . . , p 2 k − 1 are connected to the second clock signal terminals ck 2 of the even - stage shift registers p 2 , p 4 , . . . , p 2 k . second clock signal terminals ck 2 of the odd - stage shift registers p 1 , p 3 , . . . , p 2 k − 1 are connected to each other , first clock signal terminals ck 1 of the even - stage shift registers p 2 , p 4 , . . . , p 2 k are connected to each other , and the clock signal terminals ck 2 of the odd - stage shift registers p 1 , p 3 , . . . , p 2 k − 1 are connected to the first clock signal terminals ck 1 of the even - stage shift registers p 2 , p 4 , . . . , p 2 k . furthermore all of the first transistor m 1 , the second transistor m 2 , the third transistor m 3 , the fourth transistor m 4 , the fifth transistor m 5 and the sixth transistor m 6 are pmos transistors . furthermore a first input signal terminal p 1 - in 1 of the first - stage shift register p 1 is connected to an initial signal terminal stv , and a second input signal terminal pn - in 2 of the n - th shift register pn is connected to a turn - off signal terminal end . an embodiment of the invention further provides a method of driving a group of shift registers , which can drive gates in a plurality of rows , and fig4 illustrates a timing diagram of its circuit in operation , which will be described below with reference to fig3 and fig4 . a first clock signal ck 1 is input to first clock signal terminals ck 1 of the odd - stage shift registers p 1 , p 3 , . . . , p 2 k − 1 ( k is a positive integer ) and second clock signal terminals ck 2 of the even - stage shift registers p 2 , p 4 , . . . , p 2 k , a second clock signal ck 2 is input to second clock signal terminals ck 2 of the odd - stage shift registers p 1 , p 3 , . . . , p 2 k − 1 and first clock signal terminals ck 1 of the even - stage shift registers p 2 , p 4 , . . . , p 2 k , a first level signal is input to first level signal terminals vgl , and a second level signal is input to second level signal terminals vgh . a signal at a first input signal terminal p 2 - in 1 of the second - stage shift register p 2 is input to an output terminal out 1 of the first - stage shift register p 1 is connected to , signals at a second input signal terminal p 1 - in 2 of the first - stage shift register p 1 and a first input signal terminal p 3 - in 1 of the third - stage shift register p 3 are input to an output terminal out 2 of the second - stage shift register p 2 , signals at a second input signal terminal p 2 - in 2 of the second - stage shift register p 2 and a first input signal terminal p 4 - in 1 of the stage 4 shift register p 4 ( not illustrated ) are input to an output terminal out 3 of the third - stage shift register p 3 , . . . , a signal at an output terminal outn − 1 of the ( n − 1 )- th shift register is input to a first input signal terminal pn - in 1 of the n - th shift register pn , and a signal at an output terminal of the n - th shift register is input to a second input signal terminal of the ( n − 1 )- th shift register . furthermore an initial signal is input to a first input signal terminal p 1 - in 1 of the first - stage shift register p 1 , and a turn - off signal is input to a second input signal terminal pn - in 2 of the n - th shift register pn is connected . referring to fig4 , in a first half of a first cycle , a low - level signal at an initial signal terminal stv is input to the first input signal terminal p 1 - in 1 of the first - stage shift register p 1 , and the first clock signal , the second clock signal , the first level signal and the second level signal are input respectively to the first clock signal terminal ck 1 , the second clock signal terminal ck 2 , the first signal level terminal vgl and the second level signal terminal vgh of the first - stage shift register p 1 at the same timing as the first clock signal , the second clock signal , the first level signal and the second level signal in the shift register described above . as can be apparent from the timing of the shift register described above in operation , the first - stage shift register p 1 is in the reset phase of its timing in operation , and the second clock signal at a high level is output at the output terminal out 1 thereof in the first half of the cycle for initialization . in a second half of the cycle , the initial level signal is changed to a high level , and the first - stage shift register p 1 is in the shift phase of its timing in operation , and as can be apparent from the timing of the shift register described above in operation , the second clock signal at a low level is output at the output terminal out 1 thereof in the second half of the cycle , thus shifting the initial signal at a low level backward by a half of the cycle . at this time the low - level signal at the output terminal out 1 of the first - stage shift register p 1 is input to the first input signal terminal p 2 - in 1 of the second - stage shift register p 2 , the second clock signal at a low level is input to the first clock signal terminal ck 1 thereof , the second - stage shift register p 2 is in its reset phase , and a high - level signal is output at the output terminal p 2 - out . the high - level signal output at the output terminal p 2 - out of the second - stage shift register p 2 is transmitted to the second input signal terminal p 1 - in 2 of the first - stage shift register p 1 to make the first - stage shift register p 1 enter the turn - off phase of a next cycle for to be further turned off . in a next cycle of the cycle , the second - stage shift register p 2 repeats its operation similar to that of the first - stage shift register p 1 so that a low level is output , thus turning on the third - stage shift register p 3 , and the second - stage shift register p 2 is turned off by the output terminal p 3 - out of the third - stage shift register p 3 after a delay of a half of the cycle . this process will be repeated so that the low - level signal output by the preceding stage of shift register is output by the next stage of shift register after being delayed by a half of the cycle to turn off the preceding stage of shift register . at the end of the operation by the last stage of shift register , e . g ., the n - th shift register pn , it will not be turned off by any next stage of shift register , so a turn - off signal is provided to delay the output of the n - th shift register pn by a half of the cycle as denoted by end in the timing diagram . in the group of shift registers and method of driving the same according to the embodiments of the invention , the first clock signal is input to the first clock signal terminals of the odd - stage shift registers and the second clock signal terminals of the even - stage shift registers , and the second clock signal is input to the second clock signal terminals of the odd - stage shift registers and the first clock signal terminals of the even - stage shift registers , so that the function of driving row by row can be performed only using the two clock signals to thereby ensure a correct output of the circuit . the group of shift registers according to the embodiment of the invention can be embodied in the capacitor - free structure while ensuring a correct output to thereby further lower the area of the scan circuit and make the frame edge further narrowed ; and moreover each shift register in the group of shift registers comprises only six pmos transistors for which there are two less masks than the scan circuit comprising nmos transistors to thereby simplify process steps thereof . it shall be noted that the foregoing embodiments can be referred to for and combined with each other . although the invention has been disclosed as above in connection with the preferred embodiments thereof , they are not intended to limit the scope of the invention , and any those skilled in the art can make possible variations and modifications to the technical solution of the invention in light of the method and the disclosure above without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , so any apparent modifications , equivalent changes and adaptations that can be made to the embodiments above in view of the technical essence of the invention without departing from the disclosure of the invention shall come into the scope of the technical solution of the invention . | 6 |
a large body of scientific literature supports the potential disease preventing properties of turmeric ( curcuma longa ) and its active ingredients ( curcuminoids , curcumin is the most important component ). south east asian populations include turmeric regularly in the form of curries and have reduced rates of colon cancer [ 12 ] and many other diseases . however , eating curries is not an option for most americans since curry powder and curries often contain large amount of spices such as red chillies or cayenne pepper . the hot spices irritate the american palate and it is not practical to suggest consumption of curry as a viable method of incorporating curcumin into the american diet . the other alternative is to take pills containing curcumin or turmeric . this method has the shortcoming that most people do not enjoy taking pills and after a few days or months stop doing so altogether . thus there is a need for a product which can incorporate curcumin / turmeric into the diets of americans in a consistent fashion . this is possible only if the incorporation vehicle is a tasty food item . a novel product for incorporating curcumin and / or curcuminoids and / or turmeric components / mixtures containing one or more of these cu / co / tc / tu / mx into the american diet using combinations of nut / seed butters and cu / co / tc / tu / mx is described in this invention . in this invention there are several synergistic advantages : ( a ) the nut butter medium improves the solubility of cu / co / tc / tu / mx ( b ) the addition of cu / co / tc / tu / mx to the nut butter produces a product with vastly improved health benefits . ( c ) the addition of cu / co / tc / tu / mx to the nut butter significantly reduces oil separation , improves the texture and spreadability of the nut butter ( d ) the addition of cu / co / tc / tu / mx and natural additives produces a spread and dip that is much tastier than the parent nut butter or cu / co / tc / tu / mx ( e ) cu / co / tc / tu / mx are powerful antioxidants , they serve to improve the oxidative stability of the nut butters ( f ) cu / co / tc / tu / mx have antibacterial properties , they protect the nut butter from potential bacterial contamination . in the current invention we have used nut butters as a medium for improving the solubility of curcumin / curminoids / turmeric components / turmeric ( cu / co / tu / mx ) which are hydrophobic ( not water soluble ) and are much more soluble in the lipid rich nut butter medium thereby improving its bioavailability . the addition of cu / co / tc / tu / mx to the nut butters and in some embodiments other spices and sweeteners such has honey results in a product which is vastly tastier than both the starting nut butter and turmeric / curcumin . in these unique formulations there are several synergistic advantages creating a novel , very useful product : ( a ) the nut butter medium improves the solubility and hence potentially the bioabsorption of cu / co / tc / tu / mx ( b ) the addition of cu / co / tc / tu / mx produces a novel product with vastly improved health benefits compared to the parent nut butter . ( c ) the addition of cu / co / tc / tu / mx and spices and sweetener to the nut butter significantly reduces oil separation , oil separation is a problem with all natural nut butters , the current product has highly reduced oil separation and improved texture and spreadability compared to the starting nut butter ( d ) the addition of cu / co / tc / tu / mx and spices produces a spread and dip that is much tastier than both the parent nut butter and cu / co / tc / tu / mx by themselves ( curcumin / turmeric has a very strong and disagreeable flavor when eaten without other ingredients ) ( e ) cu / co / tc / tu / mx are excellent antioxidants , they serve to improve the oxidative stability of the nut butters such as almond butter that has a large amount of unsaturated fats that are susceptible to oxidation ( f ) cu / co / tc / tu / mx have antibacterial properties [ 9 ], thereby protecting the nut butter from potential bacterial contamination from some common strains of bacteria . here , we have used nut and seed butters as a medium to incorporate cu / co / tc / tu / mx into the american diet while improving the flavor and texture of nut butters and improving the shelf life of the nut / seed butter . turmeric is an integral part of the standard daily indian diet , it is however not used in the daily american or european diet or as part of the diet in many other countries . the major reasons for the lack of turmeric / curcumin use in the western diet are ( a ) the fact that most turmeric based culinary formulations such as garam masala / curry powder / curries are too spicy due to the presence of significant amounts of spices such as red chilli powder and cayenne powder that irritate the western palate which is more used to milder flavors . ( b ) the lack of knowledge of its health benefits . it is the primary objective of this invention to produce a bread spread / dip incorporating / turmeric / curcumin / curcuminoids and ground nuts / nut butters which is formulated to appeal to the western palate which imparts the health benefits of regular turmeric / curcumin consumption . it is another objective of this invention to blend turmeric / curcumin in the nut butter medium that will improve its flavor , its solubility and potentially its bioabsorption . it should be noted that turmeric / curcumin / curcuminoids are not water soluble whereas they have improved solubility in a nut butter medium . the basic philosophy behind this invention is that one can make a healthy food can only have a positive impact on human health if it is very tasty ; otherwise only a small fraction of humanity would eat it and not on a consistent basis . this invention involves formulations and manufacturing procedures for ( p ) where p is a novel cu / co / tc / tu / mx and nut / seed butter based spread and dip with or without other additives . p has enhanced health benefits , shelf life and taste compared to the starting nut butter . p serves as a novel , improved and general method for incorporating cu / co / tc / tu / mx into the daily american diet . p is defined by equation ( i ). wherein nuts , powdered nuts and nut butters in nu / se / pn / nb / sb / ps / mns include but are not limited to almonds , peanuts , pistachios , cashews , macademia , pine , walnut , hazelnut , chestnut , brazilnut , soynut , filberts , hickory , pecans in ground , powdered , butter , crunchy , smooth , paste , whole , crushed , broken or slurry form . the seeds , powdered seeds and seed butters can in include the following but are not limited to the following : sesame seeds , sunflower seeds or other seeds in ground , powdered , crunchy , smooth , paste , whole , crushed , broken or slurry form . either one of the nuts or seeds or a combination of two or more types of nuts or seeds or mixtures of nuts and seeds may be used . wherein v = none , one or more of spices including but not limited to garlic , black pepper , white pepper , pepper corns , clove , cumin , nutmeg , mace , thyme , cinnamon , coriander , oregano , parsley , basil , holy basil , allspice , cilantro , rosemary , aniseed , fennel , dill ( seed , herb or weed ), cardamom , paprika , saffron , marjoram , mint , fenugreek , ginger , star anise , pink pepper , long pepper , sage , or other spice , powdered , whole or as a paste or mixtures thereof . in addition v includes spices selected from the following or mixtures thereof , these may be used in less preferred embodiments : ajwain , akudjura , alexanders , alkanet , allspice , galangal , amchur ( mango powder ), anise , aniseed myrtle , annato , apple mint , azafoetida , avocado leaf , barberry , bay leaf , borage , black cardamom , black mustard , blue fenugreek , brown mustard , calamint , calendula , candlenut , capers , caraway , catnip , cassia , cayenne pepper , celery seed , chamomile , chervil , chicory , chili pepper , chilli powder , chipotle , chives , cicely , cilantro , cinnamon myrtle , clary , clary sage , cost mary , cuban oregano , cubeb pepper , cud weed , culantro , curry leaf , curry plant , dorrigo pepper , elder flower , epazote , culantro ( long coriander ), fingerroot , french sorel , galingale , garlic chives , ginkgo nuts , golpar , grains of paradise , grains of selim , green tea , ground ivy , hops , horseradish , houttuynia , hot pepper , hyssop , jasmine , juniper berry , jalepenos , kaffir lime , kaffir lime leaves , lokam , lavender , laser ( silphium ), lemon balm , lemon basil , lemon grass , lemon mint , lemon myrtle , lemon thyme , lemon verbena , lesser galangal , licorice , lime flower , linden flower , rice paddy herb , long pepper , lovage , luohanguo , mace , marjoram , nasturtium , nigella , black caraway , olida , orris root , sweet cicely , pandan flower ( kewra ), pandan leaf , paprika , paracress , peppermint , peppermint gum , perilla , piper sarmentosum , white pumpkin , poppy seed , ramsons ( wood garlic ), red pepper , ribbery , rue , safflower , saigon cinnamon , salad burnet , salep , sassafras , savory , sesame seed , sheep &# 39 ; s sorrel , sichuan pepper , sloe berries , sorrel , spearmint , spikenard , sumac , summer savory , sweet woodruff , talinum , tamarind , tansy , tarragon , tasmanian pepper , tea , felty germander , that basil , tulsi , vanilla , vietnameese balm , vietnamese cinnamon , vietnamese corriander , wasabi , water - pepper , water cress , wattle seed , white mustard , wild thyme , winter savory , wintergreen , wood avens , woodruff , wormwood , yellow mustard , yerba buena , zaatar herb , zedoary , lemon , celery , celery seed , nigella seed , poppy seed , pimenta , pimento , orange peel , rapeseed , nori , mustard seeds , pimento , scallions , sweet pepper . spice mixtures including but not limited to berbere , curry powder , chinese five spice powder , garam masala , chaat masala , goda masala , herbes de provence , kaala masala , khmeli suneli , pudding spice , panch phoron , pumpkin pie spice , quatre epices , rasel hanout , tandoori masala , zaatar , jerk spice . among the spices the embodiment including black ./ white pepper and / or garlic is the most preferred spice combination in the embodiment . wherein w = none , one or more of sweetening agents including but not limited to honey , sugar ( including but not limited to cane sugar , beet sugar , barley sugar ), brown sugar , raw sugar ( including but not limited to turbinado sugar , jaggery , muscovedo , panela , sucanat ) palm sugar , amazake , caramel , molasses , maple syrup , taffy , agave nectar , corn syrup , birch syrup , pine syrup , hickory syrup , poplar syrup , palm syrup , sugar beet syrup , sorghum syrup , cane syrup , cane sugar , golden syrup , barley malt syrup , rice syrup , agave syrup , yacon syrup , fruit powder or paste , fruit juice , fruit and vegetable sugars ( including but not limited to pumpkin sugar , watermelon sugar , date sugar , pekmez ) vegetables or vegetable extract including but not limited to carrots , beets , celery in ground , paste , juice , grated or other form , sugar cane juice , carbohydrates including but not limited to glucose , dextrose , fructose , levulose , invert sugar / invert syrup , galactose , sucrose , lactose or mixtures thereof , stevia , jiaogulan , sugar substitutes ( including but not limited to acesulfame potassium , salt of aspartame - acesulfame , acesulfame , alitame , aspartame ( equal or nutraseweet ), anethole , cyclamate , glycyrrhizin , lo han guo , neotame , perillartine , saccharin , stevioside , sucralose , inulin , or mixtures thereof ), sugar alcohols ( including but not limited to glycol , glycerol , erythritol , threitol , arabitol , xylitol , ribitol , mannitol , sorbitol , dulcitol , iditol , isomalt , maltitol , lactitol , polyglycitol or mixtures thereof ), natural sweeteners ( including but not limited to brazzein , curculin , hydrogenated starch hydrolysates , mabinlin , miraculin , monatin , monellin , pentadin , tagatose , thaumatin or mixtures thereof ) and mixtures thereof . the preferred embodiments include those employing honey , molasses , or agave nectar . wherein x = none , one or more of salt or salt substitutes such as salt ( nacl ), sea salt , rock salt , potassium chloride , potassium lactate , black salt , pink salt , smoked salt or other salt or salt substitute . the preferred embodiments employ sodium chloride , sea salt and / or rock salt . wherein y = none , one or more of oils including but not limited to peanut oil , walnut oil , almond oil , cotton seed oil , olive oil , corn oil , canola oil , ghee , butter , margarine , coconut oil , saffola oil , sunflower oil , mustard oil , cashew oil , palm oil , soybean oil , rapeseed oil , hazelnut oil , pecan oil , pine nut oil , other nut oils , linseed oils , rice bran oil , fish oil , margarine , shortening , partially or fully hydrogenated oils or fats , mono and diglycerides , hazelnut oil , macademia nut oil , mongongo nut oil ( manketti oil ), pine nut oil , pistachio oil , pumpkin seed , watermelon , sesame or other seed oils , apricot oil , amaranth oil , apple seed oil , argan oil , artichoke oil , avocado oil , babassu oil , ben oil borneo tallow nut oil , cape chestnut oil , cocoa butter , carob pod oil , coriander seed oil , dika oil , flax oil , false flax seed oil , grape seed oil , kapok seed oil , pine nut oil , lard , lallemantia oil , jojoba oil , manila oil , meadofoam seed oil , nutmeg butter , okra seed oil , papaya seed oil , preilla seed oil , pequi oil , poppy seed oil , primrose oil , prune kernel oil , quinoa oil , ramtil oil , royle oil , sacha - inchi oil , soy oil , tea seed oil , thisle oil , tomato seed oil wheat germ oil , mono or di glycerides , or other oils , fats or oil substitutes or mixtures thereof . the preferred composition employs almond oil , peanut oil , olive oil or walnut oil . wherein z ′= none , one or more of acidulents or acidity modifiers including but not limited to citric acid , vinegar , lemon juice , dilute acetic acid , tartaric acid , lactic acid , malic acid , lime juice , acidity modifiers including but not limited to sodium bicarbonate , sodium carbonate or the salts of acids including acetic , tartaric , lactic , malic , citric acids or mixtures thereof . z ″ none , one or more of grains , pulses , tubers or starches including but not limited to wheat , wheat germ , broken wheat , rice , corn , potato , barley , maize , sorghum , oats , millets , rye , triticale , buckwheat , bread crumbs , corn crumbs , corn starch , katakuri starch , sago , tapioca , potato , arrow root or other tubers , other starches , fonio , quinoa , spelt , amaranth , kaniwa , durum , semolina , pulses including but not limited to kidney beans , black beans , mung bean , black gram , dal , garbanzo beans , lima bean , fava bean , lentils , peas including but not limited to green pea , yellow pea , cow pea , or other grains , tubers , peas or beans in whole , powdered or ground form or as a paste or mixtures thereof . z ′″= none , one or more of the following : fruit or fruit paste or vegetables including but not limited to raisins , prunes , apples , apricots , berries , amla ( indian gooseberry ), jamoon , dates , citron , figs , cranberries or other fruit or vegetables including but not limited to carrots , or other vegetables in ground , juice , grated or other form , eggs , egg yolks , egg whites or egg substitutes , cheese , whey , milk solids , yoghurt or other milk substitute , vitamins , amino acids , proteins , minerals or herbs ( culinary or medicinal , including but not limited to chamomile , psyllium , brahmi , pippali [ long pepper ], bael , tea ( including but not limited to green , black ), aloe , satavari , asparagus , eucalyptus , sandalwood , saw palmetto , neem ), plants or extracts of herbs or plants ( including but not limited to reserveratrol , green tea extract , bromelain , pomegranate extract ), vegemite , wheat gluten , gluten , glycerol mono stearate , yeast , yeast extract , camphor , food additives ( including but not limited to silicon dioxide , silicates , stearic acid , tartaric acid ; emulsifiers including but not limited to lecithin , polysorbate 20 , flavor enhancers including but not limited to msg , glutamic acid , inosinic acid , maltitol ; humectants including but not limited to urea , quillaaia , desiccants , stabilizers including but not limited to agar , pectin , texture additives including but not limited to collagen , gelatin carrageenan , alginin , guar gum , locust bean gum , xanthan gum , flavors , chocolate , cocoa , preservatives including but not limited to sodium benzoate , benzoic acid , calcium propionate , potassium sorbate , nitrates , nitrites , sulfites , bisulfites , disodium edta , bha , bht or colors including but not limited to fd & amp ; c blue no 1 , 2 , green 3 , red 3 , 40 , yellow 5 , 6 . the amount components z ( z ′+ z ″+ z ′″) may range from 0 - 40 %. wherein p = the product obtained , the spread containing nut / seed butters and cu / co / tc / tu / mx . the manufacturing process include approaches in which ( a ) the nuts , curcumin and / or curcuminoids and / or turmeric and / or turmeric components and other ingredients ( if any ) are ground in a grinding , milling , chopping or nut butter producing machine or any another machine that breaks down the ingredients . it should be noted that the other ingredients could be none , one or more of v , w , x , y , and / or z in the equation ( b ) one or more of the nuts / seeds is premade into a nut / seed butter and mixed with cu / co / tc / tu / mx and other ingredients ( if any ) and ground / blended . the other ingredients could be none , one or more of v , w , x , y and / or z . either of the processes may involve optional heating of one or more of the ingredients . 1 ) a composition of raw or roasted nuts or seeds in ground , powdered , crunchy , smooth , paste , whole , crushed , broken or slurry form ; the nut / seed component is called component 1 ( the nuts including but not limited to almonds , peanuts , pistachios , cashews , macademia , pine , walnut , hazelnut , chestnut , brazilnut , soynut , filberts , hickory , pecans ). the seeds include the following but are not limited to : sesame seeds , sunflower seeds or other seeds . either one of the nuts or seeds or a combination of two or more types of nuts or seeds may be blended / ground with one or more of the following : turmeric , curcumin , curcuminoids or turmeric extract . the curcumin / curcuminoids / turmeric extract or components / turmeric / a mixture of one or more of these cu / co / tc / tu / mx is component 2 . component 1 can range from 30 - 99 . 8 % by weight . component 2 can range from 0 . 2 - 70 % by weight . this composition of components 1 and 2 is called a . preferred embodiments include almonds , peanuts , cashew nut butters with cu / co / tu / mx . the most preferred embodiment includes almond butter ( 80 - 99 . 8 %) and turmeric / curcumin / curcuminoids ( 0 . 2 - 15 %). 2 ) a composition of a with one or more of spices one or more of spices including but not limited to garlic , black pepper , white pepper , pepper corns , clove , cumin , nutmeg , mace , thyme , cinnamon , coriander , oregano , parsley , basil , holy basil , allspice , cilantro , rosemary , aniseed , fennel , dill ( seed , herb or weed ), cardamom , paprika , saffron , marjoram , mint , fenugreek , ginger , star anise , pink pepper , long pepper , sage , or other spice , powdered , whole or as a paste or mixtures thereof . in addition the spices include spices selected from the following or mixtures thereof , these may be used in less preferred embodiments : ajwain , akudjura , alexanders , alkanet , allspice , galangal , amchur ( mango powder ), anise , aniseed myrtle , annato , apple mint , azafoetida , avocado leaf , barberry , bay leaf , borage , black cardamom , black mustard , blue fenugreek , brown mustard , calamint , calendula , candlenut , capers , caraway , catnip , cassia , cayenne pepper , celery seed , chamomile , chervil , chicory , chili pepper , chilli powder ; chipotle , chives , cicely , cilantro , cinnamon myrtle , clary , clary sage , cost mary , cuban oregano , cubeb pepper , cud weed , culantro , curry leaf , curry plant , dorrigo pepper , elder flower , epazote , culantro ( long coriander ), fingerroot , french sorel , galingale , garlic chives , ginkgo nuts , golpar , grains of paradise , grains of selim , green tea , ground ivy , hops , horseradish , houttuynia , hot pepper , hyssop , jasmine , juniper berry , jalepenos , kaffir lime , kaffir lime leaves , lokam , lavender , laser ( silphium ), lemon balm , lemon basil , lemon grass , lemon mint , lemon myrtle , lemon thyme , lemon verbena , lesser galangal , licorice , lime flower , linden flower , rice paddy herb , long pepper , lovage , luohanguo , mace , marjoram , nasturtium , nigella , black caraway , olida , orris root , sweet cicely , pandan flower ( kewra ), pandan leaf , paprika , paracress , peppermint , peppermint gum , perilla , piper sarmentosum , white pumpkin , poppy seed , ramsons ( wood garlic ), red pepper , ribbery , rue , safflower , saigon cinnamon , salad burnet , salep , sassafras , savory , sesame seed , sheep &# 39 ; s sorrel , sichuan pepper , sloe berries , sorrel , spearmint , spikenard , sumac , summer savory , sweet woodruff , talinum , tamarind , tansy , tarragon , tasmanian pepper , tea , felty germander , that basil , tulsi , vanilla , vietnameese balm , vietnamese cinnamon , vietnamese corriander , wasabi , water - pepper , water cress , wattle seed , white mustard , wild thyme , winter savory , wintergreen , wood avens , woodruff , wormwood , yellow mustard , yerba buena , zaatar herb , zedoary , lemon , celery , celery seed , nigella seed , poppy seed , pimenta , pimento , orange peel , rapeseed , nori , mustard seeds , pimento , scallions , sweet pepper . spice mixtures including but not limited to berbere , curry powder , chinese five spice powder , garam masala , chaat masala , goda masala , herbes de provence , kaala masala , khmeli suneli , pudding spice , panch phoron , pumpkin pie spice , quatre epices , rasel hanout , tandoori masala , zaatar , jerk spice . a composition of a with one or more spices is referred to as b . 3 ) a composition of a or b mixed with one or more of sweeteners including but not limited to honey , sugar ( including but not limited to cane sugar , beet sugar , barley sugar ), brown sugar , raw sugar ( including but not limited to turbinado sugar , jaggery , muscovedo , panela , sucanat ) palm sugar , amazake , caramel , molasses , maple syrup , taffy , agave nectar , corn syrup , birch syrup , pine syrup , hickory syrup , poplar syrup , palm syrup , sugar beet syrup , sorghum syrup , cane syrup , cane sugar , golden syrup , barley malt syrup , rice syrup , agave syrup , yacon syrup , fruit powder or paste , fruit juice , fruit and vegetable sugars ( including but not limited to pumpkin sugar , watermelon sugar , date sugar , pekmez ) vegetables or vegetable extract including but not limited to carrots , beets , celery in ground , paste , juice , grated or other form , sugar cane juice , carbohydrates including but not limited to glucose , dextrose , fructose , levulose , invert sugar / invert syrup , galactose , sucrose , lactose or mixtures thereof , stevia , jiaogulan , sugar substitutes ( including but not limited to acesulfame potassium , salt of aspartame - acesulfame , acesulfame , alitame , aspartame ( equal or nutraseweet ), anethole , cyclamate , glycyrrhizin , lo han guo , neotame , perillartine , saccharin , stevioside , sucralose , inulin , or mixtures thereof ), sugar alcohols ( including but not limited to glycol , glycerol , erythritol , threitol , arabitol , xylitol , ribitol , mannitol , sorbitol , dulcitol , iditol , isomalt , maltitol , lactitol , polyglycitol or mixtures thereof ), natural sweeteners ( including but not limited to brazzein , curculin , hydrogenated starch hydrolysates , mabinlin , miraculin , monatin , monellin , pentadin , tagatose , thaumatin or mixtures thereof ) and mixtures thereof . this shall be called c . 4 ) a composition of a or b or c mixed with one or more of the following : salt ( nacl ), sea salt , rock salt , potassium chloride , potassium lactate , black salt , pink salt , smoked salt or other salt or salt substitute . this composition will be referred to as d . 5 ) a composition of a or b or c or d mixed with one or more oils including but not limited to peanut oil , walnut oil , almond oil , cotton seed oil , olive oil , corn oil , canola oil , ghee , butter , margarine , coconut oil , saffola oil , sunflower oil , mustard oil , cashew oil , palm oil , soybean oil , rapeseed oil , hazelnut oil , pecan oil , pine nut oil , other nut oils , linseed oils , rice bran oil , fish oil , margarine , shortening , partially or fully hydrogenated oils or fats , mono and diglycerides , hazelnut oil , macademia nut oil , mongongo nut oil ( manketti oil ), pine nut oil , pistachio oil , pumpkin seed , watermelon , sesame or other seed oils , apricot oil , amaranth oil , apple seed oil , argan oil , artichoke oil , avocado oil , babassu oil , ben oil borneo tallow nut oil , cape chestnut oil , cocoa butter , carob pod oil , coriander seed oil , dika oil , flax oil , false flax seed oil , grape seed oil , kapok seed oil , pine nut oil , lard , lallemantia oil , jojoba oil , marula oil , meadofoam seed oil , nutmeg butter , okra seed oil , papaya seed oil , preilla seed oil , pequi oil , poppy seed oil , primrose oil , prune kernel oil , quinoa oil , ramtil oil , royle oil , sacha - inchi oil , soy oil , tea seed oil , thisle oil , tomato seed oil wheat germ oil , mono or di glycerides , or other oils , fats or oil substitutes or mixtures thereof . this composition is referred to as e . 6 ) a composition of a or b or c or d or e combined with one or more of additives such as acidulents or acidity modifiers : acidulents include but are not limited to citric acid , vinegar , lemon juice , dilute acetic acid , tartaric acid , lactic acid , malic acid , lime juice , acidity modifiers include but are not limited to sodium bicarbonate , sodium carbonate or the salts of acids including acetic , tartaric , lactic , malic , citric acids or mixtures thereof . this is called f . 7 ) a composition of a or b or c or d or e or f may be combined with one or more of grains , pulses , tubers or starches including but not limited to wheat , wheat germ , broken wheat , rice , corn , potato , barley , maize , sorghum , oats , millets , rye , triticale , buckwheat , bread crumbs , corn crumbs , corn starch , katakuri starch , sago , tapioca , potato , arrow root or other tubers , other starches , fonio , quinoa , spelt , amaranth , kaniwa , durum , semolina , pulses including but not limited to kidney beans , black beans , mung bean , black gram , dal , garbanzo beans , lima bean , fava bean , lentils , peas including but not limited to green pea , yellow pea , cow pea , or other grains , tubers , peas or beans in whole , powdered or ground form or as a paste or mixtures thereof . this composition is g . 8 ) a composition of a or b or c or d or e or f or g blended with one or more of the following fruit or fruit paste or vegetables including but not limited to raisins , prunes , apples , apricots , berries , amla ( indian gooseberry ), jamoon , dates , citron , figs , cranberries or other fruit or vegetables including but not limited to carrots , or other vegetables in ground , juice , grated or other form , eggs , egg yolks , egg whites or egg substitutes , cheese , whey , milk solids , yoghurt or other milk substitute , vitamins , amino acids , proteins , minerals or herbs ( culinary or medicinal , including but not limited to chamomile , psyllium , brahmi , pippali [ long pepper ], bael , tea ( including but not limited to green , black ) aloe , satavari , asparagus , eucalyptus , sandalwood , saw palmetto , neem ) plants or extracts of herbs or plants ( including but not limited to reserveratrol , green tea extract , bromelain , pomegranate extract ), vegemite , wheat gluten , gluten , glycerol mono stearate , yeast , yeast extract , camphor , food additives ( including but not limited to silicon dioxide , silicates , stearic acid , tartaric acid ; emulsifiers including but not limited to lecithin , polysorbate 20 , flavor enhancers including but not limited to msg , glutamic acid , inosinic acid , maltitol ; humectants including but not limited to urea , quillaaia , desiccants , stabilizers including but not limited to agar , pectin , texture additives including but not limited to collagen , gelatin carrageenan , alginin , guar gum , locust bean gum , xanthan gum , flavors , chocolate , cocoa , preservatives including but not limited to sodium benzoate , benzoic acid , calcium propionate , potassium sorbate , nitrates , nitrites , sulfites , bisulfites , disodium edta , bha , bht or colors including but not limited to fd & amp ; c blue no 1 , 2 , green 3 , red 3 , 40 , yellow 5 , 6 , this is composition h 9 ) a composition of a or b or c or d or e or f or g or h with improved oxidative stability compared to the parent nut / seed butter ( component 1 ). 10 ) a composition of a or b or c or d or e or f or g or h with improved resistance to bacterial growth compared to the parent nut / seed butter . 11 ) a composition of a or b or c or d or e or f or g or h with improved flavor and texture ( vastly reduced oil separation ; in nut butters such as almond butter , oil separation is a serious disadvantage ) compared to the parent nut / seed butter . 12 ) a composition of peanut , walnut , pistachio , cashew , almond or mixed nut butter ( 80 - 95 %), turmeric and / or curcuminoids ( 1 - 5 %), black and or white pepper ( 1 - 5 %), garlic ( 1 - 5 %), honey ( 2 - 10 %), peanut / walnut / pistachio / cashew / almond / olive oil or a mixture of oils ( 0 - 10 %) and salt ( 0 - 2 %) is a preferred embodiment . 13 ) a composition of almond butter ( 75 - 98 %), pistachio , cashew , almond or mixed nut butter ( 80 - 95 %) curcumin and / or curcuminoids ( 1 - 9 %), black and or white pepper ( 1 - 5 %), garlic ( 1 - 5 %), honey ( 2 - 10 %), almond oil ( 0 - 10 %) and salt ( 0 - 2 %) is a preferred embodiment . 14 ) a composition of almond butter ( 60 - 98 %), turmeric and / or curcuminoids ( 1 - 5 %), black and or white pepper ( 1 - 5 %), garlic ( 1 - 5 %), honey ( 2 - 10 %), almond oil ( 0 - 10 %) and salt ( 0 - 2 %) is a preferred embodiment . 15 ) a composition of almond butter ( 80 - 95 %), turmeric and / or curcuminoids ( 1 - 5 %), black and or white pepper ( 1 - 5 %), garlic ( 1 - 5 %), honey ( 2 - 10 %), almond oil ( 0 - 10 %) and salt ( 0 - 2 %) is the most preferred embodiment . 16 ) a composition of walnut butter ( 60 - 98 %), turmeric and / or curcuminoids ( 1 - 5 %), black and or white pepper ( 1 - 5 %), garlic ( 1 - 5 %), honey ( 2 - 10 %), almond oil ( 0 - 10 %) and salt ( 0 - 2 %) is a preferred embodiment . 17 ) a composition of cashew butter ( 60 - 98 %), turmeric and / or curcuminoids ( 1 - 5 %), black and or white pepper ( 1 - 5 %), garlic ( 1 - 5 %), honey ( 2 - 10 %), almond oil ( 0 - 10 %) and salt ( 0 - 2 %) is a preferred embodiment . 18 ) a composition of almond butter ( 60 - 98 %), curcuminoids and / or curcumin ( 1 - 8 %), black and or white pepper ( 1 - 5 %), garlic ( 1 - 5 %), honey ( 2 - 10 %), almond oil ( 0 - 10 %) and salt ( 0 - 2 %) is a preferred embodiment . 19 ) a composition of almond butter ( 60 - 98 %), curcuminoids and / or curcumin and / or turmeric ( 1 - 10 %), black and or white pepper ( 1 - 5 %), garlic ( 1 - 5 %), honey ( 2 - 10 %), almond oil ( 0 - 10 %) and salt ( 0 - 2 %) and small amounts ( 0 - 9 %) of one or more of spices such as cayenne , hot , chilli or other pepper . 20 ) a composition of almond butter ( 60 - 98 %), curcuminoids ( 1 - 8 %), black or white pepper ( 1 - 5 %), garlic ( 1 - 5 %), honey ( 2 - 10 %), almond oil ( 0 - 10 %) and salt ( 0 - 2 %) is a preferred embodiment . 21 ) a composition of almond butter ( 80 - 95 %), turmeric and / or curcuminoids ( 1 - 5 %), black and or white pepper ( 1 - 5 %), garlic ( 1 - 5 %), honey ( 2 - 10 %), almond oil ( 0 - 10 %) and salt ( 0 - 2 %) with improved oxidative stability compared to almond butter . 22 ) a composition of almond butter ( 80 - 95 %), turmeric and / or curcuminoids ( 1 - 5 %), black and or white pepper ( 1 - 5 %), garlic ( 1 - 5 %), honey ( 2 - 10 %), almond oil ( 0 - 10 %) and salt ( 0 - 2 %) with improved resistance to bacterial contamination compared to almond butter . 23 ) a composition of almond butter ( 60 - 98 %), curcumin ( 1 - 8 %), black and or white pepper ( 1 - 5 %), garlic ( 1 - 5 %), honey ( 2 - 10 %), almond oil ( 0 - 10 %) and salt ( 0 - 2 %) is a preferred embodiment . 24 ) a composition of almond butter ( 60 - 98 %), curcuminoids and / or curcumin and / or turmeric ( 1 - 8 %), a spice mix such as garam masala or other spice mix ( 1 - 8 %), honey ( 2 - 10 %), almond oil ( 0 - 10 %) and optional salt ( 0 - 2 %). almonds dry roasted or raw or almond butter : 500 grams + 71 grams if no almond oil is used . black pepper : 16 . 4 grams , salt 6 . 2 grams , garlic 21 . 2 grams , turmeric 41 grams , honey 39 . 2 grams , almond oil 70 . 2 grams , cumin powder 12 . 4 grams , cinnamon powder 10 . 2 grams , marjoram powder 6 . 7 grams , chilly powder 6 . 9 grams , ginger powder 25 . 6 grams . procedure : grind the ingredients together in a grinding mill or other machine . one may stop at any stage of grinding to get a smooth , creamy , coarse or crunchy product . the spices may be in whole , powdered or paste form . alternatively , a premade nut butter may be mixed with spice powders or whole spices and other ingredients and then ground / blended . the order of addition of ingredients is optional . any of the ingredients or the final product may be heated ( this is optional ). almonds dry roasted or raw : 500 grams + 71 grams if no almond oil is used black pepper : 16 . 4 grams , salt 6 . 2 grams , garlic 21 . 2 grams , turmeric 41 grams , honey 39 . 2 grams , almond oil 70 . 2 grams procedure : grind the ingredients together in a grinding mill or other machine . one may stop at any stage of grinding to get a smooth , creamy , coarse or crunchy product . the spices may be in whole , powdered or paste form . alternatively , a premade nut butter may be mixed with spice powders or whole spices and other ingredients and then ground / blended . the order of addition of ingredients is optional . any of the ingredients or the final product may be heated ( this is optional ). pea nuts dry roasted or raw : 500 grams + 71 grams if no oil is used . black pepper : 12 g , turmeric 12 g , garlic 20 g , ginger 20 g , salt 4 g , honey 20 g , peanut oil 12 g , cumin 12 g , cinnamon 10 g , marjoram 20 g , chillipowder 7 g , procedure : grind the ingredients together in a grinding mill or other machine . one may stop at any stage of grinding to get a smooth , creamy , coarse or crunchy product . the spices may be in whole , powdered or paste form . alternatively , a premade nut butter may be mixed with spice powders or whole spices and other ingredients and then ground / blended . the order of addition of ingredients is optional . any of the ingredients or the final product may be heated ( this is optional ). almond butter , ( salted or unsalted , raw or roasted ) 300 . 00 lb , honey , 19 . 65 lb , turmeric powder 7 . 22 lb , black pepper , ground 6 . 96 lb , garlic powder 5 . 12 lb , salt 2 . 00 lb procedure : the starting nut butter may be smooth , creamy , coarse or crunchy . the spices may be in whole , powdered or paste form . the nut butter is mixed with spice powders or whole spices and other ingredients and then ground / blended . the order of addition of ingredients is optional . any of the ingredients or the final product may be heated ( this is optional ). almond butter ( raw or roasted ) 300 . 0 lb , honey 19 . 65 lb , almond oil 19 lb , turmeric powder 7 . 22 lb , black pepper , ground 6 . 96 lb , garlic powder 5 . 12 lb , salt 2 . 00 lb procedure : the starting nut butter may be smooth , creamy , coarse or crunchy . the spices may be in whole , powdered or paste form . the nut butter is mixed with spice powders or whole spices and other ingredients and then ground / blended . the order of addition of ingredients is optional . any of the ingredients or the final product may be heated ( this is optional ). almonds ( raw or roasted ) 300 . 0 lb , honey 19 . 65 lb , almond oil 19 lb , turmeric powder 7 . 22 lb black pepper , ground 6 . 96 lb , garlic powder 5 . 12 lb , salt 2 . 00 lb procedure : the starting nut butter may be smooth , creamy , coarse or crunchy . the spices may be in whole , powdered or paste form . the nut butter is mixed with spice powders or whole spices and other ingredients and then ground / blended . the order of addition of ingredients is optional . any of the ingredients or the final product may be heated ( this is optional ). peanut butter ( raw or roasted ) 300 . 0 lb , honey 19 . 65 lb , turmeric powder 7 . 22 lb black pepper , ground 6 . 96 lb , garlic powder 5 . 12 lb , salt 2 . 00 lb procedure : the starting nut butter may be smooth , creamy , coarse or crunchy . the spices may be in whole , powdered or paste form . the nut butter is mixed with spice powders or whole spices and other ingredients and then ground / blended . the order of addition of ingredients is optional . any of the ingredients or the final product may be heated ( this is optional ). maple syrup 19 . 65 lb , olive oil 19 lb , curcuminoids 7 lb , black pepper , ground 6 . 96 lb procedure : the starting nut butter may be smooth , creamy , coarse or crunchy . the spices may be in whole , powdered or paste form . the nut butter is mixed with spice powders or whole spices and other ingredients and then ground / blended . the order of addition of ingredients is optional . any of the ingredients or the final product may be heated ( this is optional ). almonds ( raw or roasted ) 160 . 0 lb , peanuts ( raw or roasted ) 170 lb , honey 30 lb almond oil 10 lb , peanut oil 10 lb , turmeric 7 . 22 lb , black pepper , ground 6 . 96 lb procedure : the nuts are ground in a grinding mill along with the other ingredients and spices and mixed thoroughly . the product may be heated if desired but heating is optional . the final product may be smooth , creamy , coarse or crunchy . the order of addition of ingredients is optional . the nuts may be ground separately or together . the other ingredients may be added initially during the nut grinding or later . the spices may be in powdered or paste form or one may use whole spices and grind them either during the grinding / blending or before . pea nuts dry roasted or raw : 200 g , turmeric 6 grams black pepper : 4 grams , salt : 1 gram , garlic 4 gram , ginger powder 4 grams molasses 4 grams , almond oil 18 grams , cumin powder 2 grams , cinnamon powder 2 grams marjoram powder 3 grams , chilly powder 1 gram the nuts are ground in a grinding mill along with the other ingredients and spices and mixed thoroughly . the product may be heated if desired but heating is optional . the final product may be smooth , creamy , coarse or crunchy . the order of addition of ingredients is optional . the other ingredients may be added initially during the nut grinding or later . the spices may be in powdered or paste form or one may use whole spices and grind them either during the grinding / blending or before . cashew nut butter dry roasted or raw ( or cashew nuts if grinding is done with the other ingredients ) 500 grams turmeric 6 grams , black pepper : 4 grams , salt : 1 gram , ginger powder 4 grams fruit concentrate 4 grams , cumin powder 2 grams , vitamin b 2 g , wheat germ 30 grams , egg white 3 g , vinegar 10 ml . procedure : the nuts are ground in a grinding mill or other grinding machine along with the other ingredients and spices and mixed thoroughly . the product may be heated if desired but heating is optional . the final product may be smooth , creamy , coarse or crunchy . the order of addition of ingredients is optional . alternatively , one may grind the nuts first and then add the other ingredients and blend them . another optional method is to use a premade nut butter and blend in the other ingredients with or without heating . sesame seeds : 500 grams , turmeric 6 grams , curcuminoids 2 g , black pepper : 4 grams , salt : 1 gram , garlic 4 gram , ginger powder 4 grams , honey 4 grams , canola oil 18 grams , cumin powder 2 grams , cinnamon powder 2 grams , marjoram powder 3 grams , chilli powder 1 gram . procedure : the sesame seeds are ground in a grinding mill / other grinder along with the other ingredients and spices ( in powdered form ) and mixed thoroughly . alternatively , one may start from sesame tahini . the product may be heated if desired but heating is optional . the final product may be smooth , creamy , coarse or crunchy . the order of addition of ingredients is optional . peanut butter 250 grams , walnut butter 150 grams , almond butter 100 grams ( or nuts if the procedure involves grinding the nuts in a mill ), curcumin 6 grams , black pepper : 4 grams , agave nectar 20 grams , salt substitute 1 gram procedure : the nuts butters are mixed with the other ingredients and spices and mixed thoroughly . the product may be heated if desired but heating is optional . the starting nut butters and final product may be smooth , creamy , coarse or crunchy . the order of addition of ingredients is optional . the nuts may be ground separately or together . the spices and curcumin may be in powdered or paste form or one may use whole spices and grind them either during the grinding / blending or before . walnuts dry roasted or raw : 500 grams + 71 grams if no almond oil is used black pepper powder : 16 g , salt 4 g , garlic 20 g , ginger powder 24 g , turmeric 12 g , mollasses 40 g , almond oil 72 g , cumin powder 12 g , cinnamon powder 10 g , marjoram powder 20 g , chilli powder 7 g . procedure : the nuts are ground in a grinding mill along with the other ingredients and spices and mixed thoroughly . the product may be heated if desired but heating is optional . the final product may be smooth , creamy , coarse or crunchy . the order of addition of ingredients is optional . the other ingredients may be added initially during the nut grinding or later . the spices may be in powdered or paste form or one may use whole spices and grind them either during the grinding / blending or before . alternatively , one may use a premade nut butter . procedure : if whole turmeric is used , it is broken down by milling / grinding and blended with the nut butters . if turmeric powder is used , it can be blended with the nut butters . the product may be heated if desired but heating is optional . the final product may be smooth , creamy , coarse or crunchy . the order of addition of ingredients is optional . alternatively , one may use a premade nut butter . almond butter 85 g , raisins 7 g , garbanzo bean powder , green tea extract 2 g , turmeric 2 g , pomegranate concentrate 3 g . procedure : the ingredients are mixed and blended . the order of addition is optional . heating of the ingredients or products is optional . any of the ingredients may be roasted before adding . almond butter 80 g , turmeric 2 g , curcumin 2 g , black pepper 1 g , garlic 1 g , almond oil 7 g ( optional ), honey 7 g , salt 0 . 5 g . procedure : the ingredients are mixed and blended . the order of addition is optional . heating of the ingredients or products is optional . procedure : the ingredients are mixed and blended . the order of addition is optional . heating of the ingredients or products is optional . procedure : the ingredients are mixed and blended . the order of addition is optional . heating of the ingredients or products is optional . the above examples representations of possible formulations and does not limit the patent in any way . the processes used for the manufacture of p include but is not limited to the example below . 1 ) blending curmin / curcuminoids / turmeric with or without other spices and / or flavors in minimum amount of oil ( oil is optional ) 2 ) blending the same under shear to create a uniform suspension / mixture 3 ) optional heating for extracting flavor and / or pasteurization 4 ) optional pasteurization of sweetening agents such as honey 5 ) blending of the curcumin / turmeric / curcuminoids — spice - flavor suspension with the sweetener . 6 ) addition of nut / seed butter and homogenization with optional heating . 7 ) the order of addition / mixing of ingredients is variable . addition of nuts / seeds , spices , sweetening agents , additives and flavors into a nut / seed grinding machine followed by grinding of all components is an alternative method . the order of addition of ingredients in any of these methods is variable . for example , one may add the nuts first and then add the spices . or , one may add all the ingredients in a nutbutter grinding mill / chopping machine or other machine and make the spread . one may start from the nuts and / or seeds or nut / seed butter or a mixture of nut and seed butters . combination of nut / seed butters to cu / co / tu / mx , other spices , sweeteners , flavors , preservatives or other additives may be done in any order . one or more of the ingredients may be heated . the spices used may be a premade spice mix such as garam masala or one may start from individual spices or spice powders or spice pastes or mixtures thereof . the two preferred methods for producing nut / seed butters containing cu / co / tc / tu / mx with improved oxidative stability , texture , flavor and improves resistance to bacterial growth described above are representative examples . the methods for the production of p are not limited to these processes . the water activity of the product is in the range 0 . 3 - 0 . 6 . the most preferred composition was sampled by a team of experts . the unanimous conclusion was that the taste and flavor of the spread produced was considerably improved compared to that of the starting nut butter . sampling was done after one day of production and the flavor had improved further . this could be because of the extraction of spices and flavors in the nut butter medium . oil separation experiment : samples of two embodiments of p and control ( parent almond butter ) were stirred and poured into 16 oz jars of the same size . after allowing for settling , the weight of the oil separated was measured . average of three measurements were used for calculation . the formulations both exhibited significantly reduced oil separation compared to the parent nut butter ( 53 % and 64 % respectively ) the measurements were made with three 1 lb jars of each type . almond butter 80 %, honey 4 %, turmeric + curcumin 8 %, garlic 3 %, the antioxidant potential of the product p was measured for one embodiment p3 ( almond butter 84 %, honey 5 %, almond oil 5 %, turmeric 2 . 5 %, black pepper 2 % garlic 1 %, salt 0 . 5 %) and a control . the values for antioxidant potential for a ) plain almond butter ( b ) an embodiment containing p3 2 . 5 % turmeric were measured by the oxygen radical absorbing capacity ( orac ) assay [ 14 ] for antioxidant capacities . a major component of nut butters such as almond butter is the nut oil . oils are glycerol esters of long chain fatty acids . if the fatty acid is unsaturated , that is if it has double bonds , the oil is considered an unsaturated oil . mono unsaturated and poly unsaturated oils and fats contain one or more double bonds per alkyl chain . these double bonds are susceptible to oxidation by atmospheric oxygen and this results in the oil becoming rancid . because of this , all natural nut butters have a limited shelf life . current methods of extending shelf life include addition of chemical preservatives , the effect of these on the health is not clearly demonstrated . many health conscious consumers prefer not to consume foods containing such artificial preservatives . from fig1 , it is clear that the composition p3 has nearly three times the orac value as the parent nut butter . this implies that its resistance to oxidative damage is increased 300 %. here , turmeric serves as an all natural , beneficial additive that reduces the oxidative damage . this will result in slowing down the process of rancidification thus extending the shelf life of the nut butter . another advantage of this formulation over plain cu / co / tc / tu / mx is the improved solubility . cu / co / tc / tu / mx has very low solubility in water and this is likely to be one of the major reasons of the very low bioabsorption of curcumin . the solubility of curcumin in a nut butter medium is very high . we performed the following experiment to compare the solubilities of curcumin in water and almond oil . ( almond oil is a major component of almond butter and was chosen as a model to establish the curcumin solubility in the nut butter because it is transparent ). we added 1 g of curcumin to 100 ml almond oil , stirred and filtered to a vial . the filtrate was yellow in color . a control experiment was performed with water and the filtrate was found to be colorless . a photograph of these vials is shown in fig2 . from the color which arises from curcumin (− 425 nm absorption maximum ) it is clear that it is very soluble in the almond oil , but not soluble in water . curcuminoids refers to [( 1e , 6e )- 1 , 7 - bis ( 4 - hydroxy - 3 - methoxyphenyl ) hepta - 1 , 6 - diene 3 , 5 - dione ]. curcumin is the primary active ingredient of turmeric . in addition to curcumin , turmeric also contains other active molecules . the most important active molecules in turmeric , including curcumin are collectively known as curcuminoids . curcuminoids include curcumin , demethoxycurcumin and bisdemethoxycurcumin . nut / seed butters refer to the substance obtained by grinding , chopping , milling or other break down of nuts / seeds irrespective of the process used . the nut / seed butter includes these in smooth , creamy , coarse or crunchy form . the nut / butter may be produced by any breakdown method such as grinding , milling , chopping etc or a combination of these . nuts / seeds / powdered nuts // nut butters / seed butters / powdered seeds / mixtures of these are represented as nu / se / pn / nb / sb / ps / mns . nuts , powdered nuts and nut butters in nu / se / pn / nb / sb / ps / mns include but are not limited to almonds , peanuts , pistachios , cashews , macademia , pine , walnut , hazelnut , chestnut , brazilnut , soynut , filberts , hickory , pecans in ground , powdered , crunchy , smooth , paste , whole , crushed , broken or slurry form . the seeds and seed butters include but are not limited to the following : sesame seeds , sunflower seeds or other seeds in ground , powdered , crunchy , smooth , paste , whole , crushed , broken or slurry form . either one of the nuts or seeds or a combination of two or more types of nuts or seeds or mixtures of nuts and seeds may be used . cu refers to curcumin , co refers to curcuminoids , tu refers to turmeric , tc refers to compounds extracted from turmeric , mix refers to a mixture containing one or more of cu , co , tc or tu . examples of spices mixed along with cu / co / tc / tu / mx include but are not limited to garlic , black pepper , white pepper , pepper corns , clove , cumin , nutmeg , mace , thyme , cinnamon , coriander , oregano , parsley , basil , holy basil , allspice , cilantro , rosemary , aniseed , fennel , dill ( seed , herb or weed ), cardamom , paprika , saffron , marjoram , mint , fenugreek , ginger , star anise , pink pepper , sage , or other spice , powdered , whole or as a paste or mixtures thereof . in addition spices may be selected from the following or mixtures thereof , these may be used in less preferred embodiments : ajwain , akudjura , alexanders , alkanet , allspice , galangal , amchur ( mango powder ), anise , aniseed myrtle , annato , apple mint , azafoetida , avocado leaf , barberry , bay leaf , borage , black cardamom , black mustard , blue fenugreek , brown mustard , calamint , calendula , candlenut , capers , caraway , catnip , cassia , cayenne pepper , celery seed , chamomile , chervil , chicory , chili pepper , chilli powder , chipotle , chives , cicely , cilantro , cinnamon myrtle , clary , clary sage , cost mary , cuban oregano , cubeb pepper , cud weed , culantro , curry leaf , curry plant , dorrigo pepper , elder flower , epazote , culantro ( long coriander ), fingerroot , french sorel , galingale , garlic chives , ginkgo nuts , golpar , grains of paradise , grains of selim , green tea , ground ivy , hops , horseradish , houttuynia , hot pepper , hyssop , jasmine , juniper berry , jalepenos , kaffir lime , kaffir lime leaves , lokam , lavender , laser ( silphium ), lemon balm , lemon basil , lemon grass , lemon mint , lemon myrtle , lemon thyme , lemon verbena , lesser galangal , licorice , lime flower , linden flower , rice paddy herb , long pepper , lovage , luohanguo , mace , marjoram , nasturtium , nigella , black caraway , olida , orris root , sweet cicely , pandan flower ( kewra ), pandan leaf , paprika , paracress , peppermint , peppermint gum , perilla , piper sarmentosum , white pumpkin , poppy seed , ramsons ( wood garlic ), red pepper , ribbery , rue , safflower , saigon cinnamon , salad burnet , salep , sassafras , savory , sesame seed , sheep &# 39 ; s sorrel , sichuan pepper , sloe berries , sorrel , spearmint , spikenard , sumac , summer savory , sweet woodruff , talinum , tamarind , tansy , tarragon , tasmanian pepper , tea , felty germander , that basil , tulsi , vanilla , vietnameese balm , vietnamese cinnamon , vietnamese corriander , wasabi , water - pepper , water cress , wattle seed , white mustard , wild thyme , winter savory , wintergreen , wood avens , woodruff , wormwood , yellow mustard , yerba buena , zaatar herb , zedoary , lemon , celery , celery seed , nigella seed , poppy seed , pimenta , pimento , orange peel , rapeseed , nori , mustard seeds , pimento , scallions , sweet pepper . spice mixtures including but not limited to berbere , curry powder , chinese five spice powder , garam masala , chaat masala , goda masala , herbes de provence , kaala masala , khmeli suneli , pudding spice , panch phoron , pumpkin pie spice , quatre epices , rasel hanout , tandoori masala , zaatar , jerk spice . the spices may be added individually or as a premade mix such as garam masala or other spice mix . the entire contents including the references cited therein of the patents and publications mentioned in this specification are incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes to the same extent as if each individual patent , patent application or publication were so individually denoted . 1 ) goel , ajay ; jhurani , sonia ; aggarwal , bharat b . “ multi - targeted therapy by curcumin : how spicy is it ?” molecular nutrition & amp ; food research ( 2008 ), 52 ( 9 ), 1010 - 1030 . 2 ) campbell , frederick c . ; collett , gavin p . “ chemopreventive properties of curcumin .” future oncology ( 2005 ), 1 ( 3 ), 405 - 414 3 ) ( a ) raja , k . s . *, balambika , r *., sukanta dolai , wei shi “ the concept of a green drug , curcumin and it &# 39 ; s derivatives as a model system .” mini reviews in organic chemistry , ( 2009 ), volume 6 , no . 2 . 152 - 158 . ( b ) shi , w . ; dolai , s . ; rizk , s . ; hussain , a . ; tariq , h . ; averick , s . ; l ′ amoreaux , w . ; el idrissi , a . ; banerjee , p . ; raja , k . s . org . lett ., 2007 , 9 , 5461 . 4 ) strimpakos a . s , sharma r . a . “ curcumin : preventive and therapeutic properties in laboratory studies and clinical trials .” antioxid redox signal . 2008 10 ( 3 ): 511 - 45 . 5 ). braga , mara e . m . ; leal , patricia f . ; carvalho , joao e . ; meireles , m . angela a . “ comparison of yield , composition , and antioxidant activity of turmeric ( curcuma longa l .) extracts obtained using various techniques .” journal of agricultural and food chemistry ( 2003 ), 51 ( 22 ), 6604 - 6611 6 ) yeh , c . h , chen , t . p , wu , y . c , lin , y . m , jing , l . p . “ inhibition of nf □ b activation with curcumin attenuates plasma inflammatory cytokines surge and cardiomyocytic apoptosis following cardiac ischemia / reperfusion .” journal of surgical research ( 2005 ), 125 ( 1 ), 109 - 116 . 7 ) cole g . m , teter b , and frautschy s . a . “ neuroprotective effects of curcumin .” adv exp med . biol . ( 2007 ); 595 : 197 - 212 . 8 ) rossi , l . ; mazzitelli , s . ; arciello , m . ; capo , c . r . ; rotilio , g . “ neurochemical benefits from dietary polyphenols for brain aging and alzheimer &# 39 ; s disease .” research ( 2008 ), 33 ( 12 ), 2390 - 2400 . 9 ) park , byeoung - soo ; kim , jae - gyu ; kim , mi - ran ; lee , sung - eun ; takeoka , gary r . ; oh , ki - bong ; kim , jeong - han . “ curcuma longa l . constituents inhibit sortase a and staphylococcus aureus cell adhesion to fibronectin .” journal of agricultural and food chemistry ( 2005 ), 53 ( 23 ), 9005 - 9009 . 10 ) jain , t . ; ashish ; j . devasagayam , t . p . a . “ cardioprotective and other beneficial effects of some indian medicinal plants .” journal of clinical biochemistry and nutrition ( 2006 ), 38 ( 1 ), 9 - 18 . 11 ) hong - liang li , chen liu , geoffrey de couto , maral ouzounian , mei sun , 1 ai - bing wang , yue huang , cheng - wei he , yu shi , 1 xin chen , mai p . nghiem , youan liu , manyin chen , fayez dawood , masahiro fukuoka , yuichiro maekawa , liyong zhang , andrew leask , asish k . ghosh , lorrie a . kirshenbaum , and peter p . liu , “ curcumin prevents and reverses murinecardiac hypertrophy ” the journal of clinical investigation ( 2008 ) volume 118 number 3 . 12 ) mohandas , k . m ., desai , d . c ., “ epidemiology of digestive tract cancers in india . v . large and small bowel . indian journal of gastroenterology ” ( 1999 ) 18 ( 3 ), 118 - 121 . 13 ) cheng , a . l . ; hsu , c . h . ; lin , j . k . ; hsu , m . m . ; ho , y . f . ; shen , t . s . ; ko , j . y . ; lin , j . t . ; lin , b . r . ; wu , m . s . ; yu , h . s . ; jee , s . h . ; chen , g . s . ; chen , t . m . ; chen , c . a . ; lai , m . k . ; pu , y . s . ; pan , m . h . ; wang , y . j . ; tsai , c . c . ; hsieh , c . y . “ phase i clinical trial of curcumin , a chemopreventive agent , in patients with high - risk or pre - malignant lesions .” anticancer res . ( 2001 ), 21 , 2895 . 14 ) prior , r . l . ; hoang , h . ; gu , l . ; wu , x . ; bacchiocca , m . ; howard , l . ; hampsch - woodill , m . ; huang , d . ; ou , b . ; jacob , r . “ assays for hydrophilic and lipophilic antioxidant capacity ( oxygen radical absorbance capacity ( oracfl )) of plasma and other biological and food samples .” j . agric . food chem . ( 2003 ), 51 , 3273 - 3279 although the present invention has been described with reference to specific details of certain embodiments thereof , it is not intended that such detail should be regarded as limitations upon the scope of the invention , except as and to the extent that they are included in the accompanying claims . | 0 |
fig1 shows a file folder 20 which is adapted to receive a collection of documents for storage therein . the file folder 20 is generally formed of a heavy paper stock and includes a crease or sometimes accordion - like creases 22 for ease in folding . to complete the file 20 there is a fastener 24 . the file 20 shown in fig1 is a typical file which might be used in business . referring now to fig2 the document 30 has been punched to include two holes , collectively identified by the numeral 32 , which allow it to slip over the fastener 24 when the fastener 24 has its respective prongs 26 and 28 bent upwardly as seen in fig2 . also shown in fig2 is an embodiment of the invention , a document removal device 40 in accordance with its arms 50 and 52 positioned over the prongs 26 and 28 for intended operation . referring now to fig3 the document removal device 40 is shown after it has been engaged with the prongs 26 and 28 of the fastener 24 , thereby allowing the overlying documents to be removed from the file folder 20 for viewing or removal of a selected document . referring to fig4 details of the fastener 24 , with its prongs 26 and 28 , of the file folder 20 are shown . referring to fig5 a perspective side view of the details of the fastener 24 , with its prongs 26 and 28 , of the file folder 20 are shown . as is customary in the file folders herein described , the width of prongs 26 and 28 are approximately the same size as the diameter of document holes 32 . referring to fig6 - 11 , details of the preferred embodiments of a document removal device 40 are shown . in fig6 and 7 , a document removal device 40 includes central section 54 which preferably connects two arms 50 and 52 . the connecting section 54 and arms 50 and 52 formed of a material such as metal but not limited thereto . plastics or any other materials which are sufficiently strong and rigid may be used to fabricate the invention . the preferred diameter of the illustrated cylindrical arms 50 and 52 is that which is less than that of the width of the prongs 26 and 28 , and therefore is also less than that of the width of the document holes 32 , thereby allowing for the easy passage of the arms 50 and 52 over the prongs 26 and 28 , and through the document holes 32 , and for the easy removal of documents from the file folder 20 and onto the document removal device 40 and for the return of said documents from the document removal device 40 in their proper order into the file folder 20 . fig8 shows a detailed front perspective of the arms 50 and 52 of a preferred embodiment of document removal device 40 . both arms 50 and 52 preferably have a vertical slot 60 extending the full diameter of the cylindrical member in width , with a height that may be approximately equal to the height of the prongs 26 and 28 . the thickness of the arms may be greater than the thickness of said prongs 26 and 28 depending on the strength of the material used for the arms . the dimensions of the slot 60 of the arms 50 and 52 are preferably such that the slot 60 easily accepts and temporarily retains the prongs 26 and . 28 of the fastener 24 . as the file folder 20 which is described herein may be constructed with prongs 26 and 28 having dimensions of various sizes , the dimensions of the slots 60 or the dimensions of the arms 50 and 52 of the document removal device 40 should not be limited in scope , but may vary accordingly . also shown in fig8 is the side view of an interior element 70 that is preferably located at the upper end of slot 60 in particularly preferred embodiments of the present invention . fig9 illustrates interior element 70 which preferably has an inverted syncline cut , identified along its edges by the numeral 72 , on the bottom side of the element 70 . in fig9 interior element 70 has been inserted and permanently affixed by an adhesive or by other means into the slot 60 of one of the arms 50 , 52 . in other embodiments of the invention , the element 70 may be eliminated altogether by using a laser or conventional machining or other means to create an inverted syncline cut at the top end of the slot 60 . fig1 shows a side perspective of one of the arms 50 , 52 of the document removal device 40 with a phantom view of the slot 60 and showing the interior element 70 inserted and affixed in slot 60 to form an inverted syncline cut at the top end of the slot 60 . fig1 also shows one of the arms 50 , 52 with a prong 26 , 28 from the fastener 24 inserted therein and the inverted syncline cut of the interior element accepting and retaining in place the tapered upper end of the prong 26 , 28 . preferably , the syncline cut of element 70 is such that it engages the end of a prong 26 , 28 . thus , when documents have been removed from the file folder 20 and placed onto the document removal device 40 , the prongs 26 and 28 , which have been captured by the arms 50 and 52 , do not slide horizontally out of the slots 60 of the arms 50 and 52 . fig1 shows a front view of the interior element 70 with an inverted syncline cut 72 along the bottom side . referring now to fig1 through 10 , the use of a preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described . as seen in fig2 the first step in using a document removal device 40 is to erect the prongs 26 and 28 of the fastener 24 of the file folder 20 . the arms 50 and 52 of a preferred embodiment of a document removal device 40 are then aligned over the prongs 26 and 28 so that the slot 60 ( fig8 ) of each arm 50 , 52 is positioned directly over said prongs 26 and 28 . the arms 50 and 52 are then lowered over the prongs 26 and 28 of the fastener 24 and through document holes 32 . thus , the entire document removal device 40 is preferably lowered as an integral unit until the prongs 26 and 28 are fully inserted into the respective slots 60 of each arm 50 , 52 . when this operation is complete , the tapered end of each prong 26 , 28 will preferably fit snugly into the interior hollow space created by the inverted syncline cut of the interior element 70 ( fig1 ). the snug fit of the tapered end of each prong 26 , 28 in the hollow space created by the inverted syncline cut of the interior element 70 prevents the prongs 26 and 28 from moving horizontally out of their respective slots 60 . as shown in fig3 to view a selected document the overlying documents are lifted up along the arms 50 and 52 of the document removal device 40 and turned over to slide down the rear length of the arms 50 and 52 of the document removal device 40 . to remove a selected document , or to insert an additional document , the document removal device 40 with the documents located thereon are then removed from the prongs 26 and 28 of the file folder 20 and the new document slipped onto the prongs 26 and 28 of the fastener 24 , or a document removed . when the desired operation is completed , the document removal device 40 with its load of documents located thereon is then once again slipped over the prongs 26 and 28 , and the documents on the document removal device 40 are turned over from the rear length of the arms 50 and 52 of the document removal device 40 and down the front length of the arms 50 and 52 of the document removal device 40 and onto the stack of documents contained in the file folder 20 in proper order and without misalignment of their holes on the fastener 24 . the document removal device 40 is then removed off of the prongs 26 and 28 simply by lifting it up off of the prongs 26 and 28 , and the prongs 26 and 28 are bent downward to the position seen in fig1 once again holding intact all the documents within the file folder 20 . accordingly , this invention can be used to easily view or remove selected documents retained in a file folder of the type wherein the punched papers contained within the folder are secured by a metal fastener . the advantages of this device are that : it permits easy viewing of a selected document without the necessity of weighing down the overlying documents when they are in a reverse , inverted position by allowing the overlying documents to be turned over two cylindrical members ; it permits easy removal of a selected document or documents , or insertion of an additional document or documents , by allowing the overlying documents to be placed on the document removal device , whereupon the document removal device is temporarily disengaged from the file folder to permit removal of the overlying documents ; it provides for the easy replacement of the removed overlying documents back to the file folder in proper order without misalignment of the holes ; it provides a method of removing and returning overlying documents to the file folder without causing the fastener prongs to bend and deform , as under normal circumstances said prongs because of their malleability have a tendency to bend out of shape with repeated extractions and re - insertions of overlying documents . the above description should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention . for example , the dimensions of the slot or the arm may vary , depending upon the dimensions of the fastener prongs contained in a file folder . thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents , rather than by the examples given . | 1 |
fig1 a , 1 b , 1 c , and 1 d show an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure , as used with a helicopter of conventional layout . this embodiment includes a retrieval fixture in the form of a cable 12 that is suspended by supports 13 across the intended landing area . the supports 13 are sufficiently separated to allow the helicopter 1 to comfortably pass between them . in preparation for retrieval , the helicopter 1 extends an interceptor , which in one embodiment includes a pole 5 . the interceptor also includes one or more hooks 10 attached to the end of the pole 5 as , for example , shown in fig2 . the helicopter 1 approaches the cable 12 in slow , nearly - horizontal flight at speed vg along a path 42 at a suitably large angle relative to the line 14 between the supports 13 . in one embodiment , the approach is flown automatically , with three - dimensional position and velocity of the helicopter 1 relative to the cable 12 being measured , for example , by differencing satellite - navigation solutions between an antenna 15 on the helicopter and on a reference point 16 near the cable . approach brings the pole 5 into contact with the cable 12 , which then applies a force as indicated by arrow 17 to the surface 8 of the pole 5 . the cable 12 then slides along the pole 5 . this can be arranged by : ( a ) deploying the pole 5 with a suitable sweepback angle relative to the line of approach ; or ( b ) by making the pole attachment compliant under the cable load 17 ; or ( c ) by attaching the pole 5 rigidly along the spin axis 4 of the rotor 2 , leaving the cable load 17 to rotate the helicopter 1 bodily about the cable axis 14 ; or ( d ) by a suitable combination of these arrangements . sliding directs the cable 12 through a gate 22 into a hook 10 as shown in fig2 , and the gate 22 then closes to ensure that the cable 12 will not be released until desired . closing of the gate 22 may be sensed directly , or inferred from deflection of the pole 5 under the cable load 17 , or from deceleration or rotation of the helicopter 1 . when capture of the cable 12 is recognized , drive power is reduced and the rotor 2 gradually slows to a stop . the helicopter 1 comes to rest hanging upside - down from the cable 12 . a winch 18 or other suitable device for adjusting the height of the cable 12 can then be used to lower the helicopter 1 onto a handling platform . the hook 10 can then be released . alternatively , a small helicopter 1 can be removed from the cable 12 by hand . if the approach speed of the helicopter 1 is sufficiently high , then the cable 12 may have to comply in order to make deceleration loads acceptably small . this may be done by : ( a ) incorporating elastic segments into the cable 12 ; or ( b ) by paying - out slack from a winch 18 in order to control tension in the cable 12 ; or ( c ) by a combination thereof . in either case , provision may be made quickly to take up the slack during the latter part of deceleration in order to limit sag of the helicopter 1 as it comes to rest . it should be noted that instead of deploying the retrieval - fixture interceptor downward as in fig1 , the helicopter 1 in an alternative embodiment could deploy the interceptor upward from its rotor hub 3 . it would then approach so that its rotor 2 passes below rather than above the cable 12 , and it would come to rest hanging right - side - up rather than upside - down . while coming to rest right - side - up would be desirable , especially for a manned helicopter , passing above the cable 12 as in fig1 offers two safety advantages over passing below . first , it increases the clearance between the cable 12 and the rotor 2 during approach . second , it permits the helicopter 1 to attempt a climb to test for capture ( much as a fixed - wing aircraft landing on an aircraft carrier increases power immediately at touchdown ). thus , shortly after passing the cable axis 14 , or upon detecting an indication of contact with or capture of the cable 12 , power to the rotor 2 can be increased . if capture has not occurred , then the helicopter 1 will climb away from the retrieval area and can return for another approach . if the helicopter 1 fails to climb , then this can be taken as confirmation that capture has occurred , and power can be reduced . the helicopter 1 will then descend , and be left hanging upside - down from the cable 12 . swinging motion , including rotations about the approach axis 42 caused by rotor gyroscopic effect , can be damped by appropriate management of rotor thrust and in - plane moments during deceleration . fig2 shows a detailed view of an installation of carabiner - type hooks 10 in one embodiment of the present disclosure . a cable 12 slides along a surface 8 onto a one - way gate 22 , which then opens about a hinge 23 . the cable 12 is captured when the gate 22 doses behind it . meanwhile , the cable 12 remains free to slide along its axis through the hook 10 . in one embodiment , the hook 10 includes a sloped deflector surface 25 . if the cable 12 misses the capture aperture and strikes the deflector surface 25 , then it will be directed to slide clear of the aircraft with low applied force . fig3 shows an alternative embodiment of a hook of the present disclosure , which includes a slot 24 to clamp the cable 12 in the manner of a jam cleat . this prevents the captured cable 12 from sliding along its axis relative to the hook 9 . it should be appreciated that other suitable forms of the hook or hook installation may be employed in accordance with the present disclosure . fig4 a , 4 b , 4 c , and 4 d show another embodiment applied to an aircraft 28 having a configuration suited to efficient wing - borne flight . the aircraft 28 has a fixed wing 29 and a propeller 2 installed at its nose . the propeller &# 39 ; s spin axis 4 is aligned with the fuselage . the retrieval pole of the interceptor as in fig1 a to 1d is unnecessary , since the aft fuselage 8 provides a suitable surface for intercepting the cable 12 , and hooks 10 can be mounted on the rear of the fuselage 8 as shown in fig5 . it should be appreciated that in an alternative embodiment , an interceptor having a retrieval pole may be employed . to prepare for retrieval , the aircraft 28 pitches up from forward flight , with its thrust line near horizontal , into hovering flight , with its thrust line near vertical . rotor thrust 20 is adjusted to balance aircraft weight . the thrust vector 20 is tilted along the approach path 42 , and the aircraft 28 slowly draws the rear surface of its fuselage 8 across the retrieval cable 12 . the cable load indicated by arrow 17 causes the aircraft 28 to tilt further along the approach path 42 as indicated by arrow 19 . the cable 12 slides along the fuselage 8 ( as shown in fig5 ) and through a gate 22 into a hook 9 . retrieval is then completed in the same or similar manner as for the helicopter 1 in fig1 . the aircraft 28 finishes hanging nose - down on the cable 12 . again , this would be impractical for a manned aircraft , but quite acceptable for an aircraft that is small and unmanned . fig6 a , 6 b , 6 c , and 6 d show another embodiment in which a second cable 46 is attached to the cable supports 13 adjacent and essentially or substantially parallel to the snag cable 12 . the position of this second cable 46 is such that the aircraft is intercepted as it rotates around the snag cable 12 , and so comes to rest in a more nearly horizontal orientation than that shown in fig4 . the height of the snag cable 12 can therefore be reduced , and the final nose - down orientation avoided . it should be appreciated that more than one additional cables can be employed in alternative embodiments , and supported in any suitable manner . in other embodiments , a net , mattress , boom or similar support could perform the same function as the second cable 46 . of these choices , a second cable 46 has the advantage that it can exchange roles with the snag cable 12 depending upon the approach direction . in any case , the aircraft support 46 must be positioned so that it remains clear of the propeller as the aircraft comes to rest . it must also comply as necessary to arrest the aircraft without damage . in any of these example embodiments , should the cable 12 not be captured because of incorrect altitude , failure to capture can be recognized as the cable axis 14 is passed . the aircraft can then climb away from the retrieval area and return for another approach . fig7 , fig8 , and fig9 illustrate possible paths for a fixed - wing aircraft to approach a retrieval cable 12 in a wind v w . in general , the rotor thrust vector t opposes the sum of the weight vector w and the drag vector d . thus , to maintain nonzero airspeed v a , the thrust vector t must be tilted to balance drag d . required thrust t and thrust - vector tilt θ are minimized by minimizing drag , which can be done by orienting the wing 29 at knife - edge to the wind v w as shown in fig7 and fig8 . for successful capture , the aircraft 28 must contact the cable 12 in an aperture between the wing 29 and the hook 9 . when the airspeed vector v a is into - wind v w , the thrust - vector tilt θ makes the aperture on the downwind side of the aircraft h d broader than the aperture on the upwind side h u . hence , guidance for a horizontal approach can be less precise if the aircraft approaches the cable 12 while moving downwind rather than upwind . in a sufficiently strong wind , tilt of the thrust vector could be so large that the upwind aperture hu would vanish , and a horizontal approach would have to be made downwind in order to engage the cable 12 . the approach , however , need not be horizontal . fig8 shows an alternative in which the aircraft 28 approaches while descending into - wind with knife - edge wing orientation . if the slope γ of the approach path is selected to be approximately equal to the thrust - vector tilt θ , then the aperture h u for successful capture of the cable 12 is kept large . for a given wind speed v w this form of upwind approach requires more thrust ( but not necessarily more power ) than a downwind approach since it calls for higher airspeed . a further possibility , as shown in fig9 , is to approach with the wing 29 in a lifting rather than knife - edge orientation . in this case , the vector sum of thrust t and lift l balances drag d and weight w . again , the aircraft 28 presents maximum capture aperture h u to the cable 12 by approaching into - wind while descending on a slope γ which is approximately equal to the thrust - vector tilt θ . if the wind speed exceeds the stall airspeed in wing - borne flight , then descent can be vertical . of these approach methods , downwind drift in knife - edge orientation as in fig7 requires the least thrust in a light wind . wing - borne upwind descent as in fig9 requires the least thrust in a strong wind . hence , the best choice of approach path and aircraft orientation will depend at least in part on wind speed . in an automatic approach , thrust - vector tilt θ and rotor power are adjusted to regulate the approach velocity vector v g . upon encountering the cable 12 , progress is retarded , and the automatic - control logic calls for the thrust vector t to be tilted toward the approach path 42 . this causes the aircraft 28 to rotate around the cable 12 in the desired direction indicated by arrow 19 in fig4 b , so that sliding of the cable 12 into the hook 10 is promoted . fig1 a , 10 b , and 10 c show an embodiment of the present disclosure in which the retrieval fixture is a boom 48 cantilevered from a mast 13 . a large aperture for capturing the retrieval fixture is created by trailing an interceptor having a string 44 with a grappling hook 9 , or alternatively with a small trailing mass 43 as shown in fig1 a , 11 b , 11 c , and 11 d . contact may excite waves in the trailing string and so make sliding over the boom 48 intermittent . steady sliding can be promoted by including a string tail 45 below the hook 9 or trailing mass 43 . sliding of the string 44 along the boom 48 leads to capture by the grappling hook 9 , or , alternatively , if the string 44 contacts the boom 48 at sufficient speed v g , then the inertia of the trailing mass 43 will cause the string 44 to wrap around the boom 48 . the aircraft comes to rest hanging by the string 44 . the longer the string 44 , the larger the aperture for capture , and so the more relaxed are requirements for accuracy in approach . however , this advantage is balanced by the need to elevate the cable boom 48 to allow sufficient room for the aircraft to hang on the string . in one embodiment , the necessary clearance could be reduced by retracting the string 44 after capture . this embodiment would require a suitable retraction mechanism . fig1 a , 11 b , 11 c , and 11 d show an alternative embodiment in which the aircraft 28 need not have a hook . instead , the retrieval fixture includes a boom 48 to which multiple cleats 24 are attached . the aircraft 28 trails an interceptor including a string 44 with a mass 43 and a tail 45 . the axis 14 of the boom 48 includes a component parallel to the aircraft &# 39 ; s direction of approach 42 . consequently , as the aircraft 28 draws the string 44 across the boom 48 , the string slides along the boom into a cleat 24 , which in one embodiment captures the string as discussed in connection with fig3 . retrieval is completed as discussed in connection with fig1 a , 10 b , and 10 c . fig1 a , 12 b , 12 c , and 12 d show another embodiment in which one of a set of latches 56 on a cantilever boom 48 engages one or more detents 54 in the aircraft 28 . the aircraft 28 approaches on a path 42 controlled so that a detent 54 is directed into a latch 56 on the boom 48 . retrieval is completed as discussed in connection with fig1 a , 10 b , and 10 c . in the embodiment of fig1 a , 12 b , 12 c , and 12 d , the cantilever boom 48 is rotatable on a hinge 50 about a vertical axis 49 as shown by arrow 58 . an aerodynamic surface 52 orients the boom 48 passively relative to the wind . similarly , the boom 48 is rotatable about a horizontal axis 14 , and is rigidly connected to an aerodynamic surface 53 . the weight of this surface 53 , and its attachment 57 to the boom 48 , are chosen so that the latches 56 are oriented appropriately for a horizontal approach in calm wind . the area of the surface 53 is chosen so that as the wind speed increases , the latches orient appropriately for a descending approach as shown in fig8 and fig9 . in the embodiments illustrated above , the aircraft &# 39 ; s thrust axis rotates substantially out of the vertical during the course of retrieval . fig1 a , 13 b , 13 c , and 13 d show an alternative embodiment in which the thrust axis remains near vertical until the aircraft “ parks .” the aircraft approaches and captures a retrieval cable 12 as in fig4 a and 4b . then , upon detecting contact , it applies pitch and yaw torques , for example by appropriate adjustment of rotor cyclic pitch , so that rotation about the cable is arrested and near - vertical orientation is maintained . by further application of control torques , the aircraft slides along the cable such that it is guided by the cable into a docking fixture 5 a near a cable support as shown in fig1 b and 13c . the docking fixture may include devices suitable for orienting and securing the aircraft in a desired position , which is provided so that secure docking can be detected , after which the aircraft &# 39 ; s motor can be shut down . in one example , the docking fixture includes an arm , such as the arm illustrated in fig1 a , 13 b , 13 c , and 13 d , configured to engage and secure the aircraft . the docking station may further include suitable devices for conveniently servicing the aircraft , stowing the aircraft , or launching the aircraft for another flight as shown in fig1 d . it should be understood that various changes and modifications to our illustrative embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art . such changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present subject matter and without diminishing its intended advantages . it is therefore intended that such changes and modifications be covered by the appended claims . | 1 |
the present invention pertains to a pressure welding device ( 1 ) and to a pressure welding method . the pressure welding device ( 1 ) and the pressure welding method may have various designs . fig1 shows a design as a friction welding device and friction welding method . in another embodiment which is not shown , the pressure welding device ( 1 ) may be designed as a welding device with a magnetically moved arc . the pressure welding method has a design corresponding to this . the pressure welding device ( 1 ) has a plasticizing unit ( 5 ) and a positioning and compressing unit ( 6 ) for the workpieces ( 2 , 3 ) to be welded together . the plasticization as well as the positioning and compression take place each on end faces of the workpieces ( 2 , 3 ), which end faces face each other and are to be welded to one another . furthermore , the pressure welding device ( 1 ) contains a controller ( 26 ) and a feed unit ( 7 ) for a workpiece ( 2 , 3 ) and for the process axis ( 13 ). the feed unit ( 7 ) has a feed drive ( 12 ), which is designed as a controllable or regulatable electrohydraulic direct drive for the process axis ( 13 ). the plasticizing unit ( 5 ) is designed as a friction unit in the exemplary embodiment being shown . the workpieces ( 2 , 3 ) to be welded together are brought into contact with one another on their end faces here and moved in relation to one another , especially rotated about the process axis ( 13 ), under a contact pressure . the frictional heat plasticizes the contact areas of the workpieces ( 2 , 3 ), and the workpieces ( 2 , 3 ) continue to be moved on one another along the linear process axis ( 13 ) or feed axis . an additional compression stroke may take place along the process axis at the end of this phase of friction . the workpieces ( 2 , 3 ) welded together become shorter during friction welding , and a bead is formed at the connection site or weld . in the alternative embodiment of the pressure welding device ( 1 ), the plasticizing unit ( 5 ) is designed as a melting unit with a magnetically moved arc . a voltage is applied here to the metallic workpieces ( 2 , 3 ) by means of a power source , and the workpieces ( 2 , 3 ) are brought at first into contact with one another along the process axis ( 13 ) on the end face and then spaced again somewhat apart from one another , while an arc is ignited between the end faces of the workpieces . the arc is driven by means of a magnetic driving unit , e . g ., an electromagnetic controllable coil array , and the arc runs circumferentially around the edges of the workpieces and the edges of the workpieces are partially melted . after attaining a designed degree of melting , the workpieces ( 2 , 3 ) are subsequently moved axially towards one another with a compression stroke along the process axis ( 13 ) and brought into a welded connection with one another . two workpieces ( 2 , 3 ) are welded together in the exemplary embodiment being shown , while they are being held detachably in the workpiece holders ( 8 , 9 ). the workpiece holders ( 8 , 9 ) may be designed as , e . g ., controllable , especially fully automatic clamping units and connected to the controller ( 26 ). the workpieces ( 2 , 3 ) preferably consist of metal , and they may have the same material or different materials . in particular , they may have the same melting behavior or different melting behaviors . the workpieces ( 2 , 3 ) are , furthermore , preferably electrically conductive , especially for welding with a magnetically moved arc . as an alternative , more than two workpieces ( 2 , 3 ) may be welded together in one process . for example , a so - called double - head friction welding unit , which has a self - centering chuck for a central workpiece and , e . g ., for a third workpiece , may be used for this . for example , a rotary drive ( 10 ) is used for the aforementioned relative motion of the workpieces ( 2 , 3 ) to generate the frictional heat in a friction welding device ( 1 ). this rotary drive may act on the workpiece holder ( 8 ), which is , e . g ., stationary in the axial direction or along the process axis ( 13 ) and rotate this about the process axis ( 13 ) with the workpiece ( 2 ). the rotary drive ( 10 ) has a controllable or regulatable drive motor , especially an electric motor , which is connected to the controller ( 26 ). the rotary drive ( 10 ) may contain , moreover , one or more gyrating masses . the other workpiece ( 3 ) is arranged axially displaceably along the process axis ( 13 ), e . g ., by means of a slide ( 11 ) or the like , and is acted on by the feed drive ( 12 ). the workpiece ( 3 ) may be held now in its workpiece holder ( 9 ), which is acted on by the feed drive ( 12 ). the workpiece ( 3 ) is arranged nonrotatably in the workpiece holder ( 9 ). as an alternative , a rotary drive may also be provided for the other workpiece ( 3 ). this is the case of , e . g ., the aforementioned double - head friction welding device ( 1 ). two or more workpieces may be displaced axially along the process axis ( 13 ) in another variant . furthermore , it is possible to rotate and to axially displace only one workpiece . the feed unit ( 7 ) also contains , in addition to the feed drive ( 12 ), the slide ( 11 ), which is mounted movably , especially displaceably , along the process axis ( 13 ). in addition , it may be guided axially , according to fig1 , at the jacket of a cylinder ( 14 ) of the feed unit ( 7 ). in another embodiment , not shown , the slide ( 11 ) may be eliminated , and the workpiece holder ( 9 ) is arranged directly at the feed drive ( 12 ). the controllable and preferably regulatable feed drive ( 12 ) is connected to the controller ( 26 ). in its design as an electrohydraulic direct drive , it has a hydraulic cylinder ( 14 ) and a pump ( 18 , 19 ), which is connected thereto and is driven by an electric drive motor ( 17 ). these drive components ( 14 , 17 , 18 , 19 ) may be present as multiple components . the feed drive ( 12 ) has , furthermore , a closed hydraulic circuit ( 20 ), which connects the cylinder ( s ) ( 14 ) and the pump ( s ) ( 18 , 19 ). a pressure equalizer ( 21 ), e . g ., the pressure equalization tank shown in fig2 , may also be connected to the hydraulic circuit ( 20 ). the feed drive ( 12 ) may have a multistage design . in the embodiment shown in fig1 and 2 , the feed drive ( 12 ) has an individual hydraulic cylinder ( 14 ), which is connected to a plurality of , especially two or three , pumps ( 18 , 19 ). the plurality of pumps ( 18 , 19 ) have a common drive motor ( 17 ) in the embodiment shown . as an alternative , they may have a drive motor of their own . in case of an array of a plurality of pumps ( 18 , 19 ) for acting together on a hydraulic cylinder ( 14 ), at least one pump ( 18 , 19 ) can be connected or disconnected . the hydraulic medium , e . g ., a hydraulic oil , can be delivered as a result by one or more pumps ( 18 , 19 ) as needed and fed directly to the cylinder ( 14 ). the connection and disconnection of a pump ( 18 , 19 ) may be effected in different ways . in the exemplary embodiment being shown , the second pump ( 19 ) is integrated or connected into the hydraulic circuit ( 20 ) via a hydraulic switching element ( 22 ), e . g ., a hydraulic multiple - way valve . if the multiple - way valve ( 22 ) is switched through , both pumps ( 18 , 19 ) deliver the hydraulic medium together into the cylinder ( 14 ). in the other position of the multiple - way valve , the delivery connection of the second pump ( 19 ) to the cylinder ( 14 ) is blocked and the hydraulic medium is delivered via a bypass . the pumps ( 18 , 19 ) may have identical design . they are preferably two - quadrant pumps or four - quadrant pumps . from a design point of view , they are preferably designed as internal gear pumps . in the embodiment being shown , they are preferably acted on jointly by the driven shaft of the drive motor ( 17 ). the feed drive ( 12 ) can be controlled or regulated via the one drive motor ( 17 ) or the plurality of drive motors ( 17 ). the drive motor ( 17 ) is connected for this to the controller ( 26 ). servo valves or other hydraulic control or regulation means in the hydraulic circuit ( 20 ) can be eliminated . the electric drive motor ( 17 ) may be designed suitably for achieving the control and regulation characteristic . it may be designed , e . g ., as an electric servo motor , especially as a d . c . motor . as an alternative , a design as a three - phase motor or a . c . motor , which is actuated , e . g ., by means of a frequency converter , is possible . in the embodiment shown in fig1 and 2 , the feed drive ( 12 ) forms an assembly unit that is closed in itself . it is used only to act on the process axis ( 13 ) and to generate the forward stroke and / or the return stroke of the workpiece ( 3 ) or of the workpiece holder ( 9 ). the feed drive ( 12 ) preferably has a hydraulic circuit ( 20 ), which is closed in itself and which optionally has a lifetime filling of a hydraulic medium . in the closed assembly unit , the feed drive ( 12 ) has only an electric interface to the outside for transmitting electric power and signal or control currents . the hydraulic cylinder ( 14 ) may have different designs . it is preferably a double - acting cylinder with a piston ( 15 ) acted on both sides and with at least one piston rod ( 16 ), which exits to the outside and is connected at its free end with the workpiece ( 3 ) or with its workpiece holder ( 9 ) and interacts with it along the linear process axis ( 13 ) that corresponds to the axis of the piston rod . the cylinder ( 14 ) may be designed , e . g ., according to fig2 , as a differential cylinder with only one piston rod ( 16 ), in which cylinder the quantities of filling and the flow rates are different on both sides of the piston ( 15 ). as an alternative , the cylinder ( 14 ) may be designed , according to the view shown in dotted lines in fig2 , as synchronous cylinders and have a second piston rod for equalizing the quantities of filling and the flow rates . the hydraulic circuit is connected to the cylinder ( 14 ) at two end points ( a , b ) on both sides of the piston ( 15 ). the one or more pumps ( 18 , 19 ) deliver in both directions and bring about both the forward stroke and the return stroke of the cylinder ( 14 ) and of the piston rod ( 16 ) thereof . the flow rate may be reduced during the return stroke in the differential cylinder being shown to compensate the volume of the rod . as an alternative , the volume of the rod may be compensated by valves , intermediate storage units or in another way . the two pumps ( 18 , 19 ) in the hydraulic circuit ( 20 ) are connected in parallel in the embodiment being shown . they are , in addition , connected to one another transversely and are also connected to the pressure equalizer ( 21 ). the feed drive ( 12 ) has one or more measuring units ( 23 , 24 , 25 ) for process parameters during the feed . these process parameters may pertain , e . g ., to the pressure of the hydraulic medium and / or the position of the piston rod ( 16 ). the measuring units ( 23 , 24 , 25 ) have one or more suitable sensors for this . the measuring units ( 23 , 24 , 25 ) are preferably arranged at the cylinder ( 14 ). the measuring units ( 23 , 24 ) detect , e . g ., the hydraulic pressure at the connection points ( a , b ) or in the connection lines of the hydraulic circuit ( 20 ) in front of and behind the piston ( 15 ). the measuring unit ( 25 ) is associated , for example , with the piston rod ( 16 ) and measures the position or displacement thereof during the forward stroke and the return stroke along the process axis ( 13 ). as an alternative , the measuring unit ( 25 ) may be associated , e . g ., with the workpiece holder ( 9 ) or the slide ( 11 ). for reasons of redundancy or the like , the measuring unit ( 25 ) may also be present as a plurality of measuring units and / or arranged at different points among the points mentioned . the pressure welding device ( 1 ), especially the one designed as a friction welding device , may have a regulating unit for the pressure welding process , especially the friction welding process , with which the feed and the shortening of the workpiece during the process can be affected . in particular , differences in the initial lengths of the workpieces ( 2 , 3 ) can be compensated hereby and a uniform and exact overall length of the completely welded workpiece can be set and achieved . the pressure welding device ( 1 ) for welding with a magnetically moved arc may likewise have such a regulating unit . in addition , it may have a unit for detecting and analyzing process parameters , especially of the arc voltage , and control or regulate the feed correspondingly . it may be designed herefor , e . g ., corresponding to de 20 2008 005 534 u1 . fig3 shows the feed in a process cycle . the pressure welding device ( 1 ) may be loaded with workpieces ( 2 , 3 ) and workpieces may be unloaded manually or automatically . for this , the feed unit ( 7 ) moves the workpiece holder ( 9 ) or the slide ( 11 ) into a withdrawn loading position ( lp ). the acted - on workpiece ( 3 ) and the piston rod ( 16 ) of the hydraulic cylinder ( 14 ) are also moved correspondingly . the loading position ( lp ) is , e . g ., the starting position ( 27 ) shown in fig1 with the workpieces ( 2 , 3 ) located at spaced locations from one another . the loading position ( lp ) may be preset in a workpiece - dependent manner . it may also vary according to fig3 . the piston rod ( 16 ) or the acted - on workpiece ( 3 ) is moved in the process from the loading position ( lp ) at first into a contact position ( kp ) in which the workpieces ( 2 , 3 ) are in contact with one another by means of a forward stroke ( ve ) in quick motion . the contact position ( kp ) may optionally be reached by creep feed at the end of the forward stroke . during friction welding according to fig3 , the further forward stroke ( vp ) subsequently takes place in the process until an end position ( ep ) is reached . this forward stroke ( vp ) may be divided into a friction feed and a compression feed . the positions and / or displacements are detected during these different feed motions by the measuring unit ( 25 ) and reported to the controller ( 26 ), which regulates the feed according to this actual position . the direct regulation of the feed may take place at the hydraulic cylinder ( 14 ) of the feed drive ( 12 ). the end position ( ep ) in the process may be variable depending on the workpiece and is located in front of a maximum position ( mp ). after completion of the pressure welding process , the return stroke ( re ) takes place to the loading position ( lp ), and this may take place by quick motion . in case of welding with a magnetically moving arc , a defined return stroke may take place , as an alternative , after reaching the contact position ( kp ) to create an axial distance between the workpieces ( 2 , 3 ) and to ignite the arc . the distance between the workpieces may be changed by means of the aforementioned regulating unit according to de 20 2008 005 534 u1 . the compression stroke will subsequently take place in the forward direction to the end position ( ep ). the different feed motions may likewise be regulated by the controller ( 26 ) according to the detected actual position in the manner described above in connection with the friction welding . in the preferred embodiment with two or more pumps ( 18 , 19 ), a plurality of pumps , especially both pumps ( 18 , 19 ) may act together on the hydraulic cylinder ( 14 ) for the quick motion during the forward stroke and / or during the return stroke . provisions may be made for the forward stroke ( vp ) in the friction and compression phase for only one pump ( 18 ) acting on the cylinder ( 14 ). the second pump ( 19 ) may , for example , be disconnected in this case , so that only the one pump or the first pump ( 18 ) will act on the cylinder ( 14 ). this is advantageous for the precision of the regulation . this also applies correspondingly to the return stroke , the regulating stroke and the compression stroke during the welding with magnetically moved arc . various variants of the embodiments shown and described are possible . on the one hand , the features of the exemplary embodiments mentioned may be combined with one another , especially replaced , as described . in addition , further design and functional variations are possible . the connection and disconnection of one or more pumps may be effected in another manner , e . g ., by uncoupling from the drive motor or by switching off a separate independent drive motor . the switching element ( 22 ) may be designed here , e . g ., as a mechanical or electric switching element . while specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention , it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles . | 1 |
