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the molar ratio of total nco groups to active hydrogens should be 0 . 8 or greater , preferably between 1 . 1 and 3 . 0 . coatings prepared using nco / active hydrogen molar ratios greater than 1 . 0 will result in the formation of additional polyurea , which appears beneficial in applications where coatings with higher durability are desired and for those on more rigid substrates . the weight ratio of crosslinked polymer matrix to peo or pvp may be in the range of 0 . 7 to 5 . 0 and preferably between 1 . 0 and 2 . 0 for most applications . in addition to components 1 - 4 , other additional additives and modifiers may be included to produce beneficial or desirable effects , as might commonly be employed in coating science . such additives might include viscosity modifiers , surface active agents , anti - blocking agents , bioactive substances such as antimicrobial agents , pigments , etc . the coating system is applied as a solvent solution to a substrate of interest , such as a medical guidewire or catheter . methods which are commonly practiced in coating technology , such as dipping , spray coating , die wiping , etc . may be employed . the wet coating is allowed to dry , either under ambient conditions or at elevated temperatures . the isocyanate and polyol are then allowed to react producing a crosslinked polymer matrix in the presence of the peo or pvp . this cross linking reaction can be carried out at ambient conditions , or preferably at elevated temperature . for those coatings where the nco to active hydrogen ratio is greater than 1 . 0 , final cure is obtained through reaction with water , either atmospherically or directly supplied to produce polyurea bonds . the coating composition is essentially uniform throughout . the peo and pvp is well complexed by the crosslinked polyurea polymer matrix , presumably as a result of the following beneficial effects : 1 . the long peo or pvp chains are physically entrapped in the crosslinked polyurea polymer network . 2 . the hydrophilic peo or pvp molecules are complexed because of the numerous opportunities for hydrogen bonding to occur between the n - h hydrogens formed in the crosslinked polyurea polymer matrix at the sites resulting from the nco and active hydrogen reaction and the electron donor sites on the peo or pvp . the peo sites are the ether oxygens and the pvp sites are the carboxyl oxygens . regardless of the exact mechanisms involved in the coatings containing peo or pvp of the present invention , the result is a durable , flexible coating which bonds well to a variety of substrates including many plastics and metals such as stainless steel . in contact with water or aqueous solutions , the coating hydrates and becomes slippery . the coating retains a high degree of durability when wet , as evidenced by its ability to remain slippery and bonded to the substrate after repeated cycles of rubbing . in particular , these coatings containing peo as the hydrophilic polymer exhibit highly desirable durability on hard substrates such as steel wires . typically , hard substrates often pose durability problems for other hydrophilic coatings , as the forces involved during rubbing can cause many hydrophilic coatings to wear off easily , when these coatings are present on hard substrates . the peo or pvp in these coatings appears to be well complexed and is retained indefinitely even when the coating remains hydrated for extended periods . prolonged hydration does not result in any significant loss of lubricity or durability . the coatings may also be subjected to repeated cycles of wetting and drying without any loss of properties . these coatings may be formulated to handle a wide range of product applications by varying the following parameters : 2 . the weight ratio of crosslinked polyurea polymer matrix to peo or pvp . 3 . the particular compound used to provide the active hydrogen , or the nco . 4 . the functionality of the nco or active hydrogen containing species . thus , a wide variety of properties are achievable from coatings with high elongation to ones which are hard and durable and coatings may be formulated for adhesion to specific substrates . as indicated earlier , the coatings of the present invention wherein the hydrophilic polymer is peo provide a beneficial combination of good durability , abrasion resistance and good adhesion to metals such as stainless steel . this has been problematic or impossible with many of the known lubricious coatings . coatings covered by this invention wherein the hydrophilic polymer is peo or pvp can also be formulated for good adhesion , abrasion resistance and durability on many plastics and elastomeric materials as well . after applying the coating solution , the solvent is preferably allowed to evaporate from the coated substrate often by exposure to ambient conditions of from 1 to 480 minutes . it is preferable to accomplish this evaporation in such a manner as to minimize the accumulation of water in the uncured coating film resulting from hygroscopic attraction of atmospheric moisture to the peo or pvp . this can be accomplished readily by minimizing the evaporation time , reducing the ambient humidity , elevating the ambient temperature for drying , or using a combination of these methods . the coating is subsequently cured . the cure time and temperatures vary with the choice of isocyanate and polyol and the composition of the substrate . this choice of ingredients also affects the physical properties of the overall coating . curing temperatures may range from 75 ° f . to 350 ° f . although generally an elevated temperature of 180 ° to 250 ° f . is desirable . cure times may vary from 2 minutes to 72 hours , depending upon the reactivity of the isocyanate and active hydrogen containing compound and the cure temperature . in all cases the cure conditions are to be non - deleterious to the underlying substrate . after the coating is cured , it is preferable to rinse or soak the coating in water to remove any uncomplexed peo or pvp . generally , a brief rinse of 10 to 15 seconds is sufficient , however , a longer rinse or soak is acceptable since the coating is cured and forms a stable gel when in contact with water . after the rinse , the coating may be dried either at ambient conditions , or at elevated temperatures . after the coating is formed , the coating can imbibe water from an aqueous solution prior to introduction to the body and can become lubricious . alternatively , the coating can imbibe water solely from body fluids , even if not introduced to water prior to introduction into the body . it can be dried and remoistened repeatedly and it will retain its lubricating properties . in all cases , the materials are selected so as to be compatible with the body and non - toxic to the body , if the coating is to be used in a body related application as in metallic guidewire catheters , introducer tubes and the like . isocyanates having at least 2 unreacted isocyanate groups per molecule may be used and include but are not limited to polymethylenepolyphenyl isocyanate , 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diphenyhnethane diisocyanate and position isomers thereof , 2 , 4 - toluene diisocyanate and position isomers thereof , 3 , 4 - dichlorophenyl diisocyanate and - isophorone di - isocyanate and adducts or prepolymers of isocyanates and polyols such as the adduct of trimethylolpropane and diphenylmethane diisocyanate or toluene diisocyanate . preferably , an adduct or isocyanate prepolymer , such as that available as vorite 63 from caschem inc ., is used . for further examples of polyisocyanates useful in this invention see the ici polyurethanes book , george woods , published by john wiley and sons , new york , n . y . ( 1987 ) and encyclopedia of polymer science and technology , h . f . mark , n . g . gaylord and n . m . bikales ( eds . ), ( 1969 ) and incorporated herein by reference . preferred active hydrogen species include triethyleneglycoldamine available as jeffamine edr - 148 ( texaco chemical , bellaire , tex . ); polyetherdiamines such as jeffamine ed - 600 , jeffamine ed - 900 and jeffamine ed - 2001 ( texaco chemical ); polyethertriamines such as jeffamine t - 403 ; urea condensates of polyetheramines such as jeffamine du - 700 ; and amine terminated polypropyleneglycols such as jeffamine d - 400 and jeffamine d - 2000 . heterocyclic diamines and amine adducts of the same may work well in some applications , such as products yse - cure f - 100 , b - 002 , and n - 002 ( available from ajinomoto , usa , teanick , n . j .). also useful are urethane modified melamine polyols containing both amine and hydroxyl groups , available as cylink hpc ( lytec industries , west patterson , n . j .). examples of useful polysulfides containing 2 or more sh groups per molecule include polymers of bis -( ethylene oxy ) methane containing disulfide linkages , such as lp - 3 , lp - 32 , and lp - 33 available from morton thiokol corporation . the ( peo ) poly ( ethylene oxide ) useful in accordance with this invention preferably has a weight average molecular weight of from about 50 , 000 to 5 , 000 , 000 . the ( pvp ) polyvinylpyrrolidone useful in accordance with the present invention preferably has a number average molecular weight of from about 50 , 000 to 2 . 5 million . pvp having a number average molecular weight of about 360 , 000 is preferred . examples of polyvinylpyrrolidone materials useful in this invention are those available from basf corp ., parsippany , n . j . as kollidon 90 , luviskol k90 , luviskol k80 and luviskol k60 , and those available from gap corporation , as plasdone 90 , pvp k90 and pvp k120 . commercially available polyvinylpyrrolidone products usually contain approximately 3 - 5 % ( w / w ) water . furthermore , polyvinylpyrrolidone is very hygroscopic , and tends to accumulate water on normal storage when exposed to air . since water is very reactive toward isocyanates , it is preferred , but not essential , to reduce the water content to less than 0 . 5 % prior to use in preparing coating formulations . this may be readily accomplished by vacuum drying an appropriate quantity of polyvinylpyrrolidone , for example , by heating it for eighteen hours at 200 ° f ., while maintaining a vacuum of 27 inches of mercury . the solvents used are those that do not react with the isocyanate , active hydrogen containing compound or the polyethylene oxide or polyvinylpyrrolidone but are solvents for all . the solvents should be free of reactive groups such , for example as active hydrogens and should be dry , i . e ., moisture content 0 . 05 % ( w / w ) or less . the solvent must further be capable of dissolving the isocyanate , active containing hydrogen compound and poly ( ethylene oxide ) or polyvinylpyrrolidone . preferred solvents available commercially in a suitably dry form include but are not limited to methylene chloride , dibromomethane , chloroform , dichloroethane , and dichloroethylene . when methylene chloride is used , the solids content of the coating solution may be 0 . 5 % to 15 % ( w / w ) and preferably 1 % to 4 % ( w / w ). when dibromomethane is used , the solids content of the coating solution may be 0 . 25 % to 10 % ( w / w ) and preferably 0 . 75 % to 2 % ( w / w ). other solvents meeting the above objectives are also suitable . viscosity and flow control agents may be used to adjust the viscosity and thixotropy to a desired level . preferably the viscosity is such that the coating can be formed on the substrate at the desired thickness . viscosities of from 50 to 500 cps can be used although higher or lower viscosities may be useful in certain instances . viscosity control agents include but are not limited to fumed silica , cellulose acetate butyrate and ethyl acrylate / 2 - ethyl hexyl acrylate copolymer . flow control agents are preferably used in amounts from 0 . 05 to 5 percent by weight of dry coating solids . antioxidants are used to improve oxidative stability of the cured coatings and include but are not limited to tris ( 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxy benzyl ) isocyanurate , 2 , 2 &# 39 ;- methylenebis ( 4 - methyl - 6 - t - butyl phenol ), 1 , 3 , 5 - trimethyl - 2 , 4 , 6 - tris ( 3 , 5 - di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxybenzyl ) benzene , butyl hydroxy toluene , octadecyl 3 , 5 , di - t - butyl - 4 - hydroxyhydrocinnamate , 4 , 4 methylenebis ( 2 , 6 - di - t - butylphenol ), p , p - dioctyl diphenylamine and 1 , 1 , 3 - tris -( 2 - methyl - 4 - hydroxy - 5 - t - butylphenyl ) butane . antioxidants are preferably used in amounts from 0 . 01 to 1 percent by weight of dry coating solids . conventional pigments can be added to impart color or radiopacity , or to improve appearance of the coatings . air release agents or defoamers include but are not limited to polydimethyl siloxanes , 2 , 4 , 7 , 9 - tetramethyl - 5 - decyn - 4 , 7 - diol , 2 - ethylhexyl alcohol and n - beta - aminoethyl - gamma - aminopropyl - trimethoxysilane . air release agents are often used in amounts from 0 . 0005 to 0 . 5 percent by weight of dry coating solids . as indicated earlier the coatings of the present invention using peo as the hydrophilic polymer may be particularly advantageously used with inorganic substrate such , for example , metals like metal wires , glass medical devices , etc . the organic substrates that can be coated with the coatings of this invention using peo or pvp as the hydrophilic polymer include polyether block amide , polyethylene terephthalate , polyetherurethane , polyesterurethane , other polyurethanes , natural rubber , rubber latex , synthetic rubbers , polyester - polyether copolymers , polycarbonates , and other organic materials . some of these materials are available under the trademarks such as pebax available from atochem , inc . of glen rock , n . j . mylar available from e . i . dupont denemours and co . of wilmington , del ., texin 985a from mobay corporation of pittsburgh , pa ., pellethane available from dow chemical of midland , mich ., and lexan available from general electric company of pittsfield , mass . a crosslinked polyurea / peo coating formulation was prepared by weighing the following components into a disposable plastic container : ( a ) 2 . 16 grams of a polyfunctional amine available as jeffamine ed 2001 ( texaco chemical co . ); ( b ) 1 . 90 grams of a 60 % solution of a trimethylolpropane - toluene diisocyanate adduct in pma solvent available as mondur cb - 60n ( bayer corp . ); ( c ) 100 grams of a 3 . 3 % solution of poly ( ethylene oxide ) mean molecular weight 300 , 000 available as polyox wsr - n750 ( union carbide corp . ); a length of stainless steel wire approximately 0 . 016 inches in diameter was dipped into this coating solution during 90 seconds . it was then allowed to air dry for approximately 60 minutes . following this the coated wire was baked for 60 minutes at 200 ° f . to effect the cure of the coating . the resulting product was a wire with a flexible adherent coating that , when wetted with water became noticeably lubricious . repeated rubbing of the wire under running water with moderate finger pressure did not reduce the coating lubricity appreciably . a crosslinked polyurea / peo coating formulation was prepared by weighing the following components into a disposable plastic container : ( a ) 1 . 19 grams of a polyfunctional amine available as jeffamine ed 600 ( texaco chemical co . ); ( b ) 3 . 51 grams of a 60 % solution of a trimethylolpropane - toluene diisocyanate adduct in pma solvent available as mondur cb - 60n ( bayer corp . ); ( c ) 100 grams of a 3 . 3 % solution of poly ( ethylene oxide ) mean molecular weight 300 , 000 available as polyox wsr - n750 ( union carbide corp . ); a length of stainless steel wire approximately 0 . 016 inches in diameter was dipped into this coating solution during 90 seconds . it was then allowed to air dry for approximately 60 minutes . following this the coated wire was baked for 60 minutes at 200 ° f . to effect the cure of the coating . the resulting product was a wire with a flexible adherent coating that , when wetted with water became noticeably lubricious . repeated rubbing of the wire under running water with moderate finger pressure did not reduce the coating lubricity . a crosslinked polyurea / peo coating formulation was prepared by weighing the following components into a disposable plastic container : ( a ) 0 . 86 grams of a polyfunctional amine available as jeffamine c 346 ( texaco chemical co . ); ( b ) 4 . 14 grams of a 60 % solution of a trimethylolpropane - toluene diisocyanate adduct in pma solvent available as mondur cb - 60n ( bayer corp . ); ( c ) 100 grams of a 3 . 3 % solution of poly ( ethylene oxide ) mean molecular weight 300 , 000 available as polyox wsr - n750 ( union carbide corp . ); a length of stainless steel wire approximately 0 . 014 inches in diameter was dipped into this coating solution during 90 seconds . it was then allowed to air dry for approximately 60 minutes . following this the coated wire was baked for 60 minutes at 200 ° f . to effect the cure of the coating . the resulting product was a wire with a flexible adherent coating that , when wetted with water became noticeably lubricious . repeated rubbing of the wire under running water with moderate finger pressure did not reduce the coating lubricity appreciably . a crosslinked polyurea / pvp coating formulation was prepared by weighing the following components into a disposable plastic container : ( a ) 1 . 81 grams of a polyfunctional amine available as jeffamine ed 600 ( texaco chemical co . ); ( b ) 5 . 31 grams of a 60 % solution of a trimethylolpropane - toluene diisocyanate adduct in pma solvent available as mondur cb - 60n ( bayer corp . ); ( d ) 5 . 0 grams of polyvinylpyrrolidone of mean molecular weight of approximately 360 , 000 available as kollidon 90 ( basf corp .). a length of stainless steel wire approximately 0 . 014 inches in diameter was dipped into this coating solution during 90 seconds . it was then allowed to air dry for approximately 60 minutes . following this the coated wire was baked for 60 minutes at 225 ° f . to effect the cure of the coating . the resulting product was a wire with a flexible adherent coating that , when wetted with water became noticeably lubricious . when this wire was rubbed with moderate finger pressure under running water , some loss of lubricity was noted . however , this coating may exhibit enough durability for certain applications . a crosslinked polyurea / pvp coating formulation was prepared by weighing the following components into a disposable plastic container : ( a ) 1 . 27 grams of a polyfunctional amine available as jeffamine ed - 600 ( texaco chemical company ); ( b ) 3 . 72 grams of a 60 % solution of a trimethylolpropane - toluene diisocyanate adduct in pma solvent available as mondur cb - 60n ( bayer corp . ); ( d ) 5 . 0 grams of polyvinylpyrrolidone of mean molecular weight of approximately 360 , 000 available as kollidon 90 ( basf corp .). a length of thermoplastic polyurethane tubing available as texin 480a ( bayer corp .) approximately 0 . 070 inches in diameter was dipped into this coating solution during 60 seconds . it was then allowed to air dry for approximately 60 minutes . following this the coated tubing was baked for 60 minutes at 225 ° f . to effect the cure of the coating . the resulting product was a length of tubing with a flexible adherent coating that , when wetted with water became very lubricious . when rubbed with moderate finger pressure under running water , no loss of lubricity was noted . a crosslinked polyurea // pvp coating formulation was prepared by weighing the following components into a disposable plastic container : ( a ) 1 . 81 grams of a polyfunctional amine available as jeffamine ed - 600 ( texaco chemical company ); ( b ) 5 . 31 grams of a 60 % solution of a trimethylolpropane - toluene diisocyanate adduct in pma solvent available as mondur cb - 60n ( bayer corp . ); ( d ) 5 . 0 grams of polyvinylpyrrolidone of mean molecular weight of approximately 360 , 000 available as kollidon 90 ( basf corp .). a length of stainless steel wire approximately 0 . 014 inches in diameter was dipped into this coating solution during 90 seconds . it was then allowed to air dry for approximately 60 minutes . following this the coated wire was baked for 60 minutes at 225 ° f . to effect the cure of the coating . the resulting product was a wire with a flexible adherent coating that , when wetted with water became very lubricious . when this wire was rubbed with moderate finger pressure under running water , some loss of lubricity was noted . however , this coating may exhibit enough durability for certain applications . a crosslinked polyurea // pvp coating formulation was prepared by weighing the following components into a disposable plastic container : ( a ) 1 . 79 grams of a polyfunctional amine available as jeffamine ed - 600 ( texaco chemical company ); ( b ) 5 . 27 grams of a 60 % solution of a trimethylolpropane - toluene diisocyanate adduct in pma solvent available as mondur cb - 60n ( bayer corp . ); ( c ) 100 grams of a 3 . 3 % solution of poly ( ethylene oxide ) mean molecular weight 300 , 000 available as polyox wsr - n750 ( union carbide corp . ); a length of stainless steel wire approximately 0 . 014 inches in diameter was dipped into this coating solution during 90 seconds . it was then allowed to air dry for approximately 60 minutes . following this the coated wire was baked for 60 minutes at 200 ° f . to effect the cure of the coating . the resulting product was a wire with a flexible adherent coating that , when wetted with water became noticeably lubricious . repeated rubbing of the wire under running water with moderate finger pressure did not reduce the coating lubricity appreciably . referring now to fig1 and fig2 there is shown a medical tubing 1 having coated thereon a crosslinked polyurea - peo or crosslinked polyurea - pvp coating 2 of this invention . as indicated earlier , fig3 shows a plastic medical guidewire 3 containing a lubricious crosslinked polyurea - peo or crosslinked polyurea - pvp coating 4 of this invention . the plastic jacketed medical guidewire comprises a metallic wire core 5 surrounded by plastic jacket 6 at its proximal end . there is provided a softer plastic or elastomeric jacket 7 which surrounds both the plastic jacket 6 and the metal wire core 5 at its distal end . fig4 illustrates a cross - section view of a medical spring guidewire 9 comprising a stainless steel or other metallic winding wire 10 through which metallic core wire 11 passes said winding wire 10 having coated thereon a lubricious crosslinked polyurea - peo or crosslinked polyurea - pvp coating 12 of this invention . as shown in fig5 which is an enlarged cross - sectional view of a segment of the winding wire 10 of fig4 there is coated on the outer surface thereon a lubricious crosslinked polyurea - peo or crosslinked pvp coating 12 . as shown in fig6 there is provided a catheter tubing 13 into which passes the coated guidewire shown in fig4 and 5 . as shown in fig7 the catheter 13 of fig6 is shown advancing over the guidewire of fig6 located in lumen 14 of a blood vessel which traverses the tissue 15 . changes in construction will occur to those skilled in the art and various apparently different modifications and embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the invention . the matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by way of illustration only . the actual scope of the invention is intended to be defined in the following claims when viewed in their proper perspective against the prior art . | 2 |
in carrying out the process of the invention , the mixture of isomeric diamines is heated with the phenol , optionally in the presence of an inert organic solvent . by &# 34 ; inert organic solvent &# 34 ; is meant an organic solvent which does not itself enter into reaction with any of the reactants or interfere in any other way with the desired course of the reaction . illustrative of inert organic solvents are benzene , toluene , xylene , chlorobenzene , decalin , carbon tetrachloride , cyclopentane , cyclohexane , and the like . advantageously , the inert organic solvent is one having a boiling point higher than that of the phenol employed . the phenol , whichever of those set forth above is employed , is always present in an amount such that there is at least one phenolic hydroxyl group for each amino group in the 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diaminodiphenylmethane . where the phenol employed is phenol itself , it is found advantageous to employ a substantial excess over the amount specified above and to use the excess phenol , in the molten state , as solvent for the reaction . in the case of most of the other phenols , it is preferred to use an inert organic solvent as the reaction medium . the mixture of isomeric diamines and the phenol , and optionally the inert organic solvent , is heated advantageously at a temperature in the range of about 30 ° c . to about 150 ° c . and preferably in the range of about 50 ° c . to about 100 ° c . the complex so formed is a crystalline compound which separates from the reaction mixture upon cooling to room temperature and can be readily isolated therefrom by centrifugation , filtration and like techniques . where the phenol employed is a monohydric phenol , the resulting complex is one in which the phenol and diamine are present in the molar proportions of 2 : 1 . where the phenol employed is a dihydric phenol , the resulting complex is one in which the phenol and diamine are present in the molar proportions of 1 : 1 . the complex so formed and isolated contains diamine in a form which is substantially pure 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diaminodiphenylmethane . by &# 34 ; substantially pure &# 34 ; is meant that the 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer of the diamine contains at least 95 percent by weight and preferably at least 98 percent by weight of said isomer the remainder of said product being the corresponding 2 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer and or 2 , 2 &# 39 ;- isomer . the free diamine , still in substantially pure form , can be isolated from the complex with the phenol in various ways . for example , where the phenol is one which is volatile , such as phenol itself , it is merely necessary to heat the complex to a temperature which is above the dissociation temperature of the complex but below about 170 ° c . and to remove the phenol by distillation under reduced pressure . alternatively , all of the various complexes can be decomposed by treating with excess dilute aqueous alkali metal hydroxide solution , such as sodium hydroxide , potassium hydroxide and the like , to liberate the free diamine . the phenol passes into solution and the diamine remains as an insoluble solid which can be isolated by centrifugation , filtration , and the like . the residue which remains after the separation of the above complex from the primary reaction product contains diamine which is richer in the 2 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer than the mixture of isomeric diamines which was employed as starting material . this mixture of diamines can be isolated from the residue and the diamine so recovered can then be recycled through the process of the invention to isolate more pure 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer therefrom . the phenols which are employed in the process of the invention include phenol itself ; lower - alkyl substituted phenols such as o - cresol , m - cresol , p - cresol , ethylphenol , butylphenol , hexylphenol , 1 , 3 , 4 - xylenol and the like ; lower - alkoxy - substituted phenols such as guaiacol , hydroquinone monomethyl ether , hydroquinone monobutyl ether , hydroquinone monohexyl ether and the like ; dihydric phenols such as hydroquinone , resorcinol , orcinol and the like ; and biasalkylidene phenols of the formula ( i ) above such as 2 , 2 - di ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propane [ bisphenol a ], 1 , 1 - di ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) propane , 3 , 3 - di ( 3 - hydroxyphenyl ) pentane , 2 , 2 - di ( 4 - hydroxyphenyl ) butane [ bisphenol b ], and the like . the process of the invention , in addition to being useful in separating the 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer from admixture with the isomeric diamines per se , can also be applied to the separation of 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer from the isomeric diamines which are present as part of a mixture of polymethylene polyphenyl polyamines obtained by condensation of aniline and formaldehyde ; see the art cited above . advantageously , said polymethylene polyphenyl polyamines contain at least about 20 percent by weight of diamine and preferably contain from about 70 percent to about 99 percent by weight of diamine . the following examples describe the manner and process of making and using the invention and set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out the invention but are not to be construed as limiting . a mixture of 3 . 96 g . ( 20 mmol .) of a mixture of diaminodiphenylmethanes ( containing 83 . 7 percent by weight of 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer and 16 . 3 percent by weight of 2 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer ) and 28 . 2 g . ( 300 mmol .) of phenol was heated at 90 ° c ., with stirring , for 5 minutes and was then cooled to room temperature ( circa 20 ° c .). the solid which crystallized was isolated by filtration , washed with water and dried . there was thus obtained a 2 : 1 molar complex of phenol and 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diaminodiphenylmethane having a melting point of 56 ° c . the complex was heated to 170 ° c . at a pressure of 0 . 05 mm . of mercury and maintained thereat until no further phenol distilled over . the residue ( 0 . 174 g . : 4 . 4 % yield ) was found by vapor phase chromatography to be 100 percent 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diaminodiphenylmethane containing no detectable amounts of 2 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer . the filtrate from the isolation of the above complex was distilled at 170 ° c . and a pressure of 0 . 05 mm . of mercury to remove phenol and leave a residue ( 3 . 51 g . : 88 . 6 percent recovery ) of diamine which was found by vapor phase chromatography to contain 78 . 4 percent by weight of 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer and 21 . 6 percent by weight of 2 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer . the water washing from the isolation of the above complex was extracted with chloroform and the chloroform extract was evaporated and heated to 170 ° c ./ 0 . 05 mm . to obtain 0 . 41 g . ( 10 . 4 percent recovery ) of diamine which was found by vapor phase chromatography to contain 99 . 1 percent by weight of 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer and 0 . 9 percent by weight of 2 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer . the process described in example 1 was repeated but the molar proportion of phenol to diamine was reduced from 15 : 1 to 3 : 1 as follows . a mixture of 3 . 0 g . ( 15 . 2 mmol .) of a mixture of diaminodiphenylmethanes ( containing 85 . 5 percent of 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer and 14 . 5 percent of 2 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer ) and 4 . 23 g . ( 45 mmol .) of phenol was heated at 90 ° c ., with stirring , for 5 minutes and was then cooled to room temperature ( circa 20 ° c .). the reaction product was worked up exactly as described in example 1 . the 2 : 1 molar complex of phenol and 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diaminodiphenylmethane , after isolation , was distilled at 170 ° c . and 0 . 05 mm . of mercury to remove phenol and leave a residue of 2 . 37 g . ( 79 percent recovery ) of diamine which was found by vapor phase chromatography to contain 96 . 3 percent by weight of 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer and 3 . 7 percent by weight of 2 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer . the diamine ( 0 . 42 g . : 14 percent recovery ), recovered by the procedure of example 1 from the mother liquor remaining after separation of the above complex , was found , by vapor phase chromatography , to contain 43 . 5 percent by weight of 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer and 56 . 5 percent by weight of 2 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer . the diamine ( 0 . 22 g . : 7 . 3 percent recovery ), recovered by the procedure described in example 1 from the aqueous washing of the above described complex , was found , by vapor phase chromatography , to contain 47 . 4 percent by weight of 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer and 52 . 6 percent by weight of 2 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer . this example shows the use of an inert organic solvent ( cyclohexane ) in the isolation of the 2 : 1 molar complex of phenol and 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diaminodiphenylmethane . a mixture of 9 . 90 g . ( 50 mmol .) of a mixture of diaminodiphenylmethanes ( containing 98 . 2 percent by weight of 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer and 1 . 8 percent by weight of 2 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer ), 14 . 1 g . ( 150 mmol .) of phenol and 5 . 6 g . of cyclohexane was heated with stirring at 80 ° c . for 5 mins . and then cooled to room temperature ( circa 20 ° c .). the resulting product was then worked up using the procedure described in example 1 . the 2 : 1 complex of phenol and 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diaminodiphenylmethane so obtained was decomposed using the procedure described in example 1 to yield 8 . 93 g . ( 90 . 2 percent recovery ) of diamine which was found by vapor phase chromatography to contain 99 . 2 percent by weight of 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer and 0 . 8 percent by weight of 2 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer . the diamine ( 0 . 53 g . : 5 . 3 percent recovery ) obtained from the mother liquor using the procedure of example 1 was found by vapor phase chromatography to contain 17 . 3 percent by weight of 2 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer and 82 . 7 percent by weight of 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer . this example shows the use of another inert organic solvent ( carbon tetrachloride ) in the isolation of the 2 : 1 molar complex of phenol and 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diaminodiphenylmethane . a mixture of 9 . 90 g . ( 50 mmol .) of the same mixture of diamines as used in example 3 , 8 . 0 g . ( 85 mmol .) of phenol and 50 ml . of carbon tetrachloride was heated with stirring under reflux for five minutes and then cooled to 30 ° - 40 ° c . the resulting product was worked up using the procedure described in example 1 . the 2 : 1 complex of phenol and 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diaminodiphenylmethane was decomposed using the procedure described in example 1 to yield 7 . 80 g . ( 78 . 8 percent recovery ) of diamine which was found by vapor phase chromatography to contain 99 . 5 percent by weight of 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer and 0 . 5 percent by weight of 2 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer . the diamine ( 1 . 99 g . : 20 . 2 percent recovery ) obtained from the mother liquor using the procedure of example 1 was found by vapor phase chromatography to contain 8 . 1 percent of 2 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer and 91 . 9 percent of 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer . a mixture of 3 . 96 g . ( 20 mmol .) of the same mixture of diamines employed in example 3 , 4 . 10 g . ( 18 mmol .) of bisphenol a and 20 ml . of monochlorobenzene was heated at 80 ° c . with stirring for 5 minutes and then cooled to room temperature ( circa 20 ° c .). the crystalline 1 : 1 molar complex of bisphenol a and 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diaminodiphenylmethane which separated was isolated by filtration and washed with chlorobenzene on the filter before being dried in vacuo . the complex had a melting point of 85 . 5 ° to 87 ° c . the complex was decomposed by heating at 80 ° c . in the presence of excess 0 . 5 n aqueous sodium hydroxide solution and the free amine which separated was insoluble in the dilute alkali solution and was isolated by filtration , washed with water and dried . there was thus obtained 3 . 48 g . ( 88 percent recovery ) of diamine which was found by vapor phase chromatography to contain 99 . 8 percent by weight of 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer and 0 . 2 percent by weight of 2 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer . the free bisphenol a , which was dissolved in the dilute alkali solution , was recovered by cooling the solution to 0 ° c . the mother liquor of the complex which was recovered from the latter filtration was evaporated to yield 0 . 6 g . ( 15 . 2 percent recovery ) of diamine which was found by vapor phase chromatography to contain 12 . 5 percent by weight of 2 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer and 87 . 5 percent by weight of 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer . a mixture of 4 . 7 g . ( 50 mmol .) of phenol and 1 . 997 g . ( 10 . 1 mmol .) of a mixture of diaminodiphenylmethanes containing 49 . 6 percent by weight of the 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer and 50 . 4 percent by weight of the 2 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer was heated at 90 ° c . for 1 hour with stirring and was then cooled to 0 ° c . the solid which crystallized was isolated by filtration , washed with ether , and dried . the 2 : 1 molar complex of phenol and 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diaminodiphenylmethane so obtained was heated to 170 ° c . at a pressure of 0 . 05 mm . of mercury and maintained thereat until no further phenol distilled over . the residue ( 0 . 702 g . : 35 . 2 percent yield ) was found by vapor phase chromatography to contain 95 . 6 percent by weight of 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diaminodiphenylmethane and 4 . 4 percent by weight of 2 , 4 &# 39 ;- diaminodiphenylmethane . the filtrate from the isolation of the above complex was worked up as described in example 1 to obtain 1 . 19 g . ( 59 . 6 percent yield ) of diamine which was found , by vapor phase chromatography , to contain 25 . 4 percent by weight of 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- diaminodiphenylmethane and 74 . 6 percent by weight of 2 , 4 &# 39 ;- diaminodiphenylmethane . a further 0 . 13 g . ( 6 . 5 percent recovery ) of diamine was isolated from the water washings employed in isolation of the latter material as described in example 1 . this diamine was found , by vapor phase chromatography , to contain 52 . 2 percent by weight of 4 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer and 47 . 8 percent by weight of 2 , 4 &# 39 ;- isomer . | 2 |
the schematic design of the control system which is illustrated in fig1 has an activation unit 10 which is connected either into a closed - loop or open - loop controlled operation as a function of the operating points of the internal combustion engine . the activation conditions are dependent on the operating points of the internal combustion engine which are determined either by means of measuring or in the model of the air / exhaust gas path 12 . the setpoint value unit 14 determines setpoint values which are dependent on the operating parameters of the internal combustion engine , of the turbocharger , the ambient conditions and the calculated variables from the model 12 . these setpoint values are additionally also dynamically corrected in order to obtain optimum adaptation of the setpoint value in the nonsteady operating states . the setpoint values are passed onto to a pilot control unit 16 and to a controller 18 . the pilot control unit 16 may , for example , contain a vtg model in order to actuate the variable turbine geometry in accordance with the predefined setpoint values . in the model unit 12 for the air and exhaust gas path , the nonmeasured states in the air / exhaust gas pathway are determined and made available to the other units 10 , 14 , 16 and 18 . the controller may be embodied as a conventional pi controller which preferably has a parallel correction branch with dt 1 behavior . inaccuracies in the pilot control and of the model unit 12 for the air and exhaust gas pathway are compensated using the controller . the model structure is described in more detail with reference to fig2 using the example of the power balance . in a compressor model element 20 , the power of the compressor is calculated by means of the thermodynamic states at the compressor . in order to be able to convert this power of the compressor ( pow_cmp ) into the power of the turbine ( pow_tur ), the losses occurring at the shaft between the compressor and turbine is calculated in a loss model element 22 . the sum of the compressor power and loss power yields the turbine power ( pow_tur ) which is applied as an input variable to the turbine model element 24 . the turbine model element determines the pulse duty factor ( bpapwm ) for the variable turbine geometry ( vtg ) or the wastegate ( wg ). from the above it becomes clear that the same approach applies to the torques which act on the shaft . the individual model elements are explained in detail below . fig3 shows the calculation of the compressor power ( pow_cmp ). the compressor power includes the quotient formed from the ambient pressure ( amp ) 28 and pressure at the compressor ( map ) 26 , the quotient 30 of which lies on a characteristic curve kl 1 . the characteristic curve kl 1 calculates the following variable : kl 1 = f ( map , amp ) = ( amp map ) capa_maf - 1 capa_maf - 1 in addition to the ambient pressure ( amp ) 28 , the fresh air mass flow rate ( maf ) 34 and the ambient temperature ( tia ) 32 are also taken into account in the characteristic diagram kf 1 . the isentropic compressor efficiency level ( eff_cmp ) is determined in the characteristic diagram kf 1 36 . the power of the compressor can thus be calculated by taking into account the fresh air mass flow rate and the ambient temperature as well as the specific thermal capacity of air . if the torque balance is to be considered instead of the power balance in fig2 the power of the compressor which is calculated in fig3 is to be divided by the rotational speed ( n_tcha ) of the turbine and the factor 2π . when a separate value of the temperature downstream of the compressor ( t_up_cmp ) 38 is present , a predefined setpoint value is also possible by means of the temperature ratio at the compressor . [ 0063 ] fig4 illustrates that the compressor model which is explained with reference fig3 can also be used in order to calculate the setpoint value for the temperature downstream of the compressor ( t_up_cmp_sp ) 44 from a setpoint value for the pressure at the compressor ( map_sp ) 40 and from a setpoint value for the fresh air mass flow rate ( maf_sp ) 42 . the two possible ways of calculating the losses are described with reference to fig5 and 6 . fig5 shows , using the example of the power balance , the calculation of the power loss if there is no measurement of the rotational speed of the turbine . in this case , the rotational speed ( n_tcha ) 64 of the turbine is determined using the characteristic diagram kf 2 as a function of the pressure at the compressor ( map ) 56 , the fresh air mass flow rate ( maf ) 58 , the ambient pressure ( amp ) 60 and the ambient temperature ( tia ) 62 . with reference to a standardized rotational speed ( n_tcha_nom ) 66 of the turbine it is possible to calculate the nonisentropic loss of the turbocharger ( eff_loss_tcha ) 68 by means of the characteristic curve kl 2 . the power loss of the exhaust gas turbocharger is thus obtained as : [ 0065 ] fig6 explains the calculation of the turbine torque for the case in which the measured rotational speed ( n_tcha ) 70 of the turbine is known . in comparison to the calculation described with reference to fig5 in this way the suitably standardized rotational speed of the turbine can be used directly with the characteristic diagram kl 2 . an exemplary profile for such a characteristic diagram is represented in the lower part of fig6 . it is shown that the nonisentropic losses of the turbocharger rise with the standardized rotational speed ( n_tcha / n_tcha_nom ) of the turbine . [ 0066 ] fig7 and 8 explain the calculation of the pulse duty factor ( bpapwm ) 72 for the actuator . both figures explain the calculation of the manipulated variable by reference to the turbine torque ( tq_tur ) 74 . however , the same calculation can also be carried out on the basis of the turbine power ( pow_tur ) 74 . in the calculation illustrated in fig7 the manipulated variable 72 ( bpapwm ) is calculated as a function of the temperature ratio ( div_t_tur = t_up_tur / t_exh ). the fourth characteristic diagram kf 4 has the following dependencies : kf 4 = bpapwm = f ( t_up _tur t_exh ; m_exh · t_exh prs_exh ) where t_up_tur designates the temperature downstream of the turbine , t_exh the exhaust gas temperature , m_exh the exhaust gas mass flow rate across the turbine and prs_exh the exhaust pressure upstream of the turbine . as a function of the pressure ratio ( div_prs_tur = prs_up_tur / prs_exh ), the fourth characteristic diagram has the following form : kf 4 = bpapwm = f ( prs_up _tur prs_exh , m_exh · t_exh prs_exh ) the model illustrated in fig7 permits a particularly simple way of switching over a wastegate control system . in response to a control signal ( nc_wg ), the system switches backward and forward between two states . in the connection illustrated in fig7 a vtg control process is carried out in which the exhaust gas mass flow rate across the turbine ( m_exh ) 76 is used . with a wastegate control system , contact with the port 78 is established in response to the control signal 74 so that the mass flow rate across the wastegate 80 ( m_wg ) takes the place of the exhaust gas flow rate across the turbine . the mass flow rate across the wastegate is obtained as the mass flow rate across the turbine minus a maximum flow rate across the turbine ( m_tur_max ) 82 . the use of the maximum flow rate across the turbine 82 makes it possible to protect the turbine against destruction by an excessively large mass flow rate . [ 0070 ] fig8 shows the calculation of the manipulated variable 72 as a function of the characteristic diagram kf 4 84 which depends on the pressure ratio ( div_prs_tur ) 86 at the turbine . the isentropic turbine efficiency level 90 is calculated using the third characteristic diagram ( kf 3 ) 88 in order to determine the pressure ratio 86 . said turbine efficiency level 90 can be converted into the pressure ratio by means of the characteristic diagram kl 3 ( polytropic relationship between the temperature ratio and the pressure ratio ) as follows : kl 3 = f ( eff_tur ; t_tur ; t_exh ) = ( 1 - [ 1 eff_tur · ( 1 - t_up _tur t_exh ) input ] ) capa_exh capa_exh - 1 the values for the exhaust gas pressure upstream of the turbine ( prs_exh ) and the exhaust gas temperature ( t_exh ) as well as the mass flow rate across the egr are estimated in the model in fig8 . it has become apparent that the sensitivity of the model to the manipulated variable 72 ( bpapwm ), which is on the one hand the result of the model and on the other hand is included in the third characteristic diagram ( kf 3 ) 88 , is small so that stable and precise results are obtained . as an alternative to the manipulated variable 72 ( pulse duty factor ) in the third characteristic diagram , it is also possible to use a position feedback of the wastegate or the vtg position in the characteristic diagram . | 5 |
there will be explained in detail below one preferred embodiment of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 is a perspective view showing the terminal connecting portion before the waterproofing treatment , in which a terminal fitting 20 is crimped on exposed bare conductors 11 of a sheathed wire 10 . fig2 is a side view showing a state where the terminal connecting portion is electrically connected to a vehicle body 4 , for example . the terminal fitting 20 has the connecting part 21 formed to be flat at the front portion , at a central part of which an opening 22 is defined for inserting the bolt 3 shown in fig1 a to 10 c of the related example . the connecting part 21 is formed to be caulking parts 23 , 24 at the rear part for crimping to the bare conductors 11 . fig3 is a plan view showing , partially in cross section , a state where the terminal connecting portion has been waterproofed , in which the molded resin 30 covers almost allover the terminal connecting portion except for the bottom face of the terminal fitting 20 and the front end connecting part 21 . fig4 is a side view showing , partially in cross section , a state where the waterproofed terminal connecting portion is connected as the earth cable to the vehicle body with a bolt 3 . fig5 a and 5b are sectional views respectively showing cross sections along line 5 a — 5 a and line 5 b — 5 b of fig4 . as apparently from fig4 and fig5 a , 5 b , the caulking parts 23 , 24 of the bare conductors 11 at the front end of the sheathed wire 10 and the terminal fitting 20 are covered with the molded resin 30 by the molding die 40 shown in fig7 to 9 almost allover the embodied terminal connecting portion after the desired waterproofing , except for a bottom face of the terminal fitting 20 and the connecting part 21 at the front end . it is important that allover the bottom face of the molded resin 30 deposited on the caulking parts 23 , 24 is not upheaved but forms a plane surface in any portions on bottom faces 23 a , 24 a of the caulked parts 23 , 24 . in short , the molded resin 30 is fully deposited to cover the three sides of the upper side and both sides of the terminal connecting portion , and a part of the molded resin 30 a goes around both respective sides of the caulked bottom faces 23 a , 24 a . but thickness of such a part of the molding resin going around the bottom face and deposited is a flat face to an extent of not exceeding a level of the bottom faces 23 a , 24 a . accordingly , as shown in fig4 being under the condition that the caulking parts 23 , 24 are mounted on the vehicle body 4 , all the areas of the bottom faces 23 a , 24 a contact the upper face of the vehicle body 4 , so that no space corresponding to thickness of the deposited resin occurs between the bottom faces and the vehicle body 4 as seen in the related example shown in fig1 a to 10 c . thus , any electrically conductive inferiority can be avoided between the connecting part 21 at the front end of the terminal fitting 20 and the vehicle body 4 . therefore , the bent part 2 c aiming at avoidance of conductive badness is no longer required as the terminal fitting 2 of fig1 a to 10 c of the related examples , and if the caulking is applied to such as cars , an anxiety about breakage by stress due to vibration is purged in the very terminal fitting 20 of the embodiment . the exemplified terminal connecting portion is , as shown in fig6 covered with the molded resin 30 to be a fusiform shape , resulting with a merit less to peel the resin in case the sheathed wire 10 extending therefrom is bent . herein , for the molding resin 30 as the sealing resin of high viscosity , in substitution for the related polyamide based hot melt brittle in the oil content as gasoline , the moisture hardening resin , specifically polyurethane hot melt is used as a molding compound . the moisture hardening polyurethane hot melt disclosed in japanese patent publication no . 10 - 511716a may be adopted . the melt viscosity is preferably 50 [ pa · s ] or lower , more preferably 20 [ pa · s ] or lower . the adhesive agent is substantially of non - solvent containing urethane radical . in addition , it is solid at room temperatures , and it is taken as an adhesive agent which is not only physically solidified by cooling after having been used in a melted form , but also solidified by chemical reaction between still existing isocyanate radical and moisture . the “ moisture hardenability ” means that polyurethane hot melt contains , more specifically silane and / or isocyanate radical generating chain extension reaction with water as a moisture in an air . namely , the present embodiment uses the moisture hardening polyurethane hot melt of viscosity 20 pa · s as one example of the molding resin 30 by the sealing resin of high viscosity , and sets the melting temperature at injecting to be about 100 ° c . in the molding die 40 . as mentioned above , the melting temperature at injecting in the molding die 40 can be determined to be low temperature as , for example , 100 ° c ., and the injecting temperature as 100 ° c . is very low in comparison with 220 ° c . of polyamide based hot melt to be used in the related resin molding . by realizing it , operators of molding are released from working at high temperature and the labor burden is considerably lightened . even if the injecting temperature of the moisture hardening polyurethane hot melt of the present example is 100 ° c ., this substance has the heat resistance to around 160 ° c . after the reaction ( pur - hmi ). this fact means that it is sufficiently adapted to use under high temperature circumstances as in vehicle engine rooms . next , with respect to a waterproofing method using the moisture hardening polyurethane hot melt as the molded resin 30 and an apparatus using the method , explanation will be made by way of the molding dies 40 shown in fig7 to 9 . referring to fig7 of the plan view , in the molding parts a , b provided at two places in the single molding die 40 comprising upper and lower molds 44 , 45 , the two molding works , that is , simultaneous moldings to the terminal connecting portion can be carried out . fig8 is a cross sectional view of the molding die composed of the upper mold 44 and the lower mold 45 seen from the side of one mold a . fig9 is a side and cross sectional view showing the other mold b . on the predetermined position of the mold a , one set of terminal connecting portion which is crimped with the terminal fitting 20 on the bare conductors 11 in the sheathed wire 10 , is mounted in a manner that the connecting part 21 at the front end is made horizontal . the molding part a is formed to be flat such that the bottom face of the molding cavity 41 can be closely attached to the bottom face of the terminal connecting portion , and the runner channel 42 of the injecting gate is provided in the ceiling face opposite the flat bottom face or in the oblique side . the front end connecting part 21 of the terminal fitting 20 is set flatwise , so that a pin 43 for positioning by passing through the opening 22 stands upright . further , the molding cavity 41 opens at its one side toward the exterior of the mold , and is closed at its another side with the elastic closing plate 47 . the closing with the elastic plate 47 signifies that since the sheathed wire 10 extending rearwards of the terminal fitting 20 does not require the water proofing treatment , said one side gets out of the mold from the one side opening . the leading - out part of the sheathed wire 10 is elastically held by the elastic closing plate 47 which is in turn held by a clamp 48 . in such a molding cavity 41 , it is easy to pour the melted molded resin 30 from the upper runner channel 42 and to deposit it to the upper side and both sides of the terminal connection . on the predetermined position of the mold b , another set of terminal connection is mounted in a manner that the connecting part 21 at the front end of the terminal fitting 20 is made vertical and walled to the molding face , and the molded resin 30 is deposited only to the upper side and both sides of the terminal connection in the same procedure as that in the molding part a . although the present invention has been shown and described with reference to specific preferred embodiments , various changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the teachings herein . such changes and modifications as are obvious are deemed to come within the spirit , scope and contemplation of the invention as defined in the appended claims . | 7 |
referring to the drawings in detail , and considering first a presently preferred form of the invention shown in fig1 and 1a , two plate or panel - type members a and b are herein assumed to be adjacent strakes covering a side wall of a transportation type vehicle such as a bus or rail car . the strakes a and b comprise outer plate portions 10 and 11 , respectively , shaped to define a common outer surface and thereby provide a desired external side wall configuration for the vehicle of which they are part , and a selected plurality of integral , inwardly extending , supporting flanges 12 and 13 . the inner edge portions 12a and 13a , respectively , of the support flanges 12 and 13 are bent to seat on a selected number of usual upright support members , such as mullion 14 , to which they are fastened by conventional fastening means such as rivets 15 and 16 respectively . the strakes a and b are joined in edgewise adjacent relation by a joint c embodying the present invention . this joint comprises an inwardly extending flange 17 formed integrally along the joined edge of the plate portion 11 of the panel a . an integral locking flange 18 extends laterally outwardly from the flange 17 and fits into a groove 22 of corresponding shape and size provided in a thickened base portion of the support flange 12 of the other strake a . an integral flange 19 also extends laterally outwardly from the support flange 12 of the strake a inwardly of the groove 22 therein , the flange 19 having a downwardly bent intermediate portion 19a and outwardly extending locking flange 20 which fits into a space 23 provided between a flange 21 on the support flange 13 and the outer plate portion 11 of the strake b . the flanges 18 and 20 are sufficiently short to permit the joint elements to be easily placed in their initially assembled position as shown in fig1 a by superimposing the edge portion of the strake a on that of the strake b when spaced slightly apart from their finally assembled position shown in fig1 . after initial assembly of the strakes as shown in fig1 a , the panels are moved edgewise together into edge - to - edge fitted relation , thereby to cause the flange 17 to abut the edge of the outer plate portion 10 , thereby preventing further movement of the strakes in this direction and positioning the parts of the joint in interlocked interengagement as shown in fig1 . completion of this final movement of assembly opens a key - forming passage 24 , which is defined by the flanges 11 , 19 , and 19a , and a portion of the plate portion 11 . in order to complete the joint , initially flowable , solidifiable , key - forming material 41 , which may be either a suitable plastic or liquid of selected viscosity , is then injected into the passage 24 under selected pressure sufficient to cause a desired flow of the material along the passage 24 , and , if desired , also into communicating interstices between the parts . such latter flow is controlled by the amount of pressure on the material and the amount of clearance between the parts . the term &# 34 ; solidifiable &# 34 ; as applied to the key - forming material 41 is intended to mean either self - solidifying or solidifiable by heat or other treatment after injection into the passage 24 . also , this material is so selected that when solidified it is of required strength but may vary in consistency from a strong , hard material such as &# 34 ; hydrastone &# 34 ; sold by u . s . gypsum company , to a soft , resilient material such as rubber or a rubber - like substance or other suitable material depending upon the intended use of the joint and the stresses it is designed to withstand in service . the key - forming material also may have adhesive or bonding capability , such as , for example , an epoxy resin . preferably it is of material which does not shrink upon hardening . the strakes a and b may be of substantial length , for example , up to and even exceeding 70 feet in length . the key - forming material 41 may be injected into the passage 24 from either or both ends thereof or from a plurality of selectively spaced holes 42 provided as shown in fig1 a and in broken lines in fig1 . after the injected key - forming material has solidified , the holes , may , if desired , be closed as by means of flush plugs , not shown , of suitable material . the holes 42 , where provided , serve not only as witness holes to indicate the presence or absence of material in the passage 24 , but also to provide additional resistance to longitudinal shear . various types of extruding apparatus suitable for injecting the key - forming material 41 into the passage 24 are either well known and readily available , or are capable of being designed and built by an ordinarily capable designer or artisan familiar with such practice . the details thereof are , therefore , omitted . in practicing the form of the invention shown in fig1 and 1a , after necessary side wall support or frame members , such as the mullion 14 , are erected , either as parts of a vehicle frame structure or jig , at least one of the strakes , such as the strakes a , is secured to the support structure as by the rivets 15 . if the structure is being erected with the mullion 14 upright , after the strake a is thus mounted , the edge portion of the upper strake b may be superposed in hooked relation with the flange 19 of the lower strake a as shown in fig1 a , so that upon release of the angle upper strake b the latter will drop by gravity to final assembled position as shown in fig1 . the rivets 16 may be inserted and set to secure the strake b to the mullion 14 with the parts in their final position of assembly shown in fig1 . selected hardenable key - forming material 41 is injected into the passage 24 under selected pressure to fill all , or one or more selected portions of the passage and communicating interstices between the parts , and hardened . in the event that any of the key - forming material 41 seeps through to the outer faces of the strakes it can be readily cleaned off by known means either before or after solidifying , as desired . in the modified forms of the invention shown in fig2 and 4 , many of the various parts are generally quite similar to those of fig1 and 1a . corresponding parts shown in fig2 and 4 are , therefore , designated by the same reference numerals as their respective counterparts in fig1 and 1a , with the exception that in fig2 a prime (&# 39 ;) will be added thereto , in fig3 a double prime (&# 34 ;), and in fig4 a triple prime (&# 39 ;&# 34 ;). in the form of the invention shown in fig2 the joint c &# 39 ; comprises an inwardly extending curved flange 17 &# 39 ; formed integrally on the laterally outward edge of the outer plate portion 11 &# 39 ; of the strakes b &# 39 ;. a second laterally outwardly extending flange 19 &# 39 ; is formed integrally on the support flange 12 &# 39 ; of the strake a &# 39 ; and has an outwardly bent portion 19a &# 39 ;. the convex , laterally outward side of the flange 17 &# 39 ; is generally wedge shape in cross section and fits into a corresponding shaped recess 22 &# 39 ; formed in the base portion of the mounting flange 12 &# 39 ; outwardly beyond the base of the flange 19 &# 39 ;. in the form of the invention shown in fig3 the wedge shape side of the flange 17 &# 34 ; fits into a correspondingly shaped recess 22 &# 34 ; as in fig2 and a locking flange 20 &# 34 ; extends laterally outwardly from the free edge of the flange poortion 19a &# 34 ; and fits beneath a flange 21 &# 34 ; which extends from the support flange 13 &# 34 ; as in fig1 to resist shear stresses applied across the joint . in the form of the invention shown in fig4 a tapered flange 18 &# 39 ;&# 34 ; fits into a recess 22 &# 39 ;&# 34 ; of corresponding shape and size provided at the base of the support flange 12 &# 39 ;&# 34 ; while the flange portion 19a &# 39 ;&# 34 ; is provided with an outwardly projecting tapered flange 20 &# 39 ;&# 34 ; which fits beneath a flange 21 &# 39 ;&# 34 ; provided on the support flange 13 &# 39 ;&# 34 ; in a manner generally similar to the showing of fig1 . the operation of the forms of the invention shown in fig2 and 4 will be obvious to one familiar with their structure as explained herein and having an understanding of the form of the invention shown in fig1 and 1a . the invention provides a strong , inexpensive , easily assembled , permanent , weather tight and inconspicuous joint for interconnecting adjoining edges of the side wall strakes of transportation type vehicles and other types of panel - like members for use in various structures , such as buildings , marine vessels , cargo pellets , and others . the joint has an additional feature which is advantageous from a cost standpoint in that it omits the substantial labor and equipment costs involved in punching the holes , setting the rivets , and covering the heads of each row of rivets in a riveted joint . | 8 |
terms such as “ cephalad ,” “ caudal ,” “ upper ” and “ lower ” as used herein are provided as non - limiting examples of the orientation of features . referring initially to fig1 , a support system 10 according to the present invention is shown with a variety of components coupled thereto . support system 10 includes a tray 12 , curvilinear articulating arm assemblies 14 , 16 , end effectors 18 , 20 coupled to arms 14 , 16 , iv pole 22 , arm board 24 , and rail assemblies 26 , 28 . a variety of end effectors may be demountably attached to the ends of arms 14 , 16 to assist a technician or practitioner with a medical / imaging procedure or provide other features useful with respect to a patient . end effector 18 , for example , is configured as a bracket or clamp , while end effector 20 is configured as a self - centering abdominal probe bracket . in a preferred exemplary embodiment , tray 12 includes two pairs of hold regions 30 , each pair being disposed proximate a free cranial end 32 or free caudal end 34 of tray 12 . in alternate embodiments , other numbers of hold regions 30 may be provided such as two or more , and hold regions 30 may be provided in other regions of tray 12 such as intermediate ends 32 , 34 proximate sides 36 , 38 . hold regions 30 may be configured as hand holds , or alternatively may be configured to receive strapping so that tray 12 may be releasably coupled to another object such as an ambulance stretcher , hospital bed , operating room table , or imaging scanner table . as also shown in fig1 , attachment regions 40 are provided proximate sides 36 , 38 for demountably coupling components such as curvilinear arms 14 , 16 , iv pole 22 , arm board 24 , and rail assemblies 26 , 28 to tray 12 , as will be further described below . in the exemplary preferred embodiment , tray 12 is provided with thirteen attachment regions 40 , although in alternate embodiments other number of regions 40 may be provided such as at least one . turning to fig2 a - 2c , additional features of tray 12 are shown . although hand hold regions 30 are not included in the figure , such regions may be provided as shown in fig1 . attachment regions 40 are provided in spaced arrangement along the perimeter of tray 12 . preferably , tray 12 includes a central arcuate portion 42 disposed between outer ledge portions 44 . preferably , regions 40 are provided on outer ledge portions 44 . central arcuate portion 42 preferably has an upper concave surface 42 a for receiving a patient and optionally a cushion ( not shown ) for the patient to rest against , and optionally includes a lower convex surface 42 b . preferably , outer ledge portions 44 include upper and lower surfaces 44 a , 44 b connected by a sidewall 44 c at an angle α with respect to surface 44 b . in a preferred exemplary embodiment , sidewall 44 c is disposed at an angle α between about 60 ° and about 100 °, more preferably between about 70 ° and about 90 °, and most preferably at about 80 °. in a preferred exemplary embodiment , tray 12 is formed of natural finish carbon fiber , r - 51 foam core , and phenolic . attenuation preferably is less than 1 mm a1 equivalency . thus , tray 12 is radiolucent and suitable for use with ct scanners . in other embodiments , tray 12 is formed of a material suitable for use with mr scanners . in addition , tray 12 preferably supports a load of 900 lbs . evenly distributed along centerline 46 , about which tray 12 may be substantially symmetric as shown . indicia 48 optionally may be provided , as shown for example proximate ends 32 , 34 . the indicia may for example indicate preferred orientation of tray 12 with respect to a patient lying thereon . in the preferred exemplary embodiment , attachment regions 40 on each side of tray 12 are evenly spaced from each other by about 6 inches between centers thereof . to accommodate patients and equipment attached to tray 12 , in one preferred embodiment tray 12 has a length of about 78 inches , a width of about 21 inches , a generally uniform thickness of about 0 . 9 inch , and a height h of about 2 . 5 inches . corners may be provided with a radius r of about 2 inches . in the preferred exemplary embodiment , attachment regions 40 preferably accommodate threaded inserts , which may be formed of aluminum . in some embodiments , tray 12 is sized to hold an adult patient , and may be between about 180 cm and about 200 cm long . however , it will be appreciated that longer and shorter trays may be provided . in order to accommodate an adult patient , tray 12 may support an overall weight capacity of at least about 200 pounds , and preferably at least about 300 pounds . however , if a tray 12 is sized for use with a pediatric patient , tray 12 may only accommodate weights that do not exceed 200 pounds , and more preferably do not exceed 100 pounds . although the surface of portion 42 of tray 12 is substantially smooth in the preferred exemplary embodiment , in alternate embodiments the surface may be textured to provide additional resistance to motion of objects and / or a patient placed thereon . tray 12 thus is suitable for use in multiple environments , and thus may “ move ” with the patient from one environment ( e . g ., ambulance ) to the next ( e . g ., ct scanner ) without removing a patient supported thereon . turning to fig3 , a curvilinear articulating arm assembly 14 is shown in partial cross - section . arm assembly 14 includes a central arm 52 with a ball - sleeve arrangement that forms joints . in particular , central arm 52 includes a plurality of sleeves 54 with spherical balls 56 disposed therebetween thus forming ball and socket connections . in the preferred exemplary embodiment , three balls 56 a of a first size are disposed adjacent one another proximate one end of arm 52 , while the remaining balls 56 b are of a second size smaller than the first size . sleeves 54 a of a first size and sleeves 54 c of a second size smaller than the first size are provided for accommodating balls 56 a , 56 b , respectively , while a transition sleeve 54 b is provided intermediate sleeves 54 a , 54 c as shown for accommodating a ball 56 a on one side and a ball 56 b on the other side thereof . as shown in fig3 a , sleeves 54 are configured and dimensioned to receive balls 56 a , 56 b at ends thereof and thus permit articulating of sleeves with respect to each other . a tensioning wire 58 runs generally centrally through sleeves 54 and balls 56 , as will be further described shortly . preferably , wire 58 is formed of metal . one exemplary operation of a wire tensioning mechanism is shown and described in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 858 , 578 to milo , which is expressly incorporated herein by reference thereto . preferably , curvilinear articulating arm assembly 14 may move with six degrees of freedom . a base handle 60 is coupled to central arm 52 on a first end thereof , preferably adjacent a ball 56 a . in addition , a free handle 62 is coupled to central arm 52 on a second end thereof , preferably adjacent a ball 56 b . turning to fig4 , base handle 60 will be described . base handle 60 includes a coupling 62 for demountable coupling to tray 12 . in the preferred exemplary embodiment , coupling 62 comprises a threaded portion 64 which may be threadably received in a threaded insert ( not shown ) disposed in an attachment region 40 of tray 12 . coupling 62 may be threadably associated with an attachment region 40 of tray 12 ( via a threaded insert therein ), so that arm assembly 14 may be demountably attached to tray 12 . actuation of a first lever 66 , which is pivotably associated with handle 60 , permits a user to apply a force on coupling 62 so that movement is resisted ( e . g ., in response to an 8 or 10 pound force applied to arm 52 ). a second lever 68 also is pivotably associated with base handle 60 and preferably is coupled to tensioning wire 58 so that actuation of second lever 68 may increase or decrease the tension in wire . 58 as desired . by increasing tension in wire 58 , central arm 52 preferably becomes less flexible . thus , a user may orient curvilinear articulating arm assembly 14 as desired , and then increase the tension of wire 58 so that the orientation of arm 52 is releasably fixed . base handle 60 thus has a body portion 60 a , with levers 66 , 68 pivotably associated with body portion 60 a . as shown for example in fig4 d and 4e , cam mechanisms 70 , 72 may be employed with levers 66 , 68 , respectively . next turning to fig5 , free handle 62 will be described . free handle 62 includes a wire receiving portion 80 and an end effector receiving portion 81 . in particular , wire receiving portion 80 preferably is configured to receive a ball 56 b therein , along with an end of wire 58 . as described previously with respect to base handle 60 , a pivotable lever 82 is associated with free handle 62 and preferably is coupled to tensioning wire 58 so that actuation of lever 84 may increase or decrease the tension in wire 58 as desired . by increasing tension in wire 58 , central arm 52 preferably becomes less flexible . the operation of lever 82 will be described shortly . thus , a user may orient curvilinear articulating arm assembly 14 as desired , and then increase the tension of wire 58 so that the orientation of arm 52 is releasably fixed . free handle 62 has a body portion 62 a , and lever 82 is rotatable with respect thereto . an interface lock 83 also is rotatably associated with body portion 62 a proximate end effector receiving portion 81 . turning to fig5 h to 5p , an interface portion 84 is provided for coupling end effectors to free handle 62 . interface portion 84 includes a coupling portion 85 a in the form of a cylindrical post with a groove 85 b formed circumferentially therein . coupling portion 85 a preferably is configured to be received in portion 81 of free handle 62 . as now will be described , the bayonet - type mounting provided by free handle 62 permits coupling portion 85 a to be releasably engaged and locked to free handle 62 . a support portion 85 c preferably is integrally formed with coupling portion 85 a . support portion 85 c preferably is cylindrical with a diameter greater than coupling portion 85 a , and also includes a circumferential groove 85 d therein as well as a pair of screws 85 e for use in connecting interface portion 84 to the remainder of an end effector . the heads of screws 85 e may be received in arcuate recessed portions of body portion 62 a proximate end effector receiving portion 81 , as shown for example in a petal - like arrangement in fig5 b . as shown in fig5 k , interface portion 84 may be operably associated with interface lock 83 . interface lock 83 includes a handle portion 83 a and a cylindrical post 83 b that is provided with an arcuate cutout 83 c and a groove 83 d . when post 83 b is aligned with groove 85 b in coupling portion 85 a of interface portion 84 , handle portion 83 a may be rotated so that interface portion 84 is releasably coupled to free handle 62 and retained thereon . more specifically , the contour and sizing of groove 85 b preferably matches the contour and sizing of arcuate cutout 83 c , and thus when cutout 83 c is aligned with groove 85 b , as shown in fig5 k , interface lock 83 is in the unlocked position and thus interface portion 84 may be moved freely with respect thereto . when cutout 83 c is not aligned with groove 85 b , the cylindrical portion 83 e of post 83 b is received in groove 85 b , and interface lock 83 is in the locked position and thus coupled to end effector receiving portion 81 . in a preferred exemplary embodiment , cylindrical portion 83 e may be frictionally fit in groove 85 b to generally resist rotational movement of interface portion 84 with respect to interface lock 83 . in addition , as shown in fig5 k , a set screw or locking screw 86 may be aligned with groove 83 d , and also threadably associated with body portion 62 a at a hole 62 e to couple interface lock 83 to body portion 62 a of free handle 62 . end effector receiving portion 81 is configured to receive and couple to an end effector such as a bracket or clamp , as shown for example in fig1 . as shown for example in fig5 q to 5v , a cam arrangement 87 may be employed with lever 82 . in particular , a rocker arm 87 a is moveably associated with lever 82 via cylindrical dowel 87 b which extends through lever 82 . a cylindrical cam bushing 87 c is mounted on dowel 87 b and bears against arcuate surface 87 d of rocker arm 87 a , as shown for example in fig5 v . in addition , rocker arm 87 a is provided with a cylindrical post 87 e which bears against an arcuate surface 62 b of body portion 62 a . thus , when lever 82 pivots about dowel 87 b , cam action occurs such that the position of rocker arm 87 a may move along central axis 62 c of free handle 62 . lever 82 includes a cylindrical portion 82 a proximate an end thereof which may be slidably and rotatably associated with arcuate surface 62 d of body portion 62 a as shown for example in fig5 e . rocker arm 87 a includes a cylindrical , arcuate recessed portion 87 f in which bears against and seats a mating pivot or half - round bearing 88 with a through hole 89 , which may further be provided with a flat washer 88 a and internally - threaded lock nut 88 b for use in coupling tensioning wire 58 to free handle 62 . tensioning wire 58 may be fitted on its end with a coupling ( not shown ) having a sleeve portion that is swaged or otherwise compressed thereon so that the wire 58 is securely coupled to the sleeve . in a preferred exemplary embodiment , the coupling preferably is formed of steel and is configured as a swage stud , while the lock nut is a nylock - type lock nut ( a nut with a nylon insert to resist backing off ). integrally formed with the sleeve portion is an externally threaded end portion . tensioning wire 58 may pass through hole 89 and washer 88 a , and the coupling for wire 58 may be threadably associated with lock nut 88 b so that wire 58 is retained . the initial pre - tension of wire 58 may be selected because the coupling for wire 58 may be threaded into lock nut 88 b so that only some of the threads of lock nut 88 b are associated therewith . thus , when cam action occurs and rocker arm 87 a moves with respect to central axis 62 c , the orientation of tensioning wire 58 is changeable by swiveling of bearing 88 in recessed portion 87 f . in a preferred exemplary embodiment , bearing 88 preferably is formed of a polymer . the mechanism of operation of the cam action in free handle 62 is likewise applicable to second lever 68 of base handle 60 . moreover , the mechanism of attachment of wire 58 to free handle 62 is likewise applicable to base handle 60 . curvilinear articulating arm assembly 14 thus may be coupled to tray 12 to permit a user to freely orient an object such as a medical device with respect to a patient disposed on tray 12 and releasably lock the position of the object with respect to the patient . preferably , different levels of resistance to movement of arm 52 are provided by levers 68 , 84 of handles 60 , 62 respectively . for example , increased tensioning of wire 58 by free handle 62 may permit arm 52 to change from freely or loosely articulatable to more resilient motion , whereas increased tensioning of wire 58 by base handle 60 may permit arm 52 to be relatively stiff so that movement is resisted . preferably , arm 52 is harder to rotate as a function of increasing size of ball 56 a , 56 b . curvilinear articulating arm assembly 14 preferably is formed of materials that may be used in the ct environment . referring now to fig6 , a clamp end effector 18 will be described . end effector 18 includes a coupling portion 90 in the form of a post with a groove 92 formed circumferentially therein . coupling portion 90 preferably is configured to be received in portion 82 of free handle 62 . the bayonet mounting provided by free handle 62 permits coupling portion 82 to be releasably engaged and locked to free handle 62 . clamp end effector 18 further includes jaws 94 , 96 that are pivotably associated with each other about a pivot rod 98 . when jaws 94 , 96 are in a closed position with respect to one another , a variety of devices may be releasably held in regions defined by opposing portions 100 a , 100 b , opposing portions 102 a , 102 b , and / or opposing portions 104 a , 104 b as shown in fig6 e . preferably , each of the opposing portions is generally v - shaped . jaws 94 , 96 each include a pivot rod 94 a , 96 a . preferably , a screw 106 is associated with jaws 94 , 96 , with shaft 108 thereof extending through pivot rod 94 a and threadably engaging a like - threaded hole in pivot rod 96 a . thus , by rotating head 110 of screw 106 , jaws 94 , 96 can be moved closer together or further apart from each other as the threaded portion of shaft 108 threads into or out of pivot rod 96 a . an end effector 20 in the form of a self - centering abdominal probe bracket is shown in fig7 . bracket 20 is configured and dimensioned to retain a device such as an ultrasound transducer 120 therein for use , for example , in connection with addressing respiratory gating as previously discussed . also as previously discussed , end effector 20 includes a coupling portion 122 in the form of a post with a groove 124 formed circumferentially therein . coupling portion 122 preferably is configured to be received in portion 82 of free handle 62 . the bayonet mounting provided by free handle 62 permits coupling portion 122 to be releasably engaged and locked to free handle 62 . additional components for use with tray 12 next will be described . as shown in fig8 , a rail assembly 26 is shown . rail assembly 26 includes a coupling section 130 and a rail 132 spaced therefrom . in the preferred exemplary embodiment , coupling section 130 has a pair of couplings 134 that each have a threaded portion 136 that may be threadably received in a threaded insert ( not shown ) disposed in an attachment region 40 of tray 12 . preferably , couplings 134 are rotatable by actuation of a lever 138 so that a user may threadably engage each of couplings 134 to tray 12 ( via a threaded insert therein ) simply by actuation of lever 138 . as shown in fig1 , when rail assembly 26 is couple to tray 12 , rail 132 is raised above tray 12 and spaced from sides 36 , 38 thereof . rail 132 is thus demountably couplable to tray 12 in a desired location along sides 36 , 38 , and may be used to support equipment such as surgical devices that do not have end effectors readily couplable to attachment regions 40 of tray 12 . for example , rail assembly may be used to couple various supports , retractors , arms boards , leg supports , and / or surgical guidance equipment to tray 12 . an iv pole 22 is shown in fig9 . pole 22 includes hooks 140 , telescoping pole 142 , screw lock 144 for locking pole 142 at a desired extension thereof , and a coupling 146 having a threaded portion that may be threadably received in a threaded insert ( not shown ) disposed in an attachment region 40 of tray 12 . an arm board 24 is shown in fig1 . arm board 24 includes a board portion 150 and couplings 152 . couplings 152 each have a threaded portion that may be threadably received in a threaded insert ( not shown ) disposed in an attachment region 40 of tray 12 to demountably attach arm board 24 thereto . at least one cutout 154 also may be provided for receiving an object therethrough or alternatively for making arm board 24 lighter . in a preferred exemplary embodiment , arm board 24 includes sides 156 , 158 that are disposed transverse to one another so that a first end 160 of arm board 24 is wider than a second end 162 thereof . arm board 24 for example may be formed of aluminum . a lift beam assembly 170 is shown in fig1 . lift beam assembly 170 may be used as a pair with one mounted on each side of the tray to removably couple support system 10 to the frame of an or table . for example , in the preferred exemplary embodiment three couplings 172 a , 172 b , 172 c may be provided , with each having a threaded portion that may be threadably received in a threaded insert ( not shown ) disposed in an attachment region 40 of tray 12 to demountably attach assembly 170 thereto . preferably , coupling 172 c may then be releasably coupled to the central platform of an electrohydraulically operated operating room table . region 174 of the beam reacts against the underside of this central platform as the hydraulic lift mechanism begins to lift the tray . all movements present in the operating mechanism of the or table may then be used to position or orient the tray . finally , yet another end effector for use in fine needles probes , or catheters is shown in fig1 . as can be seen , a pair of clamping plates 182 , 184 are connected by a central screw 186 . clamping plates 182 , 184 are provided with a groove opposing a rounded edge 188 proximate free ends thereof , and an instrument 190 may be grasped within the grooves . as discussed with other embodiments , end effector 180 includes a coupling portion 192 in the form of a post with a groove 194 formed circumferentially therein . coupling portion 192 preferably is configured to be received in portion 82 of free handle 62 . the bayonet mounting provided by free handle 62 permits coupling portion 192 to be releasably engaged and locked to free handle 62 . as described previously , tray 12 may be provided with a central arcuate portion 42 . if tray 12 is to be placed on a rigid or semi - rigid flat surface , for example a flat ultrasound table , a patient in tray 12 may not be stable because of the tendency of central arcuate portion 42 to swivel about the contact region between portion 42 and the flat surface . in order to stabilize tray 12 on such a surface , as shown in fig1 , stabilizing posts 200 or “ feet ” may be provided . in an exemplary preferred embodiment , four posts 200 may be provided to stabilize tray 12 , one disposed proximate each of the four corners of tray 12 . preferably , posts 200 are sized to provide sufficient support below outer ledge portions 44 to accommodate the portion of the vertical height h from the lowermost surface of tray 12 to lower surface 44 b of outer ledge portion 44 . advantageously , posts 200 include a threaded shaft 202 and a friction tip 204 disposed proximate one end of the post . tip 204 preferably is formed of a material such as rubber that resist sliding on surfaces . thus , threaded holes may be provided along lower surface 44 b to threadably receive the posts 200 . in addition , to accommodate variations in the surface on which tray 12 rests as well as to address situations in which such a surface may not be “ level ,” one or more of the posts may be only partially threaded in its respective hole so that tray 12 may be stabilized , and potentially leveled , by providing varying post heights extending from lower surface 44 b . turning to fig1 , a handle 210 is shown for attachment to tray 12 . once coupled to tray 12 , for example by threadable association of coupling 212 with an attachment region 40 , handle 210 may be held at hand grip portion 214 to facilitate movement of tray 12 particularly when a patient is supported thereon . in an exemplary preferred embodiment , at least two handles 210 are coupled to tray 12 , and in one embodiment four handles 210 are provided . some embodiments of support system 10 may provide one or more of the following : assist in stabilization and control of guidance devices and accessory instrumentation during image guided procedures ; improved patient positioning and stabilization during imaging and image guided procedures ; enabling of the use of ultrasound for respiratory gating during abdominal or thoracic image guided procedures ( e . g ., through the use of an arm assembly 14 for holding an ultrasound transducer in a position against the abdominal or chest wall to view the position of the diaphragm in real time during imaging in the ct or mr gantry ); generally improved accuracy of targeting and placement of instruments during image guided procedures by holding instruments in a fixed relationship to the patient as the patient is moved for imaging purposes . in addition , some of the embodiment of support system 10 may be used in one or more of the following applications : integrated general laparoscopic surgical procedures with ct and mr image guidance ; integrated computer assisted surgical tracking and navigation systems and robotic surgical devices with the ct and mr imaging systems . one method of use of the of the present invention may for example include : placing a patient on the tray such as after locating and fixing the tray onto the pre - existing table or tray of a scanner ( in the tray - on - tray model ); positioning the patient in an optimal position on the tray and securing the patient in that position using a shape conforming mattress and accessory extremity support devices that may be attached to the tray as required ; obtaining the appropriate images using the scanner with the patient in this optimal position ; mounting lockable positioning arm ( s ) at desired site ( s ) alongside the patient by considering the instruments required , the position of the target site and the position of the operating physician ; preparing and draping the surgical field ; choosing an appropriate sterile end effector ( s ) for the arms and attaching them to the arms in conjunction with a sterile sleeve type drape to cover the arms to complete the protection of the sterile field ; indexing one or more of the arms with the imaging plane of the scanner and registering the instrument that it holds with an image if required ; capturing desired equipment or devices in the end effectors and positioning the equipment or devices as desired ; re - imaging and re - positioning the arms / equipment based on new images or as otherwise desired during the procedure . while various descriptions of the present invention are described above , it should be understood that the various features can be used singly or in any combination thereof . therefore , this invention is not to be limited to only the specifically preferred embodiments depicted herein . further , it should be understood that variations and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains . for example , attachments regions 40 may comprise other releasably lockable constructions to accommodate , for example , quick locking of components to tray 12 , frictional locking , magnetic locking , or other modes of securement . accordingly , all expedient modifications readily attainable by one versed in the art from the disclosure set forth herein that are within the scope and spirit of the present invention are to be included as further embodiments of the present invention . the scope of the present invention is accordingly defined as set forth in the appended claims . | 0 |