this invention is an inhabitable structure that can be suspended between objects or anchor points 6 . it is composed of a platform 1 , which is suspended in the air by straps , cables or an equivalent 2 . bolted to the platform are posts 15 , which support the walls 4 ( with doors and window openings 7 ), and roof 5 , assisted by additional straps 2 and lighter duty cord 3 . the platform is built from pre - manufactured geometrical shapes that are bolted together . the platform can be made up of but not restricted to ; pentagons 21 , squares 25 , octagons 26 , or hexagons 27 , with triangles 24 , or two different shaped pentagons 22 , and 23 , to create a platform 1 that can only be built into one shape . the platform can ether be built from shapes manufactured to make one possible platform shape , or from shapes that are meant to allow for many different platform shape possibilities , as seen in fig6 , and fig7 . the platform is made of plastic with metal bracing 8 in each piece which goes from the points at which the pieces are bolted together to the center of the piece , where they intersect . three differently shaped brackets are used to bolt the separate platform pieces together . all three brackets overlap each other as well as all of the geometrical pieces that are in the area being bolted together . as seen in fig8 and 9 there is horizontal bracket 12 that lays on top of the other two brackets 10 and 11 , and overlaps all three conjoining geometrical pieces . all of the brackets 10 , 11 , and 12 , as well as the platform pieces , have holes 9 that line up . bolts 13 and nuts 14 effectively secure the platform 1 together . multiple platforms can be secured on top of one another as seen in fig3 , by using posts 15 that have bolts 13 welded to the bottoms and nuts 14 that are welded to the tops . the area on the roof 5 above the posts 15 which are held in place by a pocket 19 has a u ring 18 that is strapped to an anchor point 6 as to secure the walls 4 and roof 5 in place . the bottom of walls 4 and in the case of multiple floors tops of the walls that are not connected to the roof 20 have holes on the top and bottom that coincide with the holes in the platform 9 , so that the walls can be secured to the platform . | 4 |
fig1 illustrates a circuit configuration of a power converter according to embodiment 1 of the present invention . headlight 26 which generates a passing beam is a load of power source 21 which is linked with a headlight switch . power is supplied from the power source 21 , which is linked with the headlight switch , to the headlight 26 ( e . g ., led ) through a coil l 1 , a current detecting resistor r 4 , and a switch element sw 4 . a diode d 5 is connected in a direction in which a current by the coil l 1 is regenerated when the switch element sw 4 is turned off . a current flowing through the headlight 26 is detected by the current detecting resistor r 4 and a detecting unit 14 , and a detection signal s 1 is input to the control unit 7 . a day time running light ( dtrl ) provides a load across power source 13 which is linked with an ignition ( ign ). the day time running light ( dtrl ) 25 is turned on during the daytime to inform another vehicle of its presence . power is supplied from the power source 13 linked with the ignition ( ign ) to the dtrl 25 through a high side switch 22 , a resistor r 3 , and the switch element sw 4 . detecting units 23 and 24 detect a state of the power source 13 linked with the ignition ( ign ) and a state of the power source 21 linked with the headlight switch . the detection results are input to the control unit 7 . the control unit 7 detects the state of the power source 21 linked with the headlight switch and the state of the power source 13 linked with the ignition ( ign ) and controls the turning on / off of both loads as shown in table 1 . when both the ign power source 13 and the headlight switch power source 21 are turned off , nothing is input to the control power supply unit 5 , and both loads 25 and 26 are in an off state . when the ign power source 13 is turned on when both loads 25 and 26 are in the off state , the high side switch 22 and the switch element sw 4 are turned on by driving signals d 1 and d 2 , and the led 25 is turned on through the resistor r 3 . in this case , the resistor r 3 is supposed to output a predetermined current limited to several milliamperes ( ma ) to tens of milliamperes ( ma ) and thus has a resistance in the tens of ohms ( ω ) to thousands of ohms ( ω ) ( for example , 680 ω ). thereafter , when the headlight switch power source 21 is turned on , the driving signal d 1 of the high side switch 22 is turned off , so that the power supply to the led 25 is cut off . further , a constant current is supplied to the led 26 by turning on / off the switch element sw 4 through the driving signal d 2 ( for example , by driving at tens of khz to hundreds of khz ). when the switch element sw 4 is turned on , a current is supplied from the power source 21 linked with the headlight switch to the led 26 while flowing through the coil l 1 , the led 26 , the resistor r 4 , and the switch element sw 4 . when the switch element sw 4 is turned off , a regeneration current flows through the coil l 1 , the led 26 , the resistor r 4 , and the diode d 5 . a change in the current is detected by the resistor r 4 , and turning on / off of the switch element sw 4 is controlled according to the detection signal s 1 , so that the constant current is implemented . in this case , the resistor r 4 is used for current detection and has a resistance in the tens of milliohm ( mω ) to several ohm ( ω ) to reduce a loss in the resistor r 4 ( in the case of a current of 1a , a loss is 10 mw to 1 w ). when the power source 21 linked with the headlight is turned on in the off state of both loads 25 and 26 , the constant current is supplied to the led 26 by turning on / off the switch element sw 4 in a state in which the high side switch 22 remains turned off according to the present embodiment , lighting of the plurality of loads 25 and 26 can be controlled by the common switch element sw 4 , and on / off of the load is judged by the power state . thus , communication including timing for turning on / off the load is unnecessary . thus , the size and the cost can be reduced compared to the conventional circuit . when only the power source 13 linked with the ign is turned on , the driving signal d 2 is always in the on state in embodiment 1 . however , by turning on / off lighting at a frequency ( for example , 10 hz ) less than 50 hz , blinking can be recognized by the human eye , and a glittering feeling can be improved , so that a recognition degree of a driver &# 39 ; s vehicle during daylight hours can be improved ( there is influence of the afterglow or the like , but when the led blinks at 60 hz or more , it looks like a dimming state of dc lighting . if a deviation of a control system or the like is considered , a glittering feeling can be implemented by performing lighting at 50 hz or less ). a timing chart at this time is illustrated in fig3 . thus , it is understood that both visibility improvement by blinking control of the led 25 and predetermined current control of the led 26 can be implemented by the switch element sw 4 , and the size and the cost can be reduced compared to the case in which control is performed by the individual switch elements . it is understood that when only the ign power source 13 is turned on , the same effect can be obtained even though the driving signal d 1 and the driving signal d 2 are switched . further , when only the ign power source 13 is turned on , by increasing the frequency of the driving signal d 2 to 60 hz , blinking is not seen by the human eye , so that dimming lighting can be implemented . when a predetermined current is supplied to the led 25 via the resistor r 3 , the current value depends on the magnitude of the power voltage , but by varying an on duty of a pulse width modulation ( pwm ) according to the power voltage , it is possible to have substantially the same current during a predetermined time and make a light flux of the led 25 substantially the same . in an example of fig4 , as the power voltage decreases , the on duty increases . in this disclosure , a circuit that applies a predetermined current using a resistor also includes the above described control . in embodiment 1 , the led is described as the load , but it is understood that the same effect can be obtained even when a halogen lamp 27 is used as the load instead of the led 25 as illustrated in fig5 . in this case , the resistor r 3 may be removed . further , in embodiment 1 , the high side switch 22 is involved in supplying the power from the power source 13 linked with the ign to the led 25 , but the current may be supplied without the high side switch 22 as illustrated in fig5 . in this case , when both the power source 21 linked with the headlight and the power source 13 linked with the ign are turned on , the switch element sw 4 is turned on / off to apply constant current to the led 26 . thus , the halogen lamp 27 is turned on / off at a high frequency ( tens of khz or more ), so that the halogen lamp 27 can be turned on in the dimming lighting state . further , when the halogen lamp 27 is used as a width indicator , the power source 31 linked with the ign functions as a power source linked with a width indicator switch , and when the headlight switch is turned on , the power from the power source linked with the width indicator switch is not input . using this system , a state in which both power sources are turned on does not occur , and the high side switch can be removed . accordingly , the size and the cost can be reduced . fig6 illustrates a circuit configuration of a power converter according to embodiment 2 of the present invention . the same components as in embodiment 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals , and a description thereof will be omitted . a description will be made below in connection with different points from embodiment 1 . in the present embodiment , the flyback circuit illustrated in the conventional example of fig1 is used as the power converting unit for the led 26 . the power converting unit for the led 26 illustrated in embodiment 1 is used as the power converting unit for the led 25 , and a resistor ro is connected in series with a diode d 5 . a coil and a switch element of the power converting unit that supplies power to the led 25 are configured with a primary side winding tp 1 and a switch element sw 1 of a flyback circuit that supplies to power to the led 26 . a control unit 7 outputs a driving signal d 3 for driving the switch element sw 1 . the control unit 7 detects an output current to the led 25 and an output current to the led 26 by a resistor r 4 and a resistor r 1 as a detection signal s 1 and a detection signal s 2 , respectively . operation of the control unit 7 is illustrated in fig7 . when a power source 13 linked with an ign is input , the control unit 7 detects the turning on of the power source 13 through the detecting unit 23 and outputs a pwm signal for driving the switch element sw 1 from the driving signal d 3 . thus , the constant current is output to the led 25 . the output current is detected by the resistor r 4 as the detection signal s 1 , and an on time and an off time of the pwm signal are controlled , so that the constant current control is implemented . further , blinking lighting of the led 25 is performed by repetitively performing the constant current control at a certain frequency ( for example , 10 hz ), a glittering feeling of the led 25 is improved , and the recognition degree of a driver &# 39 ; s vehicle is improved . thereafter , when the power source 21 linked with the headlight switch is input , voltages of both terminals of the led 25 have the same potential , so that the led 25 is turned off . the input of the power source 21 linked with the headlight switch is detected by the detecting unit 24 , and the pwm signal for driving the switch element sw 1 from the driving signal d 3 is output . thus , the constant current is output to the led 26 . the output current is detected using the resistor r 1 as the detection signal s 2 , and the on time and the off time of the pwm signal are controlled , so that the constant current control is implemented . thereafter , the pwm signal of the driving signal d 3 is switched in tandem while turning on / off of the headlight switch . when the ign power source 13 is turned off in a state in which both the ign power source 13 and the power source 21 linked with the headlight switch are turned on , a reverse voltage is applied to the led 25 , but the led 25 remains turned off . when the power source 21 linked with the headlight switch is turned on in a state in which both the ign power source 13 and the power linked with the headlight switch are turned off , the led 26 is subjected to the constant current control by the driving signal d 3 . through the above described circuit configuration and control , it is possible to share the switch element and the coil which are relatively large - scale components in the power converting unit for controlling the outputs to the led 25 and the led 26 . thus , both loads can be controlled by the same switch element and coil , and thus the size and the cost of the lighting device can be reduced . typically , the power source 21 linked with the headlight switch is turned on in a state in which the ign power source 13 is turned on . in this case , both an anode side and a cathode side of the led 25 are connected to the power sources , and potentials of both sides become equal at a vehicle battery voltage ( several voltages to a score of voltages ), so that a voltage applied to the led 25 becomes zero . thus , the led 25 can be automatically turned off without depending on the state of the switch element sw 1 , and the communication function or the power monitoring function can be removed , so that the size and the cost can be further reduced . power of the headlight is about 35 w , and power of the dtrl is about 5 w . the flyback circuit having a boosting capability is suitable for outputting power higher than a power converting circuit having no boosting capability . thus , the led 26 is used as the headlight , and the led 25 is used as the dtrl . in the present embodiment , the ign power source 13 and the power source 21 linked with the headlight switch are used as the input . however , it is understood that even when any other power source ( a power source directly connected to a battery or linked with an accessory ) is added to supply power to another load , or communication such as lin / can is used for load control , the same effect can be obtained . further , it is understood that even when a power source is not added but switched ( a power source linked with the ign becomes a power directly connected to a battery or a power source linked with an accessory ), the same effect can be obtained . in the present embodiment , it is understood that the led is used as the load , but even when a light source such as a halogen lamp or a high - intensity discharge ( hid ) lamp is used as the load , the same effect can be obtained . it is understood that even when the power converter is for power supply to other electronic units , not the light source , the same effect can be obtained . for example , the power converter has a function as a power source for a dc / ac converter enabling an alternating current ( ac ) powered device to be used within a vehicle or for an engine control unit ( ecu ) having a higher voltage as an input . in an embodiment , the constant current control is performed as a control for the led . even when control such as constant voltage control or constant power control is performed instead of the constant current control , the same effect can be obtained . further , it is understood that even when a circuit of the resistor r 4 , the transformer t 1 , the switch element sw 1 , the diode d 1 , and the condenser c 2 constitute a circuit illustrated in fig6 , an effect which is the same as that of the circuit of fig8 can be obtained . in fig8 , a coil tp 1 ′ is used which is further wound in the same direction as the primary side winding tp 1 . thus , it is possible to easily increase an inductance value of the coil when the led 25 is turned on and to facilitate predetermined current control . fig9 illustrates a circuit diagram of embodiment 3 of the present invention . the same components as in embodiment 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals , and thus a description thereof will be omitted . a description is made below in connection with different points from embodiment 2 ( fig6 ). the led 26 is replaced with a hid lamp 33 . in order to turn on the hid lamp 33 , an igniter 32 for applying a high voltage pulse is installed ahead of the hid lamp 33 . in order to turn on the hid lamp 33 by a rectangular wave , a full bridge inverter 31 for converting an output of the flyback circuit into the rectangular wave is installed behind the flyback circuit . a detection signal s 3 for detecting a lamp voltage is input to the control unit 7 . driving signals d 5 and d 6 for controlling the full bridge inverter 31 are output from the control unit 7 . a circuit for applying a predetermined current to the led 25 includes three components , a resistor r 5 , a coil tp 1 , and a switch element sw 1 which are installed in series with the led 25 . in this case , a resistance value is in a range of hundreds of ohms ( ω ) to several kilohm ( kω ) since a current has a predetermined value ( a voltage value of the ign power source 13 - a forward voltage drop vf of the led 25 )/( a resistance value of the resistor r 5 ). since control for causing a predetermined current to flow in the resistor r 5 is realized by the resistor r 5 , the detection signal s 1 for the led current , the detecting unit 14 , and the current detecting resistor r 4 are not provided , unlike other embodiments . an operation of the control unit 7 is illustrated in fig1 . when the power source 13 linked with the ign is input , the control unit 7 detects turning on of the ign power source 13 through the detecting unit 23 and outputs the pwm signal for driving the switch element sw 1 by the driving signal d 3 . at this time , the pwm signal is an on / off signal of tens of hz ( for example , 10 hz ) so that the driver &# 39 ; s vehicle is made more visible by highlighting the glittering feeling by blinking the led 25 . thus , a predetermined current is supplied to the led 25 thereafter , when the power source 21 linked with the headlight switch is input , voltages of both terminals of the led 25 have the same potential , and thus the led 25 is turned off . the input of the power source 21 linked with the headlight switch is detected by the detecting unit 24 , and the pwm signal for driving the switch element sw 1 by the driving signal d 3 is output ( when the hid lamp 33 is turned on , driving is performed at tens of khz to hundreds of khz ). by varying on / off of the pwm signal by the values of the detected lamp voltage and lamp current , constant power is supplied to the hid lamp 33 . another control such as a pulse output at the start time is necessary for turning on the hid lamp 33 , but a description thereof will be here omitted . thereafter , the pwm signal of the driving signal d 3 is switched in tandem with turning on / off of the headlight switch . when the ign power source 13 is turned off in a state in which both the ign power source 13 and the power source 21 linked with the headlight switch are turned on , a reverse voltage is applied to the led 25 , but the led 25 remains off . when the headlight switch is turned on in a state in which both the ign power source 13 and the power source 21 linked with the headlight switch are turned off , only the hid lamp 33 is controlled by the driving signal d 3 . through the above described circuit configuration and control , it is possible to share the switch element and the coil which are relatively large - scale components in the power converting unit for controlling the outputs to the led 25 and the hid lamp 33 . thus , both loads can be controlled by the same switch element and coil , and thus the size and the cost of the lighting device can be reduced . typically , the headlight switch is turned on in a state in which the ign power source is turned on . in this case , both an anode side and a cathode side of the led 25 are connected to the power , and potentials of both sides become equal at a vehicle battery voltage ( several voltages to a score of volts ), so that a voltage applied to the led 25 becomes zero . thus , turning off can be automatically performed without depending on the state of the switch element sw 1 , and the communication function or the power monitoring function can be removed , so that the size and the cost can be further reduced . further , the circuit for turning on the led 25 can be simplified compared to embodiment 2 , and thus the size and the cost can be further reduced . in the present embodiment , when the led 25 is turned on , blinking lighting is performed in order to improve the recognition degree of the driver &# 39 ; s vehicle . however , it is understood that when only the power source 13 linked with the ign is input , even though lighting is constantly performed or dimming lighting is performed at a higher frequency , the same effect can be obtained . fig1 illustrates a circuit diagram of embodiment 4 of the present invention . the same components as in embodiment 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals , and thus a description thereof will be omitted . a description will be made below in connection with different points from embodiment 2 ( fig6 ). in the present embodiment , the flyback circuit of embodiment 2 ( illustrated in fig1 ) is replaced with a boosting circuit using an auto transformer illustrated in fig2 . a lighting circuit of the led 25 has the circuit configuration of embodiment 3 . through the above configuration , it is possible to share the switch element sw 2 and the coil t 2 which are relatively large - scale components in the power converting unit for controlling the outputs to the led 25 and the led 26 . thus , both loads 25 and 26 can be controlled by the same switch element sw 2 and coil t 2 , and thus the size and the cost of the lighting device can be reduced . typically , the headlight switch is turned on in a state in which the ign power is turned on . in this case , both an anode side and a cathode side of the led 25 are connected to the power , and potentials of both sides become equal at a vehicle battery voltage ( several volts to a score of volts ), so that a voltage applied to the led 25 becomes zero . thus , turning off can be automatically performed without depending on the state of the switch element sw 2 , and the communication function or the power monitoring function can be removed , so that the size and the cost can be further reduced . further , the circuit for turning on the led 25 can be simplified compared to embodiment 2 , and thus the size and the cost can be further reduced . in the present embodiment , the boosting circuit using the auto transformer is used . however , it is understood that even when any other converter circuit such as a boost chopper circuit having no secondary side winding ts 2 , a forward type converter , a choke circuit , or a sepic ( single - ended primary inductance converter ) circuit is used , the same effect can be obtained . fig1 illustrates a circuit diagram of embodiment 5 of the present invention . the same components as in embodiment 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals , and thus a description thereof will be omitted . a description will be made below in connection with different points from embodiment 2 ( fig6 ). in the embodiment , the diode d 1 is removed from the flyback circuit that supplies power to the led 26 , and a switch element sw 7 is added . a body diode of the added switch element sw 7 is added to have the same effect as the removed diode d 1 . a circuit for applying a predetermined current to the led 25 includes four components , a resistor r 5 , a diode d 6 , a coil ts 1 , and a switch element sw 7 . in this case , a resistance value is in a range of hundreds of ohm ( ω ) to several kilohm ( kω ) to limit a current . the diode d 6 is connected in series with the led 25 , and the resistor r 6 is connected in parallel with the led 25 , so that a large reverse voltage is not applied to the led 25 when the output voltage of the flyback circuit increases . by employing this configuration , when the led 26 is turned on , the switch element sw 7 is turned off , and the flyback circuit is configured using the body diode of the switch element sw 7 . thus , the led 26 is turned on by the constant current . when the led 25 is turned on , the switch element sw 7 is turned on , and a predetermined current is applied to the led 25 via the resistor r 5 . further , blinking of the led 25 is performed ( at the frequency of 10 hz ) by applying or not applying the predetermined current by the coil ts 1 and the switch element sw 7 . further , when the led 26 is turned on by the flyback circuit , the switch element sw 7 is not constantly turned off , but when the switch element sw 1 is turned off , the switch element sw 7 is turned on , so that synchronization rectification of the flyback circuit can be performed . as a result , efficiency can be further improved compared to the case in which only the body diode is used . through the above configuration , it is possible to share the switch element and the coil which are relatively large - scale components in the power converting unit for controlling the outputs to the led 25 and the led 26 . thus , both loads can be controlled by the same switch element and coil , and thus the size and the cost of the lighting device can be reduced . in the present embodiment , the flyback circuit is used , but it is understood that even when any other converter circuit such as an auto transformer circuit ( fig1 ) is used , the same effect can be obtained . fig1 illustrates a circuit substrate in which an led lighting device as illustrated in embodiment 2 of the present invention is used . power is received from an input connection unit 10 , and power is output to an output connection unit 11 . in the present embodiment , since power supply units for two loads are present , a power supply to the led 25 is separated from a power supply to the led 26 , and the control unit 7 is installed therebetween , so that noises of the power supply units are reduced . by using the circuit configuration illustrated in fig6 , the size and the cost of the substrate can be reduced . fig1 illustrates a circuit substrate in which the leds 25 and 26 which are the loads are simultaneously mounted on the substrate on which the power supply unit is mounted . in this circuit substrate , an output connection unit is configured with a pattern , and the leds 25 and 26 can be mounted on the same substrate as the loads . thus , the size and the cost can be further reduced . fig1 illustrates a schematic cross - sectional structure of a vehicle headlight having a lighting device of the present invention . a front opening of a case 40 in which the leds 25 and 26 are mounted as the loads is covered with a transparent cover 41 , and a lighting device 20 of the present invention is mounted on the bottom of the case 40 . by mounting the lighting device 20 of the present invention , the size and the cost of the vehicle headlight can be reduced . further , since the single lighting device 20 can have a plurality of functions , an input connector ( the input connection unit 10 ) for the vehicle headlight can be put together . fig1 illustrates a vehicle in which a lighting device or a headlight of the present invention is mounted . a power source 21 linked with a headlight switch and an ign power source 13 are received , and lighting of an led 25 as a dtrl and an led 26 as a passing beam is controlled . by mounting the lighting device or the headlight of the present invention , the size and the cost of the vehicle can be reduced . while certain embodiments have been described , these embodiments have been presented by way of example only , and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosures . indeed , the novel organic light - emitting devices described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms ; furthermore , various omissions , substitutions and changes in the form of the embodiments described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the disclosures . the accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the disclosures . | 1 |
a first embodiment of the invention depicted in fig1 through 15 is provided in the form of double - chamber ampoule 100 . double - chamber ampoule 100 according to the invention consists mainly of four components : container 10 , plunger assembly 20 , adapter 30 , and multiple - plug closure 40 . as is evident in particular from fig4 through 6 , container 10 has two tube - shaped chambers 12 and 14 that are arranged parallel to each other and that extend along the length of container 10 . chambers 12 and 14 are open along their entire cross - section at the back end . back plate 18 that projects in a transverse or radial direction is formed on the external sides of the back ends of chambers 12 and 14 . the front ends of chambers 12 and 14 are connected to each other by front plate 18 . outlet opening 11 for chamber 12 and outlet opening 13 for chamber 14 are provided in front plate 18 . whereas chambers 12 and 14 adjoin at the underside of the front plate 18 , neck 15 is formed at the top side of front plate 18 in such a way that neck 15 surrounds outlet openings 11 and 13 . likewise to chambers 12 and 14 , neck 15 extends along the length of the container 10 . in the present embodiment , chamber 14 has a cross - section four times larger than chamber 12 . accordingly , the cross - section of outlet opening 13 is four times larger than that of outlet opening 11 . as is evident in particular from fig7 and 8 , the plunger assembly 20 comprises two plunger rods 22 and 24 , whose back ends are connected by means of pressure plate 26 . plunger 21 for chamber 12 is provided at the front end of plunger rod 22 . plunger 23 for chamber 14 is provided at the front end of plunger rod 24 . plungers 21 and 23 have external cross - sectional dimensions that correspond to the internal cross - sectional dimensions of chambers 12 and 14 . plungers 21 and 23 can be inserted into the back open ends of chambers 12 and 24 , and provide a fluid - tight seal when moved in chambers 12 and 14 . as is evident in particular from fig9 through 12 , adapter 30 , which is in the form of a dispenser piece , has cylindrical back section 32 . cylindrical back section 32 has an external diameter such that back section 32 can be inserted from above into the open front end of neck 15 and is fluid tight when pushed and rotated within it . circumferential wall 31 that is directed inward and forward is formed along the internal surface of cylindrical back section 32 at a distance from the back end . circumferential wall 31 borders a truncated cone - shaped mixing chamber 33 that is open at the rear . the narrower front end of circumferential wall 31 turns into a tube - shaped structure that projects beyond the front end of rear section 32 , and represents front section 34 of adapter 30 . dispensing channel 36 within front section 34 extends along the length of adapter 30 . the back end of dispensing channel 36 and the front end of mixing chamber 33 merge . transverse cross member 35 that projects radially outwards is formed at the front end of cylindrical back section 32 . locking arms 38 that project backward are formed at the underside of cross member 35 , at a distance from the external circumference of the cylindrical back section 32 . as is evident in particular from fig1 through 15 , multiple - plug closure 40 has two plugs 42 and 44 that are formed on the underside of shared plate - shaped body 46 . plate - shaped body 46 that adjoins plugs 42 and 44 comprises ground plate 64 , intermediate plate 62 formed on the top side of the ground plate , and cover plate 60 that represents the front end of multiple - plug closure 40 is formed on the top side of the intermediate plate . two longitudinal channels 41 and 43 project downward from the top side of cover plate 60 into plugs 42 and 44 . longitudinal channel 41 joins transverse channel 45 that intersects plug 42 in a transverse direction . longitudinal channel 43 joins transverse channel 47 that intersects plug 44 transversely . transverse channels 45 and 47 are provided at a preset distance from the lower ends of plugs 42 and 44 . cover plate 60 has a circular circumferential wall with a diameter that is larger than that of intermediate plate 62 . to produce a rotating joint between adapter 30 and multiple - plug closure 40 , cover plate 60 can be snapped from the back end of adapter 30 into ring - shaped mounting groove 50 that is provided under circumferential wall 31 on the internal surface of cylindrical back section 32 of adapter 30 . the dimensions of groove 50 and cover plate 60 are coordinated in relation to each other such that cover plate 60 can rotate in groove 50 . removal of cover plate 60 from groove 50 is prevented by ring - shaped shoulder 52 that is provided at the back end of the internal surface of cylindrical back section 32 . in order to facilitate snapping the cover plate into groove 50 during assembly , the surface of shoulder 52 that points radially inward is beveled as shown . longitudinal sliding of cover plate 60 upward or forward is limited by shoulder 54 that is provided on the underside of circumferential wall 31 . transverse rib 63 that is formed on the top side of cover plate 60 interacts with two diametrically opposed recesses 53 in shoulder 54 such that rotatable multiple - plug closure 40 mounted in adapter 30 can be engaged and released at a predetermined angular or rotational position . adapter 30 and multiple - plug closure 40 are thus designed such that these components form a single assembly 30 , 40 . when inserting the assembly consisting of adapter 30 and multiple - plug closure 40 into neck 15 of container 10 from the front or from above , plugs 42 and 44 penetrate outlet openings 11 and 13 of chambers 12 and 14 . plugs 42 and 44 are dimensioned in relation to outlet openings 11 and 13 such that the plugs in a first penetration position create a fluid - tight seal with the back end sections of outlet openings 11 and 13 . here , transverse channels 45 and 47 are located above front plate 18 . the back portion of plug 44 that has penetrated outlet opening 13 has a cross - section that is four times larger than that of the back section of plug 42 that penetrates outlet opening 11 . in a further second penetration position of plugs 42 and 44 pushed further down or back , transverse channels 45 and 47 are located below front plate 18 so that a fluid connection is created above transverse channels 45 and 47 along with longitudinal channels 41 and 43 between the insides of chambers 12 and 14 and mixture chamber 33 and / or dispensing channel 36 of adapter 30 . the internal cross - section of longitudinal channel 43 is four times larger than that of longitudinal channel 41 . a corresponding relationship pertains to transverse channel 47 in comparison to transverse channel 45 . to better guide multiple - plug closure 40 into neck 15 , ground plate 64 has a circumferential wall that fits over at least portions of the circumference of the internal circumferential wall of neck 15 . projection 61 is formed and projects radially from such a portion of the circumferential wall of the ground plate 64 . projection 61 interacts during initial insertion of multiple - plug closure 40 into neck 15 with longitudinal groove 71 that is formed along the internal surface of neck 15 , such that multiple - plug closure 40 can only be inserted into neck 15 in a predetermined angular or rotational position such that plugs 42 and 44 are aligned with outlet openings 11 and 13 of chambers 12 and 14 . locking noses 70 that project radially outward from the top side of front plate 18 are formed at a predetermined distance from the external circumferential wall of neck 15 . additional locking noses 77 that are displaced by 90 ° in the circumferential direction in relation to locking noses 70 and are less distant from the front plate 18 are formed on and project radially outward from the external circumferential wall of neck 15 . locking noses 77 are located above a circumferential area of front plate 18 in which recesses 17 are provided in front plate 18 . locking noses 77 project radially along recesses 17 beyond the external edge of the front plate 18 , whereas locking noses 70 are provided in an unrecessed circumferential area of front plate 18 , where front plate 18 projects radially beyond locking noses 70 . locking ridges 37 that point radially inward and longitudinally running guide grooves 39 that border the underside of locking ridges 37 and run as far as the lower end of the locking arms are provided on the inside of the locking arms 38 . locking ridges 37 and guide grooves 39 interact with locking noses 70 and 77 . the front surface of the lower end of locking arms 38 interacts with front plate 18 . this interaction as well as the assembly and operation of double - chamber ampoule 100 will be described in the following , in particular with reference to fig1 through 3 . referring to fig1 through 3 , before placing the assembly consisting of adapter 30 and multiple - plug closure 40 into container 10 , adapter 30 and multiple - plug closure 40 are engaged at a predetermined rotational position relative to each other , such that transverse rib 63 , or locking ridge , catches locking recesses 53 . assembly 30 , 40 is pushed into neck 15 of container 10 from above in this engaged state . in the process , projection 61 on multiple - plug closure 40 is aligned with longitudinal groove 71 in neck 15 . in this initial rotational position of assembly 30 , 40 in relation to container 10 , locking arms 38 are aligned with locking noses 70 . as a result , the locking noses engage guide grooves 39 when assembly 30 , 40 is inserted in the initial rotational position , and plugs 42 and 44 penetrate outlet openings 11 and 13 of chambers 12 and 14 . if this first rotational position of adapter 30 is pushed further in the direction of container 10 , locking ridges 37 snap into locking noses 70 . this prevents movement of assembly 30 , 40 upward from or toward neck 15 of container 10 . at the same time , continued pushing of assembly 30 , 40 in the direction of container 10 is limited in this locked state in that the front surfaces at the lower end of locking arms 38 strike the top side of front plate 18 . in the process , a predetermined distance is reached between plate - shaped body 46 and front plate 18 , and plugs 42 and 44 penetrate just far enough into outlet openings 11 and 13 that the plugs create a fluid - tight seal with the outlet openings . when plugs 42 and 44 are in the locked position , chambers 12 and 14 can be filled with substances through their open back ends . after being filled with substances , chambers 12 and 14 are closed from behind with plungers 21 and 23 of the plunger assembly 20 . this closed position due to the plugs and the plungers is depicted in fig1 . the substances filling chambers 12 and 14 are not shown . to activate double - chamber ampoule 100 that is filled with the substances , adapter 30 is rotated 90 ° in relation to container 10 to a second rotational position . at the beginning of rotation to the second rotational position , locking arms 38 are rotated sideways away from locking noses 70 . toward the end of the rotation , locking noses 77 spring sideways into guide grooves 39 . at the same time , locking arms 38 come into alignment with recesses 17 in front plate 18 . recesses 17 in front plate 18 make it possible to push assembly 30 , 40 further in the direction of container 10 . in the course of this pushing , plugs 42 and 44 assume a flow position , in which transverse channels 45 and 47 are located within chambers 12 and 14 . in the flow position of the plugs , locking arms 38 project downward beyond front plate 18 , and locking ridges 37 snap over locking noses 77 . locking ridges 37 and locking noses 77 prevent assembly 30 , 40 from being further moved forward or up from container 10 while the plugs are in the flow position . further movement of assembly 30 , 40 backward or down is prevented because the upper end of neck 15 strikes the underside of transverse cross member 35 . alternatively , further movement of assembly 30 , 40 while it is in the flow position can also be prevented by the fact that plate - shaped body 46 strikes front plate 18 . this activated state of double - chamber ampoule 100 is depicted in fig2 by applying pressure to pressure plate 26 of plunger assembly 20 , the substances contained in chambers 12 and 14 can now be expressed through the transverse and longitudinal channels of multiple - plug closure 40 into mixing chamber 33 and dispensing channel 36 , and then be dispensed through the tip at front section 34 of adapter 30 . for better mixing of the substances , a static mixer that is not shown is provided in the dispenser channel . double - chamber ampoule 100 as depicted is meant for multiple use . for this reason , only a fractional portion of the substances contained in chambers 12 and 14 is dispensed during each application . after an application is completed , adapter 30 is rotated 45 ° in relation to container 10 from the second rotational position to a third rotational position . this is possible because recess 17 is connected to a second recess 19 , which makes rotation of the adapter from the second to the third rotational position possible . during rotation of the adapter into the third rotational position , locking arms 38 spring sideways out of locking noses 77 . as a result , it is possible when in the third rotational position to pull assembly 30 , 40 out of container 10 by lifting it up . as described above , a new assembly 30 , 40 can then be inserted into container 10 in the initial first rotational position . assembly 30 , 40 can be replaced multiple times by a new assembly until chambers 12 and 14 are completely empty . the empty state of multiple - chamber ampoule 100 is depicted in fig3 , in which case assembly 30 , 40 is in the second rotational position . a second embodiment of the invention shown in fig1 through 22 is also provided in the form of a double - chamber ampoule . accordingly , container 110 of the second embodiment of the invention depicted in fig1 through 18 has two chambers 112 and 114 that are arranged in parallel to each other with outlet openings 111 and 113 provided for in front plate 118 . in contrast to container 10 of the first embodiment , chambers 112 and 114 have the same cross - sectional dimensions . the same applies to outlet openings 111 and 113 . as with container 10 , neck 115 is formed on the top side of front plate 118 , into which the outlet openings 111 and 113 flow . in contrast to container 10 in the first embodiment , however , the outside of neck 115 and front plate 118 of container 110 of the second embodiment are designed differently . in other respects , container 110 and container 10 are essentially the same . as is evident from fig1 through 18 , two locking noses 170 that project radially outward and two other locking noses 177 that project radially outward are formed on the external circumferential wall of neck 115 . locking noses 170 are placed at a predetermined distance from the top side of front plate 118 and lie diametrically opposite to each other . locking noses 177 are placed at a shorter distance from the top side of front plate 118 and also lie diametrically opposite to each other . furthermore , in each case one of locking noses 177 is axially aligned with one of locking noses 170 . two diagonally running ramps 172 are formed in an area of the external circumferential wall of the neck located between locking noses 170 and 177 , as also is evident from fig1 through 18 . ramps 172 lie symmetrically between locking noses 170 and 177 , respectively that are displaced 180 ° in relation to each other and enclose an angular range of approximately 90 ° on the cylindrical outside of neck 115 . ramps 172 have a top side that extends from one end of the ramps on the top side of front plate 118 to the other end of the ramps on the top side of front plate 118 at a predetermined distance . viewed from the circumferential direction of neck 115 , both opposing ramps 172 have the same helical sense . the function of locking noses 170 and 177 as well as of ramps 172 will be described below with reference to adapter 130 of the second embodiment of the invention depicted in fig1 and 20 . adapter 130 differs from adapter 30 in the first embodiment largely in that locking arms 138 do not project as far down or back as in locking arms 38 in the first embodiment . locking arms 138 end shortly or immediately behind locking ridge 137 , which corresponds to locking ridge 37 of adapter 30 in the first embodiment . furthermore , as in the first embodiment of the invention , adapter 130 is connected to multiple - plug closure 140 depicted in fig2 and 22 such that it can rotate freely . the freely rotatable connection between adapter 130 and multiple - plug closure 140 is depicted in detail in fig2 , which shows back section 132 of adapter 130 and a front section of multiple - plug closure 140 , each in cross - section . multiple - plug closure 140 has ring - shaped cover plate 160 that is snapped into ring - shaped mounting groove 150 of adapter 130 . mounting groove 150 of adapter 130 corresponds to mounting groove 50 of adapter 30 of the first embodiment and , when viewed axially , is limited at the back end by shoulder 152 and at the front end by shoulder 154 . shoulders 152 and 154 serve as a bearing surface for cover plate 160 . two locking noses 163 that project axially are formed on the top side of cover plate 160 in diametrically opposing positions and have the function of transverse rib 63 of cover plate 60 and interact with two diametrically opposing recesses 153 in shoulder 154 such that rotatable multiple - plug closure 140 mounted on adapter 130 can be engaged and released at a predetermined angular or rotational position . furthermore , as with multiple - plug closure 40 , multiple - plug closure 140 has two plugs 142 and 144 , which , however , have the same cross - section ; plate - shaped body 146 , consisting of cover plate 160 , intermediate plate 162 , and ground plate 164 ; as well as two longitudinal channels 141 and 143 and two transverse channels 145 and 147 . radially projecting projection 161 is formed on the circumferential wall of ground plate 164 and interacts with longitudinal groove 171 in the inner surface of neck 115 in the same manner as described in the first embodiment of the invention . the structure and operation of the multi - chamber ampoule according to the second embodiment is explained below . as in the first embodiment of the invention , before attaching the assembly consisting of adapter 130 and multiple - plug closure 140 to container 110 , adapter 130 and multiple - plug closure 140 are engaged in a predetermined rotational position , in which locking noses 163 catch the locking recesses . in this engaged state , assembly 130 , 140 is pushed into neck 115 of container 110 from above . as a result , projection 161 on multiple - plug closure 140 is aligned with longitudinal groove 171 in neck 115 . in this rotational position of assembly 130 , 140 in relation to container 110 , locking arms 138 are aligned with locking noses 170 . because of this , when assembly 130 , 140 is pushed in , locking ridges 137 strike the upper beveled section of locking noses 170 , and plugs 142 and 144 begin to penetrate into outlet openings 111 and 113 of chambers 112 and 114 . if in this position the adapter 130 is pushed further into container 110 , locking ridges 137 snap over locking noses 170 . this prevents a back movement of assembly 130 , 140 up or forward out of neck 115 of the container 110 . in this blocked or locked state , plugs 142 and 144 have penetrated sufficiently far into outlet openings 111 and 113 that the plugs create a fluid - tight seal with the outlet openings . once the above - described closed position of the plugs is achieved in which locking ridges 137 have just snapped into locking noses 170 , the front surfaces of the lower end of locking arms 138 are at a distance from the top side of front plate 118 . this occurs because in the second embodiment of the invention locking arms 138 are shorter than locking arms 38 in the first embodiment . however , at a suitable position between adapter 130 and container 110 , a stop piece is preferably provided in the second embodiment , not shown in the figure , which prevents continued pushing of assembly 130 , 140 downward or backward in the direction of container 110 beyond the closed position of plugs 142 and 144 . such a stop piece can , for example , consist of a clip that can be torn off by hand and which is formed on adapter 130 or on container 110 , and which strikes the upper side of front plate 118 of container 110 when the above - described closed position of plugs 142 and 144 is reached . as in the first embodiment of the invention when plugs 142 and 144 are in the closed position , chambers 112 and 114 can be filled with substances through their open back end and then closed off with plungers . to activate a double - chamber ampoule that is filled with substances according to the second embodiment , the above - mentioned stop piece is removed , and the adapter and multiple - plug closure assembly 130 , 140 are pushed further backward in the direction of container 110 . in the course of this movement , locking ridges 137 snap over locking noses 177 , while at the same time plugs 142 and 144 assume the flow position . locking ridges 137 that snap over locking noses 177 prevent assembly 130 , 140 from being pushed forward or up from container 110 while in the flow position . pushing assembly 130 , 140 further back or down is prevented because the front surfaces of the lower end of locking arms 138 strike the top side of front plate 118 . with regard to the above - mentioned stop piece , fig2 and 25 show an embodiment of slidable clip 180 on cylindrical back section 132 of adapter 130 . clip 180 consists of open ring - shaped section 182 , which , for example , extends over 270 °, and pull tab 184 that is formed at a position diametrically opposite the opening in ring - shaped section 182 on the outside of ring - shaped section 182 in the manner shown . when slid open , clip 180 strikes the top side of neck 115 of container 110 , and in this manner prevents adapter 130 from being pushed beyond the closed position when the multichamber ampoule is activated . clip 180 is pulled off of back section 132 by grabbing hold of pull tab 184 before activating the multichamber ampoule . with the clip 180 pulled off of back section 132 , the double - chamber ampoule according to the second embodiment of the invention is now in the activated state . in the activated state , pressure exerted on the plungers in chambers 112 and 114 dispenses the substances contained in the chambers through the transverse and longitudinal channels of multiple - plug closure 140 into mixing chamber 133 of adapter 130 . the substances are dispensed in a mixed state out through the front tip of adapter 130 . the double - chamber ampoule according to the second embodiment of the invention is envisioned for either single use or multiple use , just like double - chamber ampoule 100 according to the first embodiment . in multiple use , only a fractional portion of the substances stored in chambers 112 and 114 are dispensed during any single application . after an application is completed , adapter 130 is rotated out of its original inserted position in container 110 . when adapter 130 is rotated , locking arms 138 spring sideways out of locking noses 177 , and the front surfaces of the lower ends of locking arms 138 reach ramps 172 that run diagonally upward or forward . in the course of rotating adapter 130 further in relation to container 110 , adapter 130 is pushed away upward or forward from container 110 by ramps 172 . in the process , multiple - plug closure 140 that is connected with adapter 130 such that it can rotate is also pulled forward or upward . the gradient of ramps 172 is calculated such that before reaching the foremost end of the ramp , plugs 142 and 144 have been almost completely pulled out of outlet openings 111 and 113 . assembly 130 , 140 can then be removed from neck 115 of container 110 without effort . a new assembly 130 , 140 can then be inserted into container 110 . it should be mentioned that the multichamber ampoule according to the invention can either be applied directly by hand by using the plunger assembly shown in fig7 and 8 , or by using a known dispensing gun . when using a dispensing gun , the plunger rods including pressure plate shown in fig7 and 8 are omitted . in that case , plungers in the form of plugs that are directly activated by the output gun are used in the container chambers . in order to enable snap closure between locking arms 38 , 138 of adapter 30 , 130 and locking noses 70 , 77 , 170 , 177 as well as releasable engagement between transverse rib 63 or locking noses 163 and locking recesses 53 , 153 , the interacting portions of the components must be manufactured out of a material that allows for a certain elasticity . thermoplastics such as polyethylene , polyethylene terephthalate , polypropylene , cycloolefin copolymers , and the like , that are processable by compression molding or injection molding are preferred for manufacturing the parts of the multichamber ampoule according to the invention . the above - described embodiments of the invention should not be viewed as limitations on the invention . rather , one skilled in the art can make changes and alterations that are still within the scope of the invention . thus , for example , the ramps can enclose an angular range other than 90 °. moreover , for example , instead of a ramp on the neck of the container , a bevel can be formed on the adapter or on both the adapter and the container . at the same time , the specified engaging and locking mechanisms can be varied in various ways while serving the same function . with regard to the above - cited bevels on the adapter and / or containers , see fig2 through 33 . the same reference numbers are used in fig2 through 33 to represent what are essentially the same components as in fig1 through 15 . altered or additional characteristics are identified with additional reference numbers . in addition , for the sake of clarity only container 10 and the adapter 30 are depicted in fig2 through 33 . fig2 through 29 serve to explain a first further development of the first embodiment of the invention . as is evident from fig2 and 28 , bevel 274 is provided on the lower or rear end of locking arm 38 . as is evident from fig2 and 29 , recess 19 has been omitted from front plate 18 of container 10 . fig2 shows the position between adapter 30 and container 10 in the closed position . here , locking ridge 37 is snapped in behind locking nose 70 , and the lowest or hindmost end of locking arm 38 that is not touched by bevel 274 strikes front plate 18 of the container in order to prevent movement while in the activated position . to activate , adapter 30 is rotated 90 ° as in the first embodiment of the invention , and then pushed downward or backward until locking ridge 37 snaps over locking nose 77 . to remove adapter 30 and multiple - plug closure 40 , which is not depicted , adapter 30 is rotated further in the same direction . because of the distance between bevel 274 and the edge of recess 17 , which is shown in fig2 , this continued rotation of adapter 30 ends in the unlocked state . subsequently , bevel 274 catches recess 17 and pushes adapter 30 together with multiple - plug closure 40 , which is not depicted , up and out of neck 15 of container 10 . fig3 through 33 serve to explain a second development of the first embodiment of the invention . as is evident from fig3 and 32 , rectangular recess 376 is provided in the right half of the lower section of locking arm 38 shown in the diagram , which extends at most to the lower side of locking ridge 37 . the left half of the section of locking ridge 37 shown in the diagram is in the form of bevel 374 as indicated . as is evident from fig3 through 33 , two diametrically opposed ramps 372 are formed on the top side of front plate 18 . fig3 shows the relationship between container 10 and adapter 30 when the multichamber ampoule is in the closed state . here , locking ridge 37 is snapped in behind locking nose 70 . pushing adapter 30 downward or backward beyond the closed position is prevented by the fact that the lowest or hindmost end of bevel 374 strikes the top side of front plate 18 and / or the upper edge of recess 376 at the top side of ramp 372 . ramp 372 is shaped in such a way that it is at its greatest distance from the top side of front plate 18 where it is at locking nose 70 , and this decreases from there in the direction of recess 19 until it reaches the level of front plate 18 . in order to activate the multichamber ampoule in the first development of the first embodiment of the invention , adapter 30 is rotated by 90 ° in relation to container 10 and is then pushed down into the position shown in fig3 . in this connection , it should be noted that when rotating from the closed position depicted in fig3 , the end located at locking nose 70 represents a catch that allows rotation in only one direction . in the example depicted , the direction of rotation is to the right . to remove adapter 30 , including multiple - plug closure 40 , which is not depicted , adapter 30 is rotated further to the right and out of the position shown in fig3 . because of the distance between the edge of recess 19 and bevel 374 , the adapter first assumes the unlocked position . when then rotated to the right , bevel 374 runs up the edge of recess 19 and reaches the top side of ramp 372 . the dimensions of ramp 372 and of the bevel are such that when rotation of adapter 30 out of the activated position is continued , locking arm 38 is pushed up so far that before reaching locking nose 70 , locking ridge 37 is lifted over locking nose 70 so that accidental locking is avoided when removing adapter 30 . while there has been shown and described what are at present considered the preferred embodiments of the invention , it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention defined by the appended claims . | 1 |
electrodes which have been utilized commercially , typically as anodes , can be in plate form and usually will be referred to herein for convenience as being in &# 34 ; plate &# 34 ; form . however , it is to be understood that these electrodes can be appropriately considered to be in such form as bands , strips , sheets or blades . moreover , it is further contemplated that with such plate form electrodes , the sheets may be perforated , e . g ., as in the form of a mesh . the plate electrodes are at least substantially flat , that is , the working surface of the area is usually virtually completely flat , while a minor portion of the electrode , such as where the electrode might be attached to a current distributor , could be flanged or bent . in addition to being flat , the plate electrode is also non - circular , e . g ., it will be rectangular rather than elliptical , in its general shape . the electrode as most often contemplated will be non - perforate and inflexible , i . e ., solid and rigid , and have front and back major faces as well as an edge . when it is rectangular , the edge of the plate electrode will more particularly take the form of two sets of opposed parallel edges . if it is elongated and narrow , e . g ., in the form of a strip or a blade , but in rectangular shape , it will have a parallel set of short edges and a parallel set of long edges . usually , one short edge will be affixed to a current distributor . for the electrodes of the present invention , the inner plate member is as discussed above . around it there will be an outer envelope member . this may be referred to herein for convenience simply as the &# 34 ; envelope &# 34 ;, or the &# 34 ; jacket &# 34 ; or the &# 34 ; cover &# 34 ; member . this cover member may be made at least substantially from plates , as will be discussed further hereinbelow , and the plates may be of the bands , strips , or sheets and the like as discussed hereinabove . the plates as most often contemplated will be non - perforated and inflexible , i . e ., solid and rigid . these plates can have front and back major faces and an edge . generally , these plates will cover at least the front and back major faces of the plate electrode ( fig3 ) and welding may cover the edge ( fig5 ), as will be discussed hereinbelow . it is further also contemplated that the plates can be sheets which may be perforate , e . g ., mesh . both the inner plate member and the envelope member generally will be a metal member . where the electrode is to be utilized in an electrolysis such as of brine , the metal for the inner plate member and outer envelope member is advantageously of a valve metal , e . g ., titanium , tantalum , niobium , zirconium , hafnium , molybdenum , tungsten , or aluminum as well as alloys and intermetallic mixtures thereof . in such brine electrolysis , for both the inner plate and outer envelope , titanium is the preferred metal owing to its economical availability and desirable electrical and chemical properties . the invention electrode may be useful in an electrolytic process as anode or cathode or both . however , for convenience , the electrode may often be referred to herein simply as the &# 34 ; anode &# 34 ;. representative electrolytic processes include the electrowinning of metals , electrodeposition of metals , electrolytic treatment of waste streams for removal of impurities , or for disinfection or the like , electrolysis of typically aqueous solutions of salts , such as electrolysis of brine , for the production of chlorine or chlorate . referring then to the drawings , and more particularly to fig1 an invention electrode 1 has an inner plate 2 and an outer envelope 3 . the inner plate 2 is provided by a used electrode in plate form . at the top portion of the inner plate 2 , the outer envelope 3 has a cover section 4 which bridges over the top of the inner plate 2 , thus covering the top of the inner plate 2 . in the figure , a portion of the top section 4 and outer envelope 3 is shown in a partial cut - away view , exposing a top corner of the inner plate 2 for clarity . at the bottom of the electrode 1 , the outer envelope 3 has flanges 5 , 5 &# 39 ; which flare outwardly from the inner plate 2 . thus , the outer envelope member is the outer envelope 3 including the cover section 4 and flanges 5 , 5 &# 39 ;. also , at the bottom of the electrode , the outer envelope 3 stops short of the full extension of the inner plate 2 thereby exposing an extension portion 6 of the inner plate 2 . at the bottom of the electrode 1 , the outer envelope 3 has a partial cut - away view exposing the extension portion 6 for clarity . except for the extension portion 6 , the outer envelope 3 completely covers the inner plate 2 . referring then to fig1 a , the inner plate 2 is covered with an outer envelope 3 . at the base of the electrode , the inner plate 2 has an extension portion 6 which projects into , and is securely adhered to a base plate 7 . the base plate 7 can serve as a current distributor . the lower end of the outer envelope 3 terminates in flanges 5 , 5 &# 39 ;. these flanges 5 , 5 &# 39 ; abut face to face to the base plate 7 and are secured thereto such as by welding 8 along their side edges to provide desirable electrical contact between the base plate 7 and the outer envelope 3 . the welding 8 at the sides of the flanges 5 , 5 &# 39 ; can also secure adjacent flanges 5 , 5 &# 39 ; one to the other . additional welding ( not shown ) can also be carried out completely across the front and back of the flanges 5 , 5 &# 39 ; and , therefore , around the entire bottom perimeter of the outer envelope 3 . by all of this welding , the envelope 3 is secured to the base plate 7 . this perimeter welding can also seal completely the juncture of the envelope 3 with the base plate 7 . the welding provides an electrical connection between the base plate 7 and the outer envelope 3 . referring to fig2 the electrode 1 has an inner plate 2 and an outer envelope 3 . at the top portion of the inner plate 2 the outer envelope 3 has a cover section 4 ( the inner plate 2 is shown at a cut - away portion , including a portion of this cover section 4 ), which bridges over the top of the inner plate 2 , thus covering the top of the inner plate 2 . at the bottom of the electrode , the outer envelope 3 stops short of the full extension of the inner plate 2 . as shown partly in a cut - away section of the outer envelope 3 , the inner plate 2 has an extension portion 6 projecting beyond the outer envelope 3 . except for the extension portion 6 , the outer envelope 3 covers the inner plate 2 . referring then to fig2 a , the inner plate 2 is covered with an outer envelope 3 . at the base of the electrode , the inner plate 2 has an extension portion 6 which projects into , and is securely adhered , such as by welding , to a base plate 7 . the base plate 7 can serve as a current distributor . at the lower end of the outer envelope 3 , the envelope 3 terminates in edges which abut the base plate 7 . the outer envelope 3 can be secured to the base plate 7 such as by welding 8 around the entire bottom perimeter of the outer envelope 3 where it adjoins the base plate 7 . the entire perimeter welding 8 provides desirable electrical contact between the base plate 7 and the outer envelope 3 . the inner plate 2 is then completely sealed by the outer envelope 3 and welding 8 . referring then to fig3 the electrode 1 has an inner plate 2 and an outer envelope 3 . this envelope 3 has an elongated ( long length dimension ) element on each side of the plate 2 . at the top portion of the inner plate 2 , the outer envelope 3 has a cover section 4 which bridges between the two elongated elements ( each of which are substantially plate shaped ), and the cover section 4 also bridges over the top of the inner plate 2 , thus covering the top of the inner plate 2 . however , long parallel edges 9 of the inner plate 2 ( which edges 9 define the thickness dimension of the inner plate 2 ) are left exposed by the version of the envelope 3 shown in fig3 . these edges 9 can be sealed , such as by welding ( not shown ). along the outer face of one of the elongated elements of the envelope 3 , there is placed a separator 16 . this can serve to maintain a separation between the electrode 1 and adjacent assembly . the separator 16 can be secured to the envelope 3 , such as by adhesive , and may be made from a material resistant to the environment of the electrode , which material may suitably be polytetrafluoroethylene . at the bottom of the electrode 1 , each of the elongated elements terminates in a flange 5 , 5 &# 39 ;, or foot . each of the flanges 5 , 5 &# 39 ; flare outwardly from the inner plate 2 . moreover at the bottom of the electrode 1 , the outer envelope 3 stops short of the full extension of the inner plate 2 thereby exposing an extension portion 6 of the outer envelope 3 . the outer envelope 3 is in secure , electrically conductive contact with a base plate ( note shown ) such as in the manner shown and described hereinabove in connection with fig1 and 1a . where welding is used along the outer edges 9 , this welding ( not shown ) plus the outer envelope 3 , can assist in completely sealing the inner plate 2 . in such instances , it is the envelope 3 plus welding that completely covers the inner plate 2 . referring next to fig4 two electrodes 1 , 1 &# 39 ; each have an inner plate 2 . this plate 2 is essentially encased in envelope sections 11 . at the top portion of the inner plate 2 , each envelope section 11 has a top extension section 12 which extends past the top end of the inner plate 2 ( which is shown in partial cut - away of the envelope sections 11 ). also , the envelope sections 11 have side extension sections 13 which extend past the side edge of the inner plate 2 . where the extension sections 12 , 13 of adjacent envelope sections 11 come together , they pinch together leaving only a seam and can be secured together , e . g ., in sealing engagement , such as by welding ( not shown ) along the seam . at the bottom , between the two electrodes , a facing pair of long length dimension envelope sections 11 interconnect at a base 18 ( at the side edges of the base 18 ). this base 18 has a short width dimension between the adjacent inner plates 2 . the short width dimension base 18 with the long envelope sections 11 form a u - shaped cover member segment . the inner envelope sections 11 provide elongated side members at each side of the base 18 . these envelope sections 11 , on their outer faces , are in facing engagement with inner plates 2 . these envelope sections 11 , on their inner faces , can be coated . these sections plus the base ( and which may include the extension sections 12 , 13 ) can form a seamless , one - piece u - shaped cover member . at the bottom of each electrode , the outer envelope sections 11 stop short of the full extension of the inner plate 2 thereby exposing an extension portion 6 of the inner plate 2 ( as shown in partial cut - away of the envelope sections 11 ). an adjacent pair of the outer envelope sections 11 , including the extension sections 12 , 13 , when sealed together as by welding , can completely cover the inner plate 2 of each electrode , except for the exposed extension portion 6 . also secured at the side extension sections 13 can be support pins 14 . these pins 14 support electrically non - conductive , e . g ., polytetrafluoroethylene , separator strips 15 which can serve to maintain the electrode separate from an adjacent electrode . the separator strips 15 can be formed with bent edges and apertures which fit around the support pins 14 , whereby the separator strips can be snapped into place over the support pins 14 . the separator strips 15 may also be adhesively held in place , thereby obviating the support pins 14 . referring then to fig4 a , each inner plate 2 is covered with a pair of outer envelope sections 11 . at the bottom of the envelope sections 11 , the base 18 outer surface is in contact with a base plate 7 . at the base of each electrode , the inner plate 2 has an extension portion 6 which projects into , and is securely adhered to , such as by welding , a base plate 7 . the bottom of the envelope sections 11 can be welded to the base plate 7 at the front and back of the extension portion 6 , i . e ., across the width of the plate 2 , in the manner as shown in fig2 a . the base plate 7 can serve as a current distributor . referring then to fig5 an electrode 1 has an inner plate 2 . this plate 2 is snugly sandwiched between envelope sections 11 . at the top portion of the inner plate 2 each envelope section 11 has a top extension section 12 which extends past the top end of the inner plate 2 . also the envelope sections 11 have side extensions sections 13 which extend past the side edge of the inner plate 2 . these side extension sections 13 can extend past the side edge of the plate 2 at both the front and back of the plate 2 . where the extension sections 12 , 13 of the adjacent envelope sections 11 face one another , they can be secured together in sealing engagement by welding 17 across the entire width of the edges of the inner plate 2 . this welding 17 can be along the long parallel side edges , both front and back , between the side extension sections 13 , as well as along the top short edge between the top extension sections 12 . the bottom short edge of the inner plate 2 can be affixed to the base plate 7 ( fig4 a ). for this construction , the cover member is thus provided not only from the envelope sections 11 , but also by the welding 17 at three sides of the inner plate 2 . to refurbish old electrodes , even those containing residual surface coating , the electrodes as inner plates 2 can be retained in a base plate 7 and need not have old coating removed . for purposes of this exemplification , and referring more particularly to fig4 and 5 , u - shaped cover member segments of a base 18 and side envelope sections 11 can be fitted between adjacent inner plates 2 . in this fitted engagement , the outer face of the base 18 can be fitted in firm contact against the base plate 7 . also , outer faces of envelope sections 11 can fit firmly against adjacent faces of inner plates 2 . all such firm engagement enhances electrical connections between the envelope sections 11 and the inner plates 2 . welding 17 can then be provided along the exposed edges of the inner plates 2 , with preferably the plate extension sections 12 , 13 providing some to all of the weld metal . thus , in addition to any of the above discussed mechanical engagement that occurs by the fitting of the u - shaped cover member segments between adjacent inner plates 2 , there is additionally good metallurgical connection between the inner plates 2 and the u - shaped cover member segments which can be provided by the welding 17 . this metallurgical and mechanical engagement provides for a desirable electrical connection between the outer envelope sections 11 and the inner plates 2 . referring again to fig1 and as mentioned hereinabove , both the inner plate member 2 and the outer envelope 3 are generally metal members , typically valve metal members with titanium being preferred . titanium is also the preferred metal where the outer envelope is in envelope sections 11 as shown in fig4 . the outer surface of the outer envelope 3 , or envelope sections 11 , will advantageously be electrocatalytically coated , with a coating as will be discussed further hereinbelow in greater detail . as noted in the fig1 and 1a , the outer envelopes 3 can be individual hollow envelope members of inverted u - shapes . they will have a hollow interior having an inner face for contacting an inner plate 2 . such hollow envelopes are placed over the inner plates 2 and welded together between adjacent plates as well as to the inner plate 2 after placement , e . g ., the welding 8 of fig1 a and 2a . it is also contemplated that the outer envelopes 3 , as well as the envelope sections 11 of fig4 can be preformed . that is , prior to placement over the inner plates 2 , these envelopes 3 can be secured together as by welding or in seamless connection to form large , one - piece structures of , e . g ., many envelopes 3 welded together . such large structures may then be slipped over many inner plates 2 , such as rows of inner plates 2 . such large preformed structures will also be serviceable where the outer envelope 3 is in the form as shown in fig3 . as noted in fig4 the outer envelopes can be in sections , including extension sections 12 , 13 as shown in fig5 . advantageously , these sections will be preassembled or formed into one piece . for example , a base 18 can have a side envelope 11 welded at each side edge to form a u - shaped envelope cover member . the extension sections 12 , 13 can be welded to the side envelope 11 . the resulting member , with weld seams , is then slipped between adjacent plates 2 . such a member may also be formed as a seamless , one - piece segment of the overall envelope that likewise can be slipped between adjacent plates 2 . other configurations for structuring envelope sections are also contemplated , such as having sections where the weld joints are down the broad face of the inner plate 2 rather than at the short sides thereof . also , other connections for the inner plates 2 with a base plate 7 rather than an extension portion 6 projecting into the base plate 7 , are contemplated . for example , the inner plates 2 may be flanged and secured to current lead - in members , such as shown in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 078 , 986 . wherever welding is utilized , the type of welding is preferably gas tungsten arc welding or tungsten and inert gas welding , but other welding techniques such as electron beam may be utilized . the deposited metal remaining after the welding will most always be left as is , but can also be subject to further operation , e . g ., machined , polished or trimmed . in a cell such as for the electrolysis of brine to produce chlorate , the inner plates 2 at their edge will typically have a width ( thickness ) on the order of 0 . 1 inch . for such inner plates 2 , it is contemplated that the outer envelope 3 , at each side of the inner plate 2 will have a thickness dimension on the order of from about 0 . 02 inch to about 0 . 04 inch . although the outer envelopes 3 and envelope sections 11 have been shown in the figures to be solid , it is also contemplated that the envelope 3 and sections 11 may be in mesh form . the securing , as by welding , of the mesh form cover can provide for desirable electrical connection without the need for providing a sealing of the inner plate 2 . although discussions have been made hereinbefore typically pertaining to a base plate 7 , it is to be understood that other structure , e . g ., bar shape , is contemplated for the base . in general , it is contemplated that any base structure which can be utilized for plate anodes , will be serviceable as the base structure in the present invention . usually , such a base structure will be metallic and made from an electrically conductive metal such as titanium or steel . in fig4 the support pins 14 are typically metallic and are made of a metal similar to the plate 2 , e . g ., titanium . affixed to these pins 14 , such as by being snapped in place , are the separator strips 15 . these are electrically non - conductive separator strips typically made from a polymeric material such as polytetrafluoroethylene . since the inner plates 2 can be old electrodes , which may contain at least some residual coating , it is preferred for enhanced current distribution that the cover structure be as shown in fig5 . welded regions can provide good current distribution , which in part will be due to the welded areas providing firm contact to the inner plates 2 , even through an old , residual coating . in the structure of fig5 the welding 17 provides current distribution to three edges of the inner plate 2 ( the fourth edge of the inner plate 2 being secured to a base plate 7 ). moreover , the welding 17 in fig5 is between the extension sections 12 , 13 , which provides for comparative ease of welding , when compared with the welding between flanges 5 , 5 &# 39 ; adjacent a base plate 7 ( fig1 a ). wherever applied , the welding can provide a desirable seal , e . g ., between envelope sections 11 , for reducing to eliminating crevice corrosion . with the structure of fig5 because of the extension sections 12 , 13 of the envelope sections 11 , a welding arc can be struck to an edge of the inner plate 2 . this can be utilized to affect pooling of the metal of the extension sections 12 at the top edge of the inner plate 2 . in this manner , the metal of the weld 17 is contributed in whole or in part from such extension sections 12 . a similar result can be achieved for the weld 17 along the front and back edges of the inner plate 2 for the side extension sections 13 . using this technique , no additional metal need be contributed for the welding . as representative of the electrochemically active coatings that may be applied to the outer surface of the outer envelope 3 or envelope sections 11 are those provided from platinum or other platinum group metals or they can be represented by active oxide coatings such as platinum group metal oxides , magnetite , ferrite , cobalt spinel or mixed metal oxide coatings . such coatings have typically been developed for use as anode coatings in the industrial electrochemical industry . they may be water based or solvent based , e . g ., using alcohol solvent . suitable coatings of this type have been generally described in one or more of the u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 265 , 526 , 3 , 632 , 498 , 3 , 711 , 385 , and 4 , 528 , 084 . the mixed metal oxide coatings can often include a platinum group metal including platinum , palladium , rhodium , iridium and ruthenium or mixtures of these as well as mixtures with other metals . further coatings can comprise tin oxide , manganese dioxide , lead dioxide , cobalt oxide , ferric oxide , platinate coatings such as m x pt 3 o 4 where m is an alkali metal and x is typically targeted at approximately 0 . 5 , nickel - nickel oxide and nickel plus lanthanide oxides . | 2 |
the system and method will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings , which are provided as illustrative examples so as to enable those skilled in the art to practice the system and method . notably , the figures and examples below are not meant to limit the scope of the claimed invention to any specific embodiment , but other embodiments are possible by way of interchange of some or all of the described or illustrated elements . moreover , where certain elements of the system and method can be partially or fully implemented using known components , only those portions of such known components that are necessary for an understanding of the claimed invention will be described , and detailed descriptions of other portions of such known components will be omitted . in the present specification , an embodiment showing a singular component should not necessarily be considered limiting ; rather , other embodiments including a plurality of the same component may be possible , and vice - versa , unless explicitly stated otherwise herein . moreover , applicants do not intend for any term in the specification or claims to be ascribed an uncommon or special meaning unless explicitly set forth as such . further , the claimed invention encompasses present and future known equivalents to the known components referred to herein by way of illustration . generally , the disclosed system and method provides a fundamentally different approach to broadcasting data to all processes in a parallel computing system . whereas a known systems and methods require the root sending process to wait until acknowledgements are collected from all processes ( either directly or through a hierarchical structure ), the disclosed system and method distributes the acknowledgement collection function among all the nodes in the system . according to one embodiment , each node in the system has a designated send partner / neighbor node and a designated receive partner / neighbor node . once a node receives a message from its designated receive partner / neighbor , it behaves as though it itself was the original multicast sender . it waits for an ack from its designated send partner / neighbor , and re - sends the message if a time - out occurs . although the data broadcasting techniques disclosed herein may find particularly useful application in a parallel computing system , the principles of the claimed invention are not limited to this application , and other applications will become apparent to those skilled in the art after being taught by the present disclosure . fig2 is a block diagram of a system having data broadcasting capabilities . as shown in fig2 , a system 200 includes a plurality of nodes or processors 202 - 1 to 202 - n that communicate with each other via a network 204 . the data broadcasting capabilities can have many applications , and the diagram in fig2 is intended to be illustrative rather than limiting . the system 200 can implement a parallel computing system such as a computer cluster , a symmetric multiprocessor ( smp ) system or other architecture , and can also implement shared and distributed memory systems such as network attached storage ( nas ) caches , virtual memory disks , coherent memory pools , and further can implement schemes such as san synchronization and file - locking and software clusters . processors 202 can be any type of computer or processor using any type of operating system such as windows , linux , solaris , unix etc . network 204 can be any type of high speed or other network such as ethernet , infiniband , proprietary interconnects , switch fabrics , buses or system area networks ( sans ). fig2 illustrates an example implementation of processor 202 in more detail . as shown in fig2 , processor 202 includes a reliability protocol functionality 220 and a network interface 222 that includes a send buffer and a receive buffer . processor 202 also includes a local memory or other storage 224 that includes a send partner id , a receive partner id and a multicast id for use by the reliability protocol functionality 220 . it should be noted that processor 202 may include other hardware and software components whose descriptions are not necessary for an understanding of the concepts disclosed herein , and so their explanation will be omitted here for clarity . reliability protocol functionality 220 is preferably implemented as software in accordance with the particular operating system and computing environment of processor 202 and provides the distributed message broadcast acknowledgment collection methodology , as will be described in more detail below , in conjunction with the id &# 39 ; s maintained in storage 224 . the protocol functionality is further preferably implemented in accordance with the type of network protocol being used such as ip , udp or infiniband , and the system and the method are amenable to application with any packet - based protocol , and preferably having broadcast or multicast capabilities , and may be designed to , for example , to operate at level 5 of the osi stack . network interface 222 is implemented in accordance with the requirements of the particular network 204 in which the system operates , as well as the operating system and cpu capabilities of the processor 202 . for example , if the network is an ethernet lan , the network interface 222 is an ethernet - compatible interface . those skilled in the art will be able to understand and implement the particular network interface appropriate for a given implementation . the id &# 39 ; s maintained in storage 224 are also implemented in accordance with the particular network 204 in which the system operates . for example in some embodiments , the id &# 39 ; s can be ip addresses , and the multicast id can be a subnet . in other embodiments , the id &# 39 ; s can be maintained as lists of proprietary , machine level or other types of addresses . it should be noted that it is not necessary for all processors 202 in system 200 to be configured the same . however , the reliability protocol functionality 220 is preferably present at each node in the system in accordance with the computing capabilities of that node . fig3 is a flowchart illustrating an example method of broadcasting data in a parallel computing system . those skilled in the art will understand how to implement this methodology in various processor systems and software environments after being taught by this example . as shown in fig3 , processing begins in step s 302 by identifying all the nodes in the system and informing each node who their designated send partner / neighbor and designated receive partner / neighbor nodes are . this can be done many ways and can depend on the type of network and protocol that is used . however , preferably the identification step ensures that all nodes in the system are identified as both a designated receiver of another node , and a designated sender of a different node . for example , each node in the system can be given an identifying sequential number , and its send partner / neighbor can be the next highest number node , and its receive partner / neighbor can be the next lowest number node , with a modulus of the total number of nodes . alternatively , a distance ( or time delay ) between each node can be measured , and a determination can be made to assign partner / neighbor nodes based on a minimum distance ( or time delay ) among nodes . in other embodiments , each node can also obtain id &# 39 ; s for all other nodes in the system , whether an explicit list of a group identifier such as an ip multicast group , subnet mask , broadcast lists , etc . after learning the ids , these are stored in each respective node &# 39 ; s storage 224 . in step s 304 , during processing , the system allows any node to broadcast data at any time . when a node is ready to send data , processing advances to step s 306 where the data is multicast to all the nodes in the system , preferably using the broadcast or multicasting techniques of the particular network . if no message is to be sent , processing proceeds to step s 308 , where it is determined whether a new broadcast message has been received that is associated with the system . if no message is to be sent , or to be received , by the node , processing returns to step s 304 . if a new broadcast message for the system has been received , unless the node itself sent the message in step s 306 , the node sends an acknowledgement ( ack ) to its designated receive partner / neighbor in step s 310 . further , in step s 312 , both the node that sent the message , and every node that receives the message , stores the message locally in a send buffer associated with its designated send partner / neighbor node . in step s 314 , after buffering the message , the node waits for an acknowledgement ( ack ) from its designated send partner / neighbor ( whether or not it actually sent the message in its send buffer ). if the node receives an ack from the send partner / neighbor , it deletes the message from the send buffer because the ack provides confirmation that the message was delivered . if no ack is received from the designated send neighbor / partner node after a timeout period of time ( determined in step s 314 ), the node re - sends the message to its designated send neighbor / partner node in step s 316 and wait again for an ack in step s 314 . this behavior ensures that the message will be delivered to the partner / neighbor that did not receive the message with the first multicast . fig4 a to 4e further illustrate an example implementation of the broadcasting method . as shown in fig4 a , similarly to the conventional method , the sender node s sends data over the network using the broadcast / multicast capability that the network hardware provides . after the message is delivered , each node r stores the message locally in a send buffer . differently from the conventional method , however , each node that receives the message also pretends that it sent the message itself to a designated send partner / neighbor node , and that it received the message from a designated receive partner / neighbor . as shown in fig4 b , in the case of being the pretend sender , each node waits for an acknowledgement ( ack ) from its designated send partner / neighbor . if the node receives an acknowledgement from the partner / neighbor , it deletes the message from the send buffer since it received confirmation that the message was delivered . in the case of being the receiver , each node sends an acknowledgment ( ack ) back to its designated receive partner / neighbor node . if no message is lost , all nodes send the acknowledgement ( ack ) at approximately the same time , thus taking up one single time step o ( 1 ). in this case , all nodes receive an ack , delete the message from the send buffer and continue the program . an important aspect of the system and method is that it provides the ability to automatically recover from a situation where data is lost or dropped and one or more nodes do not receive the multicast data . in such a case , the node which pretended to be the sender will run into a timeout since it did not receive an ack . more particularly , as shown in fig4 c , nodes 402 and 404 did not receive an ack from their designated send neighbor / partner nodes 406 and 408 , respectively . the pretending senders 402 and 404 will thus re - send the message to neighbor / partner nodes 406 and 408 and wait again for an ack . this behavior ensures that the message will be delivered to the partner / neighbor that did not receive the message with the first multicast . the disclosed system and method may overcome an extreme situation where more than one node in the sequence of partners / neighbors does not receive the original multicast message . in this situation , the reliability method will still work and close the gap . more particularly , referring back to fig4 c , node 410 never received the original message , and its designated send partner / neighbor node 408 did not receive the original message either . however , as explained above , and as illustrated in fig4 d , node 408 eventually receives and acknowledges the re - sent message from node 404 . upon receiving the message from node 404 , node 408 begins its timer for receiving an acknowledgement of its own , and times out after not receiving an acknowledgement from its own send partner / neighbor node 410 . it then “ resends ” the message ( even though it never sent one originally ) to node 410 . accordingly , as shown in fig4 e , node 410 eventually acknowledges receipt of the last message , and then completes the loop by performing identical processing as described above in connection with its own designated send partner / neighbor node 412 . although the claimed invention has been particularly described with reference to embodiments thereof , it should be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that changes and modifications in the form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . certain aspects of one embodiment may also be interchanged with the other embodiments . it is intended that the appended claims encompass such changes , modifications and interchanges . | 7 |
the present invention provides at least two modes of safety for vehicles , including industrial trucks , forklifts , and especially bucket lift trucks or man lifts . by the combination of preferred features , those persons within proximity of the vehicle are warned whenever said vehicle is backing - up . vehicle or bucket lift operators are also warned of low battery conditions , such that they have early knowledge of potential danger , for example , due to a critical loss of power of their lifting and positioning equipment . as a backup alarm , the preferred embodiment conforms to sae standard j994 type c , producing a 1200 hz tone with a 97 db sound level , measured at a distance of four feet . the preferred embodiment also is capable of providing a warble sound at a level of 97 db , to alert operators of a low battery voltage condition . self - resonant back - up alarm oscillator circuitry , as described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 596 , 311 to bess , et al is employed in the preferred embodiment to provide superior sound output performance throughout the life of the product . other similar systems may be employed in alternate embodiments to effect desired alarm sound and or optional light outputs . preferably , the componentry of the preferred embodiment is fully contained within a single , preferably plastic housing . in the preferred embodiment , the backup alarm and low voltage alarm may be operated together or independently . if the backup alarm is energized during a low voltage condition , the backup alarm will take priority . power for battery voltage sensing , internal reference and logic supplies may be sourced in one of two ways : a ) continuous operation via connection to the battery / alternator ( battery side of vehicle key switch ), or b ) active operation via connection to the ignition side of the vehicle key switch . an important aspect of the preferred embodiment of the invention , regarding its low battery detection circuitry , is the capability of sensing two or more voltage points with different timing algorithms being associated with each voltage point , thereby detecting discharge to a higher degree of accuracy over varying battery loads . for example , in the preferred embodiment , if either a ) the battery voltage drops to less than 12 . 0 volts for five minutes , or b ) the battery voltage drops to less than 11 . 5 volts for one minute , the alarm will be triggered . for either of these instances , once the battery voltage climbs again above 12 . 0 volts , the alarm will be reset . in the preferred embodiment , the alarm tone that signals a low battery condition is distinctively different from a standard back - up alarm tone . for example , the low battery alarm tone is preferably a four second warble sound , occurring once each minute . this is in contrast to the preferred back - up alarm tone , namely a 1200 hz tone repeating at a rate of 80 pulses per minute . after eight minutes total time from first detection of less than a 12 . 0 volt level , the alarm will be automatically reset and the low voltage function silenced . this feature is implemented in order to prevent the low - battery alarm from running continuously , and entirely draining the battery . a typical housing for the circuitry is a molded plastic enclosure 24 , for example , one constructed of glass filled nylon polymer , as depicted in fig5 . the preferred embodiment has approximate dimensions of : h 2 . 5 ″; w 4 ″; d 1 . 5 ″, mounted by way of two 0 . 3 ″ holes on 3 . 25 ″ centers , on the back and bottom of the housing . the three wiring terminals 25 may consist of three # 8 - 32 unc terminal studs . an operating input voltage of 9 to 16 volts allows for connection to typical 12 - volt automotive vehicle electrical systems . fig5 also depicts speaker 13 , back - up signal input 15 , sense input 1 , and a signal ground connection . with reference now to the accompanying figures , fig1 is a schematic block diagram of the preferred embodiment of the present invention , depicting its major circuit elements . sense input 1 is input to an input voltage sense circuit 2 . the function of the input voltage sense circuit 2 is to perform a comparison between the voltage reference 3 output and sense input 1 . if sense input voltage 1 falls below 12 . 0 volts , then the low voltage detect signal 4 becomes active , turning on timing circuit 5 . conversely , if the low voltage detect signal 4 becomes inactive , then the timing circuit 5 will be reset immediately , requiring another voltage dip below 12 . 0 volts in order to re - activate . timing circuit 5 has output signals that become active when timing cycles are completed . the output signals , in conjunction with the two voltage threshold signals 8 and 9 , control the operation of gating circuit 6 and self - resonant back - up alarm circuit 7 . voltage threshold signals 8 and 9 become active when the battery voltage falls below threshold levels , which are settable according to resistor divider arrays in input voltage sense circuit 2 , but in the preferred embodiment are set respectively to 12 . 0 and 11 . 5 volts . a signal that is pre - emptive of any other in the circuit is that of back - up signal input 15 , which typically is an input from the reverse switch in the vehicle onto which the invention is installed . when this signal activates , it immediately enables gating circuit 6 to start self - resonant back - up alarm circuit 7 , which outputs the standard on - off back - up alarm signal sequence for as long as that input signal is active . the main time base for all timings in this circuit is clock source 10 , and the power supply source for all circuitry is logic voltage regulator 11 . signals from self - resonant back - up alarm circuit 7 are amplified by audio amplifier circuit 12 , and are converted to sound energy by speaker 13 . fig2 and 3 are each schematic block diagrams of two separate alternate embodiments of the present invention . in a similar way to the preferred embodiment , clock 10 supplies all timings in these circuits , and the requisite power source for all circuitry is logic voltage regulator 11 . each circuit also incorporates audio amplifier circuit 12 and speaker 13 , similar to the preferred embodiment , as previously described above and as depicted in fig1 . the circuit of fig2 employs a microcontroller 14 that operates according to the embedded software contained in program memory 18 . inputs to the microcontroller 14 are from back - up signal input 15 , low voltage detect signal 4 , first threshold 8 and second threshold 9 from comparator circuit 16 . from these inputs , the microcontroller , through operation by programmed control , interprets the machine state and performs appropriate audio tone generation output to audio amplifier 12 in response . the function of this circuit can be made to perform in much the same , if not identical , manner to the circuit of fig1 , according to conventional techniques . the comparator circuit 16 of fig2 performs a similar function to the input voltage sense 2 of fig1 . the function of gating 6 , timing 5 , and self - resonant back - up alarm 7 circuits of fig1 can each be accomplished by programmed control within microcontroller 14 of fig2 according to conventional techniques . such a program controlled device can also generate different tone sequences , if end users wish to incorporate them . fig3 depicts a variation of a microcontroller circuit in which there is incorporated an analog to digital converter ( adc ) 17 , as featured in many varieties of commercially available microcontrollers . microcontroller 14 again operates according to the embedded software contained in program memory 18 . sense input 1 is an analog voltage that is converted to digital data words upon successive samples of adc 17 . these converted data words are typically stored following preliminary digital signal processing steps , executed from program memory 18 . for example , high and low ( or more than two ) threshold constants can be stored in program memory , and a rolling average would be typically performed on the incoming sense voltage to provide smoother values to be used for comparison to these different threshold levels . such an averaging step on raw data prevents spurious timer events due to noise spikes that might be present on sense input 1 . from the result of the comparisons , and through internal timing conditions , each as controlled according to the steps contained in program memory 18 , microcontroller 14 interprets the machine state and performs appropriate audio tone generation output to audio amplifier 12 in response . the function of this circuit can be made to perform in much the same , if not identical manner to the circuits of fig1 and fig2 . an extra , optional feature of the embodiment as depicted in fig3 is the incorporation of a lamp driver circuit 19 and signaling lamp 20 . the incorporation of a signaling lamp allows for both audio and visual notification of alerts to the vehicle operator and to those within its path of movement when backing - up . another feature is ambient light sensor 21 , which signals microcontroller 14 of relatively light and dark ambient light conditions , thereby allowing for automatic selection of light - based alarm operation at night and sound - based alarm operation during the daytime , for example . this feature can allow for quiet operation at nighttime in noise sensitive areas , such as where industrial yards are located near neighborhoods . the diagram in fig4 illustrates multiple alarm mode timing of the preferred embodiment of the present invention . the top row of the diagram depicts the time in minutes after an event is started , which is triggered by the sense voltage 1 dropping below a threshold value . the second row 22 depicts the alarm intervals that occur when the sense voltage 1 has dropped below 12 . 0 volts , but is above 11 . 5 volts . the third row 23 depicts the alarm intervals that occur when the sense voltage 1 has dropped below 11 . 5 volts . the purpose of these two different timing schemes is to allow faster alarm indication when deeper discharging has occurred and a hold - off in alarm for slight voltage dips that may be only momentary , due to intermittent battery loading such as when a bucket lift motor is in operation . the foregoing description of different embodiments , including a preferred embodiment of the invention , has been presented for purposes of illustration and description . this is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed . many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in this art , after viewing this description and the drawings . it is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents . | 1 |
bird feed tray 1 of the present invention is shown mounted on pole 30 beneath bird feeder 32 in fig1 . as best shown in fig2 , bird feed tray 1 comprises a unitary body comprising segments 2 , 4 , 6 , 8 , and 10 which are separated by partitions 12 , 14 , 16 , 18 , and 20 extending outward from the center section of the body . outer wall or rim 22 circumscribes bird feed tray 1 and constitutes the terminus of the segments . although bird feed tray 1 is shown as being circular in configuration with five separate segments , it is contemplated that the feed tray can be any appropriate , desired configuration and can comprise a different number of segments . the invention is not to be considered restricted to the configuration of the bird feed tray or the number of segments therein . as best seen in fig3 and 4 , segment 2 comprises inclined surfaces 2 a and 2 b sloped or angled downwards towards rim 22 . surfaces 2 a and 2 b are also sloped inward toward each other and drain trough 2 c is formed at the intersection of the surfaces . drain through 2 c extends substantially the length of the segment . similarly , segment 4 comprises inclined surfaces 4 a and 4 b similarly sloped to form trough 4 c . segment 6 comprises sloped surfaces 6 a and 6 b forming trough 6 c . segment 8 comprises sloped surfaces 8 a and 8 b to form trough 8 c . segment 10 comprises sloped surfaces 10 a and 10 b to form trough 10 c . segment surface drain holes 2 d , 4 d , 6 d , 8 d , and 10 d are located at the outer edges of segments 2 , 4 , 6 , 8 , and 10 , respectively , adjacent to rim 22 . similarly , trough drain holes 2 e , 4 e , 6 e , 8 e , and 10 e are located at the end of the troughs of the respective segments , also adjacent to rim 22 . the outer ends of partitions 12 , 14 , 16 , 18 , and 20 terminate at rim 22 . the inner ends of the partitions terminate at the center section of the unitary body , at central cylindrical sleeve 24 . sleeve 24 comprises through opening 26 and threads 28 . as shown in fig1 , pole 30 , supporting bird feeder 32 , is inserted through opening 26 of sleeve 24 of bird feed tray 1 , such that the feed tray is located directly under the bird feeder . bird feed tray 1 is held elevated in place on pole 30 by any number of means . for instance , sleeve 24 may be provided with threads 28 which can engage a lower section of pole 30 or other bird feeder component , e . g . pole brake 34 as seen in fig1 . bird feed tray 1 can also be maintained in position on pole 30 by insertable stop pin 36 , used alone or in combination with pole brake 34 , also as seen in fig1 . the means to maintain feeder 32 in position are not to be considered limited to that which is described herein . in use , bird food will spill onto bird feed tray 1 , as birds are perched on and feed on upper feed tray 33 . food which falls onto bird feed tray 1 is also available , especially to larger perching birds . while water in prior feed trays will accumulate after a rain , saturating and making inedible food located on the trays , the present invention eliminates this problem , since rain water has no opportunity to collect on the bird feed tray 1 . water is caused to flow downwardly and inwardly on sloped surfaces 2 a / 2 b , 4 a / 4 b , 6 a / 6 b , 8 a / 8 b , and 10 a / 10 b of their respective segments . some of the water immediately drains out surface drain holes 2 d , 4 d , 6 d , 8 d , and 10 d . the remaining water flows down into troughs 2 c , 4 c , 6 c , 8 c , and 10 c , where it drains from the tray via trough drain holes 2 e , 4 e , 6 e , 8 e , and 10 e . bird feed tray 1 can be adapted for use with virtually any elevated bird feeder and can even be employed independently as a feeder . for example , fig7 shows bird feed tray 1 used strictly as a feeder , mounted on top of pole 40 . for this use , cap 25 encloses the top of sleeve 24 . pole 40 can be threadably engaged to sleeve 24 or attached in an equivalent manner . fig8 shows bird feed tray 1 comprising cap 27 with attachment loop 29 . hook 44 or like attachment component , is configured to extend through loop 29 to suspend bird feed tray 1 from feeder 42 , hanging from pole 50 . the herein examples of the manner the bird feed tray of the present invention may be used are provided for illustrative purposes only and are by no means to be considered restricted to these uses . the bird feed tray of the present invention thus prevents the accumulation of water on the tray , causing the water to immediately drain from the tray &# 39 ; s surface . the tray will then dry out quickly , as will the food on the tray , thereby salvaging this food for birds . the potential buildup of soggy debris , with its resulting odor and insect breeding areas , is also eliminated . it is anticipated that the bird feed tray will be constructed of plastic , molded as a single unit , ensuring its ease and economy of manufacture . certain novel features and components of this invention are disclosed in detail in order to make the invention clear in at least one form thereof . however , it is to be clearly understood that the invention as disclosed is not necessarily limited to the exact form and details as disclosed , since it is apparent that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention . | 0 |
in the standard way , the data stored in the memory of an sim card includes up to 255 data items comprising names and telephone numbers associated with the names , entered by the user in a random order . the basic principle of the invention is to manage additional information in the memory of the terminal , for example a mobile telephone , and to execute a consistency verification program when an sim card is inserted . one or more data structures are managed in the memory and organize data stored in the sim card . they include a link with identifiers stored in the sim identity module and additional information for each of these identifiers . the identifiers stored in the sim identity module take the form of the table shown in fig1 . they comprise a list of sim items ( data entry serial numbers ), names and associated telephone numbers . initially , a first remanent data memory ( rdm ) data structure stored in the memory of the device can be qualified as a “ family ” structure , a family of calls consisting of three possible numbers for the same name . the characteristics of each family are as follows : this indicates if the structure must be used or not , i . e . if the mobile device is in a family management mode or not ; the default value is no . call restriction : yes / no ( for example , receive only calls of one category ). this first data structure is specifically tied to the constitution of families . a second rdm data structure sd stored in the memory of the device for managing sim card data is constituted as a function of that data . considering the data from table 1 , the names i are here classified in alphabetical order with their associated sim items . diverse additional identifiers , here referred to as status items , are also associated with them . this can be represented schematically by the resulting data table shown in fig2 . “ new data item ” item : 0 indicating the same sim data item or 1 indicating a new data item ; “ family ” item : identifier associated with the name : 00 for private , 01 for business , 10 for other , 11 unclassified ; “ last call ” item : marking of the last number called with the card : 0 for no , 1 for yes ; and “ category ” item : identifier associated with the various numbers associated with the same name : 00 for home , 01 for mobile , 10 for office , 11 for reserved . one word of one byte corresponding to voice recognition is also stored . thus the data structure sd is created as a function of the sim card data and stored in a memory area of the terminal . it must be possible to update the data structure stored in the memory of the terminal as a function of sim card data modifications , for example if the sim card is removed from the terminal to be used in another terminal and its data is modified accordingly , in which case data has to be added and other data deleted ; the data structure must then be re - indexed when the card is reinstalled in the original terminal . fig3 is a diagrammatic representation of this kind of sim card modification . in the case of simply moving the sim card , the imsi code of the card is that stored in the first data structure , and the category identifiers remain unchanged . if a data item has no family information , it is given a default value ( unclassified ); otherwise the data remains unchanged . in the case of inserting a new sim card with a different imsi code , the information stored in the first structure remains unchanged apart from the imsi code . if the user wishes to include a name in a family or to associate a plurality of numbers with a name , the information is re - indexed and the subscriber identity module becomes the main identity module . according to the invention , a consistency verification program is executed if movement of the sim card is detected . the verification program reads all the records in the sim file and verifies whether the entry exists in the data structure or not . once this program has been executed , the data structure is modified to agree with the sim file , i . e . all new records from the sim identity module are added to the data structure and all records of the data structure not found in the sim module are removed from the data structure . to this end , a temporary data structure sd ′ is created in the memory of the equipment , this structure being constructed as follows , and as shown in the fig4 diagram : the temporary structure sd ′ repeats the corresponding sim card items after the names are listed in alphabetical order ; all status items are initialized by default : “ new data item ” item : 1 corresponding to new data item , “ family ” item : 11 corresponding to unclassified , “ last call ” item : 0 corresponding to no , “ category ” item : 00 corresponding to home ; for each item of the structure sd ′, the presence of the item in the list of the data structure sd is verified ; if the item is not present in the structure sd ( fig4 : sim item = 7 and 6 ), nothing is done , i . e . the default values are retained (“ new data item ” item = 1 ); if the item is present in the structure sd ( fig4 : sim item = 3 , 4 , 5 , 1 ), the “ new data item ” item is tested : if the item is equal to 1 in the structure sd ( fig4 : sim items = 3 , 4 and 1 ), then the other items are modified as follows : “ new data item ” item : 1 , “ family ” item : “ family ” item of the structure sd , “ last call ” item : “ last call ” item of the structure sd , “ category ” item : “ category ” item of the structure sd ; if the item is equal to 0 in the structure sd ( fig4 : sim item = 5 ), then the name associated with the sim item ( fig4 : name 4 ) and the name associated with the preceding sim item ( fig4 : name 4 ) are read ; if the two names are identical and if the preceding item of the structure sd is identical to the preceding sim item , then the status items of the temporary structure sd ′ are replaced by the status items of the structure sd ( fig4 : “ new data item ” item = 0 ); and if the two names are not identical or if the preceding item of the structure sd is not identical to the preceding sim item , then nothing is done , i . e . the default values are retained . when all the sim items have been processed , the data structure sd is replaced by the data structure sd ′ and the temporary structure sd ′ is eliminated . this method produces data items of 2 to 3 bytes in the data structure sd and the size of each data structure is less than or equal to 512 bytes . | 7 |
the adjustable / non - adjustable precision optical mounts 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention is disclosed while referring concurrently to fig2 - 7 and fig1 of the drawings . the optical mount 100 has a stationary plate 200 , a movable plate 400 , an optical element carrier plate 300 and a locking ring 500 . as an important detail of the optical mount 100 , the stationary plate has a partial - spherical shaped hole 240 ( best shown in fig6 & amp ; 7 ) that receives the optical element carrier plate 300 . as another important detail of the optical mount 100 , the movable plate 400 has a partial - spherical shaped hole 436 ( best shown in fig6 & amp ; 7 ). except for a partial - spherical shaped hole 240 , the stationary plate has a non - circle step hole 252 as a guiding mechanism , to receive the movable plate 400 , a thread hole 262 as a locking ring guiding mechanism to receive the locking ring 500 and a step mechanism for position limit . it should be noted that the partial - spherical shaped hole 240 , the non - circle step hole 252 , and the threaded hole 262 can also be referred to as a first portion , a second portion , and a third portion of the stationary plate 200 . for the movable plate 400 , except for the partial - spherical shaped hole 436 , the movable plate has an external non - circle as a guiding mechanism 452 ( best shown in fig6 ). fig1 shows the optical element carrier plate 300 , which is formed with an external - spherical shape 326 and an optical element carry interface 320 , 340 in the center . also in the back - end 345 of the optical element carrier plate 300 has straight mating holes 330 as an interface mechanism for adjustment implement 700 ( fig1 ) or 800 ( fig1 ). for description accuracy , suppose the larger side 235 of the partial - spherical shaped hole 240 ( fig4 and 7 ) of stationary plate 200 and the large side 425 of the partial - spherical shaped hole 436 of movable plate 400 are the bases of the partial - spherical shaped holes . fig7 shows a space adjustable combined internal - spherical cavity 250 . spacing facing co - axis alignment the base 235 of partial - spherical shaped hole 240 of stationary plate 200 and the base 425 of partial - spherical shaped hole 436 of movable plate 400 with one to another forms this space adjustable combined internal - spherical cavity 250 . to keep the alignment , the external non - circle guiding mechanism 452 of movable plate 400 mates and fits in the non - circle step hole guiding mechanism 252 of stationary plate 200 and forms a piston mechanism 120 . the movable plate 400 can only straightly move forward and draw back along the non - circle step hole 252 without any rotation . fig5 shows that the external - spherical round shaped optical element carrier plate 300 mates with and fits in the space adjustable combined internal - spherical cavity 250 to form a ball joint mechanism 270 , so the center 350 of the external - spherical round shaped optical element carrier plate 300 is overlapping or close to the center 260 of the space adjustable combined spherical cavity 250 . the external - spherical round shaped optical element carrier plate 300 can be tilted for angle adjustment around the center 350 ( fig1 ) and the optical element 624 that is carried thereby is tilted for angle adjustment . around the axis 352 of the external - spherical round shaped optical element carrier plate 300 can be rotated and the optical element 624 carried thereby is rotated for adjustment . the adjustable / non - adjustable precision optical mounts 101 according to a second embodiment of the present invention is disclosed while referring concurrently to fig8 - 11 of the drawings . the optical mount 101 , has a stationary plate 201 , a movable plate 401 , an external - spherical round shaped optical element carrier plate 300 and a locking ring 500 . as an important detail of the optical mount 101 , the stationary plate has a conical shaped hole 210 ( best shown in fig9 ). as another important detail of the optical mount 101 , the movable plate 401 has a conical shaped hole 437 ( best shown in fig9 ). except for a conical shaped hole 210 of the stationary plate 201 , the stationary plate 201 has a non - circle step hole 252 as a guiding mechanism , a thread hole 262 as locking ring guiding mechanism and a step mechanism 256 for position limit . for the movable plate 401 , except for the conical shaped hole 437 , the movable plate has an external non - circle guiding mechanism 452 ( best shown in fig9 ). for description accurately , suppose the larger side 236 of the conical shaped hole of stationary plate 201 and the large side 426 of conical shaped hole of movable plate 401 are the bases of the conical shaped holes . the fig1 shows a space adjustable combined conical cavity 251 . spacing facing co - axis alignment the base 236 of conical hole 210 of stationary plate 201 and the base 426 of conical hole 410 of movable plate 401 with one to another forms this space adjustable combined internal - conical cavity 251 . to keep the alignment , the external non - circle ring guiding mechanism 452 of movable plate 401 mates and fits in the non - circle guiding mechanism 252 of stationary plate 201 forms another piston mechanism 120 . the movable plate 401 can straightly move forward and draw back along the non - circle guiding mechanism 252 without any rotation . fig8 shows that the external - spherical round shaped optical element carrier plate 300 mates with and fits in the space adjustable combined internal - conical cavity 251 to form another kind of ball joint mechanism 271 . the external - spherical round shaped optical element carrier plate 300 can be tilted for angle adjustment around the center 350 ( fig1 ) of the external - spherical round shaped optical element carrier plate 300 and the optical element 624 that is carried thereby being tilted for angle adjustment . around the axis 352 ( fig1 ) of external - spherical round shaped optical element carrier plate 300 , the external - spherical round shaped optical element carrier plate 300 can be rotated and the optical element 624 that is carried thereby is rotated for adjustment . the adjustable / non - adjustable precision optical mounts 102 according to a third embodiment of the present invention is disclosed while referring concurrently to fig6 - 7 and 12 - 13 of the drawings . the optical mount 102 has a stationary plate 200 , a movable plate 400 , an external - round column circumference and chamfered edges optical element carrier plate 301 ( best shown in fig1 ) and a locking ring 500 . fig1 shows that the external - round column circumference and chamfered edges optical element carrier plate 301 mates and fits in the space adjustable combined internal - spherical cavity 250 ( fig7 ) to form a tiltable feature for angle adjustment around axis rotatable joint pair mechanism 272 . the external - round column circumference and chamfered edges optical element carrier plate 301 can be tilted for angle adjustment around the center of the space adjustable combined internal - spherical cavity 250 and the optical element 624 that is carried thereby is tilted for angle adjustment . around the axis 353 of external - round column circumference and chamfered edges optical element carrier plate 301 , the external - round column circumference and chamfered edges optical element carrier plate 301 can be rotated and the optical element 624 that is carried thereby is rotated therefore . fig1 and 15 shows an example of the angle adjustment approach . a removable angle adjustment tool implement 700 includes tilting plate 716 , binding plug 714 , and actuators 750 which constitute with super fine screw sets 708 for adjustment and spring plungers 712 for keeping position . the tilting plate 716 is put on the back - end surface 345 of the external - spherical round shaped optical element carrier plate 300 . binding plug 714 through the hole 718 on the tilting plate 716 plugs into the interface 360 of the external - spherical round shaped optical element carrier plate 300 and binds the tilting plate 716 tightly onto the external - spherical round shaped optical element carrier plate 300 . the actuators 750 are installed to the relative thread holes 722 & amp ; 724 on four corners 720 of the tilting plate 716 . by adjusting the super fine adjustment screw sets 708 to import the angle adjustment movement , tilting plate 716 can be tilted adjustment and therefore the angle adjustment movement is transferred to the external - spherical round shaped optical element carrier plate 300 . the optical element 624 that is carried thereby is angle adjusted for optical energy beam alignment . when completing the angle adjustment alignment , one uses a torque wrench to turn the locking ring 500 to push the movable plate 400 to adjust the space adjustable combined internal - spherical cavity 250 to lock the external - spherical round shaped optical element carrier plate 300 , so that the optical element 624 that is carried thereby is firmly locked and fixed . disassemble the binding plug 714 and remove the removable angle adjustment tool implement 700 . fig1 and 17 shows an example of the rotating and angle adjustment approach . to rotate and tilt the external - spherical round shaped optical element carrier plate 300 around ( fig2 ) around the optical path axis 351 , one must rotate and tilt the optical element 624 ( such as wave - plate , nonlinear crystal , prism , etc .) for adjustment ; and for that a removable rotating - tilting tool implement 800 that constitutes a worm driven continuous rotation mechanism is necessary . the removable rotating - tilting implement 800 is being bond to the optical mount 100 with a binding plug 830 . the rotation movement output port 836 of the removable rotating - tilting implement 800 contacts the back - end surface 345 ( fig1 ) of the external - spherical round shaped optical element carrier plate 300 , the mating pins 826 insert into both mating holes 330 on the back - end surface 345 of the external - spherical round shaped optical element carrier plate 300 and the mating holes 840 on the output port surface 845 of the removable rotating - tilting movement implement 800 . super fine adjustment screw sets 810 and spring plungers 816 constitutes actuators 820 . one installs the actuators 820 into the relative holes on the corners 850 of the removable rotating - titling movement implement 800 . it is shown in fig1 rotation input knob 822 joins with the worm shaft of the removable rotating - titling movement implement 800 . so when rotating the rotation input knob 822 , the external - spherical round shaped optical element carrier plate 300 will be rotated for adjustment . one adjusts the fine screw knob 810 , of the actuators 820 of the removable rotating - titling movement implement 800 which can be tilted and therefore the optical element 624 that is carried thereby is tilted . when completing the rotating and tilting alignment , a torque wrench is used to turn the locking ring 500 , to push the movable plate 400 , to adjust the space adjustable combined internal - spherical cavity 250 , to lock the external - spherical round shaped optical element carrier plate 300 . therefore the optical element 624 that is carried thereby is firmly locked and fixed . one disassemble the binding plug 830 and removes the removable rotation - tilting movement implement 800 . while the invention has 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 have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected . the articles “ a ”, “ an ”, “ said ” and “ the ” are not limited to a singular element , and include one or more element . | 6 |
turning now to fig1 and 2 , according to at least one embodiment of the present application , a water treatment unit 10 includes a riser or pump barrel 12 having a lower end 14 and an upper end 16 that is optionally fabricated from plastic , metal ( including , for example , galvanized steel , enamel - coated steel , aluminum , stainless steel , or other malleable metals ), or other materials known in the art . further , according to at least one embodiment , one or more inlets 18 are be provided around lower end 14 of riser 12 . according to at least one optional embodiment , a bottom end 20 is optionally added to lower end 14 of riser 12 , whereby one or more inlets 18 may be fitted to lower end 14 of riser 12 , and may optionally include a ballast member 22 as shown in fig3 to assist in maintaining the water treatment unit 10 upright . it will be appreciated that the weight of ballast member 22 may be adjusted to adjust the height at which the upper end 16 floats above the water level of the lagoon , pond , or tank w . according to at least one embodiment , riser 12 is sized and shaped to be of any required length and cross - sectional area as required by the necessary water flow , amperage requirements , and viscosity of wastewater . one or more water discharge outlets 24 can be provided around the upper end 16 of the riser 12 , a cap 26 can be coupled to the upper end 16 of the riser 12 by fasteners 28 or other means to substantially close the upper end 16 of the riser 12 . the cap 26 can include a peripheral wall 30 that surrounds the upper end 16 of the riser 12 . a mixed wastewater chamber 32 optionally surrounds the upper end 16 of the riser 12 and peripheral wall 30 , formed by a housing comprising a chamber floor 34 that is optionally fixed to a selected portion of riser 12 , located between the upper end 16 and the lower end 14 , by fasteners , welding , fusing or other means of connecting the material comprising riser 12 and chamber floor 34 . mixed wastewater chamber 32 further optionally comprises wall 42 and chamber ceiling 46 , with chamber floor 34 , wall 42 , and chamber ceiling 46 meeting to cause wastewater chamber 32 to attach to , and substantially enclose riser 12 . chamber floor 34 optionally comprises one or more openings 39 in chamber floor 34 , whereby fluid that has been pumped through riser 12 cascades out through discharge outlets 24 , into mixed water chamber 32 , and building pressure forces the resulting mixed fluid down and out through the one or more openings 39 in chamber floor 34 . further optionally , chamber ceiling 46 comprises chamber ceiling opening 54 through which air can be drawn into the chamber 32 . an intermediate wall 58 optionally depends from chamber ceiling 46 outside peripheral wall 30 ( if present in the embodiment ) and inside the outer wall 42 . in operation , turning to fig3 , intermediate wall 58 separates an inner chamber 60 from the remainder of chamber 32 , as intermediate wall 58 is sized to depend from chamber ceiling 46 to reach water level w 1 inside chamber 32 such that no air gap exists between water level w 1 and a bottom portion of inner intermediate wall 58 . while each of the peripheral wall 30 , intermediate wall 58 and chamber wall 42 are illustrated to be portions of right cylinders in shape in fig1 , 2 , and 3 , other shapes may be adopted for one or more of the walls 30 , 42 and 58 . according to at least one embodiment , motor 64 , such as a ¾ hp electric motor or any other properly sized and powered motor , engine , or other revolving powerplant , can be fixed to and supported by the cap 26 as shown in fig2 - 4 , or motor 64 may be attached to a motor plate 110 that is sized larger than chamber ceiling opening 54 , thereby allowing motor 64 , and motor plate 110 ( shown in fig5 ) may be removably attached to chamber ceiling 64 by way of fasteners such as bolts , wing nuts , or other fastener means . shaft 66 is optionally connected to motor 64 by coupling member 65 extending downward through cap opening 68 in cap 26 in general axial alignment with riser 12 . it will be appreciated that by utilizing a motor plate that fits over the top of chamber ceiling opening as shown in fig5 , removal of the motor 64 , shaft 66 , and propellers 70 are readily pulled from riser 12 to allow for inspection of components , sharpening of blades , and general maintenance or repair of the equipment with minimal disassembly effort . according to at least one embodiment , at least one propeller 70 is coupled to shaft 66 to cause rotation of shaft 66 by the motor 64 , thereby creating an upward flow of fluid from a body of water outside waste treatment unit 10 into riser 12 . a buoyant member 72 , such as that shown in fig4 , may be attached to waste treatment unit 10 in any manner to cause waste treatment unit to sit at a specified height in a body of water or fluid such that waste treatment unit 10 sits at a predetermined level w as shown in fig , 3 . it will be appreciated that level w may be determined as a different height for different embodiments of waste treatment unit 10 , and depending on the application for which waste treatment unit 10 is utilized . it will be appreciated that buoyant member 72 can take many forms , including foam filled buoys , air filled bladders that may be adjusted to adjust where water level w sits in relation to waste treatment unit 10 , or any other buoyant material . for example , two buoyant floats such as two 2 ′× 4 ′ polyethylene coated foam dock floats available from formex manufacturing , inc ., lawrenceville , ga ., can be utilized , along with cross members or other attaching members to hold waste treatment unit 10 in the proper relation to the fluid line , additionally , two or more torque lines can be connected to the outer wall 42 to prevent rotation of the treatment unit 10 when the motor 64 is running . as shown in fig3 , according to at least one embodiment , multiple propellers 70 are employed , whereby a first propeller 70 is included along shaft 66 near the lower end of riser 12 , and a second propeller 70 is included along shaft 66 near upper end 16 of riser 12 . in at least one exemplary embodiment , second propeller 70 is positioned such that the propeller is at least partially exposed to air , thereby allowing second propeller to entrain air into the water or fluid flowing past second propeller 70 and into discharge outlets 24 , according to at least one embodiment , second propeller is positioned relative to the height of the discharge outlets such that air is entrained into the water at a size less than 1 . 0 mm , 0 . 5 mm , less than 0 . 25 mm , less than 0 . 15 mm , or less than 0 . 1 mm in size for the given motor / propeller combination , an alternate embodiment is shown in fig4 in which the water treatment unit 10 is shown to include a riser or pump barrel 12 having a lower end 14 and an upper end 16 . one or more inlets 18 can be provided around the lower end 14 of the riser 12 , a bottom end 20 can be provided that may include a ballast member 22 to assist in maintaining the water treatment unit 10 upright . the riser 12 can be of any required length . one or more water discharge outlets 24 can be provided around the upper end 16 of the riser 12 . a cap or lid 26 can be coupled to the upper end 16 of the riser 12 by fasteners 28 or other means to substantially close the upper end 16 of the riser 12 . the cap 26 can include a depending wall peripheral wall 30 that surrounds the upper end 16 of the riser 12 , a chamber 32 can surround the upper end 16 of the riser 12 and the peripheral wall 30 . a chamber floor or bottom plate 34 can be fixed to an intermediate portion 36 of the riser 12 , located between the upper end 16 and the lower end 14 , by fasteners 38 or other means . the chamber floor or bottom plate 34 can have one or more openings 39 and an outer edge 40 that can be circular . the chamber 32 can be further defined by a shroud outer wall 42 that can have a lower edge 44 that contacts the chamber floor or bottom plate 34 . a chamber ceiling 46 can have an outer edge 48 that can be fixed to or unitary with an upper edge 50 of the shroud outer wall 42 . the chamber ceiling 46 optionally includes chamber ceiling opening 54 through which air can be drawn into chamber 32 , the top wall 46 can be spaced from the cap 26 by means of spacers 56 , which can be adjustable , the spacers 56 are illustrated to be fixed to the cap 26 and contacting top wall 46 , but the spacers can be fixed to the top wall 46 and contacting cap 26 . an intermediate wall 58 can depend from the top wall 46 outside the peripheral wall 30 and inside the outer wall 42 . the intermediate wall 58 can be seen to separate an inner chamber 60 from an outer chamber 62 . while each of the peripheral wall 30 , intermediate wall 58 and outer wall 42 are illustrated to be portions of right cylinders in shape , other shapes may be adopted for one or more of the walls 30 , 42 and 58 . a motor 64 , such as a ¾ hp electric motor , can be fixed to and supported by the cap 26 . a shaft 66 can be coupled to the motor 64 by coupling member 65 to extend downward through an opening 68 in cap 26 in general axial alignment with the riser 12 , at least one propeller 70 can be coupled to the shaft 66 so that rotation of the shaft 66 by the motor 64 can cause an upward flow of water within the riser 12 , a buoyant member 72 can be coupled to the chamber floor 34 or to outer wall 42 to maintain the top wall 46 above the surface of the water surrounding the water treatment unit 10 , particularly in high water situations . in low water situations , the water treatment unit 10 may rest on the bottom 21 of the ballast unit 22 , two or more torque lines 41 can be connected to the outer wall 42 to prevent rotation of waste treatment unit 10 when the motor 64 is running . the operation of the water treatment unit 10 is illustrated , particularly in fig3 . as shown in at least one exemplary embodiment , waste treatment unit 10 is be placed in a body of water w such that riser 12 extends downward to a desired depth . it will be appreciated that the lower portion 14 of riser 12 may be made of a material that allows the addition of segmented tubes or other structures , such as pvc piping , stainless steel piping with threaded extensions , or other such structures that allows the ultimate depth of riser 12 to be determined by a user such that stratified layers of water in a treatment lagoon can be specifically targeted to be drawn up through riser 12 for oxygenation and displacement , thereby allowing water in the lower , anaerobic areas of a lagoon to be drawn up , oxygenated , and discharged . it will be appreciated that when motor 64 is powered on , water or the fluid in the lagoon , pond , or tank is drawn into the riser 12 through inlets 18 and propelled upward through the riser 12 by one or more propellers 70 , exits the riser 12 through outlets 24 into chamber 32 . the continuous flow of fluid into the chamber 32 generally causes the fluid surface level l within the chamber 32 to be slightly higher than the water surface surrounding the chamber , thus providing a hydraulic pressure forcing the water out the openings 39 in the chamber floor 34 . the size of the riser 12 , motor 64 , and propellers 70 are desirably selected so that between about 600 to 1000 gallons of water per minute can be pumped up though the riser 12 into the chamber 32 . furthermore , fluid surface level l within chamber 32 may be manipulated by a user such that the pressure therein is increased , thereby allowing greater amounts of oxygen to be transferred . for example , the surface level l may be manipulated to increase sufficient to create a hydraulic pressure equal to approximately at least 1 . 1 atmospheres , at least 1 . 2 atmospheres , at least 1 . 3 atmospheres , or at least 1 . 4 atmospheres hydraulic pressure , thereby entraining more oxygen therein . this flow of fluid through riser 12 causes a continuous air inflow into the upper end 16 of riser 12 though chamber ceiling opening 54 , the air being mixed with the fluid within riser 12 at the point of discharge of the fluid from riser 12 through discharge outlets 24 . as fluid cascades out of discharge outlets 24 , into inner chamber 60 , out into chamber , chamber 32 and forcefully exits openings 39 , the direction and depth at which the oxygenated fluid is discharged can be determined the optional use of flow direction pipes 74 and 76 , which may be adjustable with respect to each other to selectively determine the depth and direction of flow direction pipes 74 and 76 . by selective direction of pipes 74 and 76 , the fluid outflow from waste treatment unit 10 can at least partially oppose or offset the rotation of the treatment unit 10 due to the torque provided when the motor 64 is running . the flow of water within the chamber 32 may cause the development of foam on the surface of the water within chamber 32 , depending on the fluid conditions . according to at least one exemplary embodiment , accumulating foam can be vacuum withdrawn through pipe 78 , or in another embodiment , the foam will automatically eject through pipe 78 due pressure build - up . additionally , it will be appreciated that an activated charcoal filter may be added to pipe 78 to reduce any odor produced from the treated water as gas is offgased . turning now to fig5 , according to yet another exemplary embodiment , waste treatment unit 10 optionally includes a movable shearing blade 120 attached to shaft 66 , and a fixed shearing blade 122 . both fixed shearing blade 122 and movable shearing blade 120 may comprise metal , including steel , stainless steel , hardened steel , hardened stainless steel , or ceramic , carbide , or other suitable material . in practice , movable shearing blade 120 may be urged into close planar contact with fixed shearing blade 122 through the use of a bushing 124 , whereby the bushing comprises a spring , rubber , or other material able to urge shearing blade 120 toward fixed shearing blade 122 . by urging movable shearing blade 120 toward fixed shearing blade 122 , when motor turns shaft 66 , movable shearing blade rotates , and when passing over the top of fixed shearing blade 122 , any material caught between movable shearing blade 120 and fixed shearing blade 122 is sliced , thereby reducing the likelihood of long , stringy waste from becoming entangled with propeller 70 or clogging discharge outlets 24 . further , bushing 124 allows a slight upward movement of the blade in relation to fixed shearing blade , any hardened or uncuttable objects may pass between the two blades , thereby preventing seizure of the unit and potential damage to motor 64 . in application , at least one embodiment an oxygen transfer rate of at least 0 . 50 kg / hr o 2 transfer can be achieved while utilizing approximately 4 . 5 to 5 amps of electricity at 120 volts . in at least one additional embodiment , an oxygen transfer rate of at least 0 . 8 kg / hr o 2 transfer can be achieved while utilizing approximately 4 . 5 to 5 amps of electricity at 120 volts . turning now to fig4 , it will be appreciated that additional flow direction pipes 74 and 76 may be added to inlets 18 , thereby allowing a user to further control to the source of water collection , and further allowing selective uptake of water at points in the lagoon where the oxygen level is likely to be the lowest . likewise , by selectively placing flow direction pipes 74 and 76 to intake at points in a lagoon that are most likely to have low oxygen levels ( both in terms of height and position within the lagoon ), and by selectively placing flow direction pipes 74 and 76 for dispelling oxygenated water from the waste treatment unit 10 , a more consistently oxygenated lagoon can be developed by developing both inward and outward flow currents that adequately disperse oxygenated water and intake low oxygenated water , thereby allowing permeation of oxygen throughout the lagoon without creating a turbulent flow of water that precludes the settling of organic matter that is required in clarification or settling tanks or lagoons . further , due to the fact that flow can be directed with relative precision and with relatively low pressure , a reduced amperage is required to operate motor 64 , thereby resulting in increased energy efficiency . finally , it will be appreciated that the use of such directional flow allowing slower water transfer to occur further allows the use of propeller speeds to entrain air while not dispersing bacterial colonies known as flock . additionally , it will be appreciated that utilizing the flow direction pipes 74 and 76 , water may be utilized to direct water brought up from warmer strata in the winter to help eliminate ice build - up on the surface of outdoor lagoons , which further allows for additional oxygenation of the lagoon . while these features have been disclosed in connection with the illustrated preferred embodiment , other embodiments of the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art that come within the spirit of the disclosure as defined in the following claims . further , it will be appreciated that in very large ponds or lakes , it may be convenient or necessary to employ two or more water treatment units 10 to ensure a total water flow volume sufficient to provide sufficient oxygen to satisfy the bod of the body of water . | 8 |
fig1 is a block diagram of a desktop computer 100 which comprises a cpu 102 ; storage 103 , which comprises memory 104 and optionally one or more devices with retention medium ( s ) 105 such as hard disks , diskettes , compact disks , or tape ; an optional display device 101 ; and one or more input devices 106 , examples of which include but are not exclusive to : a keyboard 108 ; one or more pointing devices 107 , such as a mouse ; or a biometric device 109 , such as a fingerprint reader . the mouse is the most popular pointing device 107 for desktop computers 100 . in the description below , mention of a mouse is meant to include pointing devices 107 of any type , including , for example , a pen or stylus used in computing devices where a user may “ write ” upon a screen . the described software may be employed on such a computer 100 . as well , the software described may find application in other computer - like devices requiring secured access , including hand - held or embedded devices . in the following description , software - determined protocol includes exemplary methods or techniques such as algorithms ; or non - algorithmic methods or techniques , including , for example , fuzzy logic or neural network pattern matching ; or , random or pseudo - random determinations . a random or pseudo - random technique that results in seemingly arbitrary selection , the equivalent of software rolling dice , is referred to as non - deterministic . in the following description , protocols , algorithm types , data types , and types of data , such as transmission 11 , signal 21 , packaging 13 , sequencing 15 , or encryption 14 types or protocols , are identifiable using binary identification codes ( type identifiers ), by data length , or other data signature , such as a uniquely identifiable bit pattern , or by convention , such as known location ( offset ) within a data structure . fig2 depicts the access authentication process 97 , comprising submission 9 , validation 18 , and authorization 27 . naturally , an account must be created 10 before any access authentication process 97 may occur . submission 9 comprises one or more transmissions 1 intended for authenticating access to a computer 100 or network of computers 100 . as depicted in fig3 , in one embodiment , a submission 9 comprises identification 3 and signature 4 . historically , an account name would be an identification 3 , and a password a signature 4 . if surety of uniqueness may be assured , in an alternate embodiment , a submission 9 comprises a single signature 4 s , as depicted in fig4 , supplanting separate identification 3 & amp ; signature 4 a while providing for the dual components of identification 3 and signature 4 . with submission 9 solely comprising signature 4 s , an account may be identified by the signature 4 s data itself , or by having an account identifier 110 embedded within a key 6 that has been accessed during validation 18 of the signature 4 s . a transmission 1 is user input into the computer 100 via one or more input devices 106 , whereupon termination of transmission 1 is recognizable , and resulting in at least one signal 2 . there may be different types 11 of transmissions 1 , examples of which include mouse 107 movements or clicks , keyboard 108 entry , or combinations thereof . other types 11 of transmissions 1 are possible with different input devices 106 , such as , for example , voice transmission 1 if the computer 100 is equipped with a microphone and speakers . multiple - device 106 transmission 1 m is conceivable . an example of a multiple - device 106 transmission 1 is a combination of mouse 107 movement while one or more keys 108 are pressed , as depicted in fig6 . a signal 2 is a set of related software - recognizable data from a single transmission 1 . a plurality of signals 2 of different types 21 may emanate from a single transmission 1 . for example , typing a word may yield the signals 2 of entered keys 210 and the timing between keystrokes 211 . another example : mouse 107 movement of the cursor may yield signals 2 of locations 214 , velocities , duration ; and shape pattern ( s ) ( such as script signatures , drawn characters , and so on ) 215 . a transmission 1 of composite signals 2 c comprising a plurality of simple signals 2 s is conceivable . for example , a multiple - device 106 transmission 1 m produces a composite signal 2 c if matching to signals 2 of both devices 106 is required , as does requiring signal match 5 of multiple signal types 21 from a single - device transmission 1 . signal data 22 may be categorized by its transmission type 11 and / or signal type 21 , as depicted in fig5 . for easy identification , each possible transmission type 11 or signal type 21 may be assigned a unique ordinal . hypothetically , if a multiple - device 106 transmission 1 is identified as a unique transmission type 11 , the range of transmission types 11 may extend to the factorial of all possible input devices 106 , depending upon the embodiment employed . to avoid unnecessary complication , consider signal type 21 as potentially additive ( rather than combinatorial ): for example , a key - mouse transmission 1 could be considered as comprising key 108 plus mouse 107 signals 2 , rather than some uniquely identifiable key - mouse signal type 21 . identification 3 is at least one transmission 1 of an account identifier . historically , identification 3 has been a keyed - in account name . employing the invention , identification 3 comprises at least one signal 2 from at least one transmission 1 . a translation table , algorithmic method , or other software - determined protocol , with or without encryption 14 , may be employed if identification 3 or signature 4 s does not represent the actual account identifier . a signature 4 is at least one transmission 1 intended as a security precaution to preclude unauthorized access 39 . historically , a single signal 2 of a single transmission 1 has typically been used for a signature 4 , namely a password , which is a signature 4 of a single word of text . a pass - phrase is a signature 4 of a plurality of words of text . a plurality of transmissions 1 or signals 2 may be used for identification 3 or signature 4 . in some embodiments , a user may determine the transmission ( s ) 1 , signal ( s ) 2 , transmission type ( s ) 11 , or signal type ( s ) 21 that comprise a submission 9 . alternately , transmission 1 or signal 2 determination accords with a software - determined protocol . historically , validation 18 has required an absolute signal match 5 to input 22 : for example , no deviance from a character - based password has been permitted . with mouse 107 movements , or other difficult - to - exactly - replicate signals 2 , however , some tolerance may be permitted . signal 22 tolerance should be allowed when appropriate , and may be set by software - determined protocol or user selection . for example , deviance up to 10 % from recorded signal match 5 for keystroke timing 211 may be acceptable . similarly , as another example , mouse click location may vary within a radius of 10 pixels and still be tolerated . as multiple signals 2 may comprise a submission 9 , the need for exactness for any single signal 2 to properly authenticate access 97 is lessened . termination of submission 9 may be active or passive . fig7 & amp ; 8 illustrate . inputting a password or pass - phrase , for example , is typically terminated by pressing the ‘ enter ’ key or clicking an equivalent acknowledge button 43 using the mouse 107 . as another example , inputting mouse 107 movement may be actively terminated by a mouse 107 click . with active termination 78 , a user terminates submission 9 through a prescribed indication 25 . with passive termination 77 , software terminates submission 9 without overt user action , but instead when a predetermined condition is met 26 . examples of passive termination 77 include : recording mouse 107 movement or sound for a limited time , or until a certain elapsed time absent further input ; until sufficient signal 2 has been input to allow a signal match 5 ; or until a succeeding transmission 1 of another transmission type 11 or signal type 21 commences , the change of type 11 itself indicative of previous transmission 1 termination . for example , changing from cursor / mouse movement to mouse button clicking may be considered a change in signal type 21 , and hence a possible basis for passive termination . biometric transmission 1 is typically passively terminated 77 : software terminates submission 9 when sufficient biometric signals 2 have been recorded . termination 23 of identification 3 or signature 4 may occur using any number of protocols : passively 77 by a predetermined or user - selected number of transmissions 1 ; final transmission 1 by a particular type of action ; active termination 78 by a final gesture , such a key or button press ; passive termination 77 by time out of a predetermined duration or sufficiency of data collection . another example : incremental validation 181 permits passive termination 77 via absence of next key trajectory 7 , or , alternately , completed signal matching 5 of all relevant keys 6 . fig9 & amp ; 10 depict an example account input 99 or post - account creation submission 9 screen 40 , employed to input at least a signature 4 . ( in one embodiment , account identifiers 3 may be assigned .) text transmission ( s ) 1 can be input in the text input dialog 41 comprising a text input control 42 and acknowledge button 43 . signature 4 transmission ( s ) 1 can be input , and input signals 2 recorded . fig9 depicts dragging the text input dialog 41 down the screen 40 as a transmission 1 ( by pressing the proper mouse 107 button when the cursor is over an appropriate section of dialog 41 , thus selecting the dialog 41 , then moving the mouse 107 while keeping the button pressed ). the dragging action in this example is terminated by a mouse - up ( releasing the mouse 107 button ). in one embodiment , a user may determine as part of account creation 10 which signal types 21 are to be considered for validation 18 of subsequent submissions 9 . this is an editing process that may be construed as part of account input 99 . for example , after submission termination 23 , having recorded signals 2 for account input 99 , as depicted in the example of fig1 , the user may select , via checkbox controls as shown , which signal types 21 of the transmission 1 depicted in fig9 are to be considered for the transmission 1 being recorded . the checkboxes are specific to types of signals 21 appropriate to the type of transmission 11 employed . in the described example , the checkboxes ( for signal type 21 selection ) appear only for account input 99 , not when a user is making an submission 9 after an account has been created , as the prerequisite signals 2 for signature 4 or identification 3 have already been stored . fig9 depicts a button 25 for submission termination 78 . a termination button 25 or its equivalent is necessary only with active termination 78 . initial input for account creation 10 may use active termination 78 which is later edited out during a subsequent signal 2 and transmission 1 selection process , resulting in passive termination 77 . there is an embodiment whereby a user may determine some or all of the transmissions 1 or transmission types 11 comprising account input 99 . there is an embodiment whereby a user may determine which signal types 21 of select transmissions 1 comprise account input 99 . otherwise , software - determined protocol may determine all or some transmissions 1 or signals 2 comprising account input 99 . in one embodiment , account input 99 captures all transmission 1 signals 2 until actively terminated 78 . in an alternate embodiment , account input 99 may be passively terminated 77 . in one embodiment , transmissions 1 and signals 2 from account input 99 may be edited , the user selecting signals 2 and termination , such that only select , edited signals 2 and termination types are employed as account submission 9 . in alternate embodiments , as aspects of account input 99 , signals 2 may not be edited or user - selected , or termination 23 type user - determined . fig1 depicts account creation 10 , in the beginning of which account input 99 provides one or more signals 2 from one or more transmissions 1 for packaging into one or more keys 6 . each user account has at least one key 6 for access authentication 97 . there are two aspects to account creation 10 : packaging 13 , and key 6 creation or employment 16 . packaging 13 tells how to interpret keys 6 , including stored match signals 5 . overt packaging 13 is optional , and may vary by embodiment . packaging 13 may be implicit by software - determined protocol , obviating the need for overt , data - based packaging 13 . there may be two optional aspects to packaging 13 : encryption 14 and signal sequencing 15 . encryption 14 refers to encrypting or decrypting all or part of key 6 data . encryption 14 is optional , but recommended . encryption 14 employment may vary by embodiment . in one embodiment , the same encryption 14 protocol or algorithm is used throughout ( thus , predetermined ). in alternative embodiments , encryption 14 may vary by software - determined protocol or by user selection on a per - user or per - signal 2 basis . if a plurality of protocols are used for encryption 14 , the protocol 14 employed must be identifiable . as a suggestion for encryption 14 , initial input signals 2 in the first transmission 1 may comprise a parametric seed for encrypting one or more keys 6 . caution is advised if non - exact signal matching 5 is tolerated , as close may not good be enough for decryption using such a seed technique , but it is possible to incorporate tolerance into an encryption 14 algorithm , so that an acceptable margin of error for signal matching 5 may also suffice for decryption as well . mathematical rounding is a suggested technique allowing such tolerance ; as well employing a subset of possible signals 2 , such as a high and low , or using one or more algorithmically - derived values , such as median or mean . signal sequencing 15 is codification of the order of signals 2 . signal sequencing 15 may be predetermined ( software - determined ), such as , for example , input order , or , alternately , a predetermined prioritization . in alternative embodiments , signal sequencing 15 may vary by software - determined protocol or by user selection . if a plurality of protocols are used for signal sequencing 15 , the protocol employed must be identifiable . sequencing 15 and encryption 14 may be combined , offering further opportunity for obscuring decipherment of packaging 13 protocols . during account creation 10 , each selected signal 2 is optionally encrypted 14 , encoded for subsequent signal matching 5 , and stored in keys 6 , which are stored in key files 8 , for subsequent access authentications 97 . as in the prior art , each account must be unique . for accounts where submission 9 comprises identification 3 and signature 4 a , identification 3 must be unique . for accounts where submission 9 comprises signature 4 s , the signature 4 s itself must be unique . during account creation 10 , this can be verified by attempting to validate 18 the appropriate component of a submission 9 for a new account prior to establishing the account 10 . as depicted in fig1 , a key unit 16 is a virtual or actual collection of signal matches 5 . as in one embodiment a single key 6 may have a plurality of signal matches 5 , and thereby function as a plurality of keys 5 in alternate embodiments , a key 6 may comprise a key unit 16 . a key file 8 as an actual or potential collection of keys 6 a key unit 8 . an established account may be considered a virtual aggregation of the keys 6 used to validate 18 submission 9 for that account , hence also represents a key unit 16 . a key file 8 comprises at least one key 6 . a key file 8 may comprise a plurality of keys 6 , or what deceptively may be keys 6 : a key file 8 may have pseudo - keys as key file 8 filler . in one embodiment , key files 8 may be a uniform number of bytes , regardless of the number of keys 6 stored in a key file 8 . keys 6 may be in files 8 not exclusively comprising keys 6 ( or pseudo - keys ); in other words , a key file 8 may as well be employed for other purposes , including files 8 comprising unrelated data or even executable code . as depicted in fig1 , a key 6 may comprise packaging 13 , at least one signal match 5 facility , and at least one next key trajectory 7 . in alternate embodiments , key 6 composition varies ; the minimum requirement is that a key 6 comprises at least one signal match 5 . packaging 13 and next key trajectory 7 inherency may vary . a signal match 5 is a signal 2 stored in a key 6 during account creation 10 , used for validation 18 of a subsequent submission 9 signal 2 . a key 6 may comprise a plurality of signal matches 5 . a next key trajectory 7 vectors validation 18 to the next key 6 , or , if the terminal key 6 t , results in forwarding match results 33 for authorization 27 , by absence of next key trajectory 7 in one embodiment . next key trajectories 7 are a sequential organizational facility for keys 6 . next key trajectories 7 may be obviated by having a single key 6 with sufficient contiguous signal matches 5 for validation 18 , whereupon the signal matches 5 within the key 6 are sequenced , organized , indexed , or otherwise knowable by software - determined protocol in relation to packaging 13 . as the correspondence of signal match 5 to key 6 varies by embodiment , so too where a next key trajectory 7 leads . depending upon restrictions that may be imposed in an embodiment , a next key trajectory 7 may lead to a key 6 in the same key file 8 as the last key 6 , a key 6 in another key file 8 , or the same key 6 if the key 6 holds a plurality of signal matches 5 . next key trajectory 7 provides all or part of a reference to the next key 6 used in validation 18 , if there is a next key 6 . a next key trajectory 7 may be encrypted 14 . a next key trajectory 7 may be combined with other data that may have been or need to be mathematically transposed to determine the next key 6 . for example , all or a portion of an account identifier 3 , part of a signal match 5 , or some portion of packaging 13 may be combined with the next key trajectory 7 as a next key 6 identifier . next key trajectory 7 may comprise or reference an offset in a key file 8 . a next key trajectory 7 may reference a key index entry 62 . a key 6 may include a plurality of next key trajectories 7 , in which case a different next key trajectory 7 may be selected based upon signal match 5 results — one or more next key trajectories 7 for a correct signal match 5 , likewise for an wrong signal match 5 . with a plurality of next key trajectories 7 , a next key trajectory 7 may be selected based upon signal match 5 results , or by software - determined protocol , or a combination thereof . packaging 15 may be encoded as part of the next key trajectory 7 . for example , a next key trajectory 7 may include the signal sequencing 15 that identifies next signal match 5 type 21 . in this instance , if the next input signal 2 cannot be of the same type 21 as the next signal match 5 , authorization 27 may fail 86 . knowing that at that point , a wrong trajectory protocol 7 w may be invoked to avoid identifying a proper key unit 16 . a submission 9 comprising identification 3 followed by signature 4 a is easier to validate 18 than a submission 9 solely comprising signature 4 s : knowing an account identifier 3 provides the means to know what the signature 4 a should be . historically , identification 3 has not been relied upon for security . signature 4 has played gate - keeper to unauthorized access 39 , not account identification 3 . an initial key 61 that may ultimately lead to authorized 27 access 39 must associate to an account , either directly or by reference . there may be keys 6 for which authorization 27 cannot succeed 86 that may not associate to an account for which access 39 may be obtained . a key unit 16 for which authorized 27 access 39 is unobtainable is referred to as a fake key 6 w . organize key units 16 as an optmization . various conventions of organizing or indexing accounts , keys 6 , and key files 8 may be employed . in alternate embodiments , the same organizing principles may be applied at the level of key 6 , key file 8 , or account . optimally , keys 6 are organized to facilitate rapid search for signal matches 5 , particularly for finding initial signals 21 when submission 9 solely comprises signature 4 s . keys 6 may be sorted . for example , keys 6 for initial signals 21 may be arranged in binary sorted order by signal type 21 and signal 2 . key files 8 may be organized by account , or by transmission type 11 . key files 8 may be organized by signal type 21 , with keys 6 within files 8 organized by input ordinal . alternately , an initial key file 81 may comprise all possible initial keys 61 ( of first signal matches 5 ), possibly organized or indexed by signal type 21 . one or more key files 8 may contain one or more indexes 61 to keys 6 within their respective files 8 . a key file 8 may include an index 61 , or key files 8 themselves be indexed . the next key trajectory 7 may provide next key 6 lookup via an index 61 . a key file 8 may include an index 611 to initial signal keys 61 . the index 61 may comprise key trajectories 7 , including key trajectories 7 to possible first keys 61 , which may be organized by transmission type 11 and / or signal type 21 . fig1 depicts an example of key 6 indexing . key 6 indexing 61 or organization is recommended when submission solely comprises signature 4 s where a user may input signals 2 in any user - determined manner . depicted in fig1 is a key file 801 with a key index 61 , specifically an initial key index 611 . the depicted initial key index 611 contains references to keys 61 that contain at least initial signals 2 . in the fig1 example , only initial keys 61 are indexed . in this example , checking possible initial keys 61 constitutes initial key trajectory 71 . one or more next key trajectories 7 in an initial key 61 may indicate keys 8 for succeeding signal matching 5 , like links in a chain , so only an index of initial keys 61 is required . alternately , a single key 6 may contain all necessary signal matches 5 for validation 18 . a key index 61 may reference keys 6 in different files 8 . as depicted in the fig1 example , initial key index 611 entries 62 reference keys 6 of the same input signal type 21 . initial key code keys 210 , for example , reference keys 6210 in the same file 801 as the index 611 , while keystroke timing keys 6211 referenced by the keystroke timing index entry 211 reside in another key file 802 . key indexing 61 is an optimization . a key code & amp ; mouse click key index entry 217 is depicted in fig1 as an example of a composite signal 2 . the key code & amp ; mouse click key index entry 217 may reference keys 6 comprising multiple signal matches 5 , one for each simple signal 2 ( key code 210 and mouse click 212 ), or , alternately , reference multiple keys 6 , each with simple signal matches 5 that altogether comprise the composite signal 2 . without key file 8 organization or key indexing 61 , more keys 6 may need to be considered than just those keys 61 for initial signal matches 5 . with next key trajectories 7 referring to subsequent keys 6 , optimally , only potential initial keys 61 need be searched to commence validation 18 . fig1 depicts post - submission validation 180 : input signals 2 are accumulated 47 and submission 9 completed 46 before validation 18 commences . fig1 depicts incremental validation 181 : validation 18 is concurrent with submission 9 transmission 1 . in other words , with incremental validation 181 , validation 18 may progress with each signal 2 or transmission 1 . submission termination 23 must be known using post - submission validation 180 . this is a potential drawback : unless software - determined protocol determines submission termination 23 , passive termination 77 cannot be accomplished using post - submission validation 180 ; active termination 78 must be used . for full user - determined submission 9 , employ incremental validation 181 , which has the concomitant advantage of immediate knowledge of authorization failure 86 , allowing wrong key trajectory 7 w protocol interposing . fig1 depicts the validation 18 process , which is similar regardless whether post - submission validation 180 or incremental validation 181 is employed . incremental validation 181 may commence once the first transmission 1 completes , or , in a more sophisticated embodiment , ongoing 88 with signal input 2 . in a concurrent validation 181 embodiment , initial signal keys may be accumulated 50 and subsequent unmatched keys discarded 51 concurrent with transmission 1 , on a signal - by - signal 2 basis . validation 18 commences by accumulating possible keys 55 based upon signal match 54 between signals 2 of the first transmission 1 and possible initial signal keys 52 . for subsequent transmissions 1 , accumulated keys are discarded 59 by failure to match signals 57 . match results 33 are passed to authorization 27 when there are no keys remaining 73 or no next key trajectories 7 for remaining keys 75 . as long as there are remaining keys 34 with next key trajectories 74 , the process of discarding keys that don &# 39 ; t match 51 continues 818 . fig1 & amp ; 19 depict examples of the access authentication 97 process . fig1 & amp ; 19 illustrate an example of one - to - one correspondence between signal match 5 and key 6 . through access to one or more keys 6 which may reside in one or more key files 8 , validation 18 produces signal match results 33 , upon which authorization 27 permits access 29 , allows retry 28 of submission 9 , or denies access 37 . full submission 9 comprises a set of signals 2 upon which access 39 may be granted 72 . incomplete submission 9 comprises a set of signals 2 to which additional user input is ongoing 88 , and for which by themselves 2 authorization 27 would not succeed 86 . in an example depicted by fig1 , the first trajectory 71 is to a key 61 in a key file 81 determined by signal type 21 . keep in mind that this process may be repeated for all possible initial keys 61 . for example , consider key 108 transmission 1 input 2 , with two possible corresponding signals 2 : key ( character ) codes 210 , and timing of key strokes ( rhythm ) 211 . as an example , a key unit 16 of key code signal type 21 might be accessed to search keys 6 for signal matches 5 of key code 210 signals 2 . it may be , for example , that user - selected signal selection was employed , with initial key code 210 signals 2 for the first input to be ignored , and key rhythm 211 used . a key code 210 match 5 may be found , but it would be wrong in this example , though with incremental signal matching 5 , this would not be known at first . a key unit 8 of key rhythm 211 signal types 21 would also find a match 5 after the second key code ( as rhythm is the timing between successive keystrokes ), this time ( in this example ) for the correct user . in this example , the key 6 with rhythm 211 signal match 5 may have sequence packaging 15 indicating that key code 210 is ignored for this transmission 1 . so , in this example of incremental validation 181 , initial signal input 2 has multiple signal matches 5 , narrowing possibilities in the initial transmission 1 to two possible accounts meriting validation 18 consideration . in this example , subsequent input signals 2 narrow validation 18 to a single account by a sequential process of elimination . so , with incremental validation 181 there may need to be a plurality of input signals 2 before signal match 5 may effectively commence . in the example above , where key rhythm 211 is the first signal 2 to be matched 5 , two key code 210 signals 2 must be input before key rhythm 211 may even be considered . in the example of fig1 , validation 18 accesses three key files 8 through successive key trajectories 7 , bundling match results 33 for authorization 27 . in the depicted example , input signals 2 are validated 18 in input order interactively with input 2 . in other words , validation 18 is incrementally contemporaneous 88 with submission 9 . in an alternate embodiment with alternate sequencing 15 , input signal 2 validation 18 may not commence until submission 9 is completed 46 . the described example facilitates rapid authorization 27 by incremental validation 18 . actually , while access 39 may marginally be accelerated by incremental validation 18 , only lack is authorization 86 is notably rapidly facilitated , as continued input 2 of a submission 9 that cannot possibly be validated 18 may be interrupted so that a user may retry 63 . fig1 depicts an example of an embodiment employing a wrong trajectory protocol 7 w . wrong trajectory protocol 7 w is employed as a means of obfuscation targeted at computer monitoring devices . in the depicted example , keys 6 are constructed with multiple key trajectories 7 , with at least one trajectory to a succeeding key 6 whereupon authorization 27 may succeed 72 , and at least one trajectory 7 w whereupon access 39 is hopeless ( fake keys 6 w ). in the example , signal match 77 in the initial key 77 in the initial key file 81 mismatches . in this case , key trajectory 7 w leads to a fake key 6 w that cannot result in successful authorization 86 : whatever key 6 or key file 8 pinball is used , authorization fails 86 . trajectories 7 may be selected non - deterministically . this suggestion is most effective when there are multiple possible trajectories 7 , including wrong key trajectories 7 w , that augur either for authorization success 72 or failure 86 . for example , a key 6 may contain six next key trajectories 7 , three of which are wrong key trajectories 7 w . depending upon signal match 5 results , one of the three right or wrong trajectories 7 are non - deterministically chosen . this example presupposes sequences of keys 6 strung together by next key trajectories 7 that play out to authorization 27 . it is possible for different next key trajectories 7 to diverge to different ( possibly duplicate ) keys 6 that later converge back to the same key 6 . as described , validation protocols 18 may vary , and different protocols may be combined . multiple non - deterministic trajectory 7 paths , including wrong trajectory 7 w , is one example . in some embodiments , validation protocol 18 authorizing 27 access 39 may use different trajectories 7 . duplicate signal matches 5 in different keys 6 in the same or different key files 8 may be employed to have various paths to authorization 27 . as another suggestion , different signal sequencing 15 may be employed to differ trajectories 7 . | 7 |
the embodiments set forth below represent the necessary information to enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments and illustrate the best mode of practicing the embodiments . upon reading the following description in light of the accompanying drawing figures , those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of the disclosure and will recognize applications of these concepts not particularly addressed herein . it should be understood that these concepts and applications fall within the scope of the disclosure and the accompanying claims . 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 scope of the present disclosure . as used herein , the term “ and / or ” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items . it will be understood that when an element such as a layer , region , or substrate is referred to as being “ on ” or extending “ onto ” another element , it can be directly on or extend directly onto the other element or intervening elements may also be present . in contrast , when an element is referred to as being “ directly on ” or extending “ directly onto ” another element , there are no intervening elements present . likewise , it will be understood that when an element such as a layer , region , or substrate is referred to as being “ over ” or extending “ over ” another element , it can be directly over or extend directly over the other element , or intervening elements may also be present . in contrast , when an element is referred to as being “ directly over ” or “ extending directly over ” another element , there are no intervening elements present . it will also be understood that when an element is referred to as being “ connected ” or “ coupled ” to another element , it can be 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 . relative terms such as “ below ” or “ above ” or “ upper ” or “ lower ” or “ horizontal ” or “ vertical ” may be used herein to describe a relationship of one element , layer , or region to another element , layer , or region as illustrated in the accompanying figures . it will be understood that these terms and those discussed above are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation depicted in the accompanying figures . the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure . 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 ,” “ comprising ,” “ includes ,” and / or “ including ” when used herein specify the presence of stated features , integers , steps , operations , elements , and / or components , but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features , integers , steps , operations , elements , components , and / or groups thereof . 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 disclosure belongs . it will be further understood that terms used herein should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of this specification and the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein . related art here and in fig1 discloses a circuit diagram 10 having a compound varactor 12 and bias circuitry 14 . the compound varactor 12 may be a semi - conductor device and may have an input port 16 a , an output port 16 b , a v + bias port 16 c , and a v − bias port 16 d . the input port 16 a may have a cathode interface and the output port 16 b may have a cathode interface . an example anti - series string 18 of varactors d 1 - d 8 may be coupled between the input port 16 a and the output port 16 b . in an anti - series string , adjacent varactors may be coupled as cathode - to - cathode or anode - to - anode . as such , cathode of varactor d 1 may be coupled with the input port 16 a and coupled with the v + bias port 16 c via resistor rp 1 . anodes of varactors d 1 and d 2 may be coupled together and coupled with v − bias port 16 d via resistor rn 1 . cathodes of varactors d 2 and d 3 may be coupled together and coupled with v + bias port 16 c via resistor rp 2 . anodes of varactors d 3 and d 4 may be coupled together and coupled with v − bias port 16 d via resistor rn 2 . cathodes of varactors d 4 and d 5 may be coupled together and coupled with v + bias port 16 c via resistor rp 3 . anodes of varactors d 5 and d 6 may be coupled together and coupled with v − bias port 16 d via resistor rn 3 . cathodes of varactors d 6 and d 7 may be coupled together and coupled with v + bias port 16 c via resistor rp 4 . anodes of varactors d 7 and d 8 may be coupled together and coupled with v − bias port 16 d via resistor rn 4 . cathode of varactor d 8 may be coupled with output port 16 b . varactors d 1 - d 8 may be formed as individual epitaxial stacks on a substrate . each epitaxial stack may be equal in size and doping profile , wherein each of the varactors d 1 - d 8 have approximately equal capacitance - voltage ( c - v ) tuning characteristics . resisters rp 1 - rp 4 may provide a bias voltage connection between each of the cathodes of varactors d 1 - d 7 and the v + bias port 16 c . resistors rn 1 - rn 4 may provide bias connections between each of the anodes of the varactors d 1 - d 8 and the v − bias port 16 d . in some embodiments , the resistors rp 1 - rp 4 and rn 1 - rn 4 may be equal in resistance value ( ohms or ω ). in other embodiments , certain resistors of resistors rp 1 - rp 4 and rn 1 - rn 4 , such as outer resistor rp 1 , may be greater than the other resistors rp 2 - rp 4 and rn 1 - rn 4 . in some embodiments resistor rp 1 may be approximately 60 kω and resistors rp 2 - rp 4 and rn 1 - rp 4 may be approximately 30 kω . in other embodiments , rp 1 may be between approximately 20 kω and approximately 60 kω while resistors rp 2 - rp 4 and rn 1 - rp 4 may be between approximately 10 kω and approximately 30 kω . in some embodiments , inductors may also be used in place of , or in combination with , the resistors rp 1 - rp 4 and rn 1 - rn 4 . in other embodiments , a resistor ( not shown ) may be positioned between the output port 16 b and the v + bias port 16 c . bias circuitry 14 may be coupled between the v + bias port 16 c and ground 20 , and ground 20 may be coupled with v − bias port 16 d to provide a reverse bias voltage to each of the varactors d 1 - d 8 . the bias circuitry 14 may set the effective capacitance of the example anti - series string 18 . by increasing the bias voltage between the v + bias port 16 c and the v − bias port 16 d , the effective capacitance of the example anti - series string 18 may be reduced . by decreasing the bias voltage between the v + bias port 16 c and the v − bias port 16 d , the effective capacitance of the example anti - series string 18 may be increased . in some embodiments , a radio frequency ( rf ) signal may propagate between the input port 16 a and the output port 16 b . in an ideal anti - series arrangement , each varactor d 1 - d 8 may have negligible parasitic capacitance to other circuitry and / or ground 20 . varactors d 1 and d 2 may reduce self - modulation caused by propagation of the rf signal from the input port 16 a to the output port 16 b . as the rf signal increases , reverse bias voltage on d 1 increases , and reverse bias voltage on d 2 decreases . as such , as the capacitance of d 1 decreases , the capacitance of d 2 increases . by providing additional varactors d 3 - d 8 in the example anti - series string 18 , rf signal is reduced across each varactor d 1 - d 8 of the example anti - series string 18 further reducing self - modulation . however , in actual anti - series arrangements each varactor d 1 - d 8 may have non - negligible parasitic capacitance to other circuitry and / or ground 20 . in some embodiments , certain layers of each of the epitaxial stacks of the varactor d 1 - d 8 may have an effective area over the substrate . this effective area may be proportional to the parasitic capacitance , wherein as the effective area is made larger the parasitic capacitance is larger . for example , the parasitic capacitance to ground 20 may be approximately 0 . 002 pico - farads ( pf ) for each varactor d 1 - d 8 having a capacitance between approximately 6 pf and 20 pf when reversed biased from approximately 18 volts to approximately 2 volts . in other embodiments , the parasitic capacitance may be between approximately 0 . 001 pf and 0 . 005 pf . as an rf signal such as a 900 mega - hertz ( mhz ) sine wave propagates from the input port 16 a to the output port 16 b , second harmonic signal may be generated from self - modulation . for example , a + 35 decibel - milliwatts ( dbm ) sine wave may generate a second harmonic of approximately − 54 dbm . in other embodiments , the second harmonic may be between approximately − 50 dbm and approximately − 60 dbm . this second harmonic signal may be unacceptable for unfiltered varactor applications such as directly coupled impedance matching of an antenna to a radio front end ( or rfe ) circuit . for example , the second harmonic from a transmitted signal of the rfe may violate the required frequency spectrum mask for the transmitted signal . fig2 illustrates a circuit diagram 22 having a compound varactor 24 and bias circuitry 14 . the compound varactor 24 may be a semi - conductor device and may have an input port 26 a , an output port 26 b , a v + bias port 26 c , and a v − bias port 26 d . the input port 26 a may have a cathode interface and the output port 26 b have a cathode interface . compound varactor 24 replaces the compound varactor 12 shown in fig1 . the compound varactor 24 has a modified anti - series string 28 including varactors d 1 ″ through d 8 ″. modified anti - series string 28 replaces the anti - series string 18 of compound varactor 12 shown in fig1 . cathode of varactor d 1 ″ may be coupled with the input port 26 a and coupled with the v + bias port 26 c via resistor rp 1 . anodes of varactors d 1 ″ and d 2 ′ may be coupled together and coupled with v − bias port 26 d via resistor rn 1 . cathodes of varactors d 2 ′ and d 3 ′ may be coupled together and coupled with v + bias port 26 c via resistor rp 2 . anodes of varactors d 3 ′ and d 4 ″ may be coupled together and coupled with v − bias port 26 d via resistor rn 2 . cathodes of varactors d 4 ″ and d 5 ″ may be coupled together and coupled with v + bias port 26 c via resistor rp 3 . anodes of varactors d 5 ″ and d 6 ′ may be coupled together and coupled with v − bias port 26 d via resistor rn 3 . cathodes of varactors d 6 ′ and d 7 ′ may be coupled together and coupled with v + bias port 26 c via resistor rp 4 . anodes of varactors d 7 ′ and d 8 ″ may be coupled together and coupled with v − bias port 26 d via resistor rn 4 . cathode of varactor d 8 ″ may be coupled with output port 26 b . varactors d 1 ″, d 4 ″, d 5 ″, and d 8 ″ may each have a first effective area and each have a first parasitic capacitance to other circuitry and / or ground 20 . varactors d 2 ′, d 3 ′, d 6 ′, and d 7 ′ may each have a second effective area that is smaller than the first effective area and each have a second parasitic capacitance that is smaller than the first parasitic capacitance . in a preferred embodiment , the second effective area may be 55 % of the first effective area . in other embodiments , the second effective area may be between 50 % and 60 % of the first effective area , while in other embodiments , the second effective area may be between 45 % and 75 % of the first effective area . resisters rp 1 - rp 4 may provide parallel bias voltage connections between each of the cathodes of varactors d 1 ″ through d 8 ″ of the modified anti - series string 28 and the v + bias port 26 c . resistors rn 1 - rn 4 may provide parallel bias connections between each of the anodes of varactors d 1 ″ through d 8 ″ and the v − bias port 26 d . in some embodiments , a resistor ( not shown ) may be positioned between the output port 26 b and the v + bias port 26 c . bias circuitry 14 may be coupled between the v + bias port 26 c and ground 20 , and ground 20 may be coupled with v − bias port 26 d to provide a reverse bias voltage across each of the varactors d 1 ″ through d 8 ″. the bias circuitry 14 may adjust the effective capacitance of the modified anti - series string 28 . as the rf signal described in fig1 propagates from the input port 26 a to the output port 26 b , a second harmonic signal from self - modulation may be reduced from the second harmonic signal of the compound varactor circuit 12 . in some embodiments , the second harmonic signal may be reduced by approximately 20 decibels ( db ). this reduced level of second harmonic signal level generation may be acceptable for use of the compound varactor 24 in antenna matching and other unfiltered varactor applications . the compound varactor 24 as compared with compound varactor 12 may have negligible change in the following varactor parameters : the total effective areas of modified anti - series string 28 have a less than 10 % increase over the total effective areas of example anti - series string 18 . in a non - limiting example for the compound varactor 12 , the example anti - series string 18 may provide 1 unit of capacitance for a given bias voltage . each varactor d 1 - d 8 may have 8 units of effective area and may each provide 8 units of capacitance . the total effective area of the example anti - series string 18 may be 64 units . for the modified anti - series string 28 to provide 1 unit of capacitance for a given bias voltage , the effective area of each varactor d 1 ″, d 4 ″, d 5 ″, and d 8 ″ may have 11 . 3 units of effective area and may each provide 11 . 3 units of capacitance , while each varactor d 2 ′, d 3 ′, d 6 ′, and d 7 ′ may have 6 . 2 units of effective area and may each provide 6 . 2 units of capacitance . the total effective area of anti - series string 28 may be approximately 70 units . for this example the total increase in effective area of the modified anti - series string 28 is less than 10 %. fig3 illustrates an epitaxial stack 30 forming a single varactor such as varactor d 1 ″, d 2 ′, d 3 ′, d 4 ″, d 5 ″, d 6 ′, d 7 ′, or d 8 ″, as shown in fig2 . in embodiments , the epitaxial stack 30 may comprise a plurality of layers formed on a substrate 32 . the substrate 32 may be constructed of a semiconductor material that is relatively inert with respect to the epitaxial stack 30 . the substrate 32 may be an undoped or a lightly doped semiconductor material having a relatively high resistivity as compared with the other layers . a lower contact layer 34 may be positioned over the substrate 32 . a varactor layer 36 may be positioned over the lower contact layer 34 . an upper contact layer 38 may be position over the varactor layer 36 . an ohmic contact 40 may be positioned over the upper contact layer 38 . an ohmic contact 42 may be positioned over the lower contact layer 34 . in some embodiments , the lower contact layer 34 may be a heavily doped p + anode layer , while the upper contact layer 38 may be a heavily doped n + cathode layer . in this embodiment , ohmic contact 40 may be a cathode contact and ohmic contact 42 may be an anode contact . in other embodiments , the lower contact layer 34 may be a heavily doped n + cathode layer , while the upper contact layer 38 may be a heavily doped p + anode layer . in this embodiment , ohmic contact 40 may be an anode contact and ohmic contact 42 may be a cathode contact . the varactor layer 36 may be a lightly doped n − cathode layer and may be created with an abrupt , hyper abrupt , or linear doping profile . the area of the varactor layer 36 is the effective area 44 for parasitic capacitance effects as described in fig2 . in some embodiments , portions of the modified compound varactor 24 may be configured as shown in fig3 of u . s . pat . no . 9 , 484 , 471 , entitled “ compound varactor ”, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety . materials and manufacture processes for compound varactor 24 may be equivalent to compound varactor 12 . fig4 illustrates a graph 44 of second harmonic signal generation for compound varactors 12 and 24 . power level ( dbm ) of the second harmonic is represented on the vertical axis and varactor bias ( volts ) is represented on the horizontal axis . the dashed line plots the second harmonic of compound varactor 12 at output port 16 b using the circuit diagram 10 of fig1 . bias circuitry 14 is varied between 2 and 18 volts . a + 35 decibel - milliwatts ( dbm ) sine wave at 900 mhz is coupled to input port 16 a . the second harmonic is shown to vary between approximately − 52 dbm and approximately − 56 dbm . the solid line plots the second harmonic of compound varactor 24 at output port 26 b using the circuit diagram 22 of fig2 . bias circuitry 14 is varied between 2 and 18 volts . a + 35 decibel - milliwatts ( dbm ) sine wave at 900 mhz is coupled to input port 26 a . the second harmonic is shown to vary between approximately − 72 dbm and approximately − 77 dbm . fig5 illustrates a circuit diagram 46 having a compound varactor 48 with modified anti - series string 50 and bias circuitry 14 . modified anti - series string 50 is an alternate embodiment of modified anti - series string 28 wherein cathodes are coupled to input port 52 a and output port 52 b . compound varactor 48 also includes a v + bias port 52 c and a v − bias port 52 d . the modified anti - series string 50 comprises varactors d 1 ″ through d 8 ″ and replaces the anti - series string 28 of compound varactor 24 . anode of varactor d 1 ″ may be coupled with the input port 52 a and coupled with the v − bias port 52 d via resistor rn 1 . cathodes of varactors d 1 ″ and d 2 ′ may be coupled together and coupled with v + bias port 52 c via resistor rp 1 . anodes of varactors d 2 ′ and d 3 ′ may be coupled together and coupled with v − bias port 52 d via resistor rn 2 . cathodes of varactors d 3 ′ and d 4 ″ may be coupled together and coupled with v + bias port 52 c via resistor rp 2 . anodes of varactors d 4 ″ and d 5 ″ may be coupled together and coupled with v − bias port 52 d via resistor rn 3 . cathodes of varactors d 5 ″ and d 6 ′ may be coupled together and coupled with v + bias port 52 c via resistor rp 3 . anodes of varactors d 6 ′ and d 7 ′ may be coupled together and coupled with v − bias port 52 d via resistor rn 4 . cathodes of varactors d 7 ′ and d 8 ″ may be coupled together and coupled with v + bias port 52 c via resistor rp 4 . anode of varactor d 8 ″ may be coupled with output port 52 b . varactors d 1 ″, d 4 ″, d 5 ″, and d 8 ″ may each have the first effective area and each have the first parasitic capacitance to other circuitry and / or ground 20 . varactors d 2 ′, d 3 ′, d 6 ′, and d 7 ′ may each have the second effective area that is smaller than the first effective area and each have the second parasitic capacitance that is smaller than first parasitic capacitance . in a preferred embodiment , the second effective area may be 55 % of the first effective area . in other embodiments , the second effective area may be between 50 % and 60 % of the first effective area , while in other embodiments , the second effective area may be between 45 % and 75 % of the first effective area resisters rp 1 - rp 4 may provide parallel bias voltage connections between each of the cathodes of varactors d 1 ″ through d 8 ″ of the modified anti - series string 50 and the v + bias port 52 c . resistors rn 1 - rn 4 may provide parallel bias connections between each of the anodes of varactors d 1 ″ through d 7 ′ and the v − bias port 52 d . in some embodiments , a resistor ( not shown ) may be positioned between the output port 52 b and the v − bias port 52 d . in some embodiments , the modified anti - series string 28 and 50 may have only four varactors . in other embodiments the modified anti - series string 28 and 50 may have twelve varactors . compound varactors 24 and 48 may be incorporated into a variety of devices and / or systems . fig6 illustrates a wireless device 54 having a radio front end ( rfe ) module 56 coupled with a processor 58 and an antenna 60 . compound varactor 24 may be incorporated within or coupled with the rfe module 56 and may be used to provide impedance matching of the antenna 60 with other circuitry of the rfe module 56 . such circuitry may be a transmission line , a filter , a transmit power amplifier ( pa ), or a receive low noise amplifier ( lna ). in other embodiments of the rfe module 56 , the modified compound varactor 24 may be configured to control the frequency of a voltage controlled oscillator ( vco ), control the frequency and / or phase response of a filter , or be incorporated within an electronically controlled switch . in other embodiments , compound varactor 48 may be incorporated within or coupled with the rfe module 56 . those skilled in the art will recognize improvements and modifications to the embodiments of the present disclosure . all such improvements and modifications are considered within the scope of the concepts disclosed herein and the claims that follow . | 7 |