certain terminology is used in the following description for convenience only and is not limiting . the words “ right ,” “ left ,” “ top ,” and “ bottom ” designate directions in the drawings ; and , the words “ inwardly ” and “ outwardly ” refer to directions toward and away from , respectively , the geometric center of the shelter . since many of the features of the present invention are similar , the common features of the invention will be described with reference to fig1 . with reference to fig1 , the shelter has a frame 2 that is assembled of commercially available components , however , custom components may be fabricated if desired . the frame 2 has a back 4 , sides 6 and 8 and a top 10 . the front or open face of the frame 2 may optionally include a central front support 12 and an even more optional cross member 14 which extends between the front and back central supports . with reference to fig2 , the exploded view of the frame shows the various components . the anchors 20 secure the frame to the surface and provide upright female portions for receiving the lower tubes 22 . the female tee coupling 24 pass over the tubes 22 and receive the vertical tubes 34 . when the central front support is used , the straight coupling 25 will join the tubes 22 and 34 , and in like manner the four way couplings 26 and the four way cross coupling 28 will join the tubes 34 at the back of the frame . the lower side tubes 30 are connected to couplings 24 and 26 and the lower back tubes 32 and connected to coupling 26 and 28 . the vertical tubes 34 are connected at the top front to three way corner couplings and four way coupling 46 , all of approximately 68 ′, and the back tubes 34 are connected by similar coupling 38 and 42 , all of approximately 112 ′. the top side tubes 44 connect respectively with coupling 36 and 38 or 42 and 46 . preferably , the front and back vertical posts 14 , 16 and the top and bottom transverse support 18 , 20 are formed from durable high strength material , such as steel , aluminum , polyvinyl chloride or other suitable polymer . in the prototype , the tubes were power coated pipe which was purchased from powell & amp ; powell supply company , 402 mckinney parkway , lillington , n . c . 27546 , under it king canopy line of products . the couplings were also purchased from the same supplier . referring to fig3 , the shelter 50 has a frame 2 which supports a top fabric portion 52 and a back fabric portion 54 . it is generally preferred that the portion 52 and 54 be of one piece construction . however , in some applications it may be desired to have separate panels 52 and 54 so that a ventilation slot is formed between them . fig3 illustrates two variations in side panels . panel 58 is a fabric panel with a mesh window 58 ; this may be preferred in warmer weather . side panel 60 is a fabric panel with a plastic window ; this may be preferred in cooler or inclement weather . the front of the shelter 50 is generally left open for viewing the playing surface . the fabric portions for the present invention may be formed of a mesh , woven , knitted or wet laid from cotton , nylon , polymer , or other synthetics , however , it is preferred that the selected material have good sun and weather resistance . it will be appreciated that fabric can also be mixed . for instance , a solid fabric may be preferred in a top position and a mesh in the side positions . fabrics which have been found satisfactory are bruin plastics ′ pvc coated mesh fabric and bruin plastics ′ “ brun - tuff ” pvc laminated polyester fabrics . in addition to providing the desired cover , the fabrics may be imprinted with human readable information to personalize the shelter , such as with a team logo , to identify sponsors , or to selling advertising space as a means of financing the sports program . in addition , the non - permanent attachment to the frame allows the covering members to be selected by season and geographic area . thus , it may be desirable to have more water repellency at one time of the season and more desirable to have ventilation and sun protection at another time of the season . referring still to fig3 , the optional bench 64 is secured at the ends by curved end straps 68 and included intermediate supports 66 . three is the presently preferred number of supports 68 , but they may be varied according to choice . the supports 68 can be fabricated from the same materials as the frame and attached to the bench 64 in a variety of ways . with reference to fig4 , the structure of suitable anchors 20 will be described in more detail . anchor 20 has a base plate 70 which includes a plurality of apertures 72 through which ground spikes or nails are driven to secure the anchor . the female upright 72 receives the tube 22 for anchoring the frame 2 . the block 76 is threaded and receives the thumb screw 78 which is thread through block 76 to apply pressure for holding the tube 22 in the female upright 74 . fig5 illustrates and alternative anchor which has an earth screw 80 that is threaded into the ground . the embodiment of fig5 further differs from the earlier embodiment in that the base plate 70 ′ does not have apertures for the ground spikes or nails . with reference to fig6 and 7 , there are illustrated alternative methods of securing the fabric portions to the frame 2 . in fig6 , the strap 90 is fastened to the fabric at least at one end by pile 92 and hook 94 materials . the other end of the strap 90 may be fastened directly to the fabric or may use the pile and hook attachment . although the strap 90 may be made to size and fixed , it is preferred that it be elastic so that it will allow for misalignments . in fig7 , the tie down arrangement is a cord 100 which is looped around the tubes and through the eyelet 102 . depending on the application and preferences of the user , the cord 100 may be tied off at each eyelet or it may be threaded though a plurality of eyelets and the ties off . alternatively , strap 90 or cord 100 can be replaced with ties , straps with buttons , straps with snaps , magnets , or any other known securing mechanism . with reference to fig8 , there is illustrated a shelter 150 with a solid top , such as canvas , mesh back panel 154 and mesh side panel 158 which has a straight top to define an open area 160 . alternatively , the back mesh portion 154 may include a skirt 162 that completely closes the back of the shelter . this configuration may be desirable when the shelter is visible to fans . if desired , the skirt 162 may be attached to the frame 2 in the same manner as the other fabric portions . as noted earlier , it is preferred that the shelter &# 39 ; s top frame is slopped upwardly from the back to provide the improved light of sight for occupants of the dugout . as shown in fig8 , this slope combines with a straight side panel 162 to form an open area that permits air flow over the panel . a shelter , as illustrated in fig1 , that can be disassembled and reassembled , was assembled using commercially , non - custom components . the non - custom components had the additional advantage that they are within the size restrictions of package delivery services , such as ups or fedex and do not require and special handling . it will be understood that larger components can be shipped by other means if the end user desires single lengths . the resultant shelter from the available components had a rear height of 82 ″, a front height of 94 ″, a front to back distance of 60 ″ and an inside width of 15 ′ 6 ″. the following components were purchased from the powell & amp ; powell supply company ; six of the longer pipes 77½ ″ pipes were combined with the 17½ ″ length pipes to produce the preferred 95 ″ back sections of tubing . while various configurations have been described and shown in the drawings for various embodiments of the present invention , those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that changes may be made to the above described embodiments | 0 |
fig2 depicts an architecture according to an embodiment of the present invention . the architecture is in a single enterprise network having geographically dislocated first and second regions 202 and 206 . the first region 202 includes a primary or active media server 200 connected to a plurality of subscriber digital stations 204 a - i and a plurality of subscriber ip stations 208 a - j via control lan or c - lan 212 and bearer lan 216 , and first gateway 220 . the second region 206 includes a spare or secondary media server 228 connected to a plurality of subscriber digital stations 232 a - k and a plurality of subscriber packet - switched stations 236 a - 1 via c - lan 240 and bearer lan 244 and a second gateway 224 . the first and second gateways 220 and 224 are interconnected via the pstn 248 and a wan 252 . each of the subscriber digital stations and packet - switched stations can be one or more wireline or wireless packet - switched and / or circuit - switched communication devices , respectively . for example , the digital stations can be digital telephones such as digital communications protocol or dcp phones , voice messaging and response units , traditional computer telephony adjuncts , and wired and wireless circuit - switched telephones , and the packet - switched stations can be avaya inc .&# 39 ; s , 4600 series ip phones ™, ip softphones such as avaya inc .&# 39 ; s , ip softphone ™, personal digital assistants or pdas , personal computers or pcs , laptops , and h . 320 video phones and conferencing units . each of the first and second gateways is an electronic signal repeater and protocol converter that commonly provides a telephone exchange service , supporting the connection of the various types of stations and outside packet - switched and / or circuit - switched telephone lines ( such as analog trunks , isdn lines , e 1 / t 1 voice trunks , and wan routing ip trunks ). telephone lines are typically connected to the gateway via ports and media modules on the chassis , with different media modules providing access ports for different types of stations and lines . voice and signaling data between packet - switched and circuit - switched protocols is normally effected by the media modules converting the voice path to a tdm bus inside the gateway . an engine , such as a voice over ip or voip engine , converts the voice path from the tdm bus to a compressed or uncompressed and packetized voip , typically on an ethernet connection . each gateway commonly includes a number of port and trunk circuit packs for performing selected telecommunications functions , such as ( dtmf ) tone detection , tone generation , playing audio ( music and / or voice ) announcements , traffic shaping , call admission control , and a media processor , and one or more ip server interfaces . examples of gateways include avaya inc .&# 39 ; s scc1 ™, mcc1 ™, cmc ™, g350 ™, g600 ™, g650 ™, and g700 ™. the c - lans 212 and 240 , bearer lans 216 and 244 , and wan 252 are packet - switched and may employ any suitable protocol , such as the tcp / ip suite of protocols , the ethernet protocol , the session initiation protocol or sip , and / or the h . 323 protocol . the primary and spare media servers controlling the gateways can be any converged architecture for directing circuit - switched and / or packet - switched customer contacts to one or more stations . as will be appreciated , the primary media server normally controls the first and second gateways . in the event of a loss of communication with the second gateway , such as through a catastrophic wan failure , the spare media server becomes active and takes over control of the second gateway 224 . a loss of control or connectivity is typically determined by a heartbeat or polling mechanism . commonly , the media servers are stored - program - controlled systems that conventionally include interfaces to external communication links , a communications switching fabric , service circuits ( e . g ., tone detectors and generators , announcement circuits , etc . ), memory for storing control programs and data , and a processor ( i . e ., a computer ) for executing the stored control programs to control the interfaces and the fabric and to provide automatic contact - distribution functionality . illustratively , the media servers can be a modified form of the subscriber - premises equipment disclosed in u . s . pat . nos . 6 , 192 , 122 ; 6 , 173 , 053 ; 6 , 163 , 607 ; 5 , 982 , 873 ; 5 , 905 , 793 ; 5 , 828 , 747 ; and 5 , 206 , 903 , all of which are incorporated herein by this reference ; avaya inc .&# 39 ; s definity ™ private - branch exchange ( pbx )- based acd system ; avaya inc .&# 39 ; s ip600 ™ lan - based acd system , or an s810 ™, s8300 ™, s8500 ™, s8700 ™, or s8710 ™ media server running a modified version of avaya inc .&# 39 ; s communication manager ™ voice - application software with call processing capabilities and contact center functions . other types of known switches and servers are well known in the art and therefore not described in detail herein . each of the primary and spare media servers 200 and 228 include call controller functionality 256 , an inter - gateway routing agent 260 , and call - related data structures 264 . call controller 256 performs call control operations , such as call admission control , progressive call control , and originating call control , and the inter - gateway routing agent alternately routes calls ( referred to as ( inter - gateway alternate route or igar calls ) over circuit - switched trunks ( e . g ., public or private isdn pri / bri trunks and r2mfc trunks ) in the pstn 248 when the wan 252 is determined to be incapable of carrying the bearer connection . the wan may be determined to be incapable of carrying the bearer connection when one or more of the following is true : a desired qos and / or gos for a communication is not currently available using the wan , the communication may not be effected using the wan , a system configuration precludes or impedes the use of the wan for selected type of communication , a would - be contactor does not desire to use the wan for the communication , and the like . the wan 252 is typically determined to be incapable when the number of calls or bandwidth ( e . g ., kbits / sec or mbits / sec on a packet - switched station , trunk , and / or media gateway and / or an explicit number of connections ) allocated via call admission control ( or bandwidth limits ) has been reached , voice over ip or voip resource ( e . g ., rtp resource ) exhaustion in the first and / or second gateway occurs , a codec set between a network region pair is not specified , forced redirection between a pair of network regions is in effect , and / or when control of the second gateway 224 is lost by the primary media server ( e . g ., when the packet - switched wan 252 has a catastrophic failure thereby resulting in partitioning of the network with each region 202 and 206 having an active media server ). the agent can preserve the internal makeup of the igar call between a pair of gateways in separate port network regions even though the voice bearer portion of the igar call is rerouted over alternative pstn facilities . in this manner , the agent 260 can provide desired levels of qos and / or gos to large distributed single - server telecommunications networks having numerous branch offices and distributed call centers . as will be appreciated , an igar call may be routed over the pstn for reasons other than a call between subscribers . for example , a station in one network region can bridge onto a call appearance of a station in another network region , an incoming trunk in one network region is routed to a hunt group with agents in another network region , and an announcement or music source from one network region must be played to a party in another network region . in one configuration , each network region is assigned one or more unique did numbers ( also referred to as an igar listed directory number of ldn ) that is dialed during set up of the call over the pstn facilities . the igar ldn is a group - type number that is able to answer multiple calls and assign each call to a phantom igar user ( that is commonly unrelated to the caller and callee ). the ldn acts as a single did number that may be dialed to reach any member of a set of subscribers located in a selected network region . this configuration in essence provides “ virtual receptionist ” or auto attendant that can direct a call without requiring the caller to dial a discrete did number for each user . typically , automatic route selection or ars or automatic alternate routing or aar is used to route a trunk ( igar ) call from one network region to the ldn extension administered for the other network region . in this manner , the gateway receiving an incoming igar call can determine , from the collected digits , that the call is directed to the ldn extension corresponding to the host network region . in one configuration , when an igar call or feature invocation is terminated the agent 260 caches the igar trunk connection for a specified time period and / or until a pre - determined event ends ( such as service being restored in the wan or bandwidth and / or voip resources becoming available ). caching provides an available in the event that the connection is needed for a later call between the same or different subscribers . setting up a trunk inter - gateway connection is costly in terms of user - perceived call setup time , typically requiring at least several seconds to complete . caching can provide a new trunk inter - gateway connection immediately , thereby eliminating the observable delays as perceived by the caller . when the time period expires and / or the specified event ends , the cached trunk inter - gateway connection may be dropped , with the outgoing and incoming trunks again becoming available for normal calls . a trunk inter - gateway connection is commonly selected from the cache when at least one of the two trunks defining the inter - gateway connection is selected such as by ars routing as noted above , and the other end of the trunk inter - gateway connection terminates in the desired far - end network region . if a trunk is needed between two network regions and no trunk is currently available due to a network region maximum trunk limit being exceeded and if a trunk inter - gateway between that network region and another network region is available in the cache , the cached trunk inter - gateway connection may be dropped and the newly available outgoing trunk used to set up the trunk inter - gateway connection . to minimize the impact on users of the length of time required to set up a trunk inter - gateway connection , the called party is commonly not alerted ( e . g ., no flashing lamps , no display updates , and no ringing ) until the trunk call is active ( i . e ., answered , verified , and cut through ). the calling party hears ringback tone immediately and , if the trunk inter - gateway connection takes longer to set up than the administered number of rings for local coverage , the call may proceed to the first coverage point . in one configuration , there are two types of igar calls , namely an igar bandwidth management call and an igar network fragmentation call . an igar bandwidth management call is placed when the number of calls or bandwidth allocated via call admission control ( or bandwidth limits ) has been reached , voice over ip or voip resource exhaustion in the first and / or second gateway is encountered , a codec set between a network region pair is not specified , and forced redirection between a pair of network regions is in effect . in an igar bandwidth management call , the bearer path or channel for the call is routed over the pstn 248 and the signaling channel over the wan 252 . an igar network fragmentation call is placed when the primary media server loses control of the second gateway 224 . as will be appreciated , when network fragmentation or partitioning occurs , the second gateway becomes unregistered and the spare media server 228 assumes control of the second gateway 224 . because the wan is unavailable , both the bearer and signaling channels of the igar call are routed over the pstn 248 . fig3 a depicts the data structures 264 for the various call components in an igar bandwidth management call . the call components include the main or original call 300 dialed by the subscriber , the igar outgoing call 304 using a phantom igar user ( that is unrelated to the caller ) as the originator , and the igar incoming call 308 using a different phantom igar user ( that is unrelated to the callee ) as the destination . in the example of fig3 a , “ cid ” or “ cid ” refers to call identifier , “ uid ” to user identifier , “ sid ” to service identifier , and “ portid ” to port identifier . as will be appreciated , the call , user , and service identifiers can be any numerical , alphabetical , or alphanumerical variable or collection of variables that is unique with respect to other identifiers of the same type . with reference to the variables of fig3 a , “ a ” is the call originator in the first network region 202 , “ b ” is the callee in the second network region 206 , “ x ” is the call identifier for the main call ( dialed by subscriber a ), “ y ” is the call identifier for the outgoing igar call from the phantom igar user “ irte / 2 ” at the first gateway to the outgoing trunk “ tg - out ” extending from the first gateway , “ z ” is the call identifier for the incoming igar call from the phantom igar user “ irte / 1 ” at the second gateway to the incoming trunk “ trk - in ” into the first gateway , “ portid ( a )” refers to the port identifier corresponding to a &# 39 ; s respective station in the first network region , “ portid ( b )” refers to the port identifier corresponding to b &# 39 ; s respective station in the second network region , “ networkregion = 1 ” refers to the first network region , “ networkregion = 2 ” refers to the second network region , “ portid ( trk - out )” is the port identifier corresponding to the outgoing trunk in the first network region , and “ portid ( trk - in )” is the port identifier corresponding to the incoming trunk in the second network region . the upper level 312 depicts the data structures maintained at the call processing layer ; the middle level 316 to the data structures maintained at the user layer ; and the lower level 320 to the data structures maintained at the connection layer . the main call data structures are completed by the agent 260 after in - band signaling is provided by the first gateway to the second gateway as described below with reference to fig4 and 5 . fig3 b depicts the data structures for the call components in an igar network fragmentation call . unlike the three call components of fig3 a , there are only two call components for a network fragmentation call , namely the outgoing and incoming calls . no phantom users are employed in the data structures . rather , user identifiers for a and b are employed . the acronyms are otherwise the same as those in fig3 a . turning now to fig3 - 5 , the operation of the agent 260 will now be described . in step 400 , the call controller 256 receives a new port connect request for an existing service “ sid = x ” and determines , in decision diamond 404 , that an igar connection is required to connect the new port ( portid ( b )) to the other port ( portid ( a )) in the service . the controller 256 makes an igar request to the agent 260 indicating the identifiers of the two network regions which need to be connected with trunk facilities . the request typically includes an igar call identifier , igar call - type identifier , the port index and system identifier of port ( b ), the source gateway identifier ( of port b ) and destination gateway identifier ( or port a ). the network , gateway , igar , and igar call - type identifiers can be any numerical , alphabetical , or alphanumerical variable or collection of variables that is unique with respect to other identifiers of the same type . in decision diamond 408 , the agent 260 determines whether there are available trunk members in each region . if there are insufficient trunk members in each region , the agent 260 rejects the request . in that event or in decision diamond 404 if no inter - gateway connection is required , the call controller 256 proceeds with conventional processing of the call . in the event that there are sufficient trunk members in each region , the agent 260 proceeds to step 416 . in step 416 , the agent 260 originates an outgoing call . for an igar bandwidth management call , the call is originated by the phantom igar user ( irc - y ), and , for an igar network fragmentation call , the call is originated by subscriber a . the igar user is typically identified by a table index of user irc = y . the call controller 256 receives the igar call origination and a new call record / call record for the igar call is created ( i . e ., cid = y and sid = y ) as shown in fig3 a and 3b . in step 420 , the agent 260 constructs and dials a public network number that will route through the pstn trunking network and terminate at a trunk on the second gateway . the agent first selects and seizes a trunk by making a series of passes through the members of a trunk group . the first pass searches for a member in the originator &# 39 ; s gateway . if the first pass is unsuccessful , the second pass looks for members not in the originator &# 39 ; s gateway but still in the originator &# 39 ; s network region . if the first and second passes are unsuccessful , the third pass selects a trunk from another network region . as will be appreciated , a trunk may be taken from another network region if that network region is still connected and accessible to the originating network region . in step 428 , the dialed digits are sent into the pstn 248 , and the call controller 254 adds the selected trunk “ tg - out ” to the service sid = y for an igar bandwidth management call and to the service sid = x for an igar network fragmentation call . the agent 260 , in step 432 , prepares for igar call association and suspends the call . upon successful trunk termination on cid = y for for an igar bandwidth management call and on cid = x for an igar network fragmentation call , the agent 260 requests digit collection resources for the digits to be forwarded by the second gateway in connection with the igar call . in fig5 , the second gateway 224 receives the incoming igar call in step 500 . the second gateway notifies the controlling media server ( whether the primary or spare media server ) of the incoming call information . in step 504 , the controlling media server performs normal call processing on the incoming call and creates a new call record ( cid = z and sid = z ) for an igar bandwidth management call and cid = z for an igar network fragmentation call . until the digits are analyzed , the controlling media server is not aware that this is an incoming igar call . accordingly , the data structures initially created are those normally created for an incoming call . in step 508 , the incoming igar call digits are collected , provided to the controlling media server , and mapped by the controlling media server to the igar ldn corresponding to the second network region . the call is now recognized by the controlling media server as an incoming igar call . in step 512 , the call is routed and termed by the controlling media server to a selected phantom igar user (“ irte / 1 ”). because the type of igar call is unknown , the data structures of fig3 b for the incoming call have a phantom igar user substituted for user b . in step 516 , the incoming trunk call is automatically answered . after the trunk is cut - through , a handshake involving bi - directional dtmf transmission occurs to determine the type of igar call . for both types of igar calls and when the call is answered , the controlling media server instructs the second gateway to repeatedly end - to - end signal a digit or collection of digits to indicate answer back to the first gateway . the further process for an igar bandwidth management call is now discussed with reference to steps 520 - 528 and 440 - 444 . in step 520 , the primary media server suspends call processing on cid = z when receipt of the digit is acknowledged and waits for the incoming call association information . in step 440 , when the digit is recognized by the primary media server , the first gateway end - to - end in - band signals a series of digits back toward the incoming trunk and terminating user . the signals include identifiers for the type of igar call and the irc = y user . in step 444 , the primary media server then suspends call processing on cid = y . in step 524 , the digits are collected identifying the irc = y user and passed by the primary media server to the irc = y user or agent 260 . the agent 260 extracts cid = y and cid = z and informs the call controller that cid = y and cid = z contain the two inter - region trunk ports that satisfy the igar request . in step 528 , the call controller , in step 528 , finds the two trunk ports , one in each service , and connects port a with trunk y and port b with trunk z . the further process for an igar network fragmentation call is now discussed with reference to steps 532 - 536 and 448 - 452 . the spare media server suspends call processing on cid = z when receipt of the digit is acknowledged and waits for the incoming call association information . in step 448 , when the digit is recognized by the primary media server , the first gateway , in - band signals a series of digits back toward the incoming trunk and terminating user . the series of digits include identifiers for the type of igar call and user b . in step 524 , the digits are collected identifying user b and normal call processing for a pstn call thereafter occurs . in step 544 , further call processing is continued on either type of igar call using conventional techniques . for example , further call processing can include call coverage and hunting . a number of variations and modifications of the invention can be used . it would be possible to provide for some features of the invention without providing others . for example in one alternative embodiment , an ldn is assigned to each circuit - switched trunk connected to a selected network region . although this configuration would simplify call association , it requires the enterprise to purchase a much larger number of public network numbers , which can be expensive . additionally , certain resources , such as a music - on - hold and / or announcement resource , do not have a public addressable extension . in another alternative embodiment , the first media server calls the second media server and then attaches a touch tone receiver , waiting for the second media server to answer . when the second network region answers , the second media server immediately signals the ( typically unique ) identifier to the first media server . the second media server repeats the transmission a selected number of times in case the digits are lost in prior attempts . the identifier is encoded specially to ensure that the first media server can be confident that it has received a complete and correct identifier . for example , the identifier can be encoded in “ octal ” and use the digit “ 9 ” as a delimiter . in this case , the first media server does not reply but simply begins to use the trunk call as a bearer channel after the unique identifier is verified to be valid . in yet another embodiment , the present invention is not restricted to a single distributed enterprise network but may be employed by media servers of different enterprises provided appropriate translation information is available at each end of the communication . in yet another embodiment , the logic described above may be implemented as software , a logic circuit , or a combination thereof . the present invention , in various embodiments , includes components , methods , processes , systems and / or apparatus substantially as depicted and described herein , including various embodiments , subcombinations , and subsets thereof . those of skill in the art will understand how to make and use the present invention after understanding the present disclosure . the present invention , in various embodiments , includes providing devices and processes in the absence of items not depicted and / or described herein or in various embodiments hereof , including in the absence of such items as may have been used in previous devices or processes , e . g ., for improving performance , achieving ease and \ or reducing cost of implementation . the foregoing discussion of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description . the foregoing is not intended to limit the invention to the form or forms disclosed herein . in the foregoing detailed description for example , various features of the invention are grouped together in one or more embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure . this method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim . rather , as the following claims reflect , inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment . thus , the following claims are hereby incorporated into this detailed description , with each claim standing on its own as a separate preferred embodiment of the invention . moreover , though the description of the invention has included description of one or more embodiments and certain variations and modifications , other variations and modifications are within the scope of the invention , e . g ., as may be within the skill and knowledge of those in the art , after understanding the present disclosure . it is intended to obtain rights which include alternative embodiments to the extent permitted , including alternate , interchangeable and / or equivalent structures , functions , ranges or steps to those claimed , whether or not such alternate , interchangeable and / or equivalent structures , functions , ranges or steps are disclosed herein , and without intending to publicly dedicate any patentable subject matter . | 7 |
an embodiment of the present invention will be described hereinafter with reference to the appended drawings . a heat exchanging unit 17 of the present embodiment is used in a housing such as one shown in fig1 . the housing is provided with a cylinder 14 and flanges 15 , 16 fixed at both ends thereof for air - tightening . the exteriors of the flanges 15 , 16 are further enclosed by walls , which respectively define fluid rooms 23 , 24 . the heat exchanging unit 17 is provided with a plurality of tubes 18 running along an axis of the cylinder 14 , which liquid - tightly penetrate the flanges 15 , 16 and have openings at both ends to communicate with the fluid rooms 23 , 24 . the heat exchanging unit 17 is further provided with a plurality of plates 21 , which the tubes 18 penetrate . the plates 21 stand substantially vertical to the axis of the cylinder 14 and are arranged to have even intervals therebetween . referring to fig2 , the fluid room 23 is liquid - tightly partitioned into two sub - rooms 23 a , 23 b by a partition 25 . an inlet port 26 is linked with the sub - room 23 a and an outlet port 27 is linked with the sub - room 23 b , thereby a thermal medium such as a cooling water is capable of flowing in and out of the fluid room 23 . the thermal medium flowing through the inlet port 26 into the sub - room 23 a further flows through some of the tubes 18 and then reaches the opposite fluid room 24 . further , the thermal medium in the fluid room 24 flows through the rest of the tubes 18 , reaches the sub - room 23 b , and are then exhausted out of the outlet port 27 . the cylinder 14 has a partition 28 therein , which runs along the axis , to partition the interior thereof into a gas migration chamber 29 and the rest as shown in fig3 . the rest of the interior is further partitioned into a gas inflow chamber 32 and a gas outflow chamber 33 by a partition 31 provided at an axial middle of the interior of the cylinder 14 as shown in fig1 . the cylinder 14 is provided with a gas inflow port 33 and a gas outflow port 35 to respectively communicate with the gas inflow chamber 32 and the gas outflow chamber 33 . gas subject to heat exchange , such as air to be cooled , is made to flow into the gas inflow port 34 by any gas feeding means such as a rotating fan or a pump . the gas flows through the gas inflow port 34 into the gas inflow chamber 32 as indicated by arrows from the top to the right in fig3 . the gas further flows through the heat exchanging unit 17 as indicated by arrows from the right to the left in fig3 , and enters the gas migration chamber 29 . the gas migrates in the gas migration chamber 29 from the left to the right of fig1 and then flows though the heat exchanging unit 17 to the gas outflow chamber 33 . the gas in the gas outflow chamber 33 flows out of the gas outflow port 35 . in the course of the aforementioned flow of the gas , the thermal medium exchanges heat with the gas . if cooling water is applied to the thermal medium and air is the gas , the air is cooled by the cooling water as a result of the heat exchange . the cooled air is extracted from the gas outflow port 35 . details of the heat exchanging unit 17 will be described hereinafter with reference to fig4 - 7 . the plates 21 are configured to increase contact area with respect to the flowing gas and serve as cooling ( or heating ) fins . as mentioned above , the gas flowing around the plates 21 is as a whole directed in a direction from one end to another end of each of the plates 21 . the direction is shown as from the right to the left in fig3 and as from the top to the bottom in fig5 . throughout the specification and claims , “ a flow direction ” with respect to each of the plates 21 is defined as a direction along which the gas is made to flow and correspondent with a direction from one end to another end of each of the plates 21 . each of the plates 21 is provided with a plurality of openings 36 which fixedly support the tubes 18 . the openings 36 are arranged in a plurality of rows which are perpendicular to the flow direction and arranged at even intervals . positions of the openings 36 in each row are laterally deviated from positions of the openings 36 in the adjacent row by half of a pitch of the openings 36 , thereby the openings 36 in each row are disposed adjacent to gaps between the openings 36 in the adjacent row . the half of the pitch is not greater than the diameter of the openings 36 . collars 37 respectively stand around the openings 36 . the collar 37 serves as a spacer for keeping gaps toward an adjacent plate 21 . the collar 37 further serves to transmit heat between the plate 21 and the tube 18 . respective spaces among the openings 36 are cut or punched out to project from one side of the plate 21 as shown in fig4 and 7 . these projections form a group in each space and each projection is formed to be a shape of a bridge having legs at both ends and a flat top spanning the legs as shown in fig6 . bridges 39 , 40 , 41 at the middle of each group are directed perpendicular to the flow direction and arranged in a row along the flow direction . upstream of the bridges 39 , 40 , 41 with respect to the flow direction , just downstream of one opening 18 , a pair 38 of sub - bridges 38 a , 38 b is formed . the sub - bridges 38 a , 38 b are arranged to be symmetrical with respect to the center of the pair and are slanted from the center to both sides of the pair 38 toward the flow direction . similarly , downstream of the bridges 39 , 40 , 41 , just upstream of another opening 18 , a pair 42 of sub - bridges 42 a , 42 b is formed , however , contrary to the aforementioned sub - bridges 38 a , 38 b , the sub - bridges 42 a , 42 b are slanted from both sides to the center of the pair 42 toward the flow direction . arrangement of the tubes 36 respectively inserted in the openings 36 defines a plurality of serpentine flow lines 44 among the tubes 36 , as indicated by serpentine arrows in fig5 . the bridges 39 , 40 , 41 and the sub - bridges 38 a , 38 b , 42 a , 42 b are arranged along and perpendicular to the serpentine flow lines 44 . further , the legs of the bridges 39 , 40 , 41 and the sub - bridges 38 a , 38 b , 42 a , 42 b are substantially in parallel with the serpentine flow lines 44 . the plate 21 is provided with ribs 43 projecting on the same side as the bridges as shown in fig7 . the shape of the ribs 43 is not limited to but can be a triangular sectional shape . the ribs 43 run at respective middles of the rows of the openings 18 . when assembling the plates 21 and the tubes 18 , one of the plates 21 is handled so that the tubes 18 are inserted to the respective openings 36 thereof . the plates 21 are one by one put under assembly to be combined with the tubes 18 . when one of the plates 21 abuts on another of the plates 21 with interposing the collar 37 , the gap therebetween is regulated by the collar 37 serving as a spacer . after all of the plates 21 and the tubes 18 are assembled , the tubes 18 are broadened so as to fix the tubes 18 with the plates 21 . thereby , the tubes 18 and the plates 21 are combined to form the heat exchanging unit 17 . the assembled heat exchanging unit 17 is combined in the cylinder 14 . the heat exchanging unit 17 exchanges heat in accordance with the following manner . the gas subject to the heat exchange , such as air to be cooled , is made to flow from the top to the bottom in fig5 . when the gas goes around any of the tubes 36 , the gas tends to turn aside around an upstream face thereof . since the sub - bridges 42 a and 42 b in the upstream stand there so as to conduct the flow , the flow of the gas is smoothly branched into right and left streams . then the right stream is conducted by the sub - bridge 38 a of another group of bridges at the right and the downstream , and the left stream is conducted by the sub - bridge 38 b of the other group of bridges at the left and downstream . the streams are respectively merged with the other adjacent branched streams . these merged streams are then further branched by the lowermost sub - bridges 42 a and 42 b of the current bridge group . therefore , the streams of the gas are respectively faired along the serpentine flow lines 44 . in general , gas flowing among cylindrical bodies such as the tube 18 tends to form stagnation around downstream faces of the cylindrical bodies , however , the faring effect of the bridges prominently reduces the stagnation . further , since the streams of the gas just downstream of the tube 18 receive force in lateral directions by the ribs 43 , the stagnation is further reduced . reduction in the stagnation improves efficiency of heat exchange of the heat exchanging unit 17 . the streams of the gas further receive force in a direction perpendicular to the plates 21 ( perpendicular to a paper face of fig5 ) from the bridges 38 - 42 and the ribs 43 to three - dimensionally fluctuate . therefore contact length of the gas with the plates 21 increases and hence efficiency of the heat exchange further increases . the ribs 43 may be formed not of continuity as mentioned above but of discontinuity . for example , merely portions just downstream of the tubes 18 may be formed to project but portions just downstream of the bridges 38 - 42 may not be projected . moreover , the ribs 43 maybe formed in paired parallel rib shapes or half - round sectional shapes , or any other modifications may be applicable . further , the bridges may be formed in other shapes , such as arch shapes . any bridge between the sub - bridges 38 , 42 may also be divided in a pair of sub - bridges like as the sub - bridges 38 , 42 . although the invention has been described above by reference to certain embodiments of the invention , the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above . modifications and variations of the embodiments described above will occur to those skilled in the art , in light of the above teachings . | 5 |
the disclosures in u . s . pat . nos . 4 , 951 , 860 ; 4 , 807 , 628 ; and 4 , 662 , 555 are incorporated in this application in full . some of the details of the operation of the apparatus a are illustrated in fig1 - 19 of u . s . pat . no . 4 , 951 , 860 . briefly , to review , the apparatus a as shown in fig1 there are handle portions 10 and 12 which are made to be pushed together to form the trigger housing of the apparatus a . inside the housing portions 10 and 12 is a pivot pin 14 which extends through trigger 16 . the leading edge 18 of trigger 16 extends beyond joined housing halves 10 and 12 . it is depressed inwardly to actuate the apparatus a . trigger 16 pivots on pin 14 when surface 18 is grabbed by the surgeon &# 39 ; s hand and depressed inwardly . the pivot action results in displacement of drive block 20 which is connected to trigger 16 at tab 22 . tab 22 loosely fits inside a slot 24 in drive block 20 . depressing trigger 16 moves drive block 20 distally against form tool 26 . form tool 26 reciprocates over track cover panel 28 . track cover panel 28 has a slot 30 to accommodate the distal end of spring 32 . the distal end of spring 32 bears on a stop ( not shown ) in upper barrel housing 34 . depressing the trigger 16 inwardly pushes drive block 20 distally against form tool 26 , compressing spring 32 . release of the trigger 16 allows spring 32 to push the form tool 26 proximally against drive block 20 pushing trigger 16 outwardly . the housing 34 has a mating section 36 which is shown in detail in fig3 . housing 36 includes a staple track 38 . staple track 38 accommodates staples 40 having the configuration shown in fig1 . the series of staples 40 housed in staple track 38 are pushed distally by staple pusher 42 shown in detail in fig2 . the staple pusher 42 is biased by a spring 44 which is mounted over a guide 46 . guide 46 has a pair of offset outwardly biased tabs 48 which are adapted to be engaged in groove 50 ( see fig3 ). it is within the scope of the invention to provide multiple grooves 50 offset from each other to accommodate a loading of different amounts of staples in the staple track 38 . additionally , the amount of pre - load on spring 44 can be adjusted by using a multiplicity of grooves 50 to provide initial compression to spring 44 depending on the number of staples loaded and in which particular groove 50 the tabs 48 are set to engage . after setting the staples in the staple track so that their legs 52 ( see fig1 , and 4 ) extend into troughs 54 which extend from staple track 38 , the cover 28 is installed into housing 36 . details of the cover are illustrated in fig1 . an important feature of the inclined portion 58 of the staple track 38 is that it accommodates the use of the &# 34 ; fin &# 34 ; or tab 112 on the top of the staple pusher 42 ( see fig2 ). in order to perform its function , fin 112 must bridge the distance between the staple track 38 and the form tool path 56 ( see fig8 ). due to the incline in staple track 58 , this distance is reduced at the point of feed . the fin 112 must travel in a clearance slot 61 ( see fig1 ) cut into the staple cover 28 which separates the staple track 38 and the form tool path 56 . if the staple cover 28 were of a constant thickness , the required clearance slot would split the cover 28 in two , destroying its functionality . the variable thickness , i . e ., the taper / incline of the cover panel 28 prevents this . the distal taper in the staple cover 28 allows structural strength in the proximal portion of the staple track cover 28 . this rigidity bolsters the strength of section 36 and prevents staple binding due to warpage of the staple path in the track 38 if section 36 flexes . the thick proximal end allows the additional rigidity . the thinner distal end reduces the lift height of the staples while still allowing use of a groove to accommodate the fin or tab 112 which travels in the groove or slot 61 . a split cover 28 can be used to accommodate tab 112 but the advantages of additional rigidity would not be present . another feature of the invention is illustrated by a detailed review of fig3 and 10 . looking at the elevation view in fig3 it can be seen that the staple track 38 for its proximal portion is parallel to the staple form path 56 ( see fig3 ). thereafter , there is an upward transition , preferably at about five degrees ( 5 °) toward form path 56 for the distal portion of the staple track 38 . this portion of staple track 38 that is upwardly inclined is identified by numeral 58 . the upwardly sloping portion 58 of staple track 38 allows reduction of the profile of track cover panel 28 at its distal end as shown in fig1 . the cover 28 has a tapered portion 60 whose angle of taper generally conforms to the angle of staple track 38 at the inclined portion 58 . it can then be seen in fig1 and 3 that the profile of the nose portion 62 is reduced due to the inclination of the staple track 58 . further reduction in the distal profile at nose 62 is accomplished by a taper 64 in housing 34 as shown in fig1 . as previously stated , the form tool 26 is pushed distally by drive block 20 . form tool 26 has a lug 66 which extends upwardly into slot 68 of drag tool 70 ( see fig1 ). slot 68 is longer than lug 66 to allow relative movement between form tool 26 and drag tool 70 . form tool 26 has a notch 72 between a pair of lands 74 . the lands 74 bear against crossbar 76 of staple 40 and move the staple distally against anvil 78 . anvil 78 is fixedly mounted to housing member 34 and has an abutment surface 80 which is situated in alignment with notch 72 so that forward motion of the drag tool 26 , pushing a staple 40 in form path 56 , results in lands 74 bending the staple around abutment surface 80 which projects into the form path 56 . drag tool 70 has a pair of fingers 82 disposed on drag tool 70 to drag in the path 56 so that upon proximal movement of form tool 26 after it has reached its full distal movement a gap exists in the plane of path 56 between fingers 82 and lands 74 . the staple pusher 42 pushes the staples in track 38 forward in such a manner that as the form tool 26 moves proximally from its most distal position , the gap between fingers 82 and lands 74 positions itself above the crossbar of the next staple 76 . the pushing action of staple pusher 42 moves the crossbar 76 of the next staple 40 into path 56 and into the gap between fingers 82 and lands 74 . the staple 40 is then further drawn proximally awaiting a subsequent depression of trigger 16 to repeat the cycle . to ensure that a gap is in fact formed when form tool 26 moves in proximal direction , the slot 68 is made larger than the lug 66 allowing fingers 82 to lag behind the proximally advancing form tool 26 so that the next staple 40 is trapped in the gap . it should be noted that while spring 32 biases form tool 26 in the proximal direction , spring 84 bears against tab 86 on drag tool 70 . since the drag tool 70 is biased distally upon the proximal return of form tool 26 , the existence of a gap is ensured as spring 84 pushes drag tool 70 distally relative to the proximal motion of form tool 26 . as a result , a gap is formed between fingers 82 and lands 74 to allow the next staple 40 to be captured and moved proximally within path 56 . when forming a staple and moving form tool 26 in the distal direction , the drag tool 70 contacts a stop at a certain point and , due to its thin construction at its distal end , allows fingers 82 to be pushed vertically out of the way of path 56 as the oncoming staple 40 moves toward anvil 78 . as the form tool 26 reaches its distal - most point having formed the staple 40 by bending it around abutment surface 80 , the ejector spring 88 , preferably having a pair of fingers 90 , bears on the crossbar 76 of staple 40 and pushes it down and around abutment surface 80 to complete the staple ejection operation . it should be noted that the ejector spring 88 is not operative to eject the staple until the trigger 16 is depressed fully inwardly completing the distal range of motion of form tool 26 . referring also to the detailed view , which is a portion of fig1 the ratchet mechanism , whose function it is to require the trigger 16 to be fully depressed before it can be let out and vice - a - versa , to be completely released before it can be depressed again , is illustrated in detail . the function of this mechanism is similar to that shown in fig3 and 4 of u . s . pat . no . 4 , 662 , 555 . what is employed is a pawl 92 which can pivot on pin 94 . pawl 92 has a pair of ears 96 and an engagement point 98 . finger spring 100 has a tab 102 that rides between ears 96 . located within handle portion 12 is a bearing surface 104 on which point 98 can ride . as the handle 16 is being depressed to move the drive block 20 distally , such motion is permissible since point 98 is offset and dragging to the rear with respect to trigger 16 . however , if the trigger 16 is released before its completed stroke , the point 98 digs into surface 104 and prevents outward movement of trigger 16 . ultimately , when the trigger 16 is fully depressed , the pawl 92 runs off beyond the edge of surface 104 causing rotation of pawl 92 on pin 94 . thereafter , as the spring 32 pushes the form tool 26 against the driveblock 20 in a proximal direction , point 98 is once again dragging allowing the trigger 16 to come all of the way out from the handle portions 10 and 12 . similarly , when the trigger 16 is all of the way out , the pawl 92 runs off the end of surface 104 and rotates about pin 94 to permit redepression of trigger 16 . the unique features of the staple pusher illustrated in fig2 and 4 - 8 will now be described . the staple pusher 42 is shown in fig2 . it has a pair of outriggers 106 that ride in grooves 54 ( see fig3 ). the leading edge 108 of each of the outriggers 106 bears against the legs 52 of the rearmost staple 40 in the staple track 38 . spring 44 bears on point 110 . at the distal end of pusher 42 is the tab 112 . tab 112 has a rounded distal edge 114 leading to a top 116 followed by a downwardly inclined surface 118 . the operation of these components is as seen in fig4 - 8 . in fig4 the last two staples remain in the inclined portion 58 of the staple track 38 . each of the staple legs 52 has a bottom bevel 120 . the housing 36 is formed having a curve 122 leading to a wall 124 . as the pusher 42 advances the second to the last staple ( shown in fig4 ), it starts to push it up curved surface 126 . at that point , the staple pusher 42 is still riding in the inclined portion 58 of staple track 38 . further distal movement of pusher 42 ( as shown in fig5 ) displaces the second to the last staple 40 upwardly into the form path 56 . there , as previously described , when the form tool 26 makes its proximal return trip , the gap between fingers 82 and lands 74 appears and then the second to the last staple moves up and is drawn back along path 56 . the beveled ends 120 ride along wall 124 as an aid to the controlled rotation of the staple 40 fully into path 56 as form tool 26 concludes its proximal travel . the use of wall 124 to guide the staple 40 is to be compared to that illustrated in fig1 - 19 of u . s . pat . no . 4 , 950 , 186 . there , the staples do not bear on the wall but are engaged by an overhanging ledge and retain in that position until the gap between fingers 82 and lands 74 engages crossbar 76 of the staple and pulls the staple out from under the ledge and fully into the form path 56 . such a detail could be employed in the invention as an alternative way to guide the legs 52 of the staple 40 as it is pulled into path 56 . fig6 shows only one remaining staple which has a crossbar 76 in contact with curved surface 114 . fig6 and 7 show that while the inclined path 58 transitions to curved surface 126 from the point of view of support of crossbars 76 , the staple pusher continues to translate linearly along the plane of staple track 38 . this continuing linear translation with respect to the angled path 58 results in pushing crossbar 76 up along curved surface 114 . as form tool 26 moves proximally , the gap &# 34 ; appears ,&# 34 ; allowing upward movement into the form path 56 where the staple crossbar 76 can be grabbed by the fingers 82 of drag tool 70 as it moves proximally . after it moves upward into the gap , the staple is temporarily held there by surface 116 . once the crossbar 76 is caught by the fingers 82 in the gap they make with lands 74 , the staple is pulled fully into path 56 as shown in fig8 . ultimately , when the form tool 26 completes its travel proximally , the crossbar 76 down to beveled end 120 of the last staple 40 is fully within form path 56 . as shown in fig8 when the form tool is ready to advance distally to form the last staple 40 , tab 112 still projects into the form path 56 . accordingly , the ramp surface 118 is provided so that the advancing staple 40 has its crossbar 76 hit inclined surface 118 . the staple pusher 42 , once it is in the position shown in fig8 is designed so that tab 112 can be displaced downwardly , thereby allowing the last staple 40 to advance to the end of form path 56 . this bending action gets tab 112 out of the way of form path 56 . fig9 - 11 indicate a snap fit between the trigger assembly composed of halves 10 and 12 and the nose assembly which is held within members 36 and 64 . the trigger assembly has a groove 128 formed behind fingers 130 which are biased inwardly . housing members 36 and 64 have a proximal flange 132 . as the nose portion ( housing 64 and 36 ) is inserted into the handle portion 10 and 12 , flange 132 displaces fingers 130 outwardly as shown in fig1 . further insertion of the assembly into the trigger housing allows the fingers 130 to snap back and engage flange 132 . at that point , the nose is secured to the trigger housing 10 and 12 and cannot be removed . the modular design has several advantages . it reduces manufacturing costs and inventory since individual modules can be used in subsequent product designs . the use of the modular design also saves costs and molding parts since there are no undercuts or cores required . further , the geometry of the design makes it a positive feedback system . greater applied force leads to increased retention effectiveness . the design also provides good strength with little deflection and offers the security that the nose , once it is snapped into place , cannot be removed by the user . the assembly of the nose to the trigger housing 10 and 12 can also be accomplished in a manner that allows subsequent release . the nose assembly can be formed having a plurality of collet fingers , the edges of which form a flange . the collet fingers can then be inserted into the trigger housing to engage slots in the trigger housing 10 and 12 . once the collet members in the nose expand radially into the openings in the trigger housing , the engagement is complete . detachment then follows by depressing the flanges at the edges of the collet fingers on the nose sufficiently inwardly so that the nose can be pulled out of the trigger housing 10 and 12 . the positive displacement feature of the connection between the trigger 16 and the drive block 20 is an improvement over the gear tooth assembly used in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 951 , 860 . some flexibility of movement is provided between tab 22 and slot 24 to prevent the drive block 20 from binding as trigger 16 pivots about pin 14 . this design is capable of transmitting considerable force and is simple to assemble , and can be made of parts which are simple to produce and provide excellent &# 34 ; feel &# 34 ; and leverage . referring to fig1 , the importance of the thin distal end of the cover 28 is illustrated . as shown in fig5 and 7 , the staple pusher 42 must push the staple 40 above the cover 28 and into path 56 . thus , the use of a thinner distal end 60 of the cover 28 reduces the height which the staples must be raised to get them into path 56 . it is the upward slope 58 of the staple path 38 that allows the use of a thin distal end 60 of the staple cover 28 . it should be noted that the reliefs created by the use of outriggers 106 on staple pusher 42 ( see fig2 ) allow staple pusher 42 to move along the inclined portion 58 beyond the point which it would normally have hit up against curved surface 122 or wall 124 . this additional motion allows lifting of last staples . the foregoing disclosure and description of the invention are illustrative and explanatory thereof , and various changes in the size , shape and materials , as well as in the details of the illustrated construction , may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention . | 0 |
a block diagram of the vigilance monitor system 10 is provided in fig1 . a microprocessor contained in a controller 12 receives ambient environmental information input from sensors 14 and information regarding movement , position , or other activity on the part of the human subject wearer 16 along communications line 18 . the human subject activity indications , if desired , are communicated 18 to controller 12 , via ambient sensors 14 . the present invention comprehends that such sensors will be included in wrist - mounted monitor housing or may be attached to the subject or the clothing or equipment of the subject 16 . controller 12 communicates via controller - to - stimulator signal path 22 to stimulators 24 to direct the various stimuli presented to the human subject . the stimuli are communicated directly to the subject 16 via generic path 28 . responsive to the stimuli a plurality of response sensors 26 detect and receive via path 30 the human subject responses to the stimuli from stimulator ( s ) 24 . response sensors 26 produce one or more output signals passed along response sensor / controller line 32 to communicate the subject &# 39 ; s responses to the controller 12 . one or more input signal lines 34 are provided for initial programming and periodic external updates to the program instruction set stored in controller 12 . one or , more output signal lines 36 are provided to download the content of the stored information , as described in greater detail hereinafter . turning now to fig2 a more detailed block diagram of the vigilance monitor system of the present invention 10 , there are shown a controller 12 , a plurality of the ambient and activity sensors 14 , a subject 16 , an ambient sensor controller signal line 18 communicating the sensed ambient signals to controller 12 , a subject sensor path 20 communicating sensed activity of the subject 16 to the controller 12 via motion sensor 42 to be described hereinafter , a controller stimulator line 22 which may comprise a plurality of individual signal lines or a single signal line , a plurality of stimulators 24 , at least one stimulation path 28 extending between the stimulators and the subject 16 , a response path 30 by which the subject 16 may communicate his response to controller 12 , response sensor - to - controller signal lines 32 which may be a single or plural signal line , an input line 34 for downloading the program instruction set or other information from an external computer , and an output line 36 which may communicate stored information to an external computer or data collector ( not shown ). controller 12 includes a cpu , or microprocessor 40 communicating along path 44 with memory 46 ( which may include an external memory described hereinafter in this exemplary embodiment , or may be limited to internal cpu 40 memory ), a low voltage power supply 48 , and a digital input / output function 50 , an a / d converter 52 , and a uart 54 for communicating with an external computer , not shown . the power supply 48 includes a battery power source 56 , a voltage splitter , and voltage regulator ( s ) as shown in fig2 supplying operating voltage ( s ) at 58 and a battery voltage level signal at 60 . the digital i / o 50 communicates along path 62 , which may comprise a bus of , for example , 16 lines , the a / d path 64 may comprise a bus of , for example , 8 lines . the uart 54 or cpu 40 bus 54 need be only two lines . a portable power supply 48 provides power to the vigilance monitor system 10 of the present invention . power supply 48 includes a power source 56 which may be a battery pack or other source of direct current and a voltage splitter / voltage regulator 68 to provide the dc output voltage 58 for the regulator ( s ) voltage needed by the vigilance monitor system . among the ambient and activity sensors 14 are a motion sensor 42 coupled to the subject by a path here identified as 20 , which path may be mechanical or physical rather than electrical in nature . ambient sound level is measured by ambient sound sensor 70 . ambient temperature is sensed by temperature sensor 72 . ambient light level is sensed by ambient light level sensor 75 . the motion sensor signal , sound level sensor signal , temperature sensor signal , and light level sensor signals are analog signal levels in this illustrative embodiment ; they are communicated to an analog - to - digital ( a / d ) converter 52 and communicated to the microprocessor 40 as digital signals along signal path 64 . of course , digital sensors may be substituted bypassing the a / d converter . the subject 16 , is to be exposed to repeated stimuli in the course of operation of the vigilance monitor system 10 according to this invention . for the purposes of this example only , the present invention contemplates aural and visual stimulation . optional sensory touch stimulation may also be used , as is described hereinafter . for this purpose three light emitting diodes , identified as 74a , 74b , or 74c , or other light sources 74 are provided within the visual field of subject 16 . control of the led lights 74a , 74b , and 74c , as well as control of the sound stimulator 76 , is conveyed via one or more controller / stimulator signal lines 22 . additionally , the sound stimulator ( which may be a piezoelectric sound inducer ) 76 is provided within audio reception range of the human subject 16 . one or more generic signal paths 28 are provided for communicating aural and visual information from the stimulators 24 . the led lights 74 are provided within the visual path of subject 16 ; communication of the light along this visual path is represented in fig2 by generic stimulation path 28 . similarly , the aural stimulation provided by piezoelectric sound inducer 76 communicates with subject 16 ; this path is also identified as generic path 28 . responses of subject 16 to the aural and visual stimulation provided by the piezoelectric sound inducer and lights are provided by one or more user pushbuttons 78 ( 78a , 78b in this illustrative example ). the subject 16 presses one or more of the respective pushbuttons 78a or 78b in response to the presence of either light or sound stimulation ; this is represented by response communication path 32 . feedback from the subject 16 to the controller 12 from the user pushbuttons 78a , 78b is via data response sensor / controller signal line 32 . touch sensory stimulation may be provided by any of several devices known to those of ordinary skill in the art , including a silent &# 34 ; buzzer &# 34 ; acting as a vibrator , a heat or cold stimulator , an intermittently driven bimorph device , electrical current stimulation , or the equivalents thereof . such devices may be included in the stimulators group 24 and communicated along generic path 28 . the stimulators 24 and the response sensor or sensors 26 communicate with the controller via an internal digital input / output circuit 50 which communicates directly with the cpu / microprocessor 40 on input / output lines 62 . a data storage ( memory ) device 46 is included for storing the time data , ambient sensed signal data , and user response interval data to the various stimuli . the storage unit 46 can include memory , which , for example may be static random access memory or &# 34 ; flash &# 34 ; memory , their equivalents , or any of the above in combination with conventional magnetic storage such as a small portable disk drive unit . in the present embodiment , flash memory is used ; 128k of &# 34 ; flash memory &# 34 ; sram is provided . communication between the microprocessor 40 and memory / storage 46 is provided by memory line 44 . to facilitate input and output of data between an external computer ( not shown ) and the microprocessor 40 along data input and output lines 34 and 36 , a conventional universal asynchronous receiver / transmitter ( uart ) chip is used . internal communication between the microprocessor and the uart 54 is accomplished on lines 66 . many of the controller functions are provided in this illustrative example by a small data logger engine 100 designed for portable data logging operations . a model 5f tattle - tale data logger , commercially available from onset computer corporation , north falmouth , mass ., has been employed . the tattle - tale 5f data logger 100 includes a small motherboard including an 8 - bit microprocessor 40 , such as an hitachi 6303y cpu . the 6303y microprocessor is a cmos cpu . it uses a superset of the motorola series 6800 instruction set , and it includes an on - board uart 54 . the small motherboard also includes drivers for rs - 232 input / output for digital i / o 50 , an analog - to - digital a / d converter ( ltc - 1250 ) 52 , at least one 5 - volt voltage regulator 102 , and a 9 . 8 mhz on - board crystal frequency source . the cpu ( microprocessor 40 ) is illustrated in greater detail in fig3 . as shown therein , the cpu 40 is of conventional design , and includes an arithmetic logic unit ( alu ) 202 , a control unit 203 communicating with the alu 202 , and with a dedicated input / output ( i / o ) unit 206 . alu 202 performs logical operations such as and , or , etc ., and arithmetic operations such as addition , subtraction , multiplication , and division . a memory unit 204 communicates with control unit 203 for temporary storage . the control unit 203 directs operation of the computer from the stored memory 204 instructions and executes these instructions . an accumulator 205 communicating with the alu 202 , control unit 203 , and i / o unit 206 may be included for additional temporary storage of data . the i / o unit 206 handles the input and output operations , sending and receiving signals to and from the cpu 40 . the present exemplary embodiment includes two interconnected boards : the tattletale 5f serving as a motherboard , and a daughterboard to which generally are mounted and connected the power supply , sensors , signal conditioning , audible signalling , and the response pushbuttons . the cpu in controller 12 , operates under control of a program instruction set 110 all or part of which may be retained in the computer internal memory unit 204 during operation . a complete schematic illustrating an exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown in fig4 . referring now to fig1 - 4 , the activity monitor system 10 is shown in detail . in the present illustrative example , 128k of sram flash memory 46 is provided on the tattle - tale 5f motherboard . the small tattle - tale 5f motherboard and daughterboard also incorporates a voltage splitter device / voltage regulator ( s ) 68 which enables one of the a / d channels to monitor the battery charge condition , facilitating low battery power condition detection and shut - down of the system to thereafter conserve remaining battery power for memory retention . a texas instruments tle 2426 chip is used for the voltage splitter / voltage regulator ( s ) 68 . an accelerometer 42 is located on the motherboard as an activity sensor . an analog devices , inc ., model adxl 50 g semiconductor accelerometer device having internal signal conditioning circuitry was selected for this illustrative example . additional resistor and computer components have been selected to provide an adjustment of the accelerometer sensitivity to 10 g and to provide a dc output signal voltage to the a / d converter 52 . lights 74a , 74b , and 74c are mounted to extend from the motherboard and project through a lightweight housing or cover protecting the vigilance monitor system 10 . for example but not a limitation , the leds 74a , 74b , and 74c may be colored green , yellow , and red ; other colors and color combinations can also be selected , or they may be all of the same color and merely symbolically coded , as by numbers , letters , or other characters or symbols . standard t - 3 / 4 size leds were selected for the present example ; however , other leds , including very low power leds may be selected . other visual displays may be used , including alphanumeric and lcd screens . ambient sound detected by microphone 70 , which also extends through the housing , is amplified by a small amplifier 104 connected to the motherboard . an instrumentation amplifier was selected in this example ; however , an appropriate op amp , or other small amplifier may be used . the associated r / c components are used to set the gain and for signal conditioning . the directional characteristics of the sound level sensor 70 are affected by the location of the microphone on the housing and can also be affected by the housing design . the tattle - tale 5f motherboard includes two voltage regulators ; a first is used for powering all sensors and the microprocessor 12 functions , while the second is used by the digital logic circuits . since the separate functions do not form a part of the claimed invention , they are shown as a single unit 68 and identified by a single regulated voltage output at 58 . sound inducer 76 is electrically connected to the tattle - tale motherboard . a conventional piezoelectric speaker is used in this illustrative embodiment . in addition to , or substitution thereof , a vibrator such as a bimorph or dc motor vibrator such as the namiki precision of america pin 6ce - 150 \ wl may be used . a simple operating diagram is shown in fig5 . the vigilance monitor 10 is prepared for use at start block 106 by performing such maintenance operations as may be necessary to insure proper operation , including testing / replacing the battery 56 . the monitor 10 is then initialized at block 108 which may include resetting registers and clearing memory 46 . this step is described in greater detail in connection with fig1 . next , the program instructions set 110 is downloaded at block 112 and operation begins when use of monitor is recognized , block 60 . details and flowcharts of the operation are described hereinafter . when the desired operation is completed , the data stored in memory 46 may be retrieved at block 116 . the vigilance monitor is operable in at least seven distinct modes . each mode is illustrated generally by one or more the flowcharts ( fig6 - 12 ) to be read in combination with a series of further detailed flowcharts ( fig1 - 21 ). the random timing - reaction task mode is illustrated in fig6 and is used in combination with the functions and procedural steps of several of fig1 - 20 as further identified hereinafter . the purpose of this task mode is to continuously monitor physical activities of the subject , environmental variables , and subject reaction time responses at random intervals . temperature , sound intensity , light levels , and other environmental factors are measured in five minute ( or other defined ) increments . the system monitors accelerations at ( for example ) three amplitude / frequencies in one minute ( or other defined ) increments , and randomly ( for example , at an average of about once every fifteen minutes or at another interval set by the program instruction set 110 ) tests the reaction time of the subject 16 . the program instruction set 110 operation control begins by initialization ( fig1 ) which includes resetting memory and the program variables . information including subject name , date , and time is requested from and stored to a separate header section of the data storage area in memory 46 . once the program instruction set 110 has begun running , the subject 16 is required to respond periodically to a stimulus such as an audible tone by pressing either of the pushbuttons . the audible alarm 76 can , if desired , be disabled temporarily , for example , by pressing and holding both pushbuttons 78a , 78b simultaneously ( fig1 ). pressing one of the pushbuttons , for example the red pushbutton 78b only will light either a red led 74c indicating that the reaction task is disabled , or a green led 74a indicating that the reaction task is enabled , thus indicating reaction task enabled / disabled status ( fig1 ). during program instruction set controlled operation , the analog - to - digital channels 64 are sampled ( in this example ) at intervals of about every 20 seconds ( fig1 ). data from the accelerometer 42 is summed in three storage areas or &# 34 ; bins &# 34 ; of different amplitude / frequencies and this data is then written to the memory 46 data store periodically ( fig1 ), for this example , once every minute . data from the environmental sensors 14 is averaged over a period of time , for example , 5 minutes , and then is written to the data file at that time ( fig1 ). periodically , the program instruction set examines the data from the voltage splitter 68 to verify that sufficient battery 56 power exists for continued operation ( fig2 ). as the voltage decreases to a predetermined level , a warning is given . for example , the yellow 74b and / or red 74c leds may be activated . if the voltage reaches a sufficiently low level , the system 10 warns the subject as by an audible tone or other signal and then shuts down to preserve data stored in memory . the active evaluation -- reaction task mode is illustrated in fig7 and is used in combination with the functions and procedural steps of several of fig1 - 20 as further identified hereinafter . the purpose of this task is to prevent sleepiness of the subject 16 by monitoring patterns of the subject &# 39 ; s activity . if the patterns of activity indicate the subject may becoming drowsy , an alarm , which may , for example , be an audible alarm from speaker 76 , is initiated ; the alarm requires the wearer to respond , as by pressing a pushbutton . the active evaluation -- reaction task mode is substantially identical to the random timing -- reaction task mode in operation except that the decision to signal an alarm is based on a stored history of activity data . the decision to signal the alarm is made on the basis of an algorithm that takes into account present and recent past activity levels . once a reaction test is made , the device disables the reaction task for a period of time which may be predetermined or may be set by the algorithm . the no reaction task mode is illustrated in fig8 and is used in combination with the functions and procedural steps of several of fig1 - 20 as further identified hereinafter . the implementation of this mode samples and records the subject &# 39 ; s activity and several other environmental variables as may be desired . no alarm signal is used to alert the subject 16 , or to monitor subject reaction time intervals . with respect to initialization ( fig1 ), data sampling ( fig1 ), and data storage ( fig1 ), operation under program instruction set 110 control is substantially identical to the random reaction task mode and the active evaluation reaction task discussed above . the circadian synchronization mode is illustrated in fig9 and is used in combination with the functions and procedural steps of several of fig1 - 20 as further identified hereinafter . the circadian synchronization mode uses the monitor system 10 to modify circadian rhythms by producing a change in the behavior patterns of the subject 16 by actively modifying rest - activity patterns and subject vigilance . the program instruction set operation is nearly identical to either the random timing -- reaction task mode and the active evaluation -- reaction task mode , except that an extra conditional step is required . the reaction time test ( fig1 ) is only permitted to occur between specified hours . any of the usual alertness modes can be used to prevent sleepiness and sleep ( random timing , active evaluation ) onset . it is possible for the program to be set such that the subject 16 can temporarily disable the alarm ( fig1 ). the environmental stress mode is illustrated in fig1 , and is used in combination with the functions and procedural steps of several of fig1 - 21 as further identified hereinafter . the environmental stress alarm mode is included to provide a warning signal to the subject 16 of certain potentially hazardous situations . if one or more activity or environmental sensed factors meet predetermined criteria ( fig2 ), then an alarm signal ( which may be audible from sound stimulator 76 ) will be triggered to warn the subject . examples of potentially stressful or hazardous situations that the device can be configured to monitor include : lack of sensed movement , low sensed activity levels combined with low sensed environmental temperatures , high sensed activity levels combined with high sensed environmental temperatures , high sensed levels of toxic gases , moderate sensed levels of toxic gases combined with high sensed activity levels , sensed slowing reaction times combined with changes in sensed toxic gases , and / or sensed slowing reaction times combined with an increase in either sensed environmental temperature extreme . the simple alarm mode is illustrated in fig1 , and is used in combination with the functions and procedural steps of several of fig1 - 21 as further identified hereinafter . a simple alarm program is be used to sense and monitor any environmental or activity factor , and sound an alarm when a certain combination occurs . no data logging will occur . the only initialization would be for the current time . the learning mode is illustrated in fig1 and is used in combination with the functions and procedural steps of several of fig1 - 21 , as further identified hereinafter . the purpose of this mode is to base the alarm task on self - reported periods of sleepiness . the subject 16 presses a pushbutton to notify the monitor 10 when a feeling of sleepiness occurs . this information is then recorded and stored , at , for example , 5 minute intervals . the monitor 10 will then use information recorded from the 5 minute periods before and after the user signal to modify the sensed activity alarm parameters using an algorithm . once modified , the new parameter values are used to determine when the subject 16 is becoming sleepy and to sound an alarm . initialization and recording of sensed subject activity data and sensed environmental factors is substantially the same as the active evaluation reaction task mode described above . in operation in all seven normal modes described above , there is a first &# 34 ; start &# 34 ; step ( block 106 of fig5 ), followed in all modes but the simple alarm mode ( fig1 ) by an initialization step ( block 108 , fig5 ), fig1 . the initialization step portion of the program instruction set 110 software sets most program variables to zero . exceptions include a global time variable l , and the reaction task delay counter . the reaction task delay is preset in this example to prevent the alarm from being signalled prematurely . all input / output connections ( i / o bus 22 ) are set to zero ( except certain connections which have hardware pull - downs ) to prevent value drift . the main data storage area in memory 46 is prepared for data storage . in this example , a 96k portion of the 128k sram is provided for data storage . the first 200 bytes of data are set to blank spaces to form a header area . the remainder of the data bytes are set to `#` to form the sensor logging area . a momentary wait is needed so the processor is not continuously working while waiting for user to indicate &# 34 ; go &# 34 ;. this momentary wait is not needed by either the simple alarm mode ( fig1 ) or the learning mode ( fig1 ). except in these two modes , the program instruction set 110 checks to see if the subject 16 has pressed the green pushbutton 78a . refer to fig1 and 12 . logging of data occurs next in all modes except the simple alarm mode , fig1 . the internal interval timer is to be reset periodically ; one minute intervals are selected in this embodiment for all modes followed by a momentary wait . refer to fig1 - 21 . the reaction task modes can be disabled and re - enabled by pressing both pushbuttons 78a , 78b . refer to fig1 . the reaction task function ( or routine ) ( fig1 ) is not used in the no reaction task mode and the circadian synchronization mode , fig7 and 8 . the toggle reaction task ( fig1 ) portion of the program instruction set bl allows the subject 16 to temporarily disable the reaction task . if both of the pushbuttons 78a , 78c are pressed and held briefly , the program instruction set 110 will set the period that the alarm is disabled to zero minutes . this is signaled to the subject 16 as by a distinctive alarm . once every second that both pushbuttons remain pressed , the monitor 10 will beep once . each beep indicates that the monitor 10 will be disabled for an additional 60 minutes or other predetermined time interval . there is no limit to the number of time intervals that the reaction task can be disabled . the reaction task routine may also , if desired , include program instruction set 110 routines for displaying the status of the reaction task . refer to fig1 . the display status of reaction task ( fig1 ) portion of the program instruction set 110 can be used to provide a feedback to the subject 16 . a dual function is then presented . upon pressing and holding the red pushbutton 78b , the monitor 10 will light either a green led light 74a indicating that the reaction task is enabled , or a red light 74c indicating that the reaction task has been disabled . if none of the leds lights 74a - 74c is lighted , then the program instruction set bl has stopped running , likely because of either an automatic software shutdown , or due to a hardware failure . six of the seven modes require the environmental data to be collected and stored in memory 46 ( fig1 ). the exception is the simple alarm mode illustrated in fig1 . the pushbutton power level check may also be omitted for this mode . the read data from a / d channels portion of the program instruction set 110 illustrated in fig1 controls reading of all the data from the analog to digital channels on a / d bus 64 . there is a short power up period for the sensors before data logging begins . the accel1 and accel2 data shown in fig1 are sampled , for this example , 10 times at 10 hz . if any sample exceeds a threshold value , the value of accel1 or accel2 is incremented . accel3 is sampled once at 0 . 1 hz . the difference value is added to the accel3 variable . battery voltage , temperature , light intensity , humidity level , and toxic gas levels ( if sensed and used ) are sampled once during the read cycle . the sound level sensor 70 is sampled 25 times and the average value of the samples is used as the sound intensity level . a series of timing functions then follow ( fig6 - 12 ). the first time increment is a test to check that 5 minutes has elapsed on a 5 minute counter and is related to the increment / decrement counter function . the second time increment is a test to check that 60 seconds has elapsed since the reaction time interval has been reset . in all modes except the circadian synchronization mode , fig9 the period since the interval has been reset = 20 , 40 , or 60 seconds is checked ( fig6 - 12 ). omitted from the simple alarm mode ( fig1 ) are the steps of writing activity data and the test reaction time data to the storage area in memory 46 . these may be utilized for all other modes ( fig6 - 12 ). the test reaction time function is shown in fig1 . the reaction time is not tested in the no reaction task mode or in the environmental stress mode ( fig8 and 10 ), and is performed differently in the simple alarm mode ( see fig1 ). in all other modes , the reaction test time operation is described in fig1 . a portion of the program instruction set 110 is directed to testing the reaction subject &# 39 ; s test reaction time . this portion of the program instruction set controls generation of an audible tone , then times the period of the response until the subject 16 presses a pushbutton 78a or 78b . two different methods are used for determining when to signal an alarm in the exemplary embodiment of the present invention . in &# 34 ; random time &# 34 ; operating mode the monitor 10 is configured to randomly choose the number of minutes between alarms . an upper and a lower bound for the time duration are set as parameters in the program instruction set 110 . the &# 34 ; active decision &# 34 ; operating mode analyzes recent subject activity data to decide if the subject 16 has become less vigilant . if so , an alarm is signalled . after the alarm is signalled , the reaction task is disabled for 10 minutes . the reaction task data is written to the data storage in the following format : where the &# 34 ;$&# 34 ; indicates that the following two characters should be interpreted as the reaction task times . in this example , the subject 16 took &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; seconds plus &# 34 ; b &# 34 ;/ 100 seconds to respond to the stimulus . alarm stimuli , such as audible sounds , can be customized for each subject to prevent confusion if several subjects are present at the same time . activity data is written to storage as shown in fig1 in all modes except the test reaction time mode , fig1 . the program instruction set 110 writes three channels of activity data to the data storage file . the three channels of data represent : see also read data from a / d channels ( fig1 ) above for more details . sensed activity data is converted to ascii , so that accel1 and accel2 can be represented by a single byte and accel3 is represented by only two bytes . these four bytes are then written to the data storage area of memory 46 . environmental data is stored periodically in all modes ( fig6 - 10 , 12 ) except simple alarm mode , fig1 . in write environmental data to storage ( fig1 ), environmental data is stored . at every five minute operating interval , the program will write the average reading from the various environmental sensors 14 to the data storage area 46 . to obtain an average , each sensor variable is divided by 15 since each sensor is sampled three times / minute for five minutes . the resulting data is converted to ascii format and stored to the data storage area of memory 46 in the following format : where &# 34 ;|&# 34 ; is a single byte that indicates that the subsequent section of data represents the environmental data readings . &# 34 ; kk &# 34 ; represents two bytes of data which encode the sound intensity levels sensed at sound sensor 70 . &# 34 ; n &# 34 ; is a single byte representing the sensed light intensity level at light sensor 75 . &# 34 ; tt &# 34 ; is a two byte word representing the average sensed temperature from temperature sensor 72 in degrees celsius . additional sensors such as humidity or toxic gas sensors ( fig1 ) are similarly encoded into the data file . check battery power levels is illustrated in fig2 . the program instruction set 110 includes a routine to test and indicate the battery 56 power levels to the subject 16 , and if necessary to shut down operation of the monitor 10 to preserve all measurement data that has been stored in memory 46 . initially , all leds 74a - 74c are powered down to clear possible inputs from different modules . the value supplied to the a / d bus 64 input corresponding to the voltage splitter / sensor 68 is then checked to determine if the shut down mode action of the software is necessary . if the battery 56 power measured by splitter 68 is of sufficient strength , the program instruction set 110 continues normal operation . as the battery voltage decays ( signaling an imminent power shortage ), either the yellow or red led 74b or 74c ( or both ) is lighted continuously to alert the subject 16 . once the battery 56 voltage level has fallen to a predetermined threshold point , the monitor 10 goes into an automatic shutdown mode ( fig2 ) procedure to preserve the data stored in memory 46 . the shutdown sequence can , for example , consist of a series of low frequency , long duration signalling tones . the monitor then only checks the state of the pushbuttons . if either pushbutton is depressed , the low power alarm sequence is repeated once again and the monitor completely terminates operation of the program instruction set 110 . the examine environmental factors routine is illustrated in fig2 . this portion of the program instruction set 110 is configured to examine several sensed environmental factors and sensed subject 16 activity levels to warn the subject of potentially hazardous environmental situations . when such an environmental situation is encountered , the monitor 10 sound stimulator 76 will signal the alarm . different combinations of leds 74a - 74c can also be used to indicate the potential problem without an audible alarm . the alarm can be signalled once every measurement cycle until either the hazardous situation is terminated or until the subject 16 disables the alarm for a period of time . some typical examples of potentially stressful or hazardous situations that the system 10 can monitor include : moderate levels of sensed toxic gases sensed in combination with high sensed subject activity levels sensed slowing subject reaction times ( fig6 - 7 ) combined with changes in sensed toxic gases or temperature extremes . it is contemplated that the reaction task can be modified to also evaluate performance and / or memory abilities of the wearer . either at preset times of the day , or when activity and reaction time tests indicate an increase in sleepiness , simple or complex mental , or psychomotor tests can be presented to the wearer . such tasks can be configured to be of either short or long duration . some examples of possible tasks are : requiring the subject to distinguish between different frequency tones by pressing either the red or green pushbutton . requiring the subject to press different pushbuttons depending on led color combinations displayed . requiring the subject to respond when a short sequence of led light flashes is repeated during a long sequence of flashes . requiring the subject to respond when either a frequency or tone duration matches a led light flash . requiring the subject to recall a short sequence of red and green led light flashes by pressing the red and green pushbuttons in the correct sequence either after no delay , or after a short delay . the number of events in the sequence can be gradually increased . although certain presently preferred embodiments of the invention have been described herein , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains that variations and modifications of the described embodiment may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , it is intended that the invention be limited only to the extent required by the appended claims and the applicable rules of law . | 6 |
the following description will describe the invention in relation to preferred embodiments of the invention . the invention is in no way limited to these preferred embodiments . possible variations and modifications would be readily apparent without departing from the scope of the invention . as depicted in fig1 , control regulator 1 comprises a body 4 , preferably having a substantially cylindrical outer shape , a length 5 , variable inner and outer diameters 12 and 13 , a non - attachable end 6 , and an attachable end 7 . the attachable end 7 has internal threads 8 for attaching the control regulator to a firebox manifold 2 or equivalent thereof , as shown in fig3 - 5 . other means of affixing the control regulator are equally possible , including but not limited to press fitting or external threading . incoming air enters body 4 via non - attachable end 6 , flows through the body , and exits from attachable end 7 . body 4 has outer walls defining an outer wall surface 9 and inner walls defining an inner wall surface 10 . outer wall surface 9 and inner wall surface 10 further define a variable wall thickness having an inner diameter 12 , and outer diameter 13 which vary along the length 5 . in one embodiment , the shoulder 14 of the outer wall is shaped in a stepped manner to facilitate removable affixing of the control regulator to any external device such as a manifold 2 . the outer walls can be shaped and dimensioned as desired . non attachable end 6 has a leading outer corner edge 15 and inner corner edge 16 . inner wall surface 10 may or may not be similar in shape to outer wall surface 9 . as shown in fig1 , inner wall surface 10 defines an internal configuration comprising a lower first portion 20 , leading upwardly to a second portion 21 , a third portion 22 above the second portion , and uppermost , a fourth portion 23 . in a preferred embodiment , the inner wall surface 10 is shaped in a stepped fashion comprising tapered and angled or curved portions forming a venturi chamber . as shown in fig1 , fourth portion 23 has substantially parallel inner and outer walls , with internal threading 8 , for engaging a pipe , manifold 2 , or any equivalent air receiving means which can be connected to a firebox . as further depicted in fig1 , first portion 20 tapers inwardly before leading into the venturi chamber formed by the upper portions of the body 4 . the venturi chamber includes a choked section above circumferential line 25 . inner surface 24 , located within second portion 21 , does not form a general single curvature , but comprises a series on interconnected differing curves being made up of different diameters and ovaloids . first portion 20 which is located at the inlet or front face of regulator body 4 can be formed as planar slopes or , in the preferred embodiment shown in fig2 , may consist of several interconnected curvilinear slopes of different curve diameters which are three semi - diameters spaced equidistant around the inner edge of regulator body 4 . the semi - diameters are angled in and towards the centre of the body . while three semi - circular diameters are shown in fig2 , the number of diameters may be greater or lesser than three . control regulator 1 has a support crossbar 30 extending across the diameter of regulator body 4 , and is located near attachable end 7 of the body 4 . support bar 30 has ends 31 and 32 supported by the thickness of the body walls at ends 31 and 32 . support bar 30 can be removably fixed and adjustably attached by first fixing means 34 such as being threadingly , engaged and / or being keyed in place with screw fixing means or some other equivalent which can be accessed from the shoulder 14 . as depicted in fig1 , support bar 30 is located in third portion 22 . support bar 30 can be adjusted rotationally in an arc and longitudinally . support bar 30 is further comprised of a hollow or solid cross section having a determined thickness , diameter , and shape that can be circular or square . support bar 30 is further comprised of two spaced apart apertures 35 and 36 . apertures 35 and 36 are sized to allow passage of first and second support rods 40 and 41 therethrough so that support rods 40 and 41 are oriented substantially parallel with the body length 5 and with each other . first support rod 40 , acts as a guide for movement of the disc 43 , and is further comprised of lower disc stop member 42 . disc 43 has a central hole , and is disposed about first support rod 40 , and is vertically movable along it . lower disc stop member 42 is located near non - attachable end 6 . first support rod 40 is adjustably and slidably supported near attachable end 7 . preferably , support bar 30 is further comprised of a second fixing member 37 for affixing first support rod 40 . second fixing member 37 is preferably comprised of a guide pin and locking screw extending within support bar 30 and abutting the side of first support rod 40 . the guide pin and locking screw can be unscrewed or screwed to allow first support rod 40 to move up or down . as depicted in fig1 , first support rod 40 is centrally located in the body 4 . first support rod 40 can be mounted and positioned such that first support rod 40 can be laterally and rotationally adjusted if desired . support bar 30 is further comprised of a third fixing member 38 for fixing second support rod 41 . third fixing member 38 preferably comprises a guide pin and locking screw located within the length of support bar 30 . one end of third fixing member 38 abuts second support rod 41 , and the other end of third fixing member 38 contacts and is coincident with the outer wall surface 9 to permit adjustment of third fixing member as desired . second support rod 41 provides a fixed support for an upper disc stop member 45 . upper disc stop member 45 is preferably comprised of a first aperture 46 to allow first support rod 40 to slide therethrough . second support rod 41 can be independently adjusted to position upper disc stop member 45 as desired . when first support rod 40 moves up , disc 43 eventually contacts upper disc stop member 45 and is restricted from any further upward movement . as illustrated in fig2 , disc member 43 has at least one aperture 47 and a disc diameter that is smaller than the main internal diameter of body 4 so that disc 43 can slidably move up and or down first support rod 40 between upper and lower disc stop members 45 and 42 , thus choking the air flow as desired . preferably , upper disc stop member 45 covers any aperture ( s ) in disc 43 . preferably , disc 43 is further comprised of a centrally located , aperture 48 . aperture 48 allows disc 43 to slidably attach to first support rod 40 . disc 43 can be made of a specified gauge and material type according to the desired performance required . as shown in fig2 , first portion 20 is comprised of a plurality of arc - shaped depressions 49 , an ovaloid opening 50 , and a plurality of scalloped edges 51 . in a preferred embodiment , there are three arc - shaped depressions 49 and three scalloped edges 51 , spaced equidistantly around the lip 16 of ovaloid opening 50 . when air passes into ovaloid opening 50 , three air columns are formed as the air flow contacts arc - shaped depressions 49 . different numbers of arc - shaped depressions and scalloped edges are possible . the number of air columns formed is dependent on the number of arc - shaped depressions . control regulator 1 can be incorporated into an existing firebox . as depicted in fig3 - 5 , control regulator 1 can be retrofitted to an existing firebox by drilling or punching a hole into the rear of the firebox . manifold 2 can be in the form of a “ t ” section with capped ends 53 , metering vents 54 , and an elbow - shaped section for attachment of the control regulator 1 which can be varied according to the size of the regulator and firebox . the metering vents 54 can also be sized in accordance with their compatibility with control regulator 1 . retrofitting control regulator 1 will not interfere with the operation of any controllable air vents on an existing firebox . the control regulator 1 automatically controls and limits the amount of air flowing into an enclosed firebox , combustion chamber , furnace , or equivalent thereof , which , in turn , affects the heat output . the moving disc 43 regulates the airflow by slidably moving up and down first support rod 40 between the lower and upper disc stop members 42 and 45 . control regulator 1 is in an open position when disc 43 rests on lower disc stop member 42 . when disc 43 rests in the open position air is free to enter body 4 . when a fire is ignited , drawn air flows past disc 43 through the first portion 20 , and forms a plurality of air columns as a result of contacting the plurality of arc - shaped depressions and scalloped edges comprising first portion 20 . when the fire is drawing sufficient air , disc 43 will be lifted past the ovaloid opening 50 into the venturi chamber — formed by second and third portions 21 and 23 . upper disc stop member 45 , which is preferably adjustable vertically with second support rod 41 , limits the maximum flow of the air . disc 43 is steadily supported by the resulting plurality of air columns . subsequently , the force of gravity causes the weight of disc 43 to direct the air flow on to the tapered sides of the venturi chamber , slowly damping the volume and speed of air drawn into the combustion chamber of the firebox . disc 43 will then slowly descend toward ovaloid opening 50 at which point air begins passing disc 43 through a plurality of apertures between the ovaloid opening 50 and the disc 43 . at this stage , the disc is no longer supported by columns of air and descends to a resting position . the result is a lean burning combustion that either extinguishes or is repeated by re - stoking the foregoing cycle . fig7 , depicts a graphical comparison of temperature in degrees celsius ( y axis ) versus time ( x axis ) taken at the rear of a firebox at 30 minute intervals for ( 1 ) an unmodified firebox ; ( 2 ) a closed firebox with the control regulator with air vents closed and air tube removed ; and ( 3 ) a closed firebox with the control regulator air vents closed and air tube removed . the difference in peak firebox temperatures between ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) is 100 degrees celsius . after three hours the difference between ( 1 ) and ( 2 ) shows the control regulator having a marked advantage . at the five hour point , unmodified firebox ( 1 ) has extinguished while modified firebox ( 2 ) is still running at 150 degrees celsius . at the five hour point ( 2 ) has maintained a higher level of effectiveness over ( 1 ) by approximately 50 %. therefore the control regulator has a marked effect on the heat output over time by maintaining heat output for a longer period and reducing peak temperatures . it will of course be realized that while the foregoing has been given by way of illustrative example of this invention , all , such and other modifications and variations thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the scope and ambit of this invention as is herein described . | 8 |
the feature of the invention lies on using novel svm technique to select the required codec , which has rapid learning capability and good performance , and can select most suitable codec according to communication environments . the invention has learning mechanism , which can renew learning data as a judge basis for codec selection according to the training samples input by the user . moreover , the codec selecting method of the invention can be compatible to the standard of the well - known internet communication system . referring to fig2 , a structure diagram of the codec selecting apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown . the codec selecting apparatus 200 is used to provide a suitable codec for the communication means 210 . the codec selecting apparatus 200 includes a performance analyzer 220 , a training server 230 , a storage unit 240 and a selecting unit 250 . the performance analyzer 220 is used for analyzing the performance of the current internet communication system and outputting environmental parameters tx , which include a system performance parameter and an internet status parameter . the internet performance parameter records one of or any combination of the memory utility status , the cpu calculation power , and the cpu utility rate of the communication means 210 , and the parameters related to codec calculation . the internet status parameter records one of or any combination of the bandwidth , the delay status , the latency , the packet loss , and the response time of internet connected to the communication means 210 . furthermore , the training server 230 has a svm calculation training to output learning data ld as learning results , wherein n , m are natural numbers , according to the environmental parameters tx ( x = 1 ˜ n , tx is a vector of m × 1 ) gathered by the performance analyzer 220 and n training samples s ={( tx , cx )} x = 1 n formed by the most suitable codec cx for the environments corresponding to the parameters tx . each of the learning data ld includes coefficients α 0 , α 1 , . . . α n corresponding to a ( n + 1 )— dimensional hyperplane , support vectors sv , a subclass of training samples s , and parameters related to the kernel function , which can be a polynomial function k p ( x , y )=( x · y + 1 ) p or a gauss function k g ( x , y )= e − μ ∥ x - y ∥ 2 or any function kx defined by the user . the storage unit 240 is used to store the learning data ld . the selecting unit 250 performs svm calculation and analysis to output the codec and the related parameters suitable for system environments according to the environmental parameters ty of the current internet communication system and the learning data ld stored in the storage unit 240 . referring to fig3 a , a learning approach flow chart according to the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown . first , in the step 300 , the environmental parameters tx of the internet communication system are gathered , such as the above - mentioned system performance parameter and internet status parameter , the suitable codec cx is defined and the training samples s are generated according to the system environment . next , in the step 310 , the learning data ld are provided via a svm training according to the n training samples s ={( tx , cx )} x = 1 n gathered beforehand . in this process , the training samples s are mapped to a high - dimensional feature space via the suitable kernel function k p , k g , or k x to get better learning results . last , in the step 320 , the provided learning data ld are stored into the storage unit 240 as a judge basis for the selecting unit 250 . referring to fig3 b , a flow chart of the codec selecting method according to the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown . first , in the step 330 , the performance of the current internet communication system is analyzed and the corresponding environmental parameters tx are output , such as the above - mentioned system performance parameter and internet status parameter . every time when the user has an ip telephone call , the performance of the internet communication system will be analyzed . after the phone call is setup , the system performance can be analyzed once for a period of time , such as five minutes . next , in the step 340 , the svm calculation is performed to select the codec suitable for the current internet communication system . in the svm training process , the environmental parameters tx are mapped to a high - dimensional feature space according to the learning data ld and the kernel function k p , k g , or k x . this high - dimensional feature space includes a hyperplane formed by the learning data ld and the kernel function via the svm training , and the hyperplane divides the high - dimensional feature space into the codec ci regions . the hyperplane between the regions of codecs ci and cj is taken as an example . as shown in fig4 , the learning data ld are mapped to a ( n + 1 )— dimensional hyperplane hij . therefore , if the corresponding function point of the system environmental parameters is located in the region ci above the hyperplane hij , the selecting unit 250 selects codec ci for communication handshake . in the contrary , if the corresponding functional point of the system environmental parameters is located in the region cj below the hyperplane hij , the selecting unit 250 selects codec cj for communication handshake . therefore , the codec suitable for the current system environmental parameters can be selected by judging from the hyperplane hij ( 1 ≦ i , j ≦ n ). in addition to the off - line training according to the beforehand gathered training samples s ={( tx , cx )} x = 1 n , the codec selecting method of the invention can also perform an on - line learning , in which the training samples are adjusted and the learning data ld are renewed via a svm calculation training according to the current gathered environmental parameters ty and the selected codec cy related to the environmental parameters ty . although the svm technique is taken as an example in the invention , the codec selecting method of the invention can be also performed via any other algorithm . as long as the functional convergence is provided , and the high - dimensional hyperplane corresponding to the environmental parameters and codecs can be obtained by the given training samples to precisely select the codec suitable for the system environment . according to the above - mentioned preferred embodiment , the codec selecting apparatus of the invention has the following advantages : 1 . the codec selecting apparatus has learning mechanism , which can have an off - line learning according to the related parameters gathered beforehand by the training server , or have an on - line learning according to the current environmental parameters and the selected codecs , and store the learning results as the selecting basis for the selecting unit . therefore , the training samples can be renewed and the codec selection can be made more precisely . 2 . the svm algorithm used in the codec selecting method can be proved to have high precision by theory and provides a rapid learning ability and good performance . 3 . the codec selecting apparatus can be integrated to any internet communication means using multi - codecs , and is compatible to the well - known internet telephone system standard . while the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of a preferred embodiment , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto . on the contrary , it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements and procedures , and the scope of the appended claims therefore should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements and procedures . | 7 |
this invention is described in a preferred embodiment in the following description with references to the following figures . while the invention is described in terms of best mode of achieving this invention &# 39 ; s objectives , it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that variations may be accomplished in view of these teachings without deviating from the spirit or scope of the invention . the electronic bearing of the present invention can be implemented to control movements of an object in many types of systems . in particular , the present invention is used to control the movement of a wafer table in a photolithography system . the invention is applicable to a scanning type photolithography system ( see , for example u . s . pat . no . 5 , 473 , 410 , the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein ), which exposes a mask pattern by moving a mask and a substrate synchronously . it is also applicable to a step - and - repeat type photolithography system that exposes a mask pattern while a mask and a substrate are stationary and moves the substrate in successive steps for exposure . it is further applicable to a proximity photolithography system that exposes a mask pattern by closely locating a mask and a substrate without the use of a projection optical system . the use of a photolithography system need not be limited to a photolithography system in semiconductor manufacturing . for instance , it can be widely applied to an lcd photolithography system , which exposes a liquid crystal display device pattern onto a rectangular glass plate , and a photolithography system for manufacturing a thin film magnetic head . fig1 is a schematic view illustrating the electromagnetic bearing system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention . as shown in the figure , a wafer table 1 is magnetically coupled to a wafer positioning stage 52 by pairs of electromagnetic actuators 10 , 10 ′, electromagnetic members 12 , and voice coil motors 76 . the positioning mechanism for the wafer table 1 is similar to the one described in international application no . pct / us00 / 10831 , entitled “ wafer stage with magnetic bearings ,” the contents of which are fully incorporated herein by reference . the positioning stage 52 provides small and precise movement of the wafer table 1 in the vertical plane ( z ) and horizontal plane ( x , y ). voice coil motors 76 are used to control vertical movement because dynamic performance is not required ( e . g ., acceleration requirements are relatively low ). to prevent overheating of the voice coil motors 76 , air bellows ( not shown ) are used to support the dead weight of the wafer table 1 . the electromagnetic actuators or e - cores 10 , 10 ′ are attached to the wafer positioning stage 52 in pairs . preferably , two pairs of e - cores 10 , 10 ′ are aligned parallel with the x - plane and one pair of the e - cores 10 , 10 ′ are aligned parallel with the y - plane , forming a triangular pattern as shown in fig2 . three electromagnetic members or i - cores 12 are attached to the wafer table 1 , preferably towards the outer periphery . the i - cores 12 are positioned such that they align with and rest between , each pair of e - cores 10 , 10 ′. the e - cores 10 , 10 ′ are assembled in pairs because they can only pull the i - core 12 in opposition . fig3 is a perspective view of the e - core . the e - core typically comprises of an e - shaped laminated core 30 made of a magnetic material , such as iron or ni - fe steel . electrical magnetic wire 32 is wound around the center prong 34 forming a coil . fig5 is a perspective view of an i - core comprising of a cylindrically shaped magnetic material , preferably composed of the same material as the e - core . the shape of the i - core is not limited to the cylindrical shape , and may include , for example , circular shapes , spherical shapes , etc . the two sides of the i - core that face each e - core are in a shape that allows it to convex towards the e - cores . the overall size of the i - core is determined by the size of the e - core , but it is typically smaller than the e - core . the i - core must remain within the magnetic flux of the e - core . fig6 illustrates the position of one pair of e - cores 10 , 10 ′ and an i - core 12 when the wafer table 1 is parallel with the wafer stage 52 . the i - core 12 is attached to the wafer table 1 such that the curved sides of the i - core 12 are adjacent to each e - core 10 , 10 ′. each e - core 10 , 10 ′ and i - core 12 is separated by a gap 14 , which allows the i - core 12 to move feely between each e - core 10 , 10 ′. the e - cores 10 , 10 ′ are the variable reluctance actuating portions of the magnetic bearing and the reluctance varies with the distance defined by the air gap 14 , which also varies the flux and force applied to the i - core 12 . the attractive force between the e - core 10 , 10 ′ and the i - core 12 is defined by : f = k ( i / g ) 2 , where f is the attractive force , measured in newtons ; k = an electromagnetic constant which is dependent upon the geometries of the e - core , i - core , and number of coil turns about the e - core 10 , 10 ′ i = current through the e - core , measured in amperes ; and g = gap distance , measured in meters . fig7 illustrates the position of one pair of e - cores 10 , 10 ′ and an i - core 12 when the wafer table 1 is moved in the y and z direction . movement in the z direction is accomplished through voice coil motors ( not shown ) and y movement is accomplished by two pairs of e - cores 10 , 10 ′, which are aligned parallel with the x direction of the wafer table 1 . when the two pairs of e - cores 10 , 10 ′ are energized by an electrical current , a magnetic flux is produced and an attractive force on the i - core 12 occurs in accordance with the formula given , resulting + in linear actuation in the y direction . in this example , the y movement is away from the outer periphery of the wafer stage , therefore the inner e - core 10 ′ is energized with a higher electrical current than the outer e - core 10 . this results in a differential magnetic flux having a force that draws the i - core 12 closer to the inner e - core 10 ′ than the outer e - core 10 . as mentioned above , the wafer table movement in the z direction is accomplished through the activation of voice coil motors . although the i - core is now closer to the inner e - core 10 ′ and has also moved slightly upward , the curved sides of the i - core 12 help to maintain the magnetic force geometry between both pairs of e - cores 10 , 10 ′. the size of the gap between the i - core 12 and the pair of e - cores 10 , 10 ′ will change , resulting in a change in magnetic force acting on the i - core . however , the magnetic force will continue to act on the same i - core geometry ( due to the curved sides ). therefore , the acting magnetic force has less of a tendency to induce torque to the i - core 12 . if the i - core in the present invention is replaced by the i - core in the prior art , the geometry of which is shown in fig4 , the geometry of the magnetic force acting on the i - core side will change . in the prior art case , the lower right side portions of the i - core will be closer to the inner e - core 10 ′ and the upper right side portions will be further away from the inner e - core 10 ′. oppositely , the upper left side portions of the i - core will be closer to the outer e - core 10 and the lower left side portions will be further away from the outer e - core 10 . the end result is the introduction of torque to the i - core . fig8 is a schematic view illustrating a photolithography apparatus 40 incorporating a wafer positioning stage 52 that is driven by a planar motor and a wafer table 1 that is magnetically coupled to the wafer positioning stage 52 in accordance with the principles of the present invention . the planar motor drives the wafer positioning stage 52 by an electromagnetic force generated by magnets and corresponding armature coils arranged in two dimensions . a wafer 64 is held in place by a wafer chuck 74 which is attached to the wafer table 1 . the wafer positioning stage 52 is structured so that it can move in multiple ( e . g . three to six ) degrees of freedom under precision control by a drive control unit 60 and system controller 62 , and position the wafer 64 at a desired position and orientation relative to the projection optics 46 . the wafer table 1 is levitated in the vertical plane by preferably three voice coil motors ( not shown ). at least three magnetic bearings ( not shown ) couple and move the wafer table 1 horizontally . the motor array of the wafer positioning stage 52 is supported by a base 70 . the reaction force generated by the wafer stage 52 motion can be mechanically released to the ground through a frame 66 , in accordance with the structure described in jp hei 8 - 166475 and u . s . pat . no . 5 , 528 , 118 , the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein . an illumination system 42 is supported by a frame 72 . the illumination system 42 projects a radiant energy ( e . g . light ) through a mask pattern on a reticle 68 that is supported by and scanned using a reticle stage 44 . the reaction force generated by motion of the reticle stage can be mechanically released to the ground through the isolator 54 , in accordance with the structures described in jp hei 8 - 330224 and u . s . pat . no . 5 , 874 , 820 , the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference herein . the light is focused through a projection optical system 46 supported on a projection optics frame 50 and released to the ground through frame 54 . the magnification of the projection optical system is not limited to a reduction system . it could be a 1 x or a magnification system . when far ultra - violet rays such as excimer laser is used , glass materials such as quartz and fluorite that transmit far ultra - violet rays should be used . when f 2 laser or x - ray is used , the optical system should be either catadioptric or refractive ( the reticle should also be a reflective type ). when an electron beam is used , electron optics should consist of lenses and deflectors , and the optical path for the electron beam should be in a vacuum . the light exposes the mask pattern onto a layer of photoresists on a wafer 64 . the light source for the photolithography system may be the g - line ( 436 nm ), i - line ( 365 nm ), krf excimer laser ( 248 nm ), arf excimer laser ( 193 nm ) and f 2 laser ( 157 nm ). for certain lithography systems , charged particle beams such as x - ray and electron beam may be used . for instance , for electron beam lithography , thermionic emission type lanthanum hexaboride ( lab6 ) or tantalum ( ta ) can be used as an electron gun . further , for electron beam lithography , the structure could be such that either a mask is used or a pattern can be directly formed on a substrate without the use of a mask . an interferometer 56 is supported on the projection optics frame 50 and detects the position of the wafer table 1 and outputs the information of the position of the wafer table 1 to the system controller 62 . a second interferometer 58 is supported on the reticle stage frame 48 and detects the position of the reticle stage 44 and outputs the information of the position to the system controller 62 . there are a number of different types of lithographic devices in which the present invention may be deployed . for example , the exposure apparatus 40 can be used as scanning type photolithography system that exposes the pattern from the reticle onto the wafer with the reticle and wafer moving synchronously . in a scanning type lithographic device , the reticle is moved perpendicular to an optical axis of the projection optics 46 by the reticle stage assembly 44 and the wafer is moved perpendicular to an optical axis of the projection optics 46 by the wafer stage assembly ( 1 , 52 ). scanning of the reticle and the wafer occurs while the reticle and the wafer are moving synchronously . alternately , the exposure apparatus 40 can be a step - and - repeat type photolithography system that exposes the reticle while the reticle and the wafer are stationary . in the step and repeat process , the wafer is in a constant position relative to the reticle and the projection optics 46 during the exposure of an individual field . subsequently , between consecutive exposure steps , the wafer is consecutively moved by the wafer stage perpendicular to the optical axis of the projection optics 46 so that the next field of the wafer 64 is brought into position relative to the projection optics and the reticle for exposure . following this process , the images on the reticle are sequentially exposed onto the fields of the wafer so that the next field of the wafer is brought into position relative to the projection optics 46 and the reticle . further , the present invention can also be applied to a proximity photolithography system that exposes a mask pattern by closely locating a mask and a substrate without the use of a lens assembly . the use of the exposure apparatus 40 provided herein is not limited to a photolithography system for semiconductor manufacturing . the exposure apparatus 40 , for example , can be used as an lcd photolithography system that exposes a liquid crystal display device pattern onto a rectangular glass plate or a photolithography system for manufacturing a thin film magnetic head . as described above , a photolithography system according to the above - described embodiments can be built by assembling various subsystems , including each element listed in the appended claims , in such a manner that prescribed mechanical accuracy , electrical accuracy and optical accuracy are maintained . in order to maintain the various accuracies , prior to and following assembly , every optical system is adjusted to achieve its optical accuracy . similarly , every mechanical system and every electrical system are adjusted to achieve their respective mechanical and electrical accuracies . the process of assembling each subsystem into a photolithography includes mechanical interfaces , electrical circuit wiring connections and air pressure plumbing connections between each subsystem . needless to say , there is also a process where each subsystem is assembled prior to assembling a photolithography system from the various subsystems . once a photolithography system is assembled using the various subsystems , a total adjustment is performed to make sure that accuracy is maintained in the complete photolithography system . additionally , it is desirable to manufacture an exposure system in a clean room where the temperature and cleanliness are controlled . further , semiconductor devices can be fabricated using the above described systems , by the process shown generally in fig9 . in step 301 the device &# 39 ; s function and performance characteristics are designed . next , in step 302 , a mask ( reticle ) having a pattern is designed according to the previous designing step , and in a parallel step 303 a wafer is made from a silicon material . the mask pattern designed in step 302 is exposed onto the wafer from step 303 in step 304 by a photolithography system described hereinabove in accordance with the present invention . in step 305 the semiconductor device is assembled ( including the dicing process , bonding process and packaging process ), then finally the device is inspected in step 306 . fig1 illustrates a detailed flowchart example of the above - mentioned step 304 in the case of fabricating semiconductor devices . in fig1 , in step 311 ( oxidation step ), the wafer surface is oxidized . in step 312 ( cvd step ), an insulation film is formed on the wafer surface . in step 313 ( electrode formation step ), electrodes are formed on the wafer by vapor deposition . in step 314 ( ion implantation step ), ions are implanted in the wafer . the above - mentioned steps 311 - 314 form the preprocessing steps for wafers during wafer processing , and selection is made at each step according to processing requirements . at each stage of wafer processing , when the above - mentioned preprocessing steps have been completed , the following post - processing steps are implemented . during post - processing , first , in step 315 ( photoresist formation step ), photoresist is applied to a wafer . next , in step 316 ( exposure step ), the above - mentioned exposure device is used to transfer the circuit pattern of a mask ( reticle ) to a wafer . then , in step 317 ( developing step ), the exposed wafer is developed , and in step 318 ( etching step ), parts other than residual photoresist ( exposed material surface ) are removed by etching . in step 319 ( photoresist removal step ), unnecessary photoresist remaining after etching is removed . multiple circuit patterns are formed by repetition of these preprocessing and post - processing steps . in summary , the present invention provides a method of minimizing torque to the wafer table . the curved i - core provides a more uniform magnetic coupling between the pair of e - cores and i - cores . the two sides of the i - core that face the pair of e - cores are curved such that as the i - core moves in different directions , the magnetic force acting on the i - core remains generally unchanged . although the gap between the i - core and e - core can change , the geometry of the i - core remains the same , reducing the tendency of torque applied on the i - core . although the invention has been described with reference to a wafer table supported by a wafer stage in a photolithography apparatus , the invention is also applicable to other forms of apparatus in which precision positioning and maintaining of an object is necessary . while the present invention has been described with respect to the preferred embodiment in accordance therewith , it will be apparent to those in the skilled art that various modifications and improvements may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention . accordingly , the disclosed invention is to be considered merely as illustrative and limited in scope only as specified in the appended claims . | 7 |
the invention finds an application in particular in the field of stayed bridges . here we consider a stay contained in a casing 5 and stretching between a tower 20 and the deck 21 ( fig1 ). the stay in question may be very long , for example , in excess of a 100 meters long . it may contain a potentially high number of elementary reinforcements , of the order of one hundred or more . the reinforcements of the stay consist in strand parts 4 grouped together into a bundle housed within the casing 5 . each strand part is tensioned and anchored at its two ends in two anchoring regions 16 a , 16 b one situated on the tower 20 and the other on the deck 21 , respectively . the anchoring means placed in the regions 16 a , 16 b may be of conventional type with , for example , an anchor block bearing against the structure and equipped with frustoconical orifices to accommodate frustoconical jaws wedged about each strand part . in a first step of the method for erecting the stay , the casing is set in place along its oblique path between the two anchoring regions , at the same time as a first strand part or as a first set of strand parts tensioned and anchored at their two ends . the casing 5 rests from there on the strand part or parts already set in place . during this first step , moving gear comprising a shuttle 2 and two lines 6 a , 6 b , all described later on , are also placed in the casing 5 . the first strand parts 4 to be installed do not generally present any placement problems in so far as_the space available inside the casing 5 is sufficient for the strand parts to be inserted therein with ease . these strand parts are paid out from a reel 17 placed on the deck of the bridge , or from a strand - part storage site when these strand parts have already been pre - cut . they are then threaded through the casing , for example hauling them up from the deck 21 towards the tower 20 using a hauling - up winch 15 a installed on the tower . during this phase , it is possible to use the same shuttle 2 as the one which will be described later on . to prevent entangling of the already - installed strand parts , these are positioned in such a way that they are more or less mutually parallel along their entire length . for that , each strand part is placed at corresponding positions on the two anchor blocks . this may be achieved by symmetrically numbering the frustoconical orifices that have corresponding positions in the blocks situated in the regions 16 a , 16 b and by introducing each strand part into orifices that have the same number at each end . prior to anchoring , each strand part threaded through the casing is tensioned so that the various strand parts already taut have uniform tension values , for example using the method described in european patent 0 421 862 . as the strand parts have an identical make - up and are anchored at geometrically corresponding positions in the two blocks , this allows the various strand parts to be given paths that are practically parallel between the two anchor regions . the space occupied by the strand parts inside the casing may therefore remain small , including in the central part of the casing that is difficult to access . as the casing presses against the installed strand parts , the lower part of its cross section remains available for the insertion of the subsequent strand parts . however , after a certain length of time , it becomes tricky to introduce further strand parts into the casing 5 because the space available in the casing is no longer sufficient for the unencumbered passage of the shuttle 2 . at each anchor block , it is necessary to provide a certain separation between the strand parts so as to be able to arrange the frustoconical orifices while at the same time giving the block sufficient robustness . the strand parts already set in place along parallel paths therefore occupy a significant amount of space in the casing , and this may impede the insertion of subsequent strand parts . to avoid these difficulties , the already - anchored strand parts 4 are compacted to bunch them together along their path , and the shuttle 2 to which the further strand part 1 or group of strand parts to be slipped through the casing is attached ( fig1 ) is placed in the space available left at the bottom of the casing 5 . when the further strand part 1 or further group of strand parts is being threaded through , the shuttle 2 is driven by a line 6 a pulled by the hauling - up winch 15 a placed on the tower 20 . symmetrically , another line 6 b is fixed to the shuttle 2 and runs downwards to a hauling - down winch 15 b . this winch 15 b is activated to bring the shuttle 2 back down once the further strand part or further group of strand parts hauled up has been detached . in a preferred embodiment , when the further strand part 1 is being hauled up by the winch 15 a , the hauling - down winch 15 b is also activated in order to force the line 6 b and the shuttle in the opposite direction . likewise , as the shuttle 2 is being returned by the winch 15 b , the hauling - up winch 15 a is also activated to force the line 6 a and the shuttle in the opposite direction . these steps mean that the shuttle + lines assembly is always under tension as the shuttle moves along in the bottom of the casing 5 , ensuring that this assembly follows a uniform path along the casing and minimizing the risks of its becoming entangled with the strand parts . the compacting of the strand parts already installed is performed at least at one end of the casing 5 by means of a compacting system 3 . the identical conditions under which the strand parts are tensioned means that this local compaction is propagated along the entire length of the stay , thus maximizing the space available for the shuttle 2 to run in . to enhance this effect , it is judicious to provide a compacting system 3 at each end of the casing 5 , as shown in fig1 . as depicted in fig2 a , the system 3 advantageously compacts the already - installed reinforcements 4 according to a template the cross section of which has an upper portion of roughly circular overall shape , the diameter of this circular shape being equal to the inside diameter of the casing or similar to this diameter . the casing 5 then rests on the bundle of compacted strand parts , losing the minimum amount of space at the upper part , and therefore freeing up the maximum amount of space in the lower part of the casing to make it easier for the shuttle 2 to run . in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in fig2 a and in the cross section of fig2 b , the compacting system 3 comprises a strap 11 to surround the bundle of strand parts with the interposition of a wedge 10 . the wedge 10 defines the lower portion of the cross section of the compaction template . several shapes of wedge 10 may be envisaged . fig3 a shows one exemplary embodiment of such a wedge 10 . the latter comprises two parts : an upper part 12 a which is placed in direct contact with the strand parts 4 to be compacted , and a lower part 13 receiving the strap 11 . in fig3 a , the upper part 12 a of the wedge 10 is planar , which means the lower portion of the cross section of the compaction template is of planar overall shape . this upper part 12 a is preferably made of an elastomeric material in contact with the strand parts 4 to avoid damaging them during compaction . the lower part 13 a of the wedge 10 , which may have various shapes , is made of a rigid material such as wood . in the alternative form of fig3 b , the elastomeric upper part 12 b of the wedge 10 is convex , which means the lower portion of the cross section of the compaction template is concave . of course other compaction systems 3 may be used . the closeness of the strand parts 4 to one another and the magnitude of the space left available inside the casing by the bundle thus formed reflect their effectiveness . for example , use may be made of a mechanical system as illustrated in fig5 . this system consists of a rigid chassis 24 and of an upper part 27 to encircle the strands 4 that are to be compacted . it also comprises a hydraulic jack 22 fixed to the upper part 27 of the mechanical compaction system . this jack actuates the chassis 24 about an axis of rotation 23 associated with the chassis , so as to open up and close the system around the strand parts 4 . this system is advantageously designed to allow rapid opening and closure , to avoid losing time in the strand - part - threading cycle . fig6 schematically shows one example of a closing and opening system for the mechanical compaction system of fig5 . a tooth 26 is fixed to the upper part 27 of the mechanical system . two other teeth 25 are fixed to the chassis 24 . these teeth 25 are designed to be able to position themselves on each side of the tooth 26 as the system is closed . this advantageous arrangement makes it possible to avoid the strand parts 4 leaving the mechanical system when the latter is in the closed position . thus , the compaction of the already - anchored strand parts 4 makes it possible to free up space inside the casing to allow the passage of the shuttle 2 bearing a further strand part 1 . installation of the strand part 1 then consists in placing the shuttle in the space left available in the casing 5 during compaction , that is to say in the bottom of the casing , then in actuating the hauling - up winch 15 a to pull the shuttle 2 along the casing 5 using the line 6 a . once it has reached the other end of the casing 5 , the further strand part 1 is detached from the shuttle 2 so that it can be anchored into the region 16 a , and the anchored strand parts 4 are decompacted by removing the systems 3 . if the further strand part 1 is not prefabricated , that is to say is not pre - cut , the strand part 1 is also chopped off level with the deck 21 to detach it from the reel 17 and offer it up to the anchor block in the region 16 b . this further strand part is tensioned and anchored in the same way as the previous strand parts 4 . in particular , after anchorage , equal tension values are obtained for the strand part 1 and for the already - installed strand parts 4 , for example using the method of european patent 0 421 862 . the compaction template becomes increasingly fat as further strand parts are installed , this gradually decreasing the space available for the passage of the shuttle 2 . it is possible to provide several interchangeable shuttles of different sizes , and to begin by using the largest shuttle ( which has a more stable path through the casing when the space available is relatively large ) and to haul the last strand parts through using a smaller shuttle . it is also possible to use different compaction systems as further strand parts are installed . for example , it is possible to begin with a wedge of the kind shown in fig3 a , defining a compaction template that is flat at the base , and to continue using a wedge of the kind shown in fig3 b , defining a compaction template that is concave at the base . when further strand parts 1 are being installed , and right up to the installation of the last one , the same operations may be repeated . as a preference , the strand parts are installed in successive layers , beginning with the positions situated at the top of the casing and gradually descending towards the strand parts occupying the lower positions . furthermore , the shuttle 2 advantageously has a structure that minimizes the size of its cross section . the shuttle illustrated in fig4 a and 4b comprises a support 14 which may rest on the bottom of the casing 5 as it makes its outbound and return journeys . this support 14 may advantageously be made of sheet metal and have a semicylindrical shape . advantageously , the support 14 of the shuttle 2 is removable , so that it can be used as long as the bundle of strand parts already installed does not impede the progress of the shuttle inside the casing , whereas it can be withdrawn when the space left empty by the already - anchored strand parts 4 becomes too tight to allow the shuttle to progress unencumbered with its support . it is also possible to envisage several removable supports of decreasing size . the shuttle 2 comprises a cradle 7 intended to accommodate the end of a further strand part that is to be hauled up through . thus , a further strand part 1 to be set in place may be positioned in a cradle 7 of the shuttle 2 and may be fixed into this cradle using temporary fixing means . these means ( not depicted in fig4 a and 4b ) can easily be removed so that an operator working on the construction of the bridge can quickly detach the strand part 1 from the shuttle 2 so as to offer the strand part up to the anchoring region 16 a . a strand part usually comprises a central wire and six peripheral wires twisted around the central wire . to attach it to the cradle 7 of the shuttle , one possibility is to chop off the six peripheral wires in an end portion 1 a of the strand part , as shown schematically in fig4 a , and to wedge the central wire in a small anchoring device , not depicted , for example involving frustoconical jaws , housed in the cradle 7 . this arrangement makes it possible to minimize the cross section of the cradle and of the shuttle in its entirety . it may be noted that several strand parts may be pulled simultaneously from one anchoring region to the other . in the case of a group of n strand parts ( n ≧ 1 ), there are n cradles on the shuttle , so that each cradle can hold one of the n strand parts of the group . in fig4 a and 4 b two cradles 7 have been depicted by way of example . it is possible to vary the number n as the strand parts are gradually installed , particularly to reduce it so as to reduce the size of the shuttle 2 at the end of installation . the shuttle 2 also comprises means 8 for attaching the lines &# 39 ; 6 a , 6 b , which may be of any kind . for example , the end of each line 6 a and 6 b may be fixed using screws 8 to a base 19 associated with the support 14 and to which the cradles 7 are attached . the shuttle 2 advantageously comprises means for parting the further strand part 1 from the anchored and compacted strand parts 4 . in the embodiment illustrated , these means comprise two rollers mounted to pivot on the shuttle about axes a mounted on the support 14 or the base 19 and perpendicular to the lines 6 a , 6 b . these rollers 9 are interposed between the support 14 , the lines 6 a , 6 b and the further strand part 1 to prevent the strand parts and / or the lines from becoming entangled and to prevent the moving shuttle from rubbing against the strand parts already in place and risking damaging them . it is possible to provide just one roller 9 on the shuttle , preferably at the front of the shuttle with respect to the direction of travel of the shuttle inside the casing during hauling . | 4 |
this invention may be accomplished in methods of measuring the energy transfer efficiency changes resulting from modifications made to a thermal transfer system . in the preferred embodiment , the method is accomplished by measuring the amount of fuel used by the energy transfer system to produce a predefined quantity of energy at the system output , making the modifications , and then again measuring the amount of fuel used to produce the same quantity of energy at the system output , under the same operating conditions as the test performed before the modifications , to determine the fuel conservation associated with the modifications . alternatively , the amount of fuel used may be the constant , and the output energy may be the measured variable . in order to make accurate , meaningful comparisons of data taken before and after system modifications , it is important to build a baseline database which includes such fuel usage / energy creation data across a wide range of possible operating conditions of the thermal transfer system . this database may be created by identifying system variables in advance , and taking measurements of the operating variables before making the modifications . an amount of output energy to be used as the comparison point , called the &# 34 ; trigger point &# 34 ; herein , is determined in advance . the system is then operated under different conditions , and measurements of all the system variables are made over the time it takes to create a trigger point amount of energy . the values of each of the operating variables over this time are then averaged and stored in the database along with the amount of fuel used to create the trigger point amount of energy . preferably , the trigger point is chosen to be small enough such that these baseline tests are of short enough duration so that there is not a great variation in the values of the variables during any given test . the variables which change most rapidly are wind speed near the top of the stack and system load . furthermore , the values of the variables are preferably measured or sampled at a rate of at least once per second . a measurement range is determined in advance for each of the variables . for example , the range of outside temperatures could be selected to be between - 10 ° f . and 110 ° f . this range for each of the variables is then divided into a number of equal - sized increments , called &# 34 ; bins &# 34 ; herein . for example , there may be 12 bins for temperature , each encompassing ten degree increments . to simplify the use of the database , each variable has the same number of bins . the total number of possible combinations of bins is therefore equal to the number of bins , raised to the power equal to the number of independent variables . thus , if there are two bins , and three variables , there are 2 3 , or 8 , possible combinations of bins . accordingly , a table with eight entries will provide a database which has an entry for each possible combination of bins . fuel usage data is provided for each database entry in the baseline database established before the modifications . since it will likely not be possible to actually take measurements across the entire measurement range for each operating variable , in order to create a complete table it is necessary to conduct multivariate multiple regression interpolation / extrapolation on the measured data . preferably , a commercially - available software package , such as &# 34 ; statistica &# 34 ; software , sold by statsoft company , tulsa , okla ., is used to perform the interpolation / extrapolation , although other commercially available software packages may be used . once the table is prepared , one or more modifications are made to the thermal transfer system . the system is then operated , and the same variables measured until the trigger point is reached . the variable values during the measurement time are averaged , and the bin number for each variable average value is then determined . the database entry having corresponding bin numbers is then found , and the fuel usage measurement associated with that database entry is retrieved . the amount of fuel used after the modifications is then compared with this retrieved fuel usage value to determine the change in fuel usage caused by the modifications . there is shown in fig1 boiler system 10 employing the method of this invention of determining changes in energy usage resulting from modifications in the boiler system . the boiler system consists of boiler 12 and flue gas stack 14 . boiler 12 is fed with water and fuel . this invention contemplates the development of data from the boiler system , which in the preferred embodiment is accomplished as follows . microcomputer 26 ( a 486 - dx - 50 , with 8 mb ram ) is enabled to accept inputs comprising the fuel flow rate using flow meter transmitter 16 , the steam output pressure and differential pressure using pressure and differential pressure meter 20 and 22 , respectively . steam temperature must also be included if the boiler produces superheated steam . the signals from transmitters 16 , 18 , 20 and 22 are typical 4 - 20 ma signals that are converted to 1 - 10 vdc signals by conditioners 32 . these signals are digitized by a / d card 34 . the windspeed , ambient temperature , and barometric pressure near the top of stack 14 are also collected using anemometer 24 , temperature sensor 26 , and pressure sensor 28 , which are inputs to weather monitor station 30 , that may be a davis instruments &# 34 ; weather monitor ii &# 34 ;, although other commercially - available weather monitoring instruments may be used . the data is acquired and processed by computer 36 using a commercially - available data acquisition program , for example the labtech control 4 . 21 data acquisition software development system . hardware drivers are installed in weather monitor 30 to produce a serial output that is compatible with computer 36 . monitor 38 is used to display the data as described below in conjunction with fig2 . the data is used by computer 36 to calculate the wind speed , ambient temperature , barometric pressure , gallons of fuel , steam gauge pressure , steam load in thousands of pounds per hour , and boiler output energy in millions of btus . the calculation of load and energy from the collected data is accomplished using information known in the field . one form of a display displayed on monitor 38 is shown in fig2 . display 40 in this example consists of subdisplays 42 through 44 , one for each of three boiler units in a power generating plant . each sub - display , such as sub - display 42 , includes a running total of millions of btus in the output steam stream , 46 , and gallons of fuel burned to produce this amount of energy , 48 . the load and steam pressure are displayed in real time , 50 and 52 , respectively , and numerical values for bar charts 46 , 48 , 50 , and 52 , are below the bar charts , 47 , 49 , 51 , and 53 , respectively . the time of day is reported in area 56 , and the wind speed , ambient temperature , and barometric pressure are also reported , 58 , 60 and 62 , respectively . the basic methodology of this invention is to establish a trigger point which is either the production of a predetermined quantity of energy , or the burning of a predetermined quantity of fuel . the thermal transfer system is then operated until this trigger point is reached . transmitted data , either in analog or digital format , from each of the transmitters is collected periodically , for example once per second , during this time period . in the example of fig2 the trigger point is 25 million btus , indicated by the number 25 just above bar chart 46 . the amount of fuel consumed to produce the selected amount of energy , along with averages of the operating variables during the energy production period , are then determined and saved . the preferred method of building a database of baseline system information , taken before the modifications are made to the operation of the system , is described in the flow chart of fig3 a and 3b . flow chart 100 begins with step 102 , in which the operator establishes a trigger quantity of energy . in the example carried through in the description , there would be selected an amount in millions of btus . alternatively , the operator could select a trigger point of gallons of fuel burned . the sensors are connected to the computer , step 104 , and data acquisition to fill in the constructed database is then begun , step 106 . the real - time display of fig2 is also enabled . preferably , the trigger quantity of energy is selected to be small enough so that the operating system runs required to generate a single database entry are relatively short , no greater than one hour is recommended . when the test is begun , the computer acquires the value of each variable once per second , step 108 . the data is converted to the desired engineering quantities , step 110 . some variable values are continuously reported , as shown in fig2 . when the trigger of 25 million btus produced is reached , step 112 , data acquisition ends . all the stored values for each variable are then averaged and the data is stored in a database , step 114 . this process is repeated until enough data is collected to achieve a desired level of data in the database , step 116 , so that the database can be accurately completed using interpolation techniques described below . the operator would then set a range of values for each operating variable being measured . the range for each variable is then divided into a number of smaller segments , called &# 34 ; bins &# 34 ;, step 118 . the number of bins is selected by the operator . the number of database entries equals the number of bins raised to the power equal to the number of independent variables , assuming there are the same number of bins for each independent variable . the database entry with bin numbers matching those of the bin numbers determined for each variable average value of a single test is then resolved , and the quantity of fuel used in the run is then written into that database entry , step 114 . data acquisition steps 108 through 114 are repeated a number of times to generate a fuel quantity for a number of different database entries . it is typically impractical to conduct enough tests to fill in the entire database , due to conditions outside of the control of the operator . for example , if the baseline data acquisition takes place during the summer months , the lower ranges of ambient temperatures will not be reached . all the ranges of barometric pressure and wind speed also may not be reached , especially since there are such a large number of possible of combinations of bin numbers in the database . accordingly , it is necessary to complete the table by interpolating / extrapolating from existing data with a technique such as the multivariate regression technique of the &# 34 ; statistica &# 34 ; software package from statsoft company , tulsa , okla . once the baseline database is complete , one or more modifications are made to the system . for example , a new burner nozzle may be installed , or the furnace draft may be altered in some manner . the effect of these modifications on the efficiency of the energy transfer system may then be determined as set forth in flow charts 130 and 150 , fig4 and 5 , respectively . the modification is introduced , step 132 , and the operator begins data acquisition , step 134 . the system stores the variable values once per second , step 136 , and the data is converted , step 138 . when the trigger point is reached , step 140 , data acquisition ends . all stored values of each operating variable are then averaged , and the amount of fuel consumed is computed and stored , step 142 . the change in the amount of fuel used to create the trigger point amount of energy is then determined and displayed as set forth in flow chart 150 , fig5 . when the operator selects the &# 34 ; reports &# 34 ; icon , he is presented with a calendar which allows him to select an operating time period of any one or more days or months in which the stored data is displayed , and the fuel usage change determined and displayed . at step 156 , the computer finds a match in the baseline database for each trigger period in the time period selected by the operator . this database matching is accomplished as follows . the baseline database represents pre - modification consumption values for energy production periods under various conditions which affect efficiency . the baseline database is established in the form of a table , with a number of baseline database entries equal to the number of bins raised to the power of the number of independent variables . for example , if there are two bins and three independent variables , the database has 2 3 , or 8 , entries , numbered 1 through 8 . table i sets forth such a database . the &# 34 ; baseline value &# 34 ; in the far right column would be the fuel consumption for the database entry number . table i______________________________________ variable variable variabledb # 3 - bin no . 2 - bin no . 1 - bin no . baseline value______________________________________1 0 0 0 baseval . sub .-- 12 0 0 1 baseval . sub .-- 23 0 1 0 baseval . sub .-- 34 0 1 1 baseval . sub .-- 45 1 0 0 baseval . sub .-- 56 1 0 1 baseval . sub .-- 67 1 1 0 baseval . sub .-- 78 1 1 1 baseval . sub .-- 8______________________________________ the database entry number for the entry matching each trigger period is determined as follows . the bin number for the average value for each variable is first determined by subtracting the lowest data value of the range from the average value , and dividing the result by the width of the bins . the bin number is the greatest integer value less than or equal to the variable number . for example , if the temperature range is 20 ° to 100 °, and there are eight bins , the 80 ° temperature range would be divided into ten - degree increment bins . the width of the bins would then be ten . if the average temperature for the currently - computed trigger period is 50 °, the bin number for the temperature variable would be equal to 50 - 20 ÷ 10 or 3 . if the temperature was 51 , the bin number would be 4 . once the bin numbers are determined for each of the independent variables , the database entry number is determined by the following equation : database entry no .= 1 + variable 1 bin no .+ variable 2 bin no .× no . bins . sup . ( 2 - 1 ) + . . . variable n bin no .× no . bins . sup . ( n - 1 ) once the baseline database entry number is found , the baseline value ( the amount of fuel used to establish the baseline database entry ) is retrieved from the database . the post - modification fuel quantity is then subtracted from this quantity to determine the fuel savings associated with the modifications , step 158 . the results are displayed in a desired form , such as graphically and in a tabular form , both in summary for the entire selected report period , and in detail for each trigger period of the entire report period . one or more corrections are then applied to the fuel savings to account for the btu content of the fuel , and other post - data acquisition correction factors , for example a correction to account for soot or scale buildup on the heat exchanger tubes , in an attempt to attribute the fuel savings as closely as possible to only the modifications , step 162 . these correction techniques are known in the art . operation then returns to real time display , in which the operator may select another time period for calculation and display , step 164 . although specific features of this invention are shown in some drawings and not others , this is for convenience only as each feature may be combined with any or all of the other features in accordance with the invention . other embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art and are within the following claims : | 5 |
the invention will now be described in detail . in the context of this invention , a number of terms will be utilized . as used herein , the term “ disc ” refers to any of several types of media , consisting of thin , round plates of plastic , metal or combinations thereof , used for storage of information , including , but not limited to , floppy discs , optical discs , compact discs , magnetic discs , audio compact discs , recordable discs , re - recordable discs , digital video discs , digital versatile discs , dvd video discs , laser discs , mini - discs , video game console discs , including , but not limited to , sony play station ® discs , x - box ® 360 discs , and nintendo gamecube ® discs , personal computer ( pc ) discs , cd - rom , cd - i , cd - photo , cd - r , cd - rw , dvd - r , dvd - rw , dvd + r , dvd + rw discs , sony blu - ray ™ discs , and any and all other similar discs as will be apparently known to those skilled in the art . as used herein , the term disc is interchangeable with the common term “ disk ” as it is widely and commonly used . as used herein , the term “ polish ” or “ polishing ” means to make smooth and glossy by causing friction and thereby eliminating or reducing scratches , blemishes , cuts or other marks within the surface of the disc and by removing substances or materials that may have accumulated upon the surface of the disc . the term “ polishing ” includes buffing , sanding , rubbing , and other commonly known terms and known to those skilled in the art . the invention will be more fully understood with reference to the drawings and the following description . referring to fig1 , the drawing illustrates one embodiment of the media disc polishing apparatus of the present invention ( 1 ). the apparatus of the present invention ( 1 ) has a base member ( 2 ) that is connected to a polishing member ( 5 ). at least one rotatable disc platform ( 3 ) is fixedly connected to the base member ( 2 ). the base member can have any adjustments , such as leveling feet , which allow the apparatus to be adjusted to different operating environments so as to assure a stability of the apparatus during operation . a stable non - vibrating surface is desired to obtain precision and optimal results during the polishing process . the disc platform ( 3 ) is a flat plate , platen or surface and it is desirable that the disc platform ( 3 ) be substantially the same circumferential size as the media disc , though the disc platform can be circumferentially larger than the disc . during the disc polishing process , a disc to be polished is placed onto the upward facing surface ( 8 ) of the disc platform ( 3 ). the disc can be placed manually by an operator of the apparatus or an automated means can be used for placing the disc onto the disc platform . fig2 is a side view of the disc platform ( 3 ) on the base member ( 2 ) of the apparatus . in one preferred embodiment of the invention , the apparatus has two disc platforms ( 3 ) positioned side by side on the base member ( 2 ) as illustrated in fig4 . optionally , the apparatus may have any number of disc platforms , as will be further disclosed herein . the disc platform ( 3 ) can be made of any suitable material that is strong enough to withstand the pressure of the polishing head ( 6 ) during the polishing process . preferred materials are selected from the group comprising aluminum , stainless steel , polycarbonate composites and alloys . preferably , the disc platform ( 3 ) is made of a corrosion resistant material . in the preferred embodiment of the invention , the disc platform ( 3 ) is made of aluminum . the disc platform ( 3 ) is mounted rotatably on the base member ( 2 ) in order to be able to spin upon contact with the rotating polishing head ( 6 ) and to relieve frictional stress during the polishing process . in order for the disc platform ( 3 ) to rotate , a certain tolerance must be maintained between the base member ( 2 ) and the disc platform ( 3 ). in the preferred embodiment , the tolerance is in the range of between 0 . 001 and 0 . 010 inches . in a more preferred embodiment , the tolerance is in the range of between 0 . 003 and 0 . 007 inches . the disc platform ( 3 ) has an upwardly protruding pin ( 9 ) in its center to firmly position and hold the disc in the center of the disc platform ( 3 ) while the disc is being polished . optionally , in a preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the invention , the disc platform ( 3 ) has a plurality of radial grooves ( 10 ) arranged like spokes in the direction positioned from the center to the circumferential outside edge of the disc platform ( 3 ), as shown on fig2 . the radial grooves ( 10 ) serve to hold air between the disc and the disc platform ( 3 ), which allows the disc to rotate slightly around the protruding pin ( 9 ) on the disc platform ( 3 ) thus relieving the frictional stress that may be caused between the disc and the polishing head ( 6 ) during the polishing process . the radial grooves ( 10 ) also facilitate removal of the disc from the disc platform ( 3 ) after the polishing is completed . a polishing member ( 5 ) is connected to the base plate ( 16 ) by a support axis ( 11 ). the support axis ( 11 ) must be sufficiently strong and durable in order to hold the polishing member ( 5 ) in place during the polishing process . the polishing member ( 5 ) comprises at least one axially driven rotatable polishing head ( 6 ) that extends downward toward the upward facing surface ( 8 ) of the disc platform ( 3 ) and is positioned at least partly above the disc platform ( 3 ) such that the disc platform ( 3 ) and the polishing head ( 6 ) overlap with one another as illustrated in fig4 . during the polishing process of the invention , the polishing head ( 6 ) advances downward and comes into contact with the disc media on the disc platform ( 3 ). the polishing head ( 6 ) of the present invention has a polishing pad ( 12 ) on the downward facing surface of the polishing head ( 6 ). fig2 illustrates a side view of the polishing head ( 6 ) and the polishing pad ( 12 ) of the apparatus of the invention . the polishing pad ( 12 ) is made of a suitable material that is capable of buffing scratches from the surface of a disc media . the polishing head ( 6 ) is driven by a precision axial drive means ( 7 ) shown in fig1 . the axial drive means ( 7 ) can be any mechanism or apparatus known in the art for like mechanisms . the axial drive means ( 7 ) is further illustrated in fig4 . in a preferred embodiment , the axial drive means is an electric drill - like mechanism . polishing is controlled in a vertical up and down motion much like that observed in the operation of a drill press . a pneumatic circuit board ( 15 ) or sequencer , as commonly known to those skilled in the art , can be used to actuate the axial drive means ( 7 ) to a preset position in the vicinity of the disc platform ( 3 ). the pneumatic circuit board ( 15 ) can advance or retract the polishing head ( 6 ) and polishing pad ( 12 ) as desired by the operator . after advancing downward toward the surface of the disc media at a preset pressure , the axial drive means ( 7 ) rotates the polishing head ( 6 ) with the attached polishing pad ( 12 ) as is necessary relative to the severity of the scratch on the disc media , so as to remove a desired amount of scratch or material from the surface of the disc media . in an embodiment of the invention where the apparatus has more than one disc platform ( 3 ) on the base member ( 2 ), the polishing head ( 6 ) with the polishing pad ( 12 ) is positioned in a way that it overlaps at least partially with the surfaces of all the disc platforms ( 3 ). thus , the more disc platforms ( 3 ), the larger the polishing head ( 6 ) is required such that it can contact the surface of each of the disc platforms ( 3 ). in an alternate embodiment , the apparatus of the present invention has three disc platforms ( 3 ). in an alternate embodiment , the apparatus provides for a plurality of polishing heads ( 6 ) with polishing pads ( 12 ) and disc platforms ( 3 ) to allow for simultaneous polishing of multiple discs . one such embodiment is illustrated in fig6 , showing two polishing heads ( 6 ) and four disc platforms ( 3 ), which would allow for simultaneous polishing of four discs . the invention may be further expanded using the design parameters of this disclosure to include other combinations of disc platforms ( 3 ) and polishing heads ( 6 ) and polishing pads ( 12 ) in order to maximize the output capacity of polished discs . the polishing head ( 6 ) of the present invention is a conventional design similar to those used in other industries such as in automobile fender or coach work . it is desirable for the polishing head ( 6 ) to have a flexible means that allows some retraction and resiliency when downward pressure is applied onto the disc platform ( 3 ). in the preferred embodiment , the polishing head ( 6 ) is attached to the axial drive means ( 7 ) by a foam center core and comprises a foam body layer . the foam body layer yields slightly when the polishing head ( 6 ) and polishing pad ( 12 ) comes into contact with the disc to be polished . the polishing pad ( 12 ) is connected to the polishing head ( 6 ) by any means commonly known in the art for like mechanisms . preferred materials for connecting the polishing pad ( 12 ) to the polishing head ( 6 ) are hook and loop nylon fasteners such as velcro ® of velcro industries b . v . but any adhesive or connective materials can be utilized . the hook and loop fasteners are particularly useful because their use allows the operator of the apparatus to easily switch polishing pads ( 12 ) as desirable based on the severity of the scratch on the disc media . the material of the polishing pad ( 12 ) and the pressure and speed at which the polishing head ( 6 ) is operated determine the amount of surface material that will be removed from the surface of the disc media . thus , deeper scratches will require higher pressure and speed than light scratches . as is commonly known to persons skilled in the art , more abrasive materials are required to remove deeper scratches from a disc media . according to the apparatus and method of the invention , for removing or reducing scratches from the surface of disc media , the polishing pad ( 12 ) is made of an abrasive material necessary for sanding the disc . preferred materials for the polishing pad ( 12 ) of the invention utilized for sanding the disc and removing deep scratches are selected from a group comprising 1 , 000 to 10 , 000 grit sand paper . other preferred abrasive materials are commonly known to those skilled in the art . according to the apparatus and method of the invention , for rendering a smooth and glossy surface on the disc during polishing , the polishing pad ( 12 ) is selected from the group consisting of foam , rubber or any soft composite . in a preferred embodiment , the polishing pad ( 12 ) comprises foam composite with a 3 , 500 grit polishing surface . according to the method of the invention , a polishing agent is applied to the disc media surface during the polishing process . the polishing agent can be applied by any available means . one embodiment of the invention provides for manual application by simple squeeze or spray bottles . for example , a polishing agent is sprayed directly onto the disc media by the operator before the polishing head ( 6 ) comes into contact with the disc media . in an alternate embodiment , the application of the polishing agent can be accomplished through automated means as will be apparent to those skilled in the art . polishing agents used according to the method of the invention are extensively disclosed in patents and publications and are commonly known to those skilled in the art . the apparatus of the invention provides for a start and stop mechanism that complies with safety rules and regulations ensuring that the operator &# 39 ; s hands are clear of any possible machine movement prior to starting operation of the apparatus . in a preferred embodiment , the timing of the operation of the apparatus and process can be controlled by a precision timer ( 13 ) illustrated in fig1 . preferred polishing time of the method of the invention for obtaining good polishing results is from 1 to 30 seconds of polishing per cycle . to provide optimum polishing results , a means for automated pressure control is provided to regulate the pressure at which the polishing head ( 6 ) with the polishing pad ( 12 ) comes into contact with the disc media . this is accomplished by the pressure regulator ( 14 ) and counter spring ( 17 ) of sufficient force to control the apparatus of the invention , illustrated in fig1 . the pressure regulator ( 14 ) can be comprised of separate control elements or by a pneumatic circuit board ( 15 ). the polishing sequence is best initiated by a two hand unit - tie - down pneumatic control circuit board ( 15 ). the pneumatic control circuit board ( 15 ) optimizes the spatial constraints of the apparatus , reducing the amount of space necessary for the movement of the polishing member ( 5 ) and also increases the functionality or number of polishing cycles that can be performed by the polishing head ( 6 ) and polishing pad ( 12 ). in such embodiment , the disc polishing pressure regulation is independent from the system pressure . the air pressure is preferably regulated down to a range of between 15 to 100 psi . this separation improves polishing results . a pneumatic pressure filter lubricator control mechanism is used to provide preset movement of the polishing head ( 6 ) and pressure in the system . for optimal polishing of the disc , it is important to apply consistent pressure and to set controlled tolerances so as to prevent uneven pressure and thus uneven polishing of the disc . the apparatus of the invention provides a counter - pressure spring ( 30 ) that is integrated into the axial drive means of the polishing head ( 10 ), as illustrated in fig5 . the counter - pressure spring ( 30 ) is necessary to prevent excess pressure from being applied by the polishing head ( 10 ) onto the polishing platform ( 4 ). the counter - pressure spring ( 30 ) allows retraction of the polishing head ( 10 ) relative to the axial drive means to maintain a consistent desirable pressure during the polishing process . the counter - pressure spring ( 30 ) solves the problem of varied pressure being applied to the media disc when a human operator or simple mechanical actuation means is used . in the preferred embodiment , desired is a counter - pressure spring that maintains a force of 12 to 15 pounds . the counter - pressure spring ( 30 ) also eliminates the need to control the vertical travel distance of the polishing head ( 10 ) since the applied force is not a function of the travel distance . according to the method of the invention , a disc media is polished by using the apparatus disclosed and described herein . the method of the invention can be repeated as many times as required in order to obtain desired results . each cycle or repetition of the polishing process can be controlled independently or different polishing stations can be established to address differing levels of damage on the discs . although the present invention has been described in terms of certain preferred embodiments , other embodiments that are apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art are also intended to be within the scope of the present invention . it should be understood that other uses , variations and advantages of the invention will become known to those upon consideration of the disclosure herein . such changes , alterations and improvements are meant to be within the scope of the present disclosure . accordingly , the scope of the present invention is intended to be limited only by the claims appended hereto . | 1 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a detailed description of one or more embodiments of the disclosed apparatus and method are presented herein by way of exemplification and not limitation with reference to the figures . referring to fig1 and 2 an embodiment of a runnable member catching system disclosed herein is illustrated at 10 . the system includes a tubular 14 and a catcher 16 comprising in this embodiment of a body 18 , an insert 22 and a sleeve 24 , although in some embodiments the catcher 16 may be comprised of fewer parts such as the body 18 only , for example , which alternatively could have a tubular shape . the body 18 is fixedly attached to the tubular 14 by the insert 22 . the insert 22 may be a split ring , as shown herein , that engages in a recess 26 in an inner surface 30 of walls 34 of the tubular 14 and a recess 38 in an outer surface 42 of the body 18 . alternately , the insert 22 may be engaged with one or both of the body 18 and the tubular 14 by other means such as threadable engagement , for example . the sleeve 24 is fixedly attached to the body 18 and is sealably engaged within the tubular 14 . the body 18 has a seat 50 that has a smaller radial dimension than that of the tubular 14 , and is sealingly engagable by a runnable member 54 shown in fig2 as a wiper plug . the body 18 and optionally , the sleeve 24 and the insert 22 are made of a material that is structurally weakened in response to being exposed to an activation fluid . this weakening allows for easier removal of the body 18 , the sleeve 24 and the insert 22 by processes such as drilling or milling , for example . in one embodiment of the system 10 , the body 18 , the insert 22 and the sleeve 24 are manufactured from a high strength controlled electrolytic metallic material and are degradable when exposed to an activation fluid such as brine , acid , aqueous fluid or combinations of one or more of these . for example , a variety of suitable materials and their methods of manufacture are described in united states patent publication no . 2011 / 0135953 ( xu et al . ), the entire patent publication of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety . the runnable member catching system 10 is employable in applications to allow the runnable member 54 to be caught at a known location within the tubular 14 where the catcher 16 is positioned . an example of such an application is during a downhole cementing operation wherein cement is pumped down through the tubular 14 and back up in an annular space 55 defined between the tubular 14 and an open borehole 56 in an earth formation 57 . such an operation includes using the runnable member 54 to separate cement 58 from another fluid such as by leading introduction of the cement 58 or following the conclusion of the cement 58 . the runnable member 54 being a wiper plug that includes a seal 62 that sealingly engages with the inner surface 30 of the walls 34 while being run therethrough , thereby separates the cement 54 from fluid on an opposing side of the wiper plug 54 therefrom . a second wiper plug 65 is configured to slidingly sealingly engage with a smaller tubular ( not shown ) possible located upstream of the tubular 14 . the second wiper plug 65 being also configured to sealingly engage with a bore 67 in the wiper plug 54 . in fig2 the wiper plug 54 is shown in a position after having been caught by the body 18 , also known in this application as a landing collar , and is sealingly engaged at the seat 50 . the seal 62 is engaged with the inside of the sleeve 24 and has moved downstream beyond ports 66 in the sleeve 24 . fluid is then able to flow around the wiper plug 54 by flowing through the ports 66 and through an annular space 70 defined between the sleeve 24 and the tubular 14 , then through openings 74 in the body 18 . in this manner the cement 58 is able to be pumped past the wiper plug 54 and the runnable member catching system 10 . another wiper plug ( not shown ) may then follow the cement 58 until it abuts with the wiper plug 54 thereby halting any additional flow of the cement 58 . in some embodiments the activation fluid may be electrically conductive thereby helping to establish an electrochemical reaction to facilitate degradation of the catcher 16 components . in some applications the activation fluid can be pumped to the catcher 16 and can even be the fluid separated from the cement 58 by the runnable member 54 . while the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment or embodiments , it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention . in addition , many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof . therefore , it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention , but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims . also , in the drawings and the description , there have been disclosed exemplary embodiments of the invention and , although specific terms may have been employed , they are unless otherwise stated used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation , the scope of the invention therefore not being so limited . moreover , the use of the terms first , second , etc . do not denote any order or importance , but rather the terms first , second , etc . are used to distinguish one element from another . furthermore , the use of the terms a , an , etc . do not denote a limitation of quantity , but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item . | 4 |
fig1 shows an example assembly 10 wherein an example bracket 12 according to the invention is used to secure an item 14 to a support 16 . in this example , the assembly 10 is a fire suppression sprinkler system comprising a riser 18 and a branch pipe 20 attached to a beam 22 of a structure , such as a warehouse , office building , hotel or other edifice . a saddle coupling 24 connects one end of a flexible hose 26 to the pipe 20 , the other end being attached to the item 14 , in this example a sprinkler reducer . sprinkler reducer 14 is connected to a heat triggered sprinkler 28 which projects through an opening 30 in a ceiling panel 32 . the weight of the flexible hose 26 , bracket 12 , reducer 14 and sprinkler 28 is borne on the support 16 , in this example a cross beam which extends between rails 36 to which the ceiling panel 32 is attached . in this example the ceiling panel is drywall construction , but other types of ceilings are also contemplated . use of the flexible hose 26 permits positional adjustment of the sprinkler 28 in two horizontal and one vertical direction , making it advantageous for use with drywall construction because it is very easy to align the sprinkler with the opening 30 . vertical positioning of the sprinkler is facilitated by the bracket 12 . an example bracket 12 is shown in detail in fig2 and comprises a base 38 , an arm 40 mounted on the base , a contact surface 42 mounted on the arm and a finger 44 mounted on the base . in this example , base 38 is formed of first and second plates 46 and 48 positioned in spaced apart relation to one another . plates 46 and 48 are attached to one another by a third plate 50 . together plates 46 , 48 and 50 form a channel 52 which in this example is sized to receive the support , cross beam 16 ( see fig1 ) to mount the bracket 12 onto it . alternately , the base 38 could be bolted or riveted to the cross beam or another support using one of the plates , however , receiving the cross beam 16 within channel 52 permits easy positional adjustment of the sprinkler 28 lengthwise along the beam . as shown in fig2 and 3 , base 38 has first and second side portions 54 and 56 in spaced relation to one another thereby defining an opening 58 ( fig3 ) which receives the item 14 to be mounted on support 16 . the side portions are connected by a transverse portion 60 , the opening 58 being positioned opposite to the transverse portion . fig2 and 3 illustrate the arm 40 . in this example , a first end 40 a of arm 40 is pivotally mounted on the first side portion 54 . arm 40 can pivot about an axis 62 between a closed position overlying opening 58 ( fig2 ), and an open position in spaced relation away from the opening ( fig3 ). there may be a spring element 64 acting between the base and the arm which biases the arm 40 into the closed position overlying the opening . contact surface 42 comprises a tab 66 in this example , the tab extending from a second end 40 b of the arm 40 disposed opposite to the first end 40 a . fig2 a illustrates the tab 66 and finger 44 in detail . in this example finger 44 comprises a threaded shaft 68 which threadedly engages the second base plate 48 on the second side portion 56 . shaft 68 has a longitudinal axis 70 and is movable in the direction of axis 70 transversely to the base 38 when rotated to permit the end 72 of the shaft 68 to move into and out of engagement with the contact surface 42 . shaft 68 may be a wing bolt to facilitate manual rotation , and / or it may have a non - round receptacle 74 , as shown in fig7 , to permit a tool 76 , such as a nut driver or hex head wrench , to be used for rotating the shaft 68 . in one example embodiment , shown in fig2 a , the tab 66 is angularly oriented with respect to the longitudinal axis 70 of the shaft 68 . angularly orienting tab 66 permits the force exerted by the shaft 68 on the second end of arm 40 b to be varied as necessary to clamp the item 14 between the arm 40 and the base 38 as shown in fig5 and 6 and described below . other tab configurations which achieve a clamping force between the arm and the base are also feasible . as shown in fig2 b , the tab 66 is aligned substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis 70 of the shaft 68 , and has a recess 78 which receives the end 72 of the shaft 68 and permits the arm 40 to be forced tightly into the closed first position as the shaft is rotated and driven along the recess and against the contact surface 42 . fig2 c shows a tab 66 having a beveled edge 80 for receiving and guiding the shaft into engagement with the contact surface 42 of the tab . in both of these embodiments it is advantageous if the tab 66 partially overlies the path of shaft 68 when the arm 40 is held in the closed position by the spring 64 so that when the shaft 68 engages the contact surface 42 of the tab 66 it applies force to the arm thereby allowing the arm to exert a clamping force on the item 14 positioned between it and the base 38 . fig2 d shows an exploded view of another bracket embodiment 82 wherein tab 66 comprises a curved surface 84 forming a hook 86 . hook 86 is sized to receive finger 44 when the arm 40 is in the closed configuration overlying opening 30 . curved surface 84 may have a conical shape , being wider at the end proximate to the position 88 on base 38 where the finger 44 engages the base , and narrowing distally therefrom . the conical shape helps guide the finger into engagement with the surface 84 by forming a lead - in to accept the end of the finger 44 . the conical shape also provides an effect similar to the angled contact surface 42 shown in fig2 a in that it permits the finger to force the arm 40 into the closed position as it rides up the surface 84 upon motion along axis 70 . as further shown in fig2 d , a hook 90 is mounted on the second end 40 b of arm 40 . hook 90 is sized to receive finger 44 and helps to properly position arm 40 in the closed position to permit effective engagement between the finger 44 and the curved surface 84 of tab 66 . fig4 shows an alternate bracket embodiment 92 wherein finger 44 is mounted on arm 40 , and the contact surface 42 is mounted on the base 38 , the other features of the bracket 82 being as described above for bracket 12 . in the example bracket 92 , finger 44 comprises a threaded shaft 68 threadedly engaged with the end 40 b of arm 40 . shaft 68 has a longitudinal axis 70 , and rotation of the shaft moves the finger transversely to the arm 40 in the direction of the axis 70 , allowing the shaft to engage and disengage with the contact surface 42 . contact surface 42 comprises a tab 66 mounted on the second plate 48 . as shown in fig4 a , tab 66 may be angularly oriented with respect to the longitudinal axis 70 of the shaft 68 . in another embodiment , shown in fig4 b , tab 66 is mounted on base 38 and comprises a recess 78 which receives and guides finger 44 ( shaft 68 ) into engagement with the contact surface 42 . finger 44 is mounted on arm 40 and movable along its longitudinal axis 70 as described above . fig4 c illustrates another embodiment wherein finger 44 is again mounted on arm 40 and tab 66 is mounted on base 38 , the tab having a beveled edge 80 to guide the finger into engagement with the contact surface 42 . fig4 d illustrates yet another embodiment wherein finger 44 is mounted on arm 40 and the tab 66 comprises a curved surface 84 forming a hook 86 mounted on the base 38 . hook 86 is sized to receive finger 44 when the arm 40 is in the closed configuration overlying opening 30 . curved surface 84 may have a conical shape , being wider at the end proximate to the end of the finger 44 , and narrowing distally therefrom . the conical shape helps guide the finger into engagement with the surface 84 by forming a lead - in to accept the end of the finger 44 . the conical shape also provides an effect similar to the angled contact surface 42 shown in fig2 a in that it permits the finger to force the arm 40 into the closed position as it rides up the surface 84 upon motion along axis 70 . operation of the bracket 12 according to the invention is illustrated in fig5 and 6 . in this example , before a ceiling panel 32 is installed , support 16 is received within channel 52 and the bracket 12 is able to slide lengthwise along the support so as to preposition it to align with opening 30 in the ceiling panel once it is installed . item 14 , in this example a sprinkler reducer attached to a piping network by a flexible hose 26 ( see also fig1 ), is inserted within bracket opening 58 ( fig5 ) and held in position by moving arm 40 ( or allowing the arm to move if spring biased ) from the open to the closed position ( fig6 ). with the arm 40 in the closed position , threaded shaft 68 is rotated to engage it with contact surface 42 and provide clamping force between the arm 40 and the bracket base 38 to clamp the reducer in an arbitrary vertical position . next the ceiling panel 32 is attached to its supporting structure ( see rails 36 in fig1 ), with the opening 30 aligned with the reducer 14 . after installation of the ceiling panel 32 , a technician may adjust the vertical position of the sprinkler 28 attached to the reducer 14 by turning the threaded shaft 68 to disengage it from the contact surface 42 , thereby allowing the arm 40 to swing from the closed to the open position ( fig5 ), or at least out of contact with the reducer 14 . the reducer , no longer being supported by bracket 12 , is free to move vertically as necessary to position the sprinkler 28 at the desired position relative to the ceiling panel 32 . the technician holds the reducer in the desired vertical position and moves , or allows , arm 40 to move back into the closed position ( fig6 ) where it engages the reducer . the technician then rotates the threaded shaft 68 to again engage it with the contact surface 42 , which results in clamping of the reducer between the arm 40 and the base 38 , thereby holding the sprinkler in the desired vertical position . brackets according to the invention allow easy adjustment of the position of an item on one side of a barrier or membrane where the mounting to be manipulated is positioned on the opposite side of the barrier or membrane and thereby provide significant advantage over prior art mounting brackets . although use of example brackets according to the invention is shown in the context of a fire suppression sprinkler system , it is understood that this is by way of example only and not a limitation . brackets according to the invention may be used with any type of support , in a ceiling , wall or other structure , and in any orientation , and may be used to secure electrical fixtures such as lighting , wiring harnesses , natural gas lines , audio components such as loudspeakers , as well as safety devices such as smoke detectors , carbon monoxide detectors , and radiation monitors to cite but a few examples . | 0 |