in prior art , if a cpu microcode is incompatible to a cpu on a motherboard , a computer system cannot be started up to an operating system , an error message is displayed and the computer system is stopped . the present invention provides a method for communicating a bios to a utility and loading the cpu microcode , so that the correct cpu microcode is loaded into the bios . fig1 is a flowchart showing a method for loading a cpu microcode into a bios according to an embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig1 , first , in a step s 110 , the bios receives an smi instruction . the smi instruction may be sent from a utility , and the smi instruction comprises an address and a length of a cpu microcode . the address indicated by the smi instruction stores the correct cpu microcode . next , the bios receives the smi instruction to obtain the correct cpu microcode in the meantime through the smi instruction , and executes a interrupt instruction , referring to a step s 120 . the interrupt instruction may be a special int 16 instruction or other loading instructions in current computer technology . then , in the load interrupt instruction , according to the address and the length of the cpu microcode indicated by the smi instruction , the bios loads the cpu microcode in the address instructed by the smi instruction from the memory reported by the utility to a specific block of the bios . according to the present embodiment , original program codes of the bios may be stored in a non - volatile memory on the motherboard , and the specific block may be dispose on a part of blocks of the non - volatile memory originally storing the bios or on other non - volatile memories on other positions on the motherboard . in addition , the present invention may also be applied to updating the cpu microcode in the bios without refreshing the whole bios . the following provides another embodiment of the present invention . fig2 is a flowchart showing a method for updating a cpu microcode in a bios according to another embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig2 , first , in a step s 210 , the bios receives an smi instruction . the smi instruction is used to instruct the bios to update the cpu microcode , and comprises an address and a length of a cpu microcode . the address indicated by the smi instruction stores the correct cpu microcode . next , after the bios receives the smi instruction , the bios judges whether a space in a specific block is enough to store the cpu microcode indicated in the smi instruction , referring to a step s 220 . according to the present embodiment , the specific block is a block used to store the cpu microcode . in the step s 220 , if the bios judges that the space in the specific block is not enough to store the cpu microcode , the bios deletes a part of data in the specific block , referring to a step s 230 , and continues to a step s 240 . according to the present embodiment , since the specific block may already store other program codes , the remaining space in the specific block may not be enough to store the cpu microcode . the above step s 230 may be displaying a message to inform a user that the remaining space in the specific block is not enough and to inform the user to selectively delete unnecessary program codes . in addition , the above step s 230 may also be using the bios to determine program codes unrelated to present hardware devices , and deleting the unnecessary program codes automatically . oppositely , if in the step s 220 , the bios judges that the space in the specific block is enough to store the cpu microcode , the step s 240 is then performed . in the step s 240 , the bios receives the smi instruction , knows to load the correct cpu microcode in the meantime through the smi instruction , and executes a interrupt instruction . in the interrupt instruction , according to the address and the length of the cpu microcode indicated by the smi instruction , the bios loads the cpu microcode in the address to the specific block of the bios , referring to step s 250 . according to the present embodiment , the steps s 240 and s 250 are similar to the steps s 120 and s 130 according to the embodiment of fig1 ; repeated description is thereby omitted . it can be known from the previous embodiment that the present invention uses the smi instruction and the interrupt instruction so that the specific block of the bios stores the correct cpu microcode . therefore , during starting up of a computer system , the bios loads the correct cpu microcode from the specific block so that the computer system is started up properly and enters normal operation . in order to make persons having ordinary skills in the art able to implement the present inventions through teachings of embodiments , the following provides still another embodiment to illustrate a flowchart of starting up of the present invention . in order to conveniently illustrate the present embodiment , before illustrating the present embodiment , a few presumptions are made . first , presume that the present embodiment is applied to situations in which a computer system is started up or restarted up from sleep . next , presume that during processes of starting up or restarting up the computer system , the processes are controlled by a utility . last , presume that program codes of a bios are stored in a non - volatile memory . fig3 is a flowchart showing steps of starting up a computer system according to still another embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig3 , first , when the computer system is started up , the bios scans the program codes of each sections of the non - volatile memory , referring to a step s 310 , to obtain an original cpu microcode stored in the non - volatile memory and to judge whether the original cpu microcode in the non - volatile memory is compatible to a cpu on a motherboard , referring to a step s 315 , in other words , to judge whether the original cpu microcode supports the cpu on the motherboard . when the cpu microcode is compatible to the cpu on the motherboard , the computer system enters a normal process of starting up , referring to a step s 320 . on the other hand , when the original cpu is incompatible with the cpu on the motherboard ( meaning that the original cpu microcode cannot support the cpu on the mother board ), the utility inquires whether to read a correct cpu microcode from a peripheral device of the computer system , referring to a step s 325 . according to the present embodiment , the above peripheral device may be a hard disc , a universal serial bus ( usb ) device , a floppy disc driver or an optical disc drive . in addition , in the above step s 325 , the utility could be unable to obtain information of which peripheral device and an actual storing address the correct cpu microcode is stored in . hence , the computer system may display a message to inform a user to input the address in which the correct cpu microcode is stored . in addition , according to the present embodiment , the correct cpu microcode may be stored in the peripheral device beforehand , and set a path for the correct cpu microcode in the utility in advance , so that the utility reads the correct cpu microcode in the above step s 325 . after the step s 325 , the cpu microcode read by the utility is stored in a random - access memory ( ram ), referring to a step s 330 . next , the utility sends an smi instruction to the bios , referring to a step s 340 , to instruct the bios to update the cpu microcode . the smi instruction sent from the utility comprises the address of the cpu microcode ( which is the address in the ram in which the utility stores the cpu microcode ) and a length of the cpu microcode . after the bios receives the smi instruction , the bios judges whether a space in a specific block is enough to store the cpu microcode indicated in the smi instruction , referring to a step s 350 . according to the present embodiment , the specific block is a block used to store the cpu microcode . in the step s 350 , if the bios judges that the space in the specific block is not enough to store the cpu microcode , the bios deletes a part of data in the specific block , referring to a step s 355 , and continues to a step s 360 . according to the present embodiment , since the specific block may already store other program codes , the remaining space of the specific block may not be enough to store the cpu microcode . the above step s 355 may be displaying a message to inform a user that the remaining space in the specific block is not enough and to inform the user to selectively delete unnecessary program codes . in addition , the above step s 355 may also be using the bios to determine program codes unrelated to present hardware devices , and deleting the unnecessary program codes automatically . oppositely , if in the step s 350 , the bios judges that the space in the specific block is enough to store the cpu microcode , the step s 360 is then performed . in the step s 360 , since in the meantime the bios has received the smi instruction and known the correct cpu microcode required to be loaded from the smi instruction , the bios executes a interrupt instruction , in which the interrupt instruction may be a special int 16 instruction or other instructions in current computer technology . next , in the interrupt instruction , according to the address and the length of the cpu microcode indicated by the smi instruction , the bios loads the cpu microcode in the address to the specific block in the bios , referring to a step s 365 . according to the present embodiment , the original program codes of the bios may be stored in a non - volatile memory on the motherboard , and the specific block may be disposed on a part of blocks of the non - volatile memory originally storing the bios . in current bios technology , the non - volatile memory storing the bios may be sectioned into a plurality of blocks , and the bios has a descriptor table used to record a position of each of the blocks in the non - volatile memory . the specific block according to the present embodiment may be obtained by mapping out a protecting block in the descriptor table and recording a position of the protecting block in the descriptor table . last , after loading the cpu microcode to the specific block , the bios judges whether the cpu microcode is compatible with the cpu on the motherboard , referring to a step s 370 . if the cpu microcode is compatible with the cpu on the motherboard , the cpu microcode in the specific block is loaded into the cpu , referring to a step s 375 , and a normal process of starting up , referring to a step s 380 , is then performed . on the other hand , if the cpu microcode is judged to be incompatible with the cpu on the motherboard , the computer system displays an error message , referring to a step s 385 . since according to the above embodiment , the specific block already stores the correct cpu microcode , when the computer system is started up or restarted up from sleep , the correct cpu microcode is loaded from the specific block into the cpu , so that problems of the original cpu microcode being incompatible with the cpu on the motherboard are solved . according to the above three embodiments , although loading the cpu microcode is used as an example , persons having ordinary skill in the art should know that the present invention may apply to loading or updating other kinds of programs codes in a bios . in summary , since the present invention adopts using an smi instruction , the bios is informed of the address and length of the cpu microcode , so that the bios loads the correct cpu microcode loaded in the address to a specific block , simultaneously resolving a problem in which a wrong cpu microcode causes a computer unable to load the cpu microcode . although the present invention has been described with reference to the above embodiments , application of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments . it will be apparent to one of the ordinary skill in the art that modifications to the described embodiment may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention . accordingly , the scope of the invention will be defined by the attached claims not by the above detailed descriptions . | 6 |
a disk drive has an actuator arm assembly and a stack of spaced - apart disks rotatable about a common shaft . the actuator arm assembly is rotatable about an actuator arm axis . the arm assembly includes a plurality of actuator arms , which extend into the spaces between the disks . one such actuator arm is shown in fig1 . attached to the actuator arm is a magnetic head suspension . the actuator arm 8 when assembled in a stack with a number of identical actuator arms rotates about the actuator arm axis 6 . the magnetic head suspension comprises a resilient load beam 12 , a flexure ( not shown ) and a slider ( not shown ) on the under side of the load beam 12 . the load beam 12 includes a base section 18 having a boss hole 23 . the load beam 12 includes a resilient section 24 located between the base section 18 and a protrusion section 26 of the load beam 12 . the resilient section 24 is formed to create an angular offset between the base section 18 and protrusion section 26 . the degree of bending determines the downward preload force of the slider toward a disk surface . the geometry of the load beam in resilient section 24 and / or the size of an aperture 28 in the resilient section 24 establishes the resilience of the load beam 12 . a dimple 38 is formed in the load beam 12 , or on the flexure , and is urged against the backside of the slider through a clearance and contributes to a gimbaling action of the slider . a transducer is disposed at the rear edge of the slider . the actuator arm and loaded beam element of the actuator arm assembly are connected end to end by the plate ( swage mount 21 ) which includes a flat flange portion 19 and cylindrical hub portion or boss 20 . a top view of the base plate is shown in fig2 . in assembling the actuator arm , the hub 20 is inserted through a loaded beam boss hole 23 and the flange portion 19 is welded to the load beam 18 . the hub 20 is then inserted through a actuator arm boss hole 22 . using a swage machine , a swage ball 33 is driven through the hub 2 . the swage ball exerts pressure on the hub 20 , which expands ( swages ) into the boss hole in the actuator arm . the expanded hub rigidly connects the hub 20 and attached load beam 18 to the actuator arm boss hole 22 . the expanded hub 20 creates a very tight friction fit against the sides of the boss hole 22 . to ensure a tight fit , the length of the hub 20 is such that sufficient contact exists between the outer portion of the hub 20 and the inner portion of the boss hole 22 . as the hub plastically deforms , it hardens , which is desirable for maintaining a press fit in the actuator arm boss hole . the actuator arm 8 is cast out of aluminum and can be nickel - plated , because nickel - plated aluminum arms provide much improved overall cleanliness . as base plates get smaller to accommodate the geometries of smaller disk drives , reduced retention torque becomes a problem . a base plate is disclosed in the above identified application ser . no . 10 / 037643 in which the outer surface of the hub includes numerous protrusions that are less than approximately 50 microns in height . the protrusions are primarily comprised of a material ( such as a carbide or a nitride ) which is different from the stainless steel hub . preferably , the protrusions are substantially harder ( such as at least 50 hardness vickers harder ) than the base material . the purpose of the protrusions is to provide greater torque retention when the base plate is swaged to an actuator arm . during manufacture , chromium carbide or chromium nitride may be precipitated out of a base metal onto the outer surface of the hub resulting in the surface protrusions . the surface protrusions stick out of the hub outer surface and grab into the aluminum actuator arm when the hub is swaged . these and other methods of creating hardened modules on the outer hub surface can boost retention torque by 60 %- 100 %. prior swage mounts containing carbides provide higher retention torque than nitrided parts , but tend to shed a higher volume of particles from the surface . due to the present emphasis on cleanliness within the industry , this currently limits the use of the most effective precipitate . furthermore , in the prior art , when a swage ball is forced through the inner barrel of the hub 20 , the applied swage force and resulting stress tends to cause the protrusions to separate from the hub and contaminate the disk drive assembly . in a first embodiment of the present invention a base plate component is manufactured as follows : ( 1 ) a base plate comprising a flange 19 having a first side and a second side , and a hub 20 , is formed primarily composed of a base metal such as 300 series stainless steel , the hub extending from the second side of the flange and having an inner surface and an outer surface . ( 2 ) the base plate is heat - treated without forming surface protrusions . ( 3 ) using a barrel - plating technique , multiple base plates are cleaned using an alkaline surfactant . this entails submerging the parts in a solution of sodium hydroxide or equivalent at a temperature of 150 degrees f to remove gross debris . the parts are then rinsed with deionized ( di ) water by rotating the barrel in a rinse station for two minutes . ( 4 ) remaining in the barrel , the base plates are placed into an 80 % sulfuric acid bath at room temperature as a cleaning and activation step . the base plates are then rotated in a barrel , submerged , for between 8 and 10 minutes with an applied potential of 4 volts . the parts are then rinsed to remove residual acids by submerging the barrel , with rotation , in di water for two minutes . ( 5 ) a nickel strike is then placed on the base plates by placing the barrel in a low concentration woods bath , consisting of between 10 to 15 oz / gal nickel chloride and 15 % hydrochloric acid . the parts are submerged and rotated for 15 minutes and a current density of 1 asf . the parts are rinsed as previously described . ( 6 ) the base plates are then transferred to a watts ni bath that consists of 7 - 10 oz / gal nickel chloride , 30 - 40 oz / gal nickel sulfate , and 4 - 6 oz / gal boric acid . the temperature of the bath is held at a temperature of 135 f . the parts are submerged and rotated for 21 minutes at a current density of 2 . 5 asf to achieve a plating thickness between 30 to 40 micro - inches . this combination of operating parameters results in a rough , columnar deposit that has a dull appearance . it is this rough microstructure that forms the basis of the enhanced frictional characteristics achieved by the invention . the parts are then rinsed as described previously . ( 7 ) following the rinse , the parts are placed in a second watt &# 39 ; s bath that contains , in addition to the above , approximately 50 ppm of saccharrine that acts as a brightener . the parts are submerged and rotated for 10 minutes and a current density of 4 asf to achieve a brighter surface finish . ( 8 ) the parts are then rinsed , dried and inspected . in a second method of manufacture , steps 1 - 6 set forth above remain the same . the following manufacturing steps are then performed : ( 7 ) the parts are placed in a rhodium bath that contains 1 . 3 - 2 g / l rhodium sulfate and 25 - 80 ml / l sulfuric acid . the bath is held at a temperature of 130 degrees f . the parts are plated to a thickness of between 3 microns and 9 microns , which offers a hard coating over the rough watts structure that allows penetration into a ni plated arm upon swaging and greatly improves retention torque . ( 8 ) the parts are then rinsed , dried and inspected . refer to fig3 , which is a side elevation view of the base plate of fig2 along the view line 3 - 3 . if necessary to meet tolerances , the base plate hub is made smaller than usual for swaging in the actuator arm boss hole 22 and is nickel plated to a thickness that makes up the difference . the nickel plate 30 is illustrated by the bold lines of fig3 . refer to fig4 , which is an expanded view of a circled portion 32 of the base plate of fig3 . the nickel plating 30 is of a thickness that covers the particle 44 embedded in the stainless steel hub 20 and partially covers the hub outer surface protrusions 40 , 42 . refer to fig5 , which is an expanded view of a circled portion 45 of the ni plating in fig4 . the diagram shows a characteristic surface roughness and columnar structure wherein several column tips 51 , 52 are depicted and form the terminus of individual columns 53 in the plating deposit . refer to fig6 , which is a diagram showing multiple layers of plating wherein the base metal 61 of the swage mount is covered by a first deposit 62 and a second deposit 63 . refer to fig7 , which is a torque performance graph of a base plate manufactured in accordance with the first preferred embodiment of the present invention . the data were gathered using a universal swage tester unit designed and built by intri - plex technologies and reflect the retention torque of parts fabricated via the invention compared to the torque of a standard part . in this test , the baseplates are swaged into aluminum coupons and a torque is applied on the baseplate that tends to rotate the baseplate with respect to the aluminum coupon . using a displacement sensor , the torque at which the baseplates “ break away ” from the coupon is measured and recorded . the approximately 100 % increase in “ break away ” torque associated with the test is repeated across three separate groups , revealing the consistency of the process . refer to fig8 which is a torque performance graph of a base plate manufactured in accordance with the second preferred embodiment of the present invention . the data were gathered using a universal swage tester unit designed and built by intri - plex technologies and reflect the retention torque of parts fabricated via the invention compared to the torque of a standard part . in this test , the baseplates are swaged into nickel - plated aluminum coupons and a torque is applied on the baseplate that tends to rotate the baseplate with respect to the aluminum coupon . using a displacement sensor , the torque at which the baseplates “ break away ” from the coupon is measured and recorded . the approximately 100 % increase in “ break away ” torque associated with the test is repeated across three separate groups , revealing the consistency of the process . it is understood by a person skilled in the art that any platting method or plating material can be used to achieve the desired objective . for example , the metal plating on the base metal is made of a material that is harder by an amount equal to or exceeding 5 vickers hardness numbers ( vhn ). the metal plating can be of sufficient thickness as to secure existing surface protrusions or cover surface particulates of the base metal . preferably , the metal plating has a surface roughness , ra , and plate thickness , t , such that ra ≧ 0 . 05 t . in addition , it is preferable to use a metal plating that increases the corrosion resistance of the base metal . the method of manufacturing a base plate for use in swage mount can be summarized as follows : a . forming a flange 19 having a first side and a second side , and a hub 20 , primarily composed of a base metal such as 300 series stainless steel , extending from the second side of the flange and having an inner surface and an outer surface . b . optionally creating on the outer surface of the hub numerous protrusions 40 , 42 , that are less than approximately 50 microns in height and that are primarily composed of a material such as a carbide or a nitride which is different from the base metal . c . plating the outer surface of the hub with a first metal such as nickel to a thickness that is sufficient to prevent separation of surface oxides and other contaminants and / or protrusions from the hub . d . optionally , plating the plated outer surface of the hub with a second metal . while the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention . | 6 |
fig1 and 2 disclose a railway passenger car portion 10 including an outer side wall 11 connected to a roof 12 . partition walls 13 extend laterally inwardly from the side wall 11 and are supported on a car floor 14 . a longitudinally extending divider wall 15 suitably connected to the partition wall 13 provides a passenger compartment . the divider walls 15 conventional in railway compartmented cars provide an aisle 16 . the outer wall includes a window 17 and the compartment is provided with a convertible seat arrangement 18 comprising a pair of seats 19 , longitudinally spaced , each seat being positioned adjacent one of the partition walls . the convertible seat arrangement 18 may be readily converted to a lower sleeping berth arrangement . the arrangement 18 also includes seat backs 20 positioned beneath head rests 21 . the compartment is accessible through a door opening 22 provided in the divider wall 15 . the divider wall also includes at least one inner window 23 . an upper berth is generally designated at 24 and comprises a berth shell or pan 25 having a bottom wall 26 and upright side walls 27 and 28 . the side walls 27 as best shown in fig6 and 7 are also provided with an upper outwardly extending flange 29 . the pan 25 also includes end walls 30 provided with openings 30 &# 39 ;. the pan has a central relatively deep portion which is designated at a and is provided at opposite ends thereof with shallower portions b and c . a mattress is designated at d and the mattress is shaped so as to complement or conform to the relative deeper portion a and the shallower portions b and c . the inner side wall 28 supports a beam generally designated at 32 the same extending substantially the length of the pan or shell 25 . the beam is provided by an outward and downwardly extending flange 33 as best shown in fig8 and is integral with the side wall 28 . the beam 32 supports an elongated tube of rectangular shape generally designated at 34 the same being firmly secured within the shaped beam flange 33 . an access plate 35 extends substantially the length of the tube 34 of the said tube being provided with an elongated slot 36 . the access plate 35 is removable to provide access through the slot 36 for adjusting a locking mechanism generally designated at 37 which is supported within the said tube 34 . the locking mechanism 37 includes a shaft 38 which is rotatably mounted on a pivot bracket 39 firmly secured to the tube 34 . the shaft 38 also projects outwardly through the tube 34 and has connected thereto a handle or actuator 40 . a pair of ears 41 are connected to the shaft 38 to rotate therewith . the locking and latching mechanism includes an adjustable linkage arrangement having clevises 42 rotatably connected to the ears 41 by means of pivot pins 43 . the clevises 42 in turn are connected to linkage members or rods 44 in turn connected to clevises 45 . the clevises 45 are hingedly connected by means of hinge pins 45 &# 39 ; in turn connected to tubular links 46 , in turn rigidly connected to rods 47 . the rods 47 have connected thereto lock plungers 48 which are normally urged outwardly by means of coil springs 49 supported on the rods 47 and placed in tension by means of stops 50 rigidly provided within the tube 34 . the lock plungers project through the openings 30 &# 39 ; and are guided by means of guides 51 also supported within the tube . a number of receptacles 52 as best shown in fig1 and 2 are supported on the side walls 13 . the receptacles are vertically spaced , the upper and lower of the receptacles providing support means when the berth is in stored or use position . the intermediate receptacle 52 is provided as a safety feature in the event the berth inadvertently drops downwardly from a stored position it will be retained against further descent by means of the intermediate receptacle . furthermore , in moving the berth upwardly it will initially catch in the intermediate receptacle and thus the passenger can be assured that the berth can be safely stored in the stored position and that there are no other objects in the berth which might become damaged or injured . in the lowered position the opposite ends of the pan and berth are supported on the top head rest brackets 53 thus providing a firm support and utilizing the head rest brackets for this purpose . the berth is hingedly connected to the outer side wall 11 by means of hinge brackets 54 and 55 . the hinge brackets are interconnected by means of a hinge pin 56 suitably connected to a torsion spring 57 which is also suitably anchored on brackets so that the torsion spring 57 will balance the berth in a manner that can easily be moved to a stored position and also can easily be hinged downwardly to a sleeping position by the passenger . as shown in fig1 the stored position of the berth is accomplished when the plungers 48 of the latching and locking mechanism are in engagement with the uppermost of the receptacles 52 . the operator by turning the handle 40 causes the push pull rods or linkages to move out of engagement with the receptacles whereupon the bed may now easily be lowered to the use or sleeping position . the counterbalance hinge arrangement permits the passenger to easily move the bed downwardly until it is supported on the head rest 53 provided at the opposite ends of the compartment . in this position the lowermost of the receptacles 52 is now engaged by the lock plungers 48 so that the bed is firmly locked in position . to return the berth to its stored position the operation is reversed . the intermediate receptacle 52 serves as a safety feature to prevent inadvertant lowering of the bed in the event for some reason the bed would become released from the upper receptacle . also the intermediate receptacle prevents the sudden closing of the bed by the passenger which could be undesirable if a child or some object would be still resting on the top of the berth . as best shown in fig2 the shallow section provides for sufficient head room for a passenger seated in the compartment while the bed is in use position . the relatively deep portion of the pan or shell allows a thicker section of mattress which supports the heaviest part of the passenger &# 39 ; s body . this is not required to any great extent at the opposite ends where the shallower portions accommodate the head room of the passengers . the release handle is also located in the deepened portion and thus does not protrude outwardly from the berth in a manner which might injure the passenger . the inner edge of the shell also is provided with the beam or channel section which is built into the basic structure of the pan . this beam provides the strength for the berth lengthwise and thus accommodates the bending loads . it also houses the locking mechanism and provides a hand hold for passengers getting into and out of bed . conventional safety webbing which is utilized in upper berths also can be connected to the beam without sacrificing any of the bed space of the berth . by means of the counterbalance provided by the double torsion springs the bed can be raised or lowered with a mininum of effort . the foregoing description and drawings merely explain and illustrate the invention and the invention is not limited thereto , except insofar as the appendant claims are so limited , as those skilled in the art who have the disclosure before them will be able to make modifications and variations therein without departing from the scope of the invention . | 1 |
for simplicity and illustrative purposes , the principles of the embodiments are described by referring mainly to examples thereof . in the following description , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments . it will be apparent however , to one of ordinary skill in the art , that the embodiments may be practiced without limitation to these specific details . in other instances , well known methods and structures have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure the embodiments . before describing in detail embodiments that are in accordance with the present invention , it should be observed that the embodiments reside primarily in combinations of method steps and apparatus components related to limiting access to shared content media items in a game between a first player operating a first game device , and a second player operating a second game device . accordingly , the apparatus components and method steps have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings , showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein . in this document , relational terms such as first and second , top and bottom , and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions . the terms “ comprises ,” “ comprising ,” or any other variation thereof , are intended to cover a non - exclusive inclusion , such that a process , method , article , or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process , method , article , or apparatus . an element preceded by “ comprises . . . a ” does not , without more constraints , preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process , method , article , or apparatus that comprises the element . fig1 is a network diagram that illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the hardware components of a system operable in accordance with the present invention . the architecture shown in fig1 utilizes a network 100 to connect game devices 110 a , 110 b to a game server 120 . in one embodiment , player a operates a game device 110 a that connects to the game server 120 , via the network 100 , to perform a method embodying aspects of the present invention , and player b operates another game device 110 b that connects to the game server 120 , via the network 100 , to perform a method embodying aspects of the present invention . in another embodiment , the game device 110 a which player a operates is connected to the game device 110 b which player b operates to perform a method embodying aspects of the present invention . the connection between the game device 110 a which player a operates and the game device 110 b which player b operates is a peer - to - peer network connection , mobile ad - hoc network connection , wireless ad - hoc network connection , bluetooth , short range wireless connection , or the like , to either connect the game devices 110 a , 110 b directly or via the network 100 . in yet another embodiment , the game devices 110 a , 110 b and the game server 120 shown in fig1 utilize distributed processing to perform a method embodying aspects of the present invention . the network 100 shown in fig1 , in an exemplary embodiment , is a public communication network that connects and enables data transfer between the game devices 110 a , 110 b and the game server 120 . the present invention also contemplates the use of comparable network architectures . comparable network architectures include the public switched telephone network ( pstn ), a public packet - switched network carrying data and voice packets , a wireless network , and a private network . a wireless network includes a cellular network ( e . g ., a time division multiple access ( tdma ) or code division multiple access ( cdma ) network ), a satellite network , and a wireless local area network ( lan ) ( e . g ., a wireless fidelity ( wi - fi ) network ). a private network includes a lan , a personal area network ( pan ) such as a bluetooth network , a wireless lan , a virtual private network ( vpn ), an intranet , or an extranet . an intranet is a private communication network that provides an organization such as a corporation , with a secure means for trusted members of the organization to access the resources on the organization &# 39 ; s network . in contrast , an extranet is a private communication network that provides an organization , such as a corporation , with a secure means for the organization to authorize non - members of the organization to access certain resources on the organization &# 39 ; s network . the system also contemplates network architectures and protocols such as ethernet , token ring , systems network architecture , internet protocol , transmission control protocol , user datagram protocol , asynchronous transfer mode , and proprietary network protocols comparable to the internet protocol . fig2 is a block diagram that illustrates , in detail , an exemplary embodiment of the hardware components shown in fig1 . in particular , fig2 illustrates the hardware and software components that comprise the game device 110 a which player a operates and the game device 110 b which player b operates . as shown in fig2 , the game device 110 a can comprise a general - purpose computer , such as a mobile telephone , handheld game console , mobile computer , desktop computer , or the like . a bus 200 is a communication medium that connects a central processor unit ( cpu ) 205 , data storage device 210 ( such as a disk drive , or flash memory ), input device 215 ( such as a keyboard , keypad , or touchscreen ), output device 220 ( such as a monitor , or graphic display ), network adapter 225 , and memory 230 . in one embodiment , the network adapter 225 also connects to the network 100 and is the mechanism that facilitates the passage of network traffic between the game device 110 a and the network 100 . in another embodiment , the network adapter 225 also connects to another game device 110 b and is the mechanism that facilitates the passage of network traffic between the game device 110 a and the other game device 110 b . the cpu 205 performs the disclosed methods by executing the sequences of operational instructions that comprise each computer program resident in , or operative on , the memory 230 . the reader should understand that the memory 230 may include operating system , administrative , and database programs that support the programs disclosed in this application . in one embodiment , the configuration of the memory 230 of the game device 110 a includes a game program 232 , player identifier 234 , owned content media items 236 , shared content media items 238 , and browser program 240 . the game program 232 performs the method of the present invention . in one embodiment , the player identifier 234 is stored in a file referred to as a cookie . the game server 120 may assign and send the player identifier 234 to the game device 110 a once when the game device 110 a first communicates with the game server 120 . from then on , the game device 110 a includes the player identifier 234 with all messages sent to the game server 120 so the game server 120 can identify the source of the message . in another embodiment , the player identifier 234 is installed on the game device 110 a by the manufacturer . the owned content media items 236 and shared content media items 238 include trading cards , character roles , or the like . in one embodiment , the owned content media items 236 store the content media that player a either purchases from the game server 120 or obtains in a trade with the game server 120 or another player , and the shared content media items 238 store the content media that that game device 110 a receives from another game device during a game synchronization process . since player a is the owner of the owned content media items 236 , player a has full access rights to use the owned content media items 236 , including viewing , playing , manipulating , trading , and deleting the owned content media items 236 either before , during , or after a game . since player a is not the owner of the shared content media items 238 , player a has limited access rights to the shared content media items 238 . the limited access rights include no viewing or manipulation without the consent of the owner or the game device operated by the owner of the shared content media items 238 , and deleting only when there is no connection to the owner &# 39 ; s game device . in addition , a connection needs to exist between the game device 110 a that stores the shared content media items 238 and the game device operated by the owner of the shared content media items 238 to enable viewing or manipulation . however , for faster game setup and reduced data exchange , the shared content media items 238 would typically remain on the game device 110 a even after the session / connection has been broken . the player identifier of the owner of the shared content media items 238 is stored with the shared content media items 238 , and the level of access would depend on connection to the game device operated by the owner of the shared content media items 238 . for example , player a may be able to look at the number of cards stored in the shared content media items 238 , but cannot view individual items until establishment of a connection and game session . in another embodiment , the owned content media items 236 and the shared content media item 238 are stored together and each item is associated with an identifier , such as the player identifier 234 , to identify the owner of the item , and determine the rights that player a has to use the item . the browser program 240 displays web pages on the output device 220 . these computer programs store intermediate results in the memory 230 , or data storage device 210 . in another embodiment , the memory 230 may swap these programs , or portions thereof , in and out of the memory 230 as needed , and thus may include fewer than all of these programs at any one time . the game device 110 b , shown in fig2 , is also a general - purpose computer , such as a mobile telephone , handheld game console , mobile computer , desktop computer , or the like . a bus 250 is a communication medium that connects a central processor unit ( cpu ) 255 , data storage device 260 ( such as a disk drive , or flash memory ), input device 265 ( such as a keyboard , keypad , or touchscreen ), output device 270 ( such as a monitor , or graphic display ), network adapter 275 , and memory 280 . in one embodiment , the network adapter 275 also connects to the network 100 and is the mechanism that facilitates the passage of network traffic between the game device 110 b and the network 100 . in another embodiment , the network adapter 275 also connects to another game device 110 a and is the mechanism that facilitates the passage of network traffic between the game device 110 b and the other game device 110 a . the cpu 255 performs the disclosed methods by executing the sequences of operational instructions that comprise each computer program resident in , or operative on , the memory 280 . the reader should understand that the memory 280 may include operating system , administrative , and database programs that support the programs disclosed in this application . in one embodiment , the configuration of the memory 280 of the game device 110 b includes a game program 282 , player identifier 284 , owned content media items 286 , shared content media items 288 , and browser program 290 . the game program 282 performs the method of the present invention . in one embodiment , the player identifier 284 is stored in a file referred to as a cookie . the game server 120 may assign and send the player identifier 284 to the game device 110 b once when the game device 110 b first communicates with the game server 120 . from then on , the game device 110 b includes the player identifier 284 with all messages sent to the game server 120 so the game server 120 can identify the source of the message . in another embodiment , the player identifier 284 is installed on the game device 110 b by the manufacturer . the owned content media items 286 and shared content media items 288 include trading cards , character roles , or the like . in one embodiment , the owned content media items 286 store the content media that player b either purchases from the game server 120 or obtains in a trade with the game server 120 or another player , and the shared content media items 288 store the content media that that game device 110 b receives from another game device during a game synchronization process . since player b is the owner of the owned content media items 286 , player b has full access rights to use the owned content media items 286 , including viewing , playing , manipulating , trading , and deleting the owned content media items 286 either before , during , or after a game . since player b is not the owner of the shared content media items 288 , player b has limited access rights to the shared content media items 288 . the limited access rights include no viewing or manipulation without the consent of the owner or the game device operated by the owner of the shared content media items 288 , and deleting only when there is no connection to the owner &# 39 ; s game device . in addition , a connection needs to exist between the game device 110 b that stores the shared content media items 288 and the game device operated by the owner of the shared content media items 288 to enable viewing or manipulation . however , for faster game setup and reduced data exchange , the shared content media items 288 would typically remain on the game device 110 b even after the session / connection has been broken . the player identifier of the owner of the shared content media items 288 is stored with the shared content media items 288 , and the level of access would depend on connection to the game device operated by the owner of the shared content media items 288 . for example , player b may be able to look at the number of cards stored in the shared content media items 288 , but cannot view individual items until establishment of a connection and game session . in another embodiment , the owned content media items 286 and the shared content media item 288 are stored together and each item is associated with an identifier , such as the player identifier 284 , to identify the owner of the item , and determine the rights that player b has to use the item . the browser program 290 displays web pages on the output device 270 . these computer programs store intermediate results in the memory 280 , or data storage device 260 . in another embodiment , the memory 280 may swap these programs , or portions thereof , in and out of the memory 280 as needed , and thus may include fewer than all of these programs at any one time . fig3 is a block diagram that illustrates , in detail , an exemplary embodiment of the hardware components shown in fig1 . in particular , fig3 illustrates , in detail , the hardware and software components that comprise the game server 120 . as shown in fig3 , the game server 120 is a general - purpose computer that provides server functionality including file services , web page services , and the like . a bus 300 is a communication medium that connects a central processor unit ( cpu ) 305 , data storage device 310 ( such as a disk drive , or flash memory ), network adapter 315 , database 320 , and memory 330 . the network adapter 315 also connects to the network 100 and is the mechanism that facilitates the passage of network traffic between the game server 120 and the network 100 . the database 320 is a collection of data organized in such a way that a database management system can quickly store , modify , and extract the data from the database 320 . in one embodiment , the collection of data for the database 320 includes a player table 322 , and a content media table 324 . the player table 322 stores data related to each player registered with the game server 120 and operating the game devices 110 a , 110 b . the content media table 324 stores the content media that each registered player owns , and a status of the content media , including whether the registered player wants to trade or sell the content media . the database management system may employ a relational , flat , hierarchical , object - oriented architecture , or the like . the cpu 305 performs the disclosed methods by executing the sequences of operational instructions that comprise each computer program resident in , or operative on , the memory 330 . the reader should understand that the memory 330 may include operating system , administrative , and database programs that support the programs disclosed in this application . in one embodiment , the configuration of the memory 330 of the server computer 120 includes a game program 335 , and web server program 340 . the game program 335 performs a method embodying aspects of the present invention . the web server program 340 includes an engine 342 , and web pages 344 . these computer programs store intermediate results in the memory 330 , database 320 , or data storage device 310 . these programs also receive input from the players operating the game devices 110 a , 110 b , access the database 320 , and display the results to the players operating the game devices 110 a , 110 b . in another embodiment , the memory 330 may swap these programs , or portions thereof , in and out of the memory 330 as needed , and thus may include fewer than all of these programs at any one time . the engine 342 of the web server program 340 receives requests such as hypertext transfer protocol ( http ) requests from the game devices 110 a , 110 b to access the web pages 344 identified by uniform resource locator ( url ) addresses and provides the web pages 344 in response . the requests include a registration request , purchase request , trade request , and game initiation request . the engine 342 receives the registration request from the game device 110 a which player a operates to add player a as a registered player of a game . the engine 342 receives the purchase request from the game device 110 a which player a operates to purchase content media for player a . the engine 342 receives the trade request from the game device 110 a which player a operates to trade or sell a content media item that player a owns . the engine 342 receives the game initiation request from the game device 110 a to begin a game with another registered player . fig4 is a message flow diagram that illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a method embodying aspects of the present invention . in particular , fig4 illustrates the communication between a game device 110 a which player a operates , and a game device 110 b which player b operates . the method shown in fig4 begins with the game device 110 a which player a operates sending a request to the game device 110 b which player b operates to establish a peer - to - peer connection ( step 405 ). the game device 110 b which player b operates receives the request ( step 410 ). if the game device 110 b which player b operates is accepting connections , it sends an acknowledgement to the game device 110 a which player a ( step 415 ). the establishment of the peer - to - peer connection is complete when the game device 110 a which player a operates receives the acknowledgement ( step 420 ). the method shown in fig4 continues when player a operates a user interface on the game device 110 a to initiate a game with player b . the user interface sends a request to the game device 110 b which player b operates to initiate a game with player b ( step 425 ). the game device 110 b which player b operates receives the request ( step 430 ). if player b consents to initiate a game with player a , player b operates a user interface on the game device 110 b to accept the game initiation request . the user interface sends an acknowledgement to the game device 110 a which player a operates ( step 435 ). the game initiation is complete when the game device 110 a which player a operates receives the acknowledgement ( step 440 ). the method shown in fig4 continues when the game device 110 a which player a operates and the game device 110 b which player b operates begin a synchronization process . the game device 110 a which player a operates begins the synchronization process by sending the content media owned by player a ( step 445 ), such as the owned content media items 236 shown in fig2 . the game device 110 b which player b operates receives the content media owned by player a ( step 450 ) and stores it , such as in the shared content media items 288 shown in fig2 . in response , the game device 110 b which player b operates sends the content media owned by player b ( step 455 ), such as the owned content media items 286 shown in fig2 . the game device 110 a which player a operates receives the content media owned by player b ( step 460 ) and stores it , such as in the shared content media items 238 shown in fig2 . when the synchronization process is complete , the game device 110 a which player a operates and the game device 110 b which player b operates each store the content media items owned by the other game device as shared content media items . since the player is not the owner of the shared content media items , the player has limited access rights to the shared content media items . the shared content media items are initially hidden from the player , the player may only view the shared content media when the owner of the shared content media consents to the viewing , such as when the owner elects to play the one of the shared content media items during a move in the game , and the player may only delete the shared content media when the owner of the shared content media items is not connected to the game device that the player is operating . the method shown in fig4 continues with the iterative play cycles of the game , such as alternating moves between each player in the game . player a operates a user interface on the game device 110 a to select one of the content media items owned by player a 236 to play during a move in the game ( step 265 ). the user interface displays the selected content media item on the game device 110 a which player a operates ( step 270 ) and sends a request to the game device 110 b which player b operates to reveal the selected content media item ( step 475 ). the game device 110 b which player b operates receives the request ( step 480 ) and reveals the selected content media item stored in the shared content media , such as in the shared content media items 238 shown in fig2 ( step 485 ). aspects of the present invention also provide support for multi - user ownership of content media items . in an illustrative example in accordance with an embodiment , player a does not own content media item x , but fellow gamers player b , player c , and player d own content media item x . the game device that player a operates will store a limited use copy of content media item x and a list of associated owners ( i . e ., player b , player c , and player d ). only when the game device that player a operates is in communication / gaming with a game device operated by player b , player c , or player d will access to the content media item x image and associated game modification rules occur . in this example , player b may sell or trade the ownership right to content media item x to another player . when player a connects to the online game server , the ownership rights stored in his device for content media item x is updated to reflect that player b no longer has ownership right to content media item x . if all of the owners of content media item x ( i . e ., player b , player c , and player d ) sell or trade their ownership right to content media item x , the online game server directs the game device that player a operates to delete the content media item x . in another exemplary embodiment , the shared content media items disclosed in the present invention include photographs , music , and the like . in this embodiment , the level of access to the shared content media items stored on the user device depends on the level of connectivity with the device of the owner of the shared content media items . although the disclosed exemplary embodiments describe a fully functioning system and method for limiting access to shared content media items in a game between a first player operating a first game device that includes first content media items , and a second player operating a second game device that includes second content media items , the reader should understand that other equivalent exemplary embodiments exist . since numerous modifications and variations will occur to those reviewing this disclosure , the system and method for limiting access to shared content media items in a game between a first player operating a first game device that includes first content media items , and a second player operating a second game device that includes second content media items is not limited to the exact construction and operation illustrated and disclosed . accordingly , this disclosure intends all suitable modifications and equivalents to fall within the scope of the claims . | 0 |
it has now been found , surprisingly , that this compound may also be used to promote restoration following radiation . restoration following radiation is useful in x - ray therapy , in particular in the treatment of cancers , and against other sources of harmful radiation such as those encountered by persons in areas in the vicinity of nuclear explosions . the activity of the product has been demonstrated on the rhinencephalon of young rats subjected to an overall gamma irradiation . irradiation is performed by means of a gamma ray source , cobalt - 60 . the animals used are 15 - day - old male sprague - dawley strain rats weighing 28 to 33 g , which are placed in an aerated plexiglass restraining box undergoing a rotation of 180 ° in order to carry out homogeneous overall irradiations in a single dose of 1 . 5 and 2 . 5 gy , the dose rate of which is 0 . 2 gy per minute . the survival time between irradiation and sacrifice is 6 hours . all the animals are fixed by intra - aortic perfusion of a fixative fluid composed of 1 % of paraformaldehyde , 1 % of glutaraldehyde and 0 . 05 % of calcium chloride in 0 . 4m phosphate buffer , ph 7 . 3 . to prevent coagulation , 0 . 04 ml of heparin is injected into the ventricle , and 0 . 3 ml of 1 % sodium nitrite to clear the vessels of red cells . the animals are anaesthetized by intraperitoneal injection of 3 % pentobarbitone sodium . the animals are then laid on their back and fixed to the operating table . the thoracic cage is opened and held open by means of 2 clamps . the heart is thus exposed , the tip of the left ventricle is incised and the perfusion cannula is introduced up to the beginning of the arch of the aorta and clamped . the right atrium is incised and perfusion is performed . inflow of the perfusion fluid is effected under gravity . after perfusion , the animal &# 39 ; s head is cut off and the brain is removed , immersed in fixative fluid and stored overnight at 4 ° c . on the day following perfusion , frontal sections of the gyrus dentatus are cut under a binocular magnifier . the fragments collected are immersed in the washing fluid for 5 minutes . they are then dehydrated in alcohol baths of increasing concentration and thereafter included in araldite . 1 - micrometer semi - thin sections are prepared using a reichert ultramicrotome with glass knives . they are stained in the heated state with a filtered 1 % solution of toluidine blue prepared in 1 % borate buffer , and then observed using an orthoplan microscope . the comparative study consists in counting on 3 non - serial sections ( separated by 10 micrometers each ) for each rat and on an aggregate of 1000 cells ( granular and subgranular ) in total . the number of pyknotic cells is counted , and then the number of surviving cells observed in this area . this enables the percentage of surviving cells relative to the number of cells in the area to be calculated ( percentage survival = 100 × living cells / living cells + pyknotic cells ). the product under study is administered intraperitoneally at doses of 1 , 2 , 4 and 8 mg / kg , 20 minutes after irradiation ( at the beginning of pyknosis ). the results obtained are recorded in the following tables , and show that , after treatment with the test product , neuronal degeneration is less than in irradiated controls not receiving a product . test 1______________________________________ir - controls riluzole ( 2 mg / kg ) radiation cellular survival cellular survival______________________________________1 . 5 gy 88 . 8 % 91 . 2 % 2 . 5 gy 87 . 1 % 92 . 2 % ______________________________________ test 2__________________________________________________________________________ riluzole riluzole riluzole riluzole controls 1 mg / kg 2 mg / kg 4 mg / kg 8 mg / kg cellular cellular cellular cellular cellularirradiation survival survival survival survival survival__________________________________________________________________________2 . 5 gy 75 . 35 ± 2 . 4 % 81 . 99 ± 2 . 32 % 83 . 54 ± 1 . 96 % 86 . 07 ± 2 . 78 85 . 41 ± 2 . 14 % __________________________________________________________________________ as pharmaceutically acceptable salts , the addition salts with inorganic acids , such as hydrochloride , sulphate , nitrate or phosphate , or organic acids , such as acetate , propionate , succinate , oxalate , benzoate , fumarate , maleate , methanesulphonate , isethionate , theophyllineacetate , salicylate , phenolphthalinate or methylenebis ( β - hydroxynaphthoate ), or substitution derivatives of these derivatives , may be mentioned in particular . the medicinal products consist at least of riluzole , in free form or in the form of an addition salt with a pharmaceutically acceptable acid , in the pure state or in the form of a composition in which it is combined with any other pharmaceutically compatible product , which may be inert or physiologically active . the medicinal products according to the invention may be employed orally or parenterally . as solid compositions for oral administration , tablets , pills , powders ( gelatin capsules , wafer capsules ) or granules may be used . in these compositions , the active principle according to the invention is mixed with one or more inert diluents such as starch , cellulose , sucrose , lactose or silica , under a stream of argon . these compositions can also comprise substances other than diluents , for example one or more lubricants such as magnesium stearate or talc , a colouring , a coating ( dragees ) or a varnish . as liquid compositions for oral administration , pharmaceutically acceptable solutions , suspensions , emulsions , syrups and elixirs may be used , containing inert diluents such as water , ethanol , glycerol , vegetable oils or liquid paraffin . these compositions can comprise substances other than diluents , for example wetting , sweetening , thickening , flavouring or stabilizing products . the sterile compositions for parenteral administration can preferably be solutions , aqueous or non - aqueous , suspensions or emulsions . as a solvent or vehicle , water , propylene glycol , a polyethylene glycol , vegetable oils , especially olive oil , injectable organic esters , for example ethyl oleate , or other suitable organic solvents may be employed . these compositions can also contain adjuvants , especially wetting , tonicity , emulsifying , dispersing and stabilizing agents . the sterilization may be carried out in several ways , for example by aseptic filtration , by incorporation of sterilizing agents in the composition , by irradiation or by heating . they may also be prepared in the form of sterile solid compositions which can be dissolved at the time of use in sterile water or any other sterile injectable medium . the doses depend on the effect sought , the treatment period and the administration route used ; they are generally between 50 and 800 mg per day via the oral route for an adult , with single doses ranging from 25 to 200 mg of active substance , and between 25 and 600 mg per day via the intravenous route for an adult , with single doses ranging from 12 . 5 to 200 mg of active substance . generally speaking , the doctor will determine the appropriate dosage in accordance with the age , the weight and all other factors specific to the subject to be treated . the examples which follow illustrate medicinal products according to the invention : tablets containing a 50 mg dose of active product and having the following composition are prepared according to the usual technique : ______________________________________riluzole 50 mgmannitol 64 mgmicrocrystalline cellulose 50 mgpovidone excipient 12 mgsodium carboxymethylstarch 16 mgtalc 4 mgmagnesium stearate 2 mgcolloidal silica , anhydrous 2 mgmixture of methylhydroxypropyl - cellulose , polyethylene glycol6000 and titanium dioxide ( 72 : 3 . 5 : 24 . 5 ) q . s . 1 finished film - coated tabletweighing 245 mg______________________________________ hard gelatin capsules containing a 50 mg dose of active product and having the following composition are prepared according to the usual technique : ______________________________________riluzole 50 mgcellulose 18 mglactose 55 mgcolloidal silica 1 mgsodium carboxymethylstarch 10 mgtalc 10 mgmagnesium stearate 1 mg______________________________________ an injection containing 10 mg of active product and having the following composition is prepared : ______________________________________riluzole 10 mgbenzoic acid 80 mgbenzyl alcohol 0 . 06 cm . sup . 3sodium benzoate 80 mgethanol , 95 % 0 . 4 cm . sup . 3sodium hydroxide 24 mgpropylene glycol 1 . 6 cm . sup . 3water q . s . 4 cm . sup . 3______________________________________ the invention also relates to the process for preparing medicinal products which can be used to promote restoration following radiation , consisting in mixing riluzole or the pharmaceutically acceptable salts of this compound with one or more compatible and pharmaceutically acceptable diluents and / or adjuvants . the invention also relates to a method for treating a mammal , and in particular man , requiring restoration following radiation , comprising the administration of an effective amount of riluzole or the pharmaceutically acceptable salts of this compound . although the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments , it is evident that many alternatives and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description . accordingly , the invention is intended to embrace all of the alternatives and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . the above references are hereby incorporated by reference . | 8 |
in the following detailed description of the invention of exemplary embodiments of the invention , reference is made to the accompanying drawings ( where like numbers represent like elements ), which 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 , but other embodiments may be utilized and logical , mechanical , electrical , and other changes may be made without departing from the 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 . in the following description , numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the invention . however , it is understood that the invention may be practiced without these specific details . in other instances , well - known structures and techniques known to one of ordinary skill in the art have not been shown in detail in order not to obscure the invention . referring to the figures , it is possible to see the various major elements constituting the present invention . now referring to fig1 , the basic conceptualization of the issue is illustrated . the concept outlines that there are basically three incarnations of the email permissions 102 for controlling email content transmission 101 : supplied 103 — where specific permissions are supplied and are very precise in what actions are to be taken ; seek 104 — in this case the email has a built in requirement to go out and seek permissions that may be held on a server somewhere and may in the meantime have changed a number of times — very much dependant on the whims of the sender ; and clarify 105 — in this case email permissions 102 need clarification according to certain events that may or may not apply and therefore may seek supplied permissions 103 or seek permissions 104 . fig2 . specifies more clearly what conditions may be set . this , for the purposes of brevity , is a subset of what will be available . upon the receipt of email 109 , either no permissions are set 110 , permissions are provided 111 , or permissions are actively sought 112 . when no permissions are set 110 , email is available in all instances an control is as per normal operation known in the prior art . when permissions are provided 111 , whether positive or negative permissions are defined and arrive with the email . this may include conditions unless a certain event occurs . finally , if permissions are actively sought 112 , email is not to respond until permissions have been downloaded . this may include conditions unless a certain event occurs as well . permissions , limitations , and conditional events include , but are not limited to time 113 , printability 114 , basic permission to read 115 , attachment control 116 , number of views 117 , and forward / copy functions 118 . the permissions , limitations , and conditional events are set to a lifecycle setting 119 that allows auto deletion after a certain time period whether the email has been read or not read . in another embodiment , the permissions , limitations , and conditional events require an activity 120 or other conditional event to occur after the email has been read . now referring to fig3 . the email processor 122 specifies the acknowledgement that there are a number differing systems and sub systems that are used to handle email . these email handlings systems include web based systems 123 , standard servers 124 , and desktop systems 125 . the system of the present invention will exist and be utilized in many varying forms such as software patches 126 , new clients 127 , html / xml to plug in 128 , embedded 129 , virus protection 130 , and server compliance 131 to actual email clients that may include a subset of the code or may be completely rewritten in order to incorporate these systems . fig4 illustrates the event structure that the sender can define permissions 133 for in the present invention . to alleviate the need for a lengthy process for each email constructed 132 , default permission levels will be provided and / or can be defined by the user . specific high priority permissions can be defined on a per email basis 134 . separate permission sets can be defined for content and for inclusions . specific event selection by recipients 134 includes the ability to read , respond , forward , copy , save , execute , synch , move , view header information , modify status , permission manipulation , print , transfer , and specify file types . the single most important of these is the permission sets that define viewing of the email . the importance of this permission definition is that the email must be viewed while online and the permission is an actively sought permission . an example of this is in the event that an email is sent and then the sender changes his mind and wants to in effect pull the email back from the recipient . this permission set will be polled by the recipient before the email is even displayed in the received emails list . if permission has been retracted then the email will simply not appear so that there is no trace of the email or contents as well as who sent it and when . now referring to fig5 the events and the permission sets that will be available for definition are illustrated . permissions can be defined in four areas of activity : active , polled , user specific , and default . active permissions set by the sender before the email has been sent . these can include permissions that are part of item 3 . permissions in this category are projected along with the email when it is sent . polled permissions are permissions that are not included with the email and are stored in a location external to the email , email recipient and email servers . the email polls for these permissions as required . these permissions give the sender the opportunity to modify permissions after sending and up to the point when the email is accessed . this would include when the email is pulled from the email server to an http interface or to a client . user specific permissions are essential and can partly utilize the built in permissions engines in most of the server and desktop os applications available today . default permissions are set by the sender and do not have to be actively included in each email . these permissions are included automatically unless overridden by any of the other types of activity . each of these four areas of activity , active , polled , user specific , and default , can define permissions for five areas of definition , access , manipulation , storage , synch , and action reversal . time : this is access that is time sensitive . if the email has not been accessed within a certain time then it becomes inaccessible or polls for modification in content and inclusions . this can also include time rendering for content and inclusions in a manner that expires the content even after it has been read but has in stored in any mailbox . thus you can prevent anyone opening an email after for example 10 days and / or you could say that 24 hours after the email has been read the content and / or the inclusions will no longer be accessible . this has the potential for project info sharing type applications where an update has been sent on a project but every 24 hours it polls for the latest update . content : specific content included in an email whether it is actual content or inclusions can have specific permissions associated with it . inclusions in an email sent to a number of people that will only be available to some or will only become available if permissions dictate that group approval is required . an example may be accounting information sent to the board and department heads where board review and active approval is required before all departments are able to view the information . this also allows control of access by password protection and access level definition and control . domain : servers often define the domain that users on particular networks and sub networks are a part of . within and organization a person &# 39 ; s system may be part of a workgroup and / or a domain ( as defined by the network and differing from our definition of a domain ). that restricts the ability of anyone from allowing an email to be accessed outside of tightly defined set of systems within a network and therefore filtering out the content to external systems . our definition of a domain includes micro domains as defined by a mac addr ( being one machine ). execute : execution of certain processes that may be included in an email as executable inclusions can be defined by the permissions allocated to them . again execution with a domain or by time or even by password protection and other defined and yet undefined security devices , methodologies and systems . execution of certain inclusions may also be used to pre - empt and even define the access allowed to other recipient and or the recipient who executes the inclusion . this would also interface with the se polling system to gather information about activity limited to the sent email and it &# 39 ; s inclusions . read : if a particularly sensitive email is sent with content that would be damaging should it be left displayed on the screen , then this can of course be wrapped in an inclusion with read once and destroy permissions or could be allowed certain read permissions that make the content unavailable even to the display device after a certain length of time or once focus moves from the application or when a confirmation of read has been actively processed by the recipient . forward : permissions control of the ability of the recipient to forward email content and inclusions . synch : synchronization control allowing sender to very closely determine what happens to content and inclusions once viewed by recipient . reply : permissions on replies that will include those below and inclusive of time limitations also . copy : when sending replies to emails received with permissions setting the recipient must abide by the rules set out by the sender as to who can be included to receive the reply or who can be included in the forward . save : in an effort to control where sensitive information resides controls for saving inclusions and email content can be included in the permissions structure specified . remove / move : removal or movement of the email content to different folders is also set by permissions . review header : the sender can limit to disallow viewing of header information to protect against information about the senders identity and / or software / hardware being viewed by recipient or others . change status : changing the status of an email can affect the permissions that have been set by the sender so this will not only be controlled by dependencies but also specifically by the sender . store : storage of email data whether a copy is left on the server or whether software is used to produce backup copies of emails can be controlled by the sender . disk copy : permissions allowing or disallowing copy of content or inclusions to disk for storage . separate : permissions determining whether content and inclusions can be separated for storage . type : determining by permissions the type of synching allowed for the content or inclusions either separately or together . content inclusion : whether synching is allowed for time sensitive content inclusion i . e . content set to expire in a set amount of time . checks : this exists in the arena of polled permissions . active polling of the permissions attributed to the content or inclusions can be polled before display or opening to confirm that permissions are still valid . time : time related permissions may change or may be requested for update should time have passed . permissions : all permissions can be requested for review by the recipient apart from viewing related permissions that may reverse the send of the email . in those cases the email will not be seen as being present . in it &# 39 ; s simplest forms the se structure can either approve or disapprove certain email action whereby in it &# 39 ; s more complex forms certain macros and a rules based engine is available to “ program ”. multiple outboxes will be made available which the user can then define multiple sets of default permissions for . the sender then can select from the outboxes so that the default permissions of that outbox are automatically included . the recipient of emails will also require certain powers in this scenario . for example if the review of the header information is denied then the situation is ideal for reducing the ability to track the source of emails . the recipient can refuse to accept all emails that have restrictions on header information . in this way spam sources may remove permissions to view header information but recipients who disallow emails with that restriction will refuse that email . while the invention has been described in terms of several embodiments and illustrative figures , those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited to the embodiments or figures described . in particular , the invention can be practiced in several alternative embodiments that provides a machine and / or process for generating music , given a set of simple user - specified criteria . therefore , it should be understood that the method and apparatus of the invention can be practiced with modification and alteration within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . the description is thus to be regarded as illustrative instead of limiting on the invention . | 6 |
the invention consists of the production of products derived from milk proteins containing bioactive peptides having antimicrobial and / or in vitro ace - inhibitory activity and / or antihypertensive activity and / or antioxidant activity by means of enzymatic hydrolysis of the casein fraction . the bioactive peptides are produced by means of the hydrolysis of one or more proteins , peptides or fragments of the same which contain the sequence of amino acids of said bioactive peptides by employing proteolytic enzymes ( preferably pepsin and , wherever applicable , also corolase pp ®) and hydrolysis conditions allowing the rupture of the protein chain in the appropriate places for the release thereof . in the case of using both enzymes to simulate gastrointestinal digestion , the minimal functional peptide units which would be in condition to be gastrointestinally assimilable and to pass into the bloodstream would be obtained . this property opens up the application of these peptides to other forms of administration than oral administration or increases their absorption rate . they may also be produced by means of chemical synthesis or by means of recombinant methods , etc . these peptides may be ingested as such or from raw hydrolyzates , from low molecular weight concentrates , or from other active subfractions obtained by means of size - based separation methods or chromatographic methods . these hydrolyzates , their fractions or the peptides could form part of food products , serving as food preservatives and , upon being taken , bolstering the body &# 39 ; s natural defenses , in addition to their also being used in the preparation of pharmaceutical products for treating disease , being particularly capable of facilitating the control of blood pressure and / or bacterial infections . the invention broadens the applications of milk proteins by contributing to making the best use of all they have to offer and to their being more highly valued . the invention provides a method for producing bioactive peptides from milk caseins . these bioactive peptides are those identified with the amino acid sequences shown in seq . id no . 1 , seq . id no . 2 , seq . id no . 3 , seq . id no . 4 , seq . id no . 5 , seq . id no . 6 , seq . id no . 7 , seq . id no . 8 , seq . id no . 9 , seq . id no . 10 , seq . id no . 12 , seq . id no . 13 , seq . id no . 14 , seq . id no . 15 , seq . id no . 16 , seq . id no . 17 , ( table 1 ), some of which exert antimicrobial and / or in vitro ace - inhibitory activity and / or antihypertensive and / or antioxidant activity . the starting material of this invention would be any appropriate substrate which were to be comprised of one or more proteins or peptides of animal or plant origins , or which come from microorganisms , which contain the amino acid sequence of the bioactive peptides of interest . those which pertain to the α s2 - casein sequence , ( seq . id no . 1 , seq . id no . 2 , seq . id no . 3 , seq . id no . 4 , seq . id no . 5 , seq . id no . 6 , seq . id no . 7 , seq . id no . 8 , seq . id no . 9 , seq . id no . 10 , table 1 ), any preparation containing α s2 - casein of different types , fractions thereof or peptides or fragments thereof of any size could obviously be used , either alone or in combination with other proteins . those pertaining to α s1 - casein ( seq . id no . 12 , seq . id no . 13 ), any preparation containing α s1 - casein of different types , fractions thereof or peptides or fragments thereof of the required size could also obviously be used , either alone or in combination with other proteins , those pertaining to β - casein (( seq . id no . 14 , seq . id no . 16 and seq id no . 17 ), any preparation which contains β - casein of different types , fractions thereof , or peptides or fragments thereof of the required size could also obviously be used , either alone or in combination with other proteins . thus , depending upon the peptide or the peptides pursued , it would be possible to use pure α s1 - casein , pure α s2 - casein , pure β - casein , whole casein , caseinates and milk in its different forms of presentation , fermented milk products , milk protein hydrolyzates , milk subproducts , milk derivatives for animal feed , etc . said starting material is dissolved or dispersed , at an appropriate concentration , in water or in a buffer solution , at a ph appropriate for the action of the proteolytic enzyme . any proteolytic enzyme capable of breaking up the protein present in the starting material and providing the peptides of interest may be employed , but preferably pepsin at ph 2 . 0 - 3 . 0 . proteolytic microorganisms capable of carrying out a fermentation of the substrate and the hydrolysis of the protein could also be used . the hydrolysis conditions : ph , temperature , enzyme - substrate ratio , interruption of the reaction , etc . are optimized for the purpose of selecting the most active hydrolyzates . in one particular embodiment , the bioactive peptides are produced by employing pepsin at ph 3 . 0 in an enzyme - substrate ratio of 3 . 7 / 100 ( p / p ) and performing the hydrolysis at 37 ° c . over a time period ranging from 10 minutes to 24 hours , but preferably for less than a 30 - minute period . the bioactive peptides identified as seq . id no . 15 , seq . id . no . 17 , ( table 1 ) which have in vitro ace - inhibitory activity and / or antihypertensive activity , due to their structure and resistance to the gastrointestinal enzymes , would be the minimal functional peptide units which , following gastrointestinal digestion , would be in condition to be gastrointestinally assimilable and pass into the bloodstream . the starting material would be any appropriate substrate which were to be comprised of one or more proteins or peptides of animal or plant origins or which come from microorganisms which contain the sequence of amino acids of the bioactive peptides of interest ( seq . id no . 15 , seq . id . no . 17 , ( table 1 ), preferably α s2 - casein and β - casein . any preparation containing α s2 - casein or β - casein of different types , or peptides or fragments thereof of any size could obviously be used , either alone or in combination with other proteins . for example : pure α s2 - casein , pure β - casein , whole casein , caseinates and milk in its different forms of presentation , fermented milk products , milk protein hydrolyzates , milk subproducts , milk derivatives for animal feed , etc . the hydrolysis conditions : ph , temperature , enzyme - substrate ratio , interruption of the reaction , etc . are optimized for the purpose of selecting the most active hydrolyzates . in one particular embodiment , this is achieved by means of hydrolysis of the pepsin - hydrolyzed casein or of the fraction thereof of less than 3000 da , or of the synthetic peptides which contain ( pvyryl seq . id no . 7 , hlplpll seq . id . no . 14 ), with corolase pp ®, at ph 7 - 8 , in an enzyme - substrate ratio 1 : 25 p / p at 37 ° c . for approximately 2 . 5 hours . the reaction is interrupted by heating at 95 ° c . for 10 minutes in a water bath . corolase pp ® is a preparation of proteolytic swine pancreas enzymes which contains amino and carboxypeptidase &# 39 ; s in addition to trypsin and chemotrypsin . in following , if it is desired to concentrate the bioactive peptides , and given that the peptides with antimicrobial activity are cationic in nature , the separation of the fractions containing the bioactive peptides can be performed by means of cation exchange chromatography ( fplc ). from the more highly cationic fractions , active subfractions can be isolated by means of a further scan using cation exchange chromatography , hydrophobic chromatography , etc ., or preferably reversed - phase high - performance liquid chromatography ( rp - hplc ). alternatively , the bioactive peptides can be concentrated from the hydrolyzate by means of methods such as ultrafiltering , dialysis , electrodialysis with the appropriate membrane pore , gel - filter chromatography , etc . in addition to the complete hydrolyzates and the fractions thereof , the peptides shown in table 1 marked as seq . id no . 1 , seq . id no . 2 , seq . id no . 3 , seq . id no . 4 , seq . id no . 5 , seq . id no . 6 , seq . id no . 7 , seq . id no . 8 , seq . id no . 9 , seq . id no . 10 , seq . id no . 12 , seq . id no . 13 , seq . id no . 14 display bioactive properties , mainly antimicrobial activity and / or ace - inhibitory activity and / or antihypertensive activity and / or antioxidant activity and are also an object of this invention . specifically , the peptides identified with the sequences seq . id no . 1 , seq . id no . 2 , seq . id no . 3 , seq . id no . 4 , seq . id no . 5 , seq . id no . 6 , seq . id no . 7 , seq . id no . 8 , seq . id no . 9 , seq . id no . 10 display antimicrobial activity gram - positive bacteria , and at least sequence seq . id . no . 3 additionally exerts a potent antimicrobial effect against escherichia coli . in addition thereto , the peptides identified with sequences seq . id . no . 1 and seq . id . no . 7 display a potent in vitro ace - inhibitory activity , and sequence seq . id . no . 7 displays antihypertensive activity in spontaneously hypertensive rats ( shr ) when administered orally to these animals . apart from this , at least the peptide identified as seq . id . no . 7 has a considerable antioxidant activity by way of an oxygen radical - chelating mechanism . similarly , the peptide identified on the certificate of amendment as seq . id . no . 14 , from the β - caseins , also displays a high ace - inhibitory activity . in addition to the pepsin - hydrolyzed casein and corolase pp ®, the peptides shown in table 1 and marked seq . id . no . 15 and seq . id no . 17 have antihypertensive activity in spontaneously hypertensive rats ( shr ) and are also an object of this invention . special mention must be made of the fact that these are natural peptides from widely - consumed products from which few side effects and good tolerance may be expected . similarly , the bioactive peptides identified in the pepsin hydrolyzates ( seq . id no . 1 , seq . id no . 2 , seq . id no . 3 , seq . id no . 4 , seq . id no . 5 , seq . id no . 6 , seq . id no . 7 , seq . id no . 8 , seq . id no . 9 , seq . id no . 10 , seq . id no . 12 , seq . id no . 13 , seq . id no . 14 ) and , additionally , with corolase pp ®, ( seq . id no . 15 , seq . id no . 16 , seq . id no . 17 , table 1 ), on knowing the sequence thereof , currently - available technology makes it possible to obtain these by chemical and / or enzymatic peptide synthesis or by recombinant methods . the production of bioactive peptides from pepsin - hydrolyzed ovine α 2 - casein had not been previously described , although antimicrobial peptides derived from this protein of bovine origin had indeed been described ( ep1114060 , process for producing cationic peptides from biological fluids ). some peptides derived from α s2 - casein and other ovine casein in manchego cheese with ace - inhibitory activity had also been previously identified ( j . a . gómez - ruiz , m . ramos and 1 . recio , identification and formation of angiotensin - converting enzyme - inhibitory peptides in manchego cheese by high - performance liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry , journal of chromatography a , 2004 , 1054 : 269 : 277 ), although no study had been made of their in vivo antihypertensive activity . one of the peptides possessing ace - inhibitory activity previously identified is the 205 - 208 fragment of ovine α s2 - casein of sequence vryl ( seq . id . no . 11 ) ( ic 50 24 . 1 μm ). however , sequence seq . id . no . 7 of this invention , pyvryl ( ic 50 1 . 94 ) possesses an ace - inhibitory activity 12 times more potent than the one previously described , which justifies the need of the entire sequence found in this invention in order to exert a considerable antihypertensive and / or antioxidant and / or antimicrobial activity . the entire seq . id . no . 7 sequence is also required in order to exert the antihypertensive and / or antioxidant and / or antimicrobial activity . additionally , it is also shown that , following the gastrointestinal simulation of sequence seq . id . no . 7 of this invention , the minimum active fragment is that of sequence pyv seq . id . no . 15 . on the other hand , this method makes it possible to obtain the bioactive peptides ( seq . id no . 15 , seq . id no . 16 , seq . id no . 17 , table 1 ) by employing enzymatic preparations and conditions simulating gastrointestinal digestion . thus , it is probable that the fragments which are obtained will be the end products of hydrolysis , capable of being absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract and of being those directly responsible for the antihypertensive action . a further hydrolysis by the plasma peptidases cannot , however , be ruled out . the production of active small fragments is advantageous because these fragments would be easier to administer by different routes , and when administered orally , would be faster - acting . these milk products : whole milk , milk fractions , caseins , caseinates , etc . are a cheap , readily - available substrate for producing bioactive peptides which could be used as therapeutic substances with antimicrobial activity and / or ace - inhibitory activity and / or antihypertensive and / or antioxidant activity . these milk products can be put through a heat treatment , such as pasteurization , or alternatively be put through a drying or freeze - drying process , etc . in order to be used as functional food products , additives or food ingredients , or pharmaceutical products for the treatment and / or prevention of infections and / or arterial hypertension in all of in all forms thereof , mainly in humans , although also in animals . the quantity of hydrolyzate , low molecular weight fraction , peptides , their derivatives or pharmaceutically acceptable salts and the combinations thereof , as well as their dosage for the treatment of any disease , will vary depending on numerous factors , such as age , severity of the disease or disorder , administration route and frequency of the dose . these compounds could be presented in any administration form , solid or liquid , and be administered by any appropriate route , either oral , respiratory , rectal or topical , although they are designed particularly for oral administration in solid or liquid form . in general , the method for producing these products : the complete hydrolyzates , the fractions thereof and their constituting peptides , can be optimized by focusing it on the production of the largest possible quantity of bioactive peptides or for controlling bitter flavor coming to bear to the extent possible , normally resulting from a high concentration of medium or low molecular weight hydrophobic peptides . the antimicrobial activity is determined in accordance with the method of a . pellegrini , c . deltting , u . thomas , p . hunziker ( isolation and characterization of four bactericidal domains in the bovine β - lactoglobulin biochimica et biophysica acta , 2001 , 1526 : 131 - 140 ) using as microorganisms escherichia coli [ american type culture collection ( atcc ), rockville , md ., usa ] atcc 25922 , listeria innocua [ colección española de cultivos tipo ( cect ) valencia , spain ] cect 910t , staphylococcus epidermidis cect 231 , enterococcus faecalis cect 795 , serratia marcescens cect 854 and staphylococcus carnosus cect 4491t . the bacterial suspensions are inoculated at 1 % in the tryptose soy broth ( tsb ) for escherichia coli , serratia marcescens and the strains of the staphylococcus genus , or in the brain - heart infusion ( bhi ) broth for enterococcus faecalis and listeria innocua . the incubation is carried out at 37 ° c ., except in the case of serratia marcescens , which is at 30 ° c . the bacterial innoculum , from which the work is begun , is obtained after incubating a colony grown in tsb - agar or bhi - agar in 10 ml of tsb or bhi overnight at 37 a or 30 ° c . the bacterial suspension ( 1 ml ) is diluted 1 / 50 with the corresponding culture medium , being incubated at the appropriate temperature for each strain up to achieving a population density of 1 - 4 × 10 8 colony - forming units ( cfu ) per ml . the culture is centrifuged at 2000 × g for 10 minutes , the sedimented bacteria are washed twice with 15 ml phosphate buffer ( ph 7 . 4 ) and the population is adjusted to 10 6 cfu / ml . on a sterile multiwell plate ( greiner labortechnik , frickenhausen , germany ), 50 μl of the bacterial suspension , 50 μl of the substance to be tested and 100 μl of the phosphate buffer are mixed with 2 % of the appropriate culture medium in each case , and the mixture is incubated at 37 ° c . or 30 ° c . for 2 hours . after this time , the mixture is diluted to 10 − 5 , 100 μl of each one of the dilutions are added to tsb - agar or bhi - agar plates and the plates are incubated for 24 hours , after which time the colony count is taken . the ace - inhibitory activity is measured in vitro by the method of d . w . cushman and h . s . cheung ( spectrophotometric assay and properties of angiotensin - converting enzyme in rabbit lung . biochemical pharmacology , 1971 , 20 : 1637 - 1648 ) later modified by y . k . kim , s . yoon , d . y . yu , b . lönnerdal and b . h . chung ( novel angiotensin - i - converting enzyme inhibitory peptides derived from recombinant human α s1 - casein expressed in escherichia coli . journal of dairy research 1999 , 66 , 431 - 439 ). the substrate , hipuril histidil leucine ( hhl , sigma , chemical co , st . louis , mo ., usa ), is dissolved in 0 . 1 m borate buffer with 0 . 3 m nacl , ph 8 . 3 , to obtain a final concentration of 5 mm . 40 μl of each one of the samples whose ace - inhibitory activity is to be assayed are added to 100 μl of substrate . the ace enzyme ( ce 3 . 4 . 5 . 1 , sigma ) is added , dissolved in 50 % glycerol and diluted at the point in time of performing the test in 1 / 10 bidistilled water . the reaction is carried out at 37 ° c . for 30 minutes in water bath . the enzyme is inactivated by reducing the ph with 150 μl hcl 1n . the hipuric acid formed is extracted with 1000 μl ethyl acetate . following agitation in vortex for 20 seconds , it is centrifuged at 3000 × g for 10 minutes at ambient temperature . 750 μl are taken from the organic phase that is heat - evaporated at 95 ° c . for 10 minutes . the hipuric acid residue is re - dissolved in 800 μl bidistilled water and , after agitating for 20 seconds , the absorbance at 228 nm is measured in a dur - 70 spectrophotometer from beckman instruments , inc ., fullerton , usa . the following equation is used for calculating the percentage of ace - inhibitory activity : the blank is used to correct the background absorbance . this blank contains substrate , enzyme and 20 μl bidistilled water instead of sample , and the reaction is halted at time zero . the control entailed one hundred percent of the enzymatic action on the substrate in absence of inhibitors and contains 20 μl of water instead of sample and is incubated for the same length of time as the sample . the results are shown as ic 50 ( μm ) or concentration at which the activity of the enzyme is inhibited by 50 %. the protein concentration is determined by means of the bicinchoninic acid test ( pierce - rockord , il , usa ), using bovine seroalbumin as a pattern . the oxygen radical absorption capacity ( orac ) is determined by the method developed by b . x . ou , m . hampsch - woodill , r l . prior ( development and validation of an improved oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay using fluorescein as the fluorescent probe , 2001 , 49 : 4619 - 4626 ). this method is based on the oxidation of the fluorescein by the peroxyl radicals produced in situ by thermal breakdown of the 2 , 2 ′ azo - bis 2 - amidinopropane dihydrochloride at λ exo = 493 nm and λ cm = 515 nm . the presence of antioxidants prevents or retards the breakdown of the fluorescein . the fluorescein working solution is prepared daily to a concentration of 60 nm from a 100 μm fluorescein mother solution in 75 nm phosphate buffer ( ph 7 . 5 ). as a control antioxidant , 6 - hydroxy - 2 , 5 , 7 , 8 - tetramethylchromane - 2 - carboxyilic acid ( trolox ) is used , which is prepared to a 20 nm concentration ( mother solution ) in phosphate buffer and is stored at − 20 ° c . a trolox calibration curve is plotted by the analysis of the pattern solutions of concentrations 12 . 5 , 25 , 40 , 50 and 100 μm prepared from the mother solution . the aaph is dissolved in the phosphate buffer to a final concentration of 143 mm , keeping it at a low temperature to prevent its breakdown . for performing the assay , 375 μl of the sample is mixed with 375 μl aaph and 2 . 225 ml fluorescein , incubating this mixture at 37 ° c . every 5 minutes , the fluorescence is measured ( λ exo = 493 nm and λ cm = 515 nm ) in the rf - 1501 fluorimeter ( shimadzu ). controls are conducted on the assay consisting of a blank containing fluorescein and phosphate buffer for checking to ensure the stability of the fluorescence during the experiment , and a positive maximum oxidation control containing fluorescein , aaph and phosphate buffer . as a control of the maximum antioxidant activity , a 40 μm trolox solution is included in each set of samples to be analyzed . all of the samples were analyzed in triplicate . the antioxidant activity is quantified by way of the measurement of the “ area under curve ” ( auc ) of the fluorescein fluorescence down curve and is given in trolox equivalents ( orac value ). the auc is calculated using the following equation : auc =( 0 . 5 + f 5 / f 0 + f 10 / f 0 + f 15 / f 0 + . . . + f 30 / f 0 where f 0 is the fluorescence at time zero and f 0 is the fluorescence at time “ i ”. the relative orac value for the peptides is determined using the following equation : the isolation of cationic type peptide fractions is performed by the method of 1 . recio , s . visser ( identification of two distinct antibacterial domains within the sequence of bovine α s2 - casein . biochimica et biophysica acta 1999 , 1428 : 314 - 326 ) with some modifications , in an fplc system , using a hiload ™ 26 / 10 sp sepharose fast flow cation exchange column ( pharmacia , uppsala , sweden ). the a and b phases are comprised of nh 4 hco 3 10 nm ( adjusted to ph 7 . 0 with hcooh ), and nh 3 1 . 5 m , respectively . the samples are dissolved in phase a prepared to a concentration of 5 mg / ml , a volume of 5 ml being injected by means of a superloop ™ ( pharmacia ) of 50 ml . the hydrolyzate elutes at a flowrate of 5 ml / min . after 20 minutes with 100 % solvent a , a gradient of 0 % to 50 % of solvent b in a is applied in 60 minutes , followed by 20 minutes with the 50 % solvent b . the detection is performed at an absorbance of 214 nm . the temperature of the column and of the mobile phases is of 9 ° c . the fractions are collected following several chromatography analyses . isolation of peptide fractions by means of reversed - phase high - performance liquid chromatography ( rf - hplc ) on a semi - preparatory scale . a system comprised of two programmable pumps model waters delta 600 , a mod . 966 diode array detector , a mod . 717 plus automatic injector and an automatic fraction collector ( waters corp ., milford , mass ., usa ) is used . a c 18 prep novapack ® hr column , 7 . 8 × 300 mm and 6 μm pore size ( waters ), with a c 18 cartridge ( waters ) as a column guard is used . the analyses are performed at 30 ° c ., and the detection at 214 and 280 nm . the data acquisition is carried out with the millennium software version 3 . 2 ( waters ). the α s2 - casein samples are prepared at a concentration of 2 . 5 mg / ml and , prior to the injection , are centrifuged at 16 000 × g for 10 minutes . for the elution of the samples , a binary milliq ® water gradient ( phase a ) and acetonitrile ( phase b ) with 0 . 1 % and 0 . 08 % trifluoroacetic acid , are respectively used , at a flowrate of 4 ml / min . the phase b gradient is from 0 % to 40 % in 50 minutes and from 40 % to 70 % for 5 minutes , the column being washed with 70 % of b for 5 minutes and reconditioning the column to the starting conditions for 25 minutes . the volume of sample injected is of 300 μl . the samples of total caseins are prepared at a concentration of 100 mg / ml and , prior to the injection , are put through a filter with a pore size of 0 . 45 μm . for the elution of the samples , a binary milliq ® water gradient ( phase a ) and acetonitrile ( phase b ) with 0 . 1 % and 0 . 08 % trifluoroacetic acid , are respectively used , at a flowrate of 4 ml / min . the phase b gradient is from 0 % to 35 % in 70 minutes and from 35 % to 70 % for 5 minutes , the column being washed with 70 % of b for 5 minutes and reconditioning the column to the starting conditions for 20 minutes . the volume of sample injected is of 50 μl . an esquire 3000 ion trap system ( bruker daltonik gmbh , bremen , germany ) is used . the samples are prepared to a concentration of 2 mg / ml in a 50 % ( v / v ) water : acetonitrile solution with 0 . 01 % formic acid ( v / v ). the sample is injected into the electrospray nebulizer at a flowrate of 4 μl / min using a model 22 syringe pump ( harvard apparatus , south natick , mass ., usa ). the system uses nitrogen as nebulizing and drying gas and works at a helium pressure of 5 × 10 − 3 bar . the mass spectrums are acquired in an interval of 100 - 2000 m / z at a rate of 13000 da / second . the interpretation of the tandem mass spectrums for the identification of the peptide sequences are performed with the biotools 2 . 1 program ( bruker daltonik gmbh , bremen , germany ) an esquire - lc system ( bruker daltonik gmbh , bremen , germany ) is used . the hplc ( series 1100 ) system is comprised of a quartenary pump , an automatic injector , an eluent degasser system and a variable wavelength ultraviolet detector . ( agilent technologies , waldbronn , germany ) connected on - line to an esquire 3000 ion trap mass spectometer ( bruker daltonik ). the column is a hi - pore c18 column ( 250 × 4 . 6 mm i . d ., 5 μm particle size ) ( biorad laboratories , richmond , calif ., usa ). solvent a is a mixture of water and trifluoroacetic acid ( 1000 : 0 . 