rolling oil circuit 1 shown schematically in fig1 for cold rolled strip mill 2 with lubrication and cooling oil for the rolling process is equipped with a measurement system for online measurement of electrical conductivity of the rolling oil , of the degree of oil fouling which is caused mainly by the abrasion of the rolls and rolled articles as well as additives , and the quality of the filtering process of oil filter 3 located in the circuit . the measurement system comprises two identical base sensors 4 , 5 . base sensor 4 , viewed in peripheral direction a of the rolling oil , is installed in bypass line 6a of main line 6 of rolling oil circuit 1 in front of oil filter 3 and base sensor 5 in bypass line 6b of main line 6 behind oil filter 3 . with base sensor 5 installed behind oil filter 3 in bypass line 6b the absolute value of the electrical conductivity of the rolling oil is continuously measured to determine the degree of electrostatic charging with respect to preventing electrostatic discharges . the measurement signals of base sensor 5 are transmitted to control means 7 which controls device 8 for adding conductivity additives to rolling oil circuit 1 . by adding conductivity additives the required minimum conductivity of the rolling oil of 50 ps / m is maintained . the absolute value of electrical conductivity of the rolling oil which must be optionally referenced to the oil temperature and which is measured by base sensor 5 behind oil filter 3 is furthermore a criterion for the degree of fouling of the oil and thus decisive for the time of processing of the used rolling oil which can no longer by cleaned by a filtering process , using a distillation or rectification process . by means of the difference values which result from the values of electrical conductivity of the rolling oil measured by base sensor 4 in front of oil filter 3 and the conductivity values measured by base sensor 5 behind oil filter 3 , the quality of the filtering process is evaluated and the time of required cleaning of the filter or renewal of the filtering agent is ascertained and the supply of filtering aids is controlled . base sensor 4 according to fig2 which can be used to measure the electrical conductivity κ , dielectric constant εr , permeability μ and viscosity η of poorly conductive and nonconductive fluids such as rolling oil is installed in the vertical position in bypass line 6a of main line 6 of rolling oil circuit 1 to prevent the air in the oil circuit from collecting in the base sensor which would adulterate the measurement results . base sensor 4 has outer electrode 9 which is made as electrically conductive metallic tube segment 9a in which there is electrically conductive inner electrode 10 which is preferably made in the shape of a flow line and around which fluid flows . cylindrical inner electrode 10 is divided into middle useful electrode 10a and one front and one rear shielding electrode 10b , 10c . useful electrode 10a of inner electrode 10 is separated by insulation 11 from two shielding electrodes 10b , 10c . inner electrode 10 is held by two spacers 12 in base sensor 4 , spacers 12 being installed between outer electrode 9 and two shielding electrodes 10b , 10c . this arrangement prevents nonhomogeneous edge fields which lead to false measurement results when electrically conductive dirt particles are deposited on spacers 12 . inner electrode 10 is made partially as a hollow body for the bushing of power leads for measurement electronics 13 . temperature sensor 14 which is installed in outer electrode 9 of base sensor 4 is used to measure the temperature of the rolling oil . to measure the viscosity of the rolling oil , inner electrode 10 of base sensor 4 can be equipped with a rotary drive with power consumption or rpm which constitutes a measurement quantity for the viscosity of the rolling oil . tubular outer electrode 9 has one inlet and one outlet connector 15 , 16 , each with tube connection 17 for installation of base sensor 4 in bypass line 6a of main line 6 of rolling oil circuit 1 . to determine electrical conductivity k of the rolling oil ohmic resistance r x of the oil between outer electrode 9 and inner electrode 10 of base sensor 4 is measured with the measurement system described below . the equivalent circuit diagram of the overall sensor according to fig3 shows that unknown resistance r x is an element of a network of parasitic resistors and capacitors . in the equivalent circuit diagram this equivalent circuit diagram can be greatly simplified using an appropriate sensor signal when the sensor layout is suitable . thus c k and r k can be ignored if the connections to the inner or outer electrodes are laid separately , the connection of the inner electrode is made via coaxial cable , and the outer conductor of the coaxial cable is suitably connected . the conductivity decreases when a dc voltage is applied . this can be attributed to the formation of c p , c d , and r p . if a measurement signal with changing polarity is used , these components can also be ignored in the equivalent circuit diagram . this yields the final equivalent circuit diagram of the base sensor according to fig4 . using the basic formulas for homogeneous flow fields , at a given sensor geometry resistance r x and specific conductivity κ of sensor 4 shown in fig5 in cross section can be computed with a coaxial arrangement of outer electrode 9 and inner electrode 10 in the form of a single layer cylinder capacitor as follows where r a is the inside radius of the outer electrode fig6 shows the block diagram of the new measurement system with the above described base sensor for measuring the specific conductivity κ , dielectric constant εr , ferromagnetic permeability μ , viscosity η , and temperature ν of poorly conductive and nonconductive fluids such as rolling oil . the measurement system claimed in the invention with the pertinent electronics for determining unknown resistance r x and parasitic sensor capacitance c x is explained below . if resistance r x and sensor capacitance c x are known , the specific conductivity κ and dielectric constant ε r can be computed . since these two quantities are dependent on temperature , a temperature measurement which is not detailed is necessary . integrating measurement systems are used to determine resistance r x and parasitic sensor capacitance c x . these measurement systems are characterized by high noise suppression and offer the further advantages that the measured quantities obtained using integration can be easily converted into frequencies which can be measured very accurately . other advantageous properties of frequencies are noiseless long - distance transmission of the measurement signal and simple digitization . this is of decisive importance since quantities r x and c x to be determined are recorded with a microcomputer as follows from the block diagram of the measurement system according to fig6 . in this measurement system the voltage supply is located separately to preclude adverse effects on the measurement electronics caused thereby . the equivalent circuit diagram of the conductivity sensor is reduced to the parallel connection of resistance r x and capacitance c x . to determine conductivity however only resistance r x is relevant , i . e ., parasitic sensor capacitance c x should not be included in the measurement result . one possibility for eliminating the capacitance is to measure with a dc voltage . for the charged capacitor then the following applies the measurement system as shown in fig7 does compensate for sensor capacitance c x , but at the same time other disturbances can take effect . primarily polarization makes it impossible to determine resistance via a dc voltage measurement . in addition , offset quantities of the operational amplifier would cause further adulteration of the measurement result . to prevent this it is essential to work with an ac voltage . since however a pure sinusoidal voltage does not compensate for the reactive current of the sensor capacitance , it is measured at the same time . the process claimed in the invention works with a bipolarly clocked dc voltage , however measurements being taken only in the time intervals in which the voltage on the sensor is constant . fig8 shows the behavior of the bipolarly clocked dc voltage with the measurement intervals drawn in . in the measurement system for measuring the specific electrical conductivity of a poorly conductive or nonconductive fluid such as rolling oil which is shown in the simplified block diagram in fig9 a test signal in the form of a clocked dc voltage with frequency which is dependent on the value of conductivity k is switched to base sensor 4 . the output voltage of base sensor 4 is integrated by integrator 18 and the output signal of integrator 18 is switched to schmitt trigger 19 with its output signal in turn switched to base sensor 4 as the test signal . integration is set to zero for each change of the test signal . the switching concept for the measurement system for measuring conductivity consists essentially of an astable flip - flop with reversing integrator 18 and noninverting schmitt trigger 19 , switch 21 controlled by monoflop 20 deactivating integrator 18 during the change of polarity of the measurement voltage and zeroing it to the initial condition . the integrator used in the measurement system with the operational amplifier and integration capacitor c n is decisive for measurement accuracy . since resistance r x to be measured can assume values into the teraohm range for very low conductivities of a fluid , the operational amplifier used should have a high input resistance . the offset quantities are eliminated by the measurement process as claimed in the invention . fig1 shows the active integrator with its wiring . the sensor consisting of the parallel connection of r x and c x forms the input impedance . integration capacitor c n is in feedback and parallel to it is analog switch s 1 controlled via a monoflop . if clocked dc voltage u 1 changes its sign , switch s 1 is closed . since the integrator is then in direct negative feedback , output voltage u 2 jumps to zero volts at this time and integration capacitor c n is discharged via switch s 1 . parasitic sensor capacitance c x is simply recharged during the change of polarity of u 1 . if the measurement voltage again reaches a constant value , s 1 opens and the integration process is started . since c x is now charged and thus according to equation ( 2 ) i c = 0 , only measurement current i rx flowing via unknown resistance r x is integrated . the frequency according to equation ( 3 ) is a linear function of κ . the other quantities are constant . they are based on the geometrical dimension of the sensor and on the resistance ratio r 3 / r 2 which determines the operating points of the schmitt trigger which is not detailed . computation of the integrator according to fig1 shows that with short circuiting of the integration capacitor during the change of polarity of u meas the parasitic sensor capacitance can be eliminated , to do this switch s 1 must be triggered with a control pulse of constant length t short . analogously to the measurement system explained using fig9 for measuring the specific electrical conductivity of a poorly conductive or nonconductive fluid such as rolling oil , in a measurement system for online measurement of the dielectric constant ε r of this fluid a test signal in the form of a clocked dc voltage with a frequency which is proportional to the value of dielectric constant ε r is switched to a base sensor . the developing output voltage of the integrator implemented in this way is switched to a schmitt trigger with its output signal converted into a current in turn switched to the base sensor as the test signal . fig1 illustrates the block diagram of a measurement system for measuring the conductive and dielectric constant of a fluid . analogously to the above described measurement systems for measuring the conductive and dielectric constant of fluids , in a measurement system for online measurement of permeability μ of poorly conductive and nonconductive fluids a test signal in the form of a clocked dc voltage with a frequency which is a function of permeability μ is switched to a base sensor . the developing current is converted into a voltage by the base sensor and the output voltage of the integrator implemented in this way with the sensor inductance switched into the inverting input branch of an operational amplifier looped back via an ohmic resistance is switched to a schmitt trigger with an output voltage which in turn is switched to the base sensor as the test signal . by measuring the dielectric constant the water content can be determined for example in transformer oils , brake fluids and aviation gasoline . brake fluid can absorb water which forms vapor bubbles in it which adversely affect the serviceability of the braking system in motor vehicles . in aircraft exposed to temperatures down to - 40 ° c ., water contained in the brake fluid can form ice crystals which clog lines and valves of the braking system and thus reduce braking performance so that when aircraft land the danger of accident can arise . water in aviation gasoline can also reduce the power of aircraft engines for example by icing or bubble formation . at the same time measurement of the dielectric constant of aviation gasoline becomes important for safety in the fueling of aircraft and during running measurement of the dielectric constant of the brake fluid of the braking system of aircraft for determining the water content of the aviation gasoline or the brake fluid . by means of running measurement of the permeability of the lubricating oil of for example engines , transmissions , and power plant turbines , abraded ferromagnetic particles which originate for example from turbine bearings and which are contained in the oil can be detected so that early recognition of incipient bearing damage is possible and turbine damage which leads to longer downtimes of sections of a power plant can be prevented by early replacement of bearings . the above description shows that the measurement process claimed in the invention and the corresponding measurement systems for measuring conductivity , dielectric constant and permeability of poorly conductive and nonconductive fluids such as rolling oil , lubricating oils , brake fluids and aircraft fuel will acquire great importance in many technical applications in the future . | 6 |
the embodiments hereinafter disclosed are not intended to be exhaustive or limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed in the following description . rather the embodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the art may utilize its teachings . turning now to the drawings , and particularly to fig1 , there is shown one embodiment of an iris capture system 20 of the present invention including an nfov nir camera 22 with adjustable focus , an nir illuminator 24 , and a depth sensor 26 all in electronic communication with a central processor 28 . system 20 may capture images of , and detect the positions of , moving subjects such as a human being 30 or a human being 32 when he approaches a doorway at which camera 22 , illuminator 24 and sensor 26 are mounted , such as - in a direction indicated by arrow 36 . camera 22 may be installed with a mounting height h and tilt angle a such that a standoff distance 38 for the user is approximately between 1 . 5 meters and 3 . 5 meters and the captured iris diameter is above 150 pixels . in one embodiment , height h is about 250 centimeters . the width of a capture volume 40 may be on the order of 20 centimeters . in the embodiment illustrated in fig1 , a width 42 of capture volume 40 where the image and shape of the taller person 30 are captured is about 17 centimeters , and a width 44 of capture volume 40 where the image and shape of the shorter person 32 are captured is about 30 centimeters . there are many devices known for measuring depth information , such as stereo cameras , time - of - flight sensors , and structure lights . in embodiments in which nfov camera 22 does not have panning and tilting capabilities , the human being whose image and shape are being captured needs to look at camera 22 while approaching the doorway . the iris capture may be triggered at different standoff distances for users with different heights . depth sensor 26 may be installed at various positions and orientations . tof sensor 26 may be positioned very close to nfov camera 22 to allow for a more compact design . nir illuminator 24 can be placed at any location so long as it illuminates capture volume 40 . system 20 can be applied to other possible settings in which depth sensor 26 is used . for example , camera 22 may be in the form of a high speed , high performance video camera . alternatively , camera 22 may have a fixed focus or adjustable focus based on the distance between the camera and the user . it is also possible for camera 22 to include pan - tilt capabilities in order to further enlarge the capture volume . an operational block diagram of system 20 illustrated in fig2 . the three - dimensional information measured by depth sensor 26 may be used in various ways within system 20 . first , face detection and tracking 46 may be performed on the up - sampled intensity images 48 captured by depth sensor 26 . the three - dimensional position of the eyes may then be estimated from an upper portion of the detected face depth maps . the next eye location for the moving subject may be predicted accurately in real time . for example , time rates of change of the three - dimensional position of the eyes may be extrapolated to predict future eye locations . second , the three - dimensional position may be used to determine whether eyes are within the field of view and whether the stand - off distance is within the depth of field . if these two conditions are satisfied , the nfov camera may be instructed to perform image capturing , as at 50 . third , the depth information may be used to dynamically control the focus position of the lens of nfov camera 22 . finally , the depth information can be used to estimate the blur kernel 52 for iris deblurring , as at 53 . the deblurring may be useful in an iris recognition algorithm 55 . more accurate depth information could be used to predict the speed and future positions of the human being so that the real or desired focus position can be estimated more accurately even when the system delay exists . the real or desired focus position may represent the focus position that is ideal for the future estimated position of the human being . calibration between nfov camera 22 and depth sensor 26 may be performed , as at 54 . in one embodiment , depth sensor 26 could be a tof sensor . many existing tof sensors contain systematic depth bias from the demodulation of correlation function and incident lights , and so calibration , or so - called “ precalibration ”, of the tof sensor may obtain a better depth measurement . in a first step of a novel calibration method of the present invention , a large planar board may be positioned at different depths and with different orientations . a robust plane fitting may then be applied for the planar board at each position . the depth bias may be estimated by computing the difference between measured depth and the fitted plane . after the calibration of tof sensor 26 , the depth uncertainty may be greatly reduced , especially the depth uncertainty between 1 . 3 and 2 meters . in order to transform the depth in the coordinate system of tof sensor 26 to that of nfov camera 22 , a full system calibration may be performed . the nfov camera with a telephoto lens may be approximated as an affine camera . a planar checkerboard pattern is captured at different depths . as the correspondences between the two - dimensional points x from nfov camera 22 and three - dimensional points x from tof sensor 26 are known , the projection matrix p can be computed by minimizing the re - projection errors . the intrinsic and extrinsic matrices may be obtained by rq decomposition of p . a second method to calibrate between nfov camera 22 and tof sensor 26 is a non - parametric method . a small planar pattern may be positioned at different 3d locations within the field of view of tof sensor 26 . the 3d locations visible to the nfov camera 22 are recorded and further construct a 3d convex hull in the coordinate system of tof sensor 26 . when tof sensor 26 is mounted close enough to the nfov camera 22 , the distance between eyes and nfov camera 22 may be approximated by the depth information measured by tof sensor 26 . when a living being enters the field of view of tof sensor 26 and either eye &# 39 ; s location is inside the pre - computed convex hull , then the eye is also within the field of view of nfov camera 22 . blur kernel estimation step 52 for iris deblurring is optional . as long as the iris deblurring algorithm needs to use the accurate depth information , the depth information provided by tof sensor 26 may be sufficient . when depth information is not available in capturing systems , some statistics of the captured image ( e . g ., focus scores ) may be used to estimate blur kernel . where i , l , h , and n represent the blurred image ; un - blurred image ; point spread function ( psf ) or blur kernel ; and additive noise , respectively . for defocus blur , the psf h depends on the circle of confusion r . for cameras with adjustable focus , r is a function of two parameters based on the typical pin - hole camera model . the two parameters are the distance from the object to the lens d and the distance between the lens and the image plane s , r = ds 2 1 f - 1 d - 1 s ( 2 ) where d is the radius of the lens , and f is the focal length of the lens . for cameras with fixed focus s , r is determined only by d . the psf h for the defocus blur may be modeled as a gaussian kernel , h = 1 2 πσ h 2 ⅇ - x 2 + y 2 2 σ h 2 . ( 3 ) because the captured eye region is usually parallel to the image plane , the psf h may be shift - invariant . the blur kernel estimation method of the present invention will now be described with the assumption in place that the depth difference is measured . when the fixed focus cameras are used , it is relatively simple to estimate the kernel . the kernel estimation method of the present invention may deal with the more general case , i . e ., cameras with adjustable focus . as mentioned above , the depth difference may be mainly caused by the system delay when a subject is moving . as the lens focus position p f is proportional to the distance between the lens and image plane s , when the circle of confusion r is small enough , the relationship between the in - focus position of lens p f and d may be derived based on equation ( 2 ), after measuring focus positions from in - focus images at different depths , k 1 and k 2 can be easily estimated by curve fitting using equation ( 4 ). fig3 shows an example of a fitted curve for the measured focus positions and depths . as the standard deviation of the blur kernel gaussian distribution σ h is proportional to r and s is proportional to p f , when d is fixed , the relationship between σ h and p f may be derived , based on equation ( 2 ), although the parameters k 1 , k 2 , k 3 and k 4 are characteristics of the camera system , they have no obvious physical meaning or representation . the standard deviation σ h , which defines the blur kernel gaussian distribution , cannot be measured directly . thus , the following novel algorithm of the present invention may estimate σ h and then learn k 3 and k 4 accordingly . in a first step of the algorithm , in - focus and defocused checkerboard images are captured under different depths and different focus positions . as in - focus and defocused images are known , only σ h is unknown . the standard deviation σ h is estimated by ar gmin σh ∥ i − l h ∥ 2 2 . the subscript 2 in the formula denotes a euclidean norm or a l2 - norm . in a next step , k 3 and k 4 are estimated by ar gmin k3 , k4 ∥ k 3 p f + k 4 − σ h ∥ 2 2 . fig4 a - g show examples of the fitting results for p f and σ h based on equation ( 5 ). fig4 a - g are plots of the focus position of camera 22 versus a standard deviation of the blur kernel distribution for six different distances between camera 22 and the subject iris . the plot for each of the six distances is v - shaped , with the origin of the “ v ” being at the in - focus position corresponding to that distance . the parameter k 3 may represent the slope of a corresponding v - shaped plot in fig4 a - g ; and parameter k 4 may represent the y - intercept of the corresponding v - shaped plot . v - shaped plot 60 corresponds to a distance of about 3 . 30 meters ; v - shaped plot 62 corresponds to a distance of about 2 . 97 meters ; v - shaped plot 64 corresponds to a distance of about 2 . 56 meters ; v - shaped plot 66 corresponds to a distance of about 2 . 00 meters ; v - shaped plot 68 corresponds to a distance of about 1 . 58 meters ; and v - shaped plot 70 corresponds to a distance of about 1 . 43 meters . each of the circles in fig4 a - g represents an empirically - collected data point . the data points at the top ( standard deviation = 20 ) of fig4 a - g are the images that are severely blurred . it may not be feasible to recover these kinds of severely blurred images in practice even with a large kernel size . hence , these severely blurred images are treated as outliers and are not included in the estimation . based on fig3 and 4 a - g , it can be concluded that the models described in equations ( 4 ) and ( 5 ) may be used for real camera systems even though the derivation of equations ( 4 ) and ( 5 ) is based on the traditional pin - hole camera model . a practical use of the plots of fig4 a - g is to estimate the blur kernel when the subject is moving . when a user enters the field of view of the capturing system , the three - dimensional position of the user &# 39 ; s eyes after the system delay may be predicted . when the predicted eye position satisfies the triggering condition , the predicted in - focus position { tilde over ( p )} f is computed using equation ( 4 ) and the image is produced at this position . the correct ( i . e ., actual ) depth at the time of image capture ( after the system delay ) is measured , and the correct or ideal in - focus position p f corresponding to the actual depth measurement is computed . for example , assuming the correct or ideal in - focus position p f is 15 ( as shown as the origin of the v - shaped plot in fig4 h ) for an actual , measured depth , a new model can be interpolated ( i . e ., equation ( 5 ) with different values for k 3 and k 4 ). the new model is illustrated as the dashed v - shaped plot originating at focus position 15 in fig4 h . assuming the predicted in - focus position { tilde over ( p )} f that was actually used to produce the iris image is 13 . 5 , as indicated by the rectangle at 13 . 5 in fig4 h , the standard deviation σ h that defines the blur kernel distribution appropriate for use in deblurring is shown to be approximately 8 in fig4 h . the standard deviation σ h may be computed by taking the predicted focus position of 13 . 5 that was actually used to produce the image , and plugging that value of 13 . 5 into equation ( 5 ) along with the values of k 3 and k 4 that correspond to the actual depth measurement ( i . e ., the actual depth measurement that corresponds to an ideal focus position of 15 ). the above - described calculation of the blur kernel gaussian distribution may be used to unblur a captured blurred image as described in detail below . particularly , the process of image deblurring may be formulated in the bayesian framework by bayes &# 39 ; theorem , where p ( i | l , σ h ) is the likelihood that l is the clear image given a blur kernel defined by a gaussian distribution that is , in turn , defined by a standard deviation σ h . p ( l ) represents the prior on the un - blurred image l . a prior probability , or a “ prior ”, is a marginal probability , interpreted as what is known about a variable in the absence of some evidence . the posterior probability is then the conditional probability of the variable taking the evidence into account . the posterior probability may be computed from the prior and the likelihood function via bayes &# 39 ; theorem . different priors chosen in this framework may lead to different deblurring algorithms with different performances . the novel iris deblurring algorithm of the present invention may be applied in any iris capture system to handle defocus blur . the prior on the un - blurred image l may depend upon three prior components that are based on global and local iris image statistics : the first prior p g ( l ) may be computed from an empirically - determined global distribution of the iris image gradients ; p p ( l ) may be computed based on characteristics of dark pupil region ; and p s ( l ) may be computed from the pupil saturation region ( i . e ., the highlight region of the pupil that is saturated with intensity values of high brightness ). for general image deblurring , the global distribution of iris image gradients may be approximated by a mixture of gaussian distributions , exponential functions , and piece - wise continuous functions . mixture gaussian distributions are described in “ removing camera shake from a single photograph ”, r . fergus , b . singh , a . hertzmann , s . t . roweis , and w . t . freeman , acm transactions on graphics , 2006 ; exponential functions are described in “ image and depth from a conventional camera with a coded aperture ”, a . levin , r . fergus , f . durand , and w . t . freeman , acm transactions on graphics , 2007 ; and piece - wise continuous functions are described in “ high - quality motion deblurring from a single image ”, q . shan , j . jia , and a . agarwala , in siggraph , 2008 , each of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety . because the application domain is iris images rather than natural images , according to one embodiment of the present invention , the global distribution may be computed from iris images only . as illustrated in fig5 , the distribution of general natural images ( i . e ., any images found in nature , such as sky , water , landscape ) has a greater uncertainty than the distribution of global iris images . the present invention takes advantage of the tight range of the global iris image statistics . as a result of the tighter iris image statistics , the distribution of iris image gradients is a stronger prior . a two - piecewise quadratic function ( i . e ., a piecewise quadratic function having two separate , continuous portions ) may be used to approximate the distribution so that the optimization based on this bayesian problem becomes simpler and more efficient . a general form of the two - piecewise quadratic function may be : p g ( l ) ∝ { ∏ i ⅇ a 1 ( ∂ l i ) 2 + b 1 , ∂ l i ≤ k ∏ i ⅇ a 2 ( ∂ l i ) 2 + b 2 , ∂ l i & gt ; k where ∂ l , is the gradient for a pixel and k is the threshold between two functions . such a two - piecewise quadratic function may be represented by the fitted curve in fig5 , wherein the threshold k is at the transitions between the low frequency and high frequency regions . the second p p ( l ) and third p s ( l ) priors may be computed from the local pupil region because the dark pupil region is likely to be smooth as compared with the nearby iris patterns , and the highlight region is likely saturated . therefore , these two priors may be particularly useful in recovering nearby iris patterns . as the smooth pupil region tends to have small gradients that are not sensitive to the defocus blur , and the saturated highlight region tends to contain the highest intensity , the two priors may be computed as following : p p ( l ) ∝ ∏ i ∈ ω 1 n ( ∂ l i - ∂ i i | 0 , σ p ) p s ( l ) ∝ ∏ i ∈ ω 2 n ( l i - 255 | 0 , σ s ) , where ω 1 is the dark pupil region ( i . e ., excluding the highlight region ), and ω 2 , is the saturated highlight region within the pupil . the dark pupil region and the saturated highlight region within the pupil can be detected by image processing techniques , such as thresholding , erosion and dilation . the 255 term in the p s ( l ) formula represents the highest ( i . e ., whitest ) color value on a scale of 0 to 255 . putting all of these priors together , this iris deblurring problem may be solved by minimizing an energy function e in the following quadratic form : e ∝∥ i − l h ∥ 2 + λ 1 (∥ a 1 (∂ l ) 2 + b 1 ∥· m 1 +∥ a 2 (∂ l ) 2 + b 2 ∥· m 2 ) + λ 2 (∥∂ l −∂ i ∥ 2 · m 3 +∥ l − 255 ∥ 2 · m 4 ), where m 1 , m 2 , m 3 , and m 4 , are masks of low - frequency region , high - frequency region , dark pupil region , and highlight region in the pupil ; i is the known blurred image captured by the camera lens ; h is the blur kernel , which may be estimated as discussed in detail above ; and l is the clear image that is being determined . thus , given known values for the blurred image i and the blur kernel h , an image l may be determined that minimizes e , and this image l may be used as a representation of a clear , unblurred version of the produced blurred image i . the deblur kernel h can be estimated based on the depth information or focus scores . if the blur kernel is not known , it is possible to add a gaussian prior in place of the blur kernel in order to convert the non - blind deconvolution into a blind one , which still can be solved by the optimization framework . while this invention has been described as having an exemplary design , the present invention may be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure . this application is therefore intended to cover any variations , uses , or adaptations of the invention using its general principles . further , this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains . | 6 |
hereinafter , embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings . referring to fig1 illustrating a system of an ultrasonic welder 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention , the ultrasonic welder 1 is used for joining two first and second metal plates 10 , 11 . for example , the first metal plate 10 is made of a tinned brass , for example , and the second metal plate 11 is made of a nickel - plated copper , for example . the ultrasonic welder 1 includes an anvil 2 , a horn 3 , a vibration detection system , a controller 6 , an ultrasonic transducer ( not shown ), and a pressure unit ( not shown ). the vibration detection system includes a laser doppler vibrometer 4 and a vibration analysis and determination unit 5 . the laser doppler vibrometer 4 is a vibration detector including a vibration sensor 41 and a vibration controller 42 . the vibration sensor 41 detects vibration generated in the first metal plate 10 , so as to output a detection signal . the vibration controller 42 outputs a vibration waveform signal according to the detection signal output from the vibration sensor 41 . the vibration analysis and determination unit s is connected to the laser doppler vibrometer 4 . this vibration analysis and determination unit 5 includes a waveform monitor 51 such as an fft analyzer or an oscilloscope , and a vibration analysis and determination section 52 . the waveform monitor 51 displays a vibration waveform signal output from the vibration controller 42 of the laser doppler vibrometer 4 . the vibration analysis and determination section 52 measures a size of amplitude and a duration time of vibration , so as to output various control signals . the controller 6 is connected to the vibration analysis and determination unit 5 , for example . this controller 6 is configured to control the driving of the horn 3 . the controller 6 performs various controls such as the driving control of the horn 3 according to the signals output from the vibration analysis and determination unit 5 , for example . next , a method of joining the first and second metal plates 10 , 11 in the above - described ultrasonic welder 1 will be described . at first , an operator puts the first metal plate 10 on the anvil 2 , and puts the second metal plate 11 on the first metal plate 10 . after that , the operator presses a start switch ( not shown ) of the ultrasonic welder 1 . then , the pressure unit of the ultrasonic welder 1 presses the horn 3 downwardly , so that the two metal plates 10 , 11 are sandwiched by the horn 3 and the anvil 2 . next , the ultrasonic transducer of the ultrasonic welder 1 is activated . upon the activation of the ultrasonic transducer , the horn 3 vibrates in the horizontal direction and the ultrasonic vibration is transmitted to the second metal plate 11 from the horn 3 as illustrated in fig2 . the second metal plate 11 vibrates together with the vibration of the horn 3 , and the first and second metal plates 10 , 11 are rubbed against each other . then , impurities which are adhered to the contact surfaces of the first and second metal plates 10 , 11 such as an oxidized film are eliminated , and frictional heat is generated in an interface 12 of the first and second metal plates 10 , 11 . by this frictional heat , rapid plastic flow is created in the interface 12 . then , the first and second metal plates 10 , 11 start joining . upon the start of the joining of the first and second metal plates 10 , 11 , the first metal plate 10 starts vibrating as illustrated in fig3 . the duration time of this vibration is short , for example , 2 - 10 ms . after this vibration , only the second metal plate 11 again vibrates as illustrated in fig2 . after repeating the conditions illustrated in fig2 , 3 , for example , 5 - 7 times , the first and second metal plates 10 , 11 are maintained in the condition illustrated in fig3 . more particularly , the vibration of both plates 10 , 11 is maintained , which represents that the joining of the first and second plates 10 , 11 has been completed . accordingly , the ultrasonic welder 1 performs a control process of stopping the ultrasonic vibration of the horn 3 . such a control process will be described with reference to the flow chart in fig4 . this control process is conducted by using the vibration generated in the first metal plate 10 when joining the first and second metal plates 10 , 11 . referring now to fig4 , at first , upon the start of the ultrasonic vibration of the horn 3 , the laser doppler vibrometer 4 detects the vibration generated in the first metal plate 10 by means of the vibration sensor 41 , and outputs the detected vibration to the vibration analysis and determination unit 5 as a vibration waveform signal by the vibration controller 42 ( step 1 ). the vibration analysis and determination unit 5 displays the vibration waveform illustrated in fig5 , for example , on the waveform monitor 51 according to the vibration waveform signal output from the laser doppler vibrometer 4 . the vibration analysis and determination section 52 determines whether the amplitude of the vibration a generated in the first metal plate 10 is a predetermined amplitude w ( refer to fig5 ) or more ( step 2 ). the size of this predetermined amplitude w is previously determined by a joining experiment of the first and second metal plates 10 , 11 , and differs according to types of metal plates or various conditions in joining the metal plates . the vibration analysis and determination unit 5 measures a duration time of vibration ( vibration time ) according to the vibration waveform signal output from the laser doppler vibrometer 4 . fig6 is a view illustrating a duration time of vibration . if the vibration analysis and determination unit 5 determines that the amplitude of the vibration a is a predetermined amplitude w or more ( yes at step 2 ), the vibration analysis and determination unit 5 determines whether the vibration a illustrated in fig5 , 6 continues for a predetermined time t or more ( step 3 ). this predetermined time t is previously determined by a joining experiment of the first and second metal plates 10 , 11 , and differs according to types of metal plates or various conditions in joining the metal plates . if the vibration a continues for a predetermined time t or more ( yes at step 3 ), the vibration analysis and determination unit 5 determines that the joining of the first and second metal plates 10 , 11 has been completed , and outputs a signal for stopping the ultrasonic vibration of the horn 3 to the controller 6 . the controller 6 stops the driving of the ultrasonic transducer according to the signal output from the vibration analysis and determination unit 5 . the ultrasonic vibration of the horn 3 is thereby stopped at the point b illustrated in fig5 , 6 , so that the control process is completed ( step 4 ). as a result , a joined plate 13 illustrated in fig3 , for example , is obtained . as described above , in the ultrasonic welder 1 of this embodiment , the ultrasonic vibration of the horn 3 is stopped just after the joining of the two metal plates 10 , 11 is completed . therefore , in the ultrasonic welder 1 of this embodiment , the anvil 2 and the first metal plate 10 are not rubbed together after the joining of the first and second plates 10 , 11 is completed . consequently , the joined plate 13 does not become damaged in which the thickness in first metal plate 10 is reduced , for example . accordingly , the ultrasonic welder 1 of the present embodiment can obtain the joined plate 13 in which the joining strength is stabilized . since this joined plate 13 has joining strength which is more stabilized than that of a conventional joined plate , the quality of the joined plate 13 is improved . fig7 is a view illustrating a system of an ultrasonic welder 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention . in this embodiment , since reference numbers which are the same as the reference numbers used in the first embodiment are applied for the structures which are similar to the structures illustrated in the first embodiment , the description thereof will be omitted . an ultrasonic welder 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is used for joining two first and second metal plates 10 , 11 . the first metal plate 10 is made of a tinned brass , for example , and the second metal plate 11 is made of a nickel - plated copper , for example . this ultrasonic welder 1 includes an anvil 1 , a horn 3 , a displacement sensor 40 , a controller 50 , a vibration transducer ( not shown ) and a pressure unit ( not shown ). the displacement sensor 40 is a depression detector . this displacement sensor 40 detects the amount of depression of the second metal plate 11 relative to the first metal plate 10 , so as to output detection signals . the controller so is connected to the displacement sensor 40 , for example , and is configured to control the driving of the horn 3 . the controller 50 performs various controls such as the driving control of the horn 3 according to various signals output from the displacement sensor 40 or the like . in the ultrasonic welder 1 which is constituted as described above , since a method of joining the first and second metal plates 10 , 11 is similar to the method described in the first embodiment , the description thereof will be omitted . in the ultrasonic welder 1 according to the present embodiment , a control process of stopping the ultrasonic vibration of the horn 3 is different from the control process in the first embodiment . the control process in this embodiment will be described with reference to the flow chart in fig8 . this control process is conducted by using the depression of the second metal plate 11 relative to the first metal plate 10 when joining the first and second metal plates 10 , 11 . at first , upon the start of the ultrasonic vibration of the horn 3 , the displacement sensor 40 continuously detects the amount of depression of the second metal plate 11 , and outputs a detection signal to the controller 50 ( step 1 ). the controller 50 calculates the amount of depression of the second metal plate 11 according to the detection signal output from the displacement sensor 40 , and sequentially stores the amount of depression ( step 2 ). fig9 is a graph illustrating the change in the amount of depression of the second metal plate 11 . referring now to fig9 , the controller so calculates the change ( inclination ) a in the amount of depression every predetermined time t from the start of storing of the amount of depression , and stores the calculated change ( step 3 ). this predetermined time t is previously determined according to a joining experiment of the first and second metal plates 10 , 11 . this predetermined time t is shorter than a time required for joining the metal plates 10 , 11 , and is set such that the change a in the amount of depression can be constantly obtained at least three time in a row after the joining of the metal plates 10 , 11 is completed . this predetermined time t differs according to types of metal plates or various conditions in joining the metal plates . next , the controller 50 determines whether or not the change a in the amount of depression is constant three times in a row ( step 4 ). when the change a in the amount of depression is constant three times in a row as illustrated by a in fig9 ( yes at step 4 ), the controller 50 determines that the joining of the first and second metal plates 10 , 11 is completed , and stops the driving of the ultrasonic transducer . the ultrasonic vibration of the horn 3 is thereby stopped at the point b in fig9 , and the control process is completed ( step 5 ). as a result , the joined metal plate 13 illustrated in fig3 , for example , can be obtained . as described above , it is determined that the joining of the first and second metal plates 10 , 11 is completed when the change a in the amount of depression is constant at least three times in a row . if the joining of the first and second metal plates 10 , 11 is not completed , the first and second metal plates 10 , 11 repeat the conditions illustrated in fig2 , 3 . therefore , the change a in the amount of depression does not become constant . for this reason , it is necessary to check the change a in the amount of depression at least three times . in the ultrasonic welder 1 of the present embodiment , the ultrasonic vibration of the horn 3 is stopped just after the joining of the metal plates 10 , 11 is completed . therefore , in the ultrasonic welder 1 of the present embodiment , the anvil 2 and the first metal plate 10 are not rubbed against each other after the joining of the metal plates 10 , 11 is completed . therefore , the joined metal plate 13 does not become damaged in which the thickness in the first metal plate 10 is reduced . consequently , the ultrasonic welder 1 of this embodiment can obtain the joined metal plate 13 in which the joining strength is stabilized . since this joined metal plate 13 has joining strength which is more stabilized than that of a conventional joined metal plate , the quality of the joined metal plate 13 is improved . in the ultrasonic welder according to one embodiment of the present invention , it is determined that the joining of the two metal plates is completed when the amplitude of the vibration of the first metal plate is a predetermined amplitude or more and the vibration continues for a predetermined time or more . the ultrasonic vibration of the horn is stopped according to this determination . therefore , the anvil and the first metal plate are not excessively rubbed against each other ; thus , the joined metal plate does not become damaged in which the thickness in the first metal plate is reduced . accordingly , the ultrasonic welder according to one embodiment of the present invention can obtain the joined metal plate in which the joining strength is stabilized . moreover , the joined metal plate is obtained by joining the two metal plates by means of the ultrasonic metal welder . therefore , the joined metal plate according to one embodiment of the present invention has the joining strength which is more stabilized than that of a conventional joined metal plate ; thus , the quality of the joined metal plate is improved . in the ultrasonic welder according to one embodiment of the present invention , it is determined that the joining of the two metal plates is completed when the change in the amount of depression of the second metal plate is constant at least three times in a row . the ultrasonic vibration of the horn is stopped according to this determination . therefore , the anvil and the first metal plate are not excessively rubbed against each other ; thus , the joined metal plate does not become damaged in which the thickness in the first metal plate is reduced . accordingly , the ultrasonic welder according to one embodiment of the present invention can obtain the joined metal plate in which the joining strength is stabilized . moreover , the joined metal plate is obtained by joining the two metal plates by means of the ultrasonic metal welder . therefore , the joined metal plate according to one embodiment of the present invention has the joining strength which is more stabilized than that of a conventional joined metal plate ; thus , the quality of the joined metal plate is improved . although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above , the present invention is not limited thereto . it should be appreciated that variations may be made in the embodiments described by persons skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention . for example , in the first embodiment , the laser doppler vibrometer 4 is used as a vibration detector , but another vibrometer , a vibration sensor or the like can be used . in addition , the displacement sensor 40 and the controller 50 in the second embodiment can be introduced into the ultrasonic welder described in the first embodiment . in this case , the ultrasonic vibration of the horn 3 is stopped when the condition in which the change in the amount of depression of the second metal plate is constant at least three times in a row is satisfied , in addition to the condition in which the amplitude of the vibration is predetermined amplitude or more and the vibration continues for a predetermined time or more . consequently , the point when the ultrasonic vibration of the horn is to be stopped can be accurately detected . in addition , it is possible for a single controller to have the function of the controller 6 in the first embodiment and the function of the controller 50 in the second embodiment . therefore , the function of the ultrasonic welder is simplified . moreover , in the embodiments of the present invention , the ultrasonic welder is used for joining two metal plates . the ultrasonic welder of the present invention can be used for joining metal members which are not in the form of plates or members except metals such as synthetic resin members . furthermore , in the embodiments of the present invention , the anvil 2 and the horn 3 are disposed to face each other along the up and down direction . the anvil 2 and the horn 3 can be disposed to face each other along the lateral direction . in this case , a mechanism for preventing the falling of the two members from the anvil 2 or horn 3 can be provided . as described above , in the ultrasonic welder of the present invention , the joined metal plate having stabilized joining strength can be obtained . the quality of the joined metal plate is improved by the use of the ultrasonic welder of the present invention . therefore , the present invention can be significantly used in the technical field of the ultrasonic welder . | 8 |
referring initially to fig1 the welding head assembly includes a tubular body 10 which depends from the central support member 11 , preferably formed of electrical insulating material , which spaces a variable speed motor 12 from the housing 10 . the motor shaft 13 extends below the member 11 and carries a pulley 14 which , by means of the belt 16 provides the necessary rotary motion for an interior component of the welding head to be subsequently described . depending from the lower end of the housing is a tubular welding gun body 17 and attached to the lower end of the welding gun body is an inert gas shielding nozzle 18 . the tip portion 19 extends from the member 18 . a circular weld illustrating the circular or orbital path of the weld laid down by the assembly is illustrated at 33 . a band , as shown fragmentarily at 34 , and secured to housing 10 may be utilized to provide a means for attaching the assembly to the external apparatus ( not shown ) which carries the assembly shown in fig1 over a predetermined path which may include irregular and sharply curved contours . referring to fig2 the interior components of the welding head will now be described . supported at the upper end of the housing 10 and extending partially therefrom is a welding wire inlet guide 21 whose central bore 22 , it will be understood , receives the welding wire ( not shown ) from an exterior reel , the wire being fed at proper speed by means not shown into the bore 22 . the member 21 serves to guide the welding wire into the interior of the body 10 . the central bore of the tubular body 10 supports , by means of the bearing 23 a cylindrical spindle 24 , the spindle being capable of rotational movement with relation to the housing 10 . the central bore of the spindle 24 is offset or eccentric with relation to the central bore of the tubular body 10 . the spindle supports the exterior face of the roller bearing assembly 26 and , by means of the bearing , supports the tubular welding gun body 17 previously mentioned with reference to fig1 . the welding gun body 17 extends centrally through the spindle bore and , by means of bearing 26 is capable of free axial rotation with relation to the spindle . a pulley 28 is rigidly secured to the exterior of the spindle 24 by means of the key 28a and set screw 28b , the pulley 28 accommodating the belt 16 , previously mentioned . the belt 16 extends through an aperture 10a in the housing and functions to transfer the rotary motion of the pulley 14 to the eccentric spindle 24 . a collar 29 is rigidly secured to the body 17 and an abutment 35 ( fig1 ) extending from the collar protrudes into a notch 36 ( fig1 ) in the body 10 , the abutment 35 and the notch 36 serving to prevent rotation of the body 17 with relation to the member 10 . extending throughout the central bore of the welding gun body 17 is a liner or sleeve 31 , its central bore being adapted to receive and guide the welding wire . the sleeve 31 extends into a reduced diameter portion 17a of the gun body 17 and registers with the tip member 19 previously mentioned . the nozzle member 18 encloses these components for substantially their entire length and as may best be seen in fig1 somewhat above the upper end of the nozzle 18 a threaded aperture 37 is provided which communicates with the space between the sleeve 31 and the surface of the central bore of the body member 7 and is adapted to have attached to it a tube ( not shown ) supplying the inert shielding gas which is required for the mig process . it will be noted , as shown in fig2 that the lower end of the tubular inlet guide 21 has an enlarged bore 21a communicating with the bore 22 and that the lower end of the guide 21 is spaced somewhat above the upper end of the sleeve 31 . as may be seen in fig1 an electrically conducting lug 41 , to which is attached the conventional welding current power cable 42 , the arrangement being such that , in conventional fashion , there is electrical continuity between the cable 42 and the welding wire carried within the sleeve 31 . in operation , as the external apparatus guides the head assembly in its path over the seam to be welded , with the motor 12 in operation , the spindle 24 will be rotated and , because of its eccentric bore the welding gun body 17 , and the welding electrode carried by it , will be moved in a circular path defined by the eccentricity of the spindle bore . the speed of the orbital movement of the welding gun may be varied by varying the speed of motor 12 and the diameter of the orbital movement may be varied by replacing spindle 24 with a correspondingly sized spindle but having a different magnitude of eccentricity . in one application , in welding relatively light gauge material , an orbital diameter of 0 . 040 inches has been found to be satisfactory with a speed of approximately 500 orbits per minute as the external guiding system moves the welding head at a velocity of approximately 30 inches per minute along the workpiece . these parameters for the welding head are suitable for use with welding filler wire having a diameter of 0 . 035 inches . the resulting weld is relatively flat and laid down in overlapping circles as illustrated at 21 in fig1 . spaces between the adjoining components of the work surface , which may be caused by dimensional tolerance variation in the pieces , are filled and the maximum diameter or width of the gun movement is always presented to the seam to be welded . as previously mentioned , the lower end of the guide member 21 is spaced from the upper end of the sleeve 31 and the member 21 is provided with an enlarged bore portion 21a . the enlarged bore and the space between the member 21 and the sleeve 31 permits accomodation of the oribital movement of the upper end of the sleeve 31 as the member 21 remains stationary without placing excessive shearing stress on the weld filler wire passing through the guide member and sleeve . because the motion of the welding gun is circular , rather than rectilinear , it can be used with any type of guiding system no matter how irregular or sharply curved the welding path might be . while the invention has been disclosed and described in some detail in the drawings and foregoing description , they are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character , as other modifications within the scope of the invention may readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art . | 1 |
[ 0051 ] fig1 is a block diagram that schematically shows a packet ring network 20 , in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention . network 20 comprises nodes 22 , marked n 1 through n 6 , which are mutually connected by bidirectional communication media , such as optical fibers or conductive wires . the nodes typically comprise switching equipment , and serve as either access points or gateways to other networks ( aggregation points ). the communication media in network 22 are configured to define an inner ring 24 , over which packets are conveyed between the nodes in a clockwise direction , and an outer ring 26 , over which the packets are conveyed in a counterclockwise direction . as noted above , however , the designations of “ inner ,” “ outer ,” “ clockwise ” and “ counterclockwise ” are arbitrary and are used here simply for convenience and clarity of explanation . furthermore , the designation and number of nodes in network 20 are chosen here by way of example , and the network may , by the same token , comprise a greater or smaller number of nodes . two types of latency measurements can be conducted in network 20 : round - trip and full - circuit . for a round - trip measurement , exemplified by a round - trip path 28 , an originating node ( n 2 ) sends a latency measurement packet ( lmp ) to a peer node ( n 4 ) on one of the rings , in this case inner ring 24 . the peer node processes the lmp and returns it to the originating node on outer ring 26 . for a full - circuit measurement , exemplified by full - circuit path 30 , the originating node sends a lmp in which it designates itself as both the source and destination address . in either case , the lmp carries information , as described in detail hereinbelow , that enables the latency to be calculated after the packet has returned to the originating node . [ 0053 ] fig2 is a block diagram that schematically shows details of one of nodes 22 in network 20 , in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention . node 22 comprises a media access control ( mac ) block 32 , connected to transmit and receive data over both of rings 24 and 26 . preferably , block 32 operates in accordance with the rpr protocol described in the background of the invention , or with another , similar bidirectional protocol . block 32 is responsible for ring management and performs the mac - layer functions of capturing packets that are addressed to node 22 on either ring , while passing other traffic through transparently to the next node along the ring . when block 32 receives a packet with its own node address as the source address , it also strips the packet from the ring . in addition , the mac block preferably includes a timer 38 for use in latency measurements , as described below . when mac block 32 captures a packet that identifies its own node address as the source or destination address , it delivers the packet to a traffic processor 34 of the node . processor 34 deals with network - layer functions , such as ip processing , and optionally other higher - level functions , such as quality of service ( qos ) and network security . in a node that serves as an access point , for example , processor 34 is typically responsible for delivery of packets to users who are connected to network 20 through the node and for receiving packets from the users for transmission over network 20 . a host processor 36 is connected to the traffic processor and performs higher - level processing functions , including computation of network latency . the basic ring protocol in network 20 is extended by a latency measurement protocol , in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention . the protocol defines a latency measurement packet ( lmp ), containing fields as shown generally in table i below . some of the fields are optional , and their order is given in the table by way of example only . additional header and trailer bytes may be added as required by the lower layer protocols used in network 20 . table i lmp format destination address ( da ) source address ( sa ) class of service ( cos ) type loopback ( le ) serial number ( sn ) generating node transmission time ( txtg ) generating node receive time ( rxtg ) peer node transmission time ( txtp ) peer node receive time ( rxtp ) the fields in the lmp have the following special meanings and features : destination and source addresses — identify the originating and receiving nodes for the packet . for full - circuit latency measurements , these addresses are the same . type — indicates whether the lmp is for full - circuit or round - trip ( peer ) latency measurement . loopback — for round - trip latency measurements , set by the originating node to indicate that the packet is on its outbound leg ( from the originating node to the peer ), and reset by the peer node before transmitting the packet back on its inbound leg ( from the peer to the originating node ). class of service — causes nodes 22 to handle the lmp with the same level of priority as ordinary communication traffic at this cos level . txtg — n - bit value of timer 38 at the originating ( generating ) node at the time it transmitted the lmp . rxtg — n - bit value of timer 38 at the originating ( generating ) node at the time it received the lmp in return . txtp — n - bit value of timer 38 at the peer node at the time it transmitted the lmp back to the originating node ( relevant only for node - to - node round - trip latency measurement ). rxtp — n - bit value of timer 38 at the peer node at the time it received the lmp from the originating node ( relevant only for node - to - node round - trip latency measurement ). in order to monitor latency in network 20 , traffic processor 34 of an originating node ( n 2 in the example shown in fig1 ) prepares a new lmp for sending periodically , either at preset intervals or in response to specific management commands . the traffic processor fills in the values of all the fields when it prepares the packet , with the exception of txtg , rxtg , txtp and rxtp . mac block 32 recognizes the lmp by reading its type and inserts the value of txtg indicated by timer 38 . it adds lower - layer headers and footers and sends the lmp out on ring 24 or 26 , as appropriate . txtp and rxtp are subsequently recorded by the peer node , and rxtg is then recorded by the originating node when it receives the lmp in return . for the purpose of recording txtg , rxtg , txtp and rxtp , timers 38 of the respective nodes preferably comprise n - bit timers whose clocks are driven at a frequency determined according to the desired measurement accuracy . inexpensive , off - shelf oscillators with accuracy of ± 100 ppm can be used conveniently for this purpose , and enable latency measurements to be made in the sub - millisecond range . when the timer reaches its limit , it rolls over to zero . the rollover period should therefore be greater than the expected maximum latency of the network , in order to avoid the possibility that the timer will roll over twice in the course of a measurement . preferably , the timers of all the nodes have the same rollover period . there is no need for synchronization of the timer values , but it is desirable for round - trip latency measurements that the timer frequencies of the originating and peer nodes be approximately equal . [ 0068 ] fig3 is a flow chart that schematically illustrates a method for processing of lmps by nodes 22 in network 20 , in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention . the method is initiated whenever mac block 32 of one of the nodes receives a packet on either ring 24 or ring 26 , at a packet reception step 40 . the mac block first checks the da field , at a destination checking step 42 . if the destination mac address is not the address of the node receiving the packet , mac block 32 simply passes the packet through transparently , at a passthrough step 43 , in the normal manner of packet - stripping ring networks . if the destination address is the address of the node receiving the packet , the mac block checks the packet to determine whether it is a lmp of the round - trip measurement type ( i . e ., a node - to - node , or nn , packet ), at a peer checking step 44 . if so , the mac block next checks whether the loopback ( lb ) bit is set to one or zero , at a loopback checking step 45 . if lb = 1 , the node receiving the packet is the peer node for this round - trip latency measurement . accordingly , mac block 32 of the peer node inserts in the lmp the value of rxtp indicated by its timer 38 , at a peer processing step 46 . the peer node prepares to send the lmp back to the originating node indicated by the sa field by setting lb = 0 , at a loopback setting step 47 . it then reverses the da and sa values in the packet header , setting the sa to its own address and the da to the address of the originating node , and thus loops the packet back to the originating node , at a loop - back step 48 . upon transmission of the lmp , the mac block of the peer node inserts the value of txtp indicated by its timer . if at step 45 , mac block 32 determines that lb = 0 , it means that this round - trip measurement packet has already been looped back from the peer node to the originating node . in this case , the mac block of the receiving node adds to the packet the value of rxtg indicated by timer 38 , at a final receiving step 54 . the packet is then passed by traffic processor 34 to host 36 for computation of the latency , at a host processing step 56 . if the mac block of the receiving node determines at step 44 that the packet is not a round - trip lmp , it then checks to determine whether this is a full - circuit lmp ( i . e ., a whole - ring , or wr , packet ), at a full - circuit checking step 50 . if not , then this is not a lmp at all , and mac block 32 passes the packet to traffic processor 34 for normal processing , at a normal handling step 52 . ( typically , such a packet would normally be dropped .) if this is a wr - lmp , the receiving node must also be the originating node of the lmp . in response , mac block 32 of the receiving node adds to the packet the value of rxtg , at step 54 , and passes the packet to host 36 for computation of the latency , at step 56 , as described above . the processing applied by host 36 at step 56 depends on whether the lmp is a full - circuit ( wr ) type or round - trip ( nn ) type . wr - lmps are passed around ring 24 or 26 transparently by all of the other nodes , and are then stripped from the ring by the originating node . they consequently contain null values of txtp and rxtp . host 36 preferably keeps a record of the wr - lmps it has sent and received using the sn field , and any wr - lmps received out of order are discarded . in addition , an upper latency limit is preferably set by management command , and any wr - lmps that take longer than this limit to return to the originating node are discarded , as well . these measures tend to reduce the occurrence of artifacts in the latency monitoring process . when a wr - lmp has returned to the originating node in the proper order and within the time limit , host 36 calculates the full - circuit latency of the ring by subtracting txtg from rxtg , while taking into account possible rollover of timer 38 . in other words , as long as rxtg & gt ; txtg , the latency is equal to rxtg − txtg . if txtg & gt ; rxtg , then the latency is given by rxtg +( 2 n − txtg ), wherein 2 n is the maximum timer value of n - bit timer 38 . over a given period of m minutes , host 36 preferably stores the maximum and minimum latency values that it has measured . in addition , statistical processing may be applied to determine features such as the mean and variance of the latency . in dealing with nn - lmps , host 36 similarly discards packets that have arrived out of order or outside a maximum time limit . the time limit for round - trip latency measurements may be different from that set for full - circuit measurements , and it may also vary depending on the relative distance between the originating and peer nodes . for nn - lmps that arrive in order and within the specified time limit , host 36 calculates the latency using the algorithm shown below in table ii , taking into account possible rollover of timer 38 in both the originating node and the peer node . note that temp1 is always larger than temp2 , since the period covered by temp2 ( i . e ., the packet turnaround time at the peer node ) is included in the period of temp1 . preferably , host 36 stores minimum and maximum round - trip latency values and , optionally , analyzes the values , as described above . although preferred embodiments are described herein with specific reference to ring network 20 and to certain ring network protocols , aspects of the present invention are not limited to ring networks and may be applied in networks of other types . it will thus be appreciated that the preferred embodiments described above are cited by way of example , and that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove . rather , the scope of the present invention includes both combinations and subcombinations of the various features described hereinabove , as well as variations and modifications thereof which would occur to persons skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description and which are not disclosed in the prior art . | 7 |
the present invention is a method , system and apparatus for dynamically alerting calling parties of changes to menu structures in call processing systems . in accordance with the present invention , a dynamic alerting process can detect when changes are made to the menu structure of a call processing system . responsive to detecting a change to the menu structure , a message can be presented telephonically in order to alert the calling party of the menu changes . additionally , it automatically can be determined when to stop the presentation of the menu change message so as to not irritate the caller with repetitive information . in operation , a query can be received in the call processing system and processed by dynamic alerting logic . the dynamic alerting logic can access call statistics for the calling party in order to determine whether a menu change message or alert can be presented to the calling party . consequently , the dynamic alerting process provides a message to alert a calling party of menu changes while restricting the alerting feature based upon pre - determined criteria . in further illustration of the foregoing inventive arrangements , fig1 is a schematic illustration of a system , method and apparatus for dynamically alerting calling parties of changes to menu structures in call processing systems . the call processing system 130 can be configured for communicative linkage to one or more calling parties 110 over the communication network 120 . in this regard , the communications network can be a pstn , a data communications network configured to carry telephonic data , or any combination thereof . the call processing system 130 can include a telephone prompting sub - system 160 programmed to prompt calling parties 110 with information based upon a menu structure 170 . importantly , dynamic alerting logic 140 can be coupled to the telephone prompting sub - system 160 as well as data storage of caller statistics 150 . in accordance with the present invention , the dynamic alerting logic 140 can determine for an incoming call from a caller 10 whether or not the underlying menu structure 170 for the call processing system 130 has changed . if so , the dynamic alerting logic 140 can access caller statistics 150 to determine whether or not it is permissible to issue an alert to the caller 110 that the menu structure 170 has changed . if permitted , an alert can be issued to the caller 110 . otherwise , no alert can be issued . in more particular illustration of the process of the invention , fig2 is a flow chart illustrating a method for processing calls based upon the dynamic alerting process in the system of fig1 . beginning in block 205 , a call is received by the system . the call can be received telephonically over a telephone network from an external or internal telephone calling party , or over an external or internal data communications network . in further explanation , fig2 is a flow chart illustrating a process for alerting a calling party when the menu is updated or changed . beginning in decision block 210 , the system determines if there have been any changes to the system menu . if there are no menu changes , the call can continue as normal as indicated in block 215 . otherwise , if there is a menu change , the system will ascertain the identity of the calling party and whether the calling party has previously accessed the system in decision block 220 . if the calling party is identified , then in block 225 the “ call statistics ” for this specific calling party are retrieved from the storage and updated . the “ call statistics ” can include various calling party information such as the id or pin number for the calling part , the number of times the party has heard a particular alert message , and the like . if the caller does not have an identity stored in the system , a general set of call statistics can be used for this particular call as shown in block 230 . naturally , going forward , a specific identity for this calling party can be generated and the appropriate call statistics assigned and updated . the call statistics of blocks 225 or 230 are then passed to decision block 235 . in decision block 235 , the call statistics are evaluated and it can be determined whether the alert message should be played or not . as mentioned previously , various criteria may be used to determine when an alert message should no longer been provided to a calling party . a system administer can specify which call statistics ( e . g ., elapsed time , number of calls , some combination of these , or the like ) are used to make the play or no play alert message decision . if the message should be played , the process will continue through block 245 . if not , the process can continue to block 240 . in either event , the process will continue through to block 215 where the call can be continued in a normal manner . the present invention can be realized in hardware , software , or a combination of hardware and software . an implementation of the method and system of the present invention can be realized in a centralized fashion in one computer system , or in a distributed fashion where different elements are spread across several interconnected computer systems . any kind of computer system , or other apparatus adapted for carrying out the methods described herein , is suited to perform the functions described herein . a typical combination of hardware and software could be a general - purpose computer system with a computer program that , when being loaded and executed , controls the computer system such that it carries out the methods described herein . the present invention can also be embedded in a computer program product , which comprises all the features enabling the implementation of the methods described herein , and which , when loaded in a computer system is able to carry out these methods . computer program or application in the present context means any expression , in any language , code or notation , of a set of instructions intended to cause a system having an information processing capability to perform a particular function either directly or after either or both of the following a ) conversion to another language , code or notation ; b ) reproduction in a different material form . significantly , this invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof , and accordingly , reference should be had to the following claims , rather than to the foregoing specification , as indicating the scope of the invention . | 7 |
the tacking agents of this invention are prepared by forming a first aqueous solution combining aluminum oxide , such as al 2 o 3 . 3h 2 o , with orthophosphoric acid and water substantially as taught in our previous patent . in practice the aluminum oxide is added to the water - phosphoric acid mixture which has been heated to a temperature above about 100 ° c . a clear viscous solution results which can be diluted with water . to this solution is added a condensed phosphate polymer . the condensed phosphate polymer may or may not contain aluminum atoms . the condensed phosphate polymer can be prepared in any convenient manner . most conveniently , such condensed phosphate is prepared by forming a second solution identical to the first solution as noted above and then heating the solution whereby the ionic phosphate polymer containing aluminum atoms condenses to form a viscous or solid mass . the mass is then added to the first solution along with sufficient water to adjust the total composition to a satisfactory viscosity for application to the glass fiber . the temperature to which the second solution is heated for the purpose of forming a condensed phosphate polymer containing aluminum atoms is in the range of from about 350 ° c . to about 425 ° c . and more specifically to a temperature of about 400 ° c . of course , the amount of time taken to heat the second solution is inversely related to the temperature to which the solution is heated . in the process wherein a temperature in the above noted ranges is employed , the time required for the condensation reaction to occur is generally in the range of from about 4 to about 6 minutes . depending upon the amount of material , the time and temperature are variables easily determined by visual observation as the character of the solution changes upon the formation of the desired condensed amorphous polymer . another procedure whereby there is prepared a condensed amorphous phosphate polymer containing aluminum atoms is one wherein an aqueous solution of alkali metal polyphosphate glass ( sometimes referred to as a hexametaphosphate such as sodium hexametaphosphate ) is combined with an aluminum salt such as aluminum sulfate in the proper al : p ratio as noted above . the process of ion exchange occurs whereby the aluminum ions displace the alkali metal ions causing the polymer containing aluminum ions to precipitate . the by - product sodium sulfate remains in solution and can be separated by filtration . the precipitate is then added to the first solution to prepare the tacking agent of this invention . in similar manner , other condensed phosphates can be used to prepare tacking agents of this invention by introducing the condensed phosphate into an orthophosphoric acid containing aluminum ions . typical examples of other condensed phosphates include kurrols salt , soluble and insoluble metaphosphate , ammonium polyphosphate , tripolyphosphate , ultraphosphoric and polyphosphoric ( metaphosphoric ) acids and salts . aluminum oxide may also be combined with p 2 o 5 and water to form the desired condensed polymer containing aluminum atoms which can be combined with a solution containing aluminum ions in proper proportion . for example , polyphosphoric acid ( sometimes termed metaphosphoric acid ) having a h 2 o / p 2 o 5 ratio of from about 0 . 5 to about 1 . 5 can be employed as the condensed phosphate . a preferred polyphosphoric acid has a chain length of about 50 . the polyphosphoric acid can be dissolved in an orthophosphoric acid solution containing aluminum ions so as to provide about 50 % of the phosphorus atoms in the solution combined in the polymer state and an al / p ratio preferably in the range of from about 1 : 3 . the mixture , after application to fiber glass , is cured to provide a condensed aluminum phosphate polymer binding agent . the amount of condensed phosphates included in the novel tacking agents of this invention can vary widely . for example , the total phosphate in the tacking agent may comprise from 25 to 75 percent condensed phosphate and the remainder of the phosphate comprising orthophosphate . typically , the amount of condensed phosphate in the tacking agents of this invention is in the range of from about 45 to 50 percent of the total phosphate in the composition . as with the prior art tacking agents taught in our earlier patent , the tacking agent of this invention can be diluted with water to provide a solution easily applied to glass fibers such as by spraying the fibers at a convenient location after filament formation and preferably before combination into an article for use as insulating material . as will be shown in the examples below , the viscosity of the coating solutions of this invention can be adjusted by the amount of water included therein . one advantage of such adjustment is to provide a suitable viscosity for the particular means employed to apply the coating solution to the fiber glass . it is not important as to the exact time or location for the application of the aqueous solution . after application of the aqueous solution to the glass fiber , the treated fiber is subjected to polymerization condition ( s ) wherein the soluble acid aluminum phosphate is converted to a water insoluble , amorphous condensed polymer by removal of water . because of the reduced amount of orthophosphate in the tacking agent the amount of time and the amount of energy as indicated by temperature is greatly reduced . as noted above , the removal of water is performed by any suitable means such as by heating the treated fiber . it is important to control the removal of water whether conducted by air convection , furnace , oven or microwave , so as to produce the amorphous polymer . if the removal of water is insufficient , the desired change does not occur and the residue may be hygroscopic . if the removal of water is accompanied by excessive amount of heating and water removal , an undesired crystalline aluminum phosphate may be produced . in either of the above cases , the desired amorphous polymer is not formed in sufficient amounts to impart the desired properties in the glass fiber article . it has been found that the desired water insoluble amorphous polymer is formed by heating the treated glass fiber to a temperature in a minimum range of from about 350 ° f . to about 400 ° f . higher temperatures may be employed to shorten the time needed to convert the orthophosphate in the tacking agent to the condensed polymer such as up to about 600 ° f . typically the amount of time required to convert the orthophosphate to the desired condensed polymer is in the range of from about 45 to about 90 seconds although at minimum temperatures longer periods may be required . the relationship of time and temperature is regulated so as to remove the above - noted amount of water from the solution so as to form the desired amorphous polymer . treatment of the glass fibers in accordance with this invention does not necessarily entail the complete coating of the fiber with the ionic polymer . however , there should be a sufficient amount of solution on the cross - over points of the very fine fibers with each other to provide a resilient tacking force by the amorphous polymer of sufficient strength to hold the shape of the article into which it has been formed prior to heating . that is , the shape of the article is resumed after compaction and to the approximate original size . in addition , other inorganic acids may also be included in minor amounts . inorganic acids may include , for example , boric acid , which is added for the purpose of preventing the components of the aqueous solution from salting out and may be added in amounts of from about 0 . 06 % to about 0 . 5 percent , by weight , based upon amount of al 2 o 3 / p 2 o 5 included therein . as will be shown below in the preferred embodiments , the aqueous solution is usually provided by combining aluminum oxide ( including the various hydrates ) in water with orthophosphoric acid . following addition , the solution is formed upon heating to a temperature in the range of from about 105 ° c . to about 120 ° c . for a period of from about 30 to about 40 minutes . the concentration of the aqueous solution can be provided over a broad range and is mainly determined by the equipment employed in its application to the glass fiber . when the solution is combined with preformed polyphosphates , it is desirably sprayed onto the glass fiber in an aqueous solution which may be prepared over a broad range of concentration of from about 5 % to about 30 %, by weight , although there is no intention of limiting this invention by such concentration as there are several suitable means for applying the solution to the fiber . by forming and incorporating the condensed phosphate polymer in the tacking agent containing aluminum prior to its application to the glass fiber , the amount of time required to provide the advantageous glass fiber insulation product at elevated temperature is greatly decreased . such decrease in time is proportional to the amount of condensed phosphate polymer incorporated into the tacking agent prior to application to the glass fiber . it has been surprisingly found that while the &# 34 ; curing &# 34 ; temperature employed to remove water from the glass fiber tacking agent after application of the tacking agent to the glass fiber is greatly lowered in accordance with this invention , substantially the same result is obtained as previously reported in our earlier patent which required substantially higher &# 34 ; cure &# 34 ; temperatures . thus the amount of energy required and the &# 34 ; cure &# 34 ; time needed to set the tacking agent on the glass fiber is greatly reduced in accordance with this invention . the following examples illustrate the preparation of compositions of this invention . in these examples percent is expressed as percent by weight unless otherwise noted . also , when percent solids of spray solutions is given in the following examples , said solids are calculated on the amount of al 2 o 3 + p 2 o 5 . a 45 . 5 % solution of aluminum orthophosphate having an al / p ratio of 1 : 2 . 941 is prepared with distilled water . into a ceramic container there were placed 80 g of this solution which was then heated on a hot plate for 16 minutes . the heated solution was then placed in a furnace and heated to 400 ° c . for 6 minutes which converted the orthophosphate into a condensed aluminum phosphate polymer . a dry solid ( 40 . 7g ) was obtained which was ground to a fine powder with a mortar and pestal . with stirring , 23 g of the dried solution was dissolved into 110 g of a 45 . 5 % solution of aluminum orthophosphate . a glass fiber tacking agent was prepared by diluting 30g of the combined solution containing aluminum orthophosphate and condensed aluminum phosphate polymer with 198 . 75 g of distilled water to provide an 8 % solution based upon total solids . standard commercial glass fiber insulation having a combination paper / aluminum backing and an insulation value rating of r - 11 was obtained and stripped of its organic coating and dye by heating 5 inch by 4 inch segments in a muffle furnace at 450 ° c .- 470 ° c . for a period of from 45 minutes to 1 hour . after removal and cooling , the above described 8 % solution was sprayed onto glass fiber at the rate of about 8 % by weight of the glass fiber and cured at 400 ° f for a total of 3 minutes . the data obtained is set forth below in table i wherein all weight is reported for the glass fiber in grams . table i______________________________________dry weight 22 . 53sprayed weight 31 . 4cured - 2 minutes 26 . 9cured - 3 minutes ( constant wt .) 25 . 0______________________________________ the cured glass fiber was resiliently bonded and provided a satisfactory mat for suitable for use as insulation . after exposure to humid atmosphere there was no weight gain indicating that the tacking agent was completely converted to the condensed polymer form . the procedure of example 1 is repeated with the exception that the heating step at 400 ° c . was for only 5 minutes and 39 . 5 g of the polyphosphate polymer obtained . a portion of the polyphosphate , 24 . 5g was dissolved into the orthophosphate . results similar to that obtained in example 1 were obtained with the use of this material as a tacking agent on glass fibers . into a 1 l beaker containing 200 ml of distilled water was placed 30 g of sodium hexametaphosphate ( polyphosphate glass ) with slow addition . the solution was stirred until clear . then 34 . 2 g of al 2 ( so 3 ) 2 was added to the solution with continued stirring . aluminum polyphosphate formed and precipitated from solution . additional water was required to provide convenient stirring . the solution was filtered over night with vacuum to remove the insoluble condensed aluminum phosphate polymer from the water soluble material . a wet cake of about 85g was obtained . into 80 g of a 45 . 5 percent aqueous solution of aluminum orthophosphate was placed 20 g of the wet cake obtained above . the mixture of aluminum orthophosphate and condensed aluminum phosphate polymer formed a stable , clear solution within less than 1 hour with stirring at room temperature . the procedure of example 3 is repeated with the exception that the wet cake of condensed aluminum phosphate polymer is air dried at room temperature forming a transparent glass . the dried condensed polymer was then ground to a powder and 8 . 563 g of the ground powder was slowly added to a 45 % aqueous solution of aluminum orthophosphate solution . the solution remained cloudy after 1 hour of stirring after which about 20 g of distilled water was added . the solution became clear after more than 5 hours of continuous stirring . the solution can be diluted and sprayed onto glass fiber to form a non - hygroscopic , water insoluble resilient tacking agent after curing . while the illustrative embodiments of the invention have been described with particularity , it will be understood that various other modifications will be apparent to and can readily be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention . | 2 |