37 ) and solvent b a mixture of acetonitrile and trifluoroacetic acid ( 1000 : 0 . 27 ). 50 μl of sample prepared to a concentration of 4 . 5 mg / ml is injected . a flowrate of 0 . 8 ml / min , with a linear gradient of 0 % to 50 % of solvent b in a in 60 minutes is used . the eluent is monitored at 214 nm by mass spectrophotometry under the same conditions as those stated in the immediately preceding section hereinabove , except for the flowrate of the injection of the sample through the nebulizer being 275 μl / min . the effect of several of the peptides identified on the blood pressure of spontaneously hypertensive rats ( shr ) is studied . the peptides are chemically synthesized for this study . the study is conducted with male shr rats 17 - 20 weeks of age weighing 300 to 350 g , from charles river laboratories españa s . a . the rats are kept in cages , five per cage , maintaining a stable temperature of 25 ° c ., with 12 - hour light - darkness cycles , taking water and food ad libitum . systolic blood pressure ( sbp ) and diastolic blood pressure ( dbp ) measurements are taken , for which purpose the tail cuff method is used ( r . d . buñag , validation in awake rats of tail - cuff method for measuring systolic pressure , j . appl . physiol ., 1973 , 34 : 279 - 282 ). the equipment use ( le5001 , letica ) provided digital sbp and dbp values automatically . this equipment records and also facilitates the cardiac frequency of the animals . prior to putting the tail - cuff and the transducer into place on the rats &# 39 ; tails , the rats are exposed to a temperature nearing 37 ° c . so as to facilitate the dilation of the caudal artery . additionally , in order to assure the reliability of the measurement , the animals are accustomed to the procedure 2 weeks prior to conducting the test in question . the sbp and dbp values are determined by taking 3 consecutive measurements and calculating the average of the three values for each one of these two variables . the spontaneously hypertensive rats ( shr ) used for the study have sbp values ranging from 190 mm hg to 220 mm hg , and dbp values ranging from 130 mm hg to 180 mm hg . the products to be tested are administered by means of an intragastric catheter within a time span ranging from 9 a . m . to 10 a . m ., and the dosage tested is administered dissolved in 1 ml of distilled water . sbp and dbp readings are taken prior to the administration , and periodic measurements of these variables are also made every 2 hours following the administration , up to 8 hours post - administration . additionally , measurements are also taken of the sbp and dbp 24 hours following the administration of the products in question . as a negative control ( for establishing the circadian variation of the sbp and dbp in catheterized rats ), the sbp and dap measures taken in similar tests with rats to which 1 ml of water is administered by intragastric catheter are used . as a positive control , the sbp and dbp measurements taken in similar tests with rats to which 50 mg / kg captopril ( prototype ace - inhibitory drug ) have been administered are used . this captopril dose is administered to each rat dissolved in 1 ml of distilled water . the results are grouped and the ± average of the standard error of the measurement ( sem ) for a minimum of 6 homogeneous tests is calculated . for comparing them , a one - way analysis of variance is used , followed by the bonferroni test . the difference in values of p & lt ; 0 . 05 is considered significant . fig1 : chromatogram taken using cation exchange chromatography ( fplc ) of the ovine α s2 - casein pepsin - hydrolyzed for 30 minutes , in which 5 fractions ( fa - fe ) are selected , which were manually collected . the time , given in minutes , is plotted on the x - axis . fig2 a : chromatogram taken using reversed - phase high - performance liquid chromatography ( rp - hplc ) on a semi - preparatory scale of the fc fraction collected from the ovine α s2 - casein pepsin - hydrolyzed for 30 minutes . four ( 4 ) subfractions ( fc1 - fc4 ) are selected , having been collected manually . the time , given in minutes , is plotted on the x - axis . fig2 b : chromatogram taken using reversed - phase high - performance liquid chromatography ( rp - hplc ) on a semi - preparatory scale of the fd fraction collected from the ovine α s2 - casein pepsin - hydrolyzed for 30 minutes . two ( 2 ) subfractions ( fd1 - fd2 ) are selected , having been collected manually . the time , given in minutes , is plotted on the x - axis . fig3 : antimicrobial activity of the different subfractions obtained from the fc and fd fractions by rp - hplc on a semi - preparatory scale . fig4 : lowering of the systolic blood pressure ( sbp ) and the lowering of the diastolic blood pressure ( dbp ) found in spontaneously hypertensive rats following the administration by intragastric catheter of 1 ml of water (∘), 50 mg / kg captopril (□), 3 mg / kg pyvryl (▴) and 3 mg / kg lkkisq (♦). t ( h ) denotes the length of time having lapsed since the administration , given in hours . the data shows the ± average sem for a minimum of 6 animals . a p & lt ; 0 . 05 vs water ; b p & lt ; 0 . 05 vs captopril ; c p & lt ; 0 . 05 vs pyvryl . fig5 : lowering of the systolic blood pressure ( sbp ) and the lowering of the diastolic blood pressure ( dbp ) found in spontaneously hypertensive rats following the administration by intragastric catheter of 1 ml of water (∘), 50 mg / kg captopril (□), 400 mg / kg casein (▴), 400 mg / kg casein hydrolyzate (▴) and 200 mg / kg f & lt ; 3000 da of the casein hydrolyzate (♦). t ( h ) denotes the length of time having lapsed since the administration , given in hours . the data shows the ± average sem for a minimum of 4 animals . ap & lt ; 0 . 05 vs water ; bp & lt ; 0 . 05 vs captopril ; cp & lt ; 0 . 05 vs 400 mg / kg casein . fig6 a : chromatogram taken using reversed - phase high - performance liquid chromatography ( rp - hplc ) on a semi - preparatory scale of the minor fraction of 3000 da obtained from the casein pepsin - hydrolyzed for 3 hours . the absorbance at 214 nm is plotted on the y - axis and the time , in minutes , on the x - axis . fig6 b corresponds to the angiotensin - converting enzyme inhibitory activity ( aceia ) of the chromatographic fractions obtained by rp - hplc . due to its potent ace - inhibitory activity , 3 fractions were selected , which were collected automatically ( f3 , f5 and f6 ). fig7 : chromatogram taken using reversed - phase high - performance liquid chromatography ( rp - hplc ) of the synthetic peptide pyvryl seq . id . no . 7 , before and after the sequential hydrolysis with pepsin and corolase pp ®. the absorbance at 214 nm is plotted on the y - axis and the time , in minutes , on the x - axis . fig8 : lowering of the systolic blood pressure ( sbp ) and the lowering of the diastolic blood pressure ( dbp ) found in spontaneously hypertensive rats following the administration by intragastric catheter of 1 ml of water (∘), 50 mg / kg captopril (□), 3 mg / kg pyvryl (♦) and 2 mg / kg pyv (▪). t ( h ) denotes the length of time having lapsed since the administration , given in hours . the data shows the average sem for a minimum of 4 animals . ap & lt ; 0 . 05 vs water ; bp & lt ; 0 . 05 vs captopril ; cp & lt ; 0 . 05 vs 3 mg / kg pyvryl . fig9 : chromatogram taken using reversed - phase high - performance liquid chromatography ( rp - hplc ) of the synthetic peptide hlplpll seq . id . no . 14 , before and after the sequential hydrolysis with pepsin and corolase pp ®. the absorbance at 214 nm is plotted on the y - axis and the time , in minutes , on the x - axis . fig1 : lowering of the systolic blood pressure ( sbp ) and the lowering of the diastolic blood pressure ( dbp ) obtained in spontaneously hypertensive rats following the administration by intragastric catheter of 1 ml of water (∘), 50 mg / kg captopril (□), 7 mg / kg hlplp (•). t ( h ) denotes the length of time having lapsed since the administration , given in hours . the data shows the ± average sem for a minimum of 4 animals . a p & lt ; 0 . 05 vs water ; b p & lt ; 0 . 05 vs captopril . the following examples illustrate the invention , although they must not be considered as limiting the scope thereof . production of bioactive peptides with antimicrobial , ace - inhibitory , antihypertensive and antioxidant activity from pepsin - hydrolyzed ovine α s2 - casein the hydrolyzate was obtained by employing ovine α s2 - casein as a substrate , obtained following the separation of the rest of the caseins by means of the method of h . j . vreeman , j . a . m . van riel ( the large - scale isolation of α s2 - casein from bovine casein . netherlands milk and dairy journal , 1990 , 44 : 43 - 48 ). as an enzyme , swine pepsin was used ( e . c . 3 . 4 . 23 . 1 . 570 u / mg protein ) from swine stomach ( sigma chemical , st . louis , usa ). a 0 . 5 % aqueous solution of the ovine α s2 - casein was prepared , and the ph was adjusted to 3 . 0 with 1 m hcl . pepsin was added ( enzyme - substrate ratio 3 . 7 / 100 , p / p ). the hydrolysis was carried out at 37 ° c . for 30 minutes . the inactivation of the pepsin was achieved by heating at 80 ° c . for 15 minutes and then adjusting the ph to 7 . 0 with 1 m naoh . the supernatant collected following the centrifuging of the hydrolyzate at 16000 g for 15 minutes at 5 ° c . was analyzed by fplc ( fig1 ), five fractions ( fa - fe ) having been separated , which were collected manually and then freeze - dried . the antimicrobial activity of these five fractions was measured at a concentration of 2 . 5 mg / ml , using e . coli at 5 . 9 × 10 3 cfu / ml as the control . the results revealed that the fc and fd fractions possessed antimicrobial activity , reducing the number of microorganisms by 2 . 54 and 0 . 6 orders of magnitude , respectively . for the purpose of identifying the peptides responsible for the antimicrobial activity , the fc and fd fractions were analyzed by rp - hplc on a semi - preparatory scale . fig2 shows the chromatographic profile of the fc fraction ( fig2 a ) and the fd fraction ( fig2 b ). four subfractions ( fc1 - fc4 ) were separated from the fc fraction , and two subfractions ( fd1 - fd2 ) from the fd fraction . each one of these subfractions was collected and , following the evaporation of the acetonitrile , were freeze - dried . the antimicrobial activity of these subfractions was measured at a concentration of 2 . 5 mg / ml , against e . coli ( 6 . 2 × 10 6 cfu / ml ). fig3 shows the antimicrobial activity values against e . coli . of these subfractions . of all of the subfractions , special mention must be made of fc1 , which was the one which displayed greater antimicrobial activity , given that it had a bactericidal effect at the tested concentration ( log n f / n 0 greater than 6 ). the fc4 , fd1 and fd2 subfractions displayed a moderate antimicrobial activity , with values for the reduction of microorganisms of 1 . 24 , 1 . 31 and 1 . 64 orders of magnitude , respectively . the fc1 , fc4 , fd1 and fd2 subfractions were analyzed by mass spectrometry , using an ion trap analyzer following the methodology previously described . the peptides identified are shown in table 1 . the peptides mostly present in the subfractions obtained from the pepsin - hydrolyzed ovine were chemically synthesized α s2 - casein for 30 minutes ( seq . id . no . 1 , seq . id . no . 2 , seq . id . no . 3 and seq . id . no . 7 ). these peptides were synthesized by the fmoc solid - phase method , and their purity was verified by rp - hplc - ms / ms . the antimicrobial activity of the synthetic peptides was measured at a concentration of 0 . 05 mm against escherichia coli , serratia marcescens , staphylococcus carnosus , staphylococcus epidermidis , enterococcus faecalis and listeria innocua . the activity results are shown in table 2 . these peptides display a high degree of antimicrobial activity against gram - positive bacteria , especially against the strain tested of the staphylococcus genus . three of these peptides seq . id . no . 1 , seq . id . no . 2 and seq . id . no . 3 displayed bactericidal activity against s . carnosus . however , the gram - negative bacteria ( e . coli and s . marcesens ) are highly resistant to the action of all of these peptides , although special mention may be made of the fact that peptide identified as seq . id . no . 3 displayed a high degree of antimicrobial activity against e . coli . the ace - inhibitory activity of two of the chemically - synthesized peptides was measured , specifically sequences seq . id . no . 1 and seq . id . no . 7 , mentioned in example 1 . the activity results , given as ic 50 , or protein concentration necessary to inhibit the enzyme activity by 50 %, are shown in table 3 . these two peptides display a potent ace - inhibitory activity . the antihypertensive activity of the seq . id . no . 1 and seq . id . no . 7 peptides was tested , for which purpose , these peptides ( 3 mg / kg ) were administered to spontaneously hypertensive rats ( shr ). the peptides were dissolved in distilled water , and the corresponding dose was administered to each rat in a volume of 1 ml . fig4 . shows the degrees to which the sbp and dbp were lowered in spontaneously hypertensive rats ( shr ) at different points in time following the administration of 3 mg / kg of the seq . id . no . 1 and seq . id . no . 7 peptides . the administration of the seq . id . no . 7 peptide can be seen as causing a significant lowering of the sbp and of the dbp in these animals . the lowering of these variables reaches its peak at 4 hours following the administration of this peptide . this lowering also displays a course over time similar to that of the sbp and dbp lowering caused by the administration of captopril , which is a compound of proven antihypertensive activity . these results show the peptide identified by the sequence seq . id . no . 7 to have a clear , marked antihypertensive effect when administered orally on an acute basis . the antioxidant activity of the seq . id . no . 7 sequence mentioned in example 1 was measured . the peroxyl radical chelating activity is shown in following : the results therefore show the pyvryl ( seq . id . no . 7 ) to possess an antioxidant activity 1 . 82 times greater than the activity of 1 μmol trolox . production of bioactive peptides possessing ace - inhibitory activity from bovine casein with pepsin the hydrolyzing was achieve by employing a bovine casein substrate obtained by means of isoelectric precipitations from raw cow milk . swine peptide was used as the enzyme ( e . c . 3 . 4 . 23 . 1 . 570 u / mg protein ) from swine stomach ( sigma chemical , st . louis , usa ). a 0 . 5 % aqueous bovine casein solution was prepared and the ph adjusted to 2 . 0 with 1 m hcl . pepsin was added ( enzyme - substrate ratio 3 . 7 / 100 p / p ). the hydrolysis was performed at 37 ° c . for 3 hours . the pepsin was inactivated by heating at 80 ° c . for 20 min and then adjusting the ph to 7 . 0 with 1 m naoh . the supernatant collected following the centrifuging of the hydrolyzate at 16000 × g for 15 minutes at 5 ° c . was ultrafiltered through a hydrophyllic membrane with a 3000 da pore size ( centripep , amicon inc , beverly , mass ., usa ). the ace - inhibitory and antihypertensive activity was determined in shr ( according to that previously described in analytical methods ) of the total hydrolyzate and of the permeate ( fraction of the hydrolyzate of a molecular weight lower than 3000 da ). table 4 shows the ace - inhibitory activity values , given as ic 50 or protein concentration necessary for inhibiting the enzyme activity by 50 %, and the protein content determined by the kjeldahl method . fig5 shows the lowering of the sbp and dbp found in spontaneously hypertensive rats ( shr ) at different points in time following the administration of casein hydrolyzate and following the administration of the casein hydrolyzate fraction with a molecular weight lower than 3000 da . as shown in the table , the administration of casein hydrolyzate causes a significant lowering of the sbp and of the dbp in these animals . the administration of the casein hydrolyzate fraction of a molecular weight lower than 3000 da causes the sbp and the dbp to be lowered in the spontaneously hypertensive rats to degrees similar to those observed after administering the casein hydrolyzate . the lowering of these variable reaches its peak 2 hours following the administration of these products . the administration of unhydrolyzed casein does not significantly modify the sbp of the spontaneously hypertensive rats ( shr ) and lowers the dbp to a much lesser degree than the previous compounds in these animals . these results show the casein hydrolyzate and the casein hydrolyzate fraction of a molecular weight lower than 300 da to have a clear antihypertensive effect when they are administered orally on an acute basis . for the purpose of identifying the peptides responsible for the ace - inhibitory and antihypertensive activity , following the ultrafiltering , the permeate was put through a separation process by rp - hplc on a semi - preparatory scale in which 8 fractions were collected . following the evaporation of the acetonitrile , these chromatographic fractions were freeze - dried and the ace - inhibitory activity and the protein content were determined by means of the bicinchoninic acid method . fig6 shows the chromatographic profile and the fractions obtained , as well as the ace - inhibitory activity values , given as ic 50 for each one of the chromatographic fractions . the fractions termed f3 , f5 and f6 in fig6 are those displaying greater ace - inhibitory activity , in other words , lower ic 50 values . these fractions were analyzed by rp - hplc connected on - line to tandem mass spectrometry ( rp - hplc - ms / ms ) using the methodology previously described . the major peptides identified are shown in table 5 . the major peptides obtained in these chromatographic fractions were chemically synthesized by the solid - phase fmoc method and their purity verified by rp - hplc - ms / ms . the ace - inhibitory activity of the chemically synthesized peptides , specifically of sequences seq . id no . 12 , seq . id . no . 13 and seq . id . no . 14 , was determined . the activity results , given as ic 50 , or protein concentration necessary to inhibit the ace activity by 50 %, are shown in table 6 . at least two of the three major peptides identified displayed potent ace - inhibitory activity . the pyvryl seq . id . no . 7 peptide which had previously been identified in the α s2 - casein hydrolyzates and was chemically synthesized and put through a two - stage hydrolysis process simulating gastrointestinal digestion ( alting , a . c ., meijer , r . j . g . m ., van beresteijn , e . c . h . incomplete elimination of the abbos epitope of bovine serum albumin under simulated gastrointestinal conditions of infants . diabetes care , 1997 , 20 : 875 - 880 ). for this purpose , aqueous solutions of the synthetic peptides ( 10 mg / ml ) are hydrolyzed , first with pepsin ( e . c . 3 . 4 . 4 . 1 , 570 u / mg protein ) ( sigma ) ( enzyme - substrate ratio , 1 : 50 , p / p ) at ph 2 . 0 and 37 ° c . for 90 minutes and afterward with corolase pp ® ( enzyme - substrate ratio 1 : 25 , p / p ) ( röhm , darmstadt , germany ) at ph 7 - 8 and 37 ° c . for 2 . 5 hours . the reaction is interrupted by heating at 95 ° c . for 10 minutes in a water bath . fig7 shows that the pyvryl peptide seq . id . no . 7 hydrolyzes completely after incubation with pepsin and corolase pp ®. the main resulting fragment identified by rp - hplc - ms / ms is the tripeptide pvy seq . id . no . 15 . this peptide was chemically synthesized and its ace - inhibitory activity determined , a ic 50 value of 741 . 3 μm , in other words , 370 times less ace - inhibitory activity than the starting peptide , was obtained . the antihypertensive activity of this tripeptide pvy seq . id . no . 15 was determined by way of the administration thereof to shr . the peptides are dissolved in distilled water and the corresponding dose administered to each rat in a volume of 1 ml . fig8 shows the lowering of the sbp and dbp found in shr rats at different points in time following the administration of pyv seq . id . no . 15 at a dose of 2 mg / kg and of the pycryl peptide seq . id no . 7 at a dose of 3 mg / kg , where it is shown that the administration of both of these peptides causes a significant lowering of the sbp and dbp of these animals . while the peak effect on the sbp of the pyv seq . id . no . 15 occurs 2 hours following its administration , the peak effect of the pyvryl peptide seq . id . no . 7 does not take place until 4 hours following its administration . the faster onset of the antihypertensive effect in the case of the seq . id . no . 15 could be due to the fact that when this sequence is administered , the enzymatic digestion process which must take place for it to be caused in vivo is obviated . these results demonstrate the antihypertensive activity of the seq . id . no . 15 although , in principle , this cannot be attributed to its ace - inhibitory activity . it is important to stress that , to date , the potent antihypertensive activity of the pyv peptide seq . id . no . 15 had not be described until now . ace - inhibitory and antihypertensive activity of the peptides after simulating the gastrointestinal digestion of the fragments obtained by hydrolysis of complete casein hlplpll seq . id . no . 14 the hlplpll peptide seq . id . no . 14 which had previously been identified in the fraction having a molecular weight under 3000 da of the total casein hydrolyzates and was chemically synthesized , was put through a two - stage hydrolysis process simulating gastrointestinal digestion ( alting , a . c ., meijer , r . j . g . m ., van beresteijn , e . c . h . incomplete elimination of the abbos epitope of bovine serum albumin under simulated gastrointestinal conditions of infants . diabetes care , 1997 , 20 : 875 - 880 ). for this purpose , aqueous solutions of the synthetic peptides ( 10 mg / ml ) are hydrolyzed , first with pepsin ( e . c . 3 . 4 . 4 . 1 , 570 u / mg protein ) ( sigma ) ( enzyme - substrate ratio , 1 : 50 , p / p ) at ph 2 . 0 and 37 ° c . for 90 minutes and afterward with corolase pp ® ( enzyme - substrate ratio 1 : 25 , p / p ) ( röhm , darmstadt , germany ) at ph 7 - 8 and 37 ° c . for 2 . 5 hours . the reaction is interrupted by heating at 95 ° c . for 10 minutes in a water bath . fig9 shows the peptides that are obtained following the hydrolysis of the hlplpll peptide seq . id . no . 14 identified by means of rp - hplc - ms / ms which correspond to the hlplpl hexapeptide seq . id . no . 16 and the hlplp pentapeptide seq . id . no . 17 . the hlplpl seq . id . no . 16 is an intermediate fragment , while the pentapeptide hlplp seq . id . no . 17 is resistant to the action of the gastrointestinal enzymes and is probably the end proteolysis product of the hlplpll peptide seq . id . no . 14 . the ace - inhibitory activity of the hlplp pentapeptide seq . id . no . 17 was assayed and found to be a ic 50 value of 21 μm . similarly , the antihypertensive activity in shr of the final peptide resulting from the hydrolysis hlplp seq . id . no . 17 when a dose of 7 mg / kg is administered was determined . the lowering of the sbp and dbp are shown in fig1 . a significant lowering of the sbp and dbp is found in these animals , but in this case , the antihypertensive effect can indeed be attributed , at least in part , to its ace - inhibitory activity . | 2 |
referring now particularly to fig1 the underwater swimming pool cleaner 10 of this invention includes a kite - shaped , relatively flat carriage 12 that rolls on widely spaced wheels 14 to traverse the bottom surface 16 , curved junctions 17 and vertical walls 18 of a swimming pool 20 . as will be described , the cleaner 10 is propelled by a stream of water under pressure from a pump ( not shown ). specifically , a portion of the water from the filtration system pump , or from a booster pump ( not shown ) is delivered to a water outlet 22 in a side wall 18 of the swimming pool 20 . a flexible hose 24 is connected at one end to the outlet 22 and at the other end to the pool cleaner carriage 12 . the flexible hose may be provided with sea anchors 26 and floats 27 so that the hose will move along the bottom 16 of the pool with neutral buoyancy . preferably , a reversing unit 30 is provided in the hose 24 so that the carriage 12 will be pulled in reverse periodically for a short period to prevent the carriage from being lodged in corners , steps or the like . also to prevent the carriage from becoming lodged , lateral jets 31 are provided rearward of the carriage 12 to cause the trailing end of the carriage to swing laterally when it stops or slows down . these lateral jets 31 have little or no effect in normal operation when the carriage 12 is propelled forward in the manner to be described . however , should the carriage be hung up for any reason and the pull on the hose 24 relaxed , the resultant lateral movement of the trailing end will help to free the carriage . in addition , when the carriage 12 rolls up the curved transition 12 and up the side wall 18 , it will be retarded by gravity . at that stage the lateral jets 31 turn the rear of the carriage 12 to one side so that the carriage turns around and down , back to the bottom surface 16 . in addition , a sweep hose 32 may be connected to the main hose 24 so that a jet of water issuing from the end 34 thereof will cause the sweep hose to whip back and forth acoss the bottom 16 of the pool to cause fine particles of dirt to be swept into suspension and carried to the filtration unit ( not shown ) through the main drain 36 . wear rings 38 are provided along the sweep hose 32 to prevent the hose from wearing through as it sweeps back and forth . floating debris is carried away to the filtration unit through a conventional skimmer 40 . hence , in operation , floating leaves and the like are carried away through the skimmer 40 ; suspended fine particles are carried away through the main drain 36 ; and larger leaves , sand and other debris are picked up and collected by the carriage 12 , as will be described . referring now to fig2 the carriage 12 is shown as being generally shaped in the form of a kite or diamond , with converging nose portion 12a and tail portion 12b , the carriage 12 rolling on main wheels 14 and front and rear swivel wheels 41 and 42 . a generally horizontal nose deflector wheel 44 is provided to cause the carriage 12 to deflect laterally when it impacts with a step or other fixed obstacle . as shown in fig4 the perimeter of the hose deflector wheel 44 is disposed at a suitable downward angle of , say about 45 °, tending to bias the nose 12a downward as the carriage 12 is propelled through the water . horizontal side wheels 46 and 48 are provided to enable the carriage 12 to move easily along an upright wall or step . the carriage 12 is driven forwardly by jets of water issuing rearwardly as shown by the arrows in fig2 the jets projecting through a rearwardly disposed thrust nozzle 50 . a roller 51 ( fig4 ) may be provided on the underside of the thrust nozzle 50 to prevent friction drag on contact with the bottom 16 of the pool 18 . hence , the carriage 12 is propelled without any mechanical drive , avoiding the jamming problems attendant therewith . as shown , particularly in fig4 the thrust nozzle 50 is preferably directed at a slightly downward angle so that the jets of water issuing from the thrust nozzle 50 also serve to agitate fine particles and stir them into suspension to supplement the action of the sweep hose 32 . further , the downward force vector tends to rotate the carriage 12 about the axis of its main wheels 14 to bias the nose 45 down against the pool surface . as shown more clearly in fig5 and 7 , the main , flexible hose 24 is connected to the intake 52 of a reversing nozzle 54 through which jets of water are projected through small jet openings 56 in the direction of the arrows . the reversing nozzle is secured within the carriage 12 by a swivel mounting 58 to prevent twisting of the hose 24 . as shown best in fig5 the reversing nozzle 54 is positioned in the carriage 12 just foward of a venturi restriction 60 in a flow passageway 62 , which terminates in the thrust nozzle 50 . hence , in addition to propelling the carriage 12 without requirement of any mechanical drive , the reversing nozzle 54 also generates a low pressure area in the venturi 60 to induce the flow of more water , as well as debris , from the bottom surface 16 of the swimming pool . the water and debris are drawn into the housing 12 through an intake port 64 in the forward under surface 66 of a removable debris collecting pod 68 ( fig8 and 9 ). a ridge 45 with replaceable wear bars 45a extends between the nose 12a and the debris pod 68 to prevent some obstacle , such as the hose 24 from haging up between the nose wheel 41 and the debris collection pod 68 . also as shown in fig9 a lip 70 around the intake port 64 is provided with a plurality of angled grooves 72 , which tend to create a swirling or whirlpool action to increase the suction through the flow passage 62 . the intake port 64 is provided with a swing check screen or door 74 that is pivoted on the axis 76 for the main wheels 12 and normally biased toward closed position , as by means of a weight 75 . the door 74 functions to enable leaves and other debris to flow into the housing 12 , but to prevent egress therefrom , as when the carriage 12 is being pulled in reverse . a screen 78 that extends completely across the housing 12 ( fig1 ) above the debris pod 68 , prevents leaves and other debris from moving out of the debris pod 68 with the stream of water flowing through the passageway port 80 and out the thrust nozzle 50 . in an alternate embodiment , a porous leaf collection bag could be secured around the thrust nozzle to collect debris while allowing the water to flow through . such a bag would function both as a separator screen and as a collection receptacle . however , in the preferred embodiment , when a quantity of leaves , sand and other debris have been collected within the carriage 12 , the contoured debris pod or cover 68 may simply be removed to dump the debris . when collected such debris will be visible through clear windows 81 in the sides of the debris pod 68 . in operation , the debris pod may be held on the carriage by means of suitable latches 82 ( fig4 and 5 ). as shown in fig4 the carriage 12 is relatively flat on top and the contoured , removable debris pod 66 is of convex configuration to form an inverted air foil , creating a low pressure zone between the surface 66 and the underwater surface 16 of the swimming pool . hence , as the carriage 12 moves along the underwater surface in random paths , it tends to be drawn to the underwater surface 16 by the inverted air foil configuration ; by the downward force vector at the nozzle 50 ; and by the suction or draw at the intake opening 64 . in operation , the carriage 12 is propelled along the bottom 16 of the pool 20 by means of the thrust jet issuing from the nozzle 50 . because the thrust jet is directed slightly downward at an angle of , say five to ten degrees , and because the stream flowing rapidly through the venturi restriction 60 creates a vacuum , the nose 45 of the carriage is biased downwardly against the surface 16 to enhance the retrieval of debris . this action is supplemented by the angled diving plane of the nose wheel 44 , and by the inverted air foil configuration of the carriage 12 . when the carriage 12 reaches the radius 17 at the junction of the bottom 16 and a side wall 18 , it tends to climb right up the side wall wall . then , as the carriage 12 slows by force of gravity the lateral jets 31 take effect and turn the tail 50 of the carriage directing it back down and around to the bottom surface , over which it again transverses in random fashion . in this embodiment , a supply of water is delivered by a hose 124 to a manifold tube 126 where it is divided into two streams . one stream is delivered to a thrust jet nozzle 128 , which is positioned at the rear 111 of the carriage 112 to provide the forward thrust for the carriage 128 . a second stream is delivered through the manifold tube 126 and then reversed through a flow inducement jet 130 that is positioned in a venturi tube or horn 132 that opens at 134 through the bottom of the carriage 112 , converges to a venturi restriction 136 and then flares out to a discharge opening within the carriage 112 . from within the carriage 112 , the water may flow outward through the rear passage 140 and through suitable openings 142 in the trash receptacle , which are covered by screen 144 to trap sand , leaves and other particles . some of the fluid flowing out through the flow passageway 140 may provide some forward thrust , but the principal thrust is delivered through the thrust nozzle 128 located at the rear . hence , one nozzle 128 provides the principal forward thrust and the other nozzle 132 produces the suction that cleans the bottom surfaces of the pool . while this invention has been described in conjunction with a preferred embodiment thereof , it is obvious that modifications and changes therein may be made by those skilled in the art to which it pertains , without departing from the spirt and scope of this invention , as defined by the claims appended thereto . | 4 |
with reference now to the drawings , and in particular to fig1 to 5 thereof , a new and improved mouthwash dispenser kit apparatus embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference numerals 11 through 47 will be described . more specifically , the mouthwash dispenser kit apparatus of the instant invention essentially comprises a wall plate 11 having a top surface 12 orthogonally oriented relative to a front surface 13 , with a rear surface 14 arranged for contiguous mounting to a support wall ( not shown ) employing mounting apertures 17 to receive fasteners therethrough for direction into the wall . the top surface 12 includes a plurality of t - shaped slots 15 directed into the wall plate originating through the top surface 12 , with a front wall slot opening 16 in communication with an upper portion of the t - shaped slot and a lower portion of each t - shaped slot arranged for receiving a locking plate of a first width substantially equal to the first widths of each lower portion of each t - shaped slot . the upper portion of each t - shaped slot is arranged to receive a locking plate head 25 . a plurality of such locking plate heads 25 are provided , as illustrated in fig1 in association with a plurality of locking plates 24 . the locking plate heads 25 are defined by a second width greater than the first width to be received within an upper portion of the t - shaped slot , with each front wall slot opening 16 arranged for receiving a support leg 23 orthogonally and medially bisecting each respective locking plate head 25 . a cylindrical internally threaded mounting skirt 18 includes a support floor 19 having a floor opening 20 directed coaxially therethrough coaxially aligned with the cylindrical mounting skirt 18 . an annular seal 21 is arranged in surrounding relationship relative to the floor opening 20 and may optionally include a piercing blade 22 arranged for projecting through a typical foil seal of an associated commercially available container . the support legs 23 are integrally mounted to an exterior surface of the mounting skirt 18 orthogonally oriented relative to its axis . a support plate 26 is positioned below the floor 19 having confronting support ledges 27 on opposed sides of the support plate 26 slidingly receiving a valve plate 28 therebetween . the valve plate 28 has a valve plate bore 29 arranged for selective alignment with the floor opening 20 , whereupon the valve plate 28 is biased by a valve plate spring 30 into a displaced position to displace the valve plate bore 29 relative to the floor opening 20 , whereupon manual depressing of the valve plate 28 permits alignment of the valve plate bore relative to the floor opening 20 permitting fluid flow therethrough . a valve plate handle 31 projecting exteriorly of the support plate 26 is arranged for convenient manual grasping for displacement of the valve plate as noted above . the fig2 and 3 illustrate the use of a fluid container 32 utilized by the invention having a fluid container externally threaded outlet opening 33 for reception within an outlet opening head 34 . the outlet opening head 34 has a head outer threaded portion 35 for threaded engagement within the internally threaded mounting skirt 18 . head inner threads 36 engage the fluid container &# 39 ; s externally threaded outlet opening 33 . a head central opening 37 directed medially of a top wall of the outlet opening head 34 includes a surrounding head central opening seal 38 for engagement with the annular seal 21 to permit fluid flow through the floor opening 20 only . the fig4 illustrates the use of a container adapter 39 employed by the invention as a portion of the kit structure to include a lower externally threaded cylindrical adapter head 40 arranged for selective reception within the mounting skirt 18 . an adapter head floor 41 has a truncated conical receiving tube 42 coaxially aligned relative to the adapter head 40 projecting above the floor 41 within the adapter head formed of a resilient polymeric material to receive a fluid container opening thereabout in a sealing relationship ( see fig5 ). a plurality of support ribs 43 extend upwardly in a parallel relationship relative to the receiving tube axis 42a of the receiving tube 42 , and a support rib plate 44 is provided having support rib slots 45 therethrough , with each slot arranged to receive an individual support rib 43 of the plurality of support ribs 43 to assist in alignment of the commercially available fluid container , as illustrated in fig5 . the use of the valve plate structure , as illustrated in fig1 is employed by the organization , as illustrated in fig5 and wherein the fig5 structure further includes a cup holder flange 46 orthogonally mounted to the wall plate front surface 13 having a cup holder flange opening 47 directed therethrough to accommodate commercially available cup members in a convenient manner relative to the fluid dispensing structure for use by individuals . as to the manner of usage and operation of the instant invention , the same should be apparent from the above disclosure , and accordingly no further discussion relative to the manner of usage and operation of the instant invention shall be provided . with respect to the above description then , it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention , to include variations in size , materials , shape , form , function and manner of operation , assembly and use , are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art , and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention . therefore , the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention . further , since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art , it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described , and accordingly , all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to , falling within the scope of the invention . | 0 |
on the basis of the inventor &# 39 ; s knowledge that if it is possible to encapsulate or clathrate perfume molecules inside a porous polymer matrix , an aromatic composition with excellent slow release can be obtained , the inventor completed this invention with regard to an aromatic composition with the use of polymers and a method for producing the same . the perfume used for the composition of this invention can be natural perfumes of animal origin or plant origin , or synthetic perfumes . the perfume is used in the proportion of 1 - 300 parts by weight , and preferably 50 - 200 parts by weight , for every 100 parts by weight of the metal alkoxides mentioned below . if less than 1 part by weight is used , an aromatic composition of the desired aromaticity cannot be obtained . if more than 300 parts by weight is used , it is difficult to encapsulate the perfume in microcapsules or in polymer matrix . the metal alkoxides used in the composition of this invention can be obtained by adding methanol , ethanol , isopropanol , and other well - known alcohols to metal oxides such as alumina , silica , titanium ( iv ) oxide , and zirconium ( iv ) oxide . for example , si ( oc 2 h 5 ) 4 , al ( o -- iso -- c 3 h 7 ) 3 , ti ( o -- iso -- c 3 h 7 ) 4 , zr ( o -- t -- c 4 h 9 ) 4 , zr ( o -- n -- c 4 h 9 ) 4 , ca ( oc 2 h 5 ) 2 , fe ( oc 2 h 5 ) 3 , v ( o -- iso -- c 3 h 7 ) 4 , sn ( o -- t -- c 4 h 9 ) 4 , li ( oc 2 h 5 ), be ( oc 2 h 5 ) 3 , v ( o -- iso -- c 3 h 7 ) 4 , p ( oc 2 h 5 ) 3 , and p ( och 3 ) 3 can be used . the silane coupling agent used for the composition of this invention can be any of the well - known silane coupling agents , such as ( γ - glycidoxypropyl ) trimethoxysilane , ( γ - glycidoxypropyl ) methyldiethoxysilane , β -( 3 , 4 - epoxycyclohexyl ) ethyltrimethoxysilane , vinyltrimethoxysilane , vinyltrichlorosilane , vinyltris ( β - methoxyethoxy ) silane , vinyltriacetoxysilane , ( γ - methacryloxypropyl ) trimethoxysilane , n - β -( n - vinylbenzylaminoethyl )- γ - aminopropyltrimethoxysilane . hydrochloride , γ - aminopropyltriethoxysilane , n - phenyl - γ - aminopropyltrimethoxysilane , γ -( 2 - aminoethyl ) aminopropylmethyldimethoxysilane , γ - mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane , mercaptopropylmethyldimethoxysilane , methyltrimethoxysilane , methyltriethoxysilane , hexamethyldisilazane , γ - anilinopropyltrimethoxysilane , γ - chloropropyltrimethoxysilane , γ - chloropropylmethyldimethoxysilane , methyltrichlorosilane , dimethyldichlorosilane , trimethylchlorosilane , octadecyldimethyl [ 3 -( trimethoxysylil ) propyl ] ammoniumchloride , a mixture of aminosilanes , etc . for every 100 parts by weight of the metal alkoxide mentioned above , 300 parts by weight or less of the silane coupling agent can be used , with preferably 1 - 300 parts by weight , and still more preferable limits of 10 - 40 parts by weight . if more than 300 parts by weight is used , the polymer obtained is not very different from that obtained with less , and is expensive . as organic monomers , there are acrylic acid , metharylic acid , dimethylformamide , acrylonitrile , stylene , methyl acrylate , ethyl acrylate , methyl methacrylate , ethyl methacrylate , etc . however , any vinyl - type monomer , and not just those listed here , can be used . this kind of organic monomer is used within the limits of 200 parts by weight or less for every 100 parts by weight of the metal alkoxide mentioned above , and preferably 10 - 300 parts by weight , with still more preferable limits of 30 - 100 parts by weight . the catalyst for sol - gel method ( which is used to catalyze hydrolysis and polycondensation reactions for the metal alkoxides and silane coupling agents mentioned above ) includes acids , their anhyrides , and organic bases . these organic bases are tertiary amines that are substantially insoluble in water and soluble in organic solvents . as the acid used as a catalyst , it is possible to use mineral acid such as hydrochloric acid , sulfuric acid , nitric acid , etc . it is possible to obtain the same effects with the use of the anhydride of mineral acids , for example , with hydrogen chloride gas . also , organic acids and their anhydrides can be used . for example , tartaric acid , phthalic acid , maleic acid , dodecylsuccinic acid , hexahydrophthalic acid , methyl endic acid , pyromellitic acid , benzophenonetetracarboxylic acid , dichlorosuccinic acid , chlorendic acid , phthalic anhydride , maleic anhydride , dodecylsuccinic anhydride , hexahydrophthalic anhydride , methyl endic anhydride , pyromellitic dianhydride , benzophenonetetracarboxylic anhydride , dichlorosuccinic anhydride , and chlorendic anhydride can be used . per mole of the metal alkoxide , 0 . 01 mol or more of these acids , and preferably 0 . 01 - 0 . 5 mol , can be used . if the amount of the acid is less than 0 . 01 mol , the hydrolysis of the metal alkoxides does not proceed substantially . as such tertiary amines used as a catalyst , n , n - dimethylbenzylamine , tributylamine , tri - n - propylamine , tripentylamine , tripropargylamine , n , n , n - trimethylethylenediamine , tri - n - hexylamine , etc ., can be used . the tertiary amine can be used at equimolar amounts or in excess amounts of the acid mentioned above ; preferably , it is used in amounts ranging from 0 . 01 to 0 . 06 mol per mole of the metal alkoxide . the amount of tertiary amine to be used can be chosen within the limits mentioned above with consideration of its degree of dissociation . if there is too little tertiary amine , then after the hydrolysis of the metal alkoxide , the rate of polycondensation is greatly slowed . as the solvent that can be used in the method , in addition to the water used in the hydrolysis , it is possible to use an organic solvent . as the organic solvent , solvents that are miscible with water or solvents that can be partly dissolved in water can be used . these include , for example , methanol , ethanol , butanol , n - propanol , isopropanol , pentanol , hexanol , acetone , methyl ethyl ketone , and formamide . the aromatic composition of this invention is manufactured by the following three main methods . in the first method , a polymer is made by the use of a metal alkoxide , and the perfume is trapped in a matrix of this polymer . in the second method , a polymer is made by the use of a metal alkoxide and a silane coupling agents , and the perfume is trapped in a matrix of this polymer . in the third method , a polymer is made by the use of a metal alkoxide , silane coupling agent , and organic monomer , and the perfume is trapped in a matrix of this polymer . in the first method , for example , the metal alkoxide mentioned above is dissolved in the organic solvent mentioned above , such as , for example , alcohol . the concentration of the metal alkoxide is not set within any particular limits , but ordinarily , it is 500 - 600 g / l . next , water is added to the metal alkoxide solution . the amount of water that is added is at the proportion of 1 - 30 moles per mole of the metal alkoxide . the water can be mixed beforehand with the alcohol mentioned above . to this solution of metal alkoxide ( including water ), the perfume mentioned above is added to obtain a solution or dispersion . the perfume can be added , for example , in the form of a solution in organic solvent or aqueous solution . to this , an acid ( or its anhydride ) catalyst for the sol - gel method mentioned above is added and the mixture is mixed at room temperature . the reaction is carried out at room temperature to prevent the volatilization of the perfume . with this treatment , hydrolysis is virtually complete . into this reaction mixture , the tertiary amine catalyst ( the other of the two forms of the catalyst ) is added . when the tertiary amine is added , a polycondensation reaction proceeds and gelatin is completed within a relatively short time . the time taken for gelation or degree of gelation depends on the amount of water used and the amount of catalyst for the sol - gel method that is used . in general , it is possible to control the time of gelation from about 2 seconds to several dozens of minutes . the gel mentioned above is constituted by an inorganic polymer formed by the hydrolysis and polycondensation of the metal alkoxide mentioned above . perfume particles ( i . e ., fine granules of solid or liquid comprising molecules of perfume , and as the case may be , the organic solvent that containes the molecules of perfume ) are trapped in a matrix of this polymer . more particularly , it is possible to encapsulate and / or clathrate particles of perfume in the following kind of form . in the reaction mentioned above , the metal alkoxide undergoes hydrolysis and polycondensation , including a cross - linking reaction , resulting in fine particles with a three - dimensional structure . when the particles with a three - dimensional structure is formed , the particles of perfume are trapped into the three - dimensional network constituted by the said structure . as a result , the particles of perfume are encapsulated in particles of polymer . these polymer particles gather in a number of clumps , and they further undergo polycondensation and cross - linking reactions to form a continuous three - dimensional matrix . the perfume particles are taken into the spaces inside , so as to be encapsulated or clathrated . when the solvent including alcohol produced by the polycondensation reaction is removed by volatilization from the three - dimensional matrix , as will be described below , the perfume remains in the porous matrix framework . it is known that the pores of the porous matrix mentioned above have an extremely small diameter ( science , vol . 79 , 192 ( 1986 ); nikkei science inc .). for that reason , the perfume volatilizes gradually , which results in the fragrance continuing long - term . in the second method , a silane coupling agent is used in addition to the metal alkoxide of the first method described above . for example , first , to a solution that contains metal alkoxide in alcohol and water , perfume , silane coupling agent , and a light - sensitizer , if needed , are added . as the light - sensitizer , diacetyl and the like can be used . the light - sensitizer accelerates the photocondensation reaction brought about by the ultraviolet radiation . moreover , if needed , other monomers and polymers can be added . as such monomers , there are vinyl - type monomers , and as the polymers , there are copolymers and polymers polymerized from vinyl chloride , vinyl acetate , butadiene , etc . these monomers and polymers are added for the purpose of acceleration of the polymerization and copolymerization reactions described below , and for the purpose of the formation of a homogeneous and strong polymer . to this mixture , as in the first method described above , a catalyst for the sol - gel methode is added , and the mixture is irradiated as needed by ultraviolet light and / or by an electron beam . the wavelength of the ultraviolet light is 250 nm or less . if this wavelength is more than 250 nm , the radical polymerization , cross - linking reaction , and polycondensation reaction mentioned below will probably not proceed sufficiently . the dose of radiation with an electron beam can be within the limits of 0 . 1 - 50 megarads . the amount of energy is preferably 150 - 200 kv . if less than 0 . 1 megarad is used , the radical polymerization , cross - linking reaction , and polycondensation reaction mentioned below will probably not proceed sufficiently . there is no need for more than 50 megarads . the radiation equipment for the electron beam can be , for example , an area beam electronic radiation device such as the curetron ( nisshin denki co .). the metal alkoxide and silane coupling agent in the reaction mixture mentioned above are hydrolyzed , followed by the subsequent polycondensation reaction , which proceeds rapidly . moreover , when the silane coupling agent contains , for example , an epoxy moiety , the acid and base catalyst mentioned above cause cleavage of the epoxy ring , and ring - opening polymerization occurs . when a reaction mixture is irradiated with ultraviolet light and / or an electron beam , radicals arise from vinyl groups , and these radicals cause the cross - linking reaction and radical polymerization ( i . e ., photopolymerization or electron - beam polymerization ) of the organic portion of the silane coupling agent . when ultraviolet light is used for radiation , the radicals arise from the light - sensitizer . in addition to an electron beam and ultraviolet light , other kinds of radiation can be used . in these ways , the hydrolysis and polycondensation of the metal alkoxide and the inorganic portion of the silane coupling agent are made to proceed rapidly . radical polymerization ( including cross - linking polymerization ) of the organic portion of the silane coupling agent can also be made to proceed rapidly . the reactions mentioned above occur between the silane coupling agents , between the metal alkoxides , and / or between the silane coupling agent and the metal alkoxide . the inorganic portion of the silane coupling agent ( i . e ., the silica portion ) is taken into the framework of inorganic polymer molecules produced from the hydrolysate of the metal alkoxide , or forms an inorganic polymer by polycondensation arising among the silane coupling agents . the organic portion of the silane coupling agent that is attached to the silicon atom forms a cross - linked moiety with an organic portion of the other silane coupling agent molecule . the polymer formed in this way has an inorganic polymer portion formed from the hydrolysis and polycondensation of the metal alkoxide and the silane coupling agent and also an organic polymer portion formed by the polymerization of the polymerizable group ( i . e ., organic portion ) of the silane coupling agent . in other words , the metal alkoxide and the silane coupling agent react to form a polymer in which the metal alkoxide and the silane coupling agent are bound on the molecular level ( this can be thought of as a conjugated polymer with an organic portion and an inorganic portion ). the reaction system containing the said polymer becomes a gel , as in the first method mentioned above . the conjugated polymer forms a matrix with a three - dimensional structure that is almost the same structure as in the first method , and the perfume particles that are present in the reaction system are encapsulated or clathrated in the polymer matrix almost in the same way as in the first method . in the third method , in addition to the metal alkoxide and silane coupling agents used in the second method mentioned above , an organic monomer is used . for example , first , to a solution of metal alkoxide in water and alcohol , perfume and silane coupling agent are added . to the mixture , an acid catalyst for sol - gel methods is added so as to hydrolyze the metal alkoxide , followed by the addition of the organic monomer . when photocondensation is carried out by the use of ultraviolet light , a light - sensitizer such as diacetyl can be added . furthermore , other monomers and polymers can be added as in the second method , if needed . to this mixture , a base catalyst for sol - gel methods is added , and the mixture is irradiated with ultraviolet light and / or an electron beam . the reaction that is brought about in this way is similar to the reaction in the second method , and polymerization of organic monomers by a radical reaction occurs . this polymerization can occur between molecules of the organic monomer , and also between molecules of the said organic monomer and the organic portion ( e . g ., the epoxy moiety , vinyl moiety , etc .) of the silane coupling agent . in this way , a conjugated polymer is produced that has more organic portions than those of the polymer of the second method , and that has a complicated cross - linked structure . the perfume particles are encapsulated and / or clathrated in the conjugated polymer matrix as in the first and second methods described above . in general , as a catalyst for sol - gel methods , mineral acids are widely known , but if such catalysts are used in the third method , compared to the polymerization of organic monomers , the hydrolysis and polycondensation reactions of the metal alkoxides and silane coupling agent become extremely slow . as a result , a homogeneous conjugated polymer is not formed . on the contrary , in this invention , catalyst for sol - gel methods mentioned above that has been developed by the inventors are used , and the reaction is very much accelerated , so that an homogeneous conjugated polymer is formed . when an electron beam and / or ultraviolet light is used for radical polymerization in the second and third methods described above , the reaction proceeds at low temperatures such as 20 °- 30 ° c . so that the perfume will not volatilize and be lost . with the composition obtained by the use of the first and second methods , when the solvent and the alcohol are removed from the reaction system ( including the framework of the matrix ), a porous polymer matrix including perfume particles can be obtained . for that reason , with this composition as well , the slow release of the perfume is very satisfactory . the conjugated polymer in the composition obtained by these methods includes an organic portion in the molecule , so the rate of film formation , mechanical strength , processability , and adhesion to various kinds of base materials are excellent . for that reason , by application to base materials such as wood , synthetic resin , metals , fabrics , non - woven cloth , etc . with a paint to which this composition is added , various kinds of products with aromaticity having excellent slow release properties and with excellent durability can be obtained . in general , the reaction mixtures that contain perfume particles that are encapsulated or clathrated by the first , second , and third methods described above are gels . the reaction mixture may be a sol that contains fine polymer particles , and the sol may also be used for various purposes . when the gel is mashed , for example , it can be mixed with printing ink or paint to give ink or paint with aromaticity . alternatively , the gel can be dried , to give a porous polymer that contains perfume , and this can be mixed with paints and the like . this kind of ink and paint can be applied to fabric goods , building materials , furniture , etc ., or these articles can be soaked in it . it is also possible to include this in cosmetics . in place of the perfume , insecticides or deodorants can be encapsulated and / or clathrated to give them longlasting effects . the various products on which the composition of this invention is used can maintain their aromaticity , insecticidal properties , or deodorant effects long - term . ______________________________________components amounts ( molar ratio ) ______________________________________ethyl silicate 25 g ( 1 ) water 8 . 6 g ( 4 ) ethanol 25 mlaldehyde - type perfume 25 ghydrochloric acid 0 . 129 g . sup . ( a ) ( 0 . 03 ) n , n - dimethylbenzylamine 0 . 321 g ( 0 . 02 ) ______________________________________ note : . sup . ( a ) calculated in terms of hydrogen chloride . after the ethanol , ethyl silicate , and perfume were mixed , water and hydrochloric acid were added , and the mixture was stirred for several seconds . n , n - dimethylbenzylamine was added , and the mixture was stirred for 50 seconds more to obtain a gel . next , the resulting gel was mashed and then dispersed evenly in printing ink ( which contained 255 g of urethane - acrylate polymer emulsion and 7 . 2 g of pigment .) the aromatic ink composition obtained was applied on the surface of cotton cloth , and was found to have uniform aromaticity for 8 months . when printing ink that contained acrylate - polymer emulsion instead of the urethane - acrylate polymer emulsion was used , the same results were obtained . ______________________________________components amounts ( molar ratio ) ______________________________________ethyl silicate 25 g ( 1 ) water 8 . 6 g ( 4 ) ethanol 25 ml ( α - gylycidoxypropyl ) trimethoxysilane ( tore silicone sh6040 6 galdehyde - type perfume 25 ghydrochloric acid 0 . 129 g . sup . ( a ) ( 0 . 03 ) n , n - dimethylbenzylamine 0 . 162 g ( 0 . 01 ) ______________________________________ note : . sup . ( a ) calculated in terms of hydrogen chloride . ethanol , ethyl silicate , perfume , silane coupling agent ( tore silicone sh 6040 ), and water were mixed , and then hydrochloric acid and n , n - dimethylbenzylamine was added in this order by the same method as in example 1 . the resulting gel was mashed and then mixed uniformly in an ethanol solution containing 90 % of nylon 6 / 11 . this mixture was applied to the surface of a sheet made of polyvinyl chloride so that it would be 20 μm thick after drying . the scent lasted for 2 months . ______________________________________components amounts ( molar ratio ) ______________________________________ethyl silicate 25 g ( 1 ) water 4 . 3 g ( 2 ) isopropyl alcohol 20 mlacetone 10 ml ( α - glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane ( tore silicone sh6040 ) 7 gester - type perfume 20 mlhydrochloric acid 0 . 129 g . sup . ( a ) ( 0 . 03 ) n , n - dimethylbenzylamine 0 . 162 g ( 0 . 01 ) ______________________________________ note : . sup . ( a ) calculated in terms of hydrogen chloride . in place of ethanol , isopropyl alcohol was used , and a reaction was carried out as in example 2 . the resulting gel was mashed and then mixed with acetone . cloth ( 100 % cotton broadcloth ) was soaked in this mixture , removed , and then dried . the amount of mixture that remained on the cloth per unit area after drying was 13 . 8 g / m 2 . this aromatic cloth remained scented for 6 months . ______________________________________components amounts ( molar ratio ) ______________________________________ethyl silicate 25 g ( 1 ) water 4 . 3 g ( 2 ) isopropyl alcohol 25 mlacetone 12 ml ( α - glycidoxysilanetrimethoxysilane ( tore silicone sh6040 ) 6 gacrylontrile 18 . 9 mlester - type perfume 10 mlhydrochloric acid 0 . 129 g . sup . ( a ) ( 0 . 03 ) n , n - dimethylbenzylamine 0 . 324 g ( 0 . 02 ) ______________________________________ note : . sup . ( a ) calculated in terms of hydrogen chloride . isopropyl alcohol , ethyl silicate , perfume , silane coupling agent , acrylonitrile monomer and water were mixed , and to this , hydrochloric acid and n , n - dimethyl - benzylamine was added in that order by the same method used in example 1 . the gel that was produced was mashed and diluted with acetone . the mixture was coated on the surface of glass plate so that it would be 10 μm thick after drying . the scent lasted for 2 months . ______________________________________components amounts ( molar ratio ) ______________________________________ethyl silicate 25 g ( 1 ) water 8 . 6 g ( 4 ) ethanol 25 mldeodorant ( fresh - shuraimatsu ; 50 gshiraimatsu inc .) hydrochloric acid 0 . 129 g . sup . ( a ) ( 0 . 03 ) n , n - dimethylbenzylamine 0 . 324 g ( 0 . 02 ) ______________________________________ note : . sup . ( a ) calculated in terms of hydrogen chloride . ethyl silicate , ethanol , deodorant , and water were mixed , and then hydrochloric acid and n , n - dimethylbenzylamine were added in this order by the same method as in example 1 . the resulting gel was mashed and then applied on the internal surface of a plastic garbage container for use in kitchens . the deodorant effects were retained for 2 months . it is understood that various other modifications will be apparent to and can be readily made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention . accordingly , it is not intended that the scope of the claims appended hereto be limited to the description as set forth herein , but rather that the claims be construed as encompassing all the features of patentable novelty that reside in the present invention , including all features that would be treated as equivalents thereof by those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains . | 8 |
referring to the drawings and , more particularly , to fig1 there is shown a shoe positioning mechanism 10 including a shoe supporting arrangement 12 . the shoe supporting means comprises a jack post 14 which is slidable in a sleeve member 16 which is fixed between a pair of plate members 18 pivotally supported between side plates of a carriage , not shown . the shoe supporting means is movable lengthwise of a shoe assembly 20 comprising an upper 21 and a last 23 carried by the jack post 14 , to effect relative movement between the shoe assembly 20 and operating means such as adhesive applying nozzles and lasting instrumentalities , not shown , but which may otherwise be included on the machine . the shoe positioning mechanism 10 also comprises a shoe length measuring device 24 shown more clearly in fig2 . the measuring device 24 includes a plate 26 which is mounted upon an upper end portion of an arm 28 of a two - armed lever 30 which is pivoted on a carriage 32 and is movable to carry the plate 26 toward and away from the toe end portion of the shoe assembly 20 supported on the jack post 14 . the shoe positioning mechanism 10 also includes a pair of side gauges 34 and 36 in the form of plates connected at their lower ends to blocks 38 which are each pivoted on a pin 40 extending lengthwise with respect to the shoe assembly 20 carried by the jack post 14 . the pins 40 extend between a pair of brackets 42 which are secured to upper end portions of a pair of side frame members 44 , lower end portions of each being secured to an arm 46 of the plate 18 supporting the jack post carrying the sleeve member 16 . the side gauges 34 and 36 are movable to shoe engaging positions by means of piston and cylinder devices 48 and 50 . the illustrative machine also includes an auxiliary toe engaging plate 60 shown more clearly in fig2 . the auxiliary toe engaging plate 60 extends upwardly from a supporting member 62 attached to a bracket 66 by a hinge 64 . the bracket 66 extends sideways from the arm 28 , as shown in fig2 . the auxiliary toe engaging plate 60 is therefore mounted for movement relative to the arm 28 and the plate 26 toward and away from the toe end portion of the shoe assembly 20 supported in the machine . the plate 60 is moved by a piston and cylinder device 68 which has a piston rod 70 . the piston rod 70 is pivotally connected to a block 72 which is secured to the supporting member 62 . the cylinder of the device 68 is pivotally supported on a bracket 74 secured to the arm 28 . a sensor comprising a finger 76 extends upwardly from and is pivoted on a pin 78 which extends generally lengthwise of the shoe assembly 20 from the supporting member 62 . an actuating member 80 is also pivoted on the pin 78 , the actuating member being in the form of a plate shaped as shown in fig2 . a piston and cylinder device 82 has a piston rod 84 connected , by a pin 86 , to one portion of the actuating member 80 . the device 82 is used to swing the actuating member 80 about the pin 78 . the cylinder of the device 82 is pivotally connected , at a , to a bar 88 extending sideways from the supporting member 62 . an arm 92 extending outwardly from the finger 76 holds one end of a tension spring 90 which extends between the pin 86 and a hook carried thereon . the spring 90 acts normally to hold the arm 92 in engagement with a stop pin 94 extending from the actuating member 80 . the finger 76 is located so that , on operation of the piston and cylinder device 82 , it swings widthwise of a shoe assembly supported in the machine at a locality just behind ( as seen from the front of the machine ) the auxiliary toe engaging plate 60 . a switch device 96 , conveniently in the form of a microswitch or valve , is mounted upon a depending portion of the actuating member 80 . the switch device 96 is provided with an actuator 98 positioned just below the arm 92 . the switch device 96 is connected in a control circuit arrangement 100 of the machine which is arranged to supply the piston and cylinder devices 48 , 50 with fluid under pressure , conveniently compressed air . the operation of the side gauges will now be described to include fig3 of the accompanying drawings . the control circuit arrangement 100 of the machine is so arranged that initially the cylinder of the piston and cylinder device 48 associated with the side gauge 36 is supplied with air at relatively high pressure to hold the side gauge 36 in operative position in engagement with the outside joint region of a shoe assembly for a left foot . this action positions that shoe assembly in correct alignment with respect to the center line of the machine ( which center line passes through the last supporting pin of the shoe supporting jack ). the full line l in fig3 shows the outline of a shoe assembly so positioned . the piston and cylinder device 50 associated with the side gauge 34 is then supplied with air under comparatively low pressure to move the side gauge 34 into shoe engaging position to hold the shoe assembly in operative position as determined by the side gauge 36 . the piston and cylinder device 68 is then supplied with air under pressure to swing the supporting member 62 in a direction relative to the arm 28 to carry the auxiliary toe engaging plate 60 into engagement with the toe end of the shoe assembly . air , or other appropriate fluid , under pressure , is then supplied to the piston and cylinder device 82 to swing the actuating member 80 about the pin 78 in a direction to carry the finger 76 yieldably ( under action of the spring 90 ) toward the side of the toe end portion of the shoe assembly . the stroke of the piston rod 84 is so determined ( as by a suitable stop arrangement ) that the finger 76 moves to a position shown in dotted lines ( 76 &# 39 ; shown in fig3 ) which does not contact the shoe assembly . if , however , a shoe assembly for a right foot is positioned on the last pin with the inside joint region positioned against the side gauge 36 the bottom of the shoe assembly will occupy a position as indicated , in outline , by the dashed line r 1 shown in fig3 . when the side gauge 36 is moved , at relatively low pressure , into shoe engaging position the shoe assembly is positioned , as shown by the line r 1 in fig3 so that when the finger 76 moves toward its position 76 &# 39 ; it engages a toe end portion of the shoe assembly and causes the finger 76 and the arm 92 to be swung about the pivot pin 78 to actuate the switch device 96 . actuation of the switch brings about a change in the control circuit arrangement 100 whereby the cylinder 48 is supplied with air at comparatively low pressure while the cylinder 50 is supplied with air at relatively high pressure . this switching of the air supply to the cylinders 48 , 50 moves the side gauges 36 and 34 respectively into the positions indicated in outline at 36 &# 39 ; and 34 &# 39 ; in fig3 thus positioning the shoe assembly for a right foot with its bottom in the position indicated by the chain - dotted line r 2 . in this position the shoe assembly for a right foot is correctly aligned with respect to the center line of the machine . with the shoe assembly correctly aligned the arm 28 may then be swung to carry the plate 26 into engagement with the plate 60 to effect shoe length measurement . the shoe size and side sensing arrangement described above permits manufacture of varying shoe lengths and alternating shoe sides in a single machine . the sensors are not complicated in their manufacture or maintenance , and their use in a shoe upper conforming machine permits less skilled and hence less expensive operation . while the machine has been described with a certain degree of particularity , it is to be understood that the previous description is exemplary only and that the scope of the invention is defined by the following claims . | 0 |
referring to fig1 a vertical support post 12 is fixed to a furniture surface 10 , for example the working top of a writing desk . the support post 12 is used to carry functional elements , e . g ., the platform of a raised work stand , a monitor arm , a telephone arm , a desk lamp or the like . at the bottom end of the support post 12 there is attached a horizontal , rigid retaining plate 14 . the support post 12 and the retaining plate 14 are of a suitable material , for example cast metal or plastic . on the furniture surface 10 there is bonded an anchor piece , specifically an anchor plate 16 . an adhesive applied unilaterally to the underside of the anchor plate 16 or a two - sided adhesive tape can be used for bonding the anchor plate 16 . the retaining plate 14 and the anchor plate 16 are equal in area and have the same shape , and so when the retaining plate 14 is placed on the anchor plate 16 the two plates visually blend into a single plate . the areal dimensions of the retaining plate 14 and the anchor plate 16 are chosen such that they provide adequate bracing of the support post 12 , especially against tilting moments . accordingly , the retaining plate 14 and the anchor plate 16 can have triangular , rectangular and especially square form ; the square form is illustrated in the drawing . to achieve greater bracing effect without limiting the usable furniture surface 10 too much , the retaining plate 14 and the anchor plate 16 can be formed by two or more rails placed on the furniture surface 10 and disposed at an angle , preferably a right angle . the anchor plate 16 consists preferably of an elastic synthetic material , so that bending of the anchor plate 16 is possible . thereby detachment of the anchor plate 16 from the furniture surface 10 is facilitated . the anchor plate 16 can be pried up from the furniture surface 10 at one of its corners and then peeled progressively with bending from the furniture surface 10 . the bond between the anchor plate 16 and the furniture surface 10 is then progressively separated along only one line at any time . thereby only slight application of force is necessary for detachment , and the furniture surface 10 is preserved from damage . preferably a soluble adhesive is used for bonding the anchor plate 16 . if the anchor plate 16 has to be detached , a solvent can first be applied in order to facilitate detachment . in order to bring the solvent to the bonded surface , the anchor plate 16 can as desired consist of a porous material or have perforations through which the solvent can reach the bonded surface . the retaining plate 14 is fixed positively and separately to the anchor plate 16 . for this purpose , the underside of the retaining plate 14 is provided with projections 18 , which extend positively into recesses 20 of the anchor plate 16 . the number of projections 18 and recesses 20 depends on the size and shape of the retaining plate 14 and anchor plate 16 and also on the tilting load to be absorbed by the support post 12 . in the practical examples illustrated in fig1 to 11 , the retaining plate 14 and the anchor plate 16 have rectangular form , and a projection 18 and a corresponding recess 20 is provided at each corner . in the practical example of fig2 to 5 , the projections 18 of the retaining plate 14 each consist of a vertical rectangular block 22 projecting from the underside of the retaining plate 14 , at the bottom end of which block a nose 24 projects laterally on one side , parallel to the plane of the retaining plate . the noses 24 of all projections 18 point in the same direction . the recesses 20 of the anchor plate 16 corresponding with the projections 18 have an insertion opening 26 that passes through the anchor plate 16 and the cross section of which corresponds to the cross section of the face of block 22 and nose 24 of the projections 18 . at the underside of the anchor plate 16 there are provided , contiguous with each insertion opening 26 , undercuts 28 for the noses 24 of the projections 18 . the undercuts 28 are open at the underside of the anchor plate 28 , so that the anchor plate 16 with the undercuts 28 is easy to make by production - engineering techniques . to fix the retaining plate 14 on the anchor plate 16 , the retaining plate 14 is placed from above on the anchor plate 16 , the projections 18 being inserted into the insertion openings 26 of the recesses 20 . as soon as the retaining plate 14 rests flat on the anchor plate 16 , the retaining plate 14 is pushed laterally over the anchor plate 16 ( to the right in the diagrams of fig2 to 5 ), such that the noses 24 of the projections 18 enter the undercuts 28 of the recesses 20 . thereby the retaining plate 14 is interlocked with the anchor plate 16 and cannot be raised up from the anchor plate 16 . in this interlocked position , the retaining plate 14 is coincident with the anchor plate 16 , as is shown in fig1 . if a tilting moment is applied to the retaining plate 14 , the engagement of it over all or a substantial part of flexible anchor plate 16 prevents flexing thereof , and therefore prevents peeling of the flexible anchor plate 16 , now effectively rigid , at a line of the adhesive . hence , the entire adhesive body between anchor plate 16 and the furniture surface 10 resists tilting of the retaining plate and structure attached to it . upon separation of the retaining plate 16 form the flexible anchor plate 16 , the latter may be removed from the furniture surface 10 by a peeling action . to lock the retaining plate 14 in this interlocked position , the retaining plate 14 has a vertical through - hole 30 and the anchor plate 16 has a vertical hole 32 . the holes 30 and 32 are disposed such that they are axially aligned in the interlocked position of retaining plate 14 and anchor plate 16 . a locking pin inserted into the holes 30 and 32 locks the retaining plate 14 in the interlocked position , thus preventing any shifting on the anchor plate 16 . by withdrawing the locking pin the locked condition can be released again , so that the retaining plate 14 can be pushed laterally and lifted up from the anchor plate 16 . fig6 to 11 show a second embodiment of the projections 18 and recesses 20 . in this embodiment , the projections 18 consist of a web 34 projecting perpendicularly from the underside of the retaining plate 14 , which web has at its bottom end a flange 36 , which protrudes on both sides parallel to the plane of the retaining plate 14 . the recesses 20 ( see fig1 ) have an insertion opening 38 that passes through the anchor plate 16 and the cross section of which corresponds to the cross section of the flange 36 . contiguous with the insertion opening 38 there is provided a slot 40 , the width of which corresponds to the width of the web 34 . at the underside of the anchor plate 16 , the slot 40 widens on both sides to an undercut 42 for the flange 36 . the length of the slot 40 corresponds to the length of the web 34 . if the retaining plate 14 is placed on the anchor plate 16 in order to be attached , the projections 18 are inserted into the insertion openings 38 until the retaining plate 14 is seated on the anchor plate 16 . the retaining plate 14 is then pushed laterally over the anchor plate 16 , whereby the webs 34 of the projections 18 enter the slots 40 and the flanges 36 respectively enter the undercuts 42 . thereby the retaining plate 14 is interlocked positively with the anchor plate 16 . in this embodiment also , a locking pin is used to lock the retaining plate 14 in the interlocked position . fig1 to 15 show a third embodiment of the device . as the vertical partial section of fig1 shows , at least the peripheral zone of the rigid retaining plate 14 in this embodiment rests directly on the furniture surface 10 . the underside of the retaining plate 14 has a shallow relief 44 , which is used to receive and attaching structure . the anchor piece in this embodiment is made as an extruded plastic section 46 , which is shown in detail in fig1 to 15 . the plastic section 46 is thin - walled , thus permitting high flexibility . the thickness can be 1 mm to 2 mm , for example . the width of the plastic section 46 is chosen such that a sufficient total bonded area is provided . if necessary , two or more plastic sections 46 can be disposed parallel and next to each other on the underside of the retaining plate 14 . in one embodiment , for example , the plastic section 46 has a width of about 100 mm . the plastic section 46 is subdivided into narrow strips by parallel specified break lines 48 running in the longitudinal direction , which strips have a width of about 20 mm in the cited practical example . in the region of the specified break lines 48 , the plastic section 46 is thinned to a thickness of fractions of a millimeter , so that the individual strips of the plastic section 46 are indeed held together along the specified break lines 48 , but can nevertheless be easily separated from each other . on the top side of the plastic section 46 there are formed l - shaped projections 50 , which are continuous in the longitudinal direction thereof and which have a free leg parallel to the plane of the plastic section 46 , the width of the free leg being a few millimeters ( e . g ., 3 mm to 4 mm ). the clearance between the free leg and the surface of the plastic section 46 corresponds to its material thickness . the clearance and the material thickness of the free leg of the projections 50 correspond , for example , to the material thickness of the plastic section 46 , i . e ., 1 to 2 mm . in the illustrated practical example , a projection 50 is formed on each strip of the plastic section 46 . to attach the retaining plate 44 on the furniture surface 10 , a plastic section 46 is bonded to the furniture surface 10 by an adhesive layer 52 of an adhesive that can be detached again . by means of a corresponding adhesive layer 52 , another piece of the plastic section 46 having the same length is inverted relative to the first plastic section 4 and bonded in the relief 44 on the underside of the retaining plate 14 . the retaining plate 14 is now placed on the furniture surface 10 in such a way that the projections 50 of the plastic section 46 bonded to the furniture surface 10 and the projections 50 of the plastic section 46 bonded to the retaining plate 14 are offset and parallel to each other . the retaining plate 14 is now laterally at right angles to the direction of the plastic sections 46 ( to the left in fig1 ), so that the projections 50 of the two plastic sections 46 engage with each other by means of their free legs , as can be seen in fig1 . the retaining plate 14 is thereby positively attached to the plastic section 46 of the anchor piece 16 . as fig1 shows , the height of the relief 44 is chosen such that the projections 50 of the two plastic sections 46 engage in each other when the retaining plate 14 rests with its peripheral region on the furniture surface 10 . in order to lock the retaining plate 14 in the interlocked position shown in fig1 , in which the plastic sections are engaged in each other , a flat bar 54 is pushed in the longitudinal direction of the plastic sections into one of the hollow channels formed by the lower and upper plastic sections 46 plus the projections 50 formed respectively on the lower and upper plastic sections 46 . the flat bar 54 has a width that corresponds to the clearance between these profile angle pieces 50 , and so the flat bar 54 prevents mutual shifting of the plastic sections 46 bonded to the furniture surface 10 and to the retaining plate 14 . in order to remove the retaining plate 14 , the flat bar 54 is withdrawn . the retaining plate 14 can then be pushed laterally ( to the right in fig1 ) such that the projections 50 of the plastic sections 46 become disengaged . the retaining plate 14 is then lifted off . the plastic profile 46 adhering to the furniture top 10 can now be pulled off from the furniture surface 10 . in the process , the plastic section 46is peeled off in strips formed by separating it along the specified break lines 48 . this stripwise removal of the plastic section 46 facilitates the detachment of the adhesive layer 52 , since it merely has to be detached at a short parting line running at right angles to each strip of the plastic section 46 . in contrast , for loadable attaching of the retaining plate 14 on the furniture surface 10 , the entire bonded surface of the plastic section 46 or the entire bonded surface of a plurality of plastic sections 46 disposed next to each other is utilized . this is achieved because the rigid structure of the retaining plate 14 permits only simultaneous separation of the adhesive layer 52 over the entire surface of all plastic sections 46 . | 5 |
fig1 a to 1 c show a first exemplary embodiment of the fastener 1 according to the invention . in this embodiment , the fastener 1 comprises a main body 2 of which the front is shown in fig1 a and the back in fig1 b . fig1 c shows a sectional view through the fastener 1 . the main body 2 consists of a solid , gas - tight and liquid - tight material , in particular a metal such as aluminum . the main body 2 has a circular disc shape and is completely closed in the present case . bolts , threads or similar adapters , which are not shown herein , can be provided on the back side of the main body 2 in order to position and fixate specific objects on the fastener 1 . the fastener 1 embodied in this way can be used in particular for holding accessories in bathrooms , sanitary rooms or also to secure objects to the inside or the outside of buildings , for example such objects as grates for holding plants , curtain rods , shower profiles and the like . the main body 2 in the present case consists of a circular disk - shaped base plate 2 a , wherein a ring - shaped edge segment 2 b which projects over the inside the base plate is provided on the inside along the circumference of the base plate . the inside of the base plate 2 a is therefore recessed , relative to the edge segment 2 b . a hydrophilic insert 4 is inserted into this recessed area and is fixated therein . the fixation can be realized as mechanical fixation or in the form of an adhesive agent . the hydrophilic insert 4 can take the form of a plate - shaped insert composed of cotton or a composite fiber material . alternatively , the hydrophilic insert 4 can also be a sintered plate composed , for example , of plastic , stainless steel or brass . the hydrophilic insert 4 is embodied plate shaped , wherein its geometries are adapted to the main body 2 in such a way that the hydrophilic insert 4 extends over the complete inside area of the base plate 2 a and fits tightly against the edge segment 2 b of the main body 2 . alternatively , the hydrophilic insert 4 can also extend only over partial areas of the base plate 2 a . the thickness of the material for the hydrophilic insert 4 is selected such that the insert is positioned lower , relative to the upper edge of the edge segment 2 b . it is obvious from fig1 a and 1 c that a fixation ring 5 is fitted onto the upper edge of the edge segment 2 b and extends over the complete circumference of the edge segment 2 b . the fixation ring 5 is used to pre - position the fastener 1 on a support surface , not shown herein , to which the fastener 1 is to be attached . the fixation ring 5 advantageously consists of a double - sided adhesive tape . to permanently install the fastener 1 on a support surface , for example on the wall or ceiling of a building , moisture is first metered into the hydrophilic insert 4 , for example by swiping a moistened cloth over the hydrophilic insert 4 . a layer of aerobic adhesive is then applied to this moistened hydrophilic insert 4 . the aerobic adhesive may be composed of a silane ms polymer . following this , the main body 2 of the fastener 1 is placed onto the support surface , so that the fixation ring 5 comes in contact with the support surface and the desired pre - positioning is achieved . as a result , the aerobic adhesive is located inside a completely enclosed cavity formed by the support surface and the main body 2 . despite the gas - tight and air - tight encapsulation of the aerobic adhesive , this adhesive cures completely since it is supplied by the hydrophilic insert 4 with the necessary moisture for the curing process . owing to the metered - in supply of moisture to the hydrophilic insert 4 , the aerobic adhesive is provided with precisely the amount of moisture needed for a complete curing . as a result of the gas - tight and liquid - tight encapsulation , the aerobic adhesive is protected against environmental influences , in particular against fluctuations in the humidity of the air which , upon contact with the aerobic adhesive , could result in too much or too little moisture being supplied to the aerobic adhesive , thereby possibly causing an incomplete curing of the aerobic adhesive . since a complete curing of the aerobic adhesive is achieved through the encapsulation of the aerobic adhesive and its contact with the moistened hydrophilic insert 4 , an excellent , permanent adherence of the fastener 1 on the support surface is achieved . fig2 a to 2 c show a variant of the embodiment according to fig1 a to 1 c . the embodiment according to fig2 a to 2 c is provided with bore holes 6 , 7 which punctuate the base plate 2 a and also the hydrophilic insert 4 attached to it . otherwise , the embodiment shown in fig2 a to 2 c corresponds fully to the embodiment shown in fig1 a to 1 c . with the exemplary embodiment shown in fig2 a to 2 c , the hydrophilic insert 4 is initially provided with moisture in a metered fashion . in contrast to the exemplary embodiment according to fig1 a to 1 c , the fastener 1 shown herein can be pre - fixated 5 on the support surface with the aid of the fixation ring 5 , prior to applying the aerobic adhesive to the hydrophilic insert 4 . in the present case where the fastener 1 is pre - fixated on the support surface , aerobic adhesive is inserted via one or both bore holes 6 into the cavity between the main body 2 and the support surface . the aerobic adhesive inserted in this way then forms an adhesive layer between the support surface and the hydrophilic insert 4 . excessive aerobic adhesive can exit via the bore holes 7 . residual aerobic adhesive inside the bore holes 6 , 7 seals these bore holes 6 , 7 so that the layer of aerobic adhesive between the support surface and the hydrophilic insert is again encapsulated gas - tight and liquid - tight , in the same way as for the embodiment according to fig1 a to 1 c . a controlled and complete curing of the layer of aerobic adhesive between the support surface and the hydrophilic insert 4 is consequently also achieved in this case since the aerobic adhesive therein contains only metered - in moisture from the hydrophilic insert but not from the environmental atmosphere . the bore holes 6 , 7 can furthermore meet the additional function of serving as mechanical fixation for the hydrophilic insert 4 in the main body 2 , wherein the bore holes 6 , 7 in particular are used for installing rivet connections . fig3 shows an embodiment of a fastener 1 with a magnetic holder . the fastener 1 in this case has a hollow - cylindrical main body 2 . fig3 shows a view of the exposed top of the main body 2 . a magnet 8 is positioned somewhat recessed in the main body 2 , in such a way that it is freely accessible via the exposed top of the main body 2 . according to the embodiment shown in fig1 a to 1 c , the hydrophilic insert 4 is located on the underside of the main body 2 . by applying aerobic adhesive to the hydrophilic insert 4 , the fastener 1 embodied in this way can be installed on a support surface . fig4 shows an application example for the fastener 1 according to fig3 . the fastener 1 is attached to a wall element 9 with the aid of aerobic adhesive that is applied to the hydrophilic insert 4 , for example used inside a motor vehicle . a refuse container 10 is provided with a ball joint on its outer wall . the metal ball 11 of the ball joint is inserted into the exposed top of the fastener 1 and is held in place therein by the magnetic forces of the magnet 8 . as a result , the refuse container is attached pivoting on the fastener 1 . | 8 |
as shown in fig1 , the present invention provides a duplicating receiving device 10 that can be selectively placed into a learning mode allowing the receiver to determine and learn the incoming frequency of a signal 12 transmitted by a remote transmitter unit 14 to be duplicated . as described below in connection with fig2 , an exemplary embodiment of receiving device 10 includes an arrangement for storing the learned frequency information , as well as the data content of the transmitted signal , in a memory . the stored frequency information can then be used to self tune an on - board transmitter . the on - board transmitter will then be able to duplicate the same signal , for example , coding and frequency , when desired . this allows the duplicating transceiver to emulate the duplicated transmitter unit by retransmitting the same data and frequency as the original transmitter unit . referring now to fig2 , an exemplary embodiment of a duplicating transceiver 100 is shown . transceiver 100 includes a receiving antenna element 102 having an output fed to a pre - scaler 104 . pre - scaler 104 is arranged to divide the frequency of a received signal by a predetermined factor n . the pre - scaler 104 provides an output 106 to a data demodulator 108 , and an output 110 to a counter 112 . data demodulator 108 operates in accordance with known demodulation principles to demodulate the data content from the received signal . this same device will either compare the received rf / mf frequency information received to a look - up table within the microprocessor to determine the exact frequency it should be and tune the on board transmitter to this frequency , or it will simply take the rf / mf frequency data as it is received and re - transmit this information at the frequency received . this device can be used to sense if the received data was of an amplitude shift keyed ( ask ) or frequency shift keyed ( fsk ) format and re - transmit the data in the same ask / fsk format . after this device has determined what carrier frequency it needs to re - transmit , it can also store the data carried by the carrier frequency for re - transmissions , or it can look at this data and compare it to data stored inside the processor to determine what it should be and re - transmit the prestored data from its memory in place of the data received . this is useful if the incoming data is of a rolling code or encrypted type . the preferred method for achieving this auto - frequency learn and auto frequency re - transmission is as follows : step 1 : the transmitter 14 that is intended to be duplicated is placed very close to duplicating receiver 10 as in fig1 . step 2 : circuit 100 is placed into a learn mode by the activation of a switch 116 as in fig2 . step 3 : when the learn switch 116 has been activated , the transmitter intended for duplication is continuously activated . step 4 : the data sent by this transmitter is received by the receive portion of circuit 100 . the receive portion is a prescaler 104 that takes the incoming frequency divides it by any number then outputs the results . these results will be passed on to two blocks of the circuit : the first to learn the carrier frequency , the second to learn the data on the carrier frequency . the portion that learns the carrier frequency consists of a counter 112 that when enabled by the microprocessor 114 , will count the edges of the incoming signal for a pre - determined period of time . this value will be used to determine the frequency of the carrier . step 5 : after the carrier is determined , the microprocessor 114 will monitor the demodulated data input 118 to determine the data type , period and modulation format , then store it in memory . once this is accomplished , the user will be instructed by the unit ( led or other means ) that the process is complete . step 6 : at this point , the unit will make a decision to re - measure the transmitter intended for duplication if it did not recognize the data information recorded in step 5 . this will instruct the user to repeat the continuously transmit mode to verify that the data received the first time is constant or changing . if it is constant ( fixed code ), the user will be notified that the process was a success by led or other visual means . if the data is changing ( rolling or encrypted type that is not pre - stored in the circuits memory ), the user will be notified that the system cannot be programmed to that particular transmitter , again by led or other visual means . step 7 : once the circuit determines that it has a successful learn , it will turn on the on board transmitter and start transmitting . the transmitter is composed of rf oscillator 130 that receives data and ask / fsk select inputs to function as a modulator . it will at the same time turn on the same prescaler used in the learn section described earlier and monitor the number of edges seen by the transmitter . the microprocessor will then electronically tune ( electronic tuning 132 ) the transmitter until the number of edges seen match the number of edges determined during the learn section of the transmitter intended for duplication . once the number of edges match , the tuning setting is stored and fixed in memory . this is how the self tuning of the transmitter is accomplished . this process can be repeated periodically automatically if chosen to do so in software . while embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described , it is not intended that these embodiments illustrate and describe all possible forms of the invention . rather , the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation , and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 7 |
the preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in fig1 . it illustrates a multi - stage centrifugal compressor unit newly designed for air - cooled operation . the differences from the previously available water - cooled designs can be more readily appreciated by comparing fig1 and 5 . again , it should be kept in mind that fig5 is readily converted from water to air cooled operations with minor piping modifications , as will be described below . comparing fig1 to fig5 , it can be seen that the water coolers 20 , 26 , and 28 have been eliminated from their position below the three stage compressors 14 ′, 16 ′, and 18 ′. instead , the lubricating oil reservoir 36 ′ is now below the gearbox 12 ′ and can optionally be cast as a part of it . although not shown in fig5 the separate oil cooler and its water connections have been eliminated in the fig1 design by an air - to - air cooler 38 . three additional air to air coolers 40 , 42 , and 44 are mounted adjacent to each other in a horizontal plane to respectively cool the discharge from the three stages of centrifugal compressors 14 ′, 16 ′, and 18 ′. a fan b driven by electric motor 48 preferably pushes the cooling air , in parallel , through the coolers 38 , 40 , 42 , and 44 , although a pull through design could also be used . in the push through design , the air handled by the fan is denser and has the capability of removing more heat while the pull through design offers an improved airflow distribution through the coolers . the package shown in fig1 is preferably housed in a louvered enclosure , shown schematically as 50 . for a 350 horsepower unit the dimensions of enclosure 50 are 116 ″ long by 73 ″ wide by a height range of 70 - 90 ″ depending on the air cooler configuration selected . the cooling air flow through the enclosure 50 is such that air enters fairly low , through louvers 52 which can optionally have filters 54 and thus can pass over the reservoir 36 ′ as well as the three stages of centrifugal compressors 14 ′, 16 ′, and 18 ′ as well as the gearbox 12 ′. in this way the moving cooling air cools off these pieces of equipment as it is drawn by the fan 46 . the cooling airflow also passes over the motor 48 for the fan 46 as well as the main drive motor 10 ′. use of the filters 54 allows the entire unit to act as an air filter in the location where it is mounted . thus with a fan 46 delivering 18 , 000 scfm and the unit mounted in a room having a height of 27 feet and 40 , 000 square feet of floor space , the entire space can be filtered by the unit in about 1 hour . additionally the filters 54 pre - filter the air to be compressed . while the compressor first stage inlet has its own filter ( not shown ) its life is prolonged because the air has been pre - filtered by filter 54 . another advantage of filter 54 is to keep dirt in the air sucked into the enclosure 50 from coating the compressors inside and / or fouling the cooler cores . the heated cooling air exhausted from the coolers , shown schematically as arrows 55 , can be used directly to heat a building in which the unit is mounted with a minimal amount or even no ductwork . the heated air 55 can be used in other energy saving ways such as supplying heated combustion air to boilers . while the stage temperature after cooling by air can vary , performance tests on a cooper turbocompressor unit ta - 2000 with a 350 hp driver is shown below . the first stage 14 ′ increased the pressure from 14 . 03 psia to 26 . 89 psia with a discharge temperature of 306 . 6 degrees f . prior to entry into the second stage 16 ′ the air was cooled to 81 . 8 degrees f . at a pressure of 25 . 78 psia . it was then compressed to 72 . 1 psia at 260 . 5 degrees f . and cooled by cooler 42 to 90 . 3 degrees f . in the third stage it was compressed up to 123 . 8 psia at 189 . 5 degrees f . and cooled by cooler 44 to 78 . 7 degrees f . the average cooling air inlet temperature was 75 . 7 degrees f . measured between the fan 46 and the coolers 40 , 42 and 44 . this made the realized approach in the discharge from the three stages respectively 6 . 1 , 14 . 6 and 3 . 0 degrees f . oil passing through cooler 38 was cooled from 137 . 4 degrees f . to 88 . 5 degrees f . for an approach of 12 . 8 degrees . during the performance test the unit delivered 1500 scfm of compressed air and consumed 386 amperes . the ambient conditions were 67 . 3 degrees f . dry bulb with a relative humidity of 27 . 9 %. those skilled in the art will recognize that the capacity of fan 46 can be altered by speed control or blade pitch control or by selective air pathway obstruction of the coolers 38 , 40 , 42 , and 44 so that in colder weather or at times where less output is required of the unit the level of cooling provided can match the requirements of the system . doing this also saves operating costs for the fan motor 48 . alternatively , in times of light load , the motor 48 may be cycled on and off . a control system to do this can be placed in the panel 64 . by mounting the coolers in a common horizontal plane or in parallel planes , instead of stacking the coolers one above the other , the cooling is done more efficiently . the coolest air is input to each cooler and the motive horsepower for the fan 46 can be reduced as the parallel flow through the various coolers from the fan 46 offers less resistance to flow . fig6 and 8 show the details of a typical cooler such as 20 ′. the coolers are preferably made of a modular system using vacuum brazing technology . the cooling air passes vertically through passages 56 and the compressed air makes one pass horizontally through passages 58 . fig8 shows a two - pass tube / fin arrangement in more detail . the one pass plate fin design is preferred for a reduced pressure drop and increased performance . an inlet 60 is connected to an inlet header 62 so as to accommodate a u - shaped path for the compressed air to be cooled , if using a two pass cooler . the cooled air outlet for two passes would then be on the same end of the cooler as the inlet 60 . alternatively , one pass for the cooled air or more than two passes could be used . the more passes the larger the size of the cooler and potentially the greater the pressure drop of the compressed air through any stage cooler . generally oversize piping and large radius elbows are preferred to minimize pressure drop and save power . this type of exchanger , which is also known as plate - fin , can give the required cooling with pressure drops per stage of less than 1 psi , with approach temperatures of the cooled air to ambient of less than 15 degrees and as low as less than 3 degrees . the modular components for such coolers are commercially available from api airtech incorporated of arcade n . y . u . s . a . under product designations 699 - 0307 through 699 - 0310 , respectively for coolers 40 , 42 , 44 , and 38 . changes in the casting as between the fig5 layout and the fig1 layout can be done to further reduce pressure drop by elimination of unnecessary bends . for example the first stage outlet is rotated to look up in fig1 from looking down in fig5 so that the piping can go directly to the air cooler immediately above . to better control noise , the enclosure 50 can have sound baffles . the fan 46 also has a shroud 64 to improve performance and minimize noise . it is worth noting that the inventors &# 39 ; experimental attempts to cool multi - stage centrifugal compressors with finned tube air - to - air exchangers were operational . however , the inventors saw a need for further optimization to enhance cooling performance while decreasing the package size . these efforts resulted in improvements including vacuum brazed plate - fin exchangers , parallel flow systems with a fan that pushed air through rather than pulled air through , and a cooling air flow path that cooled compressor components . this design was deemed an optimum which would most successfully compete with existing water cooled units . this conclusion was reached despite indications from those skilled in the art that pushing the air through the coolers would result in non - uniform flow through the coolers . the use of air cooling coupled with optimization of the package size allows , for the first time , a concept of portable and efficient multi - stage centrifugal compressor unit to be wheeled in , piped to an existing system and started ( if it is engine driven ). alternatively , it can be hooked up electrically to the power grid at the location if it is driven by an electric motor . the newly designed system shown in fig1 can occupy an equal or lesser footprint than the identically outfitted unit with water - cooling , such as depicted in fig5 . the fig5 unit can be retrofitted by removing the tube cores out of coolers 20 , 26 , 28 and still directing the discharge from each stage through the now hollow cooler chambers . the outlet of each chamber would be redirected to an air cooler mounted above in the same configuration shown in fig1 . the cooling fan 46 is added and the operation commences on an air - cooled basis . the retrofit is fairly straightforward and , when completed , allows the disconnection of the water - cooling system equipment and the immediate savings of space and operating costs of air - cooled systems , previously described . air - cooling affords other efficiency advantages . the airflow drawn through the enclosure 50 cools the control panel electrical components saving the installation of a panel cooler in panel 64 . the same airflow over the compressors can cool them as well as the gas in the interconnecting piping . the compressor housings and the interconnecting piping can have finned exposed areas for greater heat transfer . the use of modular sections of plate - fin air to air exchangers allows reduction of cooler approach temperatures and makes air cooling possible in high altitudes and ambient temperature applications above 105 degrees f . water is frequently scarce in such hot environments making the present invention an economical first choice and in some cases giving an option , where no economically feasible centrifugal compression option previously existed . for special applications , such as in the air separation business , a nitrogen booster can be piped as one of the compressors on the unit . in that manner , the relatively low pressure for compressed air requirements in air separation can be met while providing a nitrogen booster in the same air - cooled package . additional capacity for existing water - cooling systems is not required . the final layout closely resembles that shown in fig1 . those skilled in the art will appreciate that the combination of an efficient multi - stage centrifugal compression system with air cooling opens new markets where water cooled units could not operate for reasons of lack of water , higher operating cost , or physical space requirements . offshore platforms are a good example of applications with limit space availability . the air cooled design of the present invention uses the same or smaller foot print and requires no auxiliary space for the water cooling equipment such as circulating pumps . it should be noted that there was considerable doubt by end users that comparable performance could be obtained with an air - cooled unit . so much so that significantly more data about system parameters had to be released than compared to selling a water - cooled application in order to convince the end users of the viability of the concept . graphs such as fig7 were part of such disclosures . the coolers are a modular design of a plate fin heat exchanger , using , in the preferred embodiment a single pass for the compressed gas to minimize pressure drop between stages and after the last stage . while a particular installation having 3 stages has been described , other installations with fewer or greater numbers of stages could be employed without departing from the invention . although a single fan 46 is illustrated , multiple cooling fans are also within the scope of the invention . as an added benefit of the system shown in fig1 , the air drawn into the enclosure 50 cools the compressor housings and associated piping . as a result the inlet air temperature to the intercoolers , aftercooler , and oil cooler is somewhat higher than ambient . the cooling capacity can be regulated to produce a desired temperature between the stages for the compressed air . if the compressed air is being used to dry desiccant in an air dryer , the desired drying temperature can be achieved for the requisite drying time by regulation of the cooling capacity after one or more stages , which can be accomplished in the various ways previously described . the ability to package air - cooling with multi - stage centrifugal compressors opens up a previously un - served market for portable units . custom units such as for air separation plants are possible even if existing cooling tower systems or chilled water systems have no remaining capacity . additionally existing water cooled units can be quickly retrofitted by removing cooler cores and redirecting flow through the hollow former water cooler housings into an air cooler mounted above . the water - cooled unit of fig5 can easily run as an air cooled unit having the same footprint . many additional savings in operating costs and space for the water - cooling equipment can be realized after the retrofit conversion . it is to be understood that this disclosure is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention and that no limitations are intended other than as described in the appended claims . | 5 |
referring now to the drawings , there is shown in fig1 a torque transducer coupling indicated generally at 10 mounted in a housing 12 of a rack and pinion steering gear 14 . the transducer coupling 10 comprises generally cylindrical input member 16 , output member 18 , and a torsion member 20 . input member 16 is provided with an axially extending bore or cavity 22 of stepped diameter extending from its end 24 . output member 18 is provided with an end portion 26 of reduced diameter , which is rotatably received in end portion 25 of the bore 22 by reason of a smooth bearing fit therebetween . in the illustrated embodiment , the transducer coupling is incorporated in a rack and pinion steering assembly 14 and , accordingly , the input member 16 is shown provided with a splined end 30 adapted to be coupled to the steering wheel of a vehicle through appropriate mechanisms ( not shown in fig1 ) and the output member 18 is provided with a pinion gear portion 32 operatively engaged with a rack gear 34 which is in turn coupled to steerable portions of a vehicle in the conventional manner . input and output members 16 , 18 are further journaled by means of suitable bearings as at 36 , 38 , 40 , seals , retainers and end caps 44 , 46 , again , in conventional manner . the housing 12 includes rack housing 52 , transducer housing 54 , and an end cap 56 . it is to be understood that these latter elements are adapted for application of the invention to a steering gear assembly . the transducer coupling of the invention may , however , be used in a variety of applications and the housing 12 may be either modified for the particular application or , in some cases , be eliminated . output member 18 closes the cavity 22 and , as explained in more detail below , the torsion member 20 is coupled between the end 60 of the cavity 22 and the end 26 of the output member 18 . as can best be seen in fig1 and 2 , end 60 of input member 16 is provided with a slot 62 contiguous with a diameter thereof . a similar slot 64 is provided in the output member 18 in axially spaced registry with slot 62 . the torsion member 20 , as best seen in fig2 is elongated , and flat with a central portion 66 of reduced lateral dimension . the end portions 68 , 70 ( fig2 only ) define ears as at 72 , 74 and the member is interlockingly engaged with the slots 62 , 64 . preferably , torsion member 20 is further provided with an axially extending tab portion 77 which has a lateral dimension which engages the interior of the cavity 22 . input member 16 is further provided with longitudinally extending slots as at 76 having width and length dimensions such that the torsion member 20 can be inserted laterally therethrough , and moved axially towards the output member 18 to the effect engagement of the tab portion 77 with the interior wall of cavity 22 . as can best be seen in fig2 the end of the torsion member 20 which engages the output member 18 is provided with a chamfer as at 80 . member 18 is provided with a recess 86 adjacent the center of slot 64 in which is secured a rubber plug 88 having a slot 102 which is radially displaced from its axis . when the torsion member 20 is inserted through the slots 76 into engagement with the slot 62 of input member 16 , and input member 16 and torsion member 20 are axially engaged with the output member 18 , the offset in the slot 102 in conjunction with the rubber plug 88 , effects a positive lash - free engagement therebetween . the torsion member 20 is further secured to the input member 16 by means of a press - fitted pin 90 which is inserted through registered holes 89 in input member 16 and torsion member 20 . lastly , a suitable strain sensitive element such as a strain gauge 94 is fixedly secured to one of the surfaces of the torsion member 20 in conventional manner . in the case of a steering assembly , because the number of revolutions of the unit that can occur is limited , electrical connection to the strain gauge is effected by means of a helically wound flexible conductor cable 96 which extends outwardly through the slots 76 to a suitable control unit 98 ( fig5 only ). as can be seen in reference to fig4 a and 4b the end portions 100 of slots 76 have a circumferential dimension that provides a predetermined clearance between the tab portions 72 , 74 of the torsion member 20 and the walls of the slot end portions 100 . the unit is assembled by first inserting the torsion member 20 through one of the slots 76 to engage the portion 70 thereof with the slot 62 of input member 16 . the torsion member 20 is moved forwardly to engage the tab portion 77 with the walls of cavity 22 and secured in position by means of pin 90 . the input member 16 and torsion member 20 are then axially moved into engagement with the output member 18 . the chamfer 80 facilitates this assembly . the offset slot 102 of the plug 88 is preferably dimensioned for a tight pressfit with the tab portion 77 such that there is substantially no play between the input and output members . disassembly is effected in reverse order . accordingly , it is seen to be simple and easily performed even in the field . it will now be seen that torque applied to the input member 16 will produce direct mechanical coupling of the torque to the output member 18 through the torsion member 20 . this torque will further effect strain in the torsion member 20 which is a function of the torque applied therethrough . this torque is converted to an electrical signal by means of the strain gauge or other strain sensing elements 94 , this signal being sent to an appropriate controller as required in the application . the input and output members are journaled , one to the other , and accordingly , relative rotational movement can occur therebetween as the torsion member 20 flexes . however , when strain of the torsion member 20 reaches a predetermined angular value , the tab portions 72 , 74 will come into direct physical engagement with the slot end portions 100 . this is best seen in fig4 a and 4b in which the position of the torsion member 20 relative to the slot ends 100 is shown in an unstressed and a stressed condition . further increases in the torque applied to the input member will be communicated by a direct mechanical linkage from the input member 16 , to the tab portions 72 , 74 , to the slot 64 and the output member 18 . accordingly , it will be seen that the tab portions 72 , 74 function as keys for effecting a positive mechanical linkage that is totally independent of the torsion member 20 itself . it will also be observed that this linkage is bi - directional . in a working embodiment , the torsion member beam 20 normally experiences torque loads of zero to forty pound inches . the clearance between the tab portions 72 , 74 and slot end portions 100 is designed to accommodate a torque value of plus or minus 60 pound inches at which time the tabs will positively engage the slot end portions 100 . these tab portions are normally tested for up to 100 foot pounds of torque . accordingly , it will be seen that the transducer coupling of the present invention provides a sensitive torque sensing element in normal operating ranges of the device . simultaneously , the unique mechanical linkage between the input and output members effected through what is , in effect , a lost - motion mechanism comprising slot end portions 100 , slot 64 , and tab portions 72 , 74 , prevents overstressing of the torsion member 20 thereby obviating damage or destruction . it will further be seen that even when the assembly is subjected to very high torques , the assembly will return to a totally normal state upon release of the torque as a result of the limitation of the strain on the torsion member . in a working embodiment , engagement occurs after 3 degrees of relative rotation . referring now to fig3 the transducer coupling 10 is shown installed in an electric power assisted steering mechanism of the recirculating ball variety . in this embodiment , like components are identified by like primed numerals . it will be seen that in this embodiment , the output member 18 &# 39 ; also comprises the recirculating ball pinion shaft for the mechanism . the housing 14 &# 39 ; is further modified for adaptation to this type of a steering mechanism . it further will be seen that the steering mechanism is assisted by means of an electric motor 104 which operates through a plurality of gears 106 , 108 , 110 to apply torque to the output member 18 &# 39 ;. it will be observed that the torque is applied to the output member such that it does not apply a torque to the torque sensor 10 but rather reduces the torque that must be applied to the input member 16 . referring now to fig5 a rack and pinion steering mechanism which includes electric power assist is shown generally at 112 . the steering mechanism incorporates a mechanism substantially as shown in fig1 . it further will be observed that the electric motor 114 again applies torque to the output member via a gear train ( not shown ) enclosed within the housing portion 116 , this torque being applied to the end 118 of the output member 18 ( fig1 only ). the rack gear 34 ( not shown in fig5 ) is coupled in the conventional manner to tie rods as at 122 and ball joints 124 to the wheels of the vehicle . the motor control is , again , indicated at 98 , the control being coupled to sense or otherwise receive the signal from the strain gauge elements 94 to apply a signal to the motor 114 via conductors 126 . in other applications , not illustrated , it will be recognized that the torque sensor could also be applied between a motor and a driven load such as a generator , machine or the like . in such an appplication , alternative sensors may be substituted for the strain gauge 94 in view of the continuous rotation of the input and output members . such sensors , are of course well known to those skilled in the art . furthermore , it is contemplated that one skilled in the art could make many modifications and / or changes to the invention as described herein without deviation from the essence thereof . as such these modifications and / or changes are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims . | 6 |
the following detailed description of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings . the same reference numbers in different drawings identify the same or similar elements . also , the following detailed description does not limit the invention . instead , the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims . in exemplary embodiments , incremental zooming may be utilized to coordinate pointer location with a point of interest on a user interface . referring back to fig1 , a user may navigate pointer 104 to a point of interest 105 and depresses the actuating button of an input device to obtain a more detailed view of point of interest 105 . an incremental zooming may take place in a series of zooming levels from fig1 to a desired zooming level for the point of interest 105 as illustrated in fig3 a and 3b . the number of zooming levels may be two for example — that is , an intermediate zooming step may exist between user interface in fig1 and that of fig3 a and 3b . having two zooming levels is specified for exemplary purposes ; the number of zooming levels may be greater than two in preferred embodiments . by navigating pointer 104 and depressing actuating button at the point of interest 105 on fig1 , a user may identify the location for which a detailed view is desired . the detailed view may be obtained from pre - stored information contained in the software program for example ; it may also be generated . the program may be stored in the computer , in a computer medium ( such as a compact disc ) or accessible to the computer over a network such as the internet . a distance 106 between center 108 and point of interest 105 may be computed . a virtual line ( representing 106 ) may be drawn between starting point 108 and point of interest 105 . the virtual line may represent the linear distance between points 108 and 105 of fig1 . an intermediate zooming level ( or step ) may be illustrated in fig2 . the center 108 of user interface 102 has now moved ( along the virtual line representing distance 106 ) to approximately a midway point between center 108 in fig1 and center 108 of fig3 a or 3b . the center 108 of the user interface 102 remains fixed at one physical location on the interface as long as the size of the interface ( represented by the window ) remains constant ; the geographic point represented by the center may vary based on the zooming level . for example , in fig1 , center 108 may represent some point in nebraska while center 108 of fig2 may represent some point in ohio . the pointer , designated by 104 , remains on the point of interest 105 . the original location of pointer 104 ′ ( at point of interest 105 in fig1 ) is also shown in fig2 to distinguish exemplary embodiments over existing implementation methods . a detailed view desired by zooming in point of interest 105 of fig1 is illustrated in fig3 a and 3b . a second zooming level may be illustrated with respect to fig3 a and 3b . starting from fig2 , the distance represented by line 206 ( which is one half of the distance 106 of fig1 ) between center 108 and point of interest 105 may be reduced to zero as center 108 of fig3 a and 3b coincides with point of interest 105 . as with fig2 above , pointer 104 is now located over point of interest 105 in fig3 b . the location of pointer 104 ″ ( at point of interest 105 in fig2 ) is also illustrated in fig3 b to distinguish exemplary embodiments over existing implementation methods . in some embodiments , the intermediate zooming level , the results of which are illustrated in fig2 , may not be needed . that is , the zooming can transition from fig1 to fig3 b . pointer 104 would be positioned over point of interest 105 after the transition . other embodiments may include additional zooming levels ( additional to the two levels illustrated ). centering the point of interest 105 within user interface 102 while zooming in may be achieved by combining the zooming function with a simultaneous panning function . panning refers to translating the view in either the vertical horizontal dimensions . as a result of the panning process , the point of interest 105 coincides with center 108 of the interface 102 . as the actuation button of the input device is depressed to achieve zooming , the point of interest 105 may move along the dotted distance line 106 to center 108 of the interface 102 . a progress of the pointer &# 39 ; s movement along this line may be illustrated in an animated manner . in preferred embodiments , panning in order to make the point of interest 105 coincide with center 108 of user interface 102 may be completed at the same time the desired zooming level is achieved . the amount of movement ( or displacement ) the point of interest 105 undergoes for each zooming step may be computed . as described above , center 108 of the interface represents the point of interest as a result of this movement . the final level of detail available for zooming in may be determined by a designer of the particular software program being used . for example , a designer of a map software program might choose to facilitate zooming in to a block level or a street level , etc . this may assist in determining the number of available zooming levels between a starting point 108 of fig1 and ending point 108 of fig3 a and 3b for example . the number of available zooming levels may also determine how long it takes to get from the starting point to the ending point . while the number of zooming levels illustrated is two and one intermediate frame is illustrated in this example , a higher number of zooming levels will result in more intermediate frames being shown . if four levels are available in an embodiment , then the number of intermediate frames may be three . that is , a first intermediate frame may depict point 108 being located between point 108 of fig1 and point 108 of fig2 ; a second intermediate frame may be identical to fig2 ; a third intermediate frame may depict point 108 being located between point 108 of fig2 and point 108 of fig3 a ( or 3 b ) and a fourth frame may be identical to fig3 a ( of 3 b ). if the number of available zoom levels is n , then the number of intermediate frames may be n − 1 . exemplary methods may also facilitate zooming out from a point of interest . in zooming out , the pointer may remain on the point of interest but the center may no longer coincide with the pointer . in fig3 b for example , if zooming out is indicated via the user input device , a portion of the user interface may illustrate the atlantic ocean east of new york for which no data may be available . in this case , the center 108 may be moved westward while pointer 104 remains on point of interest 105 . each of the figures also shows a scale ( designated by 112 , 212 and 312 ) to depict what one unit may represent ( such as distance for example ) in the corresponding figure . in some embodiments , a history of zooming levels that were illustrated ( frames ) may be maintained in order to enable a user to visit previous frames . in some embodiments as described above , the animation or transition between a starting point ( such as fig1 ) and the ending point ( fig3 a and 3b ) may occur in a linear manner . that is , if only one intermediate frame is shown , the intermediate frame may be the midway point between the starting and ending points ; similarly , if three intermediate frames are shown , they may represent points that are one quarter of the way , one half of the way and three quarters of the way between the starting point and the ending point as the intermediate frames . in other embodiments , the animation may take place at a different rate ( or at a varying rate ). the first few intermediate frames may be shown slowly , the next several intermediate frames may be shown at a faster rate and the last few intermediate frames may be shown slowly for example . exemplary embodiments may be implemented on a general purpose computer such as a desktop , a laptop , a pocket pc , personal digital assistant ( pda ) or other similar devices having the processing capacity . methods described may be encoded on a computer readable medium as a series of executable instructions or on an application specific integrated chip ( asic ). methods in accordance with exemplary embodiments as described above may be illustrated as process or flow charts 400 and 500 in fig4 and 5 respectively . while the description has focused on zooming in on a map , exemplary methods may be equally applicable in other scenarios such as in virtual tour programs ( i . e . real estate viewing for example ) and in gaming , etc . the methods can also be used in menu selection within an entertainment / pay - per - view environment . for example , thumb nail images representing various movies available for viewing or on a pay - per - view basis may be displayed to a user on a display or screen . the user may utilize a 3d pointing device such as that developed by hillcrest laboratories , inc . of rockville , md . to select one of the images . as a result of this selection , more detailed information corresponding to the selected image may be displayed to the user . input devices may also include a graphic tablet , a tracking surface such as a track pad or a 3d pointing device . the above - described exemplary embodiments are intended to be illustrative in all respects , rather than restrictive , of the present invention . thus the present invention is capable of many variations in detailed implementation that can be derived from the description contained herein by a person skilled in the art . all such variations and modifications are considered to be within the scope and spirit of the present invention as defined by the following claims . no element , act , or instruction used in the description of the present application should be construed as critical or essential to the invention unless explicitly described as such . also , as used herein , the article “ a ” is intended to include one or more items . | 6 |
an input terminal a of the circuit arrangement of fig1 is connected to the base of a pnp - transistor t1 the collector of which is connected to ground , while the emitter is connected to the junction of a 8 . 2 kω resistor r1 and a 10 kω resistor r2 . the other end of resistor r1 is connected to the positive terminal of a supply voltage source v b of 12 v , the negative terminal of which is connected to ground . the other end of resistor r2 is connected to the base of a pnp transistor t4 , the first terminal of resistor r2 being connected to a resistor r6 of 1 . 5 kω . the other terminal of resistor r6 is connected to the emitter of a pnp - transistor t2 and to the base of a pnp - transistor t5 . the collector of transistor t2 is connected to ground , while the base is connected to an input terminal d of the circuit and the emitter to source v b via a resistor r5 of 4 . 3 kω . terminal a is connected to a video circuit , not shown , and terminal d is connected to a d . c . voltage of 8 v . the emitters of transistors t4 and t5 are interconnected and connected to the collector of a pnp - transistor t3 , the emitter of which is connected to source v b via two series - arranged resistors r4 of 22 kω and r3 of 1 . 5 kω , while the base is connected to the junction of a resistor r7 of 1 kω and a resistor r8 of 15 kω . the other end of resistor r7 is connected to the emitter of an npn - transistor t8 , the other end of resistor r8 being connected to ground . the collector and the base of transistor t8 are both connected to source v b . the collector of transistor t4 is connected to the base and to the collector of an npn transistor t6 and to the base of an npn - transistor t7 . the emitter of transistor t6 and also a 30 kω emitter resistor r10 of transistor t7 are connected to ground . the collectors of transistors t5 and t7 and also the collector of an npn transistor t9 and the emitter of a further pnp - transistor are interconnected . the base and the collector of said further transistor are connected to ground . as is known , during operation such a transistor behaves as a small capacitance , in this example having a value of approximately 18 pf , with respect to ground . for this reason , this transistor is denoted in fig1 by the symbol c . in addition , the emitter of transistor t9 is connected to the collector of an npn - transistor t10 whose emitter is connected to ground and whose base is connected to an input terminal g via two series - arranged resistors r11 of 4 . 7 kω and r12 also of 4 . 7 kω . a 4 . 3 kω resistor r13 is connected between the junction of said resistors and ground . the junction point of transistors t5 , t7 and t9 and of capacitor c is also connected to the base of an npn - transistor t11 . the collector of transistor t11 is connected to voltage v b , while the emitter is connected to a 6 . 8 kω resistor r15 . the other end of resistor r15 is connected to a 6 . 8 kω resistor r17 , to a resistor r19 also having a value of 6 . 8 kω and to the base of an npn - transistor t14 . the other terminal of resistor r17 and also the emitter of transistor t14 are connected to ground . via a 15 kω resistor r18 and a 4 . 7 kω resistor r14 arranged in series therewith , the collector of transistor t14 is connected to the base of transistor t9 . this collector is also connected via a 6 . 8 kω resistor r20 to the base of an npn - transistor t15 the emitter of which is connected to ground while the base is connected to the emitter of an npn - transistor t23 via a 4 . 7 kω resistor r24 and to ground via a 6 . 8 kω resistor r25 . the collector resistors r21 and r23 of transistors t14 and t15 both have a value of 12 kω and are both connected to source v b . the terminal of resistor r19 which is not connected to the base of transistor t14 is connected to the collector of transistor t15 . from the foregoing it will be clear that transistors t14 and t15 with associated resistors form a bistable element ( flip - flop ). a resistor r16 having a value of 1 kω is arranged between the emitter of transistor t11 and the base of an npn - transistor t17 . the emitter of transistor t17 is connected to the emitter of an npn - transistor t16 and to the collector of an npn - transistor t18 whose emitter is connected via a 200ω resistor r30 to ground and whose base is connected to the collector and to the base of an npn - transistor t19 and also to a resistor r28 having a value of 3 . 9 kω . the emitter of transistor t19 is connected to ground via a resistor r29 having a value of 200ω . the other terminal of resistor r28 is connected to the base of transistor t16 via a 1 . 5 kω resistor r27 , to the base of an npn - transistor t12 via a 3 kω resistor r22 and to source v b via a 9 . 1 kω resistor r26 . the collectors of transistors t12 and t16 are both connected directly to source v b and the collector of transistor t 17 is connected to source v b via a 4 . 7 kω resistor r31 . the emitter of transistor t12 is connected to the base of an npn - transistor t13 the collector of which is connected to the junction of resistors r3 and r4 and the emitter is connected to ground via a 8 . 2 kω resistor r9 . via a resistor r32 and r33 , respectively , having a value of 2 kω the collector of transistor t17 is connected to the base of a pnp - transistor t24 and t20 , respectively , the emitter of which is connected to voltage v b . the collector of transistor t24 is connected to ground via a 12 kω resistor r36 and to the base of an npn - transistor t25 via a 11 kω resistor r37 . the said collector is also connected to the output terminal f of the circuit . the collector of transistor t20 is connected to the collector of an npn - transistor t21 and to the base of an npn - transistor t22 . the emitter of transistor t22 is connected directly to the base of transistor t23 and to the emitter thereof via a 16 kω resistor r34 . the emitter of transistor t21 is directly connected to ground , while the emitter of transistor t23 is connected to ground via a 10 kω resistor r35 . the collectors of transistors t22 and t23 are connected to voltage v b . the base of transistor t21 is not connected , so that during operation this transistor behaves as a small capacitance of 1 to 2 pf . a resistor r39 having a value of 4 . 7 kω is connected between the base of an npn - transistor t26 and the junction e of resistors r14 and r18 . the collector of an npn transistor t27 is also connected to the said junction . the collectors of transistors t25 and t26 are interconnected and via a resistor r38 having a value of 2 . 4 kω to the base of transistor t12 . a 4 . 7 kω resistor r40 is connected between the base of transistor t27 and the emitter of transistor t23 . finally , the emitters of transistors t25 , t26 and t27 are connected to ground . on terminal a there is a negative going video signal during operation . by means of transistor t8 which acts as a diode , and resistors r7 and r8 the base of transistor t3 is adjusted to a substantially constant voltage . transistor t3 forms a current source ; the current thereof flows either through transistor t4 or through transistor t5 . transistors t4 and t5 form a differential amplifier ; if the voltage at terminal a exceeds the voltage on terminal d , that is to say if the voltage at the base of transistor t4 exceeds the voltage at the base of transistor t5 , then transistor t5 is conductive while transistor t4 and also transistor t6 , which acts as a diode , and consequently also transistor t7 which in combination with transistor t6 forms a current mirror , are non - conductive . in these circumstances capacitor c is charged by the collector current of transistor t5 . the direct current level on terminal a relative to the level on terminal d has been chosen so high that this charging operation can only be performed when the incoming signal increases to above the reference level , for example during the occurrence of the line synchronizing pulses . transistors t2 to t7 and c together form a signal generator . however , on terminal g there are line flyback blanking pulses present coming from a line deflection circuit , not shown , and which are processed in a portion , not shown , of the integrated circuit of which the circuit of fig1 forms part . each line period ( having a duration of approximately 64 μs ) these pulses have a positive value for approximately 12 μs . in this period , the line flyback period , transistor t10 is driven to its conducting state , while the pulses during the remaining portion of the line period , the line trace period , have such a low value that transistor t10 does not conduct . if the voltage v c across capacitor c is lower than a given value , then transistor t11 does not conduct and consequently transistor t14 is also non - conductive . the collector of transistor t14 carries voltage v b and the voltage at point e is high . as long as the voltage at terminal g is low , transistors t9 and t10 can , however , not conduct . during the line flyback period transistor t5 as well as transistors t9 and t10 are conductive . the voltage at the collector of transistor t9 is kept very low so that the line synchronizing pulses occurring in the line flyback period in the signal of terminal a cannot cause charging of capacitor c . the same holds for disturbing pulses occurring in the said period of time at terminal a . during the line trace period the video voltage at terminal a is always lower than 8 v and capacitor c is discharged by the collector current of transistor t7 which is conductive because transistor t4 is conductive . owing to the comparatively high value of resistor r10 this discharging current is rather small so that voltage v c decreases slowly . from the foregoing it appears that voltage v c at the end of the field trace period is substantially zero . during the field blanking interval occurring thereafter , there first occur five pre - equalizing pulses having a duration of approximately 2 . 3 μs with a time difference of half a line period , i . e . approximately 32 μs . these pulses are followed by five field synchronizing pulses the total duration of which is also 2 . 5 line periods and between which field serration pulses the duration of which is equal to the duration of the line synchronizing pulses , namely approximately 4 . 7 μs occur . they are followed by five post - equalizing pulses . this holds for the european television standard . other television standards , for example the united states standard deviate from this in a few details , which is of no importance for the invention . fig2 a illustrates the video signal present at terminal a , more specifically for a portion of one of the two fields which form a picture , in this case the field which ends with a full line . also the line period which follows immediately after the post - equalizing interval is shown . thereafter there follow a number of line periods until the beginning of a new field trace . fig2 b shows the signal applied to terminal g . from fig2 a and 2b it appears that the first pre - equalizing pulse , as it does not coincide with a line flyback pulse , causes charging of capacitor c . voltage v c ( see fig2 c ), which was substantially zero now increases substantially linearly . by means of resistors r22 , r26 , r28 , r29 and r38 as well as the transistor t19 which acts as a diode the voltage at the junction m of resistors r22 , r26 , r27 and r28 is adjusted to a low value when transistor t26 conducts . transistor t16 is conductive , while transistor t17 which forms in conjunction with transistor t16 and the transistor t18 , which acts as a current source , a differential amplifier , is non - conductive . since transistor t17 is non - conductive , the collector thereof carries voltage v b , so that transistor t20 and t24 , and consequently also transistors t22 and t23 are non - conductive , resulting in that the output voltage at terminal f ( see fig2 d ) and also the voltage at the emitter of transistor t23 are zero . also transistors t25 and t27 are non - conductive . as long as the voltage at the base of transistor t11 is too low to render said transistor conductive , transistor t14 remains also non - conductive . the voltage at terminal e ( see fig2 e ) is high but as the voltage at terminal g is low , transistor t9 cannot conduct . transistor t15 whose base is connected to voltage v b via resistor r20 is conductive . in a similar manner transistor t26 is conductive as the base resistor r39 thereof is connected to point e . a small collector current flows through transistor t12 whose base is connected to point m via resistor r22 and to ground via resistor r38 , and consequently also through transistor t13 . the emitter current of transistor t3 and consequently also the charging current of capacitor c have a high value , so that voltage v c increases rather rapidly . transistor t11 operates as a level detector . as soon as voltage v c exceeds the value which is equal to twice the base - emitter threshold voltage of a conductive transistor , i . e . approximately 1 . 5 v , then transistor t11 and consequently also transistor t14 are rendered conductive . the voltage at the collector of transistor t14 and the voltage at point e ( see fig2 e ) become substantially zero . this decrease in voltage is transferred by means of resistor r18 to the base of transistor t26 and by means of resistor r20 to the base of transistor t15 , as a result of which these transistors become non - conductive . the resulting increase of the voltage at the collector of transistor t15 is transferred to the base of transistor t14 by means of resistor r19 . so this transistor becomes conductive in a cumulative manner as a result of which the flip - flop formed by transistors t14 and t15 changes to its other state . as transistor t26 is non - conductive , the voltage at point m assumes a higher value of approximately 4 . 2 v , as a result of which the emitter current of transistor t12 and consequently also the emitter current of transistor t13 become larger . the collector current of transistor t13 flows through resistor r3 and is subtracted from the emitter current of transistor t3 . this causes the charging current of capacitor c to decrease to a lower value , namely approximately 10 times as low , and voltage v c increases less rapidly . as long as the voltage at the emitter of transistor t11 is lower than approximately 4 . 2 v , transistor t17 remains in the non - conductive state . so the state of transistors t20 , t22 , t23 , t24 , t25 and t27 does not change and the output signal remains zero . the second value of the charging current is so low and the value of approximately 4 . 2 v has been chosen so high that the equalizing pulse is too short to cause this value to be reached . at the end of the occurrence of the pulse the voltage at terminal a decreases , causing transistors t4 and t6 and consequently also transistor t7 to become conductive , while transistor t6 is cut - off . as a result thereof capacitor c is discharged by a small current . voltage v c decreases slowly . transistor t11 remains conductive but no change occurs in the state of the remaining portion of the circuit , particularly not in the state of flip - flop t14 , t15 . as the voltage at point e remains low , transistor t9 cannot conduct . the line flyback pulse occurring after the first pre - equalizing pulse at terminal g has therefore no influence on voltage v c . the same holds for the subsequent line flyback pulses , while each one of the remaining pre - equalizing pulses produce a slight increase of voltage v c , so that voltage v c varies little . as the field synchronizing pulse is of a longer duration than the equalizing pulse the voltage at the emitter of transistor t11 is able to reach the value of approximately 4 . 2 v after the occurrence of the leading edge of said synchronizing pulse . the circuit , the charging current in particular , is dimensioned such that this second level is reached approximately 15 μs after the first level has been reached , causing transistor t17 to become conductive and transistor t16 to become non - conductive . so said transistors form a second level detector . the voltage at the collector of transistor t17 decreases , in response to which transistors t20 and t24 become conductive . a positive edge is now present at output terminal f and causes transistor t25 to become conductive . resistor r38 is now connected to a low potential and the voltage at point m assumes a lower value . as a result thereof transistors t12 and t13 conduct to a lesser extent and the charging current of capacitor c assumes a higher value . voltage v c increases rapidly until the zener voltage , approximately 7 v , of the semiconductor diode by which capacitor c is formed , is reached , whereafter voltage v c does no longer increase . the high value of the charging current ensures that said high level is reached by voltage v c before the first field serration pulse occurs . the small capacitor formed by transistor t21 is charged rather rapidly by the collector current of transistor t20 . transistors t22 and t23 become conductive , resulting in that also transistors t15 and t27 become conductive . the voltage at point e remains low and transistors t9 and t26 remain in the non - conductive state . as both the base of transistor t14 and the base of transistor t15 are connected to a positive voltage flip - flip t14 , t15 cannot change state . during the occurrence of the field serration pulses the voltage at terminal a again assumes the value of the reference level . this causes capacitor c to be discharged and voltage v c decreases . as transistor t25 is conductive that terminal of resistor r38 which is not connected to resistor r22 is connected to ground , so that the value of the second threshold voltage at point m is less than 4 . 2 v . the voltage at the emitter of transistor t11 also decreases , but owing to the short duration of the serration pulse this voltage does not decrease below the value of the voltage at point m , so that transistor t17 remains conductive and the voltage at terminal f remains high . the line flyback pulses present at terminal g have no influence , as transistor t9 is still non - conductive . after the last field synchronizing pulse and the first post - equalizing pulse which occurs shortly thereafter , capacitor c is rapidly discharged . as the time before the next equalizing pulse is long enough , the voltage at the emitter of transistor t11 now indeed decreases to below the new value of the second threshold voltage , as a result of which transistor t17 is made non - conductive while transistor t16 becomes conductive . transistors t20 and t24 are cut - off and the output voltage at terminal f becomes zero . the capacitor formed by transistor t21 discharges to the base of transistor t22 . as this base is high - ohmic , said discharge has a determined duration which can be adjusted by selecting the value of resistor r34 and during which the transistors t22 and t23 remain conductive . the state of flip - flop t14 , t15 does not change , so that in the said interval post - equalizing pulses and current pulses cannot exercise any influence . owing to the fact that transistor t24 is cut - off , transistor t25 is also cut - off which has for its result that the voltage at point m becomes high again . capacitor c is now further discharged slowly . at the instant at which transistor t11 is cut - off no positive voltage is applied any longer to the base of transistor t14 . the flip - flop t14 , t15 can now change state . transistor t15 then conducts while transistor t14 is non - conductive . approximately at the end of the post - equalizing interval the capacitor formed by transistor t21 is discharged to such an extent that transistors t22 and t23 are cut - off , as a result of which transistor t27 is made non - conductive . since the voltage at the collector of transistor t14 is high from the moment onwards at which the state of flip - flop t14 , t15 has changed , the voltage at point e also becomes high which drives transistor t9 and t26 to conduction . the voltage at point m becomes low again and the current from transistors t12 and t13 returns to its low value , so that the emitter current from transistor t3 has its high value . so capacitor c is discharged with absolute certainty . the circuit is now in the same state as at the end of the field trace period . if a positive going disturbing pulse occurs in the signal at terminal a then this pulse may cause an increase of voltage v c and may even make transistor t11 conductive provided the pulse duration is sufficiently long , but generally the pulse will be too short , that is to say shorter than approximately 15 μs to make transistor t17 conductive and consequently to cause the generation of an output signal . the next following line flyback pulse present at terminal g , which makes transistor t10 conductive short - circuits voltage v c with respect to ground . if transistor t11 has been made conductive by the disturbing pulse then flip - flop t14 , t15 has changed state at that moment , causing the voltage at point m and consequently the collector current of transistor t13 to become high . so a subsequent disturbing pulse will only produce a low charging current of capacitor c . voltage v c remains low , more specifically until the occurrence of the next train of pre - equalizing pulses . in this situation the field terminates with half a line and the first pre - equalizing pulse coincides with a line flyback pulse . if the circuit has not been set by a disturbing pulse to the preparatory state in which voltage v c has attained the first threshold value , then said state is not initiated by the first but by the second pre - equalizing pulse . if the incoming signal contains so much noise that the first pre - equalizing pulse in the case of the field shown in fig2 and the second pre - equalizing pulse in the case of the subsequent field does not initiate the preparatory state , then said state will be initiated for one field by the third or the fifth pre - equalizing pulse or for the subsequent field by the fourth pre - equalizing pulse . if also these pulses are &# 34 ; missed &# 34 ; then the first field synchronizing pulse causes the first and thereafter the second threshold value to be reached by the voltage v c . only in the event that this does not happen the circuit of fig1 does not generate an output signal but then the television signal received by the television receiver of which the circuit is part , contains so much noise that it would anyway not be possible to obtain a viewable picture . from the foregoing it appears that the circuit of fig1 generates a rather reliable pulse at terminal f , the leading edge of which occurs a fixed period of time after the leading edge of the first field synchronizing pulse and the trailing edge occurs a fixed period of time after trailing edge of the last field synchronizing pulse and which pulse is consequently suitable to be applied as a field synchronizing signal to a field synchronizing circuit connected to terminal f . this also holds for the event that the incoming signal is a nonstandard signal , that is to say a signal not containing equalizing pulses . it should be noted that an interlace error is prevented from occurring as the line flyback pulses applied to terminal g do not have any influence at the occurrence of the first field synchronizing pulse . otherwise charging of capacitor c could not start until after the trailing edge of the line flyback pulse which occurs simultaneously with said pulse , which would imply a shift of the leading edge of the pulse of fig2 d . however , this shift would not occur at the next field , namely because of the fact that a line flyback pulse does then not coincide with the first field synchronizing pulse , which results in that one field would start approximately 12 μs too late and the other field at the correct moment . it can also be seen that the video information in the signal of fig2 a plays no part in the generation of the field synchronizing signal so that the signal applied to terminal a may be a composite television synchronizing signal , that is to say a signal which does not contain video information . in the circuit of fig1 flip - flop t14 , t15 acts as a memory element . as a result thereof the application of line flyback pulses to the circuit has no effect after the first threshold value has been reached , while charging of capacitor c is performed slowly . without the flip - flop voltage v c would rapidly decrease after the occurrence of the first pre - equalizing pulse , which entails the risk , especially when there is much noise and little interference pulses , that the first threshold level would not be reached during the pre - equalizing interval . this could result in an interlace error . it will be obvious that portions of the circuit shown in fig1 may be constructed in a different way . the portion comprising the transistors t20 , t21 , t22 and t23 may be replaced by , for example , a monostable element since it operates as a delay element , while transistors t25 and t26 form a circuit with an or function and transistors t9 and t10 form a circuit with an and function . the change - over of the charging and discharging current , respectively of capacitor c may be performed in a different , known manner . instead thereof the capacitor itself may be switched to a different value . the duration of the pulses of the line frequency applied to terminal g is not critical : the sole requirement to be satisfied is that said pulses must include the line synchronizing pulses of the signal applied to terminal a , but it is obvious that they must be shorter than 32 μs . | 7 |
a heater element blank such as is illustrated in fig1 and generally indicated by reference numeral 2 has a unitary and electrically conductive self - supporting heater element 4 . advantageously , the heater element 4 is made of etched stainless steel sheet stock . ( stainless steel is preferred because it is inexpensive , readily available in a variety of thicknesses , easy to etch , corrosion resistant , and because it can withstand high temperatures . however , stainless steel is not necessary . the heater element 4 may be of any material that is both electrically conductive and rigid enough to provide a self - supporting heater element .) in this example , the heater element 4 is made of 0 . 010 &# 34 ; thick stainless steel , but this is not part of the invention ; the thickness is determined by the application desired . the heater element 4 is sandwiched between two layers 6 of electrical insulation material . advantageously , the layers 6 are of polyimide ; kapton ® is presently preferred , but any other insulator may be used instead . to secure the polyimide layers 6 to the heater element 4 , a high temperature thermoplastic adhesive ( e . g . fep , or fluorinated ethylene - propylene ) is used , but this is not required and another type of adhesive may be used if the insulation is of a different material . advantageously , to form the blank 2 , one layer 6 of kapton ® is initially adhered to the heater element 4 . the heater element 4 is then etched to the desired pattern . then , the other layer 6 of kapton ® is adhered to the other side of the heater element 4 . although this methodology is not required , it is preferred ; it makes the resulting blank 2 easier to handle . the blank 2 is then bent ( in e . g . a bending brake ) to form an insulated heater element assembly 8 ( see fig2 ). the heater element assembly 8 has a sinuous shape that has at least one , and advantageously more , generally u - shaped sections 10 . fig2 has been exaggerated for clarity . as shown , the sections 10 are widespread ; in practice , the sections 10 would be much closer to a series of us . the sections 10 are dimensioned so that when the air heater is finally assembled , they will be at least generally , if not exactly , u - shaped . in this manner , the finished heater presents little resistance to air flowing through it and there is only a minimal pressure drop between the ends of the heater . once the heater element assembly 8 has been bent to the shape desired , other components ( if required ) may be attached to it . in the preferred embodiment , a thermostat 12 is secured and thermally connected to the heater element 4 and connected in series ( as by wires 14 ) with the heater element 4 to prevent overheating . if for example the airflow supply is interrupted , the temperature of the heater element 4 will rise , thereby heating the thermostat 12 past its setpoint and interrupting the supply of power to the heater element 4 . in further accordance with the preferred embodiment , a second thermostat 16 is mounted to the heater element 4 adjacent the outlet end of the finished heater . the thermostat 16 responds to the temperature of the heated air and turns the power supply ( not shown ) to the heater element 4 on and off to maintain the air at the desired temperature . the heater element 4 is absent beneath the thermostat 16 so as not to bias its setting . the thermostats 12 and 16 are not part of the invention and are not required , although they are preferred for the reasons stated . the preferred embodiment of the invention is made by compressing the heater element assembly 8 beyond its state as shown in fig3 holding the heater element assembly 8 in its compressed state , inserting the heater element assembly 8 into a hollow open ended case 20 ( fig4 ), and releasing the heater element assembly 8 . because the heater element assembly 8 is advantageously a spring , the heater element assembly 8 expands within the case 20 and is self - supporting within it . in accordance with the preferred embodiment , no hardware is required to hold the heater element assembly 8 within the case 20 . the heater element assembly 8 should not be compressed too far before it is inserted into the case 20 . if the heater element assembly 8 is overly compressed , it may become deformed and may not exert the desired force against the case 20 to hold it firmly in place . to prevent such overcompression , and to maintain even spacing of the heater element assembly 8 , in accordance with a preferred embodiment spacers 22 are inserted as shown . the spacers 22 are advantageously cubes of silicone rubber , but this is not necessary . other shapes and materials can be used and it is even possible to dispense with the spacers 22 if the compression process is sufficiently well controlled . if desired , the heater element assembly 8 may be adhesively secured within the case 20 instead of , or in addition to , being secured therewithin by spring pressure . this has the same appearance as is shown in fig4 . suitable adhesives may be room - temperature - vulcanizing ( rtv ) silicone rubbers . as shown , the case 20 is tubular . to fit properly into the case 20 , the sections 10 are widest in the center of the heater element assembly 8 and narrowest at the ends of the heater element assembly 8 . these shapes are not required ; the case 20 may be e . g . rectangular or square in crosssection and the dimensions of the heater element assembly 8 will then be accordingly matched to the shape selected . fig5 shows an alternative construction in which the heater element assembly 8 is spaced apart from the case 20 . in this embodiment , two rings 24 of e . g . silicone rubber are mounted ( as by adhesive ) inside the case 20 adjacent its ends . the heater element assembly 8 is held inside the rings 24 by spring pressure and / or by adhesive . this construction is used when the temperature of the case 20 must be held below some critical temperature to avoid burning service personnel . the heat output of the preferred embodiment can be increased and decreased by respectively increasing and decreasing the length of the blank 2 and folding it into more ( or fewer ) generally u - shaped sections 10 . this may be required to match the characteristics of the finished air heater to the ambient temperature and volume of the air to be heated . although a preferred embodiment has been described above , the scope of the invention is limited only by the following claims : | 7 |
fig1 is an isometric representation of a mercury electrode system 10 , constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention . as shown in this figure , mercury electrode system 10 includes a support stand 11 . the support stand has a support base 14 at its lowermost extent . as shown , a support block 12 is coupled to the support stand , the support block being arranged to support an electrochemical cell 13 . a stirrer 15 is shown to be mounted on support block 12 , and stirs the sample solution ( not shown in this figure ). a mercury electrode assembly 16 is coupled to a bracket arrangement 30 which is shown to be engaged at the top support stand 11 . a counter electrode 17 and a reference electrode 18 are shown as passing through respective apertures in the support block , so as to communicate with the sample solution ( not shown in this figure ). an electrochemical cell removal / securing tab 19 engages with slots 31 in the support block for facilitating removal and installation of electrochemical cell 13 with respect to the support block . in this specific illustrative embodiment of the invention , electrochemical cell 13 is engaged with electrochemical cell removal / securing tab 19 . of course , any other arrangement for coupling the electrochemical cell to the support block can be employed by persons of skill in the art in the practice of the invention . supporting electronics ( not shown ) for controlling the operation of mercury electrode system 10 are contained within an electronics module 20 which is installed on the reverse side of support stand 11 . the supporting electronics , in this specific illustrative embodiment of the invention , are employed to control the operation of a dispense solenoid 23 and a dislodge solenoid 24 . the dispense and dislodge solenoids are coupled to electronics module 20 via a control cable 26 , which is shown to be interconnectable between an input terminal 33 of the solenoids and an input 32 of the electronics module . input 32 of the electronics module is shown in this specific illustrative embodiment of the invention to be a 5 - pin din socket . the control of mercury electrode system 10 can be effected by computer ( not shown ), by coupling the computer to a computer communications port 28 . mercury ( not shown ) is loaded into mercury reservoir 22 through a mercury loading port 21 . the mercury reservoir is , as shown , disposed directly beneath the mercury loading port . as discussed herein , mercury from mercury reservoir 22 is caused to flow through a mercury capillary tube 35 , which is shown to extend through support block 12 and into the sample solution ( not shown in this figure ) in electrochemical cell 13 . in the practice of the invention , mercury capillary tube 35 may be formed of glass , peek , teflon ®, fused silica , etc . electrical contact with the mercury in the mercury capillary tube is achieved at a mercury contact 25 . in embodiments of the invention where the capillaries being used are extremely small , it may be desirable to utilize pressure from an external source ( not shown ) to enhance the flow of mercury therethrough . such an optional pressurization feature would employ a pressurization port 27 . fig2 is a cross - sectional side view of a dispense valve 40 . this figure illustrates the flow path of the mercury ( not shown ) from the reservoir ( not shown in this figure ) which would be coupled at reservoir inlet 41 to the head of the mercury capillary tube ( not shown in this figure ), which would be coupled , as will be described herein , to outlet 42 . in this specific illustrative embodiment of the invention , reservoir inlet 41 is in the form of a 1 / 4 - 28 female thread . a diaphragm valve region 44 accommodates a diaphragm valve element ( not shown in this figure ) which will be described below with respect to fig4 . however , fig2 shows a reservoir path 45 which allows the mercury to flow from the reservoir inlet to the diaphragm valve region 44 . during times when the diaphragm ( not shown in this figure ) is in the open state , the mercury will flow from diaphragm valve region 44 , through a contact region 46 and down an outlet path 47 to outlet 42 . mercury contact 25 is arranged to be in electrical communication with the mercury ( not shown ) located in contact region 46 , and consequently in electrical communication with the mercury path which extends to the tip of mercury capillary tube 35 ( not shown in this figure ), which , as will be described below , is coupled to dispense valve 40 at outlet 42 and extends into the sample solution ( not shown in this figure ). also as will be discussed hereinbelow , at such times as the diaphragm valve element ( not shown in this figure ) is in the closed state , reservoir path 45 will be closed off and isolated electrically from contact region 46 . thus , mercury contact 25 will not be in electrical communication with the mercury in the reservoir . in the practice of the invention , the body of dispense valve 40 can be made from a variety of materials including , without limitation , stainless steel , poly ethetherketone ( peek ), teflon ®, kel - f ®, etc . persons of skill in the art can select an appropriate material , without undue experimentation . however , a non - metallic material provides the advantage of not contaminating the mercury with another metal . a totally inert valve body is important in electrochemical studies which seek to determine trace levels of metals . fig3 is a partially phantom end view of dispense valve 40 shown in fig2 . this figure shows mercury contact 25 to extend from contact region 46 to the exterior of the dispense valve . as stated , this arrangement advantageously produces electrical contact only to the mercury in the capillary , and not the mercury in the reservoir . the mercury contact can be made from a variety of materials including , for example , stainless steel or other electrically conductive materials or metals which do not dissolve ( amalgamate ) with mercury . dispense valve 40 is configured to have a generally round shape , which conforms dimensionally to the dispense and dislodge solenoids , described hereinabove with respect to fig1 . apertures 48 are used for the passage of assembly screws ( not shown in this figure ) for securing the dispense valve to the solenoids . fig4 is a partially cross - sectional and partially phantom exploded illustration of dispense valve 40 , dispense solenoid 23 , and dislodge solenoid 24 . in addition , this figure shows , in schematic form , mercury reservoir 22 with mercury loading port 21 and pressurization port 27 . the schematic illustration further shows arrow 50 which represents that mercury from mercury reservoir 22 is caused to flow to reservoir inlet 41 . mercury reservoir 22 can be a prefabricated unit , or in some embodiments of the invention , a standard one - pound type bottle of mercury . the present invention eliminates the need for personal contact by the operator with the mercury . dispense solenoid 23 is shown in fig4 to have a dispense solenoid coil 51 to which electrical activation energy is provided via input leads 52 . upon actuation of the dispense solenoid , a plunger 54 is urged in the left - hand direction , bringing with it the central portion of diaphragm 55 . the diaphragm , in this figure , is shown in the valve - open state , with the diaphragm in the left - most position . in this position , mercury is permitted to flow through reservoir path 45 , through contact region 46 , and through output path 47 to mercury capillary tube 35 . however , when dispense solenoid coil 51 is deactivated , plunger 54 returns toward the right , as does diaphragm 55 , closing off reservoir path 45 . not only is flow from the reservoir path discontinued , but the mercury is removed by the diaphragm from the region between the reservoir path and the contact region , and thereby the mercury in the reservoir path ( as well as the mercury in the reservoir ) is made electrically isolated from contact region 46 . in a preferred embodiment of the invention , plunger 54 and diaphragm 55 are formed of inert materials which do not contaminate the mercury , such as teflon ® or kel - f ®. in the system of the present invention , therefore , the mercury in the reservoir is not included in the electrical circuit from which the voltammetric data is obtained at contact 25 . mercury capillary tube 35 is shown to be engaged with a securing nut 57 having a sealing ferrule 58 therein . the securing nut threadedly engages with the internal threads of outlet 42 of the dispense valve . in this specific illustrative embodiment of the invention , a backup plate 60 is interposed between the dispense valve and dislodge solenoid 24 . the backup plate , which may be formed of stainless steel , is used by the dislodge solenoid to vibrate mercury drop 61 loose from the end of mercury capillary tube 35 . in dislodge solenoid 24 , actuation of a solenoid coil 68 via electrical leads 69 causes an impact plunger 65 to be urged toward the fight , compressing a spring 63 . spring 63 is used to return impact plunger 65 of the dislodge solenoid . the impact of the plunger upon its return transmits a mechanical shock or vibration to mercury capillary tube 35 , dislodging mercury drop 61 . as shown , dislodge solenoid 24 is contained within a housing 66 . housing 66 is coupled to the dispense valve through backup plate 60 , via screws 70 . fig5 is a partially cross - sectional exploded illustration of a further embodiment of the invention wherein the mercury drop is dislodged in response to the application of a stream of pressurized gas . in this specific illustrative embodiment of the invention , dispense valve 40 , dispense solenoid 23 , and mercury capillary tube 35 are as previously described . there is provided , however , a gas valve 80 which is operated in response to a gas dispense solenoid 82 . the gas valve and the gas dispense solenoid are used in combination to produce a pulse of gas out of the end of gas capillary 81 , which is directed in the direction of arrow 83 , across mercury drop 61 . in this embodiment , gas capillary 81 is cut at a 45 ° angle so that the exiting gas pulse will be directed in the direction of arrow 83 . of course , in other embodiments , the gas capillary may be axially directed toward the mercury drop . the pressurized gas for operation of the gas - induced dislodgement of the mercury drop may be obtained , in certain embodiments , from a local source of pressurized nitrogen ( n 2 ). the pressurized gas is delivered to a gas inlet 85 of gas valve 80 , and in response to the actuation of gas dispense solenoid 82 , is propagated to gas outlet 86 of the gas valve . gas capillary 81 is coupled to the gas valve via a securing nut 87 and an associated sealing ferrule 88 . fig6 is a side plan view of the mercury electrode system 10 , which is also shown in fig1 . elements of structure in fig6 which bear correspondence to elements in fig1 are similarly designated . fig6 shows electrochemical cell 13 in phantom representation so that sample solution 90 can be seen . the sample solution is stirred by stirrer 15 which is shown to have an agitator 91 extending into the sample solution . this figure additionally shows reference electrode 18 , counter electrode 17 , and mercury capillary tube 35 in communication with the sample solution . the counter electrode usually is formed of platinum . fig7 is a block diagram which is useful in describing the operation of a hanging mercury drop system . elements of structure in fig7 which bear correspondence to elements in fig1 through 6 are similarly designated . in this figure , dispense solenoid 23 and dislodge solenoid 24 are schematically represented by block 100 . in this specific illustrative embodiment of the invention , these elements of structure operate as previously described in connection with fig1 and control the dispensing of mercury from mercury reservoir 22 , as previously described . there is additionally shown in this figure ; counter electrode 17 ( formed of platinum ); reference electrode 18 ; mercury capillary tube 35 with mercury drop 61 hanging from the end thereof ; a potentiostat 101 ; controlling electronics 102 ; and a data output device in the form of a computer 103 . the basic mode of operation is that the mercury material itself , in the form of hanging drop 61 , becomes the electrode to be used in the study of sample solution 90 . since the mercury drop electrode can become unclean during the course of an electrochemical experiment , a new drop of mercury can be deposited on the end of mercury capillary tube 35 immersed in the solution under study . thus , for each electrochemical experiment a new drop of mercury can be deposited on the end of the capillary . mercury contained in mercury reservoir 22 is , as described hereinabove with respect to fig2 - 5 , conducted though the valve system . the diaphragm - like valve used in the system of the present invention allows for the flow of mercury to be interrupted when a drop is formed on the end of a capillary , and serves to isolate the mercury in mercury capillary tube 35 from the large mass of mercury in the reservoir . the valve , which can be operated under computer control , is opened so that the mercury can flow from the reservoir , through the valve , and down through the capillary , at which time a drop of mercury having predetermined and reproducible dimensions is formed at the end of mercury capillary tube 35 . the closure of the dispense valve holds the hanging drop of mercury static . it is known to persons of skill in the art that the preferred mercury drop should have a substantially spherical configuration to achieve good electrical characteristics , and should extend beyond its capillary bore to avoid contamination of the capillary tip . however , the ill - effects of contamination of the capillary tip are ameliorated in the system of the present invention where mercury capillary tube 35 can function as a microelectrode , and can easily be removed for replacement or cleaning . potentiostat 101 is electrically coupled to sample solution 90 via mercury drop 61 , counter electrode 17 , and reference electrode 18 . a scan of potential is made between the working electrode ( i . e ., the mercury drop of mercury capillary tube 35 ) and reference electrode 18 . the resultant current through the sample solution is measured between the working electrode and the counter electrode . once this analysis is performed a new drop can be manually dispensed , or dispensed remotely or automatically using computer control . although the invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments and applications , persons skilled in the art can , in light of this teaching , generate additional embodiments without exceeding the scope or departing from the spirit of the claimed invention . accordingly , it is to be understood that the drawing and description in this disclosure are proffered to facilitate comprehension of the invention , and should not be construed to limit the scope thereof . | 6 |
a processor system has four multi - processor nodes which are independently supplied with electrical power . a system can consist of one node as shown in fig1 , two nodes as shown in fig2 , three nodes as shown in fig3 , or four nodes as shown in fig4 . the system contains critical function common to all nodes , i . e . the system oscillator ( osc ) and the system control processor ( fsp ) functions which are implemented redundantly ( two of each ). both sets of critical function are required for all system configurations from one node to four nodes . in fig1 , a one system node 10 is mounted in a system frame 11 having bays for receiving at least four nodes . the system 10 has a single node 12 , a system control processor 0 ( fsp 0 ) 13 , and an oscillator 0 ( osc 0 ) 14 , an fsp 1 15 , and an osc 1 16 . the bay for the second node is blocked by node airblock 17 , the bay for the third node is blocked by node airblock 18 , and the bay for the forth nodes is blocked by node airblock block 19 . the airblocks provide for distributing cooling air through the frame 11 when nodes are not installed , as is well known in the art . as mentioned , the common function 20 of fsp 013 / osc 0 14 and fsp 1 15 / osc 1 16 are always required . a power supply set of three logical power supplies , referred to herein as distributed converter assembles ( dcas ), is required for each node , and connected to each node by power supply cables 21 . the power supply set for each node is n + 1 redundant . all node function requires two out of three power supplies dca to be operating , that is a single failed power supply dca can be tolerated in each node . it is further required for multinode systems ( two or more ), that each set of critical function be supplied with electrical power by an independent set of power supplies . as shown in fig1 , node 0 12 has dca 01 22 , dca 02 23 , and dca 03 24 . the positions in the frame 11 for the second power supply position is blocked by power supply airblock 25 , the position for the third power supply position is blocked by power supply airblock 26 , and the blocked by the power supply airblock 27 . as previously explained , the power supply airblocks 25 - 27 provide for the proper cooling air distribution when the power supply for that position is not installed , as is well known . fsp 0 13 and osc 0 14 are supplied by power supply set dca 01 22 , dca 02 23 , and dca 03 ( hereinafter dca 01 / 02 / 03 32 / 33 / 34 ). in the case of a system containing a single node shown in fig1 , fsp 0 13 , osc 0 14 ; fsp 1 15 and osc 1 16 are all supplied by the power supply set dca 01 22 , dca 02 23 , and dca 03 24 . a two node system is shown in fig2 wherein like parts are numbered with the same numbers as the components of fig1 . in the two node system 30 , node 1 31 is located in the second node bay , and a second power supply set of dca 11 32 , dca 12 33 and dca 13 34 (( hereinafter dca 11 / 12 / 13 32 / 33 / 34 ) are located in the second power supply set position in the second node bay . in the two node system 30 , fsp 1 15 and osc 1 are powered by power supply set dca 11 / 12 / 13 , 32 / 33 / 34 . a three node system is shown in fig3 wherein like parts are numbered with the same numbers as the components of fig1 and 2 . in the three node system 40 of fig3 , node 2 41 is located in the third node bay in the frame 11 . a third power supply set dca 21 / 22 / 23 42 / 43 / 44 is located third node bay in the third power supply set location . a four node system is shown in fig4 wherein like parts are numbered with the same numbers as the components of fig1 and 3 . in the four node system 50 of fig4 , node 3 51 is located in the fourth node bay in the frame 11 . a fourth power supply set dca 31 / 32 / 33 52 / 53 / 54 is located in the fourth node bay in the fourth power supply set location . note that the power distribution circuits dca 21 / 22 / 23 for node 2 41 and dca 31 / 32 / 33 for node 3 51 only energize circuitry within their respective nodes . dca 11 / 12 / 13 supplies power to node 1 31 and dca 01 / 02 / 03 supplies power to node 0 12 , and also supply power to the critical function 20 as described above . fig5 further illustrates the four node system 50 of fig4 including circuitry to power osc 0 13 , fsp 0 14 , osc 1 15 and fsp 1 16 . node 0 12 has a power boundary 0 60 established by dca 01 / 02 / 03 22 / 23 / 24 . node 1 31 has a power boundary 1 61 established by dca 11 / 12 / 13 32 / 33 / 34 . node 2 41 has a power boundary 2 62 established by dac 21 / 22 / 23 42 / 43 / 44 . node 3 51 has a power boundary 3 63 established by dca 31 / 32 / 33 52 / 53 / 54 . power boundary 0 60 has a power lead 64 which powers osc 0 13 and fsp 0 14 . power boundary 1 61 has a power lead 65 which powers osc 1 15 and fsp 1 16 . a jumper 67 jumps power between leads 64 and 65 such that power boundary 60 may power the lead 65 is power boundary 1 61 is not present , such as in a single node system 10 shown in fig1 . the dashed represents the jumper 67 function which connects the node 1 power distribution circuitry to that of node 0 for the case when node 1 and its power supplies are not installed . in one embodiment , osc 0 13 , fsp 0 14 , osc 1 15 , and fsp 1 16 may be placed in shared field replaceable units ( frus ) 68 and 69 . note that the power distribution circuits 42 / 43 / 44 and 52 / 53 / 54 for node 2 41 and node 3 51 , respectively , only energize circuitry within the respective nodes . node 0 12 and node 1 31 supply power to the nodes and the critical function 20 as described above . a vital product data ( vpd ) smart chip 70 is provided between power boundary 0 60 and power boundary 1 61 as shown in fig5 . the vpd chip 70 includes data in memory which describes system components so that the system knows what components are installed . the power cables 21 of fig1 - 4 include power supply connectors 70 , 71 , 72 and 73 , for connecting a power supply unit to its respective node . each power supply connector is composed of a multiplicity of conductor assemblies , each of which contains two separate conductors or pins , one long and one short . the long pin connects to a voltage to be supplied and the short pin connects to ground . the uppermost conductor assembly long pin is used for soft charging the output capacitors of the power supply while the short pin is a spare , normally may be arbitrarily grounded . in one embodiment , the spare short pin is not connected i . e . left open in the power supply . the corresponding receptacles in the printed circuit board for these spare short pins are also left open in the board , except for one the jumper position . the jumper position is a power supply position in the power supply set for the second node ( designated node 1 ). in the jumper position , the receptacle for the spare pin is connected to the power supply circuitry of node 0 which supplies the critical function fsp 0 / osc 0 as described above . if the jumper position is empty or occupied by a power supply , there is no connection made to the node 0 power distribution circuitry in the node 1 board section . ordinarily when a power supply is not installed , an empty metal box with dimensions approximately those of the power supply and specially designed perforations ( designated as power supply airblocks in fig1 - 3 ) is installed in its place to help maintain proper airflow through the system . the jumper 67 is included in an airblock book containing a small printed circuit card which connects the spare pin described above to the normal conductor assembly that provides the energy supply to the critical function . so when the jumper airblock book is installed , the two power distribution circuits are connected and the node 0 power supplies 22 / 23 / 24 will energize all critical functions 20 . fig6 is an illustration of the jumper connections for one of the dcas , for instance dca 01 22 , and the power supply airblock 25 . in fig6 , it will be understood that the power supply units 32 / 33 / 34 are not installed . instead , the power supply airblock 25 is installed . as explained , the connections for dca 01 32 has a spare pin 80 in the upper connector 82 , and a power pin 81 in the lower connector 83 . the power pin 81 is the normal connection that provides the energy to fsp 1 / osc 1 15 / 16 of fru 69 . a power conductor 85 extends from the fru 68 for providing standby voltage for fsc 1 / osc 1 to the spare pin 80 . the jumper 67 in the jumper airblock 25 is connected between the spare pin 80 and normal power pin 81 . as explained , when the jumper 67 in power supply airblock 25 is installed , standby power is supplied to fsp 1 / osc 1 15 / 16 by spare pin 80 over the jumper 67 . in one embodiment , when either or both of the dca 12 33 and dca 13 34 are installed , power is supplied to fsp 1 / osc 1 15 / 16 . in one embodiment , the addition of a second node to the system is made without disrupting the system operation ( hot plugging ). that is , the jumper 67 is not removed until power is supplied by power supplies installed into two of the positions within the power supply set for node 1 . fig7 illustrates one embodiment of the power supply airblock 25 having three books 90 , 91 and 92 . power supply airblock books 90 and 91 are passive airblocks . power supply airblock book 92 is a jumper airblock having the jumper 67 described . each of the airblock books 90 , 91 and 92 is one power supply position wide ( 1 w ). being one power supply position wide provides that the jumper airblock 92 may remain installed until power supplies dca 12 33 and dca 13 34 are installed and powered on in the node 1 set . in one embodiment , the power supply airblocks 26 and 27 for the node 2 and 3 positions are three power supplies wide ( 3 w ) to save hardware . mechanical keys 96 and 97 are provided so that the jumper book 92 cannot be unplugged first before dcas 33 and 34 are plugged in . the mechanical keys 96 and 97 are overlapping tabs on the passive airblock books 90 and 91 . the jumper book 92 has tab engagement surface 98 which engages with the mechanical key 97 and prevents jumper book 92 from being removed from the frame 11 when the passive airblock book 91 is in place . it will be understood that the key 96 allows airblock book 90 to be unplugged first , but prevents airblock book 91 from being unplugged first . similarly , tab 97 allows airblock book 91 to be unplugged after airblock book 90 , but prevents airblock book 92 from being unplugged before airblock book 91 . while the preferred embodiment to the invention has been described , it will be understood that those skilled in the art , both now and in the future , may make various improvements and enhancements which fall within the scope of the claims which follow . these claims should be construed to maintain the proper protection for the invention first described . | 6 |
references to “ one embodiment ” or “ an embodiment ” do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment , although they may . unless the context clearly requires otherwise , throughout the description and the claims , the words “ comprise ,” “ comprising ,” and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense ; that is to say , in the sense of “ including , but not limited to .” words using the singular or plural number also include the plural or singular number respectively , unless expressly limited to a single one or multiple ones . additionally , the words “ herein ,” “ above ,” “ below ” and words of similar import , when used in this application , refer to this application as a whole and not to any particular portions of this application . when the claims use the word “ or ” in reference to a list of two or more items , that word covers all of the following interpretations of the word : any of the items in the list , all of the items in the list and any combination of the items in the list , unless expressly limited to one or the other . “ logic ” refers to circuitry and / or machine - readable media ( e . g . memory or other non - transitory electronic or optical circuits or media ) physically adapted to influence the operation of a device . magnetic media , circuits , electrical and optical memory , and firmware are examples of logic . those skilled in the art will appreciate that logic may be distributed throughout one or more devices , and / or may be comprised of combinations of instructions in memory , processing capability , circuits , and so on . therefore , in the interest of clarity and correctness logic may not always be distinctly illustrated in drawings of devices and systems , although it is inherently present therein . the techniques and procedures described herein may be implemented via logic distributed in one or more devices . the particular distribution and choice of logic is a design decision that will vary according to implementation . an electric vehicle charging system is described herein that includes logic collocated with an electric service panel to monitor a total present electric current consumption value for all electric consumers below a point in the service panel . the system includes a first input to receive the present electric current consumption value from the logic collocated with the service panel , and to compare the present electric current consumption value with a maximum current capacity value for the service panel ; and the system includes a second input to receive electric current from the service panel . the system includes an output to supply electric charging power to at least one electric vehicle and logic to set an electric charging current drawn from the service panel through the second input and provided to the electric vehicle charging output , to a value less than a difference between the maximum current capacity for the service panel and a sum of the present electric current consumption value and the current consumption value of a largest expected electric consumer . the largest expected electric consumer may be a single consumer , or a group of more than one electric consumers that are expected to be active at the same time , based on one or more of the time of day or day of the week . the logic collocated with the electric service panel may interface with the electric service panel in the same manner as a circuit breaker device . a logic setting may be included for an offset amount of current reflecting a location of the logic collocated on the service panel along a hot rail of the service panel , the offset amount representing an amount of electricity used by electric consumers served by breakers above the collocated logic on the hot rail . the output of the charging system may include multiple couplers to interface with multiple electric vehicles , and logic to load share the supply of electric charging power among the multiple couplers . the system may allocate the supply of electric charging power among the couplers according to charging requirements of the electric vehicles , for example asymmetrically among the electric vehicles . the supply of electric charging power provided to the output may be inversely proportional to an amount of time until a next driving session for a coupled electric vehicle and directly proportional to an amount of depletion of a battery of the coupled electric vehicle . the supply of electric charging power may be allocated among the electric vehicles based upon one or the more following : an electric vehicle battery size ; an electric vehicle battery status ; an electric vehicle battery average mean , median , or mode of daily miles driven ; a charging history for an electric vehicle . the charging power may be allocated based on a rotating asymmetric duty cycle . a charging status for an electric vehicle may be provided to an interface whereby the charging status is communicated wirelessly to a consumer &# 39 ; s wireless receiving data device . fig1 is an illustration of an embodiment of an electric vehicle charging environment . features of both a residential and a commercial , e . g . public , ev charging station are illustrated together for convenience of description , although in practice , certain features may be implemented and probably would be implemented separately due to the different application environments . power enters a master service panel 102 where the amount of current indicative of the total power consumption is tapped and measured by , in this example , an inductive clamp 126 . the panel 102 provides power from taps after the master breaker 104 to various appliances 108 and other electric consumers within a household or commercial setting . among the energy consumers , there is a primary consumer 110 , a device or group of devices which , when activated , consumes more power than any other device in the environment . a power tap 106 is provided to an ev charging station 128 . information about total power consumption in the residence or commercial setting is provided via inductive tap 126 to the charging station 128 . charging station 128 comprises couplers to possibly multiple evs 112 and 114 , or in some cases only a single ev . interface logic 122 may communicate with the evs 112 and 114 to provide charging power and to ascertain status such as how low the battery has been depleted , its capacity , average daily miles , etc . the charging station 128 may further comprise an interface 124 to the master service panel as well as logic 120 to ascertain a charging cycle schedule and to implement various features of the charging station that have been described herein . an interface 118 to a wireless communication facility 116 may be provided as described herein . in some applications a vehicle may receive charge from multiple sources . charge sources may be categorized according to their capability to deliver charge . for example , a level 1 and / or level 2 and / or level 3 charger and / or an energy storage system such as a battery “ cache ” and / or another electric vehicle may be employed . the charging client car could combine this charging sources to produce the quickest or most cost efficient charge . consistent with this concept , a plug consisting of both an ac ( level 2 connector ) and a dc ( level 3 connector ) may be used . overall home or commercial site energy usage may be monitored to dynamically and automatically adapt or “ fit ” the usage of the electric power required for ev charging into the home or business electric energy budget . this solution may also provide an incremental layer of safety to the home electric system . the ev charging infrastructure may be time shared or load shared between two or more evs parked near the same charging station . herein , level 1 charging station means a charging station that delivers 110v ac × 16 amps ˜ 1 . 5 kw of charging capacity . level 2 charging station means a charging station that delivers 220v ac × up to 70 amps ( more typically , 30 amps )˜ 6 kw - 7 kw of charging capacity . a level 3 charging station ( also known as fast charger or quick charger ) takes 480v three phase ac × 100 amps input , and delivers 200v - 500v dc 100 amp output ˜ 25 kw - 50 kw of charging capacity . an inductive electric power measurement clamping system or other current monitor arrangement may be installed at a master panel . this power measurement system continuously measures the overall power consumption of the home or a portion of the home . a signal path may be connected to the clamped inductive measurement device and extended , along with 220v power wires , to a home charging station ( this solution may be used in commercial settings as well ). the signal wire may be coupled to analog to digital circuitry in the charging unit . the charging unit enables the installer to program a master service panel size ( eg . 100 amp , 125 amp , or 200 amp ) into the charging unit logic . furthermore , a largest non - charging station electric consumer , or group of coordinated consumes , may be programmed into the charging unit ( eg . electric dryer = 220v × 30 amps ). the charging unit dynamically varies its charging output based upon the overall available power , with room to accommodate a potential increase in demand . the current / power monitor may be coupled above or below the main circuit breaker for the panel ( providing a measure of total current / power for all consumers served by the panel ). the current / power monitor may be coupled at a location in the panel receiving only a fraction of the total current to the panel . in this case , the measurement is for only those consumers served by a subsection of the panel . for example , if the monitor is coupled along the “ hot ” rail of the panel below x breakers , the current consumption of those x breakers will not be included in the power measurement provided by the monitor . however , a facility may be provided in the monitor device , or in the panel , to add an amount to any current measurement to account for the consumers located above the monitor device in the panel . the amount added to the current measurement is a presumed current consumption of the unmeasured consumers , and it may be a constant amount of current , or it may be an amount that varies according to other conditions , such as time of day , day of week , date , or the activity of other consumers in the panel . fig2 illustrates an example of a current monitor collocated in an electrical panel , and configured to interface with the panel as a circuit breaker . the power main 202 leads into the panel 200 at a main breaker 204 . the panel 200 splits off the main 202 into a hot rail 206 ( which is always carrying current ) and a neutral rail 210 , which carries current returning from a load . the panel may be grounded , and a ground rail 208 provided for grounding consumer outlets . note that in some panels ( e . g ., main panels in residences ), and depending on local building codes , the ground and neutral rails 208 210 may be one and the same . a device 212 is provided to monitor current at a point along the hot rail 206 . the device 212 may interface to the panel 100 as a circuit breaker would . the device 212 may control the delivery of current to an ev charging station or may function as the charging station itself . if the device 212 is located directly under the main breaker 204 , it can measure the entire current draw of all consumers coupled to the panel ( including consumers on subpanels ). otherwise , as the device is located further down the hot rail 206 , it measures current consumption of only those devices located below it on the hot rail 206 . note that the device could be located anywhere on the hot rail 206 , but still measure current draw of all consumers on the panel by inductively coupling above or immediately below the main breaker 204 . this is shown by dotted line 214 . the following is a description of an exemplary installation . a master panel has 125 amps of capacity with 25 amps being used at the instant moment and a potential new load of 30 amps from a dryer , the system has 70 amps of capacity to allot to the function of home charging . . . more than enough to allow for full charge for a single level ii charging session . if , however , the non - charging usage grows to 80 amps during the charging session , the system dynamically reduces the level ii charging to 15 amps , bringing the total usage to 95 amps , which provides room for the dryer to be turned on without the master breaker tripping . at the point that the dryer is turned on , bringing the total power consumption to 125 amps , the charging unit discontinues charging until electric capacity becomes available . another solution that may be implemented from the techniques described herein is as follows . from a single charging station that is electrically wired to provide a full charging service ( 220v / 30 - 40 amps ) for one ev at a time , wire two or more ev charging connectors ( j1772 ). these connectors may be simultaneously plugged into two or more cars . a single station ( e . g . 220v / 30 - 40 amps of electric charging capacity ) may be intelligently controlled to load share or time - share the charging capacity amongst the evs . if only one ev is plugged in , it may utilize 100 % of the charging capacity . if more than one ev is plugged in , the capacity may be shared by splitting the capacity based upon each car &# 39 ; s charging requirements . when two or more evs are plugged in , and one or more evs completes its charge , the full electric charging capability of the charging station may be applied to the remaining not fully charged ev . the charging capacity may be shared on an equal basis or on an asymmetric basis , depending upon the connected cars &# 39 ; charging requirements . the evs charging requirements and charging priority may be manually programmed into the station with information such as expected time to next driving session ( how long will the ev be parked ). alternatively , the charging station may set charging priority based upon information such as ev battery size ( kwh capacity ), battery status ( how much charge exists in the battery ), typical daily miles driven , and / or by learning the charging behavioral pattern and preferences of the ev over a period of time . to learn a vehicle &# 39 ; s behavior , the charging station may record a vehicle identification and associate charging session information with the vehicle identification . alternatively , the charging station may receive a vehicle identification from the vehicle or the user of the vehicle , and may access a central database ( via a network ) to obtain a charging / usage history profile for the vehicle . in the second approach , information from multiple charging sessions across multiple charging stations may be centrally located and accessible . combinations of load and time sharing may be employed . in one application the vehicle , or the charging station , apply inputs about when the car may be next used based upon previous driving patterns or manual user input of the data . based upon these inputs and the knowledge of the available charging capability ( load ) the charging of multiple cars may be appropriately time shared or load shared based upon the time to departure and / or driving distance for the next trip . by way of example , two cars may be parked in a home garage . one car is used frequently for short trips to the store and driving kids to school . the other car is mostly used on the weekends . depending upon the day and time and the anticipated need , the charging priority and load preference would be allocated based upon this data . the charging station or the electric vehicle may log times and / or locations of a charge , and how much charge was applied . the vehicle may also log driving information , such as distances traveled and when and where it traveled . when the station performs the logging , it may also identify the vehicle that received the charge and associate an identification of the vehicle with the time / location / amount information . the charging station and the vehicle may communication information wirelessly ( e . g ., bluetooth or other short - range wireless technology ) or via the charging adaptor itself ( e . g ., x10 ), using known approaches . for example , an electric vehicle may record its charging history and / or driving history , which includes times , dates , locations , and / or amounts of charge , as well as possibly including routes and distances traveled and when traveled . some or all of this information may be provided to the charging station , which then makes settings so that the vehicle receives an appropriate allocation of charging capacity for the time it is expected to remain coupled to the station . or , the electric vehicle may compute a desired charge allocation based on the recorded factors and request this allocation from the charging station , which may set an appropriate price to meet the vehicle &# 39 ; s charging requirements in the time allotted and / or under the conditions prevailing . in one implementation , the charging station keeps track of a vehicle &# 39 ; s driving / charging profile ( as described above ), and enables this charging profile to be transferred to other vehicles . the exchange of driving / charging profiles between charging stations and vehicles may take place using known communication techniques , as described above . in another application , the cars exchange charge ( siphon from one car or multiple cars to the other ) based upon this data . other electric consumers on the network ( e . g ., home appliances ) may also participate in the sharing mechanism . if , historically , a dryer appliance is not used at midnight , more power through the panel may be made available for the charging of the automobiles . or an appliance may signal the panel indicating it will not be operated for certain time periods , thereby allowing the allocation of more power to charge vehicles during those times . in anticipation of a vehicle being plugged in for charging , the panel may decrease the electricity available to power other consumers in the home ; if the vehicle isn &# 39 ; t plugged in at or within a predetermined interval of the expected time , the reserved electricity may be released for use by other consumers . in a public / commercial setting , the consumer may plug in and “ compete ” for capacity via a pricing or bidding mechanism . alternatively to sharing the load simultaneously , a round robin time sharing algorithm may be applied to the two or more cars plugged into the same charging station via the multiple connectors . in this instance , one ev may receive 100 % of the charging capacity for a specified period of time . at the end of that period of time , the next car may receive 100 % of the charging capacity , and so on . this approach allows for an asymmetric approach in which one ev receives 75 % of the capacity for a fixed period of time , the second car receives 25 % for that period of time , and the third car receives 0 %. at the end of the fixed period of time , the allocation rotates . the first car receives 0 %, the second car receives 75 %, and the third car receives 25 % . . . and so on , until the cars are fully charged or disconnected from the system . in all of the above cases , the ev owner may be informed of the charging status of each car connected to the single charging station via a web connected and / or wireless device such as a smartphone . the information conveyed is an estimated time to charge completion of other cars on the single charge station . a charge consumer may set a price he / she is willing to pay for a charge and prioritized based upon other bids for that charging session . similarly the consumer could pay for an “ assured ” delivered charge ( the equivalent of “ buy it now ” or certified delivery ). providers of power , including drivers of other cars , could offer the power in their battery packs to be shared at a given price with others requiring a charge with more immediate need than they might have . the donor car could set parameters such as , sell my charge at $ 1 per kwh but not below ½ tank . or by time . . . sell my 50 % of my charge until 4 pm . these parameters may be pre - set by the provider / consumer , and / or set in real - time with a bidding system , with control and notification done from a computer , a smart - phone and / or an system on board the car . additionally , the consumer may allow the system to automatically make the decisions based upon any and all of the above data discussed above . additional embodiments for sharing charging infrastructure amongst multiple evs are to automatically stop the charging session once an ev is fully charged , and close out that account session . this allows the owner of another ev to legitimately disconnect the station connector from the first ev account session and plug it into his ev . the cessation of the session may physically release ( unlock ) the connector , close the account session , notify the first ev owner that his ev is charged , update the status of the charge station to indicate that a ev charging spot is open . those having skill in the art will appreciate that there are various logic implementations by which processes and / or systems described herein can be effected ( e . g ., hardware , software , and / or firmware ), and that the preferred vehicle will vary with the context in which the processes are deployed . for example , if an implementer determines that speed and accuracy are paramount , the implementer may opt for a hardware and / or firmware vehicle ; alternatively , if flexibility is paramount , the implementer may opt for a solely software implementation ; or , yet again alternatively , the implementer may opt for some combination of hardware , software , and / or firmware . hence , there are several possible vehicles by which the processes described herein may be effected , none of which is inherently superior to the other in that any vehicle to be utilized is a choice dependent upon the context in which the vehicle will be deployed and the specific concerns ( e . g ., speed , flexibility , or predictability ) of the implementer , any of which may vary . those skilled in the art will recognize that optical aspects of implementations may involve optically - oriented hardware , software , and or firmware . the foregoing detailed description has set forth various embodiments of the devices and / or processes via the use of block diagrams , flowcharts , and / or examples . insofar as such block diagrams , flowcharts , and / or examples contain one or more functions and / or operations , it will be understood as notorious by those within the art that each function and / or operation within such block diagrams , flowcharts , or examples can be implemented , individually and / or collectively , by a wide range of hardware , software , firmware , or virtually any combination thereof . several portions of the subject matter described herein may be implemented via application specific integrated circuits ( asics ), field programmable gate arrays ( fpgas ), digital signal processors ( dsps ), or other integrated formats . however , those skilled in the art will recognize that some aspects of the embodiments disclosed herein , in whole or in part , can be equivalently implemented in standard integrated circuits , as one or more computer programs running on one or more computers ( e . g ., as one or more programs running on one or more computer systems ), as one or more programs running on one or more processors ( e . g ., as one or more programs running on one or more microprocessors ), as firmware , or as virtually any combination thereof , and that designing the circuitry and / or writing the code for the software and / or firmware would be well within the skill of one of skill in the art in light of this disclosure . in addition , those skilled in the art will appreciate that the mechanisms of the subject matter described herein are capable of being distributed as a program product in a variety of forms , and that an illustrative embodiment of the subject matter described herein applies equally regardless of the particular type of signal bearing media used to actually carry out the distribution . examples of a signal bearing media include , but are not limited to , the following : recordable type media such as floppy disks , hard disk drives , cd roms , digital tape , and computer memory . in a general sense , those skilled in the art will recognize that the various aspects described herein which can be implemented , individually and / or collectively , by a wide range of hardware , software , firmware , or any combination thereof can be viewed as being composed of various types of “ electrical circuitry .” consequently , as used herein “ electrical circuitry ” or “ circuits ” or the like includes , but is not limited to , electrical circuitry having at least one discrete electrical circuit , electrical circuitry having at least one integrated circuit , electrical circuitry having at least one application specific integrated circuit , electrical circuitry forming a general purpose computing device configured by a computer program ( e . g ., a general purpose computer configured by a computer program which at least partially carries out processes and / or devices described herein , or a microprocessor configured by a computer program which at least partially carries out processes and / or devices described herein ), electrical circuitry forming a memory device ( e . g ., forms of random access memory ), and / or electrical circuitry forming a communications device ( e . g ., a modem , communications switch , or optical - electrical equipment ). those skilled in the art will recognize that it is common within the art to describe devices and / or processes in the fashion set forth herein , and thereafter use standard engineering practices to integrate such described devices and / or processes into larger systems . that is , at least a portion of the devices and / or processes described herein can be integrated into a network processing system via a reasonable amount of experimentation . the foregoing described aspects depict different components contained within , or connected with , different other components . it is to be understood that such depicted architectures are merely exemplary , and that in fact many other architectures can be implemented which achieve the same functionality . in a conceptual sense , any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is effectively “ associated ” such that the desired functionality is achieved . hence , any two components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality can be seen as “ associated with ” each other such that the desired functionality is achieved , irrespective of architectures or intermedial components . likewise , any two components so associated can also be viewed as being “ operably connected ”, or “ operably coupled ”, to each other to achieve the desired functionality . | 8 |