for the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention , reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same . it will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended , such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device , and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates . referring now to fig1 a block diagram of an automotive ignition system lockup protection circuit 10 , in accordance with the present invention , is shown . a reference voltage generator 12 is connected to battery voltage and provides a voltage &# 34 ; vref1 &# 34 ; which is a function of the battery voltage . a second reference voltage generator 14 provides a fixed voltage &# 34 ; vref2 &# 34 ; which is independent of battery voltage . a capacitor voltage preset circuit 16 has an input for receiving a voltage &# 34 ; vpreset &# 34 ; from reference voltage generator 12 and is operable to impress vpreset across capacitor 18 under normal operation of the automotive ignition system ( not shown ). as will be more fully described hereinafter , the capacitor voltage preset circuit 16 is further responsive to an ignition coil energizing signal ( hereinafter &# 34 ; drive &# 34 ; signal ) to disable circuit 16 from maintaining the voltage vpreset across capacitor 18 , so that the voltage vcap across the capacitor 18 periodically charges and discharges . a first comparator 20 has a non - inverting input connected to vref1 and an inverting input connected to vcap . similarly , a second comparator 22 has a non - inverting input connected to vcap and an inverting input connected to vref2 . the output of the first comparator 20 , &# 34 ; vc1 &# 34 ;, is provided to a &# 34 ; set &# 34 ; input of flip - flop 24 , and the output of the second comparator 22 , &# 34 ; vc2 &# 34 ;, is provided to a &# 34 ; reset &# 34 ; input of flip - flop 24 . output vc2 is further fed back to reference voltage generator 14 , the purpose of which will be discussed hereinafter with respect to fig4 . the specific circuit componentry of comparators 20 and 22 do not form an important aspect of the present invention and may therefore comprise any known comparator embodiment . similarly , flip - flop 24 may comprise any known rs - type flip - flop embodiment , although those skilled in the art will recognize that other types of flip - flops , such a j - k , d , and the like , may be substituted therefore with minor modifications to circuit 10 . the drive signal is inverted by invertor 26 and provided to a drive reset input of flip - flop 24 . the drive reset input ( dr ) of flip - flop 24 acts as a type of master flip - flop reset in that it ensures that flip - flop 24 starts in a known state when circuit 10 receives a drive signal . similarly , the inverted drive signal is provided to capacitor charging current source 28 to activate the current source 28 when circuit 10 receives a drive signal . capacitor charging current source 28 is connected to capacitor 18 and , when activated , supplies a charging current &# 34 ; ichg &# 34 ; to thereby charge capacitor 18 . a capacitor discharging current source 30 is also connected to capacitor 18 and to the qbar output of flip - flop 24 . when the qbar output of flip - flop 24 switches to a logic low to a logic high , capacitor discharging current source 30 draws a current &# 34 ; 2xichg &# 34 ; from capacitor 18 , thereby discharging capacitor 18 at the same rate at which it was charging when the qbar output of flip - flop 24 was a logic low . finally , the qbar output of flip - flop 24 is connected to a counter 32 . counter 32 is operable to count a predetermined number of qbar logic level transitions and thereafter activate a &# 34 ; drive inhibit &# 34 ; output signal . counter 32 further includes a drive reset input ( dr ) connected to the drive signal to thereby maintain counter 32 at a zero count ( reset condition ) prior to activation of the drive signal . preferably , counter 32 counts four falling edges of qbar and thereafter provides a logic high level at drive inhibit . however , the present invention contemplates that counter 32 may be provided to count any desired number of qbar logic level transitions , and further to count either rising or falling edge qbar transitions , prior to activating the drive inhibit output signal . as with comparators 20 and 22 , and flip - flop 24 , counter 32 may comprise known circuitry . circuit 10 of fig1 is intended to have an application in an automotive ignition system ( not shown ) to prevent the ignition coil from conducting current for a prolonged period of time due to a fault condition wherein the drive signal ( ignition coil energizing signal ) remains on for an excessive time period . circuit 10 is further intended to be implemented in integrated circuit form , preferably silicon . the operation of circuit 10 in such an automotive ignition system will now be described in detail with reference to the block diagram of fig1 and the corresponding timing diagram of fig2 . the ignition system protection circuit 10 is initialized during the time that the ignition coil current is off . prior to receiving an ignition coil energizing ( drive ) signal ( t & lt ; 0 ), drive 35 is a logic low level which keeps counter 32 in a reset state ( count = 0 ) so that drive inhibit is a logic low level . the inverted drive signal , on the other hand , is a logic high level which disables capacitor charging current source 28 and maintains flip - flop 24 in a state such that qbar 38 is a logic high level , thus disabling capacitor discharging current source 30 . the logic low drive signal further activates capacitor voltage preset circuit 16 which impresses the voltage vpreset , a voltage level slightly above vref1 but less than vref2 , on the capacitor 18 as vcap 34 . in the timing diagram shown in fig2 vref1 = 2 . 6 volts , vpreset = 2 . 8 volts and vref2 = 3 . 8 volts . thus in the steady state prior to a drive signal , vref1 & lt ;& lt ; vcap & lt ; vref2 ( vcap . = 2 . 8 volts ), qbar = logic high level , and counter 32 is in reset ( count = 0 ). when the ignition coil current is switched on , drive 35 switches from a logic low level to a logic high level ( t = 0 ), thus enabling counter 32 to count falling edges of qbar 38 , enabling flip - flop 24 to change state , disabling capacitor voltage preset circuit 16 and enabling capacitor charging current source 28 . since vcap & gt ; vref1 at t & lt ; 0 , vc1 is low so that &# 34 ; set &# 34 ;, hereinafter s 36 , of flip - flop 24 is a logic low level . similarly , vref2 & gt ; vcap at t & lt ; 0 so that vc2 , and hence &# 34 ; reset &# 34 ;, hereinafter r 37 , of flip - flop 24 is also a logic low level . thus , upon receiving a logic high level drive signal 35 at t = 0 , flip - flop 24 will not change state and capacitor 18 will begin to charge under the influence of capacitor charging current source 28 . when vcap 34 increases to a level above that of vref2 , the output vc2 of comparator 22 switches logic states so that r 37 switches to a logic high level . the switching of r 37 to a logic high level then causes qbar 38 of flip - flop 24 to switch to a logic low state . the high to low transition of qbar has two effects . first , the counter 32 detects the falling edge of qbar 38 and advances the count from 0 to 1 . second , the logic low level of qbar 38 activates the capacitor discharging current source 30 . although the capacitor charging current source 28 is still supplying a current ichg to capacitor 18 , the capacitor discharging current source 30 is now drawing a current 2xichg ( equal to twice the current ichg ) from capacitor 18 . the net effect of the simultaneous operation of current sources 28 and 30 is that the capacitor 18 begins to discharge at substantially the same rate that it was charging under the influence of current source 28 alone . as vcap 34 falls below vref2 , r 37 switches back to a logic low level . however , since s 36 is also a logic low level , qbar 38 does not change state . when vcap 34 decreases to a level below vref1 , the output vc1 of comparator 20 switches logic states so that s 36 switches to a logic high level . the switching of s 36 to a logic high level then causes qbar 38 to switch to a logic high level , thus disabling capacitor discharging current source 30 . since capacitor 18 is now only subject to capacitor charging current source 28 , capacitor 18 begins to charge again . as vcap 34 increases above vref1 , s 36 switches back to a logic low level . again , since r 37 is also a logic low level , qbar 38 does not change state . the foregoing capacitor charge / discharge cycle is periodically repeated until either the ignition coil switches off , thus switching drive 35 to a logic low level , or counter 32 detects four falling edges of qbar 38 . if drive 35 switches to a logic low level prior to the occurrence of four falling edges of qbar 38 , all signals 34 - 39 are forced to their pre - drive state ( t & lt ; 0 ). if counter 32 counts four falling edges of qbar 28 prior to drive 35 switching back to a logic low level , then an abnormal drive 35 condition is detected and drive inhibit 39 switches to a logic high level . although not shown in fig1 a logic high level drive inhibit 39 is intended to switch off the ignition coil to inhibit further conduction of current therethrough . as shown in fig2 when drive 35 thereafter returns to a logic low level , all signals 34 - 39 are forced to their pre - drive state ( t & lt ; 0 ). since potentially damaging temperatures , due to an excessive duration drive signal , are a function of the battery voltage , the amount of time that the ignition coil current is permitted to flow should be dependent upon the voltage level of the battery or alternative power source supplying current to the ignition coil . to accomplish this feature , the voltage reference generator 12 is designed to vary as a function of battery voltage . referring now to fig3 this concept is illustrated with the aid of a plot of the capacitor 18 voltage vcap over time for two sets of reference voltages while ichg and 2xichg remain constant . between a fixed vref2 40 value and voltage reference vref1 42 , vcap 44 has a frequency almost three times greater than that of vcap 48 established between vref2 40 and vref &# 39 ; 46 . thus , the frequency , and therefore period , of vcap is determined in large part upon the difference between the reference voltages vref2 and vref1 . in the circuit 10 of fig1 vref2 is maintained constant while vref1 is modulated by battery voltage to thereby control the capacitor 18 charge / discharge time period . in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention , a lockup time of approximately 300 milliseconds is required for a battery voltage of 6 volts , while a lockup time of approximately 75 milliseconds is required for a battery voltage of 14 volts . in this embodiment , the ratio of the lockup times ( 4 : 1 ) is not equal to the ratio of the battery voltages ( 3 : 7 ). accordingly , reference voltage generator 12 is designed to provide a reference voltage vref 1 having a magnitude that varies in a non - proportional manner with battery voltage , as will be more fully discussed with reference to fig4 . it is to be understood , however , that the present invention contemplates alternate embodiments of reference voltage generator 12 providing a reference voltage vref1 having a magnitude that varies proportionally with battery voltage , such as a percentage thereof . such a reference voltage generator is considered to be within the spirit of the present invention and those skilled in the art will recognize that only minor modifications to the circuitry described herein are required to achieve such a proportional relationship . referring now to fig4 a preferred embodiment of reference voltage generator 12 , wherein the voltage vref1 varies non - proportionally with battery voltage , is shown . reference voltage generator 12 includes a resistor r1 52 having one end connected to battery voltage or , alternatively , to a variable level power supply which supplies current to the coil of the ignition system ( not shown ). the opposite end of r1 52 is connected to one end of a second resistor r2a 54 and to a collector of an npn transistor q2 60 . the connection between r1 52 and the parallel combination of r2a 54 and q2 60 defines a node 62 from which the voltage vpreset is supplied . the opposite end of r2a 54 is connected to one end of a third resistor r2b 56 , and the connection therebetween defines a node 64 from which the voltage vref1 is supplied . the opposite end of r2b 56 is connected to the collector ( and base ) of a diode connected npn transistor q1 58 which , in turn , is connected to the base of q2 60 to form a current mirror therebetween . the voltage drop across r1 52 is determined by a combination of the voltage division of battery voltage ( vbatt ) across r1 52 , r2a 54 and r2b 56 in series with the diode connected transistor q1 58 , and the additional current drawn across r1 52 by the npn current mirror composed of q1 58 and q2 60 . as previously discussed , vpreset is ideally set slightly greater than vref1 so that r2a & lt ;& lt ; r2b . the additional current from q2 60 provides the offsetting voltage across r1 52 that causes vref1 to vary at a rate different than that of vbatt . generally , vref1 is a function of vbatt , r1 52 , r2a 54 , r2b 56 , the vbe of q1 58 and the ratio n of q2 &# 39 ; s emitter area to q1 &# 39 ; s emitter area . since reference voltage generator 12 is to be implemented as a silicon integrated circuit , each of the silicon resistors 52 - 56 have a characteristic temperature coefficient associated therewith such that the resistance increases with increasing temperature . the resulting temperature coefficient of vref1 , however , will have a negative temperature coefficient due to the dominant characteristic negative temperature coefficient of the vbe of q1 58 . within the temperature range of interest (- 40 degrees c .- 160 degrees c ), the vbe of q1 60 as well as the resistors 52 - 56 exhibit a nearly linear temperature coefficient so that the temperature coefficient of the resulting vref1 voltage will similarly be nearly 35 linear . resistors r1 52 , r2a 54 , r2b 56 and the emitter ratio n are chosen such that the difference between vref2 and vref1 , as a function of vbatt , varies in the ratio defined by the required lockup times previously discussed . thus , as vbatt varies from a minimum battery voltage of 6 volts to a maximum battery voltage of 14 volts , the difference between vref2 and vref1 should vary in a ratio of 4 : 1 , corresponding to lockup times of approximately 300 milliseconds and 75 milliseconds respectively . through the simultaneous and iterative solution of equations describing reference voltage generator 12 , wherein such equations utilize circuit component definitions and relationships well known to those skilled in the art , the following values have been determined to achieve the foregoing ratio : r1 52 = 15 . 325 kohms , r2a 54 = 200 ohms , r2b 56 = 3 . 475 kohms , and n = 0 . 5 so that q1 58 has an emitter area approximately twice the size of the emitter area if q2 60 . with the foregoing component values , vref1 = 2 . 879 volts ( approximately ) and vpreset = 2 . 975 volts ( approximately ) at vbatt = 14 volts , and vref1 = 1 . 562 volts ( approximately and vpreset = 1 . 6 volts ( approximately ) at vbatt = 6 volts , wherein each vref1 value occurs at room temperature ( 27 degrees c ). referring now to fig5 a preferred embodiment of reference voltage generator 14 , wherein the voltage vref2 is fixed ( independent of vbatt ), and has approximately the same negative temperature coefficient as vref1 , is shown . by having substantially identical temperature coefficients , the difference between vref2 and vref1 , over the temperature range of interest , should thereby remain substantially constant . reference voltage generator 14 includes a reference current generator 72 connected in series with three diodes ( diode connected npn transistors ) d1 74 , d2 76 and d3 78 , which are in turn connected in series with two resistors 35 rref2a 80 and rref2b 82 . an npn transistor 84 is connected across rref2b 82 and has its base connected to the output vc2 of comparator 22 . the connection between reference current generator 72 and diode d1 74 defines a node 86 from which the voltage vref2 is supplied . reference current generator 72 , in a preferred embodiment , is a &# 34 ; delta vbe &# 34 ; current generator , commonly known to those skilled in the art . the details of such a reference current generator will therefore not be shown in detail , although it is to be understood that reference current generator 72 includes a resistor rref1 and an appropriate ratioing of transistor emitter areas , so that the reference current is defined by the standard delta vbe current equation iref = vt * ln ( 9 )/ rref1 . vt is known as the &# 34 ; thermal voltage &# 34 ; and is defined by the equation vt = k * t / q , wherein k is boltzmann &# 39 ; s constant , t is the temperature in degrees kelvin , and q is the electronic charge . the present invention contemplates that other internal emitter area ratios may be used so that , generally speaking , the numeral &# 34 ; 9 &# 34 ; in the foregoing equation may be replaced with a constant &# 34 ; k &# 34 ;. although rref1 has a positive temperature coefficient characteristic of a silicon resistor , iref generally has a positive temperature coefficient due to the strong increasing temperature dependence of the vt term . when the reference current iref is forced onto the series combination of the three diodes 74 - 78 and resistors 80 and 82 , vref2 is defined by the equation vref2 = iref * ( rref2a + rref2b ) + 3vd , wherein iref is defined as above and vd is the diode voltage drop for each of the three diodes 74 - 78 . diodes 74 - 78 are composed of diode connected npn transistors so that the diode voltage drop is simply the vbe of the corresponding diode connected transistor . although vbe generally has a negative temperature coefficient , the overall temperature coefficient of vref2 is generally positive due to the strong positive temperature coefficient of iref . however , the actual temperature coefficient of 35 vref2 may be modulated through the choice of resistor values for rref1 , rref2a 80 and rref2b 82 . preferably , rref1 , rref2a 80 , and rref2b 82 are chosen so that the resulting temperature coefficient of vref2 substantially matches that of vref1 . given the temperature coefficient slope of vref1 , as well as the vref2 - vref1 ratio requirements , a series of equations involving well - known circuit relationships are solved to determine the foregoing resistor values . specifically , rref1 = 338 . 8 ohms and rref2a + rref2b = 6 . 818 kohms . with the foregoing resistor values , vref2 = 3 . 517 volts ( approximately ), at room temperature ( 27 degrees c .). thus , at vbatt = 6 volts , vref2 - vref1 = 1 . 755 volts , and at vbatt = 14 volts , vref2 - vref1 = 0 . 438 volts , resulting in a ratio of 4 : 1 . although 3 diodes 74 - 78 are utilized in a preferred embodiment , the present invention contemplates other vref2 - vref1 requirements wherein any number of diodes may be stacked to provide a vbatt independent reference voltage vref2 . those skilled in the art will recognize that only slight modifications to the resistor values are required to achieve other vref2 - vref1 requirements while maintaining the vref2 temperature coefficient substantially identical to the vref1 temperature coefficient . with the vref1 and vref2 arrangement described thus far , the operation of circuit 10 proceeds as described for battery voltages of between 6 volts and 14 volts . however , it is not uncommon in an automotive environment to experience normal operation with battery voltages in excess of 14 volts . in such a situation , vref1 tends to increase to a value greater than vref2 as vbatt approaches approximately 16 volts . to compensate for this effect , transistor q3 84 is connected to the output vc2 of comparator 22 to effectively short circuit rref2b when vc2 is switched to a logic high level , thereby momentarily decreasing the level of vref2 . this feature then causes the capacitor voltage vcap to oscillate between the two vref2 levels to thereby establish a minimum lockup time for battery voltages in excess of 16 volts . however , as vbatt increases above 16 volts , lockup time increases slightly due to the extra time it takes for the capacitor 18 to charge from vpreset to the upper vref2 reference voltage . in any event , at battery voltages below 16 volts , the effect of q3 84 does not appreciably affect lockup time if rref2b is chosen to have a value sufficiently less than rref2a . it has been determined through experimentation that optimum values for resistors 80 and 82 are , rref2a = 4 . 818 kohms and rref2b = 2 . 0 kohms . the ignition system protection circuit 10 , as previously discussed is intended to be implemented as a silicon integrated circuit . however , capacitor 18 is intended to be provided as an external component to circuit 10 . as such , it is desirable to provide an arrangement , also external to circuit 10 , for adjusting the capacitor 18 charging and discharging currents ichg and 2xichg to compensate for variations in the external capacitor value . referring now to fig6 a circuit 90 is shown which incorporates capacitor charging current source 28 and capacitor discharging current source 30 , and further provides circuitry for performing the foregoing charging and discharging current adjustment function . circuit 90 includes a reference current generator 92 , identical to reference current generator 72 of fig5 which is connected to the parallel combination of diode connected npn transistor q5 94 in series with resistor rtrim 96 and resistor r3 98 in series with diode connected npn transistor q4 100 . npn transistor q6 102 is connected to q4 98 to form a current mirror therebetween . npn transistor q7 104 is connected between the base of q4 98 / q6 102 and ground , and has a base connected to the inverted drive signal . the current ichg flows through q6 102 , and through diode connected pnp transistor q11 106 which is connected in series with q6 106 . pnp transistor q12 108 is connected to q11 106 to form a current mirror therebetween . q12 108 is preferably a 4 - collector transistor with one collector grounded and one collector connected to capacitor 18 to supply the mirrored current ichg thereto . the remaining two collectors of q12 108 are tied together and connected to diode connected npn transistor q8 110 to thereby supply a current 2xichg thereto which is effectively double the value of ichg . an npn transistor q9 112 is connected to q8 110 to form a current mirror therebetween , with the collector of q9 112 connected to capacitor 18 . finally , an npn transistor q10 114 is connected between the base of q9 / q10 and ground , with the base of q10 114 being connected to qbar of flip - flop 24 . the operation of circuit 90 , with respect to the ignition system protection circuit 10 of fig1 will now be described in detail . prior to receiving a drive signal ( t & lt ; 0 in fig2 ), qbar 38 and drive bar ( inverse of 35 ) are both logic high levels , thus turning on transistors q7 104 and q10 114 . turning on q7 104 and q10 114 disables the current mirrors formed by q4 / q6 and q8 / q9 respectively , so that neither ichg nor 2xichg flows as previously described . when drive 35 switches to a logic high level ( so that drive bar switches to a logic low level ), the current ichg flows through q6 , the q11 / q12 current mirror and into capacitor 18 thereby causing it to charge . when qbar 38 switches to a logic low level , as previously discussed , the q8 / q9 current mirror is also activated . however , although q12 108 continues to supply the current ichg to capacitor 18 , q9 draws a current 2xichg from capacitor 18 . the net effect is that a current substantially equal to ichg is drawn away from capacitor 18 thereby causing it to discharge at approximately the same rate at which it was previously charging . the current ichg is established by the current ic3 flowing through resistor r3 98 and diode connected transistor q4 100 , which is , in turn , established by the reference current generator 92 . in operation , iref is split between r3 98 and rtrim 96 , where r3 98 is preferably a silicon diffused resistor having a positive temperature coefficient , and rtrim is an external adjustable resistor with negligible temperature coefficient ( or at least negligible relative to the temperature coefficient of r3 98 ). in a preferred embodiment , rtrim 96 is a trimmable resistor , such as by laser trimming , to thereby increase the value of rtrim . however , the present invention contemplates that rtrim may further be ( or alternatively be ) of the type that the resistance of rtrim may be incrementally increased . such a resistor may comprise , for example , a series of resistors having laser - fusible links therebetween which , when fused , add incremental resistance values to rtrim 96 . in any event , increasing rtrim 96 has the effect of increasing the current ichg , and therefore the current 2xichg , to compensate or variations in the value of capacitor 18 . the presence of q5 94 in series with rtrim 96 effectively compensates for the temperature coefficient of q4 &# 39 ; s vbe . as temperature increases , the value of r3 98 increases at the same rate as the resistor r1 in the iref generator 92 . since rtrim 96 has a negligible temperature coefficient , the value of rtrim 96 does not correspondingly increase with temperature . increasing temperature thus has the effect of decreasing the impedance of the rtrim / q5 series connection as compared to the r3 / q4 series combination . this slight decrease in impedance compensates for the normal positive temperature coefficient in the current iref ( as previously discussed ), and thereby compensates for the modulation of ichg with temperature that would otherwise result from the change in q4 &# 39 ; s vbe with temperature as well as the change in iref with temperature . circuit 90 thus permits adjustment of the capacitor charging and discharging currents ichg and 2xichg without introducing an additional temperature coefficient in the two currents . utilizing equations for circuit 90 involving known component and circuit relationships , r3 98 has been determined to be approximately 10 kohms , and rtrim has been determined to require an initial value of approximately 700 ohms . with the circuit components so determined , and with the trimming capability of rtrim 96 , ichg may range between approximately 17 microamps and 160 microamps . given the foregoing information , known circuit component and circuitry relationships may be used to determine a capacitance value for capacitor 18 in order to achieve the required lockup times . with a slight adjustment in the current ichg so that ichg = 20 microamps ( approximately ), capacitor 18 has a value of approximately 0 . 1 microfarads . it is to be understood , however , that other capacitor values may be used to achieve similar results , with a corresponding change in the current ichg . referring now to fig7 a preferred embodiment of capacitor voltage preset circuit 16 , wherein the voltage vpreset is provided by reference voltage generator 12 as previously discussed , is shown . preferably capacitor voltage preset circuit 16 comprises a voltage follower circuit having npn transistors q13 122 and q14 124 connected as a differential pair . pnp transistor q18 126 is a dual collector transistor with one collector tied to its base and to the collector of q13 . the remaining collector of q18 is tied to the base and collector of diode connected transistor q14 which is , in turn , connected to capacitor 18 . the emitters of q13 and q14 are both connected to the collector of npn transistor q15 128 . diode connected npn transistor q17 is connected to q15 to form a current mirror therebetween , and is further supplied a reference current via reference current generator 132 . preferably , reference current generator 132 is identical to reference current generators 72 and 92 previously described . finally , npn transistor q16 134 is connected between the base of q15 / q17 and ground , and has a base connected to the drive signal ( 35 of fig2 ). with reference to fig2 and 7 , the operation of capacitor preset voltage circuit 16 will now be described in detail . prior to receiving a drive signal ( t & lt ; 0 in fig2 ), drive 35 is a logic low level . as such , q16 is turned off so that the current iref flowing through q17 is mirrored to q15 . current flowing through q15 enables the differential pair q13 / q14 so that the voltage appearing at the base of q13 122 is impressed upon the base of q14 124 , and thereby on the capacitor 18 . thus , for t & lt ; 0 , the voltage vcap 34 across capacitor 18 is maintained by circuit 16 at a voltage substantially equal to vpreset . at t = 0 , drive 35 switches to a logic high state , thereby turning on q16 134 . as long as q16 134 is turned on , the current mirror composed of q15 / q17 is disabled , thereby disabling the differential pair q13 / q14 . disabling the differential pair q13 / q14 then forces the base / collector of q14 into a high impedance state , effectively disconnecting the voltage vpreset from capacitor 18 . the high impedance state is maintained until drive 35 switches back to a logic low level . referring once more to fig2 the timing diagram shown therein represents the operation of ignition system protection circuit 10 with all circuit components set to the values described above . as shown in the fig ., for vbatt = 14 volts , vref2 = 3 . 8 volts , vpreset = 2 . 9 volts , vref1 = 2 . 6 volts , and the lockup time is approximately 70 milliseconds . while the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description , the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character , it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected . | 5 |
tungsten films containing silicon were grown on respective single crystal silicon substrates at a substrate temperature of 236 ° c . or 354 ° c . by the low pressure cvd method using wf 6 and sih 4 as source gases . in addition to wf 6 and sih 4 , argon was used as the carrier gas . the total pressure was 0 . 65 torr in all runs . the resulting films containing impurities were examined by auger electron spectroscopy ( aes ) to calculate the amounts of the impurities based on the sensitivity correction coefficient . table 1 shows the conditions of formation , thicknesses , resistivities at room temperature of the respective tungsten films , the amounts of silicon contained in the respective films , and the amounts of oxygen and fluorine contained as the impurities in the respective films . the electric resistances of the tungsten films were measured using respective samples prepared by a procedure of patterning a tungsten film formed on a single crystal silicon substrate into the form of a four - terminal element using the customary photolithographic technique . the patterning of the tungsten film was effected by removing the unnecessary portions thereof through well - known reactive ion etching using sf 6 . these samples were cooled to the liquid helium temperature ( 4 . 2 ° k . ), and the electric resistances of the samples were measured by the well - known four - terminal method . samples which showed an electric resistance reading of zero within the range of measurement error were assumed to be superconducting materials . table 1 lists samples which exhibited a residual electric resistance like those of common metals and samples which exhibited superconductivity . as will be apparent from this table , the samples having a silicon content of 2 . 0 to 40 atomic % had super conductivity , while no superconductivity was observed in the samples having a silicon content falling outside the above - mentioned range . the resistivities at room temperature of tungsten films which exhibited superconductivity were about 100 to 200 μω . cm , which were about 20 times as high as the resistivity values of corresponding bulk materials but sufficiently low as the resistivities of materials for electrodes and wirings . in addition , these films are so easily patterned by dry etching that they are suitable as the materials of fine electrode and wirings of semiconductor devices . all these samples showed a tc of 4 . 4 to 4 . 7 k when examined by raising the temperature thereof from 4 . 2 k . it is also recognized that tungsten films containing certain amount of silicon could be formed by cvd method using wf 6 where si 2 h 6 , sih 2 cl 2 and other silicon - containing reaction gases were used instead of sih 4 . table 1__________________________________________________________________________deposition conditions film characteristics composition total film resistivitywaferwf . sub . 6 sih . sub . 4 n . sub . 2 + ar pressure temp . time thickness ( room temp .) si o f resistivity ( 4 . 2k ) no . sccm sccm sccm torr ° c . min mm μlcm % % % μω · cm__________________________________________________________________________1 30 1190 12 500 149 1 . 5 1 . 0 0 . 30 130 . 22 40 1180 12 700 60 . 2 1 . 5 1 . 1 0 . 37 55 . 33 60 1160 9 667 64 . 7 1 . 6 0 . 86 0 . 36 60 . 04 80 1140 236 567 106 2 . 0 0 . 90 0 . 31 superconductivity (˜ 0 ) 5 120 1100 733 217 3 . 5 1 . 0 0 . 38 superconductivity (˜ 0 ) 6 160 1060 6 933 214 16 . 1 1 . 0 0 . 27 superconductivity (˜ 0 ) 7 240 980 433 163 40 . 0 1 . 0 0 . 28 superconductivity (˜ 0 ) 8 80 30 1190 0 . 65 12 500 10 . 0 0 . 20 1 . 1 0 . 31 6 . 09 40 1180 12 767 13 . 8 0 . 27 1 . 0 0 . 32 7 . 210 60 1160 9 733 16 . 1 0 . 29 1 . 1 0 . 23 8 . 311 80 1140 354 600 16 . 8 0 . 40 1 . 0 0 . 33 10 . 212 120 1100 1167 365 4 . 0 2 . 8 0 . 27 superconductivity (˜ 0 ) 13 160 1060 6 933 205 13 . 6 0 . 88 0 . 29 superconductivity (˜ 0 ) 14 240 980 800 257 43 . 1 0 . 64 0 . 27 250 . 1__________________________________________________________________________ while the thin tungsten films containing silicon were formed by the low - pressure cvd method using wf 6 and sih 4 as the reactive gases in this embodiment , investigations were also made of a case of forming a film by sputtering . simultaneous sputtering of a silicon substrate with tungsten and silicon was effected by colliding ar + ions simultaneously against a tungsten target and a silicon target while keeping a silicon substrate at room temperature to form a tungsten film containing 5 . 0 atomic % of silicon on the above - mentioned substrate . the electric resistance at 4 . 2 ° k . of the tungsten film was measured to find out whether it exhibited superconductivity . it was recognized from that examination that such a film did exhibit superconductivity . furthermore , it was determined that a tungsten target containing silicon opposed to two different targets , could be used to form such a thin superconducting film by sputtering . thus , it was confirmed that a superconducting film can be obtained through film formation according to sputtering , in addition to the cvd process . it was also confirmed that impurities , such as oxygen ( o ) and fluorine ( f ), contained in tungsten had no grave influences on the tc and the like of a superconducting film as can be seen in table 1 which shows no such influences , for example , even when the oxygen ( o ) content was in the range of 0 . 86 to 2 . 8 atomic %. it was further confirmed that tungsten can be used as the material for superconducting electrodes and wirings even when it contains at least one element out of the group of transition metals such as titanium , ruthenium and rhenium and other elements such as carbon and germanium in an amount comparable to that of oxygen ( about 3 atomic %). next , a description will be made of another embodiment according to the present invention while referring to fig1 a to 1c . this embodiment is concerned with a case where tungsten films containing silicon were used as the electrodes and wirings of a silicon semiconductor device . as shown in fig1 a , a field oxide film 2 was first formed on a p - type silicon ( 100 ) substrate 1 ( 2 - 5ω . cm ) by a method as employed in a customary process for producing a semiconductor device , followed by ion implantation of arsenic ions . thereafter , the resulting structure was heated at 900 ° c . for 20 minutes to form an n + - type doped region 3 . subsequently , a tungsten film 4 containing 5 . 2 atomic % of silicon and having a thickness of 300 nm was formed by the low - pressure cvd method using wf 6 and sih 4 as the source gases . the unnecessary portions of the film 4 were removed by well - known photo - lithography to be patterned into an electrode and wiring . either where the adhesion of the film 4 to the field oxide film 2 is insufficient , or where a barrier metal is necessary between the film 4 and the n + - type doped region 3 , a barrier metal film such as a tin film or a tiw film may be preliminarily formed below the tungsten film 4 by sputtering deposition , cvd , or the like . thereafter , as shown in fig1 b , a phosphosilicate glass ( psg ) film 5 having a thickness of 900 nm was formed by the low pressure cvd method , heated at 700 ° c . for 30 minutes , and then subjected to customary photo - lithography to form a through hole of 0 . 5 μm in diameter on the tungsten film wiring 4 . thereafter , a tungsten film 4 &# 39 ; containing 5 . 2 atomic % of silicon was further formed by the low - pressure cvd method using wf 6 and sih 4 , and patterned into a wiring according to customary photoetching . the conditions of the formation of this film 4 &# 39 ; were the same as those of the formation of the first tungsten film 4 . the patterning of the film 4 &# 39 ; was effected by reactive ion etching using sf 6 , which is a method most generally employed in patterning of tungsten and molybdenum films . it was confirmed that the above - mentioned method can be employed to pattern tungsten or molybdenum films containing 0 . 2 to 40 atomic % of silicon without any trouble at all to form electrodes and wirings of semiconductor devices . as demonstrated in this embodiment , customary processes for producing a silicon semiconductor device can be employed to form not only monolayer electrodes and wirings but also multilayer electrodes and wirings made of tungsten containing silicon . it was confirmed that the electrode and wirings 4 and 4 &# 39 ; made of tungsten containing silicon could be used as superconducting electrodes and wirings when the semiconductor device was cooled to 4 . 2 k . while only the tungsten film electrode and wirings have been demonstrated in the foregoing embodiments , at least one kind of film selected from among a group including an aluminum film , silicide films respectively derived from aluminum , tungsten , molybdenum and titanium , a polysilicon film , and a tin film , which are used in common semiconductor devices , can be combined with a tungsten film as mentioned above to form a laminated film , which is then formed into electrodes and wirings . it was recognized that molybdenum containing an equivalent amount of silicon can be used instead of the aforementioned tungsten containing silicon to secure the same level of superconductivity , so that it can be used to form superconducting electrodes and wirings for a semiconductor device . the electrode and wiring of the present invention must be cooled to a given low temperature in order to be used in a superconducting stage . thus , a semiconductor device provided with electrodes and wirings according to the present invention is cooled by cooling means using liquid helium . various means , including contact of liquid helium with a cooling fin provided on the rear side of a semiconductor device , can be employed as the cooling means using liquid helium . for example , provision of cooling means as employed in cooling a josephson device gave good results . as has been described in detail hereabove , in accordance with the present invention , fine electrodes and wirings capable of exhibiting superconductivity above , 4 . 2 ° k . can be formed using tungsten or molybdenum having an excellent adaptability to processes for producing a semiconductor device . according to the present invention , customary low - pressure cvd and sputtering , which have heretofore been employed , can be employed to facilitate thin film formation and patterning capable of withstanding heat treatments at high temperatures in succeeding steps . thus , the present invention is superior from the viewpoints of economy and efficiency . | 8 |
referring to the drawing and the fig1 in particular , shown therein and generally designated by the reference character 10 is a retrievable anchor assembly that is constructed in accordance with the invention . the retrievable anchor assembly 10 is illustrated as being connected to a section of well tubing 12 at its upper end and to a well tubing 14 or other well apparatus ( not shown ) at its lower end . the tubing 12 and 14 and the anchor assembly 10 are located in a well bore 16 . as may be more clearly seen in fig2 the anchor assembly 10 includes a unitary mandrel 18 that extends entirely therethrough . the mandrel 18 at its upper end 20 is threadedly attached to the lower end of the tubing 12 . at lower end 22 of the mandrel 18 there is provided a male thread 24 which threads into the upper end of the tubing 14 . the mandrel 18 has an exterior thread 26 located between the upper and lower ends 20 and 22 respectively . the thread 26 is provided to connect the mandrel 18 to an annular upper expander member 28 . the expander member 28 is provided with an interior thread 30 that mates with the thread 26 on the mandrel 18 . in addition to the thread 30 , the upper expander member 28 is provided with a tapered lower end portion 32 that is arranged to engage a mating tapered surface 34 on the upper end of slips 36 , as will be described . the upper expander member 28 also carries drag springs 38 that are connected thereto by a plurality of threaded fasteners 40 . only one of the drag springs 38 is illustrated in fig2 . ( all three springs 38 can be seen in the cross - sectional view of fig3 .) the drag springs 38 are provided to center the anchor assembly 10 in the well bore 16 , as well as providing a frictional force on the well bore wall 16 to permit operation of the anchor assembly 10 , as will be explained hereinafter . an annular lower expander member 42 is attached to the exterior of the mandrel 18 by a plurality of shear pins 44 which extend into an annular groove 45 in the mandrel 18 . the lower expander member 42 includes a tapered upper end portion 46 that is arranged to mate with a tapered lower surface portion 48 on the slips 36 . an annular slip cage 50 encircles a portion of the mandrel 18 and the upper and lower expander members 28 and 42 , respectively . the slip cage 50 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced slots 52 through which the drag springs 38 project . the cage 50 is also provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced openings 54 that are sized to loosely receive each of the slips 36 . the circumferential spaced relationship of the slots 52 and of the openings 54 an be clearly seen in the cross - sectional view of fig3 . the cage 50 is retained on the anchor assembly 10 by locking rings 56 and 58 that are located at the upper and lower ends thereof , respectively . stop pins 60 prevent relative rotation between the mandrel 18 and the upper expander member 28 when the tubing 12 and mandrel 18 are rotated in the right hand direction , that is , in the clockwise direction as viewed from the top of the tubing 12 . the stop pins 60 are located in the upper end of the upper expander member 28 . the mandrel 18 is provided with a plurality of stops 62 that engage the stop pins 60 so that the tubing 12 , mandrel 18 , and expander 20 are together rotated when right hand rotation is imposed on the tubing 12 . counterclockwise or left - hand rotation between the mandrel 18 and the upper expander member 28 is possible since the pitch of the threads 26 and 30 is such that the stop members 62 rise above the upper end of the stop pins 60 , and thus do not come into engagement therewith . the slips 36 are illustrated in more detail in fig4 - 7 . as shown therein , each of the slips 36 includes an upper convex toothed surface 70 . a portion of the teeth on the surface 70 are oriented to hold the anchor assembly 10 against upward movement and the remaining portion are oriented in a downward direction to hold the anchor assembly 10 against downward movement . the upwardly oriented teeth are designated by the reference character 72 and the downwardly oriented teeth are designated by the reference character 74 . each of the slips 36 is also provided with a concave lower or inner surface 76 . the previously mentioned tapered surfaces 34 and 48 are also concave and , of course , extend at an angle relative to the concave inner surface 76 . sides 78 and 80 extend substantially parallel to each other and terminate at each end in ends 82 and 84 that are formed by segments of circles . the importance of forming the ends 82 and 84 of the slips as segments of a circle , and in this case as essentially half circles , is to permit the openings 54 in the slip cage 50 to be formed by the same milling cutter that forms the remainder of the slot . thus , such design eliminates several previously required machining operations to form the openings 54 in the cage 50 . protruding outwardly from each of the sides 78 an 80 of the slips 36 are a pair of spaced dogs 86 and 88 , respectively . the dogs are arranged , as can be seen most clearly in fig3 so that they project beyond the outer dimension of the openings 54 so that the slips 36 cannot move outwardly through the openings 54 . referring again to fig6 ( the bottom view of the slip 36 ), it can be seen that there are a plurality of spaced recesses 90 formed therein . arcuate holes 92 , 94 and 96 extend through each of the slips 36 extending through the sides 78 and 80 thereof . the arcutate configuration of the holes can be seen more clearly in the cross - sectional view of fig7 . the purpose of the holes 90 , 92 and 96 can be appreciated from viewing fig8 . as shown therein , a garter spring , that is , a continuous tension spring 98 , extends through each of the holes 90 , 92 ad 96 in each of the slips 36 . the tension spring 98 is of less diameter than the exterior of the mandrel 18 so that the slips 36 are continually biased inwardly toward engagement with the mandrel 18 . as a matter of fact , replacement slips can be pre - assembled with the garter springs , and when the cage 50 is removed from the anchor 10 to replace the slips 36 , the assembly of slips 36 and garter springs 98 can be slipped over the mandrel 18 into position thereon . the cage 50 is then returned to its proper position with the slips 36 located in the openings 54 , thus providing for the quick and relatively easy replacement of the slips 36 on the anchor 10 . fig1 , 8 and 9 are useful in discussing the operation of the anchor 10 . as shown in fig1 the anchor 10 is lowered into the well bore 16 on a tubing 12 . the lower end of the mandrel 18 is connected to either additional tubing 14 or to a piece of well apparatus such as , in the case of this type anchor , a reciprocating downhole pump ( not shown ). upon reaching the desired location in the well bore 16 , the tubing 12 is rotated counterclockwise , or in a left - hand direction . when this occurs , the drag springs 38 , which are in engagement with the wall of the well bore 1 , prevent rotation of the upper expander member 28 . since the upper expander member 28 cannot rotate , the thread 26 begins to drive the upper expander member 28 downwardly bringing the tapered surface 32 thereon into engagement with the tapered surfaces 34 on the upper end of the slips 36 . at this time , the cage 50 , the slips 36 and the upper expander member 28 move downwardly moving the tapered surface 48 on the lower end of the slips 36 into engagement with the tapered surface 46 on the lower expander member 42 . continued rotation of the tubing 12 and the mandrel 18 causes the upper expander member 28 to continue its downward movement until the slips 36 are forced outwardly into holding engagement with the wall of the well bore 16 as illustrated in fig8 . at this point , the garter springs 98 in the slips 36 have been expanded as the inner surface 76 of the slips 36 move away from the mandrel 18 . with the slips 36 in this position , the teeth 72 and 74 thereon are in tight holding engagement with the wall of the well bore 16 and due to their orientation , resist movement of the anchor 10 in either an upwardly or downwardly direction . it can be seen that any upward force imposed on the tubing 12 from above will simply tend to drive the lower expander member 42 into the slips 36 and to move the slips 36 into engagement with the upper expander member 28 . also , forces exerted downwardly tend to force the upper expander member 28 into the slips 36 and to move the slips 36 into the lower expander 42 . such action forces the slips 36 into tighter holding engagement with the wall of the well bore 16 . to release the anchor 10 , the tubing 12 is rotated in a clockwise rotation , that is in right - hand rotation , and the thread 26 on the mandrel 18 is rotated thereby relative to the thread 30 on the upper expander , causing the upper expander member 28 to move upwardly and away from the slips 36 . when the upper expander member 28 engage the lock ring 56 , the cage 50 is moved upwardly , dislodging the slips 36 from the lower expander member 42 , permitting the slips 36 , uder the influence of the springs 98 , to collapse inwardly to the retracted position illustrated in fig2 . in the event that it is not possible to release th slips 36 in the manner described , a feature has been built in which permits retrieval of the anchor 10 . this feature involves the shear screws 44 which have their innermost ends located in the annular recess 45 formed in the exterior of the mandrel 18 . as illustrated in fig8 the shear pins 44 are intact with the slips 36 in the set position . as mentioned , if the normal retraction operation does not release the slips 36 , a tension force exerted on the tubing string 12 moves the mandrel 18 upwardly to the position illustrated in fig9 dislodging the upper expander member 28 from the slips 36 . continued upward pull causes the shear pins 44 to sever since the lower expander member 42 is securely engaged with the slips 36 which are in holding engagement with the wall of the well bore 16 . the lower expander member 42 , after shearing the pins 44 , cannot be inadvertently lost since the lower lock ring 58 carried by the slip cage 50 engages the lower expander member 42 and brings it to the surface along with the remainder of the anchor 10 . from the foregoing , it will be appreciated that the anchor 10 is extremely simple in construction in that the mandrel 18 is formed from a unitary piece , threaded at the top to accept directly the threaded tubing 12 and at the bottom to be screwed into the tubing 14 or into a well pump , and having a thread thereon for operation of the upper expander member 28 . the mandrel , being a unitary member , is extremely strong and relatively easy to manufacture at low cost . the cage 50 has been simplified by the attachment of the drag springs 38 to the upper expander 28 and by the provision of the circular ends to the slips 36 and of the openings 54 extending through the cage 50 . the cage 50 is essentially a tubular member . as can be seen , the lower expander member 42 is of relatively simple construction and attached to the mandrel 45 by shear screws 44 . thus , the anchor 10 is durable , easy to manufacture , and relatively low in cost because of the cost saving manufacturing techniques utilized in its manufacture . it should be pointed out that the slips 36 are relatively simple design and by utilizing the arcutate holes extending therethrough , provides for the preassembly of the slips 36 with the garter springs 98 . while this may seem to be a very simple feature , so far as is known , previous slips constructed for such anchors were individually assembled with a multiplicity of springs , each of which is connected individually to each side of each slip . thus , the assembly of the slips and springs onto the mandrel was a tedious , time - consuming and very difficult process . having described but a single embodiment of the invention , it will be understood that many changes and modifications can be made thereto without departing from the spirit or scope of the annexed claims . | 4 |
the objects , technical solutions and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description set forth below in conjunction with the specific embodiments and the drawings . to address the problems caused by conventional practices , the embodiments of the invention provide a solution mainly for the configuration of an msc pool in which the carrying function and the controlling function are separated . with this solution , the networking scheme for an msc pool may be implemented without upgrading the bscs / rncs . in embodiments of the invention , an mgw connects with a bsc / rnc through a same signaling point ( referred to as common signaling point ). as used in the application , the term “ signaling point ” may refer to a signaling point device or the code for a signaling point device . the bsc / rnc regards this common signaling point as the signaling point of the msc server and only connects with this common signaling point . in this manner , a bsc / rnc is not aware of the difference between various msc servers . to a bsc / rnc , all msc servers in the msc pool appear to be the same msc server . the destination signaling point carried in an uplink message sent from the bsc / rnc is the common signaling point , and upon receipt of a message whose destination signaling point is the common signaling point , the mgw determines the destination msc server according to id information ( such as subscriber id or msc server id ) carried in the message , and sends the received message to the destination msc server . in other words , the function of distributing traffic load is moved to the mgw from the bsc / rnc . as a result , there is no need to upgrade any bsc / rnc . here , a bsc / rnc may be connected to one or more mgws , and , a full interconnection between the bscs / rncs and all msc servers in the msc pool may be implemented by connecting the mgws and the msc servers in the msc pool . for the msc servers in the msc pool , they may access a same bsc / rnc through a signaling point which is the same as the common signaling point , or a signaling point different from the common signaling point ( but in this case , the mgws have to provide signaling points different from the common signaling point to connect with the msc servers ). for example , as shown in fig5 , each msc server and each mgw in the msc pool use a signaling point aa to establish a signaling connection with the bscs / rncs . alternatively , as shown in fig6 , each mgw in the msc pool uses a signaling point aa to establish a signaling connection with the bscs / rncs , but the msc servers in the msc pool use signaling points different from aa to connect the bscs / rncs . as shown in fig6 , msc server 1 uses a signaling point bb to connect the bscs / rncs , and msc server 2 uses a signaling point cc to connect the bscs / rncs . mgw 1 uses a signaling point dd to connect msc server 1 and msc server 2 , and mgw 2 uses a signaling point ee to connect msc server 1 and msc server 2 . in the two cases , the bscs / rncs consider the signaling point aa as the only signaling point to connect them to the msc servers . detailed description will be made below to the process for the mgw to process services in an example in which the access network device is a bsc . as shown in fig7 , the process mainly includes the following steps . step 701 : an ms sends a layer 3 service request message to a bsc . step 702 : the bsc forwards the received layer 3 service request message to the mgw , the destination signaling point carried in the message sent to the mgw being the common signaling point of the mgw . step 703 : upon receipt of the message sent from the bsc , the mgw parses the signaling connection control protocol ( sccp ) message therein . if the received message is a connection request ( cr ) message in the sccp uplink connection oriented message , the layer 3 service request message is parsed and the destination msc server is selected according to a subscriber id in the layer 3 service request message . if the received message is an sccp uplink connectionless message , the mgw may select one msc server from the msc pool randomly as the destination msc server of the message , or forwards the received message to all msc servers in the msc pool , or simply discards the message . in step 703 , the process for the mgw to select the destination msc server may involve the following cases . 1 ) when the subscriber id is a temporary mobile subscriber id ( tmsi ), the mgw extracts a network resource indication ( nri ) from the tmsi , looks up the correspondence relationship table between nri and msc server , and determines the destination msc server of the message according to a correspondence relationship between the nri and an msc server . 2 ) when the layer 3 service request message is a paging response message and the subscriber id is an international mobile subscriber id ( imsi ), the mgw looks up the temporarily saved correspondence relationship between the imsi and an msc server , and determines the destination msc server of the message according to the correspondence relationship between the imsi and an msc server . if the mgw itself fails to obtain the correspondence relationship between the imsi and the msc server , the mgw may inquire each msc server in the msc pool for an msc server in which the subscriber resides , by taking the imsi as the parameter via a message ( for example , bssap , ranap , or h . 248 message ), and use the inquired msc server as the destination msc server . if the destination msc server cannot be determined by inquiring msc servers , the process proceeds to 3 ). 3 ) when the subscriber id is an imsi or international mobile equipment id ( imei ), the mgw computes a value v , inquires the correspondence relationship between the value v and an msc server , and determines the destination msc server of the message according to the correspondence relationship between the value v and an msc server . here , v =( imsi / imei div 10 ) mod 1000 . step 704 : the mgw sends the message from the bsc to the destination msc server . in fig7 , the destination msc server is supposed to be msc server 1 . if the destination msc server does not use the common signaling point , the mgw modifies the destination signaling point in the message destined for the destination msc server , as the signaling point of the destination msc server . step 705 : the msc server carries a home msc server id in an sccp downlink connection oriented message , and sends the sccp downlink connection oriented message carrying the home msc server id to the mgw . here , some bits in the source sccp connection number of the sccp layer message may be reserved for saving the msc server id . the msc server may send the msc server id , which is carried in the source sccp connection number , to the mgw . as for the value of the msc server id and which bits in the sccp connection number are occupied by the msc server id , it may be determined from the data configuration . step 706 : upon receipt of a message sent from the msc server , the mgw parses an sccp layer message therein . if the received message is an sccp downlink connection oriented message , no special processing is performed , and the received message is forwarded to the bsc directly . if the received message is an sccp downlink connectionless message , the mgw parses the layer 3 message therein . if the layer 3 message is a paging message and its subscriber id is an imsi , the mgw saves the correspondence relationship between the imsi and the msc server temporarily . in this manner , when the mgw receives a paging response message from the ms and the subscriber id is an imsi , the mgw may route the paging response to the msc server that initiates the paging according to a correspondence relationship between the imsi and the msc server . if the msc server does not use the common signaling point , the source signaling point carried in the message sent from the msc server to the mgw will be different from the common signaling point , and thus the mgw modifies the source signaling point in the message as the signaling point , and then forwards the message to the bsc . step 707 : upon receipt of a message from the bsc , the mgw parses the sccp layer message therein . if the message is a non - cr message in sccp uplink connection oriented messages , an msc server id is parsed from a destination sccp connection number of the message , a correspondence relationship between the msc server id and an msc server is inquired , the destination msc server of the message is determined according to the correspondence relationship between the msc server id and the msc server , and then , the message from the bsc is forwarded to the destination msc server . if the destination msc server does not use the common signaling point , the mgw modifies the destination signaling point in the message as the signaling point of the destination msc server , and then forwards the message to the destination msc server . in step 705 , the msc server carries a home msc server id in the source sccp connection number of the message of an sccp downlink connection oriented message . upon receipt of the sccp downlink connection oriented message carrying the msc server id , if the bsc is to send a message to the msc server , it will also carry the msc server id in the destination sccp connection number of the message . in this manner , when the mgw receives another non - cr message from the bsc next time , it may parse an msc server id from the destination sccp connection number of the message , and then determine the destination msc server of the message . moreover , it should be noted that the technique for realizing an msc pool as provided in the invention may be combined with existing techniques for realizing an msc pool . specifically , various msc servers in an msc pool may employ a multi - signaling point technique . they may access conventional bscs / rncs by using the technique of the invention , or access bscs / rncs having the function of an msc pool as provided in the 3gpp 23 . 236 protocol by using other different signaling points . also in the invention , an msc server may connect with conventional mgws , as well as conventional bscs / rncs . here , a conventional mgw refers to a mgw that does not support the present invention , whereas a conventional bsc / rnc refers to a bsc / rnc that does not support the function of an msc pool as provided in the 3gpp 23 . 236 protocol . for example , as shown in fig8 , through the signaling point aa , both msc server 1 and msc server 2 are connected to four conventional bscs / rncs : bsc / rnc 1 , bsc / rnc 2 , bsc / rnc 3 and bsc / rnc 4 . after mgw 1 or mgw 2 receives a message from bsc / rnc 1 , bsc / rnc 2 , bsc / rnc 3 and bsc / rnc 4 , the destination msc server of a message destined for the same signaling point may be determined according to the subscriber id or msc server id carried in the message , and the received message is then sent to the destination msc server . meanwhile , msc server 1 and msc server 2 may be connected to bsc / rnc 5 that supports the msc pool function through signaling points other than aa , and the signaling points used by msc server 1 and msc server 2 are different from each other . for example , msc server 1 uses the signaling point ff to connect with bsc / rnc 5 via mgw 3 , and msc server 2 uses the signaling point gg to connect with bsc / rnc 5 via mgw 3 . upon receipt of a message from the ms , bsc / rnc 5 determines the destination signaling point of the message , and carries the signaling point in the received message which is sent to mgw 3 . upon receipt of a message sent from bsc / rnc 5 , mgw 3 sends the received message to the msc server corresponding to the signaling point carried in the message . in this case , mgw 3 may be conventional mgw , that is , having no function as the mgw as set forth in the invention . moreover , an msc server in the msc pool may be connected with conventional bscs / rncs through a conventional networking scheme . for example , bsc / rnc 6 in fig8 is connected to only one msc server via mgw 4 . upon receipt of a message from the ms , bsc / rnc 6 directly sends the received message to the only connected msc server 2 via mgw 4 . if an mgw is connected to both a bsc / rnc that supports the msc pool function and a conventional bsc / rnc , a list of bscs / rncs to enable the msc server select function is configured on the mgw . after an mgw receives a message from a bsc / rnc , the mgw determines whether the bsc / rnc corresponding to the source signaling point carried in the message needs to enable the msc server select function , by looking up the configured list . if the determination is positive , the mgw selects the destination msc server of the message according to the subscriber id or msc server id carried in the message , and sends the received message to the destination msc server . if the determination is negative , the mgw does not parse the sccp layer and upper layer messages , but forwards the received message to a respective msc server directly according to the sccp lower layer routing function . in this manner , the load of the mgws may be reduced . accordingly , the invention also provides an mgw , whose configuration is shown in fig9 . the mgw mainly includes a message reception unit and a message distribution unit . the message reception unit is configured to receive a message from a bsc / rnc , and send the received message to the message distribution unit ; and the message distribution unit is configured to receive a message whose destination signaling point is a common signaling point , determine a destination msc server of the message according to id information carried in the message , and send the received message to the destination msc server . the message distribution unit is further configured to modify the destination signaling point carried in the message whose destination signaling point is the common signaling point , as the signaling point of the destination msc server . the message reception unit is further configured to receive a message from the msc server , and send the received message to the message distribution unit . the message distribution unit is further configured to modify a source signaling point carried in the message received from the msc server , as the common signaling point , and send the modified message to the bsc / rnc . finally , it should be noted that the present invention may be applied to various mobile communication systems , such as a global system for mobile communications ( gsm ), a code division multiple access ( cdma ) system , and a wideband code division multiple access ( wcdma ) system . while detailed descriptions have been made to the objects , technical solutions and advantages of the present invention , it shall be noted that they are not used to limit the scope of the invention . according to the disclosure of the invention , various changes , substitutions and modifications conceivable to those skilled in the art fall within the scope of the invention . | 7 |
representatively illustrated in fig1 is an optical fiber installation system 10 which embodies principles of the present invention . in the following description of the system 10 and other apparatus and methods described herein , directional terms , such as “ above ”, “ below ”, “ upper ”, “ lower ”, etc ., are used for convenience in referring to the accompanying drawings . additionally , it is to be understood that the various embodiments of the present invention described herein may be utilized in various orientations , such as inclined , inverted , horizontal , vertical , etc ., and in various configurations , without departing from the principles of the present invention . in the system 10 and associated method , a completion assembly 12 is installed in a wellbore 14 . the completion assembly 12 may be gravel packed in the wellbore 14 , in which case the assembly may include a tubular completion string 16 with a well screen 20 suspended below a packer 18 . however , it is to be clearly understood that other types of assemblies and other types of completions may be used in keeping with the principles of the invention . the assembly 12 further includes a section of optical fiber 22 extending downwardly from an optical connector 24 attached at an upper end of the assembly , through the packer 18 , and exterior to the screen 20 through a portion of the wellbore 14 which intersects a formation or zone 26 . the section 22 could instead , or in addition , be positioned internal to the screen 20 , as depicted for section 30 , which extends downwardly from the connector 24 and into the interior of the string 16 . the section 22 could also , or alternatively , be positioned external to a casing string 32 lining the wellbore 14 , or could be otherwise positioned , without departing from the principles of the invention . the zone 26 is in communication with the intersecting portion of the wellbore 14 via perforations 28 . other means could be provided for communicating between the zone 26 and wellbore 14 , for example , the portion of the wellbore intersecting the zone could be completed open hole , etc . the section 22 is used in the system 10 for distributed temperature sensing in the wellbore 14 . for example , the section 22 may be used to determine the temperature of fluid flowing between the zone 26 and the wellbore 14 in the portion of the wellbore intersecting the zone . the temperature of the fluid may be determined at distributed locations along the intersection between the wellbore 14 and the zone 26 , in order to determine where , how much and what fluids are being produced from , or injected into , the zone along the wellbore . a production tubing assembly 34 is conveyed into the wellbore 14 by use of a work string assembly 36 to suspend the production tubing assembly from a rig ( not shown ) positioned above a subsea wellhead 38 . the production tubing assembly 34 is conveyed by the work string assembly 36 through a riser 40 connecting the rig to the wellhead 38 , through the wellhead , and into the wellbore 14 . the work string assembly 36 includes a tubular work string 42 having a releasable connection 44 at a lower end . the production tubing assembly 34 includes a production tubing string 46 having an anchor 48 at an upper end , a seal 50 at a lower end , and a telescoping travel or extension joint 52 between the ends . as schematically depicted in fig1 , the anchor 48 is a tubing hanger which engages a shoulder 54 to secure the tubing string 46 in the wellbore 14 . the releasable connection 44 is a hanger running tool which , for example , uses a releasable latch to disconnect the work string 42 from the tubing string 46 after the tubing hanger 48 has been “ set ” by engaging the shoulder 54 . other types of anchors and other means of setting anchors may be used in keeping with the principles of the invention . for example , the anchor could include slips which grip the wellbore 14 to set the anchor , the anchor could include a latch which engages a corresponding profile , etc . the travel joint 52 permits the seal 50 to engage a seal bore 56 at an upper end of the completion string 16 prior to the anchor 48 engaging the shoulder 54 . after the seal 50 is received in the seal bore 56 , the travel joint 52 allows the tubing string 46 to axially compress somewhat as the anchor 48 continues displacing downwardly to engage the shoulder 54 . this configuration is depicted in fig2 , wherein it may be seen that the seal 50 is sealed in the seal bore 56 , and the anchor 48 is engaged with the shoulder 54 . when the work string 42 has been disconnected from the tubing string 46 , the work string is retrieved from the well . the riser 40 is removed , and a tree 58 is installed on the wellhead 38 to connect the well to a pipeline 60 . note that , if a fault is discovered in the system 10 after the tree 58 is installed , it will be very difficult , time - consuming and , therefore , expensive to troubleshoot and repair the system . however , in a very beneficial feature of the system 10 , faults in the system can be detected during installation when the faults are far easier to troubleshoot and repair . as depicted in fig1 , the work string 42 has a section of optical fiber 62 attached thereto . the optical fiber section 62 is coupled to an optical connector 64 at the lower end of the work string 42 . the optical connector 64 is connected to another optical connector 66 at an upper end of the production tubing string 46 . preferably , the connector 66 is positioned above the anchor 48 , for convenient connection to the connector 64 , and for reasons that are described more fully below . another optical fiber section 68 is coupled to , and extends between , the connector 66 and another optical connector 70 at a lower end of the tubing string 46 . as the tubing string 46 is conveyed into the wellbore 14 by the work string 42 , the upper optical fiber section 62 is optically connected to the section 68 via the connected connectors 64 , 66 . a light transmitting quality ( such as an optical signal transmitting capability , or optical signal loss ) of the sections 62 , 68 and / or connectors 64 , 66 may be monitored by connecting a monitor 72 to the section 62 and transmitting light from the monitor , through the section 62 , through the connectors 64 , 66 , and into the section 68 . for example , the monitor 72 may include a light transmitter ( such as a laser ) for transmitting light into the section 62 , an electro - optical converter ( such as a photodiode ) for receiving light reflected back to the monitor and converting the light into electrical signals , and a display ( such as a video display or a printer ) for observing measurements of the light transmitting quality indicated by the signals . if there is a fault in the sections 62 , 68 or connectors 64 , 66 , the monitor 72 can detect the fault before or after the anchor 48 is set , and preferably before the work string 42 is disconnected from the tubing string 46 . of course , it would be very beneficial to detect a fault before the anchor 48 is set , since the tubing string 46 could fairly easily be retrieved from the well for repair at that point . it would also be beneficial to use the monitor 72 to verify the light transmitting quality of the sections 62 , 68 and connectors 64 , 66 after the anchor 48 is set , for example , to check for faults which may have occurred due to the anchor setting process , or due to other causes . furthermore , it is desirable to use the monitor 72 to measure the light transmitting quality of the system 10 prior to disconnecting the work string 42 from the tubing string 46 , and retrieving the work string from the well . the monitor 72 may also be used to measure the light transmitting quality of the optical fiber section 22 after the connector 70 has been connected to the connector 24 . this connection between the connectors 24 , 70 is made when the tubing string 46 is conveyed into the wellbore 14 and the lower end of the tubing string engages the upper end of the completion string 16 . this engagement connects the connectors 24 , 70 and optically connects the sections 68 , 22 . for example , a rotationally orienting latch 74 may be used at the lower end of the tubing string 46 to align the connectors 24 , 70 when the tubing string engages the completion string 16 . by monitoring the light transmitting quality of the connectors 24 , 70 using the monitor 72 , the optical connection between the sections 68 , 22 may be verified before the anchor 48 is set . if the light transmitting quality of the connection between the connectors 24 , 70 is poor , indicating that the connectors may not be fully engaged , or that debris may be hindering light transmission between the connectors , etc ., then the connectors 24 , 70 may be repeatedly disengaged by raising the tubing string 46 , and then re - engaged by lowering the tubing string , until a good light transmitting quality through the connectors is achieved . of course , in this process a fault may be detected in another part of the system 10 . for example , a fault could be detected in the section 22 while the light transmitting quality of the connectors 24 , 70 is being monitored . thus , it may be seen that the light transmitting quality of any element of the system 10 may be monitored while the light transmitting quality of any other element , or combination of elements , is monitored at the same time . after the light transmitting quality of each of the sections 68 , 22 and / or connections between the connectors 24 , 70 and / or connectors 64 , 66 have been verified , the work string 42 is disconnected from the tubing string 46 . the disconnection of the work string 42 may be accomplished in any manner , such as by raising the work string , rotating the work string , etc . if the work string 42 is to be rotated , then an optical swivel ( not shown ) may be used on the work string to permit at least a portion of the work string to rotate relative to the connector 64 . a suitable optical swivel is the model 286 fiber optic rotary joint available from focal technologies corporation of nova scotia , canada . this disconnection of the work string 42 from the tubing string 46 also disconnects the connectors 64 , 66 from each other . the work string 42 is then retrieved from the well . the riser 40 is removed and the tree 58 is installed as depicted in fig2 . the tree 58 has another optical fiber section 76 extending through it between an optical connector 78 and another monitor 80 . the monitor 80 may actually be a conventional distributed temperature sensing optical interface , which typically includes a computing system for evaluating optical signals transmitted through an optical fiber in a well . thus , by connecting the connectors 78 , 66 , the section 76 is placed in optical communication with the section 22 , permitting distributed temperature sensing in the portion of the wellbore 14 intersecting the zone 26 . the positioning of the connector 66 above the anchor 48 enables convenient connection between the connectors 78 , 66 when the tree 58 is installed . the monitor 72 may also be a conventional distributed temperature sensing optical interface which is used to monitor the light transmitting quality of the system 10 during installation . the monitor 72 may be the same as the monitor 80 , or it may be a different monitor , or different type of monitor . note that the connectors 24 , 70 , 64 , 66 , 78 are preferably optical connectors of the type known to those skilled in the art as “ wet mate ” or “ wet connect ” connectors . these types of connectors are specially designed to permit a connection to be formed between the connectors in a fluid . in the wellbore 14 , the connectors 24 , 70 are optically connected in fluid , the connectors 64 , 66 are initially connected and then are disconnected in fluid , and the connectors 66 , 78 are optically connected in fluid . in a manner similar to that described above in which a light transmitting quality of the sections 62 , 68 and / or connectors 64 , 66 on the tubing string 46 and work string 42 are monitored during installation of the tubing string , a light transmitting quality of the section 22 and / or 30 and / or connector 24 may be monitored during installation of the completion assembly 12 . for example , the completion assembly 12 could be installed using the work string 42 or another string and , during this installation , light could be transmitted through the section 22 and / or 30 and / or connector 24 ( and a connector connected to the connector 24 , and a optical fiber section on the work string , etc .) to monitor a light transmitting quality of these elements . the work string used to install the completion assembly 12 could be a gravel packing string , and the light transmitting quality of the section 22 and / or 30 and / or connector 24 ( and a connector connected to the connector 24 , and a optical fiber section on the work string , etc .) could , thus , be monitored during and / or after the gravel packing operation . although the monitoring of a light transmitting quality of a specific number of optical fiber sections 22 , 30 , 62 , 68 , 76 and associated connectors 24 , 64 , 66 , 70 , 78 has been described above , it will be readily appreciated that any number of optical fiber sections and connectors may be used , in keeping with the principles of the invention . for example , the tubing string 34 could be installed in multiple trips into the wellbore 14 , in which case additional optical fiber sections and connectors may be used on the separately installed portions of the tubing string , each of which could be monitored during its installation . as another example , formations or zones in addition to the single zone 26 described above could be completed using separate completion assemblies , each of which may have its associated optical fiber section ( s ) and connector ( s ), and each of the optical fiber sections and connectors may be monitored during installation . as yet another example , the tubing string 34 and completion assembly 12 could be installed in a single trip into the wellbore 14 , in which case there may be no need for the separate optical fiber sections 68 and 22 and / or 30 , or connectors 24 , 70 . of course , a person skilled in the art would , upon a careful consideration of the above description of representative embodiments of the invention , readily appreciate that many modifications , additions , substitutions , deletions , and other changes may be made to these specific embodiments , and such changes are contemplated by the principles of the present invention . accordingly , the foregoing detailed description is to be clearly understood as being given by way of illustration and example only , the spirit and scope of the present invention being limited solely by the appended claims and their equivalents . | 4 |
fig3 is a circuit diagram illustrating a refresh clock signal generator of a semiconductor memory device according to a first embodiment of the present invention . the refresh clock signal generator of fig3 includes a voltage generator 30 , a ring oscillator 32 , and a level shifter 34 . the ring oscillator 32 includes pmos transistors pi to p 3 and nmos transistors n 1 to n 4 . the pmos transistor p 1 and the nmos transistor n 1 , the pmos transistor p 2 and the nmos transistor n 2 , and the pmos transistor p 3 and the nmos transistor n 3 constitute inverters i 1 to i 3 , respectively . the ring oscillator 32 is configured such that the three inverters i 1 to i 3 are connected in the form of a ring . the inverters i 1 to i 3 constitute pseudo nmos inverters . functions of the refresh clock signal generator of fig3 will be explained below . the voltage generator 30 receives an external power voltage evc or an internal power voltage ivc to generate a voltage vsub which is lower in level than the external power voltage evc or the internal power voltage ivc . the ring oscillator 32 is enabled to generate a clock signal ck when the nmos transistor n 4 is turned off in response to an inverted self refresh control signal sefb of a low level , and it is disabled when the nmos transistor n 4 is turned on in response to the inverted self refresh control signal sefb of a high level . in the ring oscillator 32 , the voltage vsub is applied as a power voltage , and thus , the mos transistors p 1 to p 3 and n 1 to n 3 operate in a weak inversion region . here , the weak inversion region is referred to as a sub threshold voltage region or as a region where a voltage between gates and sources of the mos transistors p 1 to p 3 and n 1 to n 3 becomes lower than a threshold voltage . when the mos transistors p 1 to p 3 and n 1 to n 3 operate in the weak inversion region , consumption of an electric current through the mos transistors p 1 to p 3 and n 1 to n 3 in a high temperature section is high , whereas consumption of an electric current through the mos transistors p 1 to p 3 and n 1 to n 3 in a low temperature section is small . in other words , when the mos transistors p 1 to p 3 and n 1 to n 3 operate in the weak inversion region , consumption of an electric current is high when the temperature is high and consumption of an electric current is low when the temperature is low . thus , the ring oscillator 32 functions to reduce current consumption during the self refresh operation . since the electric current flowing through the mos transistors p 1 to p 3 and n 1 to n 3 is reduced as a temperature is lowered , a cycle of the clock signal ck becomes longer . for the foregoing reason , the voltage vsub for operating the mos transistors p 1 to p 3 and n 1 to n 3 of the ring oscillator 32 in the weak inversion region should be set to a voltage which is lower than the external power voltage evc or the internal power voltage ivc so that a voltage between the gates and the sources of the mos transistors p 1 to p 3 and n 1 to n 3 can be equal to or smaller than a threshold voltage of the mos transistors p 1 to p 3 and n 1 to n 3 . the level shifter 34 receives the clock signal ck which toggles from a ground voltage to the voltage vsub to generate a refresh clock signal clk which toggles from the ground voltage to the external power voltage evc or the internal power voltage ivc . fig4 is a circuit diagram illustrating a refresh clock signal generator of a semiconductor memory device according to a second embodiment of the present invention . the refresh clock signal generator of fig4 includes a voltage generator 30 , a ring oscillator 32 ′, and a level shifter 34 . the ring oscillator 32 ′ includes pmos transistors p 1 to p 4 and nmos transistors n 1 to n 3 . the pmos transistor p 1 and the nmos transistor n 1 , the pmos transistor p 2 and the nmos transistor n 2 , and the pmos transistor p 3 and the nmos transistor n 3 constitute inverters i 1 to i 3 , respectively . the ring oscillator 32 ′ is configured such that the three inverters i 1 to i 3 are connected in the form of a ring . the inverters i 1 to i 3 constitute pseudo pmos inverters . functions of the refresh clock signal generator of fig4 will be explained below . since functions of the voltage generator 30 and the level shifter 34 of fig4 are similar to those of fig3 a description thereof is omitted . the ring oscillator 32 ′ is enabled to generate the clock signal ck when the pmos transistor p 4 is turned off in response to a self refresh control signal sef of a high level , and it is disabled when the pmos transistor p 4 is turned on in response to the self refresh control signal sef of a low level . in the ring oscillator 32 ′, the voltage vsub is applied as a power voltage , and the voltage vsub is applied to gates of the nmos transistors n 1 to n 3 . thus , the mos transistors p 1 to p 3 and n 1 to n 3 operate in the weak inversion region . as a result , consumption of an electric current through the mos transistors p 1 to p 3 and n 1 to n 3 in a high temperature section is high , whereas consumption of an electric current through the mos transistors p 1 to p 3 and n 1 to n 3 in a low temperature section is small . thus , the ring oscillator 32 ′ functions to reduce current consumption during the self refresh operation . since the electric current flowing through the mos transistors p 1 to p 3 and n 1 to n 3 is reduced as a temperature is lowered , a cycle of the clock signal ck becomes longer . for the foregoing reason , the voltage vsub for operating the mos transistors p 1 to p 3 and n 1 to n 3 of the ring oscillator 32 in the weak inversion region should be set to a voltage which is lower than the external power voltage evc or the internal power voltage ivc so that a voltage between the gates and the sources of the mos transistors p 1 to p 3 and n 1 to n 3 can be equal to or smaller than a threshold voltage of the mos transistors p 1 to p 3 and n 1 to n 3 . fig5 is a circuit diagram illustrating a refresh clock signal generator of a semiconductor memory device according to a third embodiment of the present invention . the refresh clock signal generator of fig5 includes a voltage generator 30 , a ring oscillator 40 , a level shifter 34 , and a mode setting circuit 42 . the oscillator 40 includes three inverters i 1 to i 3 which are cascade - connected to each other and an nmos transistor n 4 . the inverter i 1 includes pmos transistors p 11 to p 1 i and p 41 to p 4 i , fuses f 11 to f 1 i , and an nmos transistor n 1 . the inverter i 2 includes pmos transistors p 21 to p 2 i and p 51 to p 5 i , fuses f 21 to f 2 i , and an nmos transistor n 2 . the inverter i 3 includes pmos transistors p 31 to p 3 i and p 61 to p 6 i , fuses f 31 to f 3 i , and an nmos transistor n 3 . the inverters i 1 to i 3 constitute pseudo nmos inverters . functions of the refresh clock signal generator of fig5 will be explained below . since functions of the voltage generator 30 and the level shifter 34 are similar to those of fig3 a description thereof is omitted . the mode setting circuit 42 receives a code signal code which is externally applied to generate control signals c 1 to ci in response to a mode setting command mrs applied during a mode setting operation . the ring oscillator 40 performs a function similar to the ring oscillator 32 of fig3 except that the ring oscillator 40 can set a cycle of the clock signal ck . since the cycle of the clock signal ck is short in a high temperature section , the cycle of the clock signal ck is set to be short . to accomplish this , the ring oscillator 40 adjusts the pmos transistors which constitute the inverters i 1 to i 3 while varying states of the control signals c 1 to ci . for example , when the control signal cl has a high level and other control signals c 2 to ci have a low level , the pmos transistors p 41 , p 51 , and p 61 are turned off and the pmos transistors p 42 to p 4 i , p 52 to p 5 i and p 62 to p 6 i are turned on , so that the pmos transistors p 11 , p 21 and p 31 are connected in the inverters i 1 , i 2 and i 3 but the pmos transistors p 12 to p 1 i , p 22 to p 2 i , and p 32 to p 3 i are not connected in the inverters i 1 , i 2 and i 3 . as a result , one pmos transistor is connected in each of the inverters i 1 to i 3 . on the other hand , when all of the control signals c 1 to ci have a high level , the pmos transistors p 41 to p 4 i , p 51 to p 5 i and p 61 to p 6 i are turned off , so that the pmos transistors p 11 to p 1 i , p 21 to p 2 i , and p 31 to p 3 i are connected in the inverters i 1 , i 2 and i 3 . by varying the control signals c 1 to ci in the above described way , the cycle of the clock signal ck is set to an optimum refresh cycle in the high temperature section . when the cycle of the clock signal ck is set to the optimum refresh cycle , it is determined whether the fuses f 11 to f 1 i , f 21 to f 2 i , and f 31 to f 3 i are blown out or not , and in response to the control signals c 1 to ci , fuses corresponding thereto are blown out . thus , the cycle of the clock signal ck is set according to an operation in the high temperature section . the mos transistors of the ring oscillator 40 have increased electric current consumption when the temperature is raised in the high temperature section and the refresh clock signal clk has a short cycle , and have reduced electric current consumption when the temperature is lowered in the low temperature section and the refresh clock signal clk has a long cycle . accordingly , during the self refresh operation , not only is the power consumption lowered but the cycle of the refresh clock signal clk is longer as the temperature is lowered in the low temperature section . fig6 is a circuit diagram illustrating a refresh clock signal generator of a semiconductor memory device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention . the refresh clock signal generator of fig6 includes a voltage generator 30 , a level shifter 34 , a ring oscillator 40 ′, and a mode setting circuit 42 . the oscillator 40 ′ includes three inverters i 1 to i 3 which are cascade - connected to each other and a pmos transistor p 4 . the inverter i 1 includes a pmos transistor p 1 , nmos transistors n 11 to n 1 i and n 41 to n 4 i , and fuses f 11 to f 1 i . the inverter i 2 includes a pmos transistor p 2 , nmos transistors n 21 to n 2 i and n 51 to n 5 i , and fuses f 21 to f 2 i . the inverter i 3 includes a pmos transistor p 3 , nmos transistors n 31 to n 3 i and n 61 to n 6 i , and fuses f 31 to f 3 i . the inverters i 1 to i 3 constitute pseudo pmos inverters . functions of the refresh clock signal generator of fig6 will be explained below . since functions of the voltage generator 30 and the level shifter 34 are similar to those of fig3 and a function of the mode setting circuit 42 is similar to that of fig5 descriptions thereof are omitted . the ring oscillator 40 ′ performs an operation similar to the oscillator 32 ′ of fig4 except that the ring oscillator 40 ′ can set a cycle of the clock signal ck different than the ring oscillator 32 ′ of fig4 . since the cycle of the clock signal ck is short in a high temperature section , the cycle of the clock signal ck is set to be short . to accomplish this , the ring oscillator 40 ′ adjusts the nmos transistors which constitute the inverters i 1 to i 3 while varying states of the control signals c 1 to ci . for example , when the control signal cl has a high level and other control signals c 2 to ci have a low level , the nmos transistors n 41 , n 51 , and n 61 are turned on and the nmos transistors n 42 to n 4 i , n 52 to n 5 i and n 62 to n 6 i are turned off , so that the nmos transistors n 11 , n 21 and n 31 are not connected but the nmos transistors n 12 to n 1 i , n 22 to n 2 i , and n 32 to n 3 i are connected . as a result , only ( n - 1 ) nmos transistors which constitute the inverters i 1 to i 3 are connected . on the other hand , when all of the control signals c 1 to ci have a low level , the nmos transistors n 41 to n 4 i , n 51 to n 5 i and n 61 to n 6 i are turned off , so that the nmos transistors n 11 to n 1 i , n 21 to n 2 i , and n 31 to n 3 i are connected . by varying the control signals cl to ci in the above described way , the cycle of the clock signal ck is set to an optimum refresh cycle in the high temperature section . when the cycle of the clock signal ck is set to the optimum refresh cycle , it is determined whether the fuses f 11 to f 1 i , f 21 to f 2 i , and f 31 to f 3 i are blown out or not , and in response to the control signals cl to ci , fuses corresponding thereto are blown out . thus , the cycle of the clock signal ck is set according to an operation in the high temperature section . the mos transistors of the ring oscillator 40 ′ have increased electric current consumption when the temperature is raised in the high temperature section and the refresh clock signal clk has a short cycle , and have reduced electric current consumption when the temperature is lowered in the low temperature section and the refresh clock signal clk has a long cycle . accordingly , during the self refresh operation , not only is the power consumption lowered but the cycle of the refresh clock signal clk is longer as the temperature is lowered in the low temperature section . fig7 is a circuit diagram illustrating a level shifter according to an embodiment of the present invention . the level shifter of fig7 includes inverters i 4 to i 6 , pmos transistors p 7 and p 8 , and nmos transistors n 7 and n 8 . an operation of the level shifter of fig7 will be explained below . the inverter i 4 inverts the clock signal ck to generate an inverted clock signal a . the inverter i 5 inverts the clock signal a to generate a clock signal b . here , the clock signals a and b outputted from the inverters i 4 and i 5 are signals which are triggered from a ground voltage to a voltage vsub level . when a node a has the voltage vsub level and a node b has the ground voltage level , the nmos transistor n 7 is turned on , and the nmos transistor n 8 is turned off . thus , a level of a node c is lowered to the ground voltage level . the pmos transistor p 8 is turned on in response to a level of the node c to make a node d have the external power voltage evc or the internal power voltage ivc . the inverter i 6 generates the refresh clock signal clk of the ground voltage level in response to the external power voltage evc or internal power voltage ivc level of the node d . on the other hand , when the node a has the ground voltage level and the node b has the voltage vsub level , the nmos transistor n 7 is turned off , and the nmos transistor n 8 is turned on . thus , a level of the node d is lowered to the ground voltage level . the inverter 16 generates the refresh clock signal clk of the external power voltage evc or internal power voltage ivc level in response to the ground voltage level of the node d . in other words , the level shifter of fig7 converts the clock signal ck of the voltage vsub level into the refresh clock signal clk of the external power voltage evc or internal power voltage ivc level . thus , the refresh clock signal generator which uses the voltage vsub as the power voltage according to an embodiment of the present invention can be interfaced with the refresh address generator 14 of fig1 which uses the external power voltage evc or internal power voltage ivc as the power voltage . as described above , a refresh clock signal generator according to an embodiment of the present invention has reduced power consumption in the low temperature section when the self refresh operation is performed because the mos transistors which constitute the ring oscillator operate in the weak inversion region , whereas mos transistors which constitute the conventional ring oscillator operate in a strong inversion region . further , since consumption of the electric current flowing through the mos transistors is reduced as the temperature is lowered , the cycle of the refresh clock signal is longer . in the above described embodiments , although the inverters of the ring oscillator of the refresh clock signal generator include pseudo nmos or pmos inverters , they can also include cmos inverters . for example , instead of configuring the gates of the pmos transistors p 1 to p 3 to receive the ground voltage , the gates of the nmos transistors n 1 to n 3 can be commonly connected . in addition , although the ring oscillator of the refresh clock signal generator according to an embodiment of the present invention has been described to include three inverters , the refresh clock signal generator can include , for example , an odd number of five or more inverters . further , the ring oscillator of the refresh clock signal generator according to an embodiment of the present invention can be configured such that the pmos transistors and the fuses ( p 11 to p 1 i , f 11 to f 1 i , and p 41 to p 4 i ), ( p 21 to p 2 i , f 21 to f 2 i , and p 51 to p 5 i ), and ( p 31 to p 3 i , f 31 to f 3 i , and p 61 to p 6 i ) of fig5 are connected to the nmos transistors and the fuses ( n 11 to n 1 i , f 11 to f 1 i , and n 41 to n 4 i ), ( n 21 to n 2 i , f 21 to f 2 i , and n 51 to n 5 i ), and ( n 31 to n 3 i , f 31 to f 3 i , and n 61 to n 6 i ) of fig6 . the semiconductor memory device and the refresh clock signal generator thereof according to an embodiment of the present invention can reduce power consumption and increase a cycle of a refresh clock signal as a temperature is lowered in a high temperature section during a self refresh operation . while the present invention has been particularly illustrated and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof , it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims . | 6 |