the drill bit 10 shown in fig1 is a roller cutter type of drill bit and includes the body 12 ( portions of which are not shown for purpose of clarity ), the shaft 14 extending inwardly and downwardly and the roller cutter 16 suitably mounted on the shaft 14 as hereinafter explained . such drill bits normally have one or more roller cutters supported on shafts extending from the drill bit body but for sake of clarity only one shaft and one cutter are shown . in the preferred form of structure shown in fig1 and 2 , the roller cutter 16 is mounted on shaft 14 with thrust bearing 18 , bushing 20 and the seal 22 therebetween . seal 22 prevents entry of detritus between the shaft 14 and the cutter 16 and seals the lubrication system 24 . the cutter 16 is provided with hard metal inserts 26 suitably installed in the roller cutter 16 . shaft 14 defines the groove 28 into which thrust bearing 18 is adapted to be positioned . thrust bearing 18 is a split ring as best seen in fig2 . the two halves 18a and 18b of bearing 18 , being semi - annular in shape , are positioned in the groove 28 between the shoulders 30 ( a ) and 30 ( b ). with the tool 32 positioned in opening 34 and notch 36 as shown , roller cutter 16 is threaded onto the exterior threads of thrust bearing 18 . when assembled a suitable plug ( not shown ) is positioned within opening 34 after removal of tool 32 to seal the lubrication system . the shoulders 30 ( a ), 30 ( b ) and 38 on shaft 14 are machined to provide the desired thrust surfaces for cutter 16 . the distance between the thrust surfaces of shoulders 30 ( b ) and 38 is preselected to provide a slight clearance so that the cutter 16 engages shoulder 38 before bearing ring 18 engages shoulder 30 ( b ). such clearance is preferred to be between 0 . 005 inch and 0 . 010 inch . also the play of cutter 16 on shaft 14 is determined by the clearance of the ring 18 in the groove 28 . too large a space between shoulders 30 ( a ) and 30 ( b ) with respect to the width of bearing ring 18 is avoided so that the axial movement of roller cutter 16 on shaft 14 is minimized . excessive axial movement of cutter 16 is detrimental to the life of seal 22 . it is preferred that the mating threads on thrust bearing 18 and roller cutter 16 be right - hand threads so that they will not loosen as the roller cutter turns in drilling using the normal clockwise drill bit rotation . also suitable thread locking material may be used to prevent loosening of the cutter on the thrust bearing ring 18 . in the modified form of structure illustrated in fig3 and 4 the drill bit 110 has a shaft 114 with the roller cutter 116 suitably mounted thereon as hereinafter explained . the structure includes the thrust bearing 118 , the bushings 120 and the seal 122 . seal 122 prevents entry of detritus between shaft 114 and cutter 116 and seals the lubrication system 124 . the cutter 116 is provided with hard metal inserts 126 . the shaft 114 defines an eccentric groove 128 into which the thrust bearing 118 is positioned . the eccentric shoulder 130 ( a ) of the groove 128 has an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the thrust bearing 118 . thus , the thrust bearing may be slipped over the end of the shaft 114 and positioned within the groove 128 . with this structure the groove 128 and thrust bearing 118 may be made to minimize the axial tolerance or play between the roller cutter 116 and the shaft 114 . the exterior of the thrust bearing 118 is threaded to be received within the mating threads within the roller cutter 116 . to assemble the structure , the tool 132 is inserted through the opening 134 in shaft 114 . thrust bearing 18 has a notch 136 on its inner surface to be engaged by the tool 132 as shown in fig1 . with the tool 132 preventing the thrust bearing 118 from rotating , the roller cutter 116 is threaded thereon . the mating threads on the thrust bearing 118 and the roller cutter 116 should be right hand threads so that they will not loosen as the roller cutter turns in drilling . also suitable thread locking material may be used to prevent loosening of the threads . a plug ( not shown ) is set in opening 134 to seal the lubrication system . with roller cutter 116 locked on thrust bearing 118 , the thrust bearing 118 is held against transverse movement by the engagement of bushing 122 by roller cutter 116 . in the other modified form of the present invention shown in fig5 the drill bit 210 includes the shaft 214 with the roller cutter 216 suitably mounted thereon as hereinafter explained . the bushing 220 and the seal 222 are positioned in the roller cutter 216 as shown . seal 222 prevents entry of detritus between the cutter 216 and the shaft 214 and seals the lubrication system 224 . the thrust bearing 218 is positioned around the end of shaft 214 and then the collar 240 is press fit onto the shaft 214 to define the narrow groove 228 in which thrust bearing 218 is positioned . the collar 240 is suitably secured on shaft 214 as by electron beam welding or other suitable means . as in the other forms previously described the roller cutter 216 is threaded onto the exterior threads of thrust bearing 218 with the tool 232 extending through opening 234 and engaged within notch 236 to prevent rotation of the thrust bearing 218 during assembly . when assembled , the tool 232 is removed and a suitable plug positioned in opening 232 to seal the lubrication system . from the foregoing it can be seen that the present invention provides an improved roller cutter drill bit in which the roller cutter may be made of medium carbon through hardening steel , the tolerances of movement of the cutter when installed on the shaft are minimized , is simple to machine and heat treat and avoids the problem of hard metal inserts being forced into the bearing area because of the foller cutter structure being too thin . also the opening in the body through which the tool is inserted functions as a part of the lubrication system . this hole is sufficiently small so that it does not appreciably weaken the body . | 4 |
a description will now be given of preferred embodiments of the present invention , with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 is a diagram showing a structure of an application system to which the present invention is adopted . the application system shown in fig1 includes a server computer 1 , an external storage device 2 , a network 3 and a client computer 4 . the server computer 1 includes a web server program 5 , an application program 6 and a document modification program 7 . the external storage device 2 stores an original document file 8 . the server computer 1 is a computer including a cpu and a memory not shown in figures , for instance , and is connected to the external storage device 2 and the network 3 . the server computer 1 executes the web server program 5 , the application program 6 and the document modification program 7 . the client computer 4 is connected to the server computer 1 through the network 3 , and executes a web browser program . the web server program 5 calls the application program 6 via a cgi , in accordance with an operation of the client computer 4 by a user . additionally , the web server program 5 receives an html document supplied from the application program 6 via the cgi , and transmits the html document to the client computer 4 . the application program 6 called by the web server program 5 calls the document modification program 7 , and transfers a parameter necessary for constructing the html document used for outputting a desired screen . additionally , the application program 6 receives the html document supplied from the document modification program 7 , and supplies the html document to the web server program 5 . individual processes performed by the application program 6 depend on its functions , and thus a description will be omitted of the individual processes . an original document stored in the original document file 8 is an html document including all information displayed on a monitor of the client computer 4 . for instance , in a case in which the application system displays a part x on the monitor of the client computer 4 if a condition a is satisfied , or displays a part y on the monitor if a condition b is satisfied , the parts x and y are both included in the original document . a starting position , an ending position and a name of an area such as the part x or the part y , and information about a word line to be replaced in the area are included as a comment of an html document in the original document for specifying the area . a comment in an html document starts with “& lt ;!--”, and ends with “--& gt ;”. fig2 a and 2b are diagrams showing a method of specifying an area in an original document , and a method of specifying a word line to be replaced in the original document , respectively . according to the method of specifying an area shown in fig2 a , a keyword “# struct ” indicates a declaration of an area . characters “{” and “}” respectively indicates a start and an end of the area . a name of the area is inserted to a position “ areaname ”. additionally , an area can take a nesting structure . in other words , a plurality of child areas can be declared in the area . according to the method of specifying a word line to be replaced in an original document shown in fig2 b , a word line or word lines that are to be replaced in an area are declared by use of a keyword “# variable ” following a declaration of the area . it should be noted that the word lines to be replaced are named in fig2 b as “ wordline_r1 ”, “ wordline_r2 ”, and so on . fig3 is a diagram showing a grammar of a parameter transferred from the application program 6 to the document modification program 7 . use of a parameter can specify to output or not to output each area corresponding to the original document by following a parent - child relation of the area . if an area is specified by the parameter , the area is outputted . on the other hand , if the area is not specified by the parameter , the area is not outputted even if the area is written in the original document . a plurality of parts such as records in a table can be outputted by specification of a single area for the plurality of times shown in fig3 . if a word line “ wordline_r ” to be replaced is specified , and no word line to be substituted for the word line “ wordline_r ” is specified , the word line “ wordline_r ” is deleted from an output document . a word line to be substituted for the word line “ wordline_r ” is called “ wordline_s ” in fig3 . a description will now be given of processes performed by the document modification program 7 to read the original document from the original document file 8 and to store the original document structurally , with reference to fig4 . the document modification program 7 initially reads one line from the original document , at a step s 1 . if the document modification program 7 determines at a step s 2 that there is no more line in the original document , the document modification program 7 ends the processes . if the document modification program 7 determines at the step s 2 that there are more than a single line , the document modification program 7 proceeds to a step s 3 , locates a line , and checks whether the line indicates a beginning ( a starting position ) of an area . to be concrete , in a case of detecting a format “& lt ;!-- areaname . . . --& gt ;” on the line , the document modification program 7 determines that the line is the beginning of an area . if having determined at the step s 3 that the line is not the beginning of an area , the document modification program 7 proceeds to the step s 1 . on the other hand , if having determined at the step s 3 that the line is the beginning of an area , the document modification program 7 proceeds to a step s 4 , and stores a starting position ( a line number ), an area name and a word line to be replaced in the area , in a memory not shown in the figures . subsequently , at a step s 5 , the document modification program 7 analyzes an ending position of the area , and stores the ending position ( a line number ) obtained by the analysis in the memory . at a step s 6 , the document modification program 7 adds the area whose starting and ending positions have been determined as a child area of a current parent area to a tree structure , and manages the area in the tree structure . if there is no parent area for the area whose starting and ending positions have been determined , the area becomes a parent area . subsequently , the document modification program 7 proceeds to the step s 1 , and executes the above - described processes . a description will now be given of a process performed by the document modification program 7 in a case of receiving a parameter from the application program 6 , with reference to fig5 . the document modification program 7 initially reads a line of a parameter , at a step s 11 shown in fig5 . if the document modification program 7 determines at a step s 12 that there is no more parameter line , the document modification program 7 proceeds to a step s 17 . if the document modification program 7 determines at the step s 12 that the there is more than a single parameter line , the document modification program 7 proceeds to a step s 13 , and checks whether an area name is specified on the line read at the step s 1 . to be concrete , if a pattern “ areaname { }” appears on the line , the document modification program 7 can determine that the area name is specified on the line . if having determined at the step s 13 that an area name is specified on the line , the document modification program 7 proceeds to the step s 14 , and creates an area corresponding to the area name . to be concrete , the document modification program 7 creates the area by copying all the word lines included in the area corresponding to the area name in the original document , to the memory . subsequently , the document modification program 7 proceeds to a step s 15 . if having determined at the step s 13 that an area name is not specified on the line , the document modification program 7 skips the step s 14 , and proceeds to the step s 15 . at the step s 15 , the document modification program 7 checks whether a word line “ wordline_r ” to be replaced is specified on the line . if having determined at the step s 15 that the word line “ wordline_r ” is specified on the line , the document modification program 7 searches through the memory storing all the word lines in the area for the word line “ wordline r ”, and replaces the word line “ wordline_r ” with a word line “ wordline_s ” to be substituted for the word line “ wordline_r ”, at a step s 16 . if a character “=” located between the word lines “ wordline_r ” and “ wordline_s ” or the word line “ wordline_s ” are omitted from the line , the word line “ wordline_r ” is eliminated from an output document . subsequently , the document modification program proceeds to the step s 11 . on the other hand , if having determined at the step s 15 that the word line “ wordline_r ” is not specified on the line , the document modification program 7 skips the step s 16 , and proceeds to the step s 11 . the document modification program 7 repeats the above - described steps , and proceeds to the step s 17 if having determined at the step s 12 that there is no more line to read in the original document . at the step s 17 , the document modification program 7 outputs contents of the memory to the application program 6 , and ends the process . in the above description , definition of an area is inserted to the original document as a comment . however , the definition of the area may be stored in a file different from the original document file 8 . in such a case , an area name , a line number of a starting position of the area and the number of lines included in the area should be specified in the file different from the original document file 8 . according to the present invention , documents slightly different from each other can be outputted on a monitor dynamically and easily , by use of a single original document and a parameter , and thus productivity of a web screen increases . in a case in which a new variation of the web screen is necessary , only a parameter corresponding to the new variation should be added to the original document . additionally , in a case of changing a fixed part of the web screen , only the original document should be modified . thus , an application program using the web screen is not necessarily modified . additionally , only the single original document is necessary for creating variations of the web screen , security of the web screen increase . the above description is provided in order to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best mode contemplated by the inventors of carrying out the invention . the present invention is not limited to the specially disclosed embodiments and variations , and modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention . the present application is based on japanese priority application no . 2000 - 333616 , filed on oct . 31 , 2000 , the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference . | 6 |
fig1 shows an optical sensor (“ sensor ”) 110 , according to an embodiment of the present invention , that operates based on the fluorescence of fluorescent indicator molecules 116 . the sensor 110 includes a sensor housing 112 ( sensor housing 112 may be formed from a suitable , optically transmissive polymer material ), a matrix layer 114 coated over the exterior surface of the sensor housing 112 , with fluorescent indicator molecules 116 distributed throughout the layer 114 ( layer 114 can cover all or part of the surface of housing 112 ); a radiation source 118 , e . g . an led , that emits radiation , including radiation over a range of wavelengths which interact with the indicator molecules 116 , i . e ., in the case of a fluorescence - based sensor , a wavelength which causes the indicator molecules 116 to fluoresce ; and a photodetector 120 ( e . g . a photodiode , phototransistor , photoresistor or other photodetector ) which , in the case of a fluorescence - based sensor , is sensitive to fluorescent light emitted by the indicator molecules 116 such that a signal is generated by the photodetector 120 in response thereto that is indicative of the level of fluorescence of the indicator molecules . two photodetectors 120 a and 120 b are shown to illustrate that sensor 110 may have more than one photodetector . the indicator molecules 116 may be coated on the surface of the sensor body or they may be contained within matrix layer 114 ( as shown in fig1 ), which comprises a biocompatible polymer matrix that is prepared according to methods known in the art and coated on the surface of the sensor housing 112 . suitable biocompatible matrix materials , which must be permeable to the analyte , include some methacrylates ( e . g ., hema ) and hydrogels which , advantageously , can be made selectively permeable — particularly to the analyte — i . e ., they perform a molecular weight cut - off function . sensor 110 may be wholly self - contained . in other words , the sensor may be constructed in such a way that no electrical leads extend into or out of the sensor housing 112 to supply power to the sensor ( e . g ., for driving the source 118 ) or to transmit signals from the sensor . rather , the sensor may include a power source 140 that is wholly embedded or housed within the sensor housing 112 and a transmitter 142 that also is entirely embedded or housed within the sensor housing 112 . the power source 140 may be an inductor , as may be the antenna for transmitter 142 as described in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 400 , 974 . the transmitter 142 may be configured to wirelessly transmit data to an external reader ( see fig7 ). other self - contained power sources that can be used include microbatteries ; piezoelectrics ( which generate a voltage when exposed to mechanical energy such as ultrasonic sound ; micro generators ; acoustically ( e . g ., ultrasound ) driven generators ; and photovoltaic cells , which can be powered by light ( infrared ). as shown in fig1 , many of the electro - optical components of sensor 112 , including a processor 166 , which may include electronic circuitry for controlling , among other components , source 118 and transmitter 142 , are secured to a circuit board 170 . circuit board 170 provides communication paths between the components . as further illustrated in fig1 , an optical filter 134 , such as a high pass or band pass filter , preferably is provided on a light - sensitive surface of a photodetector 120 . filter 134 prevents or substantially reduces the amount of radiation generated by the source 118 from impinging on a photosensitive surface of the photodetector 120 . at the same time , the filter allows fluorescent light emitted by fluorescent indicator molecules 116 to pass through to strike a photosensitive region of the detector 120 . this significantly reduces “ noise ” in the photodetector signal that is attributable to incident radiation from the source 118 . however , even though filter 134 may significantly reduce “ noise ” created by radiation from source 118 , filter 134 may not significantly attenuate “ noise ” from ambient light sources 198 , particularly because light that passes through skin has a wavelength that may not be filtered by the filter . that is , filter 134 may not significantly prevent ambient light 199 from hitting a photosensitive surface of a photodetector 120 . accordingly , sensor 110 has other features for dealing with the ambient light . for example , substrate 170 of sensor 110 is made of a material that does not propagate stray light or is coated with a finish that prevents it from propagating stray light . thus , by using such a substrate 170 one can reduce the amount of ambient light reaching the photodetectors 120 . in some embodiments , substrate 170 is a ferrite circuit board 170 while in other embodiments substrate 170 may be a conventional circuit board having a finish that prevents the board from propagating light . additionally , in sensor 110 the photodetectors 120 may be mounted to the underside of circuit board 170 . this may be done by , for example , a technique known as “ flip - chip ” mounting . this technique of mounting the photodetectors 120 to the underside of the board 170 permits all light - sensitive surfaces except the top surface of the photodetectors 120 to be more easily covered with a light blocking substance 104 ( e . g ., a black , light blocking epoxy ). however , it is contemplated that photodetectors 120 can be mounted on the topside of circuit board 170 , as shown in fig2 . like in the embodiment shown in fig1 , in the embodiment shown in fig2 all surfaces except the top surface of the photodetector are covered with light blocking substance 104 . in embodiments where the photodetectors 120 are mounted to the bottom surface of board 170 , a hole for each photodetector 120 is preferably created through board 170 . this is illustrated in fig3 , which is a top view of board 170 . as shown in fig3 , the light source 118 is preferably mounted to the top surface 371 of board 170 . as further shown in fig3 , two holes 301 a and 301 b have been created through board 170 , thereby providing a passageway for light from the indicator molecules to reach the photodetectors 120 . the holes in circuit board 170 may be created by , for example , drilling and the like . preferably , each photodetector 120 is positioned such that its face is directly beneath and covering a hole , as shown in fig1 . this technique restricts light from entering the photodetectors 120 except from their face and through the hole through the ferrite . as further illustrated in fig1 , each hole in the ferrite may be filled with an optical pass filter 134 so that light can only reach a photodetector 120 by passing through the filter 134 . as mentioned above and illustrated in fig1 , the bottom surface and all sides of the photodetectors 120 may be covered with black light blocking epoxy 104 . additionally , to minimize unwanted reflections that might occur from parts on the top surface 371 of the circuit board 170 , a black epoxy may be used as a potting for all components not within the far - field pattern of the optical system . further , black epoxy may be used to encircle the filters 134 for each photodetector 120 , thereby preventing light leakage from propagating through a glue joint created by the mechanical tolerance between the filters 134 and circuit board holes 301 . as further shown in fig1 , nir filters 106 a and 106 b may be positioned on top of filters 134 a and 134 b , respectively . such a configuration would require all light reaching a photodetector 120 to pass through not only filter 134 , but also nir filter 106 . as fig1 and 2 make clear , any ambient light that reaches a photodetector 120 must first pass through the matrix 114 containing the indicator molecules and the filters before the light can strike the top surface of the photodetector 120 and , thereby interfere with the optical sensor . although the matrix 114 is characteristically clear , by increasing the water content of the polymerization reaction , a phase separation occurs which results in a highly porous matrix material 114 . the large size of the pores , along with the differential refractive index of the matrix 114 ( versus the surrounding medium ), cause substantial light scattering within the matrix 114 . this scatter is beneficial in helping to attenuate any ambient light arriving from an external source before it can enter the sensor housing . accordingly , in some embodiments of the invention , the process of making the matrix 114 is altered so that the matrix 114 will be highly porous . for example , in some embodiments , matrix 114 is produced by ( a ) combining 400 mls hema with 600 mls distilled water ( a 40 : 60 ratio ), ( b ) swirling to mix , ( c ) adding 50 ul 10 % ammonium persulfate ( aps ) ( aqueous solution ) and 10 ul 50 % temed ( aqueous solution ), and ( d ) polymerizing at room temperature 30 minutes to one hour . this process will produce a highly porous matrix ( or “ white gel ” matrix ). polymerization at higher or lower temperatures can also be used to form a white gel matrix . an example is the formation of a 30 : 70 gel using 175 ul distilled water + 75 ul hema + 8 . 44 ul va - 044 ( 2 , 2 ′- azobis [ 2 -( 2 - imidazolin - 2 - yl ) propane ] dihydrochloride ) ( other free radical initiators such as aibn ( 2 , 2 ′- azobisisobutyronitrile ) might also be used ). another feature of sensor 110 is that at least part of the housing 112 may be doped with organic or inorganic dopants that will cause the doped part of the housing 112 to function as an optical filter . for example , it is contemplated to dope a part of housing 112 with savinyl black , which is an organic light blocking material . if necessary , under certain propagation vectors of ambient light , it is possible to selectively dope the housing 112 in such a way so as to only permit the region directly within the photodetectors &# 39 ; 120 field of view to propagate light . this mechanism would use a “ saddle ” graft architecture fabricated by the pre - machined encasement procedure . by use of the non - transparent material 104 and the non - light propagating circuit board 170 , the optical field of view of the photodetectors 120 is controlled and restricted to the region of the indicator matrix installation on the surface of the sensor housing 112 . the optical field of view for one photodetector 120 ( a ) of the embodiment shown in fig1 is illustrated in fig4 . because light cannot pass through the circuitry from the backside , the sensor 110 can be surgically installed in - vivo so as to orient the optical view of the photodetectors 120 in the most favorable placement to minimize light passing through the skin . for example , in some embodiments , orienting the sensor optical field of view inward toward body core tissue may be most favorable . this is illustrated in fig5 . as shown in fig5 , the one surface of the photodetector not covered by the non - transparent material 104 ( i . e ., surface 590 ) faces inward toward body core tissue 501 and away from the skin 520 to which it is the closest . because it is possible that this orientation may not be maintained in - vivo following installation ( e . g ., the sensor might roll during normal limb movement ), it is contemplated that in some embodiments it will be advantageous to incorporate anti - roll “ outriggers ” on the sensor housing 212 . fig6 is a front view of sensor 110 with outriggers 610 and 611 attached to sensor housing 212 to prevent rolling . in addition to providing an improved optical sensor design that significantly attenuates the effect of ambient light on the proper functioning of the optical sensor 110 , the present invention also provides improvements to the external signal reader that receives the output data transmitted from the optical sensor 110 . as discussed above , this output data , which carries information concerning the concentration of the analyte in question , may be transmitted wirelessly from sensor 110 . fig7 illustrates an example of an external reader 701 . in the embodiment shown in fig7 , the optical sensor 110 is implanted near a patient &# 39 ; s wrist and the reader 701 is worn like a watch on the patients arm . that is , reader 701 is attached to a wrist band 790 . in some embodiments , reader 701 may be combined with a conventional watch . preferably , wrist band 790 is an opaque wrist band . by wearing an opaque wrist band 790 , the patient will reduce the amount of ambient light reaching the optical sensor . as shown in fig7 , reader 701 includes a receiver 716 , a processor 710 , and a user interface 711 . the user interface 711 may include a display , such as , for example , a liquid crystal display ( lcd ) or other type of display . the receiver 716 receives data transmitted from the sensor . the processor 710 may process the received data to produce output data ( e . g ., a numeric value ) that represents the concentration of the analyte being monitored by the sensor . for example , in some embodiments , sensor 110 may transmit two sets of data to reader 701 . the first set of data may correspond to the output of the photodetectors 120 when the light source 118 is on and the second set of data may correspond to the output of the photodetectors 120 when the light source 118 is off . processor 710 processes these two data sets to produce output data that can be used to determine the concentration of the analyte being monitored by the sensor . for instance , the first set of data may be processed to produce a first result corresponding to the sum of ( 1 ) the total amount of light from the indicator molecules that reached the photodetectors 120 and ( 2 ) the total amount of ambient light that reached the photodetectors 120 . the second set of data may be processed to produce a second result corresponding to the total amount of ambient light that reached the photodetectors 120 . the processor 710 may then subtract the second result from the first result , thereby obtaining a final result that corresponds to the total amount of light from the indicator molecules that reached the photodetectors 120 . the processor 710 may then use the final result to calculate the concentration of the analyte and cause the user interface 711 to display a value representing the concentration so that the patient can read it . advantageously , reader 701 may include a small photodetector 714 . by including photodetector 714 in the reader 701 , the reader may monitor the amount of ambient light . further , the processor can be programmed to output a warning to the patient if the amount of ambient light detected by photodetector 714 is above a pre - determined threshold . for example , if the output of photodetector 714 , which may be input into processor 710 , indicates that there is a relatively high amount of ambient light , processor 710 may display an alert message on user interface 711 to alert the patient that the sensor may be non - functional due to the high amount of ambient light . the patient can then take the appropriate action . for example , the patient can move to an area where there is less ambient light or shroud the sensor so that less ambient light will reach the sensor . fig8 is a flow chart illustrating a process 800 that may be performed by processor 710 . process 800 may begin in step 802 , where processor 710 receives an input indicating that a user of reader 701 has requested to obtain a reading from the sensor or where processor 710 automatically determines that it is time to obtain data from the sensor . in step 804 , processor 710 obtains from photodetector 714 information regarding the intensity of the ambient light . in step 806 , processor 710 determines , based on the information obtained in step 804 , whether the intensity of the ambient light is such that it is likely the sensor will not be able to function properly . for example , processor 710 may determine whether the intensity of the ambient light is greater than some pre - determined threshold . if the intensity of the ambient light is such that it is likely the sensor will not be able to function properly , then processor 710 proceeds to step 890 , otherwise processor 710 proceeds to step 808 . in step 890 , processor 710 issues a warning to the user . for example , processor 710 may display a message on user interface 711 or communicate to the user that there is too much ambient light . in step 808 , processor 710 activates the sensor . for example , processor 710 may wirelessly provide power to the sensor , send an activation signal to the sensor , or otherwise activate the sensor . in step 810 , processor 710 obtains data from the sensor . for example , as discussed above , the data received from the sensor may include data corresponding to the output of photodetectors 120 when light source 118 is on and data corresponding to the output of photodetectors 120 when light source 118 is off . sensor 110 may wirelessly transmit the data to receiver 716 , which then provides the data to processor 710 . in step 812 , processor 710 processes the received data to produce a result that , if sensor is operating correctly ( e . g ., there is not too much ambient light ), can be used to calculate the concentration of the analyte being monitored by the sensor . for example , as discussed above , processor 710 may subtract the data corresponding to the output of photodetectors 120 when light source 118 is off from the data corresponding to the output of photodetectors 120 when light source 118 is on to produce a result that can be used to determine the concentration of the analyte being monitored by the sensor . in step 814 , processor 710 causes information or a message regarding the analyte being sensed by the sensor to be displayed to the user , wherein the information or message is based on the result produced in step 812 . in addition to providing an improved optical sensor design and an improved reader , the present invention provides an improved method for operating an optical sensor , which method also attenuates the negative effect of ambient light . the method may be used with a conventional optical sensor or with optical sensors according to the present invention . fig9 is a flow chart illustrating a process 900 for attenuating the effect of ambient light on readings provided by an optical sensor . process 900 may begin in step 901 , where a determination of the amount of ambient light reaching the photodetector is made . for example , in step 901 a signal produced by one or more photodetectors is obtained during a period of time when the indicator molecules are not in a fluorescent state . in step 902 , a determination is made as to whether the amount of ambient light reaching the photodetector is such that it is likely the sensor will not be able to provide an accurate reading . if the amount of ambient light reaching the photodetector is such that it is likely the sensor will not be able to provide an accurate reading , then the process proceeds to step 990 , otherwise the process proceeds to step 903 . in step 990 , information indicating that there is too much ambient light is transmitted to a sensor reader . after step 990 , the process may end or proceed back to step 902 . in step 903 , the indicator molecules are illuminated for about x amount of time ( e . g ., 50 or 100 milliseconds ). for example , in step 903 , the light source 118 may be activated for 100 milliseconds to illuminate the indicator molecules . in one embodiment , the light source is activated using about a 2 milliamp drive current . next , while the indicator molecules are illuminated , the signal produced by a photodetector 120 is read ( step 904 ). next ( step 908 ), the signal obtained in step 901 is subtracted from the signal obtained in step 904 to produce a new signal , which new signal should better correspond to the concentration of the analyte than the signal read in step 904 because the signal read in step 904 includes not only the light emitted by the indicator molecules but also the ambient light that has reached the photodetector . next ( step 910 ), the new signal is transmitted to an external reader . after step 910 , the process may proceed back to step 901 . process 900 may be performed by processor 266 . that is , in some embodiments , processor 266 may have software , hardware or a combination of both for performing one or more steps of process 900 . for example , processor 266 may include an application specific integrated circuit ( asic ) that is designed to carry out one or more of the steps of process 900 . fig1 is a flow chart illustrating another process 1000 according to an embodiment of the invention . process 1000 may begin in step 1002 where light source 118 is turned on for about x amount of time ( e . g ., 50 or 100 milliseconds ). for example , in step 1002 , the light source 118 may be activated for 100 milliseconds to illuminate the indicator molecules . in step 1004 , data corresponding to the outputs produced by photodetectors 120 a and 120 b while light source 118 is on is transmitted to reader 701 . in step 1006 , reader 701 receives the data . the data may include a reading from photodetector 120 a and a reading from photodetector 120 b , which is referred to as the reference photodetector . in step 1008 , reader 701 processes the received data to produce a first value . for example , the value may be produced by dividing the reading from photodetector 120 a by the reading from photodetector 120 b . next , light source 118 is turned off ( step 1010 ). in step 1012 , data corresponding to the outputs produced by photodetectors 120 a and 120 b while light source 118 is off is transmitted to reader 701 . in step 1014 , reader 701 receives the data . the data may include a reading from photodetector 120 a and a reading from photodetector 120 b . in step 1016 , reader 701 processes the received data to produce a second value . for example , the second value may be produced by dividing the reading from photodetector 120 a by the reading from photodetector 120 b . in step 1018 , reader 701 subtracts the second value from the first value to obtain a result that can be used to determine the concentration of the analyte being monitored by the sensor . in step 1020 , reader 701 displays information concerning the concentration of the analyte ( e . g ., it displays a value representing the determined concentration ). although the above described processes are illustrated as a sequence of steps , it should be understood by one skilled in the art that at least some of the steps need not be performed in the order shown , and , furthermore , some steps may be omitted and additional steps added . while various embodiments / variations of the present invention have been described above , it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only , and not limitation . thus , the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above - described exemplary embodiments , but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents . | 7 |
reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings , wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout . let vector , f =( f0 , f1 , . . . , fr ), have coordinates in { 0 , 1 } such that for every i , 0 ≦ i ≦ r , fi is 0 or 1 . we assume f0 = 1 . if f0 = 0 , then f0 is eliminated from f . now given a positive integer k , we define a rate k /( k + r ) code with the encoder and decoder maps shown respectively in fig3 a and 3b . in fig3 a , the phrase where for “ 0 ≦ i ≦ k − 1 ” means that the formula which follows at line 3 for c ( i ) is used only for determining c ( 0 ), c ( 1 ), c ( 2 ), . . . , c ( k − 1 ). in other words , the formula at line 3 is not used for determining c (− r ), c (− r + 1 ), . . . , c (− 1 ). [ 0035 ] fig4 a and 4b are explanatory diagrams related to the encoder and decoder maps shown in fig3 a and 3b respectively . although fig4 a and 4b do not correspond exactly with any of the embodiments described below , it is believed they are helpful in understanding the general principles of the inventions . in fig4 a , reference numeral 405 represents a sequence of data , perhaps output from an error correction coder ( ecc ). this sequence is then coded according to 1 /( 1 ⊕ d ). because this coding method performs an exclusive - or function by comparing an incoming data bit with the previously output data bit , it is necessary to specify an initial condition . an initial condition “ 0 ” is used for coder 410 , and an initial condition of “ 1 ” is used for coder 415 . thus , for bit b 1 , coder 410 performs an exclusive - or function with the initial condition of zero . with two “ 0 ” s , the one - and - only - one non - zero element function is not satisfied . thus , a “ 0 ” is output as bit c1 in the data sequence 420 . for both the data sequence 420 and the data sequence 425 , bits c 1 through c 8 are determined in this manner . for bit c 0 , the initial condition is used . thus , data sequence 420 has a c 0 of “ 0 ”, and data sequence 425 has a c 0 of “ 1 ”. a comparator 430 compares the number of “ 1 ” s in data sequence 420 with the number of “ 1 ” s in data sequence 425 . data sequence 425 has 5 “ 1 ” s , whereas data sequence 420 only has four “ 1 ” s . comparator 430 selects the data sequence with more “ 1 ” s and outputs that data sequence . thus , for our example , data sequence 425 is output . a few things should be noted about the example encoder shown in fig4 a . first , the rate k / m is 8 / 9 . second , four “ 1 ” s are contained in data sequence 420 , and five “ 1 ” s are contained in data sequence for 425 . it is not a coincidence that the bits contained in the data sequences 420 , 425 total 9 , the sum of 4 and 5 . in determining the number of “ 1 ” s produced , aspects of the invention rely upon this feature , as will become apparent later . third , data stream 420 is the compliment of data stream 425 . [ 0038 ] fig4 b schematically shows what happens in a decoder provided downstream from the encoder shown in fig4 a . in fig4 b , data sequence ( g 0 , g 1 , g 2 , . . . , g 8 ) corresponds with data sequence 425 ( c 0 , c 1 , c 2 , . . . , c 8 ). the function performed in decoder is 1 ⊕ d . thus , the decoder compares its g0 and g1 in an exclusive - or manner to produce decoded symbol d1 . the decoder does not require any initial conditions because it is only comparing decoder inputs . if there is an error in bit g 4 , for example , that error will propagate to cause errors in bits d 4 and d 5 . however , unlike other methods which ensure a large number of “ 1 ” s , no single bit error can corrupt an entire codeword . in the related art example described above , it is crucial that bit g 8 be received correctly . this bit determines the entire codeword data sequence . this is not the case for the encoder and decoder shown in fig4 a and 4b , respectively . [ 0039 ] fig5 is a simplified block diagram for the purpose of explaining the encoder map shown in fig3 a and the example shown in fig4 a and 4b . in fig5 b 1 through b k are the same as described previously . the filter function in box 505 considers the r previously output symbols . the vector r under the box 505 represents the initial conditions ( v 1 , v 2 , v 3 , . . . v r ). the output from the encoder ( c 0 , c 1 , c 2 , . . . , c m ) is formed by appending the selected initial conditions be ( v r , v r − 1 , v r − 2 , . . . v 1 ) as shown to the mathematic outputs of box 505 ( o 1 , o 2 , o 3 , . . . o k ). these outputs are produced using the selected initial conditions ( v 1 , v 2 , v 3 , . . . v r ). for the example shown in fig4 a and 4b , k = 8 , m = 8 , f =( f0 , f1 )=( 1 , 1 ), r =( v 1 ), and v 1 is selected as shown in fig4 a to be “ 1 ”. the following are the properties associated with the general encoding and decoding scheme described above . first , the encoder and decoder above are completely characterized by vector f and map s . if the vector f and the map s are known , any sequence can be coded . therefore , we sometimes represent the encoder and decoder respectively using notations , e ( f , s ) and d ( f , s ). these notations emphasize the underlying structure of the encoder and the decoder . second , despite what is stated above , the decoder is actually independent of map s . however , this is not true for the encoder . for every pair of distinct maps , s ′ and s ″, in general , e ( f , s ′) is not the same as e ( f , s ″). third , if r is small , then the above encoder and decoder pair will have short error propagation . from the decoder description above , each channel error ( c ( i )≠ g ( i )) can cause at most r + 1 decoder errors . fourth , let r0 , r1 , . . . , rr be the following initial state vectors ( v 1 , v 2 , v 3 , . . . , v r ) used to map from { 0 , 1 } k to { 0 , 1 } r . for every , b in { 0 , 1 } k , now given a map , s , and a vector , b in { 0 , 1 } k , we have e ( f , s )( b )= e ( f , r 0 )( b )⊕ v 1 * e ( f , r 1 )( 0 ) ⊕ v 2 * e ( f , r 2 )( 0 )⊕ . . . v r e ( f , rr )( 0 ), where 0 represents an all - zero vector having length k in { 0 , 1 } k and ( v 1 , v 2 , v 3 , . . . , v r ) is the initial condition vector r selected to produce for the codeword b being considered . we define a set f to be a collection comprising , e ( f , ri )( 0 )&# 39 ; s , for 1 ≦ i ≦ r . as can be seen from the above , the output is a linear combination of terms . this provides a short cut to determine the output for any input sequence ( b 0 , b 2 , b 3 , . . . , b k − 1 ) and any initial condition vector r =( v 1 , v 2 , v 3 . . . , v r ). as described above ( see fig5 for example ), the appropriate initial condition vector may be selected after knowing what would be produced from all possible initial conditions . with the above property , given any input sequence ( b 0 , b 2 , b 3 , . . . , b k − 1 ) and any set of initial conditions r =( v 1 , v 2 , v 3 , . . . , v r ), the output can be calculated by : 1 ) calculating output for the input sequence ( b 0 , b 2 , b 3 , . . . , b k − 1 ) for an all - zero vector of initial conditions r = r0 ; 2 ) calculating the output for an all - zero input sequence for each of the non - zero initial condition terms . that is , to determine the output for initial conditions r =( 1 , 0 , 0 , 1 ), the output for an all - zero input sequence vector would be calculated for initial conditions r =( 1 , 0 , 0 , 0 ) and r =( 0 , 0 , 0 , 1 ); and 3 ) taking the linear combination of the terms produced from items 1 ) and 2 ) above according to the equation . if it were necessary to calculate the output for all possible initial condition vectors ( v 1 , v 2 , v 3 , . . . v r ), this would require 2 r calculations for every input sequence ( b 0 , b 1 , b 2 , . . . , b k − 1 ). with the above property , all that is necessary is to perform one calculation for the given input sequence and an all - zero initial condition vector and calculate the output for an all - zero input sequence and the initial condition vectors corresponding to the non - zero terms . thus , instead of performing 2 r calculations , only r + 1 calculations or fewer are necessary . further , the outputs for item ( 2 ) above do not depend on the input sequence , and thus only need to be calculated once after knowing the length k . the first embodiment is analogous to the example illustrated in fig4 a and 4b , and has the following properties : 1 ) k = 64 in the example shown in fig4 a and 4b , k = 8 , 2 ) f1 =( 1 , 1 ), ( r = 1 ) the notation f1 indicates that this is the f vector for the first embodiment . with the f vector f1 =( 1 , 1 ), the encoder uses the formula 1 /( 1 ⊕ d ). r = 1 indicates that only one initial condition is necessary , and this follows from the vector f , and r ( b _ ) = 0 , if e ( f1 , r0 ) ( b _ ) has more than 32 ones , and = 1 , otherwise . now , encoder and decoder , e ( f1 , s1 ) & amp ; d ( f1 , s1 ) have the following properties : ii ) f1 ={ e ( f1 , r1 )( 0 )}={( 1 1 . . . 1 )} thus , if an all - zero input sequence ( b 0 , b 1 , b 2 , . . . b k − 1 ) is received and processed with r =( v 1 )= r1 =( 0 ) according to the first embodiment , an all one sequence is produced as the output . iii ) short error propagation — channel errors influence only two ( r + 1 ) consecutive data bits . iv ) for every b in { 0 , 1 } 64 , the number of ones in c = e ( f1 , s1 )( b ) is at least 33 . in fact , e ( f1 , s1 ) generates the same codewords as the encoder in the related art example . however , in the related art example , a channel error for one symbol could propagate to an error in 64 bits . for the first embodiment , a one bit error can propogate to at the most 2 bits using e ( f1 , s1 ). v ) as stated in iv ), encoder e ( f1 , s1 ) generates at least 33 ones in every codeword . this property is very useful for clock recovery . previously , it was stated that for the example shown in fig4 a and 4b , one of the possible outputs is the compliment of the other possible output . for the first embodiment , there are only two possibilities for the initial condition vector r , either r =( 1 ) or r =( 0 ). above property ii ) tells us that if the input sequence ( b 0 , b 1 , b 2 , . . . , b k − 1 ) is an all - zero vector , and the initial condition vector is defined as r =( 1 ) then the output is an all one vector ( 1 , 1 , 1 , . . . 1 ). this is useful in evaluating the linear combination discussed above , which is reproduced below . in the linear combination e ( f , s )( b )= e ( f , r 0 )( b )⊕ v 1 * e ( f , r 1 )( 0 ) ⊕ v 2 * e ( f , r 2 )( 0 )⊕ . . . ⊕ v r * e ( f , rr )( 0 ), to find the output produced for a given input vector ( b ) when v 1 = 0 , only the first term on the right side of the equation is used . that is , if v 1 = 0 , the output is determined by e ( f , r0 ) ( b ). on the other hand , if v1 = 1 , the first and second terms are used . the subsequent terms are not present since r = 1 and thus v 1 = r 1 . the first term is the same as produced from v 1 = 0 . the second term produces all one vector according to property ii ). performing mod . 2 addition , the output when v 1 = 1 is the compliment of the output when v 1 = 0 . 2 ) f2 =( 1 , 1 , 1 ), ( r = 2 ), thus , we use 1 /( 1 + d + d 2 ) and need two initial conditions . 3 ) a subset , w ={ w1 , w2 , w3 }, of { 0 , 1 } 66 , be defined by s2 ( b _ ) = r0 = ( 0 0 ) , if e ( f2 , r0 ) ( b _ ) is not in w , and = r2 = ( 0 1 ) , otherwise . thus , if the output produced for the given input sequence ( b 0 , b 2 , b 3 , . . . , b k − 1 ) and the initial condition vector r =( 0 , 0 ) is not one of w1 , w2 , w3 , then we use r =( 0 , 0 ) encoder and decoder , e ( f2 , s2 ) & amp ; d ( f2 , s2 ) have the following properties : ii ) f2 ={ e ( f2 , r1 )( 0 ), e ( f2 , r2 )( 0 )}={ ( 1 0 1 1 0 1 . . . 1 0 1 ), ( 0 1 1 0 1 1 . . . 0 1 1 )} note that the first two elements in both of the possible outputs are the initial condition vector . thus , for e ( f2 , r1 ), ( c 0 , c 1 )=( 1 , 0 )= r1 . although r1 is not used as a possible initial condition vector r according to the map for the second embodiment , this is an important property . iii ) short error propagation — channel errors influence only three ( r + 1 ) consecutive data bits . iv ) for every b in { 0 , 1 } 64 , the codeword c = e ( f2 , s2 )( b ) is not in w . this property is true since based on the above description we have e ( f2 , s2 ) ( b )= e ( f2 , r0 )( b ), if e ( f2 , r0 ) ( b ) not in w , and e ( f2 , s2 ) ( b )= e ( f2 , r0 )( b )⊕ e ( f2 , r2 )( b )= e ( f2 , r0 )( b )⊕( 0 1 1 0 1 1 . . . 0 1 1 ), otherwise . in the above two equations for property iv ), a few things should be considered referring to the general linear combination discussed previously and reproduced below . e ( f , s )( b )= e ( f , r 0 )( b )⊕ v 1 * e ( f , r 1 )( 0 ) ⊕ v 2 * e ( f , r 2 )( 0 )⊕ . . . ⊕ v r * e ( f , rr )( 0 ) by definition , we know that if r =( v 1 , v 2 )=( 0 , 0 ) produces an output which is not in w , then we use r0 for r . if v 1 = v 2 = 0 , then all terms on the right side of the linear combination disappear except for the first term . if the initial conditions r = r0 =( 0 , 0 ) produce an output which is in w , then we use the initial conditions r = r2 =( 0 , 1 ). in this case , v 1 = 0 and v 2 = 1 . to find the output at r2 , we can use the general linear combination . because v 1 = 0 and v 2 = 1 , the first and third terms remain on the right side of the linear combination . the first term e ( f , r0 )( b ) is known to be one of the w1 through w3 . the third term e ( f , r2 )( 0 ) is known as described in property ii ) above . the linear combination of these two vectors produces an output not in w . output sequences generated with vectors in set w are not desirable for some channels because they might produce long error events . for these channels , property iv ) contributes to limiting the length of the error events . the third embodiment is similar to the second embodiment . list 1 )- 5 ) below describes the third embodiment . 4 ) let set , n , be a subset of { 0 , 1 } 66 comprising all vectors having less than 22 ones , and s3 ( b _ ) = r0 = ( 0 0 ) , if e ( f3 ( d ) , r0 ) ( b _ ) not in w ⋃ n , and = r1 = ( 1 0 ) , otherwise . thus , before we select r = r0 =( 0 , 0 ), we confirm that the output thereby produced is not in w and has at least 22 “ 1 ” s . encoder and decoder , e ( f3 , s3 ) & amp ; d ( f3 , s3 ) have the following properties : iii ) short error propagation — channel errors influence only ( r + 1 ) three consecutive data bits . iv ) for every b in { 0 , 1 } 64 , the codeword c = e ( f3 , s3 )( b ) is not in w ∪ n . this property is true since e ( f 3 , s 3 )( b )= e ( f 3 , r 0 )( b ), if e ( f 3 ( d ), r 0 )( b ) not in w ∪ n , and e ( f 3 , s 3 )( b )= e ( f 3 , r 0 )( b )⊕ e ( f 3 , r 0 )( 0 )= e ( f 3 , r 0 )( b )⊕( 1 0 1 1 0 1 . . . 1 0 1 ), otherwise . we note that the third embodiment not only satisfies property iv ) of the second embodiment but also every codeword generated by encoder , e ( f3 , s3 ), has at least 22 ones . therefore , encoder of the third embodiment , e ( f3 , s3 ), contributes more to providing clock recovery information than the encoder of the second embodiment , e ( f2 , s2 ). in many systems , the error performance depends on the user data ; some user data on the average performs better than other user data . in general , this dependency is due to 1 ) the encoder map , 2 ) the properties of the channel noise , and 3 ) the properties of the channel filter . since in the present coding method , there is a strong connection between the structure of a codeword and its corresponding user data , the error performance of a system based on the present method might depend on user data as well . in such systems where error performance depends on user data , the impact of user data is minimized by modifying the encoder and the decoder as follows . a predetermined pseudo random vector , h , is added to both the data at the input to the encoder and to the output of the decoder . the forth embodiment encoder and decoder , e and d , use the earlier embodiments as follows . first , encoder , e , accepts 64 bits , b . next it adds ( bit - wise mod 2 ) a constant vector h to b , thereby producing p = b + h . then , for a fixed i , 1 ≦ i ≦ 3 , the encoder applies the map , e ( fi , si ), ( see previous embodiments ) to p , generating codeword c . thus , after performing mod . 2 addition , one of the first three embodiments is used . decoder , d , receives m bits , g , then it applies the map , d ( fi , si ), ( where i defines the map of one of the previous embodiments — the same embodiment as used for the encoder map ) to generate vector , q ( for i = 1 , m = 65 , and for i = 2 & amp ; 3 , m = 66 ). finally , the decoder adds the vector h to the vector produced by the map d ( f i , s i ) to produce bits , d . in one example , the vector h may be defined as follows : in addition to adding the vector h , encoders and decoders designed based on the present method can be modified as follows . additional bits can be added to each codeword to force properties such as : 2 ) parity structures at the output of a precoder in recording systems that use a precoder between the encoder and the channel . these modified encoders and decoders contribute to enhancing system performance ( distance ). the additional bits can be added to the sequence either before or after the encoder . of course , if the additional bits are added after the encoder , then they would need to be removed before the decoder . where the additional bits are added ( before or after the encoder ), depends on whether the encoding and decoding method will corrupt the additional bits . for example , a parity bit considers the number of “ 1 ” s in the codeword after the precoder . the number of “ 1 ” s and hence the parity bit cannot be determined until after the codeword is produced . thus , the parity bit should be added after the encoder and removed before the decoder . the system implementing the method described above includes permanent or removable storage , such as an application specific integrated circuit ( asic ), magnetic and optical discs , ram , rom , etc . on which the process and data structures of the present invention can be stored and distributed . also , the system implementing the method described above applies not only to magnetic recording , but so to various other communication systems . the processes can also be distributed via , for example , downloading over a network such as the internet . the invention has been described in detail with particular reference to preferred embodiments thereof and examples , but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention . | 7 |
the ratio of the amounts by weight of components ( a )/( b ) in the composition of the present invention is preferably comprised between 10 : 90 and 90 : 10 and , more preferably , between 25 : 75 and 75 : 25 . the propylene polymers of the component ( a ) in the composition of the invention , together with the process for the preparation thereof , are described in the european patent application ep - a - 604 917 , the content of which is intended included in the present description . these propylene polymers are amorphous , can be obtained directly from the polymerization reaction of propylene , and have the following characteristics : ( b ) the percentage of syndiotactic diads ( r ) minus percentage of isotactic diads ( m ) is greater than 0 ; ( c ) less than 2 % of the ch 2 groups are contained in sequences ( ch 2 ) n , with n greater than or equal to 2 ; these propylene polymers are essentially free of crystallinity . their melting enthalpy values are generally lower than 20 j / g and , preferably , lower than 10 j / g . in most cases , they have melting enthalpy values of 0 j / g . preferably , the above mentioned propylene amorphous polymers show intrinsic viscosity values higher than 1 . 5 dl / g and more preferably higher than 2 dl / g . 13 c - n . m . r . analysis carried out on the above mentioned ethylene amorphous polymer gives information on the tacticity of the polymeric chains , that is , on the distribution of the configurations of the tertiary carbon atoms . the structure of these polymers appears substantially atactic . nevertheless , it is observed that syndiotactic diads ( r ) appear to be more numerous than the isotactic ones ( m ). preferably , % r −% m & gt ; 5 . has values near the unit , in particular comprised within the range 0 . 8 - 1 . 2 and preferably comprised within the range 0 . 9 - 1 . 1 . the structure of these propylene polymers appear to be highly regioregular . in fact , from the 13 c - n . m . r . analysis signals relating to sequences ( ch 2 ) n , wherein n & gt ; 2 , are not detectable . therefore , less than 2 % and preferably less than 1 % of ch 2 appears contained in sequences ( ch 2 ) n , wherein n & gt ; 2 . molecular weights of the above mentioned propylene polymers are not only high , but distributed within rather narrow ranges . an index of the distribution of molecular weight is represented by the ratio m w / m n which appears to be generally lower than 5 , preferably lower than 4 and more preferably lower than 3 . the polyolefinic compositions which form the component ( b ii ) of the composition according to the present invention , together with the process for the preparation thereof , are described in european patent application ep - a - 472 946 , the content of which is intended included in the present description . the thermoplastic compositions according to the invention can contain additives able to give particular properties to the articles for the manufacture of which the composition is designed . additives useable are those generally used in the polymeric thermoplastic compositions such as for example stabilizers , anti - oxidizing agents , anti - corrosion agents , etc . furthermore , the compositions of the invention can contain organic or inorganic , also polymeric , fillers . these additives and fillers can be used in conventional amounts , as known to those skilled in the art or as easily determined by routine tests , generally up to 5 % by weight on the final composition . the thermoplastic compositions of the present invention can be prepared by admixture of the components in internal mixers of the banbury type . the compositions of the invention are generally obtained in form of pellets . these can be transformed into manufactured articles by the generally used processes for the processing of thermoplastic materials , such as injection molding , extrusion , etc . the obtained manufactured articles are endowed with elasto - plastic properties particulary interesting for biomedical articles . the high elasto - plastic properties of the compositions of the invention are made clear by low tensile set values ; for example , the residual deformation after 100 % elongation ( 10 min ., 23 ° c .) is generally lower than 30 %. furthermore the compositions of the invention are characterized by high ultimate tensile strength , generally higher than 4 mpa , with deformation generally higher than 300 %. the optical properties are evaluated by measuring on a 1 mm thickness plate , the amount of transmitted light which deviates from the original incidence angle (“ haze ”). the composition of the invention are characterized by “ haze ” values generally lower than 60 %, preferably lower than 50 %. therefore , the composition of the invention , differently from their single components , shows a good combination of elastomeric properties , thermoplastic processability and optical transparency . in fact , the component ( a ), although showing very good optical properties , generally is not endowed with satisfactory values as to the ultimate tensile strength . on the contrary , the component ( b ), endowed with high ultimate tensile strength , has insufficient light transparency properties , and the elastic recovery properties are worse in comparison with the compositions of the invention ( higher tensile set values ). taking into account the above mentioned mechanical properties and the good compatibility with blood and soft tissues , the compositions of the invention are particulary suitable for the manufacture of articles for biomedical applications . as articles for biomedical applications , the articles for the contact with biologic or injectable fluid are intended . examples of manufactured articles according to the present invention are tubes for enteral or extra buccal feeding , tubes for peristaltic pumps , catheters , devices for hemodialysis , bags for blood or plasma , seals for syringes , artificial organs and similar applications . owing to the transparency characteristics of the compositions used for the manufacture of the above mentioned articles , particulary interesting are the devices for containing , supplying , drainage and transport of blood and biologic or physiologic fluids , such as for instance intravenous catheters , dialysis tubes , bags for blood and physiologic solutions and similar applications . in fact it is easy to detect inside the devices the presence of bubbles , blood coagules , scales of biomineral origin inside the devices for dialysis , presence of extraneous material , etc . the possibility of sterilization by treatment with radiations , in particular gamma radiations , according to known technologies or by chemical way ( aseptic sterilization ), the resistance to solvent used in hospitals , the non adsorption of drugs , the weldability according to known welding techniques , the dimensional stability are further interesting characteristics of the manufacture articles of the invention . further advantages are made clear by the examples which are given to illustrate and not to limit the invention . the intrinsic viscosity [ η ] was measured in tetrahydro - naphthalene at 135 ° c . the 13 c - n . m . r . analysis of polymers were carried out with an instrument bruker ac200 at 50323 mhz , using c 2 d 2 cl 4 as solvent ( about 300 mg of polymer dissolved in 2 . 5 ml of solvent ) at a temperature of 120 ° c . the molecular weight distribution was determined by gpc carried out on instrument waters 150 in orthodichlorobenzene at 135 ° c . the differential scanning calorimetry measurements ( dsc ) were carried out on an instrument dsc - 7 by perkin elmer co . ltd . according to the following procedure . about 10 mg of sample were heated from 40 ° c . to 200 ° c . at a rate of 20 ° c ./ min ; the sample was kept at 200 ° c . for 5 minutes and thereafter it was cooled to 40 ° c . at the same rate . thereafter a second heating scan was carried out according to the previous conditions . the values reported are reheat values . the ethylene content in copolymers was determined by infrared spectroscopy ( i . r .). melt flow ratio ( mfr ) values were determined by the method astm - d 1238 , conditions l . physico - mechanical characterizations were carried out according to the hereinafter indicated methods : the above mentioned physico - chemical characterizations were carried out on specimens cut from a 1 mm thickness plate , prepared by compression molding under the following conditions : 5 minutes at 200 ° c . in the absence of pressure , then 5 minutes under pressure , thereafter cooling to 23 ° c . under pressure with circulating water . into 1 litre glass buchi autoclave , provided with jacket , screw agitator and thermoresistance , and joined to a thermostate for controlling the temperature , degassed with alibu 3 in hexane solution and warm dried under nitrogen stream , 0 . 4 l . n - hexane ( purified by passage on alumina columns ) was supplied under nitrogen and the temperature was raised to 50 ° c . the solution of the catalyst was prepared as follows : 15 . 8 mg of silandiyl - bis ( fluorenyl ) zirconium dichloride , prepared pared as described in the example 1 of the european patent application ep - a - 604 917 , and 229 . 3 mg of methylaluminoxane ( mao ) were dissolved in 10 ml of toluene . the mao used is a commercial product ( shering , mw 1400 ) in 30 % b . w . toluene solution . after having removed the volatile fractions under vacuum , the vitreous material was crushed until a white powder was obtained , this was further treated under vacuum ( 0 . 1 mm hg ) for 4 hours at a temperature of 40 ° c . the powder thus obtained showed good flowing properties . 3 . 8 ml of the catalyst solution were transferred to 20 ml of toluene containing 1 . 043 mg of mao and this solution was injected into the autoclave at 50 ° c ., under propylene flow . the autoclave was pressurized at 4 ata of propylene and the polymerization was carried out for 90 minutes . after coagulation in methanol and drying 49 g of solid and transparent propylene , having intrinsic viscosity of 1 . 41 dl / g , were separated . the 13 c - n . m . r . analysis of signals of methyl groups gave the following composition in triades : % mm = 16 . 9 ; % mr = 48 . 5 ; % rr = 34 . 6 ; b = 0 . 99 ; % r −% m = 17 . 7 ; signals corresponding to sequences ( ch 2 ) n , wherein n ≧ 2 were not detected . the gpc analysis gave the following values : m w = 200 , 000 ; m w / m n = 3 . 5 . from the dsc measurement did not appear any peak attributable to melting enthalpy ( δh f ). data attributable to the mechanical and optical characterizations of the component ( a1 ) are reported in table 1 . into a 1 . 35 litre stainless steel autoclave , degassed in warm under propylene flow , 480 g of propylene were supplied at 40 ° c . by propylene overpressure , 23 ml of a toluene solution containing 846 mg of mao and 4 mg of dimethylsilandiyl - bis -( fluorenyl ) zirconium dichloride were injected . the temperature was raised to 50 ° c . and the polymerization reaction was carried out for 1 hour . after having degassed the unreacted monomer and dried the product , 100 g of solid and transparent polypropylene , soluble in chloroformium in warm , having intrinsic viscosity 2 . 23 dl / g were separated . data relating to the mechanical and optical characterization of the component ( a2 ) are reported in table 1 . into a 1 . 35 litre stainless steel autoclave , degassed in warm under propylene flow , 480 g of propylene were introduced at 40 ° c . by propylene overpressure , 9 ml of a toluene solution containing 106 mg of mao and 4 mg of dimethylsilan - diyl - bis -( fluorenyl ) zirconium dichloride were injected . the temperature was raised to 50 ° c . and the polymerization reaction was carried out for 1 hour . after having degased the unreacted monomer and dried the product , 83 g of solid and transparent polypropylene , soluble in chloroformium in warm , having intrinsic viscosity 3 . 65 dl / g were separated . data relating to the mechanical and optical characterizations of the component ( a3 ) are reported in table 1 . a commercial product hifax 7036 by himont inc . was used ; this had the following composition : ( a ) 29 % by weight of a copolymer of propylene with ethylene containing 3 . 5 % by weight of units deriving from ethylene , having mfr = 20 g / 10 ′; ( b ) 71 % by weight of a bipolymer of ethylene with propylene , containing 27 . 5 % by weight of units deriving from ethylene , having intrinsic viscosity 3 . 4 dl / g . data relating to the mechanical and optical characterizations of the component ( b ) are reported in table 1 . 12 g of the component ( a1 ), 28 g of the component ( b1 ) and 0 . 2 % by weight on the total weight of the composition of antioxidizing agent irganox b215 ( ciba / geigy ), were mixed in a mixer branbender plasicorder pld651 mixer w50 at 200 ° c . for 5 minutes , then compression molded under the above described conditions . data relating to the mechanical and optical characterizations of the composition are reported in table 1 . these compositions were obtained by operating according to the procedure described in example 5 , but using the component ( a2 ) instead of the component ( a1 ), and working with 40 g in total of the components ( a2 ) and ( b1 ), but in different ratios . the percentages by weight of the components ( a2 ) and ( b1 ) present in the compositions , as well as data relating to the mechanical and optical characterizations of the compositions are reported in table 1 . this composition was obtained by operating according to the procedure described in example 5 , but using 50 g of the component ( a3 ) instead of the component ( a1 ), and 50 g of the component ( b1 ). data relating to the mechanical and optical characteristics of the compositions are reported in table 1 . 14 g of component ( a2 ) and 26 g of a component ( b1 ) were mixed in a 13 litres internal mixer , pelletized and extruded by a bandera extruder having 45 mm diameter and length / diameter ratio ( l / d )= 17 , in form of tubular specimens having inside diameter = 2 . 6 mm , outside diameter 3 . 6 mm and thickness = 0 . 5 mm . data relating to the mechanical and optical characterizations of the composition are reported in table 1 . the suitability of the composition to the manufacture of articles designed for biomedical applications was experimentally proved by subjecting the above mentioned tubular specimens to the following tests : stretching test — a specimen of length = 61 cm was hand stretched until the length was doubled ; “ knot test ”— a simple overhand knot was tied from a specimen of about 30 . 5 cm length ; and pulled tight at a slow rate then it was untied ; this test is considered to be passed if the tubing does not bind or stick to itself so that the flow of liquids through the tube itself is not blocked ; “ kink test ”— a specimen was kept bent by a clamp of v type for 6 hours at room temperature and thereafter set free ; the tube did not remain obstructed and showed neither bends or necks . metals contained in the compositions of the invention are substantially non extractable by contact with biologic fluids and this appears particulary advantageous in biomedical applications . this composition was obtained operating according to the procedure described in example 5 , but using 28 g of component ( a2 ) instead of component ( a1 ) and 12 g of a commercial product ep2 - c by himont inc . ( component ( b2 )), random copolymer of propylene with ethylene containing 3 % by weight of ethylene units . data relating to the mechanical and optical characterizations of the composition are reported in table 1 . | 2 |
referring to the drawings in particular , as was explained above , the anesthesia system 1 according to the present invention , which can be seen in fig1 and 2 , comprises an anesthesia apparatus 2 and at least one anesthetic dispensing device 3 , which is detachably coupled with the anesthesia apparatus 2 and which contains an anesthetic storage reservoir 4 , in which anesthetic evaporates . the anesthesia apparatus 2 is provided with at least one mounting arm 5 , which is shown in a cross - sectional view in the top part of fig1 . the exemplary mounting arm 5 is provided with two recesses 6 a , 6 b , which are designed to receive two dispensing devices 3 . mounting arm 5 is provided for this purpose with two holding pins 8 at each of the recesses 6 a , 6 b , which said holding pins 8 are used for being received in corresponding holes 7 , which are formed in a bracket 9 of the dispensing device ( shown in fig2 ). the basic principle of this structure forms a fluid connection 7 , 8 between the anesthesia apparatus 2 and the anesthetic dispensing device 3 . the basic principle of this mounting structure is schematically shown in fig2 , and it is obvious to the person skilled in the art that the holding pins 8 are of a tubular design and that by the holding pins 8 engaging the holes 7 , the fluid connection is established between the dispensing device 3 and the anesthesia apparatus 2 in order to deliver anesthetic at a set concentration from the dispensing device 1 to the anesthesia apparatus 2 . it is , of course , also possible , in principle , to form the holes 7 in the anesthesia apparatus and the holding pins 8 in the dispensing device as is also shown in fig1 , the mounting arm 5 has one or more light sources 10 on an outer wall of the recesses 6 a , 6 b . the light sources 10 are preferably formed by one or more leds . at least one led is positioned such that its light exit area is directed into the recess , so that the light of the at least one led is emitted essentially at right angles to the wall of the recess . the leds in the two recesses 6 a , 6 b are supplied by a control unit 11 , which is connected with a serial interface rs 232 ( or with another serial / parallel interface ) 30 and a power supply unit u vers 29 . if the dispensing devices 3 are coupled with the mounting arm 5 of the anesthesia apparatus 2 by means of the holding pins 8 and holes 7 , the light exit areas of the leds 10 are aligned with the corresponding light exit areas of the fiber optic light guides in the respective dispensing device . adjusting means are preferably provided in order to make it possible to correct possible deviations . finally , fig1 shows optical detectors 12 , which are represented as cameras . the optical detectors 12 are designed and arranged to optically detect , for example , the display means ( e . g ., filling level and concentration setting ) of the respective dispensing device . for example , the anesthetic filling level or anesthetic concentration set can be detected in this manner optoelectronically . the measured signals are sent to the control unit , so that the measured values of the filling level and concentration can be displayed , for example , on an external monitor . in addition , the measured values can be compared with limit values , and a corresponding alarm message is sent if the measured values drop below or exceed these limit values . this message may be acoustic , but such alarm messages are preferably generated optically by emitting different light colors . in other words , the at least one led emits light in different colors , depending on the operating state or the state of alarm , so that the corresponding display means are lit with the corresponding light color . furthermore , it is possible to generate an alarm by blinking light . fig2 shows a mounting arm 5 of the anesthesia apparatus 2 together with a coupled dispensing device 3 as a schematic side view in such a way that it can be easily distinguished from the view in fig1 in order to make it possible to show the optical interface between the anesthesia apparatus 2 and the dispensing device better . two leds 10 are arranged at a wall of the mounting arm 5 . the dispensing device is shown for this purpose offset to the left relative to the mounting arm 5 . this also causes the holding pin 8 indicated by broken lines to have likewise been shown offset to the left compared to its actual position on the mounting bracket 5 . the two leds 10 are arranged at a wall 27 of the mounting arm 5 . the leds 10 are arranged on a board 13 , which is fastened to an inner wall of the mounting arm 5 . the leds are connected to the control unit 11 via control lines 14 . for example , holes are formed in the wall 27 of mounting arm 5 , and these holes are essentially aligned with the light exit areas of the leds 10 , so that the leds emit light through these holes in a direction essentially at right angles to the wall surface 27 of mounting arm 5 . as is also shown in fig2 , light entry areas 15 , which are embodied preferably by correspondingly designed ends of fiber optic light guides 20 ( fig4 , 5 , 6 , 7 and 8 ), which are arranged in the dispensing device 3 , are provided in bracket 9 of the dispensing device 3 . these fiber optic light guides , which are not shown in fig2 for the sake of clarity , extend from the light entry areas 15 through the bracket 9 into the housing of the dispensing device 3 . the ends ( light exit areas ) of the fiber optic light guides are preferably located in the vicinity of the display means to be lit , i . e ., in the vicinity of the setting wheel 16 of the dispensing device for setting the anesthetic concentration and in the vicinity of a sight glass ( glass tube ) for displaying the anesthetic filling level . the setting wheel and the glass tube are lit in this manner , so that reading is guaranteed even under unfavorable light conditions . as was explained above , the led or leds is / are preferably able to emit light in different colors . the glass tube and setting wheel can thus be radiated , for example , with green or blue light when the filling level or set concentration is within the desired range . should the concentration be set incorrectly or should the filling level be too low , the rotating wheel or glass tube is radiated , for example , with red light . in addition , warning messages can be embodied by blinking light . fig3 shows a side view in the cross section for a lower area of the anesthetic dispensing device 3 from fig2 with the anesthetic reservoir 4 contained therein , which is connected to a measuring tube 17 ( glass tube ). as is apparent from fig3 , the filling level of the anesthetic 18 is displayed in the glass tube . the above - described fiber optic light guide 20 is arranged with its light exit area such that the light emitted from the light exit area falls on the glass tube . to achieve the most uniform lighting of the glass tube possible , the fiber optic light guide 20 ends in this exemplary embodiment in a planar fiber optic light guide , which is designed as a plate - like body 24 and will be described in more detail below on the basis of fig7 . fig4 shows a side view in the cross section for a setting wheel 16 for setting the anesthetic concentration , which wheel 6 is provided on the top side of the anesthetic evaporator 4 of the dispensing device 3 . the setting wheel is transparent to light in the exemplary embodiment being shown . fig4 shows , moreover , the end area 19 of a fiber optic light guide 20 , whose light exit area radiates towards the inside of the setting wheel , so that the setting of the setting wheel can be easily recognized even under unfavorable lighting conditions . fig5 shows a schematic side view of a first exemplary embodiment of the optical interface between the anesthesia apparatus 2 and dispensing device 3 , and fig6 is a schematic side view of a second , alternative embodiment of this optical interface . as was explained in the introduction , there are certain tolerances concerning the coupling of the dispensing device with the anesthesia apparatus 2 , which may possibly have to be compensated in order to guarantee the optimal feed of the light emitted by the led ( or leds ) into the fiber optic light guide ( fiber optic light guides ). these tolerances can be corrected by means of mechanical adjusting devices . as an alternative , the light entry area 15 of the fiber optic light guide 20 is irradiated by the opposite led 10 such that the fiber optic light guides are always lit uniformly in case of deviations within the tolerance range . however , an additional luminous power of the led is necessary in this case ( this would be 224 % in case of a fiber optic light guide diameter of e . g ., 5 mm and tolerances of +/− 2 mm and this corresponds to an additional luminous power of 96 % at a tolerance of +/− 1 mm ). in addition , this scattered light would have to be absorbed in a suitable manner in order not to reach the surrounding area in an interfering manner . the coupling site ( i . e ., the light entry area 15 ) of the fiber optic light guide 20 is provided for this purpose , for example , with a collar 21 made of a black plastic , which predominantly absorbs light and reflects the residual part onto the led side , where a collar 22 of the same type absorbs additional parts ( fig5 ). as an alternative , the outer surfaces of the collars 21 , 22 may also be provided with a light - reflecting coating in order to reflect the scattered light at least partly onto the light entry area of the fiber optic light guide 20 . in the second embodiment ( see fig6 ), the luminous power of led 10 is expanded with a lens 28 to a larger beam cross section with parallel ray path in this case ( collimator ) in order to subsequently focus this light by another lens 23 arranged in front of the light entry area 15 of the fiber optic light guide 20 into this light entry area . the interface is located here in the expanded part of the ray path , and an offset due to tolerance has a weaker effect in terms of percentage on the coupled light intensity . to light the glass tube 17 shown in fig3 for displaying the anesthetic filling level , it is necessary to allow the light intensity being carried by the fiber optic light guide 20 to exit as uniformly as possible behind or next to the glass tube 17 . for example , planar fiber optic light guides may be used for this ( see fig7 ), which consist essentially of a plate - like body 24 made of an optically transparent material ( glass , plastic ). if the fiber optic light guide 20 is inserted into this body 24 , the light can be distributed uniformly by total reflection on the lateral surfaces in the interior of the body 24 and it can exit the body at defined sites . this can be achieved either by the essentially mirror - finished body being roughened in an area 25 , so that the light is scattered and uncoupled diffusely , or by the body being coated with a highly reflective material with the exception of the entry and exit sites . as an alternative to this , a plurality of fiber optic light guides 20 may be provided as well . since it is not necessary during the lighting of the setting wheel to light the entire rotating wheel ( see fig4 ), it is meaningful to limit the available light intensity to the area around the setting mark only . this can be advantageously achieved by means of a lens attachment 26 at the end of the fiber optic light guide 20 ( fig8 ). the view on the left side of fig8 shows the fiber optic light guide 20 without lens attachment , whereas the view on the right side of fig8 shows the fiber optic light guide with the lens attachment 26 . the lighting intensity can be markedly increased in the range of interest by such a lens attachment 26 by the light emitted from the light exit area of the fiber optic light guide being focused . while specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention , it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles . | 0 |