referring to fig1 a multiple hammer assembly incorporating this invention comprises a u - shaped magnetic core 10 at each of a plurality of uniformly spaced print positions with an operating winding assembly 11 and a single piece hammer element 12 cooperable with each magnetic core 10 and operating winding assembly 11 . hammer element 12 is preferably the type described in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 269 , 117 issued may 26 , 1981 to ho c . lee , david h . rickenbach and jack l . zable . as described in that patent , hammer element 12 has an armature projection 13 which forms an operating air gap with the pole face end 14 of core leg 15 of magnetic core 10 . the air gap thus formed is totally enclosed within the coil portion of the operating winding assembly 11 . hammer elements 12 are each pivotally mounted by pin 16 in groove 17 of fingers 18 formed in a hammer block 19 . the cover plate , not shown , is attached to hammer block 19 for maintaining operating winding assemblies 11 and pivot pin 16 in place . further details of the hammer element structure and pivot assembly may be seen by reference to the aforesaid u . s . patent of lee et al . in accordance with the preferred embodiment of this invention , the u - shaped magnetic cores 10 are held in a core block 20 of molded plastic or other non - magnetic material . hammer block 19 in turn is attached to core block 20 . this assembly is then attached by suitable means such as screws to a base plate 21 . cores 10 are molded in block 20 with the upper leg 15 of each core member projecting therefrom a sufficient amount to receive and support the operating winding assemblies 11 . base plate 21 is preferably made of metal and is in direct thermal contact with the edges of magnetic cores 10 . in this manner , base plate 21 is designed to function as a heatsink for conducting heat from all the cores 10 resulting from the energization of the cores by the operating windings of operating assemblies 11 . as seen in fig2 - 6 , the operating winding assemblies are an individual unified structure preformed and assembled for quick easy mounting onto and removable from core leg 15 . each operating winding assembly 11 ( fig5 ) consists of a coil and bobbin assembly 22 ( fig3 ) and a magnetic shield / heat radiator structure 23 ( fig4 ). a bobbin assembly 24 ( fig2 ) for coil and bobbin assembly 22 consists of a non - magnetic metal bobbin 25 and a molded plastic pin holder 26 . the metal bobbin 25 is thin walled ( e . g . less than 0 . 007 &# 34 ;) with an outwardly flared flange 27 at one end . a slit 28 for preventing eddy currents is provided over the full length of bobbin 25 and flange 27 . the thin - walled construction has several advantages . first , the cross - sectional area available for winding coil 32 on bobbin 25 is increased thereby increasing the amount of electromagnetic energy that can be produced in coil 32 without increasing the spacing between neighboring cores 10 . another advantage of the thin - walled construction is that the efficiency of the magnetic coupling achieved between the coil 32 and core leg 15 of magnetic core 10 and armature projection 13 of hammer element 12 is increased resulting also in a reduction in leakage flux . also of great importance to the invention is the fact that the metal bobbin 25 acts as an excellent heat transfer medium for internally conducting heat generated from coils 32 to core 10 and eventually to base plate 21 which as a heat sink can dissipate the heat by conduction , radiation or convection as desired . to further enhance the heat transfer efficiency of bobbin 25 , it is preferably structured in the form of a rectangular tube so as to closely conform to the rectangular cross - section of core leg 15 of magnetic core 10 so that the internal surfaces of bobbin 25 can be maintained in intimate thermal contact with the external surfaces of core leg 15 while at the same time permitting relatively easy assembly and separation of the operating winding assembly 11 and core leg 15 . in accordance with this invention bobbin 25 is also preferably treated with a thin layer of dielectric material to prevent the shorting of the coil 32 . in the preferred embodiment , bobbin 25 is made of anodized aluminum with the dielectric material consists of aluminum oxide applied in any well known manner as a layer preferably having a thickness of 5 to 10 microns . pin holder 26 is preferably a single premolded part comprising a vertical rectangular frame portion 29 and a horizontal connector extension 30 formed with conductor pins 31 molded in position for connection to the ends of coil 32 ( fig3 ) after winding on bobbin 25 and for plugging into an external connector . a rectangular opening 33 in frame portion 29 receives the straight end of bobbin 25 for attachment thereto by flaring the end of bobbin 25 or by other suitable technique . when so attached , frame portion 29 of pin holder 26 becomes the second flange for retaining coil 32 on bobbin 25 . following attachment of pin holder 26 to bobbin 25 , the bobbin assembly 24 may be placed on an arbor and coil 32 wound thereon with the desired number of turns and layers along bobbin 25 between frame portion 29 and flange 27 . following the winding of coil 32 , the free ends thereof are connected to conductor pins 31 . the coil and bobbin assembly 22 is now preferably impregnated with a high temperature epoxy system in the coil area only . such an epoxy system might include thermoset 314 made by thermoset plastic , inc . the impregnation serves to prevent the wires of coil 32 from rubbing against each other during the print hammer operation and it also provides better heat transfer from coil 32 to bobbin 25 . as seen in fig4 the magnetic shield and radiator assembly 23 comprises parallel plates 34 and 35 connected by folded strap 36 . plate 34 is essentially rectangular . plate 35 is u - shaped with vertical extensions 37 and 38 and a horizontal extension 39 . vertical extensions 37 and 38 of plate 35 are separated in a parallel configuration to form a generally rectangular opening 40 having an area slightly larger than the area of one side of the operating winding portion of the coil and bobbin assembly 22 . opening 40 serves for locating coil and bobbin assembly 22 in proper position and alignment and for accommodating variations in tolerance of flange 27 , frame position 29 and coil 32 without affecting the width of spacing between plates 34 and 35 . for attachment to shield / radiator assembly 23 between plates 34 and 35 , the coil and bobbin assembly 22 is preferably assembled to shield / radiator assembly 23 by injection molding of a mass of plastic material 43 which encapsulates the winding 32 and bonds the coil and bobbin assembly 32 to plates 34 and 35 and vice versa . for this purpose , holes 41 are formed in vertical extensions 37 and horizontal extension 39 to allow the injection molded mass of plastic material 43 to form a bond with frame 35 . similar holes 42 ( see fig6 ) are provided in plate 34 to assure attachment of coil and bobbin assembly 22 to shield radiator assembly 23 . also , as seen in fig6 plastic material 43 forms a conductive heat transfer path from flange 27 to plates 34 and 35 . in this manner , interior cooling is further provided to coil 32 particularly in the portion extending beyond end 14 of leg 15 of the magnetic core 10 . a suitable plastic molding material usable for this purpose and having good heat conducting properties is polyset emc - 90 made by morton corp . basically plates 34 and 35 and connecting strap 36 are made from a single piece of magnetic material such as silicon iron and then folded and held during molding of material 43 so that plate 34 and frame 35 are precisely parallel with their bottom and side edges substantially coextensive . such a single piece construction is preferred for compactness as well as for improved shielding and heat transfer over other constructions . the space between plates 34 and 35 is made wide enough to accommodate coil and bobbin assembly 22 of fig3 within opening 40 so that plate 34 makes good thermal contact with one side of winding 32 and plate 35 encloses and surrounds the ends of bobbin 24 so that the operating air gap is entirely surrounded between vertical extensions 37 and 38 and plate 34 . this same air gap is also shielded by plate 34 of the neighboring coil . this assures that coil 32 is shielded from stray leakage flux in the vicinity of the air gap . as seen most clearly in fig5 and 6 , plastic material 43 when injection molded as a solid mass fills the spaces around coil 32 in opening 40 of plate 35 between coil 32 and plate 34 and between flange 27 of metal bobbin 25 , plate 34 and vertical section 37 of plate 35 and into holes 42 and 41 thereof respectively . thus plastic material 43 forms an integrated external and partially internal conductive heat transfer path between the winding portions of coil 32 , bobbin 25 and magnetic shield plates 34 and 35 . from fig6 it can be readily seen that the operating winding assembly 11 is very compact and that good shielding of coil 32 from stray flux along with efficient external heat transfer from the sides of coil 32 is obtained in minimum space . with opening 40 provided in plate 35 , coil 32 and metal bobbin 25 can be in part within the plane of coplanar extensions 37 and 38 of plate 35 . this allows the operating winding assembly to be even more narrow so that in a multiple hammer configuration as shown in fig1 can be more closely assembled and compact than with previous packaging designs . furthermore the internal heat transfer provided by metallic bobbin to core leg 15 and magnetic plates 34 and 35 allows such compact multiple hammer assembly to be achieved for use in a high repetition , high speed print hammer environment . referring again to fig1 the multiple hammer assembly shows that when the plural operating winding assemblies 11 are in place on core legs 15 of the several magnetic cores 10 , the plates 34 face plates 35 of the adjacent shield / radiator assembly 23 thereby shielding their respective coils 32 and cores 10 from stray flux that may pass through opening 40 in plates 35 . thus a shield / radiator assembly 23 is provided which is fully interactive to shield against stray magnetic flux from adjacent coils 32 . in addition , the arrangement of the operating winding assemblies 11 as shown in fig1 provides a multiple finned radiator cooling system . plates 34 and 35 along with straps 36 operate for diverting cooling air of a circulating air mass over each other and coils 32 . opening 44 in base plate 21 provides ingress or egress to such air flow . in a second embodiment as seen in fig7 the magnetic shield / heat radiator assembly is provided to enhance the shielding properties as well as to provide good thermal conduction . as seen in fig7 magnetic plates 45 and 46 are both essentially u - shaped with center openings 48 and 49 respectively . plates 45 and 46 are connected by strap 50 in substantially the same manner of the embodiments of fig1 - 6 . plates 45 and 46 support coil and bobbin assembly 22 in alignment with openings 48 and 49 in substantially the same manner as in the first embodiment . in the embodiment of fig7 a rectangular cover plate 47 of magnetic material such as silicon iron is attached to at least one of the u - shaped plates 45 or 46 . also in the embodiment of fig7 plates 45 and 46 are preferably formed of laminated layers 51 and 52 . in this structure the laminated layers 51 and 52 are made of magnetic material . suitable materials for use in the structure of plates 45 and 46 can be a low carbon steel such as 1010 steel . the cover plate and the laminated plates 45 and 46 can be welded or bonded together to form the laminated structure . holes 53 , 54 and 55 in magnetic plates 45 , 46 and 47 respectively are provided for receiving the plastic material to bond the magnetic shield structure to the coil and bobbin assembly 22 in the same manner as previously described . the advantage of using laminated structures in the magnetic shields is that a more efficient shielding from stray flux is provided . thus layers 51 and 52 serve as additional shunting paths for fringing flux of high intensity which may pass through the shielding 47 to adjacent coils 32 . such an arrangement , shown in fig7 is useful where the spacing between hammers in a multiple hammer print assembly such as shown in fig1 is not so critical , or where magnetic shielding is highly critical . where high density spacing and lower cost is required , the embodiment of fig1 - 6 is preferred . while the present invention has been described in the context of preferred embodiments thereof , it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art , that modifications and variations can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . accordingly , it is not intended that the present invention necessarily be limited to the specifics of the foregoing description of the preferred embodiments , but rather as being limited only by the claims appended hereto . | 1 |
the homogeneity of the concentration of catalyst particles in the reaction section is controlled by carrying out several differential pressure measurements along the longitudinal axis of the reactor . the expression differential pressure measurement is understood to mean the measurement of the pressure difference between two pressure measurement points . the pressure measurements are performed at least once , advantageously at regular time intervals , and preferably continuously . the time interval between two pressure measurements is unique to each installation , as well as to its mode of operation , and is determined by the person skilled in the art and the available technology . this interval may for example be 5 s , 1 min , or 1 h . the differential pressure δp i is related to the height difference δh i = h i + 1 − h i between two consecutive pressure measurement points , to the acceleration due to gravity g and to the mean volumetric mass of the reaction phase ρ i between said two pressure measurement points by the following equation ( 1 ): i being a natural number between 1 and n − 1 , n representing the number of pressure measurement points disposed along the longitudinal axis of the reactor and being at least equal to 3 , the measurement point 1 being the lowest and the measurement point n being the highest . the distribution and the number of pressure measurement points along the longitudinal axis of the reactor are such that each distance between two consecutive measurement points δh i is between 0 . 5 and 5 m , and preferably between 1 and 3 m . the homogeneity of the concentration of catalyst particles in the reaction section is controlled by observing the following successive stages : ( a ) for all i between 1 and n − 1 , the differential pressures δp i between two consecutive pressure measurement points spaced apart by δh i are measured and the pressure drops per metre δg i = δp i / δh i are calculated . the successive pressure drops per metre δg i − δg i + 1 are then compared . if there exists a whole number j such that for all k between j and n − 1 the value of δg k is less than 20 mbar / m , this means that the pressure measurement points k and k + 1 are situated above the gas / slurry interface . in this case the measurements obtained from the pressure measurement points j to n are excluded from the calculation of the pressure drops per metre and only the pressure drops per metre δg 1 to δg j − 2 , called pressure drops per metre in the catalyst suspension in the liquid phase are taken into account , since the measurement points 1 to j − 1 are all situated below the gas / slurry interface . thus , in order to control and maintain the homogeneity of the concentration of catalyst particles in the reaction section , after the stages ( a ) and ( b ) the following successive stages are observed : ( b ) for each pressure drop per metre in said catalyst suspension in the liquid phase δg j , a value is calculated corresponding to the difference between two consecutive pressure drops per metre divided by their mean ( δg j + 1 − δg i )/(( δg j + 1 + g j )/ 2 ), ( c ) if at least one of the values calculated in the stage ( b ) is not less than 20 %, preferably is not less than 10 %, and preferably is not less than 5 %, at least one additive comprising at least one organosilicon polymer is injected at least at the bottom of said reaction section . the stages ( a ) to ( c ) are advantageously repeated over the course of time . in view of the stage ( b ), it is understood that it is advantageous that at least three pressure measurement points are situated below the gas / slurry interface . by homogeneous concentration of catalyst particles in the reaction section is meant in the sense of the present invention that each difference between two consecutive losses of feedstock per metre in the catalyst suspension in the liquid phase divided by the mean value of the two values in question ( δg j + 1 − δg j )/(( δg j + 1 + δg j )/ 2 ) is less than 20 %, preferably less than 10 % and more preferably less than 5 %. by “ control ” is meant the monitoring over time and the correction , if necessary , of successive pressure drops per metre . this monitoring over time is directly dependent on the frequency of the pressure measurements . by “ maintain ” is meant that if the concentration of catalyst particles in the reaction section is homogenous in the sense of the present invention , then the means disclosed in the present invention are applied so that each difference between two consecutive pressure drops per metre in the catalyst suspension in the liquid phase divided by the mean of the two values in question ( δg j + 1 − δg j )/(( g j + 1 + δg j )/ 2 ) remains less than 20 %, preferably less than 10 % and more preferably less than 5 %. in accordance with the invention said injected additive contains at least one organosilicon polymer . preferably said organosilicon polymer is chosen from the family of silicones . preferably said organosilicon polymer is chosen from siloxane polymers . preferably said organosilicon polymer is polydimethylsiloxane ( pdms ). said additive may advantageously be heated so as to reduce its viscosity and thereby facilitate its injection . by “ facilitate ” is meant that the injection is performed easily by conventional means known to the person skilled in the art ( pumps for example ). said additive may also advantageously be injected mixed with a solvent , the latter having the effect of reducing the viscosity of said additive , thereby facilitating its injection into the reaction section . said solvent is chosen from the products of the fischer - tropsch synthesis . preferably the solvent used will be the light fraction of the products obtained from the fischer - tropsch synthesis , which are liquid under the conditions in which the additive / solvent mixture is injected . the light fraction is the hydrocarbon fraction in the gaseous phase under the operating conditions of the reaction section that is removed at the head of the reactor and then separated in a gas / liquid separation section . said fraction typically contains hydrocarbon molecules with from 4 to 30 carbon atoms . in accordance with the invention said additive is injected at least at the bottom of the reaction section , preferably directly into the slurry phase so as to ensure an optimal dispersion of the additive in the reaction section thanks to the agitation induced by the bubbling of the gaseous phase . preferably said additive is introduced with direct contact of the slurry phase via the branch lines of the pressure measurement points or via the recirculation line of the slurry phase , and more preferably said additive will be injected into the recirculation line of the slurry phase , in direct contact with said phase . by “ the bottom of said reaction section ” is meant the region included in the lower two thirds of the reaction section , preferably the region included in the lower third of the reaction section . the injection of the additive may advantageously be carried out in the form of a batch - wise injection as soon as the concentration of catalyst particles in the reaction section is no longer homogeneous in the sense of the present invention . according to another mode of implementation , the injection of the additive may advantageously be made in the form of a continuous injection so as to continuously maintain a homogeneous concentration of catalyst particles in the reaction section . whatever the preferred injection mode , said additive is injected at a pressure greater than the operating pressure of the reaction section . this avoids blockage of the injection lines due to an accumulation of catalyst . the injection lines of the additive are advantageously equipped with an inert gas purge system under high pressure , for example nitrogen or products obtained from the fischer - tropsch synthesis , said light fraction advantageously also being able to be used as solvent for the dilution of the additive . the flow rate of said additive is determined experimentally as a function of the operating conditions of the process so as to minimise the amount of additive injected into the reaction section while maintaining the homogeneous concentration of catalyst in the reactor . following the injection of the additive to the reaction section , the effect of which appears after a duration of the order of one minute , a new calculation of the pressure drops per metre δg i is carried out . if each difference between two consecutive pressure drops per metre in the catalyst suspension in the liquid phase divided by the mean value of the two ( δg j + 1 − δg j )/(( δg j + 1 + δg j )/ 2 ) is less than 20 %, preferably less than 10 % and more preferably less than 5 %, then the flow rate or injected amount of additive is satisfactory . the synthesis gas containing carbon monoxide and hydrogen is fed via a line ( 1 ) and a distributor ( 3 ) into the lower part of the fischer - tropsch slurry bubble column reactor partly filled with at least one hydrocarbon fraction , so as to maintain a fischer - tropsch catalyst in suspension thereby forming a slurry ( 4 ). the catalyst is in the form of small particles of diameter between 5 and 500 μm , which reduces the transfer limitations . the slurry ( 4 ) is continuously mixed so as to form a homogeneous phase that enables an identical temperature to be obtained at all points of said slurry , to ensure a low pressure drop over the reaction section , and that can continuously renew the balance of the catalyst by discharging catalyst contained in the reaction section and charging with fresh catalyst . the gas that is formed or that has not reacted during the course of the reaction is separated in the discharge section ( 5 ) situated above the level of the slurry in the fischer - tropsch reactor , and then leaves said reactor via the line ( 6 ). the additive is injected , if necessary heated and / or if necessary mixed with a solvent , via a line ( 7 ). said line ( 7 ) may be connected to the slurry recirculation line ( 2 ) and / or to one or more branches of pressure measurement points ( 8 ). the number of branches of pressure measurement points may vary and in any case is not limited to the number of branches shown in fig1 . likewise the location of the additive injection lines ( 7 ) is not limited to those represented in fig1 . without further elaboration , it is believed that one skilled in the art can , using the preceding description , utilize the present invention to its fullest extent . the preceding preferred specific embodiments are , therefore , to be construed as merely illustrative , and not limitative of the remainder of the disclosure in any way whatsoever . in the foregoing and in the examples , all temperatures are set forth uncorrected in degrees celsius and , all parts and percentages are by weight , unless otherwise indicated . the entire disclosures of all applications , patents and publications , cited herein and of corresponding application no . fr 12 / 03 . 302 , filed dec . 5 , 2012 are incorporated by reference herein . under the operating conditions of the fischer - tropsch synthesis , carried out in the presence of a cobalt - based catalyst of 80 μm mean diameter at a temperature of 220 ° c . and at 20 bars , a differential pressure gradient is observed along the longitudinal axis of a slurry bubble column . the four pressure sensors are distributed uniformly , the distance between two consecutive sensors being 1 m . table 1 summarises the measurements of pressure drops per metre observed experimentally . all the calculated pressure drops per metre are in the catalyst suspension in the liquid phase . the differences between the consecutive pressure drops per metre in the catalyst suspension in the liquid phase divided by the mean value of the two is then calculated : in order to maintain a homogeneous catalyst concentration profile in the reactor , an injection of additive into the reactor was carried out . table 2 summarises the measurements of pressure drops per metre observed experimentally , one minute after the injection . the preceding examples can be repeated with similar success by substituting the generically or specifically described reactants and / or operating conditions of this invention for those used in the preceding examples . from the foregoing description , one skilled in the art can easily ascertain the essential characteristics of this invention and , without departing from the spirit and scope thereof , can make various changes and modifications of the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions . | 1 |
this invention recognizes an important principle . an alternate form of pid servo compensator providing rate limiting is desirable . this invention permits computations of the rate command based on the position error so that the rate command could be limited . fig3 illustrates one possible approach . equation 2 below is the corresponding transfer function . the three forward paths of fig1 are modified in fig3 to form the four forward paths of fig3 . this gives the same functional features while including a rate limiting block 306 . derivative block 301 forms the derivative term . gain block 302 controls the derivative gain . similarly , gain block 305 , integrator 308 and integral gain block 309 implement the integral term . the proportional factor is implemented through two paths in fig3 . these two paths use : derivative block 301 , integrator 308 , and integral block 309 for one path ; and gain blocks 305 and 302 for the other path . these two paths sum to equal the cumulative proportional effect . summing junction 303 forms the torque command 310 . employing the principle of superposition since these are linear networks , the overall transfer function can be derived by inspection in terms of the four forward paths . in operational mathematics notation , equation 2 represents mathematically the transfer functional of the block diagram of fig3 . for simplicity and conciseness in describing the techniques of the invention , the differentiator poles , w 3 203 and w 4 204 , are omitted at this point from fig3 though these differentiator poles must be accounted for in the final implementation . h 2 ( s ) = ( ( k r × k p + k i + ( k r × k i ) s + k p × s ) ) [ 2 ] the block diagram of fig3 includes a computed rate command factor that can be limited and an integrator that can be limited and reset to prevent windup . equating the coefficients of the pid terms in equation 1 and equation 2 yields three equations in three unknowns , illustrated in equations 3 . k r × k p + k i = 1 k r × k i = w 1 k p = ( 1 w 2 ) [ 3 ] solving equation 3 for k r , k p , and k i in terms of w 1 and w 2 can yield complex numbers . this form is thus not always realizable in hardware . another path or paths must be added in the controller of fig3 to insure it is realizable . fig4 illustrates such an embodiment of the servo compensator . this is similar to the servo compensator of fig3 with changes to the path for the computed rate and an additional proportional path with limit to the output . fig4 also includes slight changes in the gain blocks . the gain after the last summing junction kc normalizes the compensator gain to match the gain of the original compensator of fig3 . equation 4 shows the transfer function for the compensator of fig4 . the limit blocks are ignored for now . the differentiator poles , w 3 203 and w 4 204 , are omitted from fig4 though these differentiator poles must be included in the final implementation . k c × [ ( k i + k r ) + k r × k i s + k d × s ] [ 4 ] equating the coefficients as before yields three equations with four unknowns : k c × ( k i + k r ) = 1 k c × k d = ( 1 w 2 ) [ 5 ] equations 5 have more than one solution because there are four unknowns . solving for k i results in a quadratic . k i = 1 ± 1 - 4 × k c × w 1 2 × k c [ 6 ] the value of k c can be selected such that the quadratic term of equation 6 is zero , guaranteeing a single real value for ki . this becomes the fourth equation in the solution . the results of the four equations are shown in equation 7 . these coefficients yield the same closed loop results as the original form of equation 1 . k d = ( 4 × w 1 ) w 2 k c = 1 ( 4 × w 1 ) [ 7 ] now the rate limit can be applied . note that the commanded rate goes to two different limit blocks 406 and 411 . when the position error is large and the measured rate equals the desired rate in steady state operation ( constant slew rate ), a constant output that counteracts friction or any torque offsets such as gravity or springs is desirable . of course the output is not truly constant , since the spring torque may change as the actuator moves but that is why the loop is closed . this constant output should come from the integrator . by setting rate_limit — 2 to the desired rate , the integrator input becomes zero . thus the integrator output is instantaneously constant . setting rate_limit — 1 equal to the desired rate times k d , the other paths contribute nothing to the output in this particular steady state condition . what do the two limits do to the stability and performance of the servo loop ? the condition where neither limit is reached is identical to the original design that was stable by design . when the position error is mid - range where the position error exceeds rate_limit — 2 but not rate_limit — 1 , the limit has the same effect as reducing k r to k r ′ such that [ k r × position_error ]= rate_limit — 2 . in equation 5 , this reduction of kr only affects the integral coefficient so that now k c × k r ′× k i = w 1 . so reducing kr has the effect of reducing w 1 . this reduces the effect of the integrator by reducing the frequency where the integrator ends . in the process , it reduces the gain of all frequencies up to the original w 1 . fig5 shows this graphically . below rate_limit — 2 the curve 500 is applicable . above rate_limit — 2 but below rate_limit — 1 , the curve 511 is applicable . finally above rate_limit — 1 , the curve 512 is applicable . assuming that the crossover frequencies where the gain and phase margins are recorded are sufficiently higher than w 1 , the reduction of w 1 has little effect on the stability of the controller . this is in fact the very type of servo that this invention is useful for , where the servo has a high bandwidth . when the position error is large and exceeds both rate_limit — 2 and rate_limit — 1 , the effect is similar to a reduction in k r for both paths . as before , refer to the reduced gain of the integral path as k r ′. because rate_limit — 1 equals rate_limit — 2 × k d , the equivalent k r for that path is k r ′× k d . note from equation 5 that the derivative term is still not affected by the limits . both the proportional and integral paths are affected . the frequency where the integral region ends continues to decrease and the gain of the proportional region decreases as the position error increases . fig5 shows this graphically . in the region 506 the derivative term remain unaffected by rate limits . in the region 505 the proportional term gain is decreased with lower corner frequency also reduced to 509 or 513 , upon exceeding rate_limit — 2 and rate_limit — 1 respectively . in the region 500 the integral term remains on the original curve 500 for small error but shifts to 511 when the position error exceeds rate_limit — 2 and shift to curve 512 when the position error exceeds rate_limit — 1 . fig5 illustrates curves 500 , 511 and 512 separately whereas they actually represent three distinct operating points . the integral portion of the response transitions smoothly from curve 500 to the left as the position error increases . for example , when position error equals rate_limit — 2 , curves 500 and 511 are identical . as before , this has little effect on the higher frequencies so it has little effect on the stability of the controller . the exact effect of the limits on the stability of the servo can be analyzed if desired . the two derivative low pass filters with respective cut off frequencies of w 3 and w 4 are provided in the derivative path following derivative block 401 in a manner similar to that illustrated in fig1 . there are many ways to configure a pid compensator but no implementation that is the same as described in this invention . other common ways to accomplish rate control or a position servo are listed below . 1 . the position command can be ramped to the desired position as the actuator moves causing the rate to be controlled . the ramp rate of the position command will determine the achieved rate . this is not always straightforward , since in some servo systems , the position command does not explicitly exist . only the position error may be available , as is often the case when all positioning is relative instead of absolute . 2 . the position error can be limited prior to the pid compensator . the problem with this type of implementation is that the derivative term is effectively removed from the compensator while the position error exceeds the limit because the position error into the pid compensator remains constant until it is less than the limit . there is no apparent motion . also , the integral term must be limited because it will windup during the entire move . 3 . a separate rate loop can be designed to handle the move then the controller can switch to the pid compensator as the position error approaches zero . this requires design of two separate loops and care must be exercised during the switchover to prevent glitches in the command . such a rate loop also needs some sort of profile control to slow down the actuator prior to the switchover . this method might be preferable over the method described in this disclosure when very precise control of the rate is required . 2 . controls the rate of the servo while maintaining the effect of a pid compensator during the entire move . 3 . does not require the design of multiple compensators for different operating modes . 4 . if one considers the two limits within the loop as representing different operating modes , the switch between modes is automatic , inherently glitch - free and no special considerations are required to handle the transitions . 5 . this technique can be applied in both digital and analog implementations since it is not a multi - mode controller requiring sophisticated mode control . this invention is usable in any servo that meets the criteria of high bandwidth , fast actuator and required rate limit during moves . | 6 |
fig1 illustrates overall construction of a remote controller according to a first embodiment of the present invention . the figure indicates construction of a study system for languages and other subjects by connecting a remote controller 20 to a cassette tape player 10 . a conventional audio device can be used , in place of the cassette tape player 10 , with the remote controller 20 connected to an output terminal 0 and a remote control terminal r . the remote controller 20 includes functions for supplying start and stop commands to the cassette tape player 10 , and for recording and playing back the audio signal output from the output terminal 0 . the remote controller 20 comprises an integrated circuit ( ic ) memory 22 , an a / d converter circuit 24 , a d / a converter circuit 26 , a control circuit 28 , a selector switch 30 , a playback operation key 40 , a stop key 42 , a record key 44 and a playback key 46 . the playback operation key 40 , stop key 42 , record key 44 , and playback key 46 function as the operating means of the remote controller . the playback operation key 40 and stop key 42 , respectively , instruct the cassette tape player 10 to start and stop , while the record key 44 and playback key 46 , respectively , instruct the remote controller to record the audio signal output from the cassette tape player 10 output terminal 0 and to play back the recording . the ic memory 22 stores the digitally converted audio signal and preferably comprises a dynamic or static ram ( random access memory ) having a capacity of several megabits . by changing the ic memory 22 storage capacity , the sound storage capacity can range from several seconds to several minutes . the a / d converter circuit 24 samples the output audio signal from the cassette tape player 10 output terminal 0 at a predetermined frequency and encodes each sampled audio signal into a digital signal having a predetermined bit length . although a linear encoder can be used as the digital encoding means , linear encoders alone have limited memory capacity . in order to store a audio signal of long duration with a limited memory capacity , a linear encoder should be used in combination with suitable compression technology . for example , conventional audio data compression technology , such as a logarithmic compression / expansion pcm ( pulse coded modulation ) system or adpcm ( audio data pulse coded modulation ) system , can be utilized . the output audio digital signal from the a / d converter circuit 24 is supplied to the ic memory 22 input for storing . the d / a converter circuit 26 converts the digital audio signal readout from the ic memory 22 into an analog audio signal according to a predetermined conversion principle as performed by the a / d converter . if the above mentioned a / d converter performs simple linear encoding , the d / a converter circuit 26 need only perform simple linear decoding . however , if audio data compression is used , the compressed signal is expanded by the d / a converter , then decoded to produce the analog audio signal output . the audio signal output from the d / a converter circuit 26 is sent to the selector switch 30 , described below . the selector switch 30 comprises terminals 30a and 30b . the audio signal output from the cassette tape player 10 output terminal 0 is supplied to terminal 30a , and the audio signal output from the d / a converter circuit 26 ( i . e ., the audio signal temporarily stored in the ic memory 22 ) is supplied to terminal 30b . either one of these audio signals is selected as the selector switch 30 output . the selected audio output signal is converted into sound by an earphone ( not shown in the figure ) for reference by the user . the control circuit 28 supplies playback and stop remote control signal outputs to the cassette tape player 10 remote control terminal r in response to operation signals from the keys 40 , 42 , 44 and 46 . in addition , control circuit 28 controls the a / d converter circuit 24 , ic memory 22 and , d / a converter circuit 26 for recording and playback functions . the control circuit 28 comprises a cpu ( central processing unit ), a rom ( read only memory ) containing a predetermined control program , and a ram for performing data read and write functions . the control circuit 28 further comprises control sections 28a , 28b and 28c . remote control section 28a sends the remote control signal output to the cassette tape player 10 remote control terminal r in response to the playback operation key 40 and stop key 42 . recording control section 28b controls the a / d converter circuit 24 and ic memory 22 in response to the record key 44 . playback control section 28c controls the ic memory 22 , d / a converter circuit 26 and switching circuit 30 in response to the playback key 46 . by operating ( e . g ., pressing ) the playback operation key 40 , a playback command is sent as the remote control signal from the remote control section 28a to the cassette tape player 10 terminal r for starting the cassette tape player 10 playback operation . similarly , by operating ( e . g ., pressing ) the stop key 42 , the stop command is sent as the remote control signal from the remote control section 28a for stopping the cassette tape player 10 playback operation . a single switching key can also be used for both the playback operation key 40 and stop key 42 functions . in this case , setting the switching key to &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; starts the cassette tape player 10 playback operation and setting the switching key to &# 34 ; off &# 34 ; stops the cassette tape player 10 playback operation . when the recording key 44 is pressed , the recording control section 28a signals the a / d converter circuit 24 and ic memory 22 to begin audio signal writing . in particular , the a / d converter circuit 24 begins sampling and encoding operations while the ic memory 22 write - in control begins . according to the present embodiment , the recording control section 28b further comprises a counter , functioning as an address means for the ic memory 22 . the value counted by the counter is sent as the write address for storing the audio signal in the ic memory 22 continuous area . when the playback key 46 is pressed , the playback control section 28c signals the ic memory 22 , d / a converter circuit 26 and selector switch 30 to begin reading out and playback of the audio signal . in this case , the playback control section 28c uses the write address value of the recording control section 28b counter as the readout address during playback . the audio signal stored in the ic memory 22 continuous area is readout in the write - in sequence and supplied to the d / a converter circuit 26 . the d / a converter circuit 26 decodes the audio signal by the opposite procedure as the a / d converter circuit 24 and supplies the decoded audio signal to the selector switch 30 . during playback control , the playback control section 28c controls the setting of the selector switch 30 , either to the terminal 30b side or to the terminal 30a side . by setting the selector switch to the terminal 30b , the audio signal output from the d / a converter circuit 26 is sent via terminal 30b to the earphone . the following is a description of the operation of a remote controller of the present invention having the type of construction described above . to perform normal playback with the cassette tape player 10 , a user simply presses the playback operation key 40 . in this mode , a control signal is sent from the remote control section 28a to the cassette tape player 10 remote control terminal r to start the playback operation . the playback audio signal from the cassette tape player 10 output terminal 0 is supplied to the selector switch 30 within the remote controller 20 . the selector switch 30 operates in response to a playback key 46 setting . when the playback key 46 is not pressed , the selector switch 30 is automatically set to terminal 30a and the input audio signal from the cassette tape player 10 is sent directly to an earphone or other external device . to terminate normal playback operation , a user simply presses the stop key 42 . when the record key 44 is pressed during the cassette tape player 10 playback operation , the playback audio signal output from the cassette tape player 10 output terminal 0 is supplied to the a / d converter circuit 24 ; the signal is sampled and encoded to produce a digital signal output having a predetermined bit length for each sampling period . the recording control section 28b produces a write address output in synchronization with the a / d converter circuit operation . as a result , the digital signal output from the a / d converter circuit 24 is written into the ic memory 22 at this address . since the write address changes sequentially , the digital audio signal output from the a / d converter circuit 24 can be stored sequentially in the continuous address area . a user simply presses the playback key 46 to read and playback the audio signal stored in the ic memory 22 . when the playback key 46 is pressed , the selector switch 30 is set from terminal 30a to terminal 30b . the playback control section 28c sends the readout address , for example , in sequence from the header address , to the ic memory 22 . then , the audio signal stored in the ic memory 22 is readout in sequence from the header address . the audio signal readout from the ic memory 22 is applied to the d / a converter circuit 26 for decoding . the decoded analog audio signal then goes to the selector switch 30 . when the playback key 46 is pressed , the selector switch 30 selects the playback audio output from the d / a converter circuit 46 for supply to the earphone . fig2 shows an example of connecting the remote controller 20 indicated in fig1 to a typical cassette tape player . as shown in the figure , many recent models of portable cassette tape players 10 include a provision for connecting a simple remote controller for such commands as playback on / off control . thus , the remote controller 20 of the present embodiment can be directly connected to this type of cassette tape player 10 . in particular , this type of cassette tape player 10 is provided with an audio signal output terminal and an input terminal for remote controlling playback on / off . the remote controller 20 can be connected to these terminals . in addition , a pair of earphones 48 can be connected to the remote controller 20 , thereby allowing enjoyment of stereo music or other audio playback when the recording and playback functions of this present invention are not being used . fig3 a and fig3 b show examples of connecting the remote controller 20 to conventional cassette tape players 10 . in fig3 a , the cassette tape player 10 is provided with a remote control terminal r . among conventional cassette tape players , many models have a selector switch provided with a microphone whereby the drive system can be operated on / off . such models always have a remote control terminal r . consequently , the remote control terminal r is connected to the remote controller 20 with , for example , a 25 mm diameter plug 52 , and the output terminal 0 is connected to the remote controller 20 with , for example , a 35 mm diameter plug 50 . fig3 b shows the remote controller 20 connected to a cassette tape player 10 not equipped with a remote control terminal r . in this case , a selector switch mechanism 54 is inserted between the cassette tape player 10 power supply terminal ( dc in ) and a power supply adapter plug 58 . when the playback operation key 40 of the remote controller 20 is pressed , the selector switch mechanism 54 is set to &# 34 ; on &# 34 ; and the cassette tape player 10 begins playback operation . when the stop key 42 of the remote controller 20 is pressed , the selector switch mechanism 54 is held at &# 34 ; off &# 34 ; and the cassette tape player 10 playback operation stops . by using the remote controller 20 of the present embodiment in this manner , a conventional commonly available cassette tape player 10 , such as used for audio or conference recording , can be easily used for recording the sound and provide repetitive playback of the recorded sound . in the above description , the playback operation key 40 and record key 44 were mentioned as separate keys , but they can also be formed as a single key . in this case , when the playback operation key 40 is pressed , the record key 44 is automatically activated and the audio signal output from the cassette tape player 10 terminal 0 is stored sequentially in the ic memory 22 . by using this type of construction , a user can listen to a passage during cassette tape playback , without rewinding the tape , by simply pressing the playback key 46 to immediately replay the previously recorded passage . as a result , the audio or conference type cassette tape player can be used as a system having the desired functions for language study and other purposes . in cases where the recording time exceeds the ic memory 22 capacity , a preferred construction is to have the ic memory 22 data write and read functions performed in continuous cycles . in other words , writing to the ic memory 22 during cassette tape player 10 playback always returns to the header address when the writing reaches the final address . by using this type of system , the most recent data is continuously written into the ic memory 22 . language studies can be effectively conducted using a device such as a cassette tape player , even when the remote controller has limited memory . fig4 is a block diagram showing overall construction of a remote controller according to a second embodiment of the present invention . the same designations and detailed descriptions are used for items in this embodiment as used for the same items in the first embodiment . in fig4 a remote controller 60 is connected to a cassette tape player 10 audio playback device . the audio signal output from an output terminal 0 can be supplied to an earphone ( not shown in the figure ). the remote controller 60 has the capability of recording a user supplied sound by means of a built - in microphone and playing it back . the remote controller 60 comprises an ic memory 22 , a / d converter circuit 24 , d / a converter circuit 26 , control circuit 28 , selector switch 30 , playback operation key 40 , stop key 42 , record key 44 , and playback key 46 having the same functions as described in the first embodiment . remote controller 60 further comprises a built - in microphone 62 and an amplifier 64 for amplifying the microphone 62 output signal . in place of the built - in microphone , an external microphone can optionally be connected to the remote controller 60 . by pressing the record key 44 during the cassette tape player 10 playback operation or when playback operation is stopped , recording of a user supplied sound begins . the sound , converted to an electronic signal by the microphone 62 , is supplied to the amplifier 64 in the form of an analog signal with a predetermined level . the signal is amplified to a fixed level and sent to the a / d converter circuit 24 for sampling and encoding . the encoded digital signal is then stored in the ic memory 22 . when the playback key 46 is pressed , the digital signal stored in the ic memory 22 is read out and decoded by the d / a converter circuit 26 to produce an analog audio signal output . the detailed digital signal read and write operations with respect to the ic memory 22 are essentially the same as the above described first embodiment . the selector switch 30 selects either the analog signal output from the d / a converter circuit 26 or the audio signal output from the cassette tape player 10 output terminal 0 for supply to the earphone . as a result of the present embodiment , while listening to the playback audio from the cassette tape player 10 or when the playback sound is stopped , a sound supplied by a user is stored in the ic memory 22 of the remote controller 60 and is freely replayed as many times as desired , thereby allowing easy comparison of the cassette tape player 10 playback sound and the user supplied sound . furthermore , as in the case of the first embodiment , since a conventional audio or other type of device can be used as the cassette tape player 10 , a large economic burden is not placed on the user . fig5 is a block diagram showing overall construction of a remote controller according to a third embodiment of the present invention . the same designations and detailed descriptions are used for items in this embodiment as used for the same items in the first and second embodiments . in fig5 a remote controller 70 combines the above - mentioned functions of remote controllers 20 and 60 of the first and second embodiments . these functions include recording and playback of a playback audio signal from a cassette tape player 10 output terminal 0 and recording and playback of a user supplied sound converted to an electronic signal by a self - contained microphone . the remote controller 70 comprises a control circuit 28 , an ic memory 22a for recording the cassette tape player 10 playback sound , an a / d converter circuit 24a , a d / a converter circuit 26a , a first record key 44a , a first playback key 46a , an ic memory 22b for recording a user supplied sound , an a / d converter circuit 24b , a d / a converter circuit 26b , a second record key 44b , a second playback key 46b , a microphone 62 , an amplifier 64 , a mixer 72 for mixing audio signals stored in the ic memories 22a and 22b , a selector switch 30 for selecting between the mixed signal and the cassette tape player 10 audio signal from the output terminal 0 for supply to an earphone , and a playback operation key 40 and stop key 42 for respectively sending playback operation start and stop commands to the cassette tape player 10 . when the first record key 44a is pressed , the recording control section 28b of the control circuit 28 signals the a / d converter circuit 24a and the ic memory 22a to begin writing the audio signal output from the cassette tape player 10 into the ic memory 22a , as in the first embodiment . when the second record key 44b is pressed , the recording control section 28b signals the a / d converter circuit 24b and the ic memory 22b to begin writing the audio signal from the microphone 62 into the ic memory 22b , as in the second embodiment . when the first playback key 46a is pressed , the playback control section 28c signals the ic memory 22a and d / a converter circuit 26a to begin sending the audio signal written into the ic memory 22a to the mixer 72 . when the second playback key 46b is pressed , the playback control section 28c signals the ic memory 22b and d / a converter circuit 26b to begin sending the audio signal written into the ic memory 22b to the mixer 72 . moreover , when only one of the first and second playback keys 46a and 46b is pressed , the playback control section 28c signals the selector switch 30 to the terminal 30b position , and at other times , signals the selector switch 30 to the terminal 30a position . as a result , the cassette tape player 10 audio output recording and playback operations with respect to the ic memory 22a are essentially the same as in the first embodiment , while the user supplied sound recording and playback operations with respect to the ic memory 22b are essentially the same as in the second embodiment . the mixer 72 then mixes the audio output signal from the d / a converter circuit 26a and the audio output signal from the d / a converter circuit 26b for supply to one input terminal of the selector switch 30 . when either playback key 46a or 46b is pressed , the selector switch 30 selects the mixer 72 output for supply no the earphone . when neither playback key 46a or 46b is pressed , the playback audio signal output from the cassette tape player 10 is sent directly to the earphone . as a result of the present embodiment , recording and playback operations for both the cassette tape player 10 playback audio signal and the user supplied sound are performed separately . the user supplied sound can be overlap recorded on the cassette tape player 10 playback audio signal , thereby allowing simultaneous playback and easy comparison of these sounds . furthermore , since the recording and playback system for both the cassette tape player 10 playback audio and the user supplied audio are separately provided , the sounds can be recorded and played back at a desired timing . recording unnecessary sounds can also be prevented . although the above description provided first and second record keys 44a and 44b independently , these keys can optionally comprise a single key . in this case , audio signal writing to ic memories 22a and 22b is performed simultaneously . furthermore , a preferred construction is to replace first and second playback keys 46a and 46b with a single key , so that audio signal readout from ic memories 22a and 22b is performed simultaneously by pressing a single key . optionally , the playback operation key 40 , first record key 44a and second record key 44b comprise a single key so as to enable simultaneous audio signal writing to ic memories 22a and 22b when performing the cassette tape player 10 playback operation . the above description also referred to separate circuit systems for recording the cassette tape player 10 playback sound and the user supplied sound ; however , recording can also be performed using the same circuit system . fig6 is a block diagram showing an example of construction when the same circuit system is used for recording the cassette tape player 10 output sound and the user supplied sound . with respect to the remote controller 20 indicated in fig1 a remote controller 80 shown in fig6 additionally comprises a microphone 62 , an amplifier 64 and a mixer 82 . as a result , the audio signal of the microphone and the cassette tape player 10 playback audio signal output are combined by the mixer 82 for supply to the a / d converter circuit 24 . consequently , when the record key 44 is pressed , simultaneous recording of these two audio signals begins . when the playback key 46 is pressed , simultaneous playback begins . by using a remote controller 80 having this type of construction together with a conventional audio , conference or other type of cassette tape player 10 , and a cassette tape containing blank sections to allow repetition for language study or other applications , the sounds from both the cassette tape player 10 and microphone 62 are recorded in the ic memory 22 . then , without the need for tape rewinding and other complex operations , the sounds from the cassette tape playback and microphone can be repeatedly heard as many times as necessary and compared . as a result , an audio or conference type cassette tape player or other device can be utilized with the remote controller to produce a recording and replay system , which effectively functions as a tool for applications such as language study . the above described embodiments are not meant to limit the present invention . numerous variations are possible within the scope of the present invention . for instance , the foregoing descriptions referred to using a conventional cassette tape player 10 as an audio playback device . however , other devices having at least a function for playing back sound from a recorded medium , for example , a cd player , minidisk player or dat ( digital analog tape ) player , can also be used in the present invention . the above descriptions also referred to examples wherein the control signal output for remotely controlling the cassette tape player 10 was controlled only by the playback operation key 40 arid stop key 42 . however , a stop control signal for stopping the cassette tape player can also be automatically produced from the remote control section 28a during playback of the sound stored in the ic memory 22 . in this case , key operation is further simplified during audio playback from the ic memory 22 since the cassette tape player 10 playback operation can be stopped without pressing the stop key 42 . furthermore , although the above descriptions mentioned a plurality of operation keys , each having a single function , means such as rotary or multistep switches can optionally be used to incorporate a plurality of functions into a single key . the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof . the preferred embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive , the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description . all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein . | 6 |
it should be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings . the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways . also , it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting . the use of “ including ,” “ comprising ,” or “ having ” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items . unless limited otherwise , the terms “ connected ,” “ coupled ,” and “ mounted ,” and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompass direct and indirect connections , couplings , and mountings . in addition , the terms “ connected ” and “ coupled ” and variations thereof are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings . furthermore , and as described in subsequent paragraphs , the specific mechanical configurations illustrated in the drawings are intended to exemplify embodiments of the invention . however , other alternative mechanical configurations are possible which are considered to be within the teachings of the instant disclosure . furthermore , unless otherwise indicated , the term “ or ” is to be considered inclusive . referring to the fig1 and 2 , there is provided a device 10 for clamping a group of work pieces 12 together . an example of such group ( or stack 14 as in this case ) of work pieces is shown in fig3 and in an operative position on a gantry milling machine 16 as shown in fig2 . fig3 shows , in dashed lines , a number of aligned passages 18 in the work pieces of the stack 14 . the device 10 has a first body 20 with a peripheral lateral surface 22 . as shown in fig4 and 7 , the first body 20 is laterally dimensioned to pass through an inner path 24 formed by the aligned passages 18 . referring to fig1 , the first body 20 has a first end region 26 with a circumferential laterally outwardly extending flange 28 . the first body 20 also has at least two body sections 30 , each bearing a corresponding portion of the peripheral lateral surface and a portion of the flange 28 . a biasing portion 32 is positioned between the first body sections 30 for laterally outwardly biasing them . as will be described below , the first body 20 is movable between a compressed orientation , as shown in fig7 , in which the flange fits within the inner path 24 , and an expanded orientation , as shown in fig8 , in which the flange 28 extends laterally beyond the inner path 24 to engage an outer surface 38 on a first outer one of the group of work pieces 40 . the first body also has a relaxed orientation as shown in fig1 , in which it is expanded still further beyond its expanded orientation . referring fig4 , the first body 20 has a second end region 42 opposite the first end region 26 with a central opening 44 therein . an anchor portion shown in fig5 at 46 extends between the body sections 30 near the second end region 42 . in this case , the anchor portion 46 has a first threaded passage 48 and is exposed to the central opening 44 . as can be seen in a number of the figures , such as fig1 and 5 , the device 10 is also provided with a second body 50 to lie against a second one of the group of work pieces 52 ( fig8 ) in this case on an outer surface 54 . the second body 50 has a second passage 56 which is alignable with the first threaded passage 48 . a threaded member 58 is arranged to engage the first threaded passage 48 and the second passage 56 and to extend between the first and second bodies 20 , 50 respectively . in this case the threaded member 58 is rotatably operable , with the help of a rotary tool shown at 60 in fig6 , to draw the first and second bodies 20 , 50 together against the first and second outer work pieces 40 , 52 . other configurations and / or tools may be employed , if desired , to drive the threaded member 58 . furthermore , other configurations may be available in which the first and or second body 20 , 50 are correspondingly engaged with the first and second outer work pieces 40 , 52 in different orientations . for instance , the second body 50 may engage the outer surface of the second work piece at a location distal to the inner path , or may engage an upper inner surface facing the inner path . as shown in fig1 , the first body 20 is generally cylindrical in shape although the first body 20 may have other shapes and configurations , such as for instance , an oval or square cross section . as best illustrated in fig7 , the peripheral lateral surface 22 of the body has a taper 64 that extends between the first end region 26 and the second end region 42 or toward the second end region 42 . this taper 64 enhances the effect of the biasing portion 32 to bias the first body sections 20 to a fully expanded orientation and / or to extend the flange 28 laterally beyond the inner path 24 of the outer surface 38 on the first outer one of the group of work pieces 40 . alternatively the first body 20 may have a peripheral lateral surface 22 of the body that is not tapered . for example , the peripheral lateral surface 22 may be provided with relatively consistent or varying diameter between the first end region toward and second end region . as illustrated in fig6 , 7 , 8 and 8 a , at least one , in this case two , of the body sections 30 includes a first inner formation 66 to receive the biasing portion 32 . in this case , the first inner formation 66 is provided by a first cylindrical cavity 68 , but may be provided in other forms such as , for example , a projection . the biasing portion 32 is , in this case , a spring member 70 , though other resilient elements may also be used in some cases , as desired , such as for instance a rubber plug . the body sections 30 include a pair of second inner formations 72 to receive the anchor portion 46 . the second inner formations 72 each include a second cylindrical cavity 74 . as shown in dashed lines in fig5 , the anchor 46 may be a bobbin 76 or nut or alternatively may be integrally formed with one or both of the body sections 30 . as shown in fig4 and 5 , the device further includes a limiting portion 78 for limiting the movement of the body sections 30 beyond the expanded orientation . in this case the limiting portion 78 is an o ring 80 but for example , may be in some other form , such as a tension band . in this case , the outer peripheral surface 22 includes a recess 82 to accommodate the limiting portion 78 , though other arrangements may be utilized to operatively associate the limiting portion 78 with the body sections . as shown in fig8 a , the flange 28 has a beveled peripheral edge region 84 to assist the entry of the device 10 into the inner path 24 . the flange 28 further includes an undercut formation 88 adjacent peripheral lateral surface 22 to aid in “ biting ” into the outer surface 38 of the first outer one of the group of work pieces 40 . the device 10 may also be provided with other formations other then the undercut formation , or in some other cases , without such undercut formation . as shown in fig1 , the device 10 may be provided in the form of a kit 92 with a selection of parts according to the device and configured to be useful for one or more specific installations . for instance , the kit 92 may include a number of different length threaded members 94 as shown in fig1 , each threaded member being appropriate for a different stack height . the kit 92 may thus include a set of instructions on the steps for selecting the appropriate threaded member . the kit 92 may in some cases not include the threaded member , thus enabling the user to obtain the threaded member from a separate source . the device 10 may thus be used in the following manner . first , the user assembles individual plate - like work pieces into the stack 14 , and clamps an outer region 96 of the plate - like work pieces 12 in a manner which will not interfere with a subsequent machining operation . the user then drills at least one hole or passage through the stack , and measures the height of the stack to determine the appropriate length of threaded member required . the user then assembles the device with the first body 20 , the second body 50 and the threaded member 58 . in this case , the threaded member 58 is selected with a length appropriate for the overall thickness of the stack 14 or the overall thickness of the aligned passages 18 therein , as need be . the user manipulates the device 10 to the compressed orientation in order to fit within the aligned passages 18 , as shown in fig6 and 7 . the user passes the device through the aligned passages 18 until the first body extends beyond the first outer plate work piece 40 shown at to engage the first contact surface 38 thereon , as shown in fig8 . the user aligns the second body 50 with the aligned passages 18 and against the second contact surface 54 on the second outer plate work piece 52 . the user thus rotates the threadable member 58 , such as by way of the tool 60 , to draw the first and second bodies 20 , 50 together to secure the stack . the user may then repeat this process for as many devices as needed in the stacked work pieces . this may involve installing a first device in a first location ( as for example shown at 98 in fig9 ) on the stack and then subsequently carrying out a number of machining steps at a predetermined vicinity of the first location and then installing a second device at a second location ( as for example shown at 100 in fig9 ) and repeating the process . alternatively , the user may predrill a number of strategic locations on the stack and then pre - install a device at each of the strategic locations so that all the following machining steps , such as the boring of a hole in the stack , may be carried out in a corresponding succession of machining steps . in this case , for this particular use of the device 10 ( among other possibilities uses thereof ) the materials used in the formation of the threaded member 58 and the first and second bodies 20 , 50 should be sufficient to withstand the necessary loads thereon to offset the drive forces which are otherwise applying force to the shavings against the inner surface of the aligned holes , which would otherwise cause the stack 14 to bulge or delaminate . when the machining operation is complete , the user rotates the threaded member 58 to release the device 10 from the stack 14 . to do this , the user displaces the first body 20 out of the aligned passages 18 as shown in fig1 . the user may then disassemble the plate - like work pieces from the stack . while device is discussed with reference to holes formed in work pieces , the latter may be configured in other ways to accept the device , such as by way of slots , gaps , inner corners and the like . in this case , the device may be provided with other features to allow it to secure and clamp the work pieces together , so that the work piece has two or more opposing outer termini against which the first body can act in its expanded orientation to engage the work piece . while the device and method herein are discussed with respect to an inner path formed by the aligned passages in the work pieces , there may be some instances where the passages may not be aligned but may be of other configurations , such as offset , while still enabling a version of the device to be used successfully to clamp the work pieces . the inner passages may also be of different dimensions . for instance , the outer plate members may have relatively smaller passages while the adjacent inner plate members may have larger passages . while the present invention has been described for what are presently considered the preferred embodiments , the invention is not so limited . to the contrary , the invention is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . the scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions . | 1 |
the system 1 is made up of a system database 9 including a number of system tables 10 and a filestore 11 . the actual physical data , i . e . the document data files themselves are stored in the filestore 11 , in this case shown as a storage area network ( san ). reference information about the data stored in the filestore , i . e . information pointing to the physical document data and supplementary document information , i . e . the attributes of the types of documents stored are stored in the system database 9 . the data sent to the system tables 10 is in the form of metadata . as is known from conventional databases and document management systems are similar , metadata contains information sufficient to enable a system to identify each file stored in the filestore 11 sufficiently to enable authorised personnel to retrieve , protect and carry out the disposition of the files in the filestore 11 . this information may include items such as : place of origin , file code / identification , a key for retrieval of the physical file etc . each time a file is edited , metadata is generated . the metadata is used to update information in the system tables 10 corresponding to the file held in the system database . therefore , if a document is added , updated or deleted , the metadata will provide information of this to the system database of the system 1 to enable the changes to be made . the system database 9 shown comprises a system table 10 representing one such system table of many , newly added access preservation tables 12 and 13 to store transaction information , database procedures 14 to implement logic programs and the database triggers 4 recording transactions e . g . update , delete and insert , and a combination transaction table 15 . also depicted is a storage media 6 and a secondary empty filestore 7 . in one embodiment triggers 4 are added to the relevant documentum tables 10 for the documentum document management system and they automatically fire to capture the salient information needed to retrieve the pointer information to the physical data for the file by running a couple of oracle stored procedures or sql command statements , to a first set of core access - preservation tables 12 . the first set of access preservation tables 12 can be populated in a number of ways depending on the data stored one such embodiment for the documentum system uses the dm_sysobject_s table to obtain the core reference information including the parent information and so the parent information does not need to be obtained from the dmr_content_r table . in an alternative embodiment which can also be used to capture the core reference information described in co - pending patent application gb 0516374 . 6 , ca 2 , 504 , 070 the dmr_content_r table is used to obtain the parent information . the second set of access preservation tables 13 are filled by means of triggers 4 attached to the documentum tables with all other salient information concerning the deleted object ( e . g . a record of the reference data in dmr_content_s for each document / object that is deleted , the type information etc ). this information is stored in secondary access preservation tables , prior to the dm_clean job . the information in the dmr_content_s table , for example is not deleted , or updated when an object is deleted ; however , this is information that could be lost once dm_clean is run . should it become necessary to restore the object data in the system tables to the state prior to the data being deleted , then the lost information in dmr_content_s needs to be present once more . a typical documentum system database has a number of system tables that store reference information and supplementary document information . these tables include ( but are not typically limited to ) the dm_sysobject_s table ( first table ), which stores object ids for the documents ; the dm_sysobject_r table ( second table ) which stores , inter alia , version ids for documents ; the dmr_content_r table ( third table ) which stores , inter alia , parent id needed to find the pointer to the document within the filestore ; and the dmr_content_s table ( fourth table ), which stores an r_object_id that , together with the parent_id , determines the pointer to the location of the document within the filestore . according to one embodiment of the invention when a document is deleted / overwritten ; the relevant reference core data from the first two tables is deleted , and the relevant core reference data from the third table ( the parent id ) is updated to a null . according to this embodiment of the invention , at least one , and preferably three core oracle triggers are used to catch and record the core reference data that was deleted and / or updated to the core first set of access - preservation tables . this reference data is then inserted into the first set of access - preservation tables ( preferably one corresponding to each of the first three system tables ), and the access - preservation data combined with a fourth system table to provide a combination table 15 having the salient information to calculate the deleted / overwritten document within the filestore . all reference data and supplementary reference data apart from the core data above that is required to “ recycle ” the document on user request is inserted into a second set of access preservation tables ; using database triggers , and sql commands or stored procedures containing the sql commands . this step can be performed each night , but must be performed before dm_clean is run . the document in the filestore is calculated and copied to a purpose built initially empty delete filestore for later retrieval and the location stored is updated in the combination table 15 . the method preferably further comprises the step of combining the access preservation tables and a subset of the supplementary document information into a set of at least one combined table . this step is preferably performed before the system executes a cleaning of the system tables , because at least some of the supplementary document information will not be available once a cleaning , such as a dm_clean routine , is run . in one embodiment , the reference data from the first access preservation tables is used to obtain supplementary document information , related to the deleted / overwritten document , from the system tables to fill combination tables to help the user identify the document required to be retrieved . the core supplementary document information preferably includes , but is not limited to a name of the document deleted or overwritten , a folder within the system database from which the document was deleted or overwritten , a storage identification of the deleted / overwritten document that indicates the position of storage within the filestore , a parent identification of the deleted / overwritten document to permit checking of the document path within the filestore , an object identification to provide filestore path information , a type of object that was deleted / overwritten , a version of the deleted / overwritten document and a date that the document was deleted / overwritten . the method preferably further comprises the step of recording and preserving all before information in the said system tables and all related system tables using oracle triggers and sql commands within database procedures with regards to each deleted / overwritten object together with a date timestamp into a secondary set of access - preservation tables . the triggers on each table in the documentum database required also record the changes on update , insert , delete to access - preservation tables to a transaction table 15 for all changes on all tables . so that this information can be restored using sql commands back into the system tables where necessary in reverse - order later if needed , thereby recycling it , this even after dm_clean runs ( as data has been preserved in a second set of access - preservation tables ). the method also calculates the whereabouts of the file matching the deleted document on the filestore 11 and copies it to a safe location ( secondary filestore 7 ) together with its full path , storing this location , so it can be returned if necessary to the original filestore 11 , if the document is to be restored . this invention captures the data and the information from the filestore 11 in a kind of a “ system recycle bin ”. on request the data is re - input in reverse order to the database system tables , manipulating it where necessary depending on the user options chosen using the recorded timestamp . the filestore 11 re - populated with the necessary file . the transactions made on the three core tables dm_sysobject_s , dm_sysobject_r , and dmr_content_r during delete of the file by the system commands can be reversed by sql commands encapsulated within stored procedures . furthermore a row added to dmr_content_s if subsequently found missing . likewise all supplementary information can be restored . using the base option it will appear to the user that the file was never deleted , or overwritten ( in the case of an overwritten document the user must be informed that the recycling of the overwritten document will replace the version of the document that overwrote it ). in an alternative embodiment extra options are provided which allow the user to retrieve the old document as the current version , or as a , totally new document , in order not to loose the document that overwrote the one the user requires . in this case the data retrieved from the set of access - preservation tables 12 and 13 is manipulated before adding it to the system database tables to provide the necessary result . the latest version of a document is usually the current version in documentum . the method preferably comprises searching and viewing the information in the combination table , through a software interface which provides a gui front - end . upon selection of this information and retrieval option it would run database stored procedures that automatically restore the data within the database system tables and also copy over the file from the safe location back to the main filestore 11 , using the transaction 15 and access preservation tables 12 , 13 . in one embodiment , the data location within the filestore 11 at which a document is located is obtained by combining the parent id from the third table with the r_object_id from the fourth table to obtain the data ticket ( i . e . the pointer ) along with the storage id which can be used to find the file path of the document on the filestore . this pointer information can then be translated through commonly available documentum support notes . the data ticket and the storage_id ( pointer info ) are two pieces of data that need to be obtained to help retrieve the document &# 39 ; s physical file . the other information required is the r_object_id and the parent_id . the actual path and filename are typically encrypted within the filestore to protect the document from unauthorized access . to decrypt , support note 310 is used and the parent_id taken from the combination tables described further below ; before dm_clean is run , the parent id is plugged into the documentum apis shown on the note through the api interface in documentum administrator . for example : this gives you the path of the file on the content store ( but only works before dm_clean is run ). as described below , another documentum support note can also be used to calculate the full file path and name of the document stored on the server . this is done using the r_object_id , storage_id and data_ticket ( all values contained in the combination tables this alternate calculation of the file path and name can be compared with the above calculation using note 310 to increase the probability that the correct file path and name are known . once dm_clean has been run , the note 310 calculation will not work , but the alternate calculation will function to find the exact place on the server or backup tape at which a deleted file resides . the method of the present invention can then be used from the time of successful comparison of the two name and path calculations . i . e . by running the procedures below automatically through either a cron / or veritas job . when an object or document is deleted or overwritten , the parent_id of the document is updated and set to null . once this occurs there is no way to link the dmr_content_r table to the dmr_content_s table . the purpose of the recording of reference information was , inter alia , to ensure that the parent id was recorded in order to get storage location and data ticket . below , there is shown sample code implementing a small portion of the invention , more columns of data are required than those shown if the document is to be recycled . a column of data in this case would represent in the case of the dm_sysobject_s the r_object_id , object_type i . e . the info contained within . the code shows the process of recording the data from the core tables . on reversing the process the whole row of data within the dmr_content_r table it appears that the value of the parent_id set to null would have to be placed back , however , the whole row may be missing especially after the dm_clean method has run and have to be re - inserted entirely using an insert statement . code is given for both oracle and sql server ( for delete is for older versions ). the invention can be implemented in a multi - document management system embodiment . the invention can be implemented in a multi - database embodiment . oracle create or replace trigger capture_del_s_trigger before delete on dm_sysobject_s for each row begin kapurture_del_s (: old . r_object_id ,: old . r_object_type ,: old .- object_name ); exception when others then raise ; end create or replace trigger capture_i_trigger before update on dmr_content_r for each row begin kapurture_del_i (: old . r_object_id ,: old .- parent_id ); exception when others then raise ; end ; / create or replace trigger capture_del_r_trigger before delete on dm_sysobject_r for each row begin kapurture_del_r (: old . r_object_id ,: old . r_version_label ,: old .- i_folder_id ); exception when others then raise ; end ; / then sql server :- create trigger after delete -- for delete as if exists ( insert into capture_del_r_table values ( r_object_id , r_version_label , i_folder_id ) select r_object_id , r_version_label , i_folder_id from deleted where r_object_id in ( select r_object_id from deleted ) go create trigger capture_i_triggeron dbo . dmr_content_r after update -- for update as if exists ( insert into capture_i_table values ( r_object_id , parent_id ) select r_object_id , parent_id from deleted where r_object_id in ( select r_object_id from deleted ) ) go create trigger capture_del_s_trigger on dbo . dm_sysobject_s after delete -- for delete as if exists ( insert into capture_del_s_table values ( r_object_id , r_object_type , object_name , date_saved ) select r_object_id , r_object_type , object_name , getdate ( ) from deleted where r_object_id in ( select r_object_id from deleted ) ) go in the dm_sysobject &# 39 ; s and dm_sysobject &# 39 ; r tables , a “ before row delete ” is preferably used , meaning the data is about to be deleted is captured . for the dmr_content_r table , a “ before update row ” is preferably used , meaning that the data to be updated is captured . this ensures that all salient and / or relevant information is captured . it will be appreciated that an “ after row delete ” and “ after row update ” could also be used and are comprehended by the invention . in such a case , the old values are captured immediately upon the deletion or update . the reference data is trapped ( i . e . recorded ) and inserted into three tables ( again these tables would need to be extended to capture all the columns for the purposes of re - cycling ): create table capture_i_table ( r_object_id varchar2 ( 16 ), parent_id varchar2 ( 32 ), date_saved date )/ create table capture_del_s_table ( r_object_id varchar2 ( 16 ), r_object_type varchar2 ( 32 ), object_name varchar2 ( 255 ), date_saved date ) / create table capture_del_r_table ( r_object_id varchar2 ( 16 ), r_version_label varchar2 ( 32 ), i_folder_id varchar2 ( 16 )) / more tables for extra data need to be added to these tables , together with a date timestamp , in order for the method to record the salient supplementary reference data from the system tables , in regards to “ recycling ” or restoring the document back into the system . the procedures , given the names rkapurture_del_data . plb and rkapurture_upd_data . plb , then are used to combine the three access - preservation tables with the dmr_content_s table to produce the combination tables and to get the all important data_ticket value which must be converted to a char using to_char ( data_ticket ) as well as combining other data . additionally , further oracle database stored procedures that reference the access - preservation tables , the combined tables are necessary to capture all the supplementary and reference information in the system tables before the method dm_clean runs into access - preservation tables . further procedures taking input parameters these being the object to restore and which option the user requires to restore the information captured , back to the database system tables that form the documentum document management system , using information stored in the transaction table . the combination tables could take the form of a single table for both deletes and overwrites . however , it is preferred that there be a combination table for deletes and one for overwrites , ( again these tables contain here only a subset of the columns to necessary to ensure recycling ). create table capture_del_ro_table ( date_deleted date , storage_id varchar2 ( 16 ), data_ticket varchar2 ( 20 ), full_format varchar2 ( 64 ), r_object_id varchar2 ( 16 ), r_object_type varchar2 ( 32 ), object_name varchar2 ( 255 ), r_version_label varchar2 ( 32 ), r_parent_id varchar2 ( 32 ), r_folder_path varchar2 ( 255 )) / create table capture_upd_ro_table ( date_deleted date , storage_id varchar2 ( 16 ), data_ticket varchar2 ( 20 ), full_format varchar2 ( 64 ), r_object_id varchar2 ( 16 ), r_object_type varchar2 ( 32 ), object_name varchar2 ( 255 ), r_version_label varchar2 ( 32 ), r_parent_id varchar2 ( 32 ), r_folder_path varchar2 ( 255 )) / once the storage_id , data_ticket , r &# 39 ; object_id , parent_id are available in the above tables the method of the present invention is preferably every night and just before dm_clean runs . this will ensure that all of the necessary reference data is captured . the following is the “ alternate ” process referred to above for calculating the file path and name . take the storage_id obtained and use it as the r_object &# 39 ; id into the table dm_store_s . this should give you the filestore concerned ( there could be more than one filestore , which collectively act as the “ filestore ” for the document management system . the path of the filestore can be found through the documentum administrator . part of the file path on the filestore is stored as a hex code . the first part of this hex code is usually contained within the r_object_id of the deleted row corresponding to the deleted document . the remainder of the filepath can be obtained by converting the data_ticket from dec to hex using the dword function on the standard scientific calculator on microsoft windows , as the support notes will indicate . for example if you have a data ticket say − 2147561899 this converts into 75fece55 . . . i . e the path to the file could look something like this : c :\ filestore1 \ documentum \ docbase_name \ 00 \ 06d450 \ 75 \ fe \ ce \ 55 where 55 is the file name on the server and 0006d450 comes from the r_object_id . once the formula for the file paths has been worked out by comparing with the above api method then a plsql routine could even be written to give this automatically . once the path is known , the name of the file , the object it relates to and the date , the document that was deleted or overwritten can be retrieved from a copy filestore if it has been cleaned off the original filestore . it will be appreciated that variations in , and modifications to the embodiments described and illustrated may be made within the scope of this application . | 6 |