in a point of sale terminal , the software typically buffers the journal printer information prior to initiating an actual print operation . in the present invention , the buffered information is saved in a random access memory stack prior to initiating a journal print operation . the size of the stack may be specified as a parameter by the terminal user during a system generation process , as will be subsequently described . the terminal software maintains a stack pointer to be used for placing entries into the stack , and this pointer is reset to the starting memory location of the stack whenever the last stack location has been filled . the latest journal printer data is thus recorded in the terminal memory as well as on the journal tape by the printer . information stored in the memory stack may be displayed on a display , such as a crt , included as a part of the point of sale terminal . the stack normally will contain a larger number of information entries than can be displayed at one time on the display , and means are therefore provided to display selected portions of the total number of entries stored in the stack , and to scroll the entries in either of two directions in order to cause particular desired items to be displayed . referring now to fig1 there is shown a typical business terminal 10 , such as a terminal for use in retail establishments . in its illustrated embodiment , the terminal 10 includes a display screen 12 , a keyboard 14 , a printer 16 , and a cash drawer 18 . the printer 16 includes a receipt printer 31 for providing a customer receipt 29 and a journal printer 32 for providing a journal record 33 , which is visible through an aperture 35 . the journal record 33 may be shifted for viewing additional entries by operation of keys 37 . one such commercially available terminal is the ncr 7052 , manufactured by ncr corporation , dayton , ohio . a schematic representation of the hardware and software elements of the terminal 10 is shown in fig2 . a central processing unit 24 , which includes a suitable microprocessor , such as an intel 80286 , manufactured by intel corporation , santa clara , calif ., is coupled by a display interface 26 to the display screen 12 , is coupled by a keyboard interface 28 to the keyboard 14 , and is coupled by a printer interface 30 to the journal printer 32 which is included in the printer 16 . the central processing unit 24 is also coupled by a memory interface 34 to a memory 36 , which among other items , customarily stores an operating system 38 which may be an ms - dos operating system . the memory 36 also stores input - output software 40 such as bios ; software drivers 42 for the display , keyboard and printer ; and additional software 44 , generally designated as retail applications . the retail applications area 44 may typically contain the application software , memory for dynamic storage allocation ( dsa ) usage , including a journal printer buffer 51 , fixed storage areas for financial totals , and any other items required by the system . shown in fig3 is a block diagram which illustrates the relationship of various software modules which interact to provide the electronic journal window of the present invention . all of these modules are included in the display , keyboard and printer driver software represented in block 42 of the memory 36 of fig2 . shown at the left of fig3 is the journal printer driver software , generally designated by the reference character 50 , which is typical software employed for driving a printer normally found in a point of sale terminal . the application software 53 provides specific functionality to control the man - machine interactions necessary to support a user application such as retail point of sale transactions . the printer driver software 50 is activated by a calling sequence from the application software 53 . when it is desired to include the journal window display feature of the present invention in such a terminal , a software &# 34 ; switch &# 34 ;, designated 52 , is incorporated into the software 50 . this is incorporated in such a manner that at a given point in the routine followed by the journal printer driver software 50 , the &# 34 ; switch &# 34 ; 52 is operated , which enables the accumulation of journal printer data from the buffer 51 into the journal window stack 56 . the accumulation of this data is accomplished by the journal window software 54 . the decision as to whether or not to include the electronic journal window display feature is made by the purchaser of the terminal at the time that the terminal software is configured in such a manner as to meet the particular needs of the purchaser , using a &# 34 ; system generation &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; sysgen &# 34 ; system . if the purchaser does not wish to incorporate the electronic journal window display feature , then the &# 34 ; switch &# 34 ; 52 is not activated , and the journal printer driver software will simply pass through that location to the next active instruction , and the system will not include the electronic journal window display which is the subject of this invention . if the customer has selected the electronic journal window display feature , when the switch 52 is operated , control of the terminal passes to the journal window software 54 . the journal window software 54 operates in conjunction with the journal printer driver software 50 to obtain information from the journal printer buffer 51 in the dsa section of the system memory . the journal printer buffer 51 contains the most recent printer journal entry . the journal window software 54 causes journal data resulting from operation of the machine to be written into the journal window stack , or data array , 56 . the display software 58 , in turn , is activated by the application software 53 , receives selected data from the stack 56 and acts through the memory interface 34 , the cpu / electronics 24 and the crt interface 26 to display the selected data on the crt display 12 . stack control elements 60 contain information used by the journal window software 54 to determine where to place the next journal entry into the journal window stack 56 , and also contain information used by the display software 58 to determine what information is to be displayed on the display 12 . the journal window stack 56 and the stack control elements 60 are shown in greater detail in fig4 . the previously - mentioned system generation process is also utilized to determine how many lines of journal data are to be stored in the journal window stack 56 . the data array is comprised of a number of lines which may extend from line no . 1 of the stack 56 to line no . n . each of these lines may typically contain forty bytes of data , with each byte being an eight - bit character . the desired number of lines , as determined in the system generation process , is stored in the stack size location 62 of the stack control elements 60 . limiting values may be established for the stack size and may , for example , include a minimum value of 50 journal lines and a maximum value of 200 journal lines . if the operator or user of the system generator includes the electronic journal window display feature , but does not respond to a question as to the size of the stack , a default value , such as the 50 - line minimum value , will be used for the size of the stack . other elements of the stack control elements 60 include a printer stack pointer 64 . this printer stack pointer is used by the journal window software 54 to determine the next available stack storage location . the printer stack pointer 64 is initially set to an address equal to the starting memory address of the stack 56 . the value of the printer stack pointer 64 is advanced or increased incrementally each time a line of print is sent to the journal printer . when the address of the printer stack pointer 64 is incremented to the last entry address of the stack 56 , the pointer is reset back to the starting address of the stack 56 . the journal window stack 56 is thus a circular buffer . also included is a crt stack pointer 66 . this pointer is used by the display software 58 to control which items of information are taken from the stack 56 and displayed on the crt display 12 . the crt stack pointer contains an address that points to a location in the journal window stack . when the operator of the terminal activates a display operation in order to view journal information on the display 12 , the crt stack pointer 66 is initialized to the address of the printer stack pointer 64 less a value equal to the total permitted number of journal entries viewable at one time on the display 12 , or less the entry counter 70 value , if that is less than the total permitted number of entries . a typical total number of entries viewable at one time on the display is twenty - four . if the number of journal entries is twenty - four , or exceeds twenty - four , then the address of the crt stack pointer is based upon the printer stack pointer value minus twenty - four , or a multiple of twenty - four , if appropriate . when up to twenty - four lines of journal information have been displayed on the screen 12 , the address of the crt stack pointer 66 may be incremented or decremented by operation of the &# 34 ; scroll forward &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; scroll backward &# 34 ; terminal keys to allow information to be scrolled forward or backward on the screen . the stack start location 68 is a cell in the system memory , and is a fixed element of information which is not altered during operation of the system . it points to the location in memory where the stack 56 actually begins . as described above , the stack size 62 is a fixed parameter provided by the user at system generation time which determines how many lines of journal information can be stored in the stack 56 . the entry counter 70 indicates the number of locations which have actually been used at any given time in the stack 56 . this count is important when the stack 56 is first used , at the beginning of a day , for example , and is not completely full . this count is used to limit access to stack information to avoid the display of unknown or spurious stack locations if the stack has not been completely filled . shown in fig6 is a sub - routine 74 of the journal printer driver software 50 which is employed for controlling operation of the terminal journal printer 32 . it will be seen from fig6 that this sub - routine 74 is entered at an appropriate time from whatever application program is being used to control the terminal in a desired sequence of operation . after a journal print request has been received from the application software 53 via an appropriate operator - activated keyboard entry on the terminal 10 , as represented by block 76 , the print buffer is prepared , as represented in block 78 , by loading with appropriate journal entry data . the journal entry data is then also entered into the journal window stack 56 , as represented by block 80 . the journal window software 54 then adjusts the printer stack pointer 64 to the next available location in the journal window stack 56 , as represented by block 82 . the data is then printed on the journal sheet by the printer 32 , as represented by the block 84 , and the sub - routine 74 is exited , as represented by the block 86 . this is the end of the journal print sequence . as a consequence of the preceding sub - routine , the journal information necessary for use in the electronic journal window display has been saved for display at the command of the operator . when an operator desires to initiate such a display , the sub - routine 90 of fig5 is employed . conditioning for operation of this sub - routine , as represented by the start block 92 , is caused by some appropriate action or event occurring in the retail application software 44 . actual initiation of the sub - routine is accomplished by operation of an appropriate terminal key or key sequence by the operator , as represented by block 94 . this causes the current contents of the display to be saved , as represented by block 96 , so that this display can be returned to the crt 12 after the interruption occasioned by display of the journal data . the initial value for the crt stack pointer 66 is then determined by the display software 58 , as represented in block 97 . in so doing , the value of the entry counter 70 is examined . if the value is zero , the crt stack pointer 66 is set to zero to signify that no journal data has been accumulated in the journal window stack 56 . if the entry counter 70 is non - zero , the display software 58 will compute the initial value of the crt stack pointer 66 in accordance with the following algorithm : ______________________________________variable definitions : ______________________________________printer stack pointer value = pspcrt stack pointer value = cspstack start = ssstack size = sizeentry counter = ec______________________________________assumptions : ( 1 ) stack size ≧ 48 ; ( 2 ) 24 lines ofdata to be displayed ; ( 3 ) psp values are ascending . case 1 : less than 24 lines of informationwill be displayed . if ec ≦ 24 then csp = psp - eccase 2 : 24 or less lines of information will bedisplayed . if ec & gt ; 24 and ec & lt ; size then csp = psp - 24case 3 : 24 lines of information will always bedisplayed . if ec = size then if ( psp - 24 ) & lt ; ss then csp = size + psp - 24 else csp = psp - 24______________________________________ the contents of the journal stack , starting at the address which is computed by the above algorithm and contained in the crt stack pointer 66 , are then displayed on the display 12 , as represented by block 98 . the number of lines of data appearing on the display 12 is controlled by the value of the entry counter 70 , as shown in the above algorithm . the keyboard input of the terminal is checked , as in block 100 , to see whether or not a command to scroll the display forward or backward , or an exit command , has been received . a decision is then made in block 102 as to whether or not an exit key has been activated . if so , the display contents saved in block 96 are restored ( block 104 ) and control of the terminal is returned to the application program being used ( block 106 ). if no exit key has been activated , a determination is made as to whether a scroll forward key ( block 108 ) or a scroll backward key ( block 110 ) has been activated . if the scroll forward key is activated , the data is scrolled forward to the desired extent ( block 112 ), after which the process is returned over path 114 to block 98 . if the scroll forward key is not activated , but the scroll backward key is activated , the data is scrolled backward to the desired extent ( block 116 ), after which the process is returned over path 114 to block 98 . from block 98 , the process continues as before , and if neither the exit key nor the scrolling keys is activated , the process continues to loop until one of the above keys is activated . while the form of the invention shown and described herein is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated , it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the form or embodiment disclosed herein , for it is susceptible of embodiment in various other forms within the scope of the appended claims . | 6 |
referring now to the figures and in particular to fig1 , a fish scaler assembly 10 is illustrated comprising a fish scraper 20 , a tube 50 , a coupling 60 , an adapter 70 , and a glove 80 . it will be understood that the components of the fish scaler assembly 10 shown in the drawings are but specific examples of any of a number of suitable components which could also be used without departing from the scope of this invention . referring to fig2 and 3 , the scraper 20 has an upper surface 20 a and a lower surface 20 b which define a handle 22 and a scraping portion 24 , preferably continuously formed with one another . the scraper 20 is made of a lightweight material and can weigh only a few ounces , such as 2 . 5 ounces in the example shown in the drawings , which makes use of the scraper 20 easy on the user . the scraper 20 is preferably symmetrical about a longitudinal axis so that it has equal utility for a right - or left - handed user . a recess 26 is formed at a forward end of the scraping portion 24 , preferably generally u - shaped and extending inwardly from the forward end thereof , such that two curved arms 28 are formed . the recess 26 allows the scraper 20 to be maneuvered around some of the harder - to - access areas of the surface to be scraped , for example , around the fins of the fish . an ergonomically - shaped grip area 29 is provided on the handle 22 and can comprise a narrowed or inwardly - curved portion of the handle that the user may comfortably grip . the grip area 29 can also have a shape corresponding to the shape of a hand , such as integrally formed impressions for the thumb and fingers . a peripheral flange 30 depends from the upper surface 20 a of both the handle 22 and the scraping portion 24 whereby it extends substantially around the perimeter of the scraper 20 , terminating at the forward recess 26 to define scraping edges at outer terminal edges of the forward end . the flange 30 has a generally smooth lower edge adjacent to the lower surface 20 b of the handle 22 , and preferably has a serrated edge 32 adjacent to the lower surface 20 b of the scraping portion 24 and extends forwardly to the ends of the arms 28 . the serrated edge 32 comprises a plurality of serrations or teeth 33 that are contacted with and scraped across the surface of a fish to be cleaned to remove scales , grime , and other debris therefrom . in addition to the grip area , the scraper 20 can be provided with one or more apertures that allows users having differently - shaped hands to comfortably grip the scraper 20 . in the illustrated embodiment , a circular aperture 34 and a generally triangular aperture 36 are formed in the upper surface 20 a of the scraper 20 , generally in a central area of the upper surface 20 a , intermediate the ends thereof , and wherein the circular aperture 34 is located generally rearwardly of the triangular aperture 36 , both located along a longitudinal axis of the scraper 20 . the apertures 34 , 36 are provided as an optional holding place for the user to grip the scraper 20 . the user &# 39 ; s finger can be inserted through either of the apertures 34 , 36 to achieve a comfortable grip on the scraper 20 . as can be seen in the drawings , the apertures 34 , 36 are located generally forwardly of the handle 22 of the scraper 20 , in an ergonomically - comfortable location for the fingers of most users of the scraper . the longitudinal spacing of the apertures 34 , 36 enables users having differently - sized hands to operate the scraper 20 in relative comfort . a u - shaped slot 38 is formed in the flange 30 at the end of the handle 22 . preferably , the slot 38 begins at a lower edge of the depending flange 30 , generally at a rearward end of the handle 22 and aligned with a longitudinal axis of the scraper 22 . the slot 38 opens in a generally u - shaped manner toward the upper surface 20 a of the handle 22 and terminates slightly prior to reaching the upper surface 20 a . a pair of juxtaposed openings 40 , 42 are formed in the upper surface 20 a of the handle 22 , which material making up the openings 40 , 42 are formed downwardly through the upper surface 20 a to form opposed arms 40 a , 42 a . the arms 40 a , 42 a are preferably formed in an opposed relationship and each comprise a generally l - shaped depending flange cooperating to form a channel with , and longitudinally aligned with , the slot 38 in the flange 30 . referring to fig2 and 4 , the scraper assembly 10 also comprises a nozzle 44 comprising a first end 46 with an outlet 46 a and a second end 48 with an inlet 48 a . the outlet 46 a preferably defines a suitable configuration for the pressurized egress of water therefrom when a supply of pressurized water is supplied to the inlet 48 a . the second end 48 preferably has a series of ridges 49 thereon , adapted to receive an end of a tube , such as tube 50 described herein , in a press - fit fashion . alternatively , the second end 48 can be fit with any suitable adapter , such as a compression clamp or threaded fitting , to make it suitable to fluidly interconnect with a pressurized water supply . the tube 50 is preferably made from a flexible plastic but can be made of any suitable material . the function of the tube is simply to carry water to the inlet 48 a of the nozzle 44 . referring to fig2 and 5 , the coupling 60 , shown by example in the figures , comprises a hollow body 62 with a first end 64 that is threaded internally for attachment to a pressurized water source , such as a standard outdoor hose or spigot and a second outwardly threaded end 66 that is attached to the adapter 70 . a valve ( not shown ) is contained within the body 62 to control the flow of water through the coupling 60 . a knob 68 is preferably provided on the outside of the body 62 and is operably coupled to the valve such that turning the knob 68 in one direction causes the valve to open and allow water to flow through the coupling , and turning the knob 68 in the opposite direction causes the valve to close and stops the flow of water through the coupling 60 . the coupling 60 , including the body 62 , valve , and knob 68 , is preferably made of a suitable plastic material , i . e ., being sufficiently rigid to withstand numerous cyclic operations and the pressures of the fluid contained therein . referring to fig5 , for ease of operation , the knob 68 can have a quarter - turn or a ninety degree range of motion such that when the knob 68 is in a horizontal position ( position 1 ) the valve is closed . by turning the knob 68 clockwise to a vertical position ( position 2 ) the valve is open . the volume of water flowing through the coupling 60 can be adjusted by turning the knob 68 to any position , for example to roughly 45 degrees ( position 3 ) between the horizontal position and the vertical position such that water is flowing through the coupling 60 , but not at a maximum volume . other types of valves and modes of actuation can be employed without departing from the scope of this invention , and the substitution of other types of valves would be apparent to one skilled in the art . markings can preferably be provided on the knob 68 that identifies the direction to rotate the knob 68 to turn the water “ on ” and “ off ”. referring to fig2 , the adapter 70 comprises a connector 72 with an inner thread that is sized to fit the second outwardly threaded end 66 on the coupling 60 . the adapter 70 further comprises a nozzle 74 that extends from the center of the connector 72 . the nozzle 74 preferably has a series of ridges 76 thereon , adapted to receive an end of the tube 50 in a press - fit fashion . alternatively , the nozzle 74 can be fit with any suitable adapter , such as a compression clamp or threaded fitting , to make it suitable to fluidly interconnect with a pressurized water supply . the glove 80 is a common knit glove with a gripping pattern 82 adhered to both sides of the glove 80 . the gripping pattern 82 allows the user to securely hold a fish without the danger of it slipping . the glove 80 can be worn on the non - scraping hand of the user to grip to fish and is patterned on both sides so that it can be worn on either the left or right hand of the user . the universal / generic glove 80 , in combination with the substantially symmetrical scraper 20 allows the fish scaler assembly 10 to be used by a left - or right - handed user . the assembly of the fish scraper assembly 10 will now be described with respect to the drawings in general . the nozzle 44 is attached to the scraper 20 by placing the nozzle 44 into the u - shaped slot 38 and wrapping the arms 40 a and 42 a around the first end so that the arms 40 a , 42 a form a clamp around a portion of the nozzle 44 . the nozzle 44 is preferably arranged within the arms 40 a , 42 a when attached to the scraper 20 such that the outlet 46 a is directed along the lower surface 20 b of the scraper 20 . the tube 50 is attached at a first end 50 a to the inlet 48 a of the nozzle 44 and at a second end 50 b to nozzle 74 on the adapter 70 which , in turn , has been attached , such as by threading on , to the end 66 of the coupling 60 . referring to fig6 , the utilization of the fish scaler assembly 10 to clean a fish 100 will now be described . first , the end 64 of the coupling 60 is attached to a water source 90 , such as an outdoor hose , spigot , or hydrant . the exemplary illustrated water source 90 is a spigot , such as is commonly located on the exterior of a house . then , the water source 90 is turned on using a water source control 92 , allowing water to flow into the coupling . the flow of water through the assembly 10 can be adjusted to a desired volume by the knob 68 . this can also be done using the water source control 92 or a by combination of both the knob 68 and the water source control 92 . next , the user dons the glove 80 , for example on his or her non - dominant hand and grips a fish 100 to be scaled with their gloved hand . the scraper 20 is held in their non - gloved hand , for example his or her dominant hand , such that a comfortable grip is achieved using any combination of the handle 22 and apertures 34 , 36 . then , the user runs the scraping portion 24 over the fish 100 , preferably in a direction opposite of the direction of scale growth , so that the serrated edges 32 remove the scales . in other words , the user preferably scrapes in a generally tail - to - head fashion on the fish 100 . the scraper 20 can be maneuvered around the fins of the fish 100 as needed using the recess 26 . referring to fig7 a and 7 b , as water exits from the nozzle outlet 46 a , it will flow along the lower surface 20 b of the scraper 20 . immediately after it exits the nozzle 44 , it will flow in a generally narrow path along handle 22 and then along a wider path along the scraping portion 24 , where it will impinge on the serrated edges 32 where accumulation of scales and grime typically occurs . the continuous impingement of water on these edges 32 keeps the scraper 20 clean and free from debris accumulation . also , since the nozzle outlet 46 a is far from the scraping portion 24 , it will not become clogged with debris from the fish 100 . after the fish 100 has been scaled , the spray of water from the assembly 10 can be used to rinse other things , for example , the surrounding area , other fishing equipment , the user &# 39 ; s hands and the like . the fish scaler assembly 10 presents several advantages and improvements over other fish scalers . the assembly 10 removes fish scales in a cleaner and more time efficient manner . the elements of the assembly 10 , for example , the scraper 20 , do not become clogged with fish scales or other debris and do not require interruption of the scale removal process to unclog the assembly 10 . the assembly 10 also reduces the time needed for clean - up after scale removal since the water flow can easily be directed to the users hands , other equipment and the surrounding area . elements of the assembly 10 , such as the scraper 20 and glove 80 , are symmetrically designed so that a right - or left - handed user can employ the assembly 10 . in addition to the symmetrical design , the apertures 34 , 36 provide alternate ways of holding the scraper 20 so that a user can achieve a comfortable grip . the adapter 70 and tube 50 allow the scraper 20 to be fluidly coupled with any standard water source , for example an outdoor hose or spigot . the outlet 46 a of the nozzle 44 directs water across the bottom surface 20 b of the scraper 20 such that the scraping portion 24 and serrated edges 32 are kept clean and free from scales and grime . the outlet 46 a is positioned at a distance from the scraping portion 24 so that the outlet 46 a will not become clogged with scales or grime . while the invention has been specifically described in connection with certain specific embodiments thereof , it is to be understood that this is by way of illustration and not of limitation , and the scope of the appended claims should be construed as broadly as the prior art will permit . | 0 |
referring to fig1 shown therein is a side view of an apparatus according to the invention . disposed between a first element 10 and a second element 14 is a cooling device 12 . the cooling device 12 is a peltier element operated with electrical power or a group of peltier elements . it causes transportation of heat from a lateral boundary surface to the other — in this case the heat is transported from the first element 10 to the second element 14 . if the cooling device 12 is acted upon by a suitable current which is predetermined in respect of amount and direction , heat is withdrawn from the first element 10 and transported to the second element 14 where it is in turn discharged to the ambient atmosphere . the first element 10 and the second element 14 are preferably in the form of cooling bodies , that is to say flat or air exposed aluminum elements with cooling ribs extending thereon for increasing the effective surface area . due to the extraction of heat the first element 10 cools down to below the ambient temperature and the moisture contained in the ambient air condenses at the element 10 . as the surface area - increasing cooling ribs of the first element 10 extend vertically , the condensate water can easily drain away downwardly due to the effect of the force of gravity and can be suitably collected up and if necessary drained off by means of conduits . it can be seen from the side view in fig2 that the condensate water which drains off downwardly along the cooling ribs of the first element 10 passes into a duct 20 which is passed into the open air through a wall 32 so that the condensate water can drain off into the open without any problem . if that duct 20 should suffer from a blockage , there is additionally provided a catch space 22 which can store the condensate water so that it does not drip uncontrolledly into regions below the apparatus . provided in that catch space 22 is a liquid sensor 24 which can detect a rise in the level of liquid and trigger a suitable signal which for example can be used to cause maintenance personnel to remove the closure of the duct 20 and empty the catch space . the apparatus has a control device 26 in order to detect the temperature of the first element 10 by way of a first temperature sensor 16 . the ambient temperature is detected by way of a second temperature sensor 18 . the control device 26 can then derive the required control effect for the cooling device 12 , from the temperature difference and predetermined reference values . it will be appreciated that this control system can also monitor the liquid sensor 24 and produce and output the corresponding signals . fig3 shows a partial view of a pylon 30 of a wind power installation . the apparatus according to the invention which in fig3 is identified generally by reference numeral 2 is assumed to be arranged approximately at a halfway position on the height of the pylon 30 . the duct 20 for draining off the condensate water is laid within the pylon 30 to a position close to the ground in fig3 and only there issues outwardly through the wall 32 of the pylon 30 . in one embodiment , the second element 14 which receives the heat in directly coupled to the wall 32 of the pylon 30 , or in one case , is composed of the wall 32 itself , so that a large heat sink mass is provided to assist in the cooling element 10 to become very cool easily and without having to heat the element 14 itself to a high temperature . namely , the mass of element 14 for receiving the heat which is removed from the cooling element 10 can be very large so that the element 10 can easily become very cool and not cause a corresponding temperature rise in the element 14 which receives the heat . that reliably prevents traces of water on the outside of the wall 32 . the preferred position of installation of the dehumidifier according to the invention is in the region of the base of the tower , but installation at other locations on the wind power installation is also possible . the region of the base of the tower has the advantage that air which has already been dehumidified will pass through the rectifiers which are usually arranged in the base of the tower . a further advantageous possible way of draining off the condensate water from the tower is in the region of the access door . the door is fitted in any case as a separate component element into the lower section of the pylon . it is possible in that way to avoid a change in structure which is essential when making an opening through the wall of the pylon . fig4 shows a modified representation of fig1 . the difference in relation to fig1 essentially lies in a baffle plate 40 which is arranged above the cooling body ( first and second element ) 10 , 14 and which deflects cooled air which is guided along the first ( cooling ) element by a fan . that cooled air is deflected on to the second ( warm ) element 14 by the baffle plate 40 and cools the second element . in that arrangement the baffle plate 40 is held in a predetermined position by supports 42 . for the sake of clarity of the drawing only one support 42 is illustrated , but of course others support will be provided as needed . accordingly , heat is extracted at the first element 10 from the air flowing therepast , and that heat is transported to the second element 14 by the cooling device , usually a peltier element 12 . the baffle plate 40 deflects the cooled air to the second element 14 and there the air picks up again the heat previously extracted from it . in that way the fan power required for cooling the second element 14 and thus the power consumption of the apparatus can be reduced . as described , the function of the cooling device , such as for example the peltier element , is therefore as a primary matter not cooling of the air within the wind power installation but solely dehumidification of the interior of the installation , for which reason also the cooled air is deflected from one side of the cooling device to the other and is then equally warmed again and the temperature in the installation is thus scarcely affected . furthermore , in one embodiment as illustrated in fig5 , a wind power installation includes a generator 31 and at least two rotor blades 33 coupled to the generator 31 . the rotor blades 33 are exposed to wind to generate electrical power from the wind . the wind power installation further includes a pylon 30 supporting the generator 31 . the pylon 30 includes an internal space , which houses electrical equipment 35 configured to receive electrical power generated by the generator 31 . the electrical equipment 35 may include a rectifier 37 . furthermore , a dehumidification device 2 according to embodiments discussed herein or other embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure , is positioned at least partially within the internal space of the pylon 30 adjacent the electrical equipment 35 to reduce a water content of ambient air surrounding the electrical equipment 35 below a water content of ambient air of a surrounding environment external to the pylon 30 . the dehumidification device 2 includes a first element 10 positioned within the internal space of the pylon 30 , a heat transfer element 12 coupled to the first element 10 and configured to remove heat from the first element 10 . at least one dehumidification device 2 further includes a second element 14 coupled to the heat transfer element 12 and also to a wall 39 of the pylon 30 . the second element 14 is configured to receive the heat removed from the first element 10 . as shown in fig6 , in one embodiment , the wall 39 of the pylon 30 can form at least in part , the second element 14 . the various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments . all of the u . s . patents , u . s . patent application publications , u . s . patent applications , foreign patents , foreign patent applications and non - patent publications referred to in this specification and / or listed in the application data sheet , are incorporated herein by reference , in their entirety . aspects of the embodiments can be modified , if necessary to employ concepts of the various patents , applications and publications to provide yet further embodiments . these and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above - detailed description . in general , in the following claims , the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims , but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled . accordingly , the claims are not limited by the disclosure . | 5 |
[ 0017 ] fig1 is a schematic view of an arrangement according to the present invention . an optical waveguide 10 is composed of a core 12 and a cladding 14 . whether a step index fiber or graded index fiber is used is insignificant for the principle of the present invention . the optical waveguide 10 has an entry face 16 which is irradiated by a light source 20 . the light source 20 is preferably a laser diode . to date , the laser diode has been arranged as precisely as possible on the optical axis 18 of the optical waveguide as close as possible to the entry face 16 so that maximum light power is irradiated into the optical waveguide . however , it is apparent that only a small number of modes are excited in this way . a particularly simple embodiment of the present invention displaces and rotates the laser 20 outward out of the axial position and removes it from the entry face 16 . in the example , the optical axis of the laser 20 is no longer aligned with the center of the entry face but rather with its edge remote from it . in this way , only approximately half of the radiated power passes directly onto the entry face , indicated in fig1 by the edge beam 22 a and the central beam 22 b . furthermore , a mirror 30 is provided which , in the simplest case , is a planar mirror . the mirror deflects the other part of the beam of the laser , represented by the lower edge beam 22 c and the central beam 22 b , onto the mirror , which deflects this beam onto the entry face , as illustrated by the reflected edge beam 22 c ′. as a result of the difference in travel , an interference pattern is thus produced on the entry face 16 in a known fashion , with which pattern more modes are excited than as a result of the simple direct illumination of the entry face 16 by the laser 20 . the calculation both of the interference pattern and of the associated mode excitation is presumed to be generally known to the person skilled in the art and therefore does not need to be explained further . apart from a simple homogenous planar mirror , all other respectively known mirrors also can be applied ; for example , lloyd mirrors , fresnel mirrors and multi - layer ( dielectric ) mirrors . a multiplicity of intensity distributions on the entry face can be generated via a holographic pattern on the mirror which disrupts the surface in a selective fashion . this also applies to repetitive patterns which are applied to the mirror . it is also possible to continue to leave the laser 20 in the optical axis and , as shown in fig2 provide an internally reflective tube 30 a between the laser 20 and entry face . this tube is , in the simplest case , a truncated cone . an internal part of the cone envelope of the laser is also directly incident on the entry face , while the outer part of the cone envelope is reflected by the tube 40 . here too , the tube also can be shaped in various ways on the inside . it does not , of course , need to be rotationally symmetrical with respect to the optical axis either , but rather can be composed , for example , of three trapezoids so that a triangular cross section is produced . moreover , it can even be composed of just two opposite mirrored faces so that the reflector 30 a surrounds the space between the light source 20 and entry face 16 . although the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments , those of skill in the art will recognize that changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the hereafter appended claims . | 6 |
the method for improving productivity and process stability in a styrene preparation process system using multiple reactors connected in series according to the present invention , is characterized in that the feed containing steam and ethylbenzene , and ultrahigh temperature steam diverge and then are separately injected into a point after an adiabatic reactor of the front part of the system or a point before an adiabatic reactor of the rear part of the system . in the styrene monomer manufacturing system according to the present invention , the additional adiabatic reactor at the rear part of the system generally has a volume 2 - 5 times greater than that of the adiabatic reactor of the front part of the system , in order to maximize the productivity . in the styrene monomer manufacturing system according to the present invention , 15 - 20 vol % of the feed containing ethylbenzene and steam , based on the total amount of being fed to the reaction system , diverge . in the styrene monomer manufacturing system according to the present invention , 15 - 20 vol % of the ultrahigh temperature steam , based on the total amount of being fed to the reaction system , diverge . the flow rate for divergence of the feed is not specifically limited , however the degree of effect obtained may be varied according to an increase or decrease in the flow rate of divergence . further , in view of the prevention of fluidization of catalyst particles filled in an adiabatic reactor and the reactor capacity , the range of 15 - 20 vol % is preferred . the method for improving productivity and process stability in styrene manufacturing process according to the present invention is further illustrated with reference to the drawings . hereinafter , the present invention is illustrated in detail with an embodiment of a conventional reaction system wherein 3 reactors are connected in series after extension of the system in view of the cost - effectiveness of the reaction system , as shown in the attached drawings , however the system illustrated in the drawings is only a preferred example of the present invention , and does not limit the scope of the present invention . therefore , the present invention may be applied to any systems having multiple reactors connected in series without being limited to the system having 3 reactors connected in series . one embodiment of the method for improving productivity and process stability in a styrene manufacturing system having multiple adiabatic reactors connected in series according to the present invention is disclosed in fig2 a - 2 e , in which divergence and injection of the feed material in a conventional styrene manufacturing system as shown in fig1 are carried out at the point as indicated in fig2 a - 2 e so as to manufacture styrene monomers . fig1 shows a conventional styrene manufacturing system in which two adiabatic reactors r - 1 and r - 2 are connected in series and an additional reactor r - 3 which has a volume 2 - 5 times greater than that of r - 1 and r - 2 is further added to the rear part of the system , without any divergence of the feed . in fig1 , the feed containing ethylbenzene and steam is fed to the heat exchanger hx - 3 at 200 - 250 ° c ., and vaporized in hx - 3 as a gas having a temperature of about 400 - 500 ° c . the feed with an elevated temperature is mixed with ultrahigh temperature steam heated in the furnace f - 1 , resulting in further temperature elevation to about 600 - 650 , and then injected to the reactor r - 1 . since the styrene manufacturing process is a great endothermic reaction , the temperature of the reactants is dropped to around 540 - 590 ° c . as passing through the reactor r - 1 . the temperature of the reactants discharged from the reactor r - 1 is elevated to about 600 - 650 ° c . in hx - 1 through heat exchange with ultrahigh temperature steam heated in the furnace f - 2 , and injected into the reactor r - 2 . based on the same principle , the temperature of the reactants discharged from the reactor r - 2 is again elevated to about 600 - 650 ° c . in hx - 2 through heat exchange with the ultrahigh temperature steam heated in the furnace f - 3 , and injected to the reactor r - 3 , finally resulting in a hot styrene product having a temperature of about 540 ˜ 590 ° c . the hot styrene product is subjected to heat exchange with the feed containing ethylbenzene and steam in hx - 3 , and thus the temperature drops to around 350 - 400 ° c . the raw materials , i . e . ethylbenzene and steam fed to hx - 3 , as shown in fig2 a - 2 e which show the improved process according to the present invention , may diverge at the point a or point b . the amount ( flow rate ) of divergence is 15 - 20 vol % of the total amount of the raw materials fed to the system . the ultrahigh temperature steam obtained from the furnace f - 2 may diverge at the point c , d or e , and the divergence amount thereof is 15 - 20 vol % of the total amount of steam fed to the furnace f - 2 . the diverged feed containing ethylbenzene and steam , and the diverged ultrahigh temperature steam are mixed together and injected at the point p ( after the reactor of the front part of the system ) or the point q ( before the reactor of the rear part of the system ) into the reaction system . although the divergence of the feed containing ethylbenzene and steam may be carried out at the point a or b , the point a is preferred . since the temperature at the point b ( around 150 - 250 ° c .) is around 300 - 350 ° c . lower than the temperature at the point a ( around 450 ˜ 550 ° c . ), when using the point b , hpt of f - 3 is significantly increased to around 200 - 230 ° c . the divergence amount of the feed is not specifically limited according to the present invention , however the degree of effect obtained may be varied according to an increase or decrease in the divergence amount . however , when the flow rate fed to the reactor r - 1 is reduced by 15 - 20 vol %, fluidization of catalyst particles may be significantly reduced in r - 1 and r - 2 reactors which have a small capacity as well as the inner wall surface area , therefore the above range is preferably used . in the meantime , in the reactor r - 3 , which has greater capacity than the reactor r - 1 or r - 2 , as well as greater inner all surface area , the fluidization of catalyst particles related with the total flow rate is not a big problem . the divergence of ultrahigh temperature steam discharged from the furnaces ( f - 1 , f - 2 and f - 3 ) may be carried out at the point c , d or e . assuming the effect is constant , the point c only directly affects hpt of f - 1 ; the point d directly affects hpt of f - 1 and f - 3 ; and the point e directly affects hpt of f - 1 , f - 2 and f - 3 . therefore , the point c is the best for the divergence point . in the above , the expression ‘ directly affects ’ means a reduction in heat supply or heat exchange capability due to reduction in the flow rate caused by the divergence . such reduced capability results in direct increase in hpt . the ratio of each divergence amount of the ultrahigh temperature steam and the feed containing ethylbenezene and steam is not specifically limited , however for maintaining the suitable catalyst activity and preventing the polymerization of the resulted product styrene monomers , the same ratio , for example 15 - 20 vol % may be used . the diverged feed containing ethylbenzene and steam and the diverged ultrahigh temperature steam may be injected at the point p or point q into the reaction system as shown in fig2 a - 2 e . at this time , the diverged ultrahigh temperature steam and the diverged feed containing ethylbenzene and steam should be mixed together and injected at one point of the system . when they are injected separately to other points of the system , significant change in steam hydrocarbon ratio ( shr ), i . e . the ratio between the amount of steam and hydrocarbon occurs , which may cause styrene polymerization , resulting in decrease in selectivity , and further steam and hydrocarbon may not be suitably mixed together . since injection at the point q have a small influence on hpt of the furnaces ( f - 1 , f - 2 and f - 3 ), it is preferred as compared to the injection at the point p . however , when the hpt of f - 3 is sufficiently lower , for example more than 30 ° c ., than the limitation temperature , i . e . interlock temperature , the point p may be used . in this case , the selection of the point p or q may be determined by workability in view of space , position or material of the system . fig3 shows the structure of an adiabatic reactor used in a styrene manufacturing system . fig4 shows the catalyst bed inside the adiabatic reactor of fig3 , wherein the catalyst bed is charged inside the adiabatic reactor in the form of a cylinder and supported by a metal screen in the form of a net . as shown in fig3 , reactants for the styrene manufacture flow into the bottom of the adiabatic reactor , pass inside the reactor contacting and reacting with the inner wall of the catalyst bed , and are discharged to the top of the reactor . as the gas flow passes by the inner wall of the catalyst bed at a high speed , it pressurizes the catalyst bed and the screen . when the pressure is more than a certain degree , fluidization of catalyst particles occurs , which causes abrasion and destruction of the catalyst particles , resulting in a decrease in catalyst performance . further , the pressure gradient is increased in the catalyst bed , leading to a further increase in the load to the compressor at the end part . the resulting increase in overall reaction pressure consequently has disadvantageous effects on the reaction system . moreover , the pressure applied to the catalyst bed also affects the screen , causing bending thereof and thus decrease in the life of the catalyst bed . since the pressure applied to the catalyst bed is in proportion with the linear velocity of fluid , it is necessary to reduce the linear velocity of fluid , which can be achieved by reducing the amount fed to the system or increasing the inner side wall area of the catalyst bed as shown in fig4 . since it is not possible to modify the catalyst bed once filled in a reactor , the only possible effective method for reducing the pressure by adjusting the operation condition may be a reduction of the amount fed to the system . however , by installing an additional reactor in order to increase productivity , an increase in the total flow rate occurs which may cause problems such as decrease in catalyst performance , increase in reaction pressure and screen bending . moreover , when the amount of ethylbenzene fed to the reactor is increased , the reaction performance , i . e . the ethylbenzene conversion rate is accordingly decreased . therefore , changes in the styrene production amount which is estimated by the equation ( flow rate of ethylbenzene )×( conversion rate ) should be taken into consideration . according to the method of the present invention , it is possible to prevent problems such as decrease in catalyst performance , increase in reaction pressure and bending of a screen , thereby significantly improving productivity and process stability in styrene monomer manufacturing system , in spite of increase in flow rate of the feed and steam according to further establishment of a reactor , by divergence of the feed and steam fed to the system and injection thereof again into the system . fig1 schematically represents a reaction system of a conventional styrene manufacturing process in which 3 adiabatic reactors are connected in series , in which each r - 1 , r - 2 and r - 3 is an adiabatic reactor ; each hx - 1 , hx - 2 and hx - 3 is a heat exchanger ; f - 1 , f - 2 and f - 3 is a furnace . fig2 a - 2 e show improved styrene manufacturing process proposed by the present invention , wherein the dotted lines represent the portion modified by the present invention . in the figures , each point a and point b is a point where the raw material ethylbenzene and steam may diverge ; each point c , point d and point e is a point where the ultrahigh temperature steam discharged from the furnace may diverge ; and each point p and point q is a point where the raw materials and the ultrahigh temperature steam diverged above may be injected . fig2 a shows divergence at the point a and point c and then injection at the point q ; fig2 b shows divergence at the point b and point c and then injection at the point q ; fig2 c shows divergence at the point a and point c and then injection at the point p ; fig2 d show based on the total amount of being fed to the reaction systems divergence at the point a and the point e and then injection at the point q ; fig2 e shows divergence at the point a and point d and then injection at the point q . fig3 shows an adiabatic reactor conventionally used in styrene manufacturing , together with the stream of reactants flowing to the direction of the arrows . the shaded rectangles inside the reactor represent the catalyst beds which are filled in a screen having a cylindrical form . fig4 shows the structure of the catalyst bed constructed in the form of a cylinder . the inner wall surface area of the catalyst bed is the surface of the wall inside the cylinder which contacts with the reactants fed into the reactor . hereinafter , the effect of the present invention is illustrated through the following examples . in all of the following examples , the amount of divergence and the amount of styrene produced are constantly maintained , thus only fact to be considered is hpt . although a problem related with fluidization of catalyst particles is improved and a problem related with hpt do not occur according to the method of the present invention which includes divergence of the feed and injection thereof at a certain point of the system , it cannot be regarded to be significant if the method involves a decrease in production amount . therefore , comparison of the effects between the examples should be made on the premise of the same production amount and thus the examples are estimated based on the same amount of divergence and production . since such estimation of the production amount cannot be tested in the real plant , a simulator ( 1 st principle model ) was used for the estimation in the present examples . further , hpt value was also obtained by the simulator . the estimation obtained by the simulator was made by adjusting parameters according to operation data practiced in the real plant , and thus had superior precision in estimation . for obtaining the constant production amount of styrene with a given amount of divergence , the inlet temperature of a reactor should be modified so as to further modify the reaction performance , i . e . the conversion rate of ethylbenzene . for this purpose of obtaining the constant production amount of styrene , only the inlet temperature of the reactor r - 3 was modified in the following examples . the modification in inlet temperature of r - 3 directly affects to hpt of f - 3 , after all . therefore , the temperature change in hpt may be a proper indicator reflecting the effects of the divergence and injection of the feed according to the present invention , in which the effects related to energy balance as well as reaction performance . in the examples , the reactor r - 3 is selected only because of its greater volume , and although other reactor is selected for changing the conversion rate , the same tendency in results is expected . general operation conditions used in conventional styrene manufacturing plant were used . the feed containing ethylbenzene and steam diverged at the point a and the amount thereof was 17 . 0 vol % of the total amount of the feed being fed . the ultrahigh temperature steam was possible to diverge at the point c , d or e as shown in fig2 a - 2 b , with the amount of 17 . 0 vol %. the divergence at the point c is considered to be most advantageous in theory , since the point c directly affects hpt of f - 1 with same degree of effect , although the point d directly affects hpt of f - 1 and f - 3 , and the point e directly affects hpt of f - 1 , f - 2 and f - 3 . in the above , the ‘ directly affects ’ means reduction in heat supply or heat exchange capability due to reduction in the feed amount caused by the divergence . such reduced capability results in direct increase in hpt . the tendency and the degree of temperature change was estimated and compared through simulation . the case 1 in which only ultrahigh temperature steam diverged at the amount of 17 vol %, and the case 2 in which the feed containing ethylbenzene and steam diverged at the amount of 17 vol % were analyzed , in which the changes in hpt of f - 1 , f - 2 and f - 3 according to 3 different point of divergence were shown in the following table 1 . as seen from the simulation results of the above table 1 , although the 3 different divergence points did not showed big difference in the effects on hpt of f - 1 , the point c showed the least effect on hpt of f - 2 and f - 3 . therefore , it was confirmed that the point c was the optimal position for divergence of ultrahigh temperature steam . the point p or point q in fig2 a - 2 e is the point for possibly injecting the ultrahigh temperature steam , and the raw materials , i . e . ethylbenzene and steam diverged . it is difficult to determine which point between the point p and point q is more advantageous , theoretically . for selecting the more preferred injection point , the different effects of the injection point p and point q on hpt of f - 1 , f - 2 and f - 3 ( i . e ., by the equation of ( hpt at the position p - hpt at the position q )) were simulated and compared , with a given divergence point of the point c for ultrahigh temperature steam . the results were summarized in the following table 2 . from the results of table 2 , although the injection point of the point p or point q only had small influence on hpt of f - 3 , the point q was more preferred . however , as seen from the above table 2 , since just small difference in hpt of f - 3 is present , it can be determined that the divergence point has more influence than the injection point , and since the difference between the point p and point q is not so much , the point p may be used , when hpt of f - 3 is sufficiently low as compared to the interlock temperature of the system . according to the present invention , it is possible to improve productivity and process stability in styrene monomer manufacturing system having multiple reactors connected in series due to the improved method including divergence of the feed and injection thereof to the reaction system . the method according to the present invention is particularly effective when the reactors in the latter part of the system have larger volume than the reactors in the front part of the system . | 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 skilled in the art that the preset 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 . although embodiments of the invention are not limited in this regard , discussions utilizing terms such as , for example , “ processing ,” “ computing ,” “ calculating ,” “ determining ,” “ establishing ”, “ analyzing ”, “ checking ”, or the like , may refer to operation ( s ) and / or process ( es ) of a computer , a computing platform , a computing system , or other electronic computing device , that manipulate and / or transform data represented as physical ( e . g ., electronic ) quantities within the computer &# 39 ; s registers and / or memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computer &# 39 ; s registers and / or memories or other information storage medium that may store instructions to perform operations and / or processes . although embodiments of the invention are not limited in this regard , the terms “ plurality ” and “ a plurality ” as used herein may include , for example , “ multiple ” or “ two or more ”. the terms “ plurality ” or “ a plurality ” may be used throughout the specification to describe two or more components , devices , elements , units , parameters , or the like . for example , “ a plurality of stations ” may include two or more stations . embodiments of the present invention provide schemes that feed back a plurality , such as two , beamforming matrixes per subband and interpolate the beamforming matrixes across the subband . in an embodiment of the present invention , a novel interpolation scheme is provided , which minimizes the interpolation error . a gain of 4 . 1 % is achieved for typical channels under the same feedback overhead . depending on the system configuration , the whole frequency band may consist of one or multiple subbands . as set forth above , in existing systems , only one beamforming matrix is fed back per frequency subband . the beamforming matrix is then used for the transmit beamforming for the whole subband . this causes performance degradation because the channel response and thus the ideal beamforming matrix vary across the subcarriers within the subband . this problem gets severe as the subband bandwidth increases . for multiuser multiple input multiple output ( mimo ), a large subband width is used to increase the chance of user pairing . therefore , the subband usually has 72 subcarriers i . e . about 800 khz . the variation of the channel response within the subband causes the ideal beamforming angle to vary for about 60 degrees for typical channels , which are spatially uncorrelated and spatially weakly correlated mimo channels . an example of the real part of the channel response is shown in fig1 , generally as 100 . the corresponding beamforming angle varies across the 72 subcarriers as shown in fig2 , generally as 200 . the angle variation reduces the beamforming accuracy for the edges of the subband and causes strong interference across users &# 39 ; signals for the downlink of multi - user mimo . in addition , the variation of the signal quality within the subband may also limit the usage of high rate channel codes . it is desirable to reduce the variation and improve the beamforming accuracy . in embodiments of the present invention , instead of one beamforming matrix , the present invention provides feeding back a plurality , such as two , beamforming matrixes . this is particularly useful , if uplink feedback width is available or one user &# 39 ; s rough beamforming causes strong interference to the others . it can be an optional configuration for the mobile user to generate two feedbacks per subband . since the feedback channel can indeed carry more bits for strong users , this option allows the strong users to benefit from their good channels . the two beamforming matrixes are for each of the two ends of subband , respectively . interpolation may be made for all the beamforming matrixes in the subband using the two fed back matrixes . the applied beamforming matrixes vary across the subband and some embodiments of the present invention select the feedback indexes of the two beamforming matrixes at the two subband ends jointly , taking the interpolation into account . turning now to fig3 at 300 is an illustration of an embodiment of the present invention and existing arts use of a single beamforming matrix 310 , 360 and 370 is illustrated , wherein at 330 , 320 , 340 and 350 an embodiment of the present invention using a plurality of beam forming matrices with interpolation is shown . there are multiple ways to interpolate the beamforming matrixes between the two fed back beamforming matrixes . note that the beamforming matrix is unitary and it is on the grassmann manifold as shown in fig4 , generally shown as 400 . there are multiple curves connecting the two fed back matrixes a 410 and b 420 and the interpolated matrixes are on the connecting curve 430 . each curve corresponds to a series of random channel realization . the curve that minimizes the average interpolation error is the geodesic 430 connecting a 410 and b 420 . let m = a h b , where a and b are the fed back beamforming matrixes ; a and b are n t × n s unitary matrixes , i . e . a h a = i and b h b = i ; n t is the number of transmit antennas and n s is the number of beamformed streams . particularly , a single spatial stream is sent and the beamforming matrixes a and b are n t × 1 vectors when n s = 1 . the singular value decomposition of m is given by where q a and q b are n s × n s orthogonal matrixes and σ is a diagonal matrix . let ã = aq a and { tilde over ( b )}= bq b . then ; let σ i = cos θ i for i = 1 , . . . , n s . θ i is the angle between the i - th column of ã , denoted by ã i , and the i - th column of { tilde over ( b )}, denoted by { tilde over ( b )} i , as illustrated on the right in fig4 . a linear interpolation is first conducted in the domain of the principal angles θ i s as illustrated on the left in fig4 . the interpolated angle for the k - th subcarrier is computed as θ i ( k )= a k θ i , for i = 1 , . . . , n s ( 3 ) is inversely proportional to the frequency spacing between a &# 39 ; s subcarrier and b &# 39 ; s subcarrier , i . e . | f a - f b | and is proportional to the frequency spacing between a &# 39 ; s subcarrier and the k - th subcarrier , i . e . | f k - f a |. after the angle is interpolated , a vector { tilde over ( c )} i ( k ) interpolated between the i - th column of ã , ã i , and the i - th column of { tilde over ( b )}, { tilde over ( b )} i , is computed as illustrated on the right in fig5 . the c i ( k ) has unit norm and stays in the plane spanned by ã i and { tilde over ( b )} i . in addition , the angle between { tilde over ( c )} i ( k ) and ã i is θ i ( k ) . finally , the interpolated beamforming matrix is formed by { tilde over ( c )} ( k )=[ { tilde over ( c )} 1 ( k ) . . . { tilde over ( c )} n s ( k )]. ( 5 ) if { tilde over ( c )}( k ) is not a unitary matrix , it can be converted to a unitary matrix that spans the same subspace using algorithms such as qr decomposition or grant - schmidt operation . in order to minimize the phase transition of the beamforming matrixes across the subband , an n s × n s orthogonal matrix q ( k ) can be multiplied from the right to each beamforming matrix including a , b , and { tilde over ( c )}( k ) s . for example , { tilde over ( c )}( k ) may be converted to c ( k ) as c ( k )= { tilde over ( c )} ( k ) q ( k ), ( 6 ) where q ( k ) may be equal to q a h ; c ( k ) is used for actual beamforming . looking now at fig5 at 500 is illustrated an interpolation in the angle domain 510 and vector domain 520 . it should be noted that the interpolation may be applied across frequency and / or time . when it is applied in the time domain , it may be used with a channel prediction technique . the beamforming matrix of a future time may be predicted through the prediction of the corresponding channel matrix . the beamforming matrixes between the one of the latest observed channel and the predicted channel may be computed from the interpolation . in addition , the interpolation may be applied with one - shot feedback or differential feedback . with the differential feedback , the feedback of two beamforming matrixes per subband can be run as shown in fig6 at 600 . at the beginning of each feedback period , a one - shot feedback is needed , which fully depicts the beamforming matrix without the previous feedback . the one - shot feedback is for one end of the subband and the feedback for the other end of the subband can be either one - shot feedback 610 , 640 and 670 or differential feedback 620 , 650 , 630 , and 660 . the reliability is increased if one - shot feedback is used again because the beamforming may still partially work if one of the two one - shot feedbacks is corrupted . on the other hand , the differential feedback using the one - shot as reference reduces the feedback overhead . after the initialization with one - shot feedback , two differential feedbacks at a time are sent using the previous feedbacks as shown as 500 of fig5 . for complexity reduction and performance enhancement , the receiver may select two beamforming matrixes close to the two ends of the subband and interpolate the beamforming matrixes only for a selected subset of subcarriers . for example , the receiver may partition the 72 subcarriers within the subband in 18 - subcarrier group . the 18 subcarriers in each group are contiguous . the beamforming matrixes of the group center subcarriers are fed back or interpolated . the fed and interpolated beamforming matrixes are used for each group without further interpolation . looking now at fig7 at 700 is a channel capacity comparison for weakly correlated 2 × 2 channels with a single stream transmission . simulation is made for 2 × 2 single - user mimo with 1 stream transmission and pedestrian b eitu channels without spatial correlation . as a baseline , the 802 . 16e 3 - bit codebook is used for the center subcarrier of the subband , i . e . the 37 - th subcarrier . it is compared to two enhancement options that may be included in embodiments of the present invention . the first one increases the codebook resolution by using an optimal 6 - bit codebook that has uniformly distributed codewords . the feedback is only for the center subcarrier and the performance is increased by 2 . 5 %. however , adding the 6 - bit codebook increases the number of codebooks and complicates the system design . the other option sends two feedbacks using the 802 . 16e 3 - bit codebook as shown on at 300 of fig3 . the two feedback codewords are selected such that the beamforming gain with the interpolation is maximized . the second option increases the performance by 4 . 1 % without adding a new codebook . therefore , the second option is more desirable in view of both performance and complexity . while certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein , many modifications , substitutions , changes , and equivalents may occur to those skilled in the art . it is , therefore , to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit of the invention . | 7 |
fig1 is a simplied block diagram of one pixel cell 10 of a focal plane array of many such cells formed in an integrated circuit . each cell 10 includes a photogate 12 , a charge transfer section 14 adjacent the photogate 12 and a readout circuit 16 adjacent the charge transfer section 14 . fig2 shows a focal plane array of many cells 10 formed on a silicon substrate 20 . fig3 is a simplified schematic diagram of a cell 10 . referring to fig3 the photogate 12 consists of a relative large photogate electrode 30 overlying the substrate 20 . the charge transfer section 14 consists of a transfer gate electrode 35 adjacent the photogate electrode 30 , a floating diffusion 40 , a reset electrode 45 and a drain diffusion 50 . the readout circuit 16 consists of a source follower field effect transistor ( fet ) 55 , a row select fet 60 , a load fet 65 and a correlated double sampling circuit 70 . referring to the surface potential diagram of fig4 the photogate electrode 30 is held by a photogate signal pg at a positive voltage to form a potential well 80 in the substrate 20 in which photo - generated charge is accumulated during an integration period . the transfer gate electrode 35 is initially held at a less positive voltage by a transfer gate signal tx to form a potential barrier 85 adjacent the potential well 80 . the floating diffusion 40 is connected to the gate of the source follower fet 55 whose drain is connected to a drain supply voltage vdd . the reset electrode 45 is initially held by a reset signal rst at a voltage corresponding to the voltage on the transfer gate 30 to form a potential barrier 90 thereunder . the drain supply voltage vdd connected to the drain diffusion 50 creates a constant potential well 95 underneath the drain diffusion 50 . during the integration period , electrons accumulate in the potential well 80 in proportion to photon flux incident on the substrate 20 beneath the photogate electrode 30 . at the end of the integration period , the surface potential beneath the floating diffusion 40 is quickly reset to a potential level 100 slightly above the potential well 95 . this is accomplished by the reset signal rst temporarily increasing to a higher positive voltage to temporarily remove the potential barrier 90 and provide a downward potential staircase from the transfer gate potential barrier 85 to the drain diffusion potential well 95 , as indicated in the drawing of fig4 . after the reset gate 45 is returned to its initial potential ( restoring the potential barrier 90 ), the readout circuit 70 briefly samples the potential of the floating diffusion 40 , and then the cell 10 is ready to transfer the photo - generated charge from beneath the photogate electrode 30 . for this purpose , the photogate signal pg decreases to a less positive voltage to form a potential barrier 105 beneath the photogate electrode 30 and thereby provide a downward staircase surface potential from the photogate electrode 30 to the potential well 100 beneath the floating diffusion 40 . this transfers all of the charge from beneath the photogate electrode 30 to the floating diffusion 40 , changing the potential of the floating diffusion 40 from the level ( 100 ) at which it was previously reset to a new level 107 indicative of the amount of charge accumulated during the integration period . this new potential of the floating diffusion 40 is sensed at the source of the source follower fet 55 . however , before the readout circuit 70 samples the source of the source follower fet 55 , the photogate signal pg returns to its initial ( more positive ) voltage . the entire process is repeated for the next integration period . the readout circuit 70 consists of a signal sample and hold ( s / h ) circuit including an s / h fet 200 and a signal store capacitor 205 connected through the s / h fet 200 and through the row select fet 60 to the source of the source follower fet 55 . the other side of the capacitor 205 is connected to a source bias voltage vss . the one side of the capacitor 205 is also connected to the gate of an output fet 210 . the drain of the output fet is a connected through a column select fet 220 to a signal sample output node vouts and through a load fet 215 to the drain voltage vdd . a signal called &# 34 ; signal sample and hold &# 34 ; ( shs ) briefly turns on the s / h fet 200 after the charge accumulated beneath the photogate electrode 30 has been transferred to the floating diffusion 40 , so that the capacitor 205 stores the source voltage of the source follower fet 55 indicating the amount of charge previously accumulated beneath the photogate electrode 30 . the readout circuit 70 also consists of a reset sample and hold ( s / h ) circuit including an s / h fet 225 and a signal store capacitor 230 connected through the s / h fet 225 and through the row select fet 60 to the source of the source follower fet 55 . the other side of the capacitor 230 is connected to the source bias voltage vss . the one side of the capacitor 230 is also connected to the gate of an output fet 240 . the drain of the output fet 240 is connected through a column select fet 245 to a reset sample output node voutr and through a load fet 235 to the drain voltage vdd . a signal called &# 34 ; reset sample and hold &# 34 ; ( shr ) briefly turns on the s / h fet 225 immediately after the reset signal rst has caused the resetting of the potential of the floating diffusion 40 , so that the capacitor 230 stores the voltage at which the floating diffusion has been reset to . the readout circuit provides correlated double sampling of the potential of the floating diffusion , in that the charge integrated beneath the photogate 12 each integration period is obtained at the end of each integration period from the difference between the voltages at the output nodes vouts and voutr of the readout circuit 70 . this eliminates the effects of ktc noise because the difference between vouts and voutr is independent of any variation in the reset voltage rst , a significant advantage . referring to fig5 a transparent refractive microlens layer 110 may be deposited over the top of the focal plane array of fig2 . the microlens layer 110 consists of spherical portions 115 centered over each of the cells 10 and contoured so as to focus light toward the center of each photogate 12 . this has the advantage of using light that would otherwise fall outside of the optically active region of the photogate 12 . for example , at least some of the light ordinarily incident on either the charger transfer section 14 or the readout circuit 16 ( fig1 ) would be sensed in the photogate area with the addition of the microlens layer 110 . preferably , the focal plane array corresponding to fig1 - 4 is implemented in cmos silicon using an industry standard cmos fabrication process . preferably , each of the fets is a mosfet , the fets 55 , 60 , 65 , 200 and 225 being n - channel devices and the fets 210 , 220 , 225 , 230 . 240 , 245 being p - channel devices . the n - channel mosfets and the ccd channel underlying the gate electrodes 30 , 35 , 45 and the diffusions 40 and 50 may be located in a p - well while the remaining ( p - channel ) devices are located outside of the p - well . the gate voltage vlp applied to the gates of the p - channel load fets 215 and 235 is a constant voltage on the order of + 2 . 5 volts . the gate voltage vln applied to the n - channel load fet 65 is a constant voltage on the order of + 1 . 5 volts . since the charge transfer section 14 involves only a single ccd stage between the photogate 12 and the floating diffusion 40 in the specific embodiment of fig3 there is no loss due to charge transfer inefficiency and therefore there is no need to fabricate the device with a special ccd process . as a result , the readout circuit 70 as well as the output circuitry of the fets 55 , 60 and 65 can be readily implemented as standard cmos circuits , making them extremely inexpensive . however , any suitable charge coupled device architecture may be employed to implement the charge transfer section 14 , including a ccd having more than one stage . for example , two or three stages may be useful for buffering two or three integration periods . other implementations of the concept of the invention may be readily constructed by the skilled worker in light of the foregoing disclosure . for example , the floating diffusion 40 may instead be a floating gate electrode . the signal and reset sample and hold circuits of the readout circuit 70 may be any suitable sample and hold circuits . moreover , shielding of the type well - known in the art may be employed defining an aperture surrounding the photogate 12 . also , the invention may be implemented as a buried channel device . another feature of the invention which is useful for eliminating fixed pattern noise due to variations in fet threshold voltage across the substrate 20 is a shorting fet 116 across the sampling capacitors 205 , 235 . after the accumulated charge has been measured as the potential difference between the two output nodes vouts and voutr , a shorting signal vm is temporarily applied to the gate of the shorting fet 116 and the vouts - to - voutr difference is measured again . this latter difference is a measure of the disparity between the threshold voltages of the output fets 210 , 240 , and may be referred to as the fixed pattern difference . the fixed pattern difference is subtracted from the difference between vouts and voutr measured at the end of the integration period , to remove fixed pattern noise . as previously mentioned herein , a floating gate may be employed instead of the floating diffusion 40 . such a floating gate is indicated schematically in fig3 by a simplified dashed line floating gate electrode 41 . preferably , the invention is fabricated using an industry standard cmos process , so that all of the dopant concentrations of the n - channel and p - channel devices and of the various diffusions are in accordance with such a process . in one implementation , the area of the l - shaped photogate 12 ( i . e ., the photogate electrode 30 ) was about 100 square microns ; the transfer gate electrode 35 and the reset gate electrode were each about 1 . 5 microns by about 6 microns ; the photogate signal pg was varied between about + 5 volts ( its more positive voltage ) and about 0 volts ( its less positive voltage ; the transfer gate signal tx was about + 2 . 5 volts ; the reset signal rst was varied between about + 5 volts ( its more positive voltage ) and about + 2 . 5 volts ( its less positive voltage ); the drain diffusion 50 was held at about + 5 volts . while the invention has been described in detail by specific reference to preferred embodiments , it is understood that variations and modifications may be made without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention . | 7 |
the present invention will be further clarified and exemplified by description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention . these preferred and alternative embodiments are illustrated in fig1 - 4 and do not intend to limit the scope of the present invention . fig1 shows a schematic diagram representing one form of the present invention . the diagram includes a pulser - receiver ( 1 ) that generates an electrical pulse at a frequency of 50 - kilohertz on the line ( 2 ). in this particular embodiment , a krautkramer model usa 33 pulser - receiver is used as an excitation device . line ( 2 ) is connected to a source transducer ( 3 ) for production of ultrasonic sound . in this particular embodiment a us 0 . 5 model is used , but it will be understood that other sound transducers may be used . the transducer ( 3 ) produces an ultrasonic tone burst in response to the electrical signal received on the line ( 2 ). the source transducer ( 3 ) is connected to energy concentrator ( 4 ) both contained within a housing unit ( 5 ) whose function is to isolate the transducer ( 3 ), concentrator ( 4 ) and other equipment . a receiving transducer ( 6 ) is connected to an energy concentrator ( 8 ) and both are positioned on the other side of the housing unit ( 5 ) from the source transducer ( 3 ). according to the method and the system of the present invention , two or more receiving transducers may also be connected to the energy concentrator and positioned at different predetermined distances from the source transducer . the sample ( 7 ) is positioned so that the wound beam produced by the transducer ( 3 ) will travel through the concentrator ( 4 ), and the fruit sample ( 7 ) and will be received through the concentrator ( 8 ) by the receiving transducer ( 6 ). in this embodiment , the energy concentrator ( 8 ) is identical to the energy concentrator ( 4 ) and the two concentrators are positioned apart at a distance of approximately 5 mm , creating a specific angle between them , the axes of the transmitter , and the receiver . however , relative motion of the heads to perform larger gape between the edges is allowed , while applying constant force on the fruit . the angle between the axes of the transmitter and the receiver can be changed as well . the sample ( 7 ) is in touch with the two concentrators ( 4 ) and ( 8 ) ( fig1 ) and the sound beam produced by the transducer ( 3 ) in this embodiment is focused on a cylindrical - edge of approximately 5 mm in diameter . other kinds end contours of edges are also possible . fig2 . this is an enlargement of the cylindrical - edge of approximately 5 millimeters . the sound signal received by the transducer ( 6 ) is converted to an electrical signal and is applied through the line ( 9 ) to the pulser - receiver ( 1 ). the electronic signal received in the pulser - receiver ( 1 ) is applied through the line ( 10 ) to a microprocessor controlled serial interface ( 11 ) which allows transfer of the digital read - out of echo amplitude , the pulse transmit time and the actual instrument gain through the line ( 12 ) to an external computer ( 13 ). the computer analyzes the signal to determine the velocity and attenuation of the ultrasonic burst through sample tissue ( 7 ). the signal on the line ( 12 ) may also be applied to a recorder ( 14 ) which may be a conventional magnetic , tape recorder , or any other conventional recorder , which will record the output appearing on the line ( 12 ) for subsequent analysis . the computer ( 13 ) will display results of velocity and attenuation corresponding to changes in firmness for various varieties of fruits or vegetables . this makes it possible to classify fruit according to firmness into several maturity groups . fig3 and 4 . the uniqueness of the velocity and attenuation values of particular samples of avocado fruit and its firmness may be observed by reference to fig3 and 4 . these figures relate to avocado but the scope of the present invention relates also to many other fruits and vegetables . fig3 shows the wave velocity changes and fig4 shows the wave attenuation changes in whole avocado over a period of 8 days at room temperature compared to changes in the fruit &# 39 ; s firmness during the same days . in both fig3 and 4 the firmness curve during eight days is a typical representative curve for a specific variety of avocado and is considered a good predictor of the maturity of the fruit . moreover , similar curves are described for other varieties of avocados as well . the method for determining the quality parameters by utilizing the method and system of the present invention would be to first determine and record the acoustical parameters of several varieties and species of fruits during the ripening process as time progresses . for example , the graphs shown in fig3 and 4 represent results for avocado fruits ( persea americana mill ., cv ` ettinger `). next , another fruit ( 7 ) from unknown ripening stage would be place on the housing unit ( 5 ) and brought in touch with the concentrator ( 4 ) of the transmitter ( 3 ) and the concentrator ( 8 ) of the receiver ( 6 ) and the velocity and attenuation of the unknown sample could then be determined by the computer ( 13 ). then by comparing the velocities and attenuation computed by the computer ( 13 ) with the graphs and models of the known quality parameters of fruits , one could determine the firmness of the unknown fruits by matching its acoustical parameters as represented by its wave velocity and attenuation . while a particular embodiment of the invention has been described above , it will be appreciated that the invention is capable of numerous arrangements , modifications and substitution without departing from the spirit of the invention . in particular , it should be noted that the analysis of velocity and attenuation of the tone burst received by the transducer ( 6 ) may be accomplished in a number of ways and correspond to several ripening behaviors . the key to the analysis is the recognition that the fruit sample will generate a signal to the receiving transducer ( 6 ) which will have acoustical information that indicates the maturity of the fruit sample . | 6 |
[ 0091 ] fig1 a shows a schematic representation of a first embodiment of the invention . correspondingly , the configuration of the different structures as well as there relative dimensions and locations are intended to serve illustrative purposes only . more specifically , a drug delivery system ( here : infusion system ) 1 b comprises a reservoir unit 10 in combination with three different control units 20 , 30 , 40 , in which a combination of the reservoir unit and one of the control units provides an operative drug delivery device . the reservoir unit comprises a drug reservoir 11 and a pump 12 comprising an outlet means 13 and adapted for infusing a drug into a body of a user in accordance with instructions ( i . e . a local command ) received from a local processor 15 . the pump may be of the metering type , i . e . the amount of drug infused corresponds to the controlling signals received from the local processor or the infusion unit may be provided with detecting means for determining the amount of drug actually infused ( not shown ). the local processor is associated with a local receiving means 16 cooperating with the local processor means for receiving control commands from at least one of the control units . an energy source 19 is provided in the form of a battery . the three control units are in the form of a basic unit 20 , a standard unit 30 and an advanced unit 40 . the standard control unit comprises a control processor 35 associated with a transmitter 36 for wireless transmitting control commands to the local processor via the local receiving means . the control unit further comprises a display 31 associated with the control processor . the display may be used when the user enters information into the control unit via user - accessible input means ( not shown ), e . g . the desired size for a bolus command or program data changing the infusion rate or profile , the information being transferred via the transmitting means . an energy source 39 is provided in the form of a battery . the standard control unit 30 may be attached to the reservoir unit 10 by releasable means 14 , 34 . the first combination is based on one - way transmission of commands from the control unit to the reservoir unit , however , the reservoir unit comprises local transmission means 17 cooperating with the local processor means for transmitting data information to control receiving means 47 provided in the advanced control unit 40 . the data may comprise information as to the initial amount of drug in the reservoir , the current amount of drug in the reservoir , the infusion rate , information from a sensor element or id information identifying the given reservoir unit . the advanced control unit further comprises memory means 42 allowing transmitted and / or received commands / data to be stored and recalled . the memory means may be detachable , e . g . in the form of a memory stick or card . the first and second combinations are based on one - way transmission of commands from the control unit to the reservoir unit , however , the reservoir unit further comprises second local receiving means 18 adapted to cooperate mechanical command means 28 provided on the basic control unit 20 . more specifically , the basic control unit is provided with a protrusion 28 adapted to be received in the second local receiving means when the reservoir unit and the control unit are attached to each other by releasable or non - releasable means 14 , 24 . the reservoir unit may be adapted to provide a single basal infusion rate when combined with the basic control unit , or it may be adapted to provide a plurality of infusion rates which can be specifically activated by mechanical commands from a corresponding number of different basic control units . [ 0097 ] fig1 b shows a schematic representation of a further embodiment of the invention . correspondingly , the configuration of the different structures as well as there relative dimensions and locations are intended to serve illustrative purposes only . more specifically , a drug delivery system 1 b comprises two different reservoir units 110 , 150 in combination with a control unit 120 in which a combination one of the reservoir units and the control units provides an operative drug delivery device . in contrast to the control units of the first embodiment , the control unit 120 comprises an attachable subunit 130 and a remote subunit 140 , the subunits comprising transmission means and corresponding receiving means adapted for wireless transmission of commands or data information to and / or from the respective unit ( s ). for this reason the control unit 120 may be considered a control assembly . the reservoir units of the system and the attachable subunit comprise mating coupling means allowing the attachable subunit to be secured to a reservoir unit , the mating coupling means including communication means 131 , 132 allowing commands or data information to be transferred , whereby commands or data information to and / or from a reservoir unit can be transmitted wireless between the remote subunit and the reservoir unit via the attachable subunit . the remote subunit 140 generally corresponds to the advanced control unit of the first embodiment , i . e . comprising a control processor 145 associated with transmitting and receiving means 146 , 147 , a display 141 associated with the control processor , memory means 142 and an energy source 149 . the attachable subunit also comprises a processor 135 associated with receiving means and transmitting means 136 , 137 and an energy source 139 . in the shown embodiment the attachable subunit further comprises a mechanical pump actuator 131 serving as a mechanical means for transmitting commands to a corresponding pump in a reservoir unit , as well as electrical contact means 132 for receiving information from a reservoir unit , i . e . providing “ passive ” control commands allowing the sensor to be used . the reservoir unit and the attachable subunit are attached to each other by releasable means associated with the mating coupling means . the first reservoir unit 110 comprises a drug reservoir 111 and a pump 112 comprising an outlet means 113 and adapted for infusing a drug into a body of a user in accordance with commands received from the attachable subunit , as well as a sensor 114 in communication with electrical contact means 115 for transmitting information to the attachable subunit , the electrical contact means also providing the energy necessary for driving the sensor . the pump comprises a mechanical interface allowing the pump to be driven in a controlled manner via the command / actuator means 131 . in the shown embodiment the pump is in the form of a membrane pump driven by command actuators located in the attachable subunit , however , a variety of pump and command means may be utilized . for example , the pump may be of the bleeding hole type comprising valve means controlled by the control unit ( preferably in combination with flow control means ) or may essentially correspond to the above - described first embodiment in which the reservoir unit comprises a local processor which in this further embodiment would be controlled via the processor 135 and energized from the battery 139 . the sensor 114 is adapted for detecting a condition in the body of the user such as the blood glucose level . the detected glucose level may be transmitted to the remote subunit and displayed on the display or it may be utilized for controlling the delivery of the drug in response thereto in a closed loop arrangement . whereas a combination of the first reservoir unit and the control unit provides an advanced pump assembly based on two - way transmission of commands / data between the control unit and the reservoir unit and comprising an integrated sensor system , the second reservoir unit 150 is a basic unit merely providing a controllable pump 152 in combination with a drug reservoir 151 . [ 0103 ] fig2 a and 2b show a second embodiment of the invention . more specifically , a drug delivery ( here : infusion ) system 2 comprises a reservoir unit 200 in combination with two different control units 250 , 260 , in which a combination of the reservoir unit and one of the control units provides an operative drug delivery device . the reservoir unit comprises an outer housing defining the outer boundaries for the combined infusion device , the housing having an upper surface 201 , a rim portion 202 and a lower surface 203 adapted to be arranged towards a skin surface of a user . preferably the lower surface is provided with an adhesive ( not shown ) allowing the device to be attached directly to the skin surface . in the upper surface an opening 204 is provided adapted to receive a control unit , the reservoir unit and the control units including mating coupling means 205 , 255 , 265 so as to allow a control unit to be secured to the reservoir unit , the mating coupling means including electrical contacts 206 , 256 , 266 . the control unit 250 comprises a housing having an upper surface 251 , a rim portion 252 and a lower surface 253 , the control unit being adapted to be received in a corresponding opening in the reservoir unit 200 , the control unit including mating coupling means 255 so as to allow the control unit to be secured to the disposable unit . it is to be noted that the coupling means shown on the control units respectively the reservoir unit are not intended to engage each other but are merely arranged for illustrative purposes . in accordance with the actual design of the units , the electrical contacts may provide command / data transfer to and / or from the control unit as well as providing the control unit with energy from an energy source provided in the disposable unit or vice versa . the control unit 250 comprises a user interface having a user actuatable key 257 and a display 258 . in the shown embodiment only a single key is provided , for example in the form of an on - off switch or a bolus key . in accordance with the actual design of the control unit , the display may provide the user with different kinds of information , e . g . the actual infusion profile , the amount of drug infused ( e . g . for insulin a number of units ) for a given period , the amount of drug remaining in the disposable unit etc . as the basal infusion rate for any drug to be infused using the device of the invention will be dependent of the individual user , it could be possible to set such a basal rate using control means arranged on either of the two units . as this setting normally will not have to be changed on a regular basis , these control means may be provided on portions of the units which are hidden to the user when the two units are secured to each other , for example on the rear surface of the control module . the second control unit 260 essentially corresponds to the first control unit 250 , the differences being a group of user actuatable keys 267 , e . g . allowing the unit to be program med by the user , as well as another display 268 , e . g . having graphic and / or alpha - numeric capabilities . the second control unit further comprises a memory means as well as a back - up energy source therefore ( not shown ). in the shown embodiment all pump components in contact with the drug is contained in the disposable part , however , according to the actual type of pump , some components thereof may be provided in the control unit , for example a small electric motor actuating a valve pump comprised in the disposable unit . the memory means allows the control unit to be released from a first disposable unit and placed in a second disposable unit without loss of information contained in the control unit , e . g . specific program settings or information regarding the amount of drug infused for one or more periods . in a further embodiment ( not shown ), the disposable unit may comprise additional means providing a back - up memory function for the control unit , this allowing a new or pre - used control unit to be updated when inserted into such a disposable unit . [ 0110 ] fig2 b shows the reservoir unit 200 with the control unit 250 mounted . as can be seen , the control unit is fully embedded in the opening of the reservoir unit , the upper surfaces of the two units being arranged flush with each other . advantageously , such a design could be used in cases where the combined device is sold as a disposable single unit ( preferably with a basic control unit as described above ), the control unit being inserted into the opening before being sold . indeed , the shown flush configuration may also be used for control units intended for re - use . not to be seen , the reservoir unit comprises a reservoir , a pump means for pumping drug contained in the reservoir to an outlet opening ( not shown ) and an energy source for operating the pump and , if deemed appropriate , the control unit when attached . as described above with reference to the second control unit 260 , the pump means may serve fully or only partly as an operating pump , the remaining components being provided by the control unit . further , depending on the actual type and design of the pump , control means for operating the pump may be provided in either of the units or divided therebetween as discussed in greater detail in the introductory portion . [ 0112 ] fig3 a and 3b show a third embodiment of the invention . more specifically , a drug delivery ( here : infusion ) system 3 comprises a reservoir unit 300 in combination with three different control units 350 , 360 , 370 in which a combination of the reservoir unit and one of the control units provides an operative drug delivery device . the reservoir unit comprises an outer housing defining the outer boundaries for the combined infusion device , the housing having an upper surface 301 , a rim portion 302 and a lower surface 303 adapted to be arranged towards a skin surface of a user and preferably being provided with an adhesive . the reservoir unit is provided with a “ cut - out ” portion 304 adapted to receive a control unit , the reservoir unit and the control units including mating coupling means 305 , 355 , 365 , 375 so as to allow the control unit to be secured to the reservoir unit , the mating coupling means including electrical contacts . as can be seen , the lower portion comprises an extension in the form of a base plate portion which extends in a tongue - like fashion corresponding to the cut - out portion of the housing , the upper surface 307 of the base plate portion and the portion 312 of the rim facing towards the base plate portion providing mounting surfaces for a control unit and together defining a confinement for a control unit . as appears from the figure , the confinement 304 is provided within the outer boundaries of the disposable housing . the reservoir unit 300 comprises the same internal components as described for the second embodiment . the control unit 350 comprises a housing having an upper surface 351 , a rim 352 and a lower surface 353 , the rim comprising a connecting portion 354 . the control unit is adapted to be received in the corresponding confinement 304 in the reservoir unit 300 , the control unit including mating coupling means 355 on the connecting portion 354 and the lower surface ( not shown ) so as to allow the control unit to be secured to the corresponding portions 312 , 307 of the reservoir unit , the mating coupling means including electrical contacts . the coupling means may be of the same type as discussed above with reference to the fig2 a embodiment . the control unit 350 comprises a simple user interface having a single user actuatable key 357 , for example in the form of an on - off key or a bolus key , but no display . the second control unit 360 has the same dimensions as the first control unit 350 , but comprising two keys and a display 368 . the display may provide the user with information as to infusion settings and / or history , just as the display would allow the control unit to be menu - programmable using the two keys . the third control unit is somewhat larger ( and thus larger than the upper base plate surface 307 ) and comprises four keys and a larger display 378 . [ 0117 ] fig3 b shows the reservoir unit 300 with the control unit 350 mounted . as can be seen , the control unit fully occupy the confinement 304 defined within the outer boundaries of the disposable housing , the upper and outer rim surfaces of the two units being arranged flush with each other . the control unit may be attached in releasable or a non - releasable m anner . [ 0118 ] fig4 a and 4b show a fourth embodiment of the invention . more specifically , a drug delivery system 4 comprises two reservoir units 400 , 410 in combination with a control unit 450 in which a combination of one of the reservoir units and the control unit provides an operative drug delivery device . the first reservoir unit 400 has the same general outer configuration as in the second embodiment comprising an opening 404 adapted to receive a control unit , whereas the second reservoir unit 410 has the same general outer configuration as in the third embodiment comprising a cut - out portion 414 adapted to receive a control unit . fig4 b shows the reservoir unit 410 with the control unit 450 mounted . [ 0119 ] fig5 shows a fifth embodiment of the invention in which a drug delivery system 5 comprises two reservoir units 500 , 510 in combination with an advanced control unit 550 having a keyboard and a display , whereby a combination of one of the reservoir units and the control unit provides an operative drug delivery device . in contrast to the embodiments described with reference to fig2 - 4 , the units comprise wireless communication means 506 , 516 , 556 for transmission of commands / data and the units are not adapted to be connected to each other . the first reservoir unit 500 may represent a basic reservoir unit providing e . g . a single basal rate which can be activated by the control unit . the second reservoir unit 510 may represent an advanced reservoir unit being fully programmable by means of the control unit ( e . g . allowing the user to enter a desired infusion rate or profile or a bolus command ) as well as providing two - way exchange of command instructions and data information . [ 0120 ] fig6 shows a sixth embodiment of the invention in which a drug delivery system 6 comprises two control units 650 , 660 in combination with an advanced reservoir unit 600 whereby a combination of one of the control units and the reservoir unit provides an operative drug delivery device . in contrast to the embodiments described with reference to fig2 - 4 , the units comprise wireless communication means 606 , 556 , 566 for transmission of commands / data and the units are not adapted to be connected to each other . the first control unit 650 comprises a simple user interface having a single user actuatable key 657 , for example in the form of an on - off key or a bolus key , but no display . the second control unit 660 has an entirely different configuration comprising three keys 667 and a display 668 . the display may provide the user with information as to infusion settings and / or history , just as the display would allow the control unit to be menu - program mable using the two keys . [ 0122 ] fig7 a discloses a control unit 750 mounted in a reservoir unit 700 . apart from the outer form of the control unit and the corresponding confinement in the reservoir unit , the units are of the same general configuration as the embodiment shown in fig3 b to which reference is made . fig7 b shows the combined infusion device of fig7 a with a hollow infusion needle 701 attached in communication with an outlet from the pump or reservoir means and protruding from the lower surface of the reservoir unit . the lower surface is further provided with a peelable liner 702 covering an adhesive layer for attaching the device to the skin of the user . to facilitate introduction of the needle , the disposable device may be provided with user actuatable means for automatically advancing the needle into the skin after the device has been attached . fig7 c shows the infusion device of fig7 b with an infusion catheter attached in communication with an outlet from the pump means . the infusion catheter comprises an infusion line or tubing 710 communicating with an infusion needle 711 , a pad 712 being provided between the line and the needle , the pad allowing the catheter and needle to be gripped during the insertion procedure just as it allows the catheter to be properly secured to the skin of the user . the reservoir unit may be provided with an outlet opening in the vicinity of the lower surface thereof comprising a connector allowing either an infusion needle or an infusion catheter to be attached to the opening . such a connector may also serve as a port for filling the reservoir , either initially or during re - filling . while the present invention has been described in connection with the exemplary embodiments shown in the various figures , the delivery system according to the invention may be provided with additional features providing improved functionality , control and ease of use . for example , a sensor may be provided for continuously measuring the pressure in the infusion line or needle , this allowing the detection of a malfunctioning which could be used to initiate an alarm making the user aware of a problem . however , more advanced sensors may be incorporated in the units . for example , it may be desirable to automatically deliver certain drugs only when required by the subject , either by patient activation or passively , such as by a feedback mechanism . in such a case , the device further includes a sensor ( feedback ) for detecting a condition in the body of the subject and for controlling the delivery of the drug in response thereto . the sensor may be , for example , a temperature sensor , a pulse rate sensor , a blood glucose sensor , a blood pressure sensor or a ph sensor . the sensors may be formed integrally with the reservoir unit or attached separately . the sensor may rest against the skin , may be inserted through the skin , or may be within the device and separate from the skin . the reservoir unit may also include a plurality of drug reservoirs , each reservoir being independently controllable and communicating with an outlet with which a single infusion needle also communicates . for such a plurality of drug reservoirs , pump means integrally formed with the reservoir is preferred , for example in the form of individual gas generators . including a plurality of drug reservoirs provides for considerable variations in the amounts of drug which can be delivered , in the rates at which drug can be delivered and in the number of drugs which can be delivered by the same device . the reservoir unit may further be provided with a reservoir for a calibrating liquid in case the unit is provided with sensors requiring such a liquid . in the above description of the exemplary embodiments , the different structures providing mechanical , electrical and fluid contact and communication between the different components just as the means providing the described functionality for the different components ( i . e . pump , reservoir , energy source , memory , control , display etc .) have been described to a degree to which the concept of the present invention will be apparent to the skilled reader . the detailed construction and specification for the different components are considered the object of a normal design procedure performed by the skilled person along the lines set out in the present specification . | 0 |
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