reference will now be made in detail to one or more examples of the invention depicted in the accompanying figures . each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention , and are not meant as , nor do they represent , limitations of the invention . for example , features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used with another embodiment to yield still a different embodiment . other modifications and variations to the described embodiments are also contemplated and lie within the scope and spirit of the invention . referring to the drawings , to provide an enhanced understanding of the present invention , a reader is encouraged to view prior art fig1 , 2 , and 3 in concert while proceeding with reading this description of the present invention . collectively , prior art fig1 , 2 , and 3 depict prior art 20 and 30 series learjet ® aircraft applicable for use with the present invention . prior art fig1 is useful for presenting a plan view of both a prior art 20 series learjet aircraft and a prior art 30 series learjet ® ( collectively prior art aircraft 10 ) found useful in practicing the present invention . prior art fig2 shows the prior art aircraft 10 , in side elevational view , for a prior art 20 series learjet ® aircraft , and prior art fig3 shows the front elevational view suitable for depicting either the 20 or 30 series prior art learjet ® aircraft . when collectively viewing prior art fig1 , 2 , and 3 , the reader &# 39 ; s attention is drawn to the location of the engines 12 , relative to other sections and references of the aircraft , and in particular to the nacelle 13 inclosing each engine 12 . prior art fig1 shows that engine inlets 14 , of the engines 12 , are correspondingly positioned at a predetermined distance 16 ( of about 153 centimeters ) from a corresponding leading edge 18 , of their corresponding wings 20 , and that each engine 12 is secured to a fuselage 22 , of the prior art aircraft 10 by a pylon 24 . prior art fig1 further shows centers of mass 26 , of the engines 12 , are correspondingly positioned at a predetermined distance 28 ( of about 111 centimeters ) from a centerline 30 , of the fuselage 22 , of the prior art aircraft 10 . the prior art aircraft 10 , of fig2 , depicts an orientation of the engine 12 , for a prior art 20 series learjet ® aircraft relative to the fuselage 22 via the relationship between a centerline 32 of the engine 12 , and a waterline 34 of the prior art aircraft 10 . in the prior art 20 series learjet ®; the engine 12 is set at a predetermined pitch angle 36 ( of about 3 °). that is , the engine 12 slopes from the engine inlet 14 to an engine outlet 38 at about a three - degree angle . prior art fig2 also shows the center of mass 26 , of the engine 12 , is positioned at a predetermined distance ( of about 101 centimeters ) from the waterline 34 . for both the 20 and 30 series prior art learjet ® shown by fig3 , nacelles 42 and fuselage skin 44 appear to abut one another . however , by referring back to fig1 , it can be seen that the engines 12 are offset from the fuselage 22 by the pylons 24 . nonetheless , fig1 shows that a portion of the fuselage skin 44 and a portion of the nacelle 42 of the engine 40 lie coextensively with a cord line 46 ( of fig1 ). the position of the engines 12 of the prior art aircraft 10 relative to the wings 20 and the fuselage 22 has a direct bearing on the flight dynamics of prior art aircraft 10 . the location of the engines 12 , relative to the wings 20 creates a partial air dam between wings 20 and the engines 12 . the effect of this partial air dam is a disruption in the fluid flow over the wings 20 , which decrease the effectiveness of the wings 20 . in other words , by partially disrupting the flow of fluid over the wing , the amount of available lift provided by the wing is diminished . the diminished availability of lift provided by wings 20 reduces the ability of prior art aircraft 10 to avoid stall conditions during flight . the spacing of the engines 12 , relative to the fuselage 22 also creates a partial air dam for fluid flowing between the fuselage 22 and the engines 12 . the result of this disruption in fluid flow is an increase in the overall drag experienced by the prior art aircraft 10 . for the 20 series prior art learjet ®, the problem of reduced lift capability of the wings 20 and increased drag created between the fuselage 22 in the engines 12 is exasperated by having the engines 12 mountain at a 3 ° pitch , relative to the waterline 34 . mounting the engines 12 at a 3 ° pitch relative to the waterline 34 introduces additional drag and difficult handling characteristics into the flight dynamics of the prior art aircraft 10 . in addition to the increase in drag , the 3 ° pitch further affects the flight dynamics of the 20 series learjet ® by causing the nose of the prior art aircraft 10 to dip when additional throttle is applied to the engines 12 of the 20 series learjet ® during flight . for ease in contrasting the present invention with the prior art , fig4 , 5 , and 6 are provided to depict the present invention in views comparable to fig1 , 2 , and 3 . accordingly , viewing fig4 , 5 , and 6 together will provide an enhanced understanding of the present invention . collectively , fig4 , 5 , and 6 depict structural changes made to the 20 and 30 series learjet ® aircraft to produce an improved present inventive aircraft 100 . fig4 presents a plan view of an inventive aircraft 100 and is useful for showing a change in engine location between the prior art aircraft 10 ( of fig1 ) and the inventive aircraft 100 . fig5 shows the inventive aircraft 100 in side elevational view , which is useful in helping with an understanding of a structural change made to the 20 series learjet ® in arriving at the present inventive aircraft 100 . fig6 shows the front elevational view of the inventive aircraft 100 suitable for depicting an additional structural change employed in arriving at the present inventive aircraft 100 . when collectively viewing fig4 , 5 , and 6 , the reader &# 39 ; s attention is drawn to the location of the engines 102 , relative to other sections and references of the inventive aircraft 100 . in a preferred embodiment shown by fig4 , engine inlets 104 of the engines 102 , are preferably positioned at a distance 106 ( of about 194 centimeters ) from corresponding leading edges 108 of corresponding wings 110 . each engine 102 is preferably secured to a fuselage 112 by a pylon 114 . fig4 further shows centers of mass 116 , of the engines 102 , are preferably correspondingly positioned at a distance 118 ( of about 121 . 5 centimeters ) from a centerline 120 , of the fuselage 112 of the inventive aircraft 100 . the inventive aircraft 100 of fig5 shows an orientation of the engine 102 ( for an inventive aircraft 100 based on a 20 series learjet ®) relative to a centerline 122 of the engine 102 , and a waterline 124 of the inventive aircraft 100 . in the 20 series learjet ® prior art aircraft 10 ( of fig . 2 ), the engine 12 is set at a downwardly sloping 3 ° pitch . in a preferred embodiment shown by fig5 , the relationship between the centerline 122 and the waterline 124 shows an absence of a pitch , i . e ., the centerline 122 lies substantially parallel to the waterline 124 . fig5 also shows the center of mass 116 , of the engine 102 , is positioned at a selected distance 126 ( of about 109 centimeters ) from the waterline 124 . in a preferred embodiment of the inventive aircraft 100 shown by fig6 , nacelles 128 are offset from a fuselage skin 130 such that a portion of the pylons 114 are brought into view when viewing the inventive aircraft 100 from a front elevational perspective . by referring back to fig4 , it can be seen that the engines 102 are offset from the fuselage 112 by the pylons 114 at a distance sufficient to assure that the nacelle 128 does not lie coextensively with a cord line 132 , which lies tangent to the fuselage skin 130 . the position of the engines 102 of the inventive aircraft 100 relative to the wings 110 and the fuselage 112 has a direct bearing on improved flight dynamics of the inventive aircraft 100 , when compared to the flight dynamics of the prior art aircraft 10 ( of fig1 - 3 ). the location of the engines 102 , relative to the wings 110 alleviates the partial air dam present between wings 20 in the engines 12 of the prior art aircraft 10 . by alleviating the air dam , the amount of available lift provided by the wings 110 is greatly enhanced . the spacing of the engines 102 , relative to the fuselage 112 removes from the inventive aircraft 100 the partial air dam developed between the fuselage 22 in the engines 12 of prior art aircraft 10 , which decreases the overall drag experienced by the inventive aircraft 100 . for the inventive aircraft 100 based on the 20 series learjet ®, removing the 3 ° pitch of the engines 12 , relative to the waterline 34 on the prior art aircraft 10 ( of fig2 ), alleviates the drag created by the 3 ° pitch , and the tendency of the nose to dip during in flight accelerations . in a preferred embodiment , the following dimensional changes for engine location have been found useful in providing the inventive aircraft 100 based on either the 20 or 30 series learjet ®. those dimensional changes for engine location include positioning the engines 102 : about 41 centimeters further back from the leading edge 108 of the wing 110 at a point adjacent the fuselage 112 ; about 8 centimeters further up from the waterline 124 ; and about 10 . 2 centimeters further out from the fuselage centerline 120 . it has been found that these improvements dramatically improve the flight dynamics of the inventive aircraft 100 , relative to the flight dynamics of the prior art aircraft 10 . the improvement includes a greatly enhanced ability to avoid stall conditions during in flight maneuvers . fig7 shows that in a preferred embodiment of the present invention , an airfoil 134 is provided by a skin 136 of the pylon 114 . preferably , the shape of the airfoil 134 is inverted in form from the shape of an airfoil 138 provided by the wing 110 . by presenting the airfoil 134 to an air stream in an orientation inverted from the airfoil 138 of the wing 110 , an influence of the pylon 114 on the flight dynamics of the inventive aircraft 100 is neutralized . that is to say , by providing an inverted airfoil 134 covering the pylon 114 , the pylon 114 neither adds to the drag nor detracts from the lift of the inventive aircraft 100 . the shape of the airfoil of the pylon , i . e ., inverted from the shape of the airfoil of the wing , has removed io the pylon as a structural component effecting the aerodynamics of the aircraft . turning to fig8 , the flow chart 200 depicts a process of forming an inventive aircraft ( such as 100 ). the method commences at start step 202 and proceeds to process step 204 with the removal of an engine ( such as 12 ). at process step 206 , a pylon ( such as 24 ) is removed from a fuselage ( such as 22 ) of the inventive aircraft . following the removal of the pylon from the fuselage ; providing a portion of fuselage skin ( such as 44 ) to cover the portion of the fuselage left open by removal of the pylon ; and removing a portion of fuselage skin from the airframe in preparation for mounting a new pylon ( such as 114 ), the new pylon is secured to the fuselage at process step 208 . at process step 210 , a new engine ( such as 102 ) is mounted to the new pylon . at process step 212 , the new pylon is covered with a skin ( such as 136 ) to provide an airfoil ( such as 134 ) and the process concludes at end process step 214 . it is to be understood that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of various embodiments of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description , together with details of the structure and function thereof , this detailed description is illustrative only , and changes may be made in detail , especially in matters of structure and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed . for example , the particular elements may vary depending on the particular application for a select engine , while maintaining the same functionality without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 1 |
fig1 illustrates one embodiment of an actuator 10 comprising a first shape memory member 12 and a second shape memory member 14 that are actuatable to effect oscillating , pivotal movement of a load 20 about a pivot axis aa . in this regard , pivot axis aa may be defined by a shaft member 30 which is journaled at each end and rotatable relative to an enclosure 40 . the enclosure 40 includes a first end piece 42 a , a second end piece 42 b , and an outer shell 42 c ( shown as transparent in fig1 ). in turn , load 20 may be supportably mounted to the shaft member 30 for pivoting movement therewith . the first and second shape memory members 12 , 14 may each comprise a length of shape memory material ( e . g ., nitinol , a metal alloy of nickel and titanium ), wherein the first and second shape memory members 12 , 14 may be heated in at least partially offset timed relation to yield corresponding martensitic - to - austenitic phase transformation and corresponding reductions ( e . g ., shrinkage ) in the length of each member . as will be appreciated , such alternating length reductions causes shaft member 30 to rotate back and forth , thereby causing load 20 to pivot back and forth about pivot axis aa in an oscillating manner . such heating may be achieved by applying electrical energy to the shape memory members 12 , 14 . the applied energy may be in the form of an applied voltage that induces a current flow in the shape memory members 12 , 14 , which produces the heating . the first and second shape memory members 12 , 14 may each comprise a length of shape memory wire or any other appropriate shape memory form ( e . g ., a shape memory ribbon , a multiple element member such as a multiple filament wire , a coil , a helically wound strand ). reference is now made to fig1 , together with fig2 a , 3 a and 3 b which illustrate the operative interface between the first shape memory member 12 , the second shape memory member 14 and shaft member 30 . for explanatory purposes , the load 20 , first and second end pieces 42 a , 42 b , and the outer shell 42 c are not shown in fig2 a through 3d . in the illustrated embodiment , first shape memory member 12 may be fixedly interconnected at a first end 12 a to an anchor 52 a . the anchor 52 a may be interconnected to an elastically deformable member ( e . g ., a spring - like member such as a resilient , compressible member ) 53 a , which in turn is interconnected to first end piece 42 a . in this regard , via compression of the elastically deformable member 53 a , anchor 52 a is able to move a limited amount relative to the first end piece 42 a . first shape memory member 12 may be fixedly interconnected at a second end 12 b to an anchor 52 b ( partly visible in fig2 a ). likewise , the anchor 52 b may be interconnected to an elastically deformable member 53 b , which in turn is interconnected to second end piece 42 b . similarly , second shape memory member 14 may be fixedly interconnected at a first end 14 a to an anchor 54 a . the anchor 54 a may be interconnected to an elastically deformable member 55 a , which in turn is interconnected to first end piece 42 a . second shape memory member 14 may be fixedly interconnected at a second end 14 b to an anchor 54 b ( partly visible in fig2 a ). the anchor 54 b may be interconnected to an elastically deformable member 55 b , which in turn is interconnected to second end piece 42 b . the elastically deformable members 53 a , 53 b , 55 a , 55 b may be operable to elastically deform ( e . g ., resiliently compress and uncompress ) in a manner that compensates for possible mismatches between the lengths of the shape memory members 12 , 14 as they simultaneously change length ( e . g ., one of the shape memory members 12 , 14 may be contracting in length as the other is lengthening ). by compressing , the elastically deformable members 53 a , 53 b , 55 a , 55 b may help to prevent excessive elastic tension in the shape memory members 12 , 14 . additionally , the elastically deformable members 53 a , 53 b , 55 a , 55 b may help compensate for elastic tension variations due to changes in geometry as the shape memory members 12 , 14 pivot during load 20 oscillating movement . the first shape memory member 12 may be operatively interconnected to shaft member 30 via engagement member 32 a fixedly interconnected to and laterally extending away from shaft member 30 on one side of pivot axis aa . similarly , second shape memory member 14 may be operatively interconnected to shaft member 30 via engagement member 32 b fixedly interconnected to and laterally extending away from shaft member 30 on another side of pivot axis aa . the engagement members 32 a , 32 b may be grooved to help positively locate the shape memory members 12 , 14 relative thereto . in embodiments where the distances between engagement member 32 a and anchor 52 a , and between engagement member 32 a and anchor 52 b are unequal , and / or where the distances between engagement member 32 b and anchor 54 a , and between engagement member 32 b and anchor 54 b are unequal , the corresponding groove ( s ) may be configured to allow the corresponding shape memory member ( s ) 12 , 14 to slide therein as its length changes and the load 20 undergoes oscillating movement . in embodiments where such distances are substantially equal , the corresponding shape memory member 12 , 14 may be fixed to the corresponding engagement member 32 a , 32 b ( e . g ., at a mid - point along the corresponding length thereof ). as illustrated in fig3 a , first shape memory member 12 may operatively interconnect via engagement member 32 a to shaft member 30 at a location offset from pivot axis aa so as to define a first moment arm i 1 . similarly , second shape memory member 14 may operatively interconnect via engagement member 32 b to shaft member 30 at a location offset from pivot access aa so as to define a second moment arm i 2 . in the illustrated arrangement , moment arms i 1 and i 2 are substantially equal . arrangements may be implemented in which moment arms i 1 and i 2 are not equal . in fig2 a and 3a , the first shape memory member 12 has been actuated , e . g ., heated , so as to cause the first shape memory member 12 to shrink in length and thereby rotate shaft member 30 in a first direction ( e . g ., clockwise ) by y 1 degrees . as noted , first shape memory member 12 may be actuated during a first time period that is at least partially non - overlapping with a second time period during which second shape memory member 14 is actuated . in this regard , actuation of first shape memory member 12 may function to apply a tensile force to second shape memory member 14 so as to facilitate a return of shape memory member 14 to an extended state ( e . g ., in conjunction with its austenitic - to - martensitic phase transformation after actuation ). in fig3 b , the second shape memory member 14 has been actuated ( e . g ., heated ) so as to cause the second shape memory member 14 to shrink in length and thereby rotate shaft member 30 in a second direction ( e . g ., counterclockwise ) by y 2 degrees . in arrangements in which second shape memory member 14 is actuated in at least partially offset timed relation to actuation of the first memory shape member 12 , the actuation of the second shape memory member 14 may function to apply a tensile force to the first shape memory member 12 so as to facilitate a return of first shape memory member 12 to an extended state ( e . g ., in conjunction with its austenitic - to - martensitic phase transformation after actuation ). referring again to fig1 and 2a , portions of first shape memory member 12 extend away from engagement member 32 a and load 20 to define an included angle of x 1 degrees therebetween . similarly , portions of second shape memory member 14 extend away from engagement member 32 b and load 20 to define an included angle of x 2 degrees therebetween . as may be appreciated , included angle x 1 increases and included angle x 2 decreases during actuation of first shape memory member 12 , and included angle x 2 increases and included angle x 1 decreases during actuation of second shape memory member 14 . the angular configurations of first shape memory member 12 and second shape memory member 14 illustrated in fig1 facilitate pivoting movement of load 20 across a relatively large angular range of y 1 + y 2 degrees ( see fig3 a and 3b ). in this regard , where the shape memory members 12 , 14 are varied in length of about 1 % to 5 % ( e . g ., 4 %) and where the angles x 1 and x 2 , in a neutral or “ home ” position ( e . g ., with the load 20 in a horizontal position ), are about 100 to 170 degrees , the total angular range of y 1 + y 2 degrees may be on the order of about 50 - 60 degrees . the same total angular range may be achieved in another embodiment by , for example , making the angles x 1 and x 2 in the home position larger and correspondingly decreasing the variation in length of the shape memory members 12 , 14 . such a variation may result in higher stress on the shape memory members 12 , 14 . in another variation , making the angles x 1 and x 2 in the home position smaller and correspondingly increasing the variation in length of the shape memory members 12 , 14 , may increase the linearity between the change in length of the shape memory members 12 , 14 and the change in angle of the load 20 . the location of the fixed ends of the shape memory members 12 , 14 on the first and second end pieces 42 a , 42 b relative to the where the shape memory members 12 , 14 interface with the engagement members 32 a , 32 b may be adjusted to , for example , provide a maximum force imparted on the engagement member 32 a , 32 b by the shape memory members 12 , 14 at a selected point in the motion cycle of the load 20 . the location of the fixed ends of the shape memory members 12 , 14 may also be selected such that a particular overall volume of space taken up by the actuator 10 may be achieved . thus , for a particular application , the actuator 10 may be configured to achieve a certain size , while in another configuration , the actuator may be configured to achieve a certain linearity , while in another configuration , a particular angular range of y 1 + y 2 degrees may be achieved . in one example , the actuator may be configured such that it occupies a volume of space defined by an imaginary cylinder created by rotating the load 20 through 360 degrees about the pivot axis aa . in such an example , the overall diameter of the actuator 10 may be determined by the load 20 size as opposed to the size of the mechanisms used to drive the load 20 . in this regard , load 20 size ( e . g ., length , width , thickness ) may be a factor in the configuration of the shape memory members 12 , 14 . returning to the embodiment of fig1 , 2 a , 3 a and 3 b , actuation of the first shape memory member 12 may be realized via the provision of energy signals to anchors 52 a and 52 b , which may be electrically interconnected to shape memory member 12 . in this regard , anchors 52 a and 52 b may serve as connector blocks facilitating electrical interconnection to shape memory member 12 . similarly , actuation of the second shape memory member 14 may be realized via the provision of energy signals to anchors 54 a and 54 b , which may be electrically interconnected to shape memory member 14 . for example , anchors 52 a , 52 b , and 54 a , 54 b may be interconnected via electrical signal lines to an electrical energy source comprising logic to provide electrical signals to anchors 52 a , 52 b and 54 a , 54 b ( and therefore to shape memory members 12 , 14 ) in offset , timed - relation , wherein such electrical signals may vary in magnitude according to a predetermined algorithm . such predetermined algorithm may be established to realize a relatively constant angular velocity of load 20 as it pivots , or rotates , about pivot axis aa in a oscillating manner . alternatively , a predetermined algorithm may be established to realize other desired motion profiles for the load 20 . indeed , by altering the algorithms used to drive shape memory members , the motion profile of any of the embodiments discussed herein may be adjusted as desired . magnets may be used under various circumstances to control the motion of the load 20 . for example , as shown in fig3 c , a magnet 62 may be positioned at or near the end of travel of the engagement member 32 a . in such a configuration , the engagement members 32 a , 32 b may be made from a magnetizable ( e . g ., ferrous ) material . alternatively , the engagement members 32 a , 32 b may be made from a non - magnetizable material and one or more magnetizable members may be fixedly interconnected to the engagement members 32 a , 32 b to enable the magnet 62 and a second magnet 60 to impart a magnetic force on the engagement members 32 a , 32 b . the magnet 62 may impart an attractive force on the engagement member 32 a , thus reducing the elastic tension necessary in the first shape memory member 12 to achieve the end of travel position shown in fig3 c . such an arrangement may also reduce the level of heating of the shape memory member 12 necessary to achieve the end of travel position . the second magnet 60 may be correspondingly positioned to have a similar effect on the load 20 at the other end of travel position . in a variation of the embodiment illustrated in fig3 c , the magnet 62 may be positioned such that it comes in direct contact with the engagement member 32 a at the end of travel position . such a configuration may serve to positively determine the position of the load 20 ( i . e ., by driving the engagement member 32 a into contact with the magnet 62 , the position of the load 20 will be known ). moreover , such a configuration may be used to provide a force capable of holding or assisting in holding the position of the load 20 at the end of travel for a predetermined length of time . in another variation , a non - ferrous spacer ( not shown ) may be fitted to the magnet 62 ( or alternatively to the engagement member 32 a ) such that the spacer serves as a hard stop to the motion of the engagement member 32 a ( thus providing a positive determination of the position of the load 20 ), but does not allow magnet 62 to come into direct contact with the engagement member 32 a . in another example of magnetic assist shown in fig3 d , a pair of like - pole magnets 66 , 70 may be positioned such that they impart a repulsive force on each other as the load 20 approaches the end of travel position shown in fig3 d . such a configuration may assist in decelerating the load 20 and may be particularly applicable to relatively high speed and / or high load mass applications that may benefit from assisted deceleration . a similarly configured pair of like - pole magnets 64 , 68 positioned to have a similar effect on the load 20 at the other end of travel position may be used . the above - described magnets may be permanent magnets and / or electromagnets . where the magnets are electromagnets , they may be actively controlled to assist in providing a desired motion profile . any other embodiment described herein may use magnets as described above to assist in the control of the motion of the loads . in embodiments utilizing magnets , the various parts that interface with the magnets may be shaped to provide particular performance characteristics . for example , the engagement members 32 a , 32 b of fig3 c may have a square cross section ( as opposed to the circular cross section shown in fig1 ) such that a flat surface is presented to the magnets 60 , 62 . in an alternative arrangement of the components of the embodiment of fig1 , the ends of the shape memory members 12 , 14 may be fixedly interconnected to the load 20 in a manner similar to how the ends of the shape memory members 12 , 14 are fixedly attached to the first and second end pieces 42 a , 42 b in fig1 . in such an embodiment , the engagement members or equivalent structure may be fixedly ( relative to the outer shell 42 c ) disposed below ( i . e ., below when in the orientation shown in fig1 ) the load 20 such that the shape memory members 12 , 14 may each have a first end fixedly interconnected to the load 20 at one end of the load 20 , a second end fixedly interconnected to the load 20 at the other end of the load 20 , and a central portion positioned partially about the fixedly disposed engagement members or equivalent structure . in an additional alternative arrangement of the components of the embodiment of fig1 , the actuator 10 may include additional shape memory members to provide redundancy in the case of a failure of one or both of the shape memory members 12 , 14 . for example , an additional shape memory member , similarly configured to shape memory member 12 , may be disposed such that it is operable to produce the same motion of the load 20 as shape memory member 12 . in this regard , the additional shape memory member may be disposed generally parallel to shape memory member 12 . in one embodiment , the additional shape memory member may be actuated in tandem with the shape memory member 12 . another shape memory member may be disposed and / or actuated relative to shape memory member 14 in a similar manner . consequently , in such an arrangement , if one or both of the shape memory members 12 , 14 were to fail , the redundant shape memory members could be employed to produce the reciprocating motion of the load 20 . fig2 b illustrates the shaft member 30 and engagement members 32 a , 32 b in the same orientation as fig2 a . in the embodiment of fig2 b , the shape memory members 12 , 14 and corresponding elastically deformable members 53 a , 53 b , 55 a , 55 b and anchors 52 a , 52 b , 54 a , 54 b of fig2 a have been replaced with helically wound shape memory members 16 , 18 and anchor members 22 , 24 . the helically wound shape memory members 16 , 18 may be operable to achieve a higher percentage of reduction in length ( e . g ., along a longitudinal axis of helically wound coils ) as compared to the non - helically wound shape memory members 12 , 14 . thus , as illustrated in fig2 b , the helically wound shape memory members 16 , 18 may be disposed generally perpendicular to the ends of the engagement members 32 a , 32 b to affect oscillating , pivotal movement of the shaft member 30 similar to that created by shape memory members 12 , 14 . moreover , the helically wound shape memory members 16 , 18 may be operable to produce such motion within a similar volume of space ( e . g ., within the enclosure 40 of fig1 ). the anchor members 22 , 24 may include elastically deformable members . moreover , additional helically wound shape memory members may be used to provide redundancy similar to as described above with reference to additional shape memory members 12 , 14 . fig4 a illustrates another embodiment of an actuator 100 comprising a first shape memory member 112 and a second shape memory member 114 that are actuatable to affect oscillating , pivotal movement of a load 120 about a pivot axis aa . pivot axis aa may be defined by a shaft member 130 that is journaled at each end and rotatable relative to an enclosure 140 . the enclosure 140 includes a first end piece 142 a , a second end piece 142 b , and an outer shell 142 c ( shown as transparent in fig4 a ). as illustrated , load 120 may be supportably mounted to the shaft member 130 for pivoting movement therewith . the first and second shape memory members 112 , 114 may each comprise a length of shape memory wire or any other appropriate shape memory form ( e . g ., a shape memory ribbon , a multiple element member such as a multiple filament wire , a coil , a helically wound strand ) and may be heated in at least partially offset , timed - relation to yield corresponding martensitic - to - austenitic phase transformations and corresponding reductions ( e . g ., shrinkage ) in the length of each wire . in turn , such alternating length reductions causes shaft member 130 to pivot , or rotate back and forth , thereby causing load 120 to pivot back and forth about pivot axis aa in an oscillating manner . as shown in fig4 a , first shape memory member 112 may be fixedly interconnected at a first end 112 a to an anchor 152 a interconnected to enclosure 140 via an elastically deformable member 156 a , and first shape memory member 112 may be fixedly interconnected at a second end 112 b to an anchor 152 b interconnected to enclosure 140 via an elastically deformable member 156 b . each of anchors 152 a and 152 b may be disposed on a common side of a vertical plane that contains both pivot axis aa and an axis bb , which , when the load 120 is in a “ home ” position ( as shown in fig4 a ), lies along a engagement member 132 that extends downwardly away from shaft member 130 in fixed relation thereto ( see fig5 a ). the second shape memory member 114 may be interconnected at a first end 114 a to an anchor 154 a interconnected to the enclosure 140 via an elastically deformable member 158 a , and second shape memory member 114 may be fixedly interconnected at a second end 114 b to an anchor 154 b interconnected to the enclosure 140 via an elastically deformable member 158 b . each of the anchors 154 a and 154 b may be disposed on a common side of the vertical plane , defined by axes a - a and b - b , opposite to the side on which anchors 152 a , 152 b are disposed . alternatively , only a single elastically deformable member ( e . g ., elastically deformable members 156 a , 158 a ) may be interconnected to each shape memory member 112 , 114 , or no elastically deformable member may be employed . as further illustrated in fig4 a , first shape memory member 112 and second shape memory member 114 are disposed to operatively interconnect with shaft member 130 via engagement with opposing sides of the engagement member 132 . more particularly , first shape memory member 112 engages a side of engagement member 132 that faces away from the side of the engagement member 132 on which anchors 152 a , 152 b are disposed . conversely , second shape memory member 114 engages a side of engagement member 132 that opposes the side of the engagement member 132 engaged by first shape memory member 112 and that faces away from the side of the engagement member 132 on which anchors 154 a , 154 b are disposed . it will be appreciated that , as shown in fig4 a , the first and second shape memory members 112 , 114 are not configured such that they interface with the engagement member 132 at the same distance away from the load 120 . thus , the first and second shape memory members 112 , 114 may not symmetrically act upon the engagement member 132 . in a variation of the actuator 100 of fig4 , the first and second shape memory members 112 , 114 may be configured such that they each interface with the engagement member 132 at a common distance from the load 120 . in such a configuration , symmetry may , for example , be achieved by symmetrically adjusting the positions of the anchors 152 a , 152 b , 154 a , 154 b such that the first and second shape memory members 112 , 114 do not interfere with each other during pivoting of the load 120 . fig4 b illustrates a modified embodiment of the actuator 100 shown in the fig4 a embodiment . in relation to the fig4 a embodiment it was noted that the first and second shape memory members 112 , 114 may comprise lengths of shape memory wire . fig4 a illustrates physically - separate first and second shape memory members 112 , 114 . in the fig4 b embodiment , the first and second shape memory members 112 ′, 114 ′ may be defined by separate segments , or lengths , of a continuous shape memory wire 113 . by way of example , the shape memory alloy wire 113 may be crimped at a first end 113 a to a crimp anchor 153 a and crimped at a second end 113 b to a crimp anchor 153 b . further , the shape memory alloy wire 113 may be crimped at crimp anchor 153 c to define a wire segment corresponding with first shape memory member 112 ′ ( i . e ., between crimp anchor 153 a and 153 c ), and crimped at crimp anchor 153 d to define the second shape memory member 114 ′ ( i . e ., between crimp anchor 153 b and 153 d ). in this arrangement , the shape memory alloy wire 113 may be electrically interconnected to a common electrical ground 155 ( e . g ., between crimp anchors 153 c and 153 d ). as illustrated , the first end 113 a of the shape memory alloy wire 113 may be electrically interconnected to a first electrical drive signal source v a , and the second end 113 b may be electrically interconnected to a second electrical drive signal source v b . the first and second electrical drive signal sources v a , v b may be alternately operated for actuation of first and second shape memory members 112 ′, 114 ′, respectively . fig4 c illustrates a modified version of the embodiment of fig4 b . as illustrated , a shape memory alloy wire 113 may be crimped at a single crimp anchor 153 c . in such arrangement , a first shape memory member 112 ″ and second shape memory member 114 ″ may define a v - shaped configuration between the first end piece 142 a and engagement member 132 . the crimp anchor 153 c may electrically interconnect to the common electrical ground 155 . the first and second shape memory members 112 , 114 of fig4 a , the first and second shape memory members 112 ′, 114 ′ of fig4 b , and the first and second shape memory members 112 ″, 114 ″ of fig4 c , may each be in the form of shape memory wire lengths . in one approach , such shape memory wire lengths may comprise physically - separate first and second wires ( e . g ., first and second shape memory members 112 , 114 ). in another approach , such shape memory wire lengths may be defined by different segments of a continuous shape memory wire ( e . g ., first and second shape memory members 112 ′, 114 ′ and first and second shape memory members 112 ″, 114 ″). reference is now made to fig5 a , 5 b and 5 c which illustrate the operative interface between the first shape memory member 112 and shaft member 130 via engagement member 132 , and between the second shape memory member 114 and shaft member 130 via engagement member 132 . in fig5 a , actuator 100 is shown in a “ home ” position , e . g ., prior to actuation with shape memory members 112 , 114 each in a martensitic state and with the load 120 disposed in a position that is substantially centered between the two extremes of the load &# 39 ; s 120 range of oscillating movement . in fig5 b , the first shape memory member 112 has been actuated , e . g ., heated , so as to cause the first shape memory member 112 to shrink in length and thereby rotate engagement member 132 , shaft member 130 and load 120 in a first direction ( e . g ., clockwise ) by z 1 degrees . as noted , first shape memory member 112 may be actuated during a first time period that is at least partially non - overlapping with a second time period during which second shape memory member 114 is actuated . in this regard , actuation of first shape memory member 112 may function to apply a tensile force to second shape memory member 114 so as to lengthen second shape memory member 114 ( e . g ., in conjunction with an austenitic - to - martensitic phase transformation after actuation ). in fig5 c , the second shape memory member 114 has been actuated ( e . g ., heated ) so as to cause the second shape memory member 114 to shrink in length and thereby rotate engagement member 132 , shaft member 130 and load 120 in a second direction ( e . g ., counterclockwise ) by z 2 degrees . in arrangements in which second shape memory member 114 is actuated in at least partially offset timed - relation to actuation of the first shape memory member 112 , the actuation of the second shape memory member 114 may function to apply a tensile force to the first shape memory member 112 so as to lengthen first shape memory member 112 ( e . g ., in conjunction with an austenitic - to - martensitic phase transformation after actuation ). fig5 aa , 5 bb and 5 cc illustrate a modified arrangement of the embodiment shown in fig4 a , in corresponding relation to the views of fig5 a , 5 b and 5 c . as illustrated , engagement member 132 is provided with apertures 132 a , 132 b for receiving first and second shape memory members 112 , 114 therethrough , respectively . fig6 illustrates another embodiment of an actuator 200 comprising a first shape memory member 212 and a second shape memory member 214 that are actuatable to affect oscillating , pivotal movement of a load 220 about a pivot axis aa . pivot axis aa may be defined by a shaft member 230 that is journaled at each end and rotatable relative to an enclosure 240 . the enclosure 240 includes a first end piece 240 a , a second end piece 240 b , and an outer shell 240 c ( all shown as transparent in fig6 ). as illustrated , load 220 may be supportably mounted to the shaft member 230 for pivoting movement therewith . the first and second shape memory members 212 , 214 may each comprise a length of shape memory wire and may be heated in at least partially offset timed - relation to yield corresponding martensitic - to - austenitic phase transformations and corresponding reductions ( e . g ., shrinkage ) in the length of each wire . in turn , such alternating length reductions cause shaft member 230 to rotate back and forth , thereby causing load 220 to pivot back and forth about pivot axis aa in an oscillating manner . as shown , first shape memory member 212 may be fixedly interconnected at a first end to an anchor 252 a interconnected to enclosure 240 via an elastically deformable member 253 a , and first shape memory member 212 may be fixedly interconnected at a second end to an anchor 252 b fixedly interconnected to a bottom surface of load 220 . similarly , second shape memory member 214 may be fixedly interconnected at a first end to an anchor 254 a interconnected to the enclosure 240 via an elastically deformable member 255 a and second shape memory member 214 may be fixedly interconnected at a second end to an anchor 254 b fixedly interconnected to the bottom surface of load 240 . alternatively , anchor 252 b may be fixedly interconnected to an elastically deformable member ( not shown ) that in turn is interconnected to the load 220 , and anchor 254 b may be fixedly interconnected to another elastically deformable member ( not shown ) that in turn is interconnected to the load 220 . in such an alternate embodiment , the elastically deformable members 253 a , 253 b are optional . anchors 252 a and 254 a may be located at opposing ends of the enclosure 240 and on opposite sides of a plane that includes the pivot axis aa and is perpendicular to the plane of the load 220 when the load is in a “ home ” position , e . g ., prior to actuation with shape memory members 212 , 214 . further , anchors 252 b and 254 b may be disposed at offset locations relative to the plane when the load is in a “ home ” position . in an embodiment , anchor 252 a and anchor 252 b may be disposed on opposite side of the plane when the load is in a “ home ” position , and anchor 254 a and anchor 254 b may be disposed on opposite sides of the plane when the load is in a “ home ” position . in this regard , when the load is in the “ home ” position each of the shape memory members 212 , 214 may cross the plane as they extend from their respective anchors 252 a , 254 a on the enclosure 240 to their respective anchors 252 b , 254 b on the load 220 . in fig6 , first shape memory member 212 has been actuated so as to cause shaft member 230 to rotate and load 220 to pivot in a clockwise direction ( as viewed from the right side of the actuator 200 as shown in fig6 ). as may be appreciated , upon actuation of the second shape memory member 214 and deactuation of first shape memory member 212 the shaft member 230 may be rotated and load 220 may be pivoted by the second shape memory member 214 in a counterclockwise direction . fig7 illustrates an actuator 300 , similar to that shown in the embodiment of fig1 , configured for use in an imaging catheter application . more particularly , fig7 illustrates actuator 300 comprising a first shape memory member 312 and a second shape memory member 314 that are actuatable to effect oscillating , pivotal movement of a load 320 about a pivot axis aa . the pivot axis aa is shown in fig7 to coincide with a central longitudinal axis of the actuator 300 . alternatively , in an embodiment , the pivot axis aa may be offset from the central longitudinal axis of the actuator 300 . the load 320 comprises three portions , a first end block 320 a , a second end block 320 b , and an active block 320 c fixedly interconnected to and disposed between the end blocks 320 a , 320 b . the active block 320 c may be in the form of an ultrasound transducer array . pivot axis aa may be defined by collinear shaft members 330 a , 330 b which are journaled and rotatable relative to an enclosure 340 . in turn , load 320 may be supportably mounted to the shaft members 330 a , 330 b for pivoting movement therewith . the enclosure 340 includes a first end piece 342 a , a second end piece 342 b , and an outer shell 342 c ( shown as transparent in fig7 ). the enclosure 340 further includes an end cap 340 d , which may be rounded to facilitate movement through a body . the first end piece 342 a and the second end piece 342 b , and therefore the pivot axis aa may be fixed relative to the enclosure 340 . where the active block 320 c is an ultrasound transducer array , the ultrasound transducer array may be operable to transmit acoustic signals that may be used to generate an image of a two - dimensional plane extending from a length dimension of the ultrasound transducer array . by affecting oscillating motion of the ultrasound transducer array using the shape memory members 312 , 314 , the two - dimensional imaging plane of the ultrasound transducer array may be swept through a three - dimensional volume thus enabling creation of three dimensional images . such three dimensional images may be real - time ( 4d ). the first and second shape memory members 312 , 314 may be configured similarly to the first and second shape memory members 12 , 14 of fig1 . as will be appreciated , alternating length reductions of the first and second shape memory members 312 , 314 causes the load 320 to pivot back and forth about pivot axis aa in an oscillating manner . the first shape memory member 312 may be fixedly interconnected at a first end to an anchor 352 a . the anchor 352 a may be interconnected to an elastically deformable member 353 a , which in turn is interconnected to first end piece 342 a . first shape memory member 312 may be fixedly interconnected at a second end to an anchor 352 b . likewise , the anchor 352 b may be interconnected to an elastically deformable member 353 b , which in turn is interconnected to second end piece 342 b . thus , first shape memory member 312 may be configured similarly to first shape memory member 12 of fig1 . in a similar fashion , second shape memory member 314 may be configured similarly to second shape memory member 14 of fig1 . the first shape memory member 312 may be operatively interconnected to load 320 via a cross shaft 332 . the cross shaft 332 may in turn be fixedly interconnected to a cross shaft bracket 333 that may be fixedly interconnected to the load 320 . the cross shaft 332 may be disposed in an orientation and position similar to that of the engagement members 32 a , 32 b of fig1 . the first and second shape memory members 312 , 314 may be disposed along the cross shaft 330 in a manner similar to how first and second shape memory members 12 , 14 of fig1 interface with engagement members 32 a , 32 b . in this regard , oscillating movement of load 320 via actuation of the first and second shape memory members 312 , 314 may be achieved in a manner similar to that as described with respect to fig1 . an electrical interconnection member 360 may be electrically interconnected to the active block 320 c . for example , the electrical interconnection member 360 may be a multiple conductor member that provides electrical interconnections to the active block 320 c . the electrical interconnection member 360 may be routed through second end piece 342 b , between the cross shaft 332 and the active block 320 c , to the end of the active block 320 c proximate to the first end piece 342 a . in this regard , the portion of the electrical interconnection member 360 disposed between the second end piece 342 b and the cross shaft 332 may be operable to flex while maintaining an electrical connection to the active block 320 c . by way of example , the electrical interconnection member 360 may comprise flexboard ( a flexible / bendable electrical member or plurality of members ). in an embodiment , the flexboard may be disposed in a service loop or clockspring arrangement . such a clockspring arrangement may be disposed within the actuator 300 . for example , the end member 362 may house the clockspring arrangement . an end member 362 may be interconnected to the actuator 300 at an end opposite from the end cap 340 d . the end member 362 may provide a structure that is capable of interfacing with external components , such as components of a catheter body , to enable the actuator 300 to be interconnected to other structures , such as a catheter body . the end member 362 may also serve to seal the actuator 300 such that an enclosed volume is defined by the end member 362 , the end cap 340 d and the outer shell 342 c . the actuator 300 may be interconnected to a distal end of a catheter body such that the actuator 300 is fixed relative to the distal end of the catheter body . in another arrangement , actuator 300 may be interconnected to a distal end of a catheter body such that the actuator is rotatably positionable relative to the distal end of the catheter body . for example , the actuator 300 may be interconnected to a drive member that extends along the length of the catheter body from a distal end to a proximal end thereof , wherein rotation of a proximal end of the drive member causes actuator 300 to rotate ( e . g ., rotate about an axis corresponding with a longitudinal or central axis of the catheter body at the distal end thereof ). alternatively , and as illustrated in fig7 , the actuator 300 may be interconnected to a hinge 370 . the hinge 370 , in turn , may be interconnected to a distal end of a catheter body such that a portion of the hinge 370 is fixed relative to the distal end of the catheter body . the hinge 370 may include a catheter interface portion 372 operable to interconnect to a catheter body , an actuator interface portion operable to interconnect to the actuator 300 , and a bendable portion 376 operable to allow relative angular movement between the actuator interface portion 374 and the bendable portion 376 , thus allowing relative angular movement between the actuator 300 and a distal end of a catheter body . in this regard , the actuator 300 may be selectively positionable across a range of angles relative to a catheter body ( e . g ., relative to a longitudinal or central axis of a catheter body at a distal end thereof ). as noted , the end member 362 may also serve to seal the actuator 300 or alternatively and as shown in fig7 , the end member 362 and the actuator interface portion may serve together to seal the actuator 300 . the catheter interface portion 372 may include a central lumen 378 that may align with a lumen in a catheter . where the active block 320 c is in the form of an ultrasonic transducer array , the ultrasonic transducer array may include an acoustic coupling medium attached to an active face of the ultrasonic transducer array . the acoustic coupling medium may comprise a hydrogel capable of absorbing liquid . by way of example , such acoustic coupling medium may be provided for acoustic coupling to the active face of the ultrasonic transducer array . the enclosures 40 ( fig1 ), 140 ( fig4 ), 240 ( fig6 ) and 340 ( fig7 ) may define enclosed volumes . the enclosed volumes may contain a fluid therein . the fluid may be a liquid . in this regard , the loads and the first and second shape memory members may be immersed within the fluid within the enclosed volume . with respect to actuator 300 of fig7 , where the active block 320 c is in the form of an ultrasonic transducer array , the fluid may serve to acoustically couple the ultrasound transducer array to the outer shell 342 c . in this regard , the material of the outer shell 342 c may be selected to correspond to ( e . g ., closely match ) the acoustic impedance and / or the acoustic velocity of the fluid of the body of the patient in the region where the actuator 300 is to be disposed during imaging . one or more ports and / or valves may be provided to facilitate the placement of fluid within the actuators . where the fluid is a liquid , multiple ports and or valves may be used to further facilitate the removal of bubbles from the enclosed volumes . alternatively , the actuators may not include an enclosed volume as described above , and the interior of the actuators may be open to the surrounding environment . for example , the enclosure 340 of the actuator 300 may include holes or open portions ( not shown ) that would allow fluid to pass between the interior of the actuator 300 and the surrounding environment . in this regard , fluid from the body of the patient in the region where the actuator 300 is to be disposed during imaging ( e . g ., blood where imaging the heart ) may be allowed to flow into the interior of the actuator 300 . in another alternative , a portion of the actuators may be disposed within an enclosed volume , while at least portion of the load is open to the surrounding environment . for example , the load 320 of the actuator 300 may be sealably interconnected about a periphery of the load 320 to the enclosure 340 ( e . g ., by a flexible bellows ), wherein a sealed lower portion and an upper portion may be defined . the lower portion may include a fluid and shape memory members 212 , 214 . the upper portion of the enclosure 340 may include holes , wherein a face of the active block 320 c ( e . g ., an ultrasound transducer array ) may be exposed to the surrounding environment ( e . g ., blood in heart imaging applications ). the shape memory members described herein may include one or more layers of material wrapped about a core that includes a shape memory wire . such layers may act as thermal insulation layers , electrical insulation layers , or a combination of thermal and electrical insulation layers . for example , shape memory members 312 , 314 may include an inner core comprising a shape memory wire and thermal insulation layer of ptfe . other exemplary materials that may be used to insulate include eptfe , and high strength toughened fluoropolymer ( hstf ). some thermal insulation layers may be microporous . microporous thermal insulation layers entrap air that desirably contributes to an increase in thermal resistance . however , some microporous thermal insulation materials may wet out with blood and other body fluids , which may generally reduce their thermal resistance . hydrophobic materials may be used in the microporous thermal insulation layers to reduce and / or prevent such wetting . hydrophobic materials such as fluoropolymers may serve this purpose . alternatively , non - hydrophobic materials may be treated with a hydrophobic and / or oleophobic treatment to render them suitable for this purpose . preferred thermal insulation materials may have a surface energy less than 50 dyn / cm 2 . others may have a surface energy less than 40 dyn / cm 2 . still others may have a surface energy less than about 30 dyn / cm 2 . the thermal insulation layer may serve to insulate the shape memory wire such that the rate of dissipation of heat from the shape memory wire may be advantageously selected . for example , by selecting a predetermined thickness of thermal insulation layer to achieve a predetermined level of insulation , the heat flow from the shape memory wire to the surrounding environment ( e . g ., fluid ) while the shape memory wire is being heated may be advantageously controlled to achieve a desired response time and / or level of heat transfer . that is , by adding insulation to the shape memory wire , the amount of heat lost to the surrounding environment during the heating of the shape memory wire may be reduced ( relative to a configuration without insulation ) thus reducing the time and / or power needed to heat the shape memory wire to produce a desired length change . moreover , by reducing the power needed to produce the desired length change , the overall heat transfer to the surrounding environment may be reduced ( again , relative to a configuration without insulation ). in applications such as catheters , such reduction of power and associated reduction of heat transferred to the surrounding environment ( e . g ., the body of a patient ) may enable the catheter to remain within an acceptable temperature range ( e . g ., below a certain regulated threshold that may be mandated by , for example , the u . s . food and drug administration and / or international electrotechnical commission international standard iec60601 ) during operation of the actuator 300 . in an exemplary embodiment , the thermal insulation layer may have a thermal conductance of between about 0 . 03 w / mk and 0 . 20 w / mk when measured at about 25 ° c . in another exemplary embodiment , the thermal insulation layer may have a thermal conductance of between about 0 . 05 w / mk and 0 . 08 w / mk when measured at about 25 ° c . the thermal and / or electrical insulation layers discussed above may provide acceptable withstand voltage and / or hydrophobicity , or the shape memory members described herein may include an additional layer of material disposed outside of the thermal insulation layer to provide the desired characteristics . the additional layer may , for example , add to the withstand voltage of the shape memory members such that they have an overall dielectric withstand voltage of at least about 500 kv / m . the additional layers may , for example , comprise a hydrophobic material . such additional layers of hydrophobic material may have a surface energy of less than about 50 dyn / cm 2 . others may have a surface energy less than 40 dyn / cm 2 . still others may have a surface energy less than about 30 dyn / cm 2 . the hydrophobic material may , for example , include eptfe . hydrophobic materials may be beneficial as the additional layer in that they may act as a barrier layer to allow underlying layers to remain relatively free of liquid and thus maintain their insulative properties . where the hydrophobic materials are used as the only layer , their use may be beneficial in that they do not absorb liquid to a degree that their thermal conductivity is significantly altered . other materials that provide the same benefits ( e . g ., capable as acting as a barrier and / or capable of retaining insulative properties while immersed in liquid ) as such hydrophobic materials may be utilized . the thermal and / or electrical insulation layers may also provide a lubricious and / or low friction interface to facilitate smooth motion over and / or around other components in the actuator during motion . with respect to the above - described layers disposed about the shape memory members , a first step in determining the configuration of the layers may be to select a desired time constant for the system and then select the specific materials to achieve that time constant . for example , a time constant may be selected such that the cooling of the shape memory members is as slow as possible while still meeting desired load pivoting rates . thus power dissipation could be minimized . similarly , a particular power dissipation may be selected to allow for a particular application , then a corresponding time constant may be selected to provide for a maximum load pivoting rate for a particular application based on allowed power dissipation . the use of shape memory members to produce oscillating motion of a load as illustrated in fig1 through 7 may be beneficial in that such systems may be relatively small . for example , the actuator 300 may include an ultrasound transducer array ( e . g ., active block 320 c ) that may be pivoted in an oscillating manner to generate real - time 3d images ( 4d images ) while having an outer diameter of 12 fr or less ( e . g ., 10 fr ). the shape memory wire used in the shape memory members may be about 1 mil in diameter . in the embodiment of fig7 , the moment arms i 1 and i 2 may be about 1 . 0 mm . the actuators described herein may further include an encoder and / or position detector ( e . g ., to detect a load at an end of travel and / or at the “ home ” position ) capable of providing feedback as to the position of the load being actuated . such encoders and / or position detectors may allow servo control systems to control the position of the load being actuated . the actuators described herein may be capable of producing oscillating movement of the loads up to and exceeding 50 hz . for example , the actuators may be employed to produce oscillating movement of the loads in the 1 - 50 hz or 8 - 30 hz ranges . such movement may be steady state to , for example , move the load , in the form of an ultrasound transducer , to facilitate 4d images . the actuators described herein may also be employed to move the loads relatively quickly ( e . g ., at the 50 hz rate ) to facilitate the capture of a 3d image during a single pivoting of the ultrasound transducer in a single direction . an image captured during such a single pivoting may provide a sharper “ snapshot ” of a volume of interest than would an image captured during relatively slower load movement . such “ snapshots ” may be beneficial in imaging moving subjects , such as portions of a heart . fig8 and 9 illustrate a distal end of a catheter assembly 400 that includes an elongate catheter body 402 that is connected by the hinge 370 to the actuator 300 . fig8 illustrates the actuator 300 that is a distal end portion of the catheter assembly 400 in a position where it is aligned with the distal end of the catheter body 402 . fig9 illustrates the actuator 300 in a position where it is deployed at about a + 90 degree , forward - facing angle with respect to the end of the catheter body 402 . for explanatory purposes only , an angular value ( e . g ., the + 90 degree angle of displacement shown in fig9 ) may be used herein to describe the amount of angulation of the actuator 300 with respect to a central axis of the catheter body 402 away from a position where the actuator 300 and catheter body 402 are aligned . a positive value will be used to describe an angulation where the actuator 300 is moved such that it is at least partially forward - facing ( e . g ., the active block 320 c in the “ home ” position is facing forward ), and a negative value will generally be used to describe an angulation where the actuator 300 is moved such that it is at least partially rearward - facing . to reposition the actuator 300 from the position of fig8 to the position of fig9 , an inner tube 404 of the catheter body 402 may be advanced relative to an outer tube 406 of the catheter body 402 . by virtue of the actuator 300 being tethered to the outer tube 406 by a tether 408 , the advancement may cause the actuator 300 to be angled in a positive direction . the tether 408 may be anchored to the actuator 300 on one end and to the outer tube 406 on the other end . the tether 408 may be operable to prevent the tether anchor points from moving a distance away from each other greater than the length of the tether 408 . in this regard , through the tether 408 , the actuator 300 may be restrainably interconnected to the outer tube 406 . similarly , where the tether 408 has adequate stiffness , retraction of the inner tube 404 relative to the outer tube 406 from the position shown in fig8 may cause the actuator 300 to be angled in a negative direction . the inner tube 404 may include a lumen therethrough . the tether 408 may be a discrete device whose primary function is to control the angular repositioning of the actuator 300 . in another embodiment , the tether 408 may be a flexboard or other multiple conductor component that , in addition to providing the tethering function , electrically interconnects components within the actuator 300 with components within the catheter body 402 or elsewhere . in another embodiment , the tether 408 may be a wire or wires used to electrically interconnect one or more components ( e . g ., shape memory members 312 , 314 ) within the actuator 300 to componentry external to the actuator 300 . fig8 and 9 illustrate a configuration where the hinge 370 is a living hinge . a live or living hinge is a compliant hinge ( flexure bearing ) made from a flexible or compliant material , such as polymer . generally , a living hinge joins two parts together , allowing them to pivot relative to each other along a bend line of the hinge . living hinges are typically manufactured by injection molding . polyethylenes , polypropylenes , polyurethanes , or polyether block amides such as pebax ® are possible polymers for living hinges , due to their fatigue resistance . an application of the actuator 300 of fig7 through 9 , where the active block 320 c is in the form of an ultrasound transducer array , will now be described with reference to fig1 through 14 . fig1 illustrates an ultrasound imaging system 500 suitable for real - time three dimensional ( 4d ) imaging with a handle 501 and catheter 400 . the catheter 400 includes the catheter body 402 interconnected to the actuator 300 via the hinge 370 . the catheter body 402 may be flexible and capable of bending to follow the contours of a body vessel into which it is being inserted or track over a guidewire or through a sheath . the catheter body 402 may be steerable . the ultrasound imaging system 500 may further include a controller 505 and an ultrasound console 506 . the controller 505 may be operable to control the actuation of the shape memory members 312 , 314 and thus the angular position of the ultrasound transducer array ( i . e ., active block 320 c ). the ultrasound console 506 may include an image processor , operable to process signals from the ultrasound transducer array , and a display device , such as a monitor . the various functions described with reference to the controller 505 and ultrasound console 506 may be performed by a single component or by any appropriate number of discrete components . the handle 501 may be disposed at a proximal end 511 of the catheter 400 . the user ( e . g ., clinician , technician , interventionalist ) of the catheter 400 may control the steering of the catheter body 402 , the angular repositioning of the actuator 300 , and various other functions of the catheter 400 . in this regard , the handle 501 includes two sliders 507 a , 507 b for steering the catheter body 402 . these sliders 507 a , 507 b may be interconnected to control wires such that when the sliders 507 a , 507 b are moved relative to each other , a portion of the catheter body 402 may be curved in a controlled manner . any other appropriate method of controlling control wires within the catheter body 402 may be utilized . for example , the sliders could be replaced with alternative means of control such as turnable knobs or buttons . any appropriate number of control wires within the catheter body 402 may be utilized . the handle 501 may further include an angular position controller 508 . the angular position controller 508 may be used to control the angular position of the actuator 300 relative to a distal end 512 of the catheter body 402 . the illustrated angular position controller 508 is in the form of a rotatable wheel , where a rotation of the angular position controller 508 will produce a corresponding angular position of the actuator 300 . other configurations of the angular position controller 508 are contemplated , including , for example , a slider similar to slider 507 a . the handle 501 may further include an actuator activation button 509 . the actuator activation button 509 may be used to activate and / or deactivate the oscillating motion of the ultrasound transducer array within the actuator 300 . the handle 501 may further include a port 510 in embodiments of the ultrasound imaging system 500 that include a lumen within the catheter body 402 . the port 510 is in communication with the lumen such that the lumen may be used for conveyance of a device and / or material . in use , the user may hold the handle 501 and manipulate one or both sliders 507 a , 507 b to steer the catheter body 402 as the catheter 400 is moved to a desired anatomical position . the handle 501 and sliders 507 a , 507 b may be configured such that the position of the sliders 507 a , 507 b relative to the handle 501 may be maintained , thereby maintaining or “ locking ” the selected position of the catheter body 402 . the angular position controller 508 may then be used to angularly reposition the actuator 300 to a desired position . the handle 501 and angular position controller 508 may be configured such that the position of the angular position controller 508 relative to the handle 501 may be maintained , thereby maintaining or “ locking ” the selected angular position of the actuator 300 . in this regard , the actuator 300 may be selectively angularly repositionable , and the catheter body 402 may be selectively steered , independently . also , the angular position of the actuator 300 may be selectively locked , and the shape of the catheter body 402 may be selectively locked , independently . such maintenance of position may at least partially be achieved by , for example , friction , detents , and / or any other appropriate means . the controls for the steering , angular repositioning , and motor may all be independently operated and controlled by the user . the ultrasound imaging system 500 may be used to capture images of a three dimensional imaging volume 514 and / or capture 3d images in real - time ( 4d ). the actuator 300 may be positioned by steering the catheter body 402 , angularly repositioning the actuator 300 , or by a combination of steering the catheter body 402 and angularly repositioning the actuator 300 . moreover , in embodiments with a lumen , the ultrasound imaging system 500 may further be used , for example , to deliver devices and / or materials to a selected region or selected regions within a patient . the catheter body 402 may have at least one electrically conductive wire that exits the catheter proximal end 511 through a port or other opening in the catheter body 402 and is electrically connected to a transducer driver and image processor ( e . g ., within the ultrasound console 506 ). furthermore , in embodiments with a lumen , the user may insert an interventional device ( e . g ., a diagnostic device and / or therapeutic device ) or material , or retrieve a device and / or material through the port 510 . the user may then feed the interventional device through the catheter body 402 to move the interventional device to the distal end 512 of the catheter body 402 . electrical interconnections between the ultrasound console 506 and the actuator 300 may be routed through an electronics port 513 and through the catheter body 402 . one difficulty associated with the use of conventional ice catheters is the need to steer the catheter to multiple points within the heart in order to capture the various imaging planes needed during the procedure . catheter 400 , incorporating the angularly repositionable actuator 300 with its oscillatingly pivotable ultrasound transducer array 320 c therein , alleviates such difficulties associated with the use of conventional ice catheters . fig1 shows placement of the catheter 400 for intracardiac echocardiography within the right atrium 602 of the heart 604 . fig1 shows placement of the catheter 400 within the right atrium 602 of the heart 604 after the catheter 400 has been repositioned ( through steering of the catheter 400 ) to place the actuator 300 disposed at a distal end of the catheter 400 at a desired position . the clinician may establish and then set the catheter 400 position within the heart 604 by locking the catheter 400 position ( locking mechanism on handle not shown ). in this regard , once set , the catheter 400 position may remain substantially unchanged while the actuator 300 is angularly repositioned . with the actuator 300 positioned as illustrated in fig1 , a volumetric image may be generated from a three dimensional volume 606 of a first portion of the heart 604 . the clinician may then manipulate the actuator 300 orientation in order to capture the range of imaging volumes required . for example , fig1 shows the actuator 300 angularly repositioned to a second position to capture a volumetric image of a three dimensional volume 608 of a second portion of the heart 604 . fig1 shows the actuator 300 angularly repositioned to a third position to capture a volumetric image of a three dimensional volume 610 of a third portion of the heart 604 . embodiments of actuator 300 described herein may be operable to achieve such positions and more within the right atrium 602 of the heart 604 that may have an intracardiac volume with cross dimension of about 3 cm . volumetric images of such three dimensional volumes 606 , 608 , and 610 are obtainable by angularly repositioning the actuator 300 and operation of the actuator 300 to effectuate oscillating pivoting of the ultrasound transducer array while the distal end of the catheter 400 remains in the position as shown in fig1 . clinical procedures that may be performed with embodiments disclosed herein include without limitation septal puncture , septal occluder deployment , ablation , mitral valve intervention and left atrial appendage occlusion . a method for right atrial imaging utilizing embodiments may include advancing the catheter body 400 to the right atrium , steering the distal end 512 of the catheter body 400 to a desired position , operating the actuator 300 to effectuate movement of the ultrasound transducer array disposed therein , and while maintaining the fixed catheter body 400 position , angularly reposition the actuator 300 comprising the ultrasound transducer array about the hinge 370 to capture at least one image over at least one viewing plane . fig1 a is a graph 700 of a drive signal 702 used to drive shape memory members , such as shape memory members 312 , 314 of actuator 300 , to produce oscillating movement of a load such as load 320 . the horizontal axis represents time and , for the drive signal 702 , the vertical axis represents applied voltage . for example , a first drive signal portion 706 may drive shape memory member 312 and a second drive signal portion 708 may drive shape memory member 314 . the corresponding position 704 of the load 320 is shown in the top half of the graph 700 . for the position 704 , the vertical axis represents angular position of the load 320 . in the drive scheme illustrated by fig1 a , each shape memory member 312 , 314 is sequentially driven in a non - overlapping fashion , i . e ., substantially only one of the shape memory members 312 , 314 is driven at a particular point in time and one of the shape memory members 312 , 314 is substantially always being driven . this produces the motion pattern shown in the graph of the position 704 of the load 320 where the load 320 is substantially always being actively driven to one or the other of the ends points of its oscillating motion . in actuator 300 , when one of the shape memory members 312 , 314 ( the hot member ) has been actuated such that it is at its substantially minimum operational length , the other shape memory member 312 , 314 ( the cool member ) will be relatively cool and may contain a certain amount of elastic tension ( e . g ., spring load ) due to elastic stretching . this does not unduly stress the hot member since it is a relatively small elastic tension . when the electrical current used to heat the hot member is removed , the cool member may reverse the direction of the load 320 due to the stored elastic energy within the cool member . thus , it may not be necessary to always be driving one of the shape memory members 312 , 314 . such a driving scheme 722 is illustrated in the graph 720 of fig1 b . in fig1 b , as in fig1 a , the horizontal axis represents time and , for the drive signal 722 , the vertical axis represents applied voltage and for the position 724 , the vertical axis represents angular position of the load 320 . as shown , a time interval 730 between pulses 726 , 728 may be incorporated . during the time interval , motion of the load 320 may be generated by the stored elastic energy to produce a motion profile 724 that is very similar to the profile 704 of fig1 a . such a use of “ rebound ” ( e . g ., the expenditure of the stored elastic energy ) may reduce overall power consumption of the actuator 300 as compared to the drive signal 702 of fig1 a . the elastically deformable members may also contribute to the rebound . in an embodiment , the cool member may be heated such that it reaches its austenitic start temperature at the same time that the hot member cools to its martensitic start temperature . this procedure helps to prevent or limit the members from working directly against each other , which could cause excessive elastic tension and increase the risk of failure or reduced life of , in particular , the shape memory members . in this regard , the insulation level may be selected to produce the desired cooling rate that enables such balancing . where the balancing is precisely controlled , the elastically deformable members may not be necessary . the shape memory members 312 , 314 may be configured such that prior to the application of energy to either shape memory members 312 , 314 , when they are both in a cooled ( e . g ., room temperature ) state , the shape memory members 312 , 314 may each be in elastic tension . this may enable the shape memory members 312 , 314 to remain in contact with the cross shaft 332 prior to the application of energy to one of the shape memory members 312 , 314 . furthermore , during operation , the shape memory members 312 , 314 may be controlled such that each shape memory members 312 , 314 is substantially always in some degree of elastic tension . the drive signals used to drive the shape memory members 312 , 314 may be capable of operating at relatively low voltages , such as , for example , voltages less than 35 v dc . such low operating voltages may be beneficial in that they are within acceptable limits for devices to be inserted in patients . the actuator 300 may be operable to be driven at a frequency of 1 cycle per second or greater while meeting regulatory and / or other requirements for voltage levels and temperature ( e . g ., remaining below a maximum temperature while disposed within a patient ). an actuator with first and second shape memory members capable of pivoting a load was constructed . the overall dimensions of the actuator were approximately 14 mm long with a diameter of 3 mm . the outer shell was made of stainless steel tubing and the end pieces were each made from alumina ceramic . the load was a piezoceramic 64 element ultrasound transducer array with a composite acoustic backing . the end pieces were center bored and defined the pivot axis for the load . the actuator was operated with a total angular range for the load of 44 ° (± 22 ° from the home position ) and had a maximum total angular range of 60 °. the first and second shape memory members were in the form of 0 . 0015 ″ diameter nitinol wire . the drive signal comprised a 10 hz square wave of approximately 4 . 8 v dc . the actuator produced 10 hz oscillating load movement producing a bidirectional scan rate for the ultrasound transducer array of 20 hz . the 10 hz oscillating load movement was limited by the hardware producing the 10 hz square wave . in another exemplary dual shape memory member actuator , first and second shape memory members were in the form of 0 . 0015 ″ diameter nitinol wire with parylene coating ; immersed in water . the drive signal comprised a 6 hz wave of approximately 4 . 5 v dc . the actuator produced 6 hz oscillating load movement through an angular range of 50 ° (± 25 ° from the home position ) through 50 , 000 continuous , full sweeps . in another exemplary dual shape memory member actuator , a linearity of motion of a load of 10 % was achieved using a triangular waveform and insulation on the first and second shape memory members . the insulation was 7 micron thick hstf eptfe polymer , and the actuator was run at 2 . 5 hz at 1000 × actual volume . the foregoing description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description . furthermore , the description is not intended to limit the invention to the form disclosed herein . consequently , variations and modifications commensurate with the above teachings , and skill and knowledge of the relevant art , are within the scope of the present invention . the embodiments described hereinabove are further intended to explain known modes of practicing the invention and to enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention in such or other embodiments and with various modifications required by the particular application ( s ) or use ( s ) of the present invention . it is intended that the appended claims be construed to include alternative embodiments to the extent permitted by the prior art . | 0 |
hereinafter , a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings . an elongated frame 29 is fitted along a slope surface which has a predetermined angle of inclination and connects pullies 6 disposed at an upper floor and a lower floor of a building , and guide rails 30 of a platform 2 for guide rollers are disposed inside the frame 29 . the platform 2 has platform guiderollers 3a , 3b guided by the guide rails 30 and a platform gate 4 on a step surface , and a counter - weight 5 is disposed inside the guide rails 30 for the guide rollers of the platform 2 . the counter - weight 5 is equipped with guide rollers 18a , 18b guided by guide rails 31 for the guide rollers . the platform 2 and the counter - weight 5 are connected to each other by divided plain belts 1a , 1b through the pullies 6 , 6 , disposed at the upper and lower end of the frame 29 at the front and back of the platform 2 and the counter weight 5 . ascension , descension and stop of the platform 2 are secured by a primary side stator 25b of a linear motor 35 fixed inside the frame 29 , a secondary side moving element 25a fixed to the counter - weight 5 and corresponding to the stator 25b and a brake device 27 fitted to a pulley shaft . in the drawings , reference numeral 61 represents a slide surface 16 at the tip surface of the plain belt 1b supported by the protuberances that are disposed on both side surfaces of the counter - weight 5 and reference numeral 60 represents a belt tension regulation spring of the plain belt 1b as a plain belt stretch device . the elevation speed of the platform 2 is regulated by operating a variable speed motor 26 equipped with a reduction gear which motor is interconnected to the pulley shaft in accordance with the changes of the conditions such as the transportation load of the platform 2 , the strength of the building , allowable electric power , allowable noise limit , and so forth . the guide rails 31 for the guide rollers of the counter - weight 5 are disposed on both sides inside the frame 29 for guiding the platform 2 and the counter weight 5 along the slope surface between the upper and lower floors of the building as described above , and the guide rails 30 for the guide rollers of the platform 2 are disposed outside the guide rails 31 on the same plane as that of the former . as shown in fig6 and 7 , the plain belts 1a , 1b , as the connecting member of the platform 2 and the counter - weight 5 have teeth 16 having the shape that meshes with the teeth 17 of the pullies 6 when the plain belts are wound into the pullies 6 . each plain belt 1a , 1b , is formed by using a buried wire rope 15 as a buried core material for the teeth 16 and other portions and a flexible decorative sheet on the opposite side to the surface having the teeth 16 , beside a cloth - like reinforcing material . fig1 shows the support structure of the plain belts 1a , 1b on the upper surface of the frame 29 and both sides of the roller 20 buried into a cover plate are supported by falls 21 . fig1 and 14 show an opening / closing device of the platform gate 4 . when the step surface of the platform 2 is at the floor surface of the lower floor and is stationary , a current collector 44 of the platform 2 comes into contact with a power feed member 43 of a pit inner frame and the motor 52 equipped with a reduction gear with a wire operation clutch for opening / closing the platform gate 4 operates . when the platform gate 4 must be opened in case of emergency , the window of the step surface is opened and a clutch wire 53 connected to a clutch is pulled . the opening / closing control of the platform gate 4 is made by a limit switch 51 operated by an arm 50 at the lower end of a gate shaft . reference numeral 62 represents a gear that rotates in the interlocking arrangement with the motor 52 equipped with a reduction gear with a clutch described above . a sprocket wheel 63 meshes with this gear 62 . reference numeral 64 represents a roller chain , which transmits the rotation of the sprocket wheel 63 on another sprocket wheel 63 of the gate shaft . on the other hand , connection between the platform 2 and the plain belts 1a , 1b is made at the front and back of the platform 2 in its travelling direction . as shown in fig8 the platform 2 is fixed by lashing metals 22 ( fig2 ) in a horizontal direction parallel to the step surface of the platform 2 on the upper floor side , in a vertical direction parallel to the vertical plane of the platform 2 on the lower floor side and at the portions coming into contact with the upper surface of the plain belts 1a , 1b whereby the lashing metals 22 have a plurality cylindrical section orthogonal to the travelling direction . at the portions coming into contact with the lower surface of the plain belts 1a , 1b , on the other hand , the platform 2 is fixed by lashing metals 23 having a shape which comes into close contact with the plain belts 1a , 1b . furthermore , each buried wire rope 15 is exposed from the end of each plain belt 1a , 1b and is fixed to the platform 2 . the counter - weight 5 has guide rollers 18a , 18b and incorporates therein the belt tension regulation spring 60 for the plain belts 1a , 1b as the plain belt tension device . connection between the counter - weight 5 and the plain belts 1a , 1b is made by the lashing metal 23 ( fig2 ) having the shape coming into close contact with the plain belts 1a , 1b , on the upper surface of the plain belts 1a , 1b . furthermore , the buried wire rope 15 is exposed from each plain belt 1a , 1b and is fixed to the counter - weight 5 . the platform 2 is equipped with the guide rollers 3a , 3b , the platform gate 4 , a cover 12 , a handrail 10 , an electromagnetic transmitter 28a for remote control using a battery as a power source and push buttons 11a , 11b , 11c for the ascension , descension and emergency stop of the platform 2 . the apparatus of the present invention is equipped with a control system which reads the optical symbols written in the travelling direction of the plain belts 1a , 1b during the ascension and descension of the platform 2 and controls the elevation speed , the safety speed and the operation of the slide plate 7 of the lower floor pit . in this case , tapes 14 which have flexibility and to the surface of which the optical symbols can be written are disposed inside the plain belts 1a , 1b . the elevation speed levels corresponding to a preset position of the platform 2 and to the position of the platform 2 at the time of non - load are written continuously by symbols in the full length of the platform 2 from the lower floor to the upper floor . the tapes 14 are bonded at positions where reader 13 of the apparatus and the positions of the platform 2 correspond to one another , along the line of the reader 13 . similarly , the tapes 14 corresponding to the elevation of the platform 2 at the time of the mean load , its descension at the time of the non - load and its descension at the time of the mean load are bonded to the line of each reader 13 . furthermore , the tape for the symbol disposed equidistantly for speed detection and the tape for controlling the forward and backward speeds of the slide plate 7 are bonded along the line of each reader . fig1 , 16 and 17 show an apparatus for the forward and backward movement of the slide plate 7 . a spring equipped with a roller at its tip is pushed to the center portion of the vertical plane of the platform 2 by an electromagnetic solenoid 37 and the slide plate 7 is moved back and forth by a linear motor 35 for the forward and backward movement of the slide plate in accordance with the tape for controlling this apparatus . when the platform 2 elevates from the lower floor , the slide plate 7 advances and follows up the platform 2 in synchronism with the rise of the platform 2 without defining the gap between the rear vertical plane of the platform 2 and the floor surface of the lower floor , and when the lower end of the rear vertical plane of the platform 2 leaves the lower floor pit , the slide plate 7 covers the entire surface of the pit . when the lower end of the rear back surface of the platform 2 comes into contact with the slide plate 7 at the time of descension of the platform 2 , the slide plate 7 moves back in synchronism with the descension of the platform 2 . next , the mode of use of the elevation apparatus in accordance with the present invention will be described . optical or pressure type proximity sensors for man are disposed in front of the slide plate 7 of the lower floor and in front of the upper floor gate 40 and a controller by a selector switch for selecting stand - by of the platform 2 at the lower floor or at the upper floor is disposed in the proximity of the sensors . in this case , the operation of this apparatus has the following four modes : ( 1 ) when the platform 2 is under stand - by at lower floor : passengers get into the apparatus from the lower floor to the upper floor . passengers get into the apparatus from the upper floor to the lower floor . ( 2 ) when the platform 2 is under stand - by at upper floor : passengers get into the apparatus from the lower floor to the upper floor . passengers get into the apparatus from the upper floor to the lower floor . the operation 1 - 1 described above will be explained the platform gate 4 opens at the time of stand - by at the lower floor . 1 a passenger pushes an up button 11a of the handrail 10 of the platform 2 . 3 the limit switch 51 of the gate arm 50 operates and makes transmission to the current collection signal circuit . 4 the platform 2 is moved up by the elevation control at the time of the mean load . 5 the slide plate 7 is moved forth by the control tape . 7 the step surface of the platform 2 is in conformity with the upper open floor surface and the platform 2 stops . ○ 11 the platform 2 moves down by the non - load descension control . ○ 12 the vertical surface of the platform 2 comes into contact with the slide plate 7 and the slide plate 7 moves back . ○ 13 the step surface of the platform 2 is in conformity with the floor surface of the lower floor and the platform 2 stops . ○ 16 the platform 2 enters the stand - by state at the lower floor . the upper floor gate 40 is open and the platform gate 4 is closed at the time of stand - by at the upper floor . 1 a passenger pushes a down button 11b of the handrail 10 of the platform 2 . 3 transmission is made from the electromagnetic wave transmitter 28a of the platform 2 to the electromagnetic wave receiver 28b . 4 the platform 2 is moved down by the descension control at the time of mean load . 5 the vertical plane of the platform 2 comes into contact with the tip portion of the slide plate 7 . 6 the slide plate ( 7 ) is moved back by the control tape . 7 the step surface of the platform 2 is in conformity . with the floor surface of the lower floor and the platform 2 stops . 9 the platform gate 4 is opened through the current collector signal circuit . ○ 12 the platform 2 is moved up by the ascension control at the time of non - load . ○ 14 the slide plate 7 covers the pit and stops . ○ 15 the step surface of the platform 2 is in conformity with the floor surface of the upper floor and the platform 2 stops . ○ 17 the platform 2 enters the stand - by state at the upper floor . the operations 1 - 2 and 2 - 1 consist of the combinations described above . fig1 and 20 show a safety device provided to the elevation apparatus . a flexible thin pipe 55 is buried in each of the plain belts 1a , 1b , and a wire 59 is passed through the thin pipe 55 and is fixed on the counter - weight 5 side and connected to a pawl 56 equipped with a lever on the platform 2 side through a spring 57 . the length of the wire 59 is adjusted so that the lever is always at the position spaced apart from the teeth 58 on the frame 29 against the tension of the spring 57 . if the wire 59 is cut at any position of the plain belt , the lever is returned by the spring 57 and the pawl 56 meshes with the tooth 58 on the frame . a pair of wires 59 in the thin pipes 55 are disposed on both sides of the plain belts 1a , 1b and the pawls 56 are fitted on both sides of the platform 2 to improve safety . since the present invention relates to the elevation method and employs the apparatus construction described above , it provides the following effects . since the present invention has the platform gate on the single platform , the passengers are prevented from falling down one upon another even when a large number of passengers get in . therefore , the angle of inclination can be made great , and the installation space may be small in conjunction with the disposition of the double guide rails inside the frame . the present invention can reduce necessary power by establishing the weight balance by the platform and the counter - weight and can be installed without affecting much the structure of a building . since the plain belts and the linear motor elevation driving system are employed , the occurrence of noise can be limited . if a suitable decorative sheet is selected for the surface of the plain belts , good harmony can be established with the building and the present apparatus can be installed more easily in houses . the step surface of the platform can be enlarged and since the elevation method employs the stop - elevation - stop system , wheelchairs can easily get into and out from the present apparatus . therefore , if the present apparatus is installed in hospitals or in public facilities , the use of wheelchairs can be improved . since the present apparatus can be used as the refuge path , the space of a building can be saved . since the thin pipes are buried in the plain belts connecting the platform to the counter - weight and the wires are passed through the thin pipes as the safety device , it becomes possible to prevent accident such as abrupt fall of the platform to lower floors or abrupt rise to upper floors even if the plain belts are cut off or if connection of the plain belts with the platform and with the counter - weight is released . thus , safety can be secured . | 1 |
an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig1 to 3 show an embodiment of an information recording / reproduction apparatus according to the present invention . this information recording / reproduction apparatus 2 has an upper plate 4 and a slot 8 for inserting a optomagnetic recording medium cartridge 12 . the slot 8 is protected by a front cover 10 . the optomagnetic recording medium cartridge 12 includes two optomagnetic disks 5 which are arranged face to face and are housed in the cartridge 12 . the cartridge 12 has also a shutter 14 which can be opened and shut . the optomagnetic recording medium 6 is inserted into the information recording / reproduction apparatus 2 through the slot 8 and placed on an objective lens 38 of an optical head by a conveyor mechanism ( not shown ) with shutter 14 opened . in result the optomagnetic recording medium 6 is kept in a standby mode . thereafter , the optomagnetic recording medium 6 is used and removed through the slot 8 again . fig2 and 3 show portions of the internal structure of the information recording / reproduction apparatus 2 according to the present invention , in each of which the optomagnetic recording medium 6 is housed in the information recording / reproduction apparatus 2 . the optomagnetic disk 5 is clamped at its central hole by a clamp portion 15 and rotated by a motor ( spindle motor ) 17 connected to the clamp portion 15 . the motor 17 is fixed on a base portion 19 . the information recording / reproduction apparatus 2 incorporates a magnetic field generator 16 . the magnetic field generator 16 has a square - pillar - like or plate - like magnetic core 18 , a magnetic field coil 20 wound on the magnetic core 18 , and a wedge - like magnetic core extending portion 22 extending from the magnetic core 18 and having a gradually decreasing thickness . the magnetic core 18 of the magnetic field generator 16 is detachably mounted on a yoke portion 36 as a pedestal . upon insertion or removal of the optomagnetic recording medium 6 , a magnetic flux output portion is separated from a yoke portion 36 and shifted upward . the wedge - like magnetic core extending portion 22 of the magnetic field generator 16 is inserted through an opening portion 24 of the optomagnetic recording medium 6 which is defined when the shutter 14 is opened . the magnetic field generator 16 is arranged to oppose the optomagnetic disk 5 . in the optomagnetic disk 5 , a pair of transparent base disks 26 are arranged with a predetermined interval therebetween , and each of the optomagnetic recording layers 28 is between the opposing surfaces of the transparent base disks 26 . a light - emitter 30 opposing the optomagnetic disk 5 through the opening portion 24 is arranged on the base portion 19 . in addition , the light - emitter 30 includes a supply portion 32 supplying a source and a light - emitter support jig 34 supporting light - emitter . as the material of the transparent base disk 26 , a transparent material which causes less degradation over time is preferred . for example , the material can be an acrylic resin such as polymethylmethacrylate or a polycarbonate resin or an epoxy resin or a styrene resin or glass . a continuous groove , a sampling servo mark , a preformat mark , and the like are formed on the transparent base disk 26 in accordance with a recording format . the optomagnetic recording layer 28 consists of a material which changes its state upon radiation of a light beam . for example , the material can be chalcogenide - based amorphous semiconductor materials such as gete - based or tese - based or gesbte - based or teox - based or inse - based or gesbte - based materials or compound semiconductor materials such as insb - based or gesb - based or or insbte - based materials . the optomagnetic recording layer 28 can be formed by a vacuum vapor deposition method or a sputtering method . a preferable layer thickness of the optomagnetic recording layer 28 is several nm to several um in practice . fig4 and 5 show a magnetic field m generated by the magnetic field generator 16 . when the optomagnetic recording medium 6 is loaded in the information recording / reproduction apparatus 2 , the magnetic field generator 16 is arranged as shown in fig4 . states obtained when information is recorded in and erased from the optomagnetic recording medium will be described below . the optomagnetic recording medium 6 has a structure in which the pair of transparent base disks 26 are bonded to oppose each other . the optomagnetic recording layers 28 are heaped up the opposing inner surfaces of the disks 26 . although the optomagnetic recording medium 6 is generally formed into a disk , the shape of the medium is not limited to this shape . for example , the optomagnetic recording medium 6 may have various shapes such as a card - like shape . in addition , the structure of the optomagnetic recording medium 6 is not limited to that shown in fig2 but may be variously modified . the magnetic field generator 16 has a structure which can be separated by a separating mechanism ( not shown ) so as not to interfere with movement of the optomagnetic recording medium 6 when it is inserted or removed . while the optomagnetic recording medium 6 is housed in cartridge 12 , a shutter 14 of the cartridge 12 is opened during the insertion operation mode . the cartridge 12 is loaded in to the information recording / reproduction apparatus , and the information recording medium 6 is supported so as to be rotated . when the loading operation of the cartridge 12 is finished , the magnetic field generator 16 is moved downward through the shutter 14 to set an erasure or recording mode . in this erasure mode or recording mode , the light - emitter 30 is caused to oppose the optomagnetic recording medium 6 . in addition the light - emitter 30 emits light on to the radius direction all region of the recording layer 28 of the optomagnetic recording medium and the magnetic core extending portion 22 is extended to a position outside a range corresponding to regions on the recording layer 28 on which a light beam focused by the objective lens 38 can be radiated even if the objective lens 38 is moved on a guide mechanism , and the flat lower surface against the optomagnetic recording medium 6 of the extending portion 22 is caused to oppose the light beam radiation regions of the recording films 28 . in this state , the coil 20 is provided with a power to cause the coil 20 to generate a magnetic field . since the electromagnetic coil 20 is in contact with the magnetic core extending portion 22 , the magnetic field generated by the electromagnetic coil 20 is also radiated from the magnetic core extending portion 22 . this magnetic field is radiated on the radius direction all region of the recording film 28 . therefore , the magnetic field is substantially perpendicularly incident on the surface of the optomagnetic recording medium 6 . the magnetic field passing through the optomagnetic recording medium 6 returns to the yoke portion 36 in contact with the magnetic core 18 . the light - emitter 30 as a light radiating means is arranged below the lower surface of the optomagnetic recording medium 6 . a halogen lamp , for example , can be used as the light - emitter 30 . the light - emitter 30 is arranged to oppose a region from the central portion to the outer peripheral portion of the optomagnetic recording medium 6 . a light beam emitted from the light - emitter 30 is radiated on the region from the central to outer peripheral portions of the optomagnetic recording medium 6 along radius direction . also , the light - emitter 30 is arranged to be movable along the radial direction of the optomagnetic recording medium 6 . the light - emitter 30 is moved from a position below to the outside of the optomagnetic recording medium 6 upon recording of information and moved to the position below the optomagnetic recording medium 6 only upon erasure mode of information . information recorded on the optomagnetic recording medium 6 is erased by the following method . in the state shown in fig4 the coil 20 is provided with a power to apply a magnetic field substantially perpendicularly to the recording layer 28 of the optomagnetic recording medium 6 . in addition , a light beam is emitted from the light - emitter 30 , and the optomagnetic recording medium 6 is rotated by rotation of the motor 17 . when the optomagnetic recording medium 6 is rotated once , substantially the entire surface of the optomagnetic recording medium 6 passes through a region in which the magnetic field is distributed and a region in which the light beam is radiated . therefore , when the temperature of a region of the optomagnetic recording medium 6 irradiated with the light beam is increased to exceed a curie temperature , the magnetization direction of the magnetic layer is changed to a predetermined magnetic m direction to erase the information recorded on the optomagnetic recording medium 6 . as described above , upon erasure of information , the light - emitter 30 emits a light beam on a wide region ( throughout the optomagnetic recording medium 6 ) from the central to outer peripheral portions of the optomagnetic recording medium 6 . therefore , the erasure operation can be rapidly carried out since the light beam is simultaneously radiated on a plurality of recording tracks . note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment but may be modified such that , as shown in fig6 a light - emitter 30 is arranged between a magnetic core extending portion 22 and a yoke portion 36 and an optomagnetic recording medium 6 is loaded between the magnetic core extending portion 22 and the light - emitter 30 . in this arrangement , a yoke extending portion 39 extends from the yoke portion 36 . also , the position of a coil 20 is changed . with this arrangement , a stronger magnetic field can be applied to an optomagnetic recording medium 6 . in addition , the present invention can be modified as shown in fig7 and 8 . referring to fig7 and 8 , in order to erase information throughout a plurality of tracks 42 in a general optomagnetic recording apparatus , a light beam through an objective lens 38 is diffused by a concave lens 40 arranged between the objective lens 38 and an optomagnetic recording medium 6 . therefore , since the light beam is radiated throughout the plurality of tracks , information can be erased throughout a wide region and an erasing time can be shortened . furthermore , replacing concave lens 40 , the objective lens 38 may be detachably arranged from the pass of the light beam so that it can be removed upon erasure of information and the light beam is directly radiated on optomagnetic recording medium 6 without focusing . also , the objective lens 38 may be detachably arranged from the pass of the light beam so that it is removed and a light beam is diffused through the concave lens 40 upon erasure of information . according to the information recording medium processing apparatus of the present invention , the light radiating means can radiate light on a plurality of tracks . as a result , a time required for erasure can be significantly shortened . 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 devices , 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 . | 6 |
one embodiment of a method for producing an inlay is shown in fig1 through 5 in a sequence of method steps in a sectional view in each case . thus , fig1 shows a first cover layer 10 and a spacer layer 11 applied thereto having a through opening 12 . the spacer layer 11 is laid on the first cover layer 10 and is permanently bonded to the first cover layer 10 using an adhesive bond ( not shown in greater detail ). a component configuration is then arranged in the through opening 12 . fig2 a through 2 d show various embodiments of an arrangement of a component configuration in a sectional view along a line ii - ii from fig8 . a component configuration 13 shown in fig2 a has electronic components 14 , 15 , 16 and an antenna winding as a component 17 . the components 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 are arranged on a carrier substrate 18 and are permanently connected thereto . the component configuration 13 thus formed is , as shown in fig2 a , inserted into the through opening 12 , none of the components 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 projecting above the spacer layer 11 . in the embodiment shown here , a permanent connection is not formed between the carrier substrate 18 and the first cover layer 10 , so that a relatively thin gap 19 may form between the carrier substrate 18 and the first cover layer 10 . fig2 b shows a second embodiment of an arrangement of the component configuration 13 in the through opening 12 . a fixing layer is implemented as an adhesive material layer 20 lying between the first cover layer 10 and the carrier substrate 18 . the adhesive material layer 20 may , as not shown in greater detail here , be applied as an adhesive film or liquid adhesive material to the carrier substrate 18 or the first cover layer 10 before the component configuration 13 is arranged on the first cover layer 10 . the adhesive material layer 20 secures the relative position of the component configuration 13 in the through opening 12 and / or on the first cover layer 10 , so that slipping of the component configuration 13 and / or all components 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 during the subsequent method steps is avoided . fig2 c shows a component configuration 21 which differs from the component configuration 13 due to a carrier substrate 22 . the carrier substrate 22 is implemented from a plate - shaped carrier 23 for accommodating the components 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 and webs 24 . thus , only the webs 24 come into contact with the first cover layer 10 , and intermediate spaces 25 are implemented between the webs 24 , the carrier 23 , and the first cover layer 10 . the intermediate spaces 25 may be filled up well by the filler material upon a subsequent casting with filler material , so that an implementation of air inclusions below the carrier substrate 22 is avoided as much as possible . a component configuration 26 having components 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 which are arranged on a carrier substrate 27 is shown in fig2 d . a defined quantity of filler material 57 is first introduced into the through opening 12 here . the components 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 are then arranged on the surface 28 of the filler material 57 in a defined relative position , as shown , the components 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 being able to penetrate into the surface 28 of the filler material 57 because of an exerted light pressure force . before a further delivery of filler material is introduced into the through opening 12 , the filler material 57 is solidified on the carrier substrate 27 . in embodiments not shown here , the filler material 57 may also be solidified entirely or partially on the carrier substrate 27 before the components 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 are arranged . after the component configuration 13 is arranged in the through opening 12 , the through opening 12 is filled up with filler material 29 , which essentially encloses the component configuration 13 , as shown in fig3 . the quantity of filler material 29 is dimensioned in such a manner that the through opening 12 and / or the spacer layer 11 has / have filler material 29 projecting slightly above it . in the following work steps indicated in fig4 , a second cover layer 30 is applied to the spacer layer 11 and the filler material 29 . furthermore , a flatly acting pressure force indicated by the arrows 31 is exerted on the first cover layer 10 and the second cover layer 30 , so that excess filler material 29 between the spacer layer 11 and the second cover layer 30 exits in the edge areas 32 of the layers . in an embodiment of the method not shown in greater detail here , the second cover layer 30 may be applied at an angle to the spacer layer 11 starting from an outside edge , so that it is easier for filler material 29 to exit . if the first and second cover layers 10 and 30 are brought solidly into contact with the spacer layer 11 , the filler material 29 is solidified by a temperature impingement and a semifinished product 33 is implemented . an inlay 37 as shown in fig5 is then isolated from the semifinished product 33 along a peripheral partition line 34 which lies between an internal contour 35 of the through opening 12 and an external contour 36 of the component configuration 13 . the inlay 37 is processed further with external layers 38 , 39 to form the card 40 shown in fig6 . the external layers 38 , 39 are preferably permanently bonded using an adhesive bond , which is not shown in greater detail here , to the cover layers 10 and 30 of the inlay 37 . the adhesive material used is preferably activatable and / or curable at a relatively low temperature . a further embodiment of an inlay 41 is shown in fig7 , the inlay 41 only being formed by the component configuration 13 and the solidified filler material 29 . before or after the inlay 41 is isolated from a layer configuration , the cover layers ( no longer visible here ) were removed from the solidified filler material 29 . fig8 shows a top view in section along a line viii - viii from fig2 a with a partial detail of a panel sheet 42 . the panel sheet 42 is implemented from the first cover layer 10 and the spacer layer 11 having a plurality of through openings 12 . the component configuration 13 having the components 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 shown in fig2 a is inserted into each through opening 12 . the components 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 are connected to one another using connection conductors 43 , which are indicated as dashed lines here . the partition line 34 runs , as already noted in fig4 , between the internal contour 35 of the spacer layer 11 and the external contour 36 of the component configuration 13 . fig9 a shows a card 44 having printed external layers 45 and 46 . the external layers 45 and 46 are each provided on the outside with a printing 47 or 48 , which is schematically indicated here . both the external layer 45 and also a second cover layer 49 are optically transparent , and a viewing area 50 is provided in the external layer 45 , in which no printing 47 is applied . an optical transmission layer 52 is arranged between a component implemented as a display element 51 and the second cover layer 49 . the optical transmission layer 52 is formed from a low - viscosity adhesive material which is applied to the display element 51 before the second cover layer 49 is applied to a spacer layer ( not shown here ) and the filler material 29 . the transmission layer 52 thus ensures a good optical transmission of visible information shown by the display element 51 through the layers 49 and 45 , the display element 51 not coming directly into contact with the second cover layer 49 and possible parallelism deviations between the display element 51 and the second cover layer 49 thus being compensated for by the transmission layer 52 . a printing 53 on a second external layer 54 before connection of the second external layer 54 to the second cover layer 49 is also possible . as shown in fig9 b , a card 55 may then be implemented , in which the printing 53 is applied to an interior side 56 of the second external layer 54 . | 8 |
referring to fig1 the fetal tissue oxygen monitor is shown to include a drive shaft 4 having a handle 8 for grasping by a user , and a laterally flexible and substantially torsionally and longitudinally inflexible shaft 12 . advantageously , the shaft 12 is made of high density polyethylene material . the shaft 12 includes an annular enlargement 16 formed at about the midpoint of the shaft for purposes to be described momentarily . the shaft 12 has a free end 12a which is formed to detachably couple to a mounting cup 20 in which is disposed a spiral needle 24 and circuitry ( not shown ) for monitoring oxygen saturation of fetal tissue in which the spiral needle is inserted . as discussed earlier , this monitoring or measuring is carried out indirectly by measuring electromagnetic radiation reflected from illuminated fetal tissue . a flexible circuit carrier 28 , having a generally flat profile , is coupled at one end to the circuitry held in the mounting cup 20 and is connectable at the other end to a clip connector 32 which , in turn , is connected to conventional power supply equipment and recording and display apparatus ( not shown ). also shown in fig1 is a conventional so - called introducer , or guide tube 36 . in use , the introducer 36 , with drive shaft at least partially inserted therein , is inserted through the vagina until it reaches the fetal &# 34 ; presenting part &# 34 ; ( typically the head of the fetus , but could be another body part ), and then the drive shaft 4 , with mounting cup 20 attached to the free end 12a thereof , is advanced through the introducer 36 until the spiral needle 24 reaches the &# 34 ; presenting part .&# 34 ; the handle 8 of the drive shaft 4 is then rotated to cause the spiral needle 24 to rotate against the scalp of the fetus and thus rotate into the scalp in preparation for measuring the oxygen saturation in the scalp . the enlargement 16 formed on the shaft 12 serves as a bearing guide to center the shaft within the introducer 36 , and reduce the clearance between the shaft 12 and inside wall of the introducer . this helps to keep the circuit carrier 28 from becoming jammed within the introducer during insertion . this insertion process will be further described later . also shown in fig1 is a tubular member 38 having a central bore 38a which has a generally oval cross - section for receiving the flat circuit carrier 28 . the tubular member 38 is provided to allow easy grasping by a user who can readily twist or rotate the tubular member to cause twisting or rotating of the circuit carrier 28 threaded therethrough . the tubular member 38 would be used in this manner to untwist the needle 24 and mounting cup 20 from the scalp of a fetus at a time when the drive shaft 4 has already been removed from the mounting cup . if the mounting cup 20 were easily graspable by a user , then a user could simply grasp it and untwist the needle 24 and mounting cup from the scalp -- but the mounting cup is quite small and difficult to handle -- therefore , provision of the tubular member 38 allows or facilitates untwisting and removal of the needle and mounting cup from the fetal scalp . the tubular member 38 would simply be slid up the circuit carrier 28 until it contacted the mounting cup 20 so that any twisting of the tubular member causes the circuit carrier , and thus mounting cup , to twist . fig2 shows a portion of the circuit carrier 28 integrally formed with a base element 40 on which the spiral needle 24 is mounted . the spiral needle 24 spirals upwardly from the base element 40 about an imaginary axis which is generally perpendicular to the surface of the base element . the base element 40 includes a photodetector 44 mounted centrally on the base element to coincide generally with and intersect the axis of the spiral . some additional circuit components are also mounted on the base element 40 . the base element 40 , made of a flexible insulation material such as polyamide , is generally circular to fit snugly within a circular open hollow 48 formed in the top of mounting cup 20 . an opening 52 is formed in side wall 48a which defines the hollow 48 to allow the circuit carrier 28 to exit from the hollow . the lower edge 54 of the opening 52 is rounded ( also see fig6 b ) to reduce the bending stress which might otherwise be applied to the carrier circuit 28 . when the base element 40 is placed in the hollow 48 , the sidewall 48a of the hollow will at least partially surround the base element and the photodetector 44 -- since the mounting cup 20 is advantageously made of an opaque material ( e . g ., opaque polycarbonate plastic ), the sidewall 48a will thus generally block ambient light from reaching the photodetector . with the base element 40 placed in the hollow 48 , the spiral needle 24 winds upwardly to extend out of the hollow . as seen in fig2 the needle 24 is formed with just over two complete turns so that through the first turn , the spiral needle is still within the hollow 48 , but begins to emerge from the hollow with the second turn . in order to hold the base element 40 in place in the hollow 48 , a translucent , electrically nonconductive potting material , such as an optical epoxy , is deposited over the base element and partly over the lower end of the spiral needle 24 . the potting material is selected to be clear to allow light to pass therethrough to the photodiode 44 as will be discussed later . in addition to holding the base element 40 in place in the hollow 48 , the potting material also serves to protect the photodiode 44 and other circuit components disposed on the base element from harmful environmental conditions during use . the underside of the mounting cup 20 is formed with a slot 56 for receiving the free end 12a ( fig1 ) of the drive shaft 12 . as will be further discussed later on , the structure of the slot 56 and free end 12a of the drive shaft allow for easy coupling of the drive shaft to the mounting cup 20 , and decoupling therefrom when more than a predetermined amount of force ( pulling ) is applied to the drive shaft . referring now to fig3 and 3a , there is shown respectively a side , elevational view of the spiral needle 24 , and an end view of the needle taken along lines a -- a of fig3 . as seen in fig3 ( and also in fig2 ), a window or opening 60 is formed in the spiral needle 24 on the outside convex curvature portion of the needle , near the pointed end 24a thereof . thus , the window 60 faces radially outwardly from the imaginary axis about which the spiral needle 24 is coiled . advantageously , the window 60 is located as close to the needle tip 24a as possible to minimize bending forces on the needle at the window location which necessarily results from insertion of the needle into tissue and subsequent movement of the tissue . another important feature of the location of the window 60 is that the window does not extend to the sharpened point 24a . rather , a small arch of needle material remains between the window and the beveled point and this serves as a bonding location for potting material which will be placed in the hollow of the needle to hold light emitting elements in place ( to be discussed later ). it might also be mentioned that the bevel point 24a of the needle is located forwardly of the needle to contact tissue first and assist in entry ( rather than providing the bevel on the opposite side in which case the entire beveled portion of the needle might first contact the tissue rather than just the point first contacting the tissue ). advantageously , the spiral needle 24 is made of stainless steel hypodermic tubing . as earlier indicated , disposed in the needle 24 at the window 60 is a pair of light emitting diodes ( leds ) 64 and 68 for selectively emitting or transmitting light from the needle through the window . the leds are mounted on a flexible insulator 72 such as polyamide ( fig4 ) which extends through the needle 24 so that the two leds are exposed through the window 60 . the leds 64 and 68 are held in place by transparent , electrically nonconductive potting material . this potting material substantially fills the hollow of the needle 24 and the window 60 to hold the leds 64 and 68 , and flexible insulator 72 , firmly in place . conductors 76 , for example gold wire ( fig4 ), connect the leds 64 and 68 to conductor traces 88 disposed on the insulator 72 , and these conductor traces are , in turn , connected to circuitry on the base element 40 which extend along the circuit carrier 28 to a signal source for energizing the leds . the leds 64 and 68 are held in place on the insulator 72 by conductive adhesive 84 , and the conductors 76 are bonded to the leds 64 and 68 and to the conductor traces 88 by wire bonds 80 . as already mentioned , a clear , insulative potting material is disposed over both leds 64 and 68 and the connecting conductors both to maintain electrical isolation between component parts which are not to be electrically connected , and to hold the leds in place in the hollow of the needle . the location of the window 60 and thus leds 64 and 68 near the point 24a of the needle , and on the outside or convex portion of the needle , serve to maximize the illuminated path length over which light emitted by the leds will have to travel in order to reach the photodetector 44 . this is advantageous since the modulated ( light ) signal strength is roughly proportional to the illuminated tissue path length between the leds and the photodetector . obviously , maximizing the modulated signal strength provides a more accurate reading of oxygen saturation in the tissue . advantageously , the leds 64 and 68 are selected to alternately emit light of different wavelengths . thus , led 64 might advantageously be a red led and led 68 might advantageously be an infrared led , each of opposite polarity from the other . thus , an ac driving signal supplied to conductors 76 will , during one half of the cycle , energize one of the leds and , during the other half cycle , energize the other led . because the leds are positioned in the tissue when measurements are made ( since the spiral needle 24 is rotated into the tissue , for example , the fetal scalp ), a much higher modulated light signal level is produced than if the light source were located outside of the tissue . one reason for this is that locating the photodetector outside of the tissue allows for a larger more sensitive light detector since the requirement for making it very small , for example , to fit within a needle , is not necessary . referring to fig5 there is shown a perspective view of the base element 40 and a portion of the circuit carrier 28 , unencumbered by the spiral needle . the circuit carrier 28 is shown to include six conductors 30 formed thereon , with four of the conductors being connected to electrical contact pads 46 , and another conductor being coupled to the photodetector 44 . the electrical contact pads 46a and 46b are for coupling to the leds 64 and 68 via conductive traces 88 ( fig4 ) to provide drive current ; electrical contact pad 46d is for coupling to the photodetector 44 to carry detected light signals back to monitoring equipment . the photodetector 44 advantageously is a photodiode selected for high optical sensitivity at the two wavelengths of the leds 64 and 68 . electrical contact pad 46c is provided for coupling to the spiral needle 24 to allow the spiral needle , along with conductor 30f ( fig5 ) to serve as electrodes suitable for monitoring fetal heart rate of a fetus in which the probe is inserted . use of the pair of electrodes for monitoring fetal or human heart rates is well - known , but provision of the electrical contact pad 46c , coupled to the spiral needle , along with the electrical conductor 30f , when coupled to appropriate and conventional monitoring equipment , allows the oxygen probe of the present invention to also be used as a fetal heart rate device . fig6 a and 6b show various views of the mounting cup 20 ( also shown in fig2 ). fig6 is a top , plan view showing the sidewall 48a , with the opening 52 formed on one side thereof . fig6 a is a cross - sectional view of the mounting cup 20 taken along lines a -- a of fig6 and shows the hollow 48 , sidewall 48a , and slot 56 formed on the underside . the sidewalls 56a of the slot 56 , as shown in fig6 a , extend downwardly and slightly inwardly in a dovetail fashion . the slot 56 opens on the side opposite that in which the opening 52 is formed , as best seen in fig6 and 6b . fig6 b shows a side , elevational view of the mounting cup 20 taken along lines b -- b of fig6 and shows the slot 56 as having a back wall 56b which slopes downwardly and slightly inwardly similar to the sidewalls 56a best seen in fig6 a . the shape of the slot 56 , including dovetailing sidewalls and back wall , allows for the easy insertion of the free end 12a of the drive shaft 4 into the slot , and then the rotation of the drive shaft to cause the mounting cup to rotate and thus the spiral needle to rotate into tissue against which it is placed . the configuration of the free end 12a of the drive shaft 4 ( to be described later ), along with use of suitably compliant material , allows for a release or pull away from the slot 56 when a certain force is applied to the drive shaft after the probe has been attached to fetal tissue . also , the corners of the free end 12a of the drive shaft 4 are slightly rounded so that if a certain torque is applied to the drive shaft , and the rotation of the mounting cup 20 meets resistance , the drive shaft will slip within the slot 56 . this reduces the chance of injury to the tissue which might otherwise result from twisting the drive shaft 4 , mounting cup and spiral needle too hard . also , once the spiral needle has been rotated into the tissue until the mounting cup 20 contacts the tissue ( so no more rotation is possible ), the drive shaft 4 will slip and this will be felt by a user to indicate no more rotation is necessary . fig7 shows top plan views of fragmented portions of the circuit carrier 28 , including the six conductor traces 30 extending in parallel with one another along the top of the circuit carrier to connect conductor pads 46 located on the base element 40 to corresponding conductor pads 48 located at a proximal end 28a of the circuit carrier 28 . one of the conductor pads , 48f , is coupled to conductor 30f which serves as a reference electrode for fetal heart rate monitoring , as discussed earlier , and another of the conductor pads , 46b , is connected to the photodetector 44 . note that the conductor pads on the proximal end 28a are all located in sequence longitudinally on the circuit carrier 28 ; the reason for this is to facilitate easy connection of those pads to a clip connector shown in fig9 . the six conductors 30 are illustratively constructed of copper traces , while the conductor pads on both the base element 40 and proximal end 28a of the carrier circuit 28 are illustratively gold plated to provide corrosion resistance ; the copper traces are covered with a flexible insulation material such as a polyester film . fig8 is a perspective , fragmented view of the drive shaft 4 , showing the handle 8 , enlargement 16 , and free end 12a . the free end 12a is shown in enlarged views in both perspective view at 100 and side view at 110 ( taken along lines a -- a of view 100 ), to include a generally cylindrical terminal section 102 , on the end of which is formed an attachment nipple 104 . the attachment nipple 104 has a generally square cross - section , but including rounded corners 108 , as discussed earlier . as best seen in the side view shown at 110 , the attachment nipple 104 flares forwardly and outwardly from the cylindrical terminal section 102 , in a dovetail configuration to snugly fit in the slot 56 of the mounting cup 20 ( fig6 a and 6b .) with the dovetail slot 56 and dovetail attachment nipple 104 configuration , the attachment nipple may be readily slipped into the slot 56 and then rotated to cause the mounting cup 20 to rotate . but when a certain resistance is reached , for example , indicating that the spiral needle 24 has rotated all the way into the tissue , the attachment nipple 104 is caused to slip within the slot 56 so that the mounting cup and needle aren &# 39 ; t forced to continue rotating and otherwise cause injury to tissue in which the needle is inserted . also , the attachment nipple 104 will pull out of the slot 56 if more than a certain resistance is reached when pulling the drive shaft 4 away from the mounting cup 20 . the handle 8 of the drive shaft 4 includes an enlarged rear section 8a in which is formed a slot 120 , the purpose of which is to receive and hold the circuit carrier 28 . the slot 120 simply serves as a holder for temporarily receiving the carrier circuit 28 while using the probe to thereby keep the circuit carrier from getting entangled or otherwise in the way . to hold the circuit carrier 28 in the slot 120 , a keeper 122 is molded integrally with the handle 8 . the keeper 122 includes an integrally molded living hinge 124 , and a snap in cover 126 which snaps into a slot 128 formed in the handle 8 into which the circuit carrier 28 is placed when the probe is to be placed in use . the slot 128 is just wide enough to snugly receive and hold the cover 126 which , in turn , holds the circuit carrier 28 in the slot 128 . fig9 is a perspective , partially cutaway view of the clip connector 32 ( fig1 ) for connecting monitor and display equipment ( not shown ) to the circuit carrier 28 and ultimately to the leds , and photodetector . the clip connector 32 includes a base plate 140 , on which is pivotally mounted an angled pivot plate 144 . the pivot plate 144 includes a clamping section or finger 144a and a lever section or finger 144b which extends from one end of the clamping finger at an angle from the plane defined by the clamping finger , generally as indicated in fig9 . the pivot plate 144 is pivotally mounted between two ear pieces 148a and 148b which extend upwardly from the sides of the base plate 140 , generally at the midpoint thereof . the pivot plate 144 is biased by a spring 152 , located between the base plate 140 and pivot finger 144b , to urge the clamping finger 144a downwardly into contact with the base plate 140 . of course , pressing downwardly on the pivot finger 144b causes the clamping finger 144a to move upwardly away from the base plate 140 . an elongate channel 156 is formed in the top surface of the base plate 140 at one end thereof to extend generally under the clamping finger 144a . formed to protrude upwardly from the bottom wall of the channel 56 are a plurality of flexible spring - loaded electrical contact pins 164 , formed in a row and spaced so as to contact corresponding conductor pads 48 ( fig7 ) formed on the proximal end 28a of the circuit carrier 28 ( fig1 ) when the proximal end is inserted into the channel 156 . to ensure alignment of the conductor pads on the proximal end 128a with the electrical contacts 164 , a guide nipple 168 is formed to extend upwardly from the bottom of the channel 156 to register and extend into a guide hole 172 formed in the proximal end 28a of the circuit carrier 28 . in this way , the circuit carrier 28 can be easily placed in the channel 156 and properly aligned by simply first pressing downwardly on the pivot finger 144b , causing the clamping finger 144a to pivot upwardly from the base plate 140 , and then placing the proximal end 28a in the channel 156 so that the guide nipple 168 extends through the guide hole 172 ; then , the pivot finger 144b may be released to allow the clamping finger 144a to pivot downwardly to contact the proximal end 28a and forces the conductor pads on the underneath surface thereof into electrical contact with the electrical contacts 164 . it is to be understood that the above - described arrangements are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention . numerous modifications and alternative arrangements may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and the appended claims are intended to cover such modifications and arrangements . | 0 |
the present disclosure relates to a rf , analogue or mixed - signal communications front - end system with an essentially digital interconnect scheme that links a distributed set of analogue / rf resources ( that altogether may form a transceiver solution ) to a digital control unit for steering and monitoring purposes . it establishes essentially a second interconnect for control and management purposes besides the typically analogue or mixed - signal data path . the proposed solution describes a complete architecture of a simple - to - implement and scalable network - on - chip specifically designed for integration on analogue / rf chips ( see fig1 ). details of this architecture and its implementation are described below . the solution extends to an off - chip network that is implemented in the same way . in this case , a bridge functionality is used to connect the two independent networks ( on - chip , off - chip ). also a splitting of the on - chip network into several network segments is possible . in this case , network segments are connected by bridges , too . the generic architecture concept introduces an implementation manager and a network on the analogue chip . the network takes care of exchanging information between the implementation manager and preferably at least two distributed analogue / rf blocks on the chip . the architecture concept comprises an on - and off - chip communication network , the logical packet - based communication scheme and the node architectures , whereby distinction is made between master nodes and slave nodes . important for a single network segment is the closed ring structure ( see fig2 ). the use of this structure allows eliminating layer 3 networking complexity . moreover , the usage of a distinct send / receive end allows a strict split of the medium . information travels unidirectionally . the closed ring structure allows each node to be reachable by every other node . the main mode is however that the bridge initiates communication . hence , the ring is logically broken at the bridge . as used herein , the term ‘ bridge ’ refers to a kind of ‘ master node .’ slave nodes are also referred to as nodes . the master node determines the main signalling format and is used — if needed — to provide clocking . the master node is also the only connection to another network segment or to an off - chip network . a communication network architecture is proposed based on a ring topology ( unidirectional circular topology ). the network can be subdivided into segments that are linked with each other through bridges . communication in a single segment is unidirectional . the ring topology allows the bridge to pass information to the node as well as to receive information from a node reusing the same path . the use of the closed ring structure allows eliminating layer 3 networking complexity . moreover , the usage of a distinct send / receive end ( see node description below ) allows a strict split of the medium . information travels unidirectionally . the closed ring structure allows each node to be reachable by every other node . the main mode is however that the bridge initiates communication . hence , the ring is logically broken at the bridge . the master node determines the main signalling format and can be used to provide clocking if necessary . the master node is preferably the only connection to another network segment or an off - chip network . a network comprising multiple instantiations of the single network segment architecture and additional bridging functionality linking them is a straightforward extension of the ring topology ( fig3 ). in this case , bridge functionality is used to connect the two independent networks ( on - chip , off - chip ). also a splitting of the on - chip network into several network segments is possible . also in this case , the various network segments are connected by bridges ( fig4 ). a first application is when placing multiple front - end chains on the same chip . a second application concerns the link between an on - chip network and an off - chip network . in this case , the bridge connects the chip to the printed circuit board . a single network - segment based on a ring topology can also hook up through a bridge with a classical network segment , e . g . a bus or a point - to - multipoint segment . this does not require any modification of the single circular network segment architecture . interconnection between the nodes can use all physical communication schemes known in the communications domain . in particular , but not limited thereto , reference is made to bus - based parallel communication and serial communication . particularly for analogue / rf transmission , it is important to use analogue - friendly signalling over the connections between the nodes ( e . g . low crosstalk ). a serial communication scheme is particularly interesting , since it does not require topology changes if the amount of payload changes ( e . g . no increase of the bus width ). instead , higher throughput translates into higher clock frequency or more frequent packet transmission . hence , one can advantageously opt for a serial communication scheme . an investigation of the required communication throughput and latency for typical analogue / rf transceiver control reveals that a clock frequency of about 120 mhz is sufficient for ieee 802 . 11 - compliant wlan designs . this is a moderately low frequency that allows low - cost implementation . together with the possibility of easily adjusting this frequency in the same range , it prevents creation of disturbing spurs for the analogue / rf data path . this feature is of importance in this context but is not significant in a purely digital context . differential signalling on - chip is used . on - board , this is a standard technique both for analogue design and high - speed digital design . however , it is normally not used for busses and the like . the advantage is a balanced cross - talk signal that compensates itself . moreover , lower digital signal levels are used . that is , in particular , the usage of low voltage differential signalling ( lvds ) on - chip is preferable . lvds is normally used off - chip on boards . lvds is a mixed - signal solution working with small voltage signals ( and differential ); this means , for example , 300 - 400 mv instead of e . g . 1 . 2v for a 130 - nm technology . driver and receiver have built - in dc offset compensation to allow resistance against drifts . a further advantage of lvds is low power consumption due to the low voltage signals and current mode operation . the difference between lvds off - chip and on - chip is that one can design for much lower capacitance drive on - chip . hence , only existing lvds solutions have to be resized , which keeps the approach cost effective . the resized version uses even less power than the off - chip version . regarding node architecture and functionality , a distinction is made between two types of nodes : master nodes and slave nodes . in a preferred embodiment , the master node consists of an off - chip i / o interface ( modrxoff , modtxoff ), an on - chip i / o interface ( modrxon , modtxon ), and a bridge module ( modbridge ) ( fig5 ). a functional description is now given . the i / o interfaces make abstraction of the physical communication interface . the blocks can be transparent since a serial 1 - bit protocol and digital cmos levels are used . alternatively , these blocks could contain the differential and low - voltage / cmos - level conversion functionality . the bridge may perform the following functions . serial read and interpretation of the packet structure including wait for trailing sync bit , retrieve slow / fast flag , retrieve read / write flag , retrieve address ( serial - to - parallel conversion ), retrieve payload ( serial - to - parallel - conversion ). propagation of the incoming off - chip packet to the on - chip side which includes transparent propagation and appending additional clock cycles ( numaddclk ). propagation of the incoming on - chip packet ( through the loop back ) to the off - chip side . address matching for its own addresses ( see recognised addresses ) which includes address matching and storage of received parameters . some control issues are now discussed . the master is also the entry point for any externally - provided clock and reset signals . in a specific implementation , three signals may be provided through the off - chip interface : a chip enable ( nocce ), a clock signal ( nocclk ), and an asynchronous reset signal ( nocrst ). regarding recognised addresses , the following is to be noted . the amount of additional clock cycles that are appended to a packet to compensate for the on - chip clock propagation delays , is made programmable . the master node recognises a specific address ( 1000 0000 ) through which the number of additional clock cycles ( numaddclk ) can be programmed . in a preferred embodiment , a slave node consists of an input interface ( modrx ), an output interface ( modtx ), mac functionality ( modmac ), and the specific functionality that connects to the analogue block ( modbitdec , modbufstg ) as illustrated in fig6 . concerning the functional description it is noted that the i / o blocks have the same functionality as for the on - chip interface ( modrxon , modtxon ) of the master node . the mac block performs the same packet identification and propagation functionality as in the master node . retrieved flag , address and payload information is passed to the bit decoder ( modbitdec ). the bit decoder performs the address matching with a set of programmed addresses and performs the mapping of bits in the payload to analogue control pins . it also includes the storage register file for holding all initial values at reset and the current values . the buffer stage performs the buffering of the register file outputs to the individual digital control pins that are routed towards the analogue blocks . extending this initial view , a specific mixed - signal interface can be added between the digital and the analogue block . furthermore , one can refer to modrx and modtx as physical receivers and physical drivers in general . this means that these blocks can also incorporate signal format conversions to adapt from e . g . cmos logic voltage levels to other appropriate signalling formats for the interconnect ( e . g . lvds ). the logical media access control ( mac ) functionality can be implemented in plain digital cmos . this part has two functions in combination with a logical packet - based communication scheme , which transports information on the network segment : ( a ) receive : its function is to identify packets that are intended for a specific node . in this case , the packet information is retrieved and communicated to the mixed - signal interface . if the address matches the node address , information is taken from the packet and processed . if the address does not match , the packet is propagated to the physical send part , such that it travels to the next node . if a packet sent by the bridge returns to the bridge unchanged , it means that no node reacted on the packet . the bridge then knows that the packet has not been processed correctly by a node and it can e . g . signal an error or retry the transmission . packets sent by the bridge that reach the bridge or that have the bridge as a receiver address , are taken off the ring . ( b ) transmit : two modes are described here . if the node has a permanent clock , it can trigger transmissions itself . in this case , it monitors the activity on the physical receive end . if no activity is found , it can create a packet itself and place it on the physical transmit end . if the node is not self - clocked , it uses a clock provided by the physical receive end . in this case , it is the responsibility of the on - chip bridge to create specific packets that trigger the mac in a particular node to send information . in this case , the mac derives the address from the incoming packet , and if it matches the node address , the packet is withheld and not passed on further . instead , a new packet is constructed , local node information obtained from e . g . the analogue block is placed in this packet and the packet is sent on the transmit end . note that , in this case , the target address of this packet is usually the bridge . the bridge is then able to receive this information ( since a closed ring is used ). as an example one can consider a network with one network segment on - chip and one network segment off - chip ( fig7 ). both segments are connected through the master node , which acts as a bridge . the on - chip segment contains the master node and 5 slave nodes . the off - chip segment contains at least the master node and a programming node . a serial communication scheme defines a packet structure to sequentialise all information , covering both synchronisation , control , and data payload information . data communication : bit - serial ( 1 - bit ) communication is assumed between the nodes . each node has 1 - bit input and 1 - bit output ports . signalling and synchronisation between slave nodes and master node ( bridge ): clock signals can be propagated together with the packets on the communication bus . in this case , modules can work without a clock , but use a phase - locked loop ( pll ). in this case , each node uses a small digital pll to recover the clock information from e . g . manchester - coded digital signalling . two issues should be considered . firstly , in order to propagate a constant clock to all modules , this clock can be enabled / disabled centrally and allows a clock gating operation . secondly , relying on the fact that modules do not operate if there is no activity on the ring . all clock pulses are provided by the master in this case ( the bridge ). also clock pulses for e . g . delayed processing in the node are originated from the bus . the bridge increases the amount of clock pulses to cover all processing needs in the complete ring . since delay and throughput requirements vary , it is desirable to have slow and fast packet types . fast adaptation of parameters can be required , such as when the gain settings are adapted for automatic gain control . similarly , it is desirable to set all parameter bits at the same time for a particular parameter . that is , the length of the packet payload should be determined by the maximum length of a parameter ( e . g . pll programming parameters with 15 or 16 bits ). on the other hand , not all parameters require fast programming or such long word lengths . hence , one can opt for a scheme with two types of packets , namely slow ( s ) packets for simple control or short control words and fast ( f ) packets for complete control words . the choice for two packet types reduces in general energy consumption and activity on the bus . this scheme can be extended to more and different combinations of packet types depending on the usage patterns and the actual design constraints . it is assumed that the clock is passed through the ring . hence , each node has one clock input and one clock output . the clock is propagated . for resetting all nodes to a known state , an asynchronous reset is assumed . the reset is also propagated through all nodes . each node has one reset input and one reset output . the consequent use of propagation for data , synchronisation , and control information allows the usage of routing channels between the nodes . each node has 3 input pins and 3 output pins for data , clock , and reset , respectively . the usage of routing channels greatly simplifies the effort of routing . it is to be noted that these channels do not need to be adapted even if the number of bits to control per node , control frequency , or the number of nodes change . sync s / f packet r / w mac payload additional indication flag address information clock pulses for each field in the packet , function and size are defined in the following table 1 . determining the amount of sufficient additional clock pulses : the number of required additional clock pulses depends on the amount of nodes in the segment and the delay per node . the delay per node is the processing delay introduced between the input stage and the output stage of the node . a typical value for this delay is 3 clock cycles . the number of slave nodes is 5 . hence , at least 5 × 3 = 15 clock cycles are appended by the master node to guarantee that all slave nodes receive enough clock cycles for proper operation . two solutions can be envisaged for clock propagation along the network path . the first one has been previously described . a second one balances the clock propagation delay and the data propagation delay in each node . in the first solution , the clock activity profile over time ramps up in a triangular shape creating an integrated noise energy proportional to n × n / 2 ×( propagation delay per node )× noise density with n nodes . depending on the propagation delay and the number of nodes , noise energy density peaks can amount up to n × noise density . the second solution reduces the integrated noise energy to n ×( propagation delay per node )× noise density . a reduction of the overall noise energy per packet transmission can result in less interference with the operation of the analogue / rf circuitry and hence result in better performance . a variation of the previous solution for the local storage of a single configuration in each node in the writing mode is its extension to store at least 2 such configurations . this allows programming at non - critical times ( e . g . at idle time and not during the operation of the analogue / rf circuitry ) and activation of one of the configurations through a simple command instruction ( e . g . a short packet ) that does not contain all individual configuration bits . this solution calls for a duplication of the configuration registers in each node ( cfr . modbufstg ) and either a dedicated packet instruction for activation per node or for groups of nodes or for all nodes together or the usage of a dedicated activation line which is routed together with the clock and data signal path from node to node . the dedicated activation line results in a very fast , parallel activation in all nodes since this operation can be performed at the buffer stage ( modbufstg ) without the need for clock support ( hence , propagation delay through the network is completely eliminated ). combinations of both techniques ( one activation line and dedicated activation packets ) are particularly interesting . fail - safe operation of the control network can be guaranteed by routing the digital supply voltage together with the signal , clock , reset , and activation line ( optional ) signal in the existing routing channels . ground signals from the shielding of these channels can be optionally reused ; otherwise , a dedicated ground signal should be routed in parallel with the supply voltage signal . this supply voltage feeds all digital logic in the nodes . the low power requirements for the operation of the control network allow the usage of a single supply pair at one entry point in the control network . the supply and ground voltage paths can be closed or not ( in the circular topology ). this technique can improve fail - safe operation compared to the classical approach where each node would be supplied through a pair of pads closest to the chip boundary and eventually even shared with the adjacent digital supply for an analogue / mixed - signal block . even when disabling intentionally the supply for the analogue / mixed - signal block ( e . g . to save energy ) or in case of a malfunctioning of the analogue / mixed - signal block ( short - circuit , voltage drop due to high load , overheating , etc . ), the control network remains fully operational . | 7 |
in accordance with the present invention , the disclosed rf - pecvd reactor substantially reduces or eliminates the disadvantages and shortcomings associated with the prior art techniques . according to a preferred embodiment of the invention , substrates to be coated are composed of electrically conductive materials and fixtured to a substrate holder connected to a dc power supply . this permits one to impart a bias to the substrates that is independent of the plasma field generated by the rf electrode . the substrates are hung proximate the finger of the rf electrode in such a manner that they are completely enveloped within the rf field . in another embodiment , a secondary heater is used to preheat the reactant gases as they enter the reaction zone . the secondary heater maintains the gases at a temperature close to the reaction temperature in the reaction zone . a schematic of the rf - pecvd reactor of the present invention is shown in fig1 . although fig1 presents the reactor system as a down - flow reactor , it is envisioned that it may also be used effectively in an up - flow reactor ( not shown ). furthermore , it is envisioned that the invention can also be used effectively in a cross - flow reactor in which the finger of the rf generator extends parallel with the axis of the horizontal gas flow . the primary elements of the pecvd reactor of this invention consists of : ( 1 ) a cylindrical metallic enclosure 1 placed inside vacuum chamber 3 ; ( 2 ) reaction zone 5 formed within the space of cylindrical enclosure 1 , an apertured inlet gas distributor ring 7 and an apertured outlet gas plate 9 ; and ( 3 ) an rf electrode 13 placed completely within reaction zone 5 . cylindrical enclosure 1 is supported on metallic legs 14 as shown within vacuum chamber 3 . the enclosure 1 is grounded and serves as the secondary electrode . rf electrode 13 consists of a flat base plate 15 and a cylindrical finger 17 and is electrically connected to rf power supply with matching network 19 . fig2 a , 2b and 2c illustrate the various configurations of rf electrode 13 . fig2 c shows the preferred embodiment in which base 15 has a plurality of apertures 21 to allow for the flow of outlet gases through outlet plate 9 and a gas outlet 22 . base plate 15 is mounted on outlet plate 9 by means of electrically insulated supports 23 as shown . alternatively , base 15 can be sized as shown in fig2 a or 2b which allows for the passage of the outlet gases around its periphery . it is critical that finger 17 extends along approximately two thirds of the length of the reaction zone 5 to generate a plasma field throughout this zone . the function of rf finger 17 is to expand the plasma region as well as to improve the uniformity of plasma field . rf electrode 13 is surrounded by a electrical resistance heater 24 made of a wire 25 wound on a suitable non - conducting ceramic support rods 26 such as those made of hexagonal boron nitride . heater 24 is capable of maintaining the reaction temperatures between about 300 ° and 650 ° c . in the reaction zone 5 and the reaction temperature is controlled by a thermocouple ( not shown ) placed inside the plasma region . the thermocouple is isolated from the plasma field by using a choke ( not shown ). a quartz shield ( not shown ) is optionally placed between the rf plasma electrode 13 and the heater 24 to reduce the deposition of the coating on the wire and concomitantly to increase its life . a substrate holder 31 is mounted above the reaction zone 5 for hanging 3 - dimensional objects or substrates 33 by gravity within reaction zone 5 adjacent electrode finger 17 . alternatively , substrates 33 can be mounted on rigid fixtures mounted on the upstream end of the reactor in the event a cross - flow reactor is used . holder 31 is electrically insulated from chamber 3 by means of insulator 34 and is connected to a dc power supply 35 for applying dc bias to substrates 33 which is independent of the plasma field . an electric heater 37 is optionally placed inside holder 31 to reduce the loss of heat through the substrate holder and to pre - heat the feed gaseous mixture entering through inlet 40 and gas distribution ring 7 prior to entering reaction zone 5 . in the examples set forth below , a reactor of the type described above in connection with fig1 was used in which the diameter of metallic enclosure 1 was ˜ 8 inches . the heating wire 25 was wound on the non - conductive ceramic support rods 26 in such a way that it provided an area of ˜ 5 inch diameter reaction zone 5 for coating parts . the diameter of the base plate 15 was ˜ 4 . 5 inches of the rf - electrode 13 shown in fig2 b , which was used in these examples . the distance between the base plate 15 and the bottom of the part holder 31 was ˜ 6 inch , thereby providing an area of ˜ 5 inches in length and ˜ 5 inches in diameter for coating parts . the length of rf finger 17 was ˜ 4 . 5 inches and it as ˜ 0 . 5 inch in diameter . the feed gas was introduced through a ˜ 5 inch diameter gas distribution ring 7 made of ˜ 1 / 4 inch diameter tube as shown in fig3 a . the tube had a number of 1 / 32 inch diameter holes 41 drilled to distribute flow of feed gas uniformly . the product gas was removed from the side of the base plate 15 . although no holes were drilled in the base plate of the reactor used in the examples set forth below , a number of holes 21 as shown in fig1 can be drilled having a size of 1 / 8 inch to 1 / 4 inch diameter to facilitate removal of product gas from the reaction zone . the diameter of holes 42 in the bottom plate 9 can be varied from 1 / 8 inch to 1 / 2 inch . the diameter of the enclosure 1 of the reaction zone can be increased to scale - up the reactor . in this case , it will be desirable to use a spiral feed gas distribution ring shown in fig3 b to facilitate uniform distribution of gas in the reactor . additionally , a number of rf fingers arranged at various radial positions can be used in the scaled - up reactor to ensure uniformity of plasma field . the length of the reactor can also be increased to scale - up the reactor and coat multiple parts . additionally , a number of feed gas inlet rings shown in fig3 a can be used along the length of the reactor to replenish the supply of reactants . the deposition conditions and the type of coating deposited in the pecvd reactor can be varied by varying any one or more of the following variables : specifically , rf - frequency and power applied to the electrode can range up to 1 , 000 mhz and 2 , 000 watts , respectively . preferably , they can range from 1 . 8 to 28 mhz and 50 to 500 watts . the substrate can be self - biased , subjected to a floating bias or applied with a negative potential of - 50 to - 2 , 000 volts . preferably the substrate can be subjected to a negative potential of from - 50 to - 400 volts . the temperature in the reactor can be maintained from about 300 ° c . to about 650 ° c . the temperature in the reactor can preferably be maintained from about 300 ° c . to about below 500 ° c . for coating temperature sensitive materials . the substrate holder can be heated from 300 ° to 700 ° c . to reduce loss of heat as well as to pre - heat the feed gas mixture . the pressure in the reactor can be controlled between about 0 . 005 to about 10 torr . preferably , the pressure can be controlled between 0 . 05 to 5 torr . the pecvd reactor of the present invention is uniquely suited for depositing various metallic and ceramic coatings such as silicon , silicon carbide , silicon nitride , titanium carbide , titanium nitride , titanium carbonitride , tungsten , tungsten carbide , tungsten nitride and similar materials . it is also suitable for depositing hard carbon coating such as diamond - like carbon , which means a carbon having a hardness of greater than 1 , 000 vickers characterized and deposited as described in &# 34 ; critical review characterization of diamond - like carbon films and their application as overcoats on thin - film media for magnetic recording &# 34 ;, by h . tsai and d . b . bogg , journal vacuum science technology , volume a5 ( 6 ), nov ./ dec . 1987 , pages 3287 - 3311 . it is also suitable for depositing coating consisting of mixtures of silicon and silicon carbide , silicon , silicon carbide and diamond - like carbon , and silicon carbide and diamond - like carbon . the present reactor , as mentioned earlier , is most suitable for coating 3 - dimensional objects such as rods , bearings , shafts , bearing races , brakes pads , flat discs , surgical needles and knives and other similar objects . the reactant gases used for depositing silicon and silicon carbide includes a combination of an organosilicon compound and hydrogen . the silicon - containing compound can be selected from the group consisting of silane , silicon tetrachloride , dimethylsilane , methylsilane , tetramethyl disilane , dichlorosilane , trichlorosilane , methyl trichlorosilane , dimethyl dichlorosilane , hexamethyl disilane , hexamethyl trisilane and pentamethyl trisilane . if silane , silicon tetrachloride , dichlorosilane or trichlorosilane is used , it is necessary to supply a source of carbon to produce silicon carbide . the source of carbon can be any low molecular weight hydrocarbon such as paraffins , alkenes , and alkynes , preferably having one to six carbon atoms , and aromatics and other hydrocarbons having one to six carbon atoms which do not contain oxygen . particularly suitable examples include methane , ethane , propane , butane , methylene , ethylene , propylene , butylene , acetylene , benzene , dimethyl ether , diethyl ether and the like . the composition of the coatings are changed by manipulating the silicon to carbon ratio in the gaseous feed mixture , preferably in the range of about to 0 . 25 and 2 . 0 . for example , a carbon - rich feed gas is found to result in a coating consisting of a mixture of silicon carbide and diamond - like carbon . likewise , a silicon - rich feed gas results in the deposition of a mixture of silicon and silicon carbide . nitrogen and / or ammonia are added to the gaseous mixture in the event that a silicon nitride coating is desired . to deposit titanium nitride , titanium carbide and titanium carbonitride , the primary reactants are titanium tetrachloride and hydrogen . nitrogen and / or ammonia are used to deposit titanium nitride . one or more of the hydrocarbons listed above are used to deposit titanium carbide . in the case of titanium carbonitride , an organic compound containing both carbon and nitrogen can be used such as one of the low molecular weight nitriles , i . e . acetonitrile , acrylonitrile , and butylonitrile . a mixture of n 2 or nh 3 and a hydrocarbon can also be used to produce titanium carbonitride . the reactant gases used for depositing w includes tungsten halide such as wf 6 and hydrogen and for depositing tungsten carbide include in addition to the latter a hydrocarbon or an oxygen - containing hydrocarbon such as dimethylether or diethylether . n 2 or nh 3 can be added to a mixture of wf 6 and h 2 to deposit tungsten nitride . finally , diamond - like carbon can be deposited using a mixture of hydrocarbon and hydrogen . a monotomic inert gas such as argon , helium , krypton and xenon can optionally be used in combination with the reactant gaseous mixtures during the deposition in accordance with this invention . the typical process cycle for coating the substrates using the present reactor involves the following steps : ( 1 ) loading the reactor with the specimens , pulling a high vacuum (˜ 10 - 6 torr ) and checking the reactor for any leaks . ( 2 ) initiating a flow of an inert gas such as argon and heating the reactor to the desired temperature , e . g . in the range of about 300 ° to 650 ° c ., using about 0 . 05 to 0 . 5 torr vacuum and pre - heating the substrate holder to the desired temperature , i . e . 300 °- 700 ° c . ( 3 ) after the desired temperature has been reached , striking the plasma and applying negative bias to the substrate in the presence of argon or a mixture of argon and ammonia in order to plasma clean the substrate . ( 4 ) after plasma cleaning , establishing proper rf - frequency and power levels , applying bias to the substrate , and begin flowing the gaseous feed mixture to deposit the coating for a pre - specified time , e . g . in the range of about 5 minutes to 10 hours . ( 5 ) discontinuing the flow of reactive gases , turning - off rf - power and cooling the substrate under flowing argon gas . ( 6 ) recovering the uniformly coated specimens for inspection and further testing . the examples which follow illustrate the use of the reactor and the process of the present invention and of the coated substrate products produced thereby . the examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not meant to limit the scope of the claims in any way . examples 1 - 4 describe the performance of pecvd reactor in depositing silicon carbide based coatings on 3 - dimensional parts uniformly . a number of 1 &# 34 ;× 3 &# 34 ;× 1 / 8 &# 34 ; stainless steel specimens were de - greased , cleaned , and placed inside a rf - pecvd reactor as shown in fig1 . the reaction area within the heated wire was ˜ 5 &# 34 ; in diameter and ˜ 5 &# 34 ; long . the reactor was evacuated to ˜ 10 - 6 torr vacuum and then heated to ˜ 500 ° c . in the presence of 40 sccm flow of high purity argon at ˜ 0 . 25 torr pressure . at this temperature , ˜ 3 sccm flow of ammonia was initiated and the specimens were plasma cleaned for one hour using 1 . 8 mhz and 150 watts rf - power . a negative bias of - 100 volts was applied to the specimens during the plasma cleaning . after plasma cleaning the specimens , the following conditions were established in the reactor : ______________________________________rf - power 1 . 8 mhz and 250 wattssubstrate bias - 200 voltstemperature ˜ 500 ° c . pressure ˜ 1 torrflow rate 15 sccm of argon______________________________________ at this time a feed gaseous mixture containing 15 sccm of silane and 15 sccm of methane in addition to argon was passed in the reactor for three hours to deposit silicon carbide coating . after the deposition time , the power to heater and rf - electrode was turned off and the specimens were cooled under flowing argon gas . all the specimens were deposited with light gray , ˜ 3μm thick coating with a surface hardness of ˜ 1 , 215 kgf / mm 2 . the coating thickness was substantially uniform throughout the specimens with a variation of less than 10 % thickness from top to bottom . the coating was amorphous , as determined by x - ray diffraction analysis . it contained si / c atomic ratio of ˜ 1 . 7 , as determined by x - ray photoelectron spectroscopy . the procedures described in example 1 above were repeated using the same reactor and process conditions with the exception of using 15 sccm of silane and 10 sccm of methane during the deposition step . the specimens were deposited with uniform , light gray , ˜ 7μm thick coating with a surface hardness of ˜ 1 , 600 kgf / mm 2 . the coating thickness varied by less than 10 % from the top to the bottom of the coupons . x - ray diffraction analysis revealed it to be amorphous . x - ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that the coating contained si / c atomic ration of ˜ 2 . 3 . the procedures described in example 1 above were repeated using the same reactor and process conditions with the exception of using 15 sccm of silane . the specimens were deposited with uniform , grayish blue , ˜ 2 . 3 μm thick silicon coating . the coating thickness varied by less than 10 % from the top to the bottom of the coupons . x - ray diffraction analysis is revealed that it was low crystalline silicon . the procedures described in example 1 above were repeated using the same reactor and process conditions with the exception of using 2 sccm of silane and 15 sccm of methane during the deposition step . the specimens were deposited with a thin , uniform , extremely hard (≧ 5 , 000 kgf / mm 2 ) and low crystalline diamond - like carbon ( dlc ) coating . the coating contained only trace amounts of silicon as determined by x - ray photoelectron spectroscopy . the examples described below present methods of depositing hard coatings containing mixtures of ( 1 ) silicon and silicon carbide , ( 2 ) silicon , silicon carbide and diamond - like carbon , and ( 3 ) silicon carbide and diamond - like carbon . the procedures described in example 1 above were repeated using the same reactor and process conditions with the following exceptions . at the reaction temperature , a flow of 17 . 5 sccm of silane was introduced into the reactor in the presence of argon for 3 minutes to deposit a thin interlayer of silicon on the specimens . after 3 minutes , a mixture of 17 . 5 sccm of silane and 15 sccm of methane in addition to 15 sccm of argon was passed into the reactor for three hours to deposit a hard coating . the silicon to carbon ratio in the feed gas was 1 . 17 , indicating that it to be silicon rich . after the period of deposition , the power to rf - electrode was turned off and the specimens were heat treated at the deposition temperature for 30 minutes under flowing argon gas . they were then cooled to room temperature under flowing argon gas . all the specimens were deposited with an adherent and uniform ˜ 2 μm thick light gray coating with a surface hardness of ˜ 900 kg / mm 2 . x - ray photoelectron spectroscopy ( xps ) of the coating indicated it to contain a mixture of silicon and silicon carbide -- the si / c atomic ratio in the coating was ˜ 2 . 40 . the coating was therefore extremely rich in silicon . aes analysis confirmed the coating to be extremely rich in silicon . x - ray difraction analysis showed the coating to contain a mixture of low - crystalline silicon and silicon carbide . laser raman spectroscopy revealed the presence of peaks around 466 and 850 cm - 1 , confirming the presence of silicon and silicon carbide in the coating . the coating contained ˜ 21 atomic percent hydrogen , as determined by nitrogen nuclear reaction ( nnr ) analytical technique . this example , therefore , showed that a low - crystalline coating containing a mixture of silicon and silicon carbide can be deposited by low - temperature pecvd process of this invention using si / c ratio of 1 . 17 in the feed gas mixture . the procedures described in example 5 were repeated using the same reactor and reaction conditions with the exception of initially using 15 sccm of silane in the presence of argon for three minutes for depositing a thin silicon interlayer and a mixture of 15 sscm of silane and 15 sccm of methane along with 15 sccm of argon for depositing a hard coating for three hours . the silicon to carbon ratio in the feed gas was 1 . 0 , indicating the presence of stoichiometric amounts of silicon and carbon in the feed gas for the formation of silicon carbide . all the specimens were deposited with an adherent and uniform , ˜ 3 μm thick light gray coating with a surface hardness of ˜ 1 , 500 kg / mm 2 . xps analysis of the coating indicated that it contained a mixture of silicon and silicon carbide -- the si / c atomic ratio in the coating was ˜ 1 . 90 . the coating was , therefore , rich in silicon , but not as rich as noted in example 5 . aes analysis confirmed the coating to be rich in silicon . x - ray diffraction analysis revealed the coating to contain a mixture of low - crystalline silicon and silicon carbide . laser raman spectroscopy revealed the presence of peaks around 466 and 850 cm - 1 , confirming the presence of silicon and silicon carbide in the coating . the film contained ˜ 21 atomic percent hydrogen . this example , therefore , showed that a low - crystalline coating containing a mixture of silicon and silicon carbide can be deposited by the present low - temperature pecvd process using si / c ratio of 1 . 0 in the feed gas mixture . it also indicated that the amount of silicon carbide relative to silicon in the coating can be increased by reducing si / c ratio in the feed gas . the procedures described in example 5 were repeated using the same reactor and reaction conditions with the exception of using 12 . 5 sccm of silane in the presence of argon for three minutes for depositing a thin silicon interlayer and a mixture of 12 . 5 sccm of silane and 15 sccm of methane along with 15 sccm of argon for depositing a hard coating for three hours . the silicon to carbon ratio in the feed gas was 0 . 83 , indicating the presence of less than stoichiometric amount of silicon in the feed for the formation of silicon carbide . all the specimens were deposited with an adherent and uniform , ˜ 2 . 6 μm thick grayish - blue coating with a surface hardness of ˜ 1 , 200 kg / mm 2 . xps analysis of the coating indicated that it contained a mixture of silicon and silicon carbide -- the si / c atomic ratio in the coating was ˜ 1 . 60 . the coating was , therefore , rich in silicon , but not as rich as noted in examples 5 and 6 . aes analysis confirmed the coating to be rich in silicon . x - ray diffraction analysis revealed the coating to contain a mixture of low - crystalline silicon and silicon carbide . laser raman spectroscopy confirmed the x - ray diffraction results . the film contained ˜ 22 atomic percent hydrogen . this example , therefore , showed that a low - crystalline coating containing a mixture of silicon and silicon carbide can be deposited by the present low - temperature pecvd process using si / c ratio of 0 . 83 in the feed gas mixture . it also indicated that the amount of silicon carbide relative to silicon in the coating can be increased by reducing si / c ratio in the feed gas . the procedures described in example 5 were repeated using the same reactor and reaction conditions with the exception of using 10 sccm of silane in the presence of argon for three minutes for depositing a thin silicon interlayer and a mixture of 10 sccm of silane and 15 sccm of methane along with 15 sccm of argon for depositing a hard coating for three hours . the silicon to carbon ratio in the feed gas was 0 . 67 , indicating the presence of less than stoichiometric amount of silicon in the feed for the formation of silicon carbide . all the specimens were deposited with an adherent and uniform , ˜ 3 μm thick gray coating with a surface hardness of ˜ 2 , 300 kg / mm 2 . xps analysis of the coating indicated that it contained a mixture of silicon , silicon carbide and amorphous carbon ( diamond - like carbon )-- the si / c atomic ratio of the coating was ˜ 1 . 04 . the coating was , therefore , neither rich in silicon nor carbon . aes analysis revealed the coating to be marginally rich in silicon . x - ray diffraction analysis revealed the coating to contain low - crystalline silicon and silicon carbide . laser raman spectroscopy indicated the presence of silicon , silicon carbide , and diamond - like carbon ( dlc ) in the coating . the high hardness value of the coating was , therefore , due to the presence of silicon carbide and dlc in the coating . the film contained ˜ 23 atomic percent hydrogen . this example showed that a low - crystalline coating containing a mixture of silicon , silicon carbide and dlc can be deposited by low - temperature pecvd process of this invention using si / c ratio of 0 . 67 in the feed gas mixture . the procedures described in example 5 were repeated using the same reactor and reaction conditions with the exception of using 5 sccm of silane in the presence of argon for depositing a thin silicon interlayer for three minutes and a mixture of 5 sccm of silane and 15 sccm of methane along with 15 sccm of argon for depositing a hard coating for three hours . the silicon to carbon ratio in the feed gas was 0 . 33 , indicating the presence of considerably less than stoichiometric amount of silicon in the feed for the formation of silicon carbide . all the specimens were deposited with an adherent and uniform , ˜ 3 μm thick dark gray coating with a surface hardness of ˜ 6 , 000 kg / mm 2 . xps analysis of the coating revealed it to contain a mixture of silicon carbide and carbon -- the si / c atomic ratio in the coating was ˜ 0 . 5 . the coating was , therefore , rich in carbon . aes analysis also revealed the coating to be rich in carbon . x - ray diffraction analysis showed the coating contained low - crystalline silicon carbide . laser raman spectroscopy indicated that the coating contained a mixture of silicon carbide and dlc ( diamond - like carbon ). the high hardness value of the coatings , was therefore , due to the presence of diamond - like carbon in the coating . the film contained ˜ 26 atomic percent hydrogen . this example showed that a low - crystalline coating containing a mixture of silicon carbide and dlc can be deposited by low - temperature pecvd using si / c ratio of 0 . 33 in the feed gas . the procedures described in example 5 were repeated using 15 sccm of silane and 15 sccm of argon during the deposition step . all the specimens were deposited with an adherent and uniform ˜ 5 μm thick silvery coating . the coating consisted primarily of low - crystalline silicon , as determined by x - ray diffraction analysis . laser raman spectroscopy and xps analysis confirmed the presence of only silicon in the coating . the surface hardness of the coating was ˜ 300 kg / mm 2 . this example showed that a low - crystalline silicon coating can be deposited by this low - temperature pecvd process using a mixture of silane and argon . examples 5 - 10 showed that hard and low - crystalline coatings can be deposited uniformly and adherently on stainless steel by a low - temperature pecvd reaction system as described herein . they also show that the hardness and composition of the coatings can be varied by manipulating the composition of the gaseous feed mixture . hard coatings containing a mixture of silicon and silicon carbide can be deposited by using either more than , equal to or slightly less than stoichiometric amount of silicon needed to form silicon carbide in the feed gas . the proportions of silicon and silicon carbide in the coatings can be varied by varying the relative amounts of silicon and carbon in the gaseous feed mixture . the above examples also showed that harder coatings containing a mixture of silicon , silicon carbide and dlc can be deposited by using less than stoichiometric amount of silicon in the gaseous feed mixture . once again , the proportions of silicon , silicon carbide and dlc in the coating can be altered by varying the relative amounts of silicon and carbon in the feed gas . finally , these examples show that considerably harder coatings containing a mixture of silicon carbide and dlc can be deposited by using carbon rich gaseous feed mixture using the reactor as shown in fig1 . the hardness and proportions of silicon carbide and dlc in the coating , once again , can be varied by manipulating the composition of the gaseous feed mixture . examples describing production of hard coatings for wear and oxidation testing a number of 1 &# 34 ; diameter by 3 / 8 &# 34 ; thick am - 355 stainless steel discs and 1 &# 34 ; wide × 2 &# 34 ; long × 1 / 8 &# 34 ; thick flat am - 355 stainless steel wear specimens were de - greased , cleaned , and placed inside the rf - pecvd reactor of as shown in fig1 in which plasma was confined to ˜ 5 &# 34 ; diameter and ˜ 5 &# 34 ; long area . the reactor was evacuated to ˜ 10 - 6 torr vacuum . it was then heated to ˜ 450 ° c . in the presence of 40 sccm flow of high purity argon under ˜ 0 . 25 torr pressure . at this temperature , an additional ˜ 3 sccm flow of ammonia was initiated and the specimens were plasma cleaned for one hour using 1 . 8 mhz and 150 watts rf - power . a negative bias of - 100 volts was applied to the specimens during the plasma cleaning . after plasma cleaning the specimens , the following conditions were established in the reactor : ______________________________________rf - power 1 . 8 mhz and 250 wattssubstrate bias - 200 voltstemperature 450 ° c . pressure 1 torrflow rate 15 sccm of argon______________________________________ at this time , silane gas at a rate of 15 sccm in the presense of argon was passed into the reactor for 3 minutes to deposit a thin inter - layer of silicon on the specimens . after 3 minutes a gaseous mixture containing 15 sccm of silane and 15 sccm of methane in addition to 15 sccm of argon was passed in the reactor for three hours to deposit a hard coating . the silicon to carbon ratio in the feed gas was 1 . 0 , indicating the presence of stoichiometric amount of silicon and carbon in the feed for the formation of silicon carbide . after the deposition time the power to rf - electrode was turned off and the specimens were heat treated at the deposition temperature for 30 min . under flowing argon gas . they were then cooled to room temperature under flowing argon gas . all the discs and flat wear specimens were deposited with an adherent and uniform ˜ 5 μm thick light gray coating with a surface hardness of ˜ 1 , 780 kg / mm 2 . the coating contained a mixture of low - crystalline silicon and silicon carbide -- the si / c atomic ratio determined by xps was ˜ 1 . 5 . this example , therefore , showed that a low - crystalline coating containing a mixture of silicon and silicon carbide can be deposited at 450 ° c . by using a si / c ratio of 1 . 0 in the feed gas . the procedures described in example 11 were repeated using the same reactor , specimens and reaction conditions with the exception of using 10 sccm of silane for depositing a thin silicon interlayer and a mixture of 10 sccm of silane and 15 sccm of methane for depositing a hard coating . the silicon to carbon ratio in the feed gas was 0 . 67 , indicating the presence of less than stoichiometric amount of silicon in the feed for the formation of silicon carbide . all the discs and flat wear specimens were deposited with an adherent and uniform ˜ 1 . 9 μm thick light gray coating with a surface hardness of ˜ 1 , 250 kg / nm 2 . the coating contained a mixture of low - crystalline silicon and silicon carbide -- the si / c atomic ratio determined by xps was ˜ 1 . 4 . this example , therefore , showed that a low - crystalline coating which contained a mixture of silicon and silicon carbide can be deposited at 450 ° c . by using a si / c ratio of 0 . 67 in the feed gas . the procedures described in example 11 were once again repeated using the same reactor , specimens and reaction conditions with the exception of using 5 sccm of silane during the deposition of a thin silicon inter - layer and a mixture of 5 sccm of silane and 15 sccm of methane for depositing a hard coating . the silicon to carbon ratio in the feed gas was 0 . 33 , indicating the presence of considerable less than stoichiometric amount of silicon in the feed for the formation of silicon carbide . all the discs and flat wear specimens were deposited with an adherent and uniform ˜ 3 . 1 μm thick drak gray coating with a surface hardness value of & gt ; 6 , 000 kg / mm 2 . the coating contained a mixture of low - crystalline silicon carbide and dlc -- the si / c atomic ratio determined by xps was ˜ 0 . 60 . this example , therefore , showed that a low - crystalline coating containing a mixture of silicon carbide and dlc can be deposited at 450 ° c . by using a si / c ratio of 0 . 33 in the feed gas . the friction and wear resistance properties of uncoated am - 355 stainless steel discs and those deposited with a mixture of either silicon and silicon carbide or silicon carbide and dlc in examples 11 - 13 above were determined using a ball - on - disc tribometer by the centre suisse d &# 39 ; electronique et de microtechnique s . a . ( csem ), neuchatel , switzerland . the tests were carried out in a dry (˜ 1 % relative humidity ), humid (˜ 99 % relative humidity ) or a lubricated ( shc mobil oil ) environment using uncoated and hardened 52 - 100 chrome steel balls and uncoated or coated discs at a constant load of 5n and a relative surface velocity of 10 cm / sec . the uncoated and coated discs were polished to a smooth surface finish prior to testing . the wear was determined by measuring the scar on the ball contact surface using optical microscopy and the depth of wear tracks on the disc with a profilometer . the test results obtained in the dry environment showed considerable reduction in friction coefficient and wear rate with the coatings compared to the uncoated disc ( see table 1 ). the friction coefficient and wear rate were considerably lower with the disc deposited with a mixture of silicon carbide and dlc coating compared to uncoated disc and those deposited with a mixture of silicon and silicon carbide coating . the test results showed that coatings containing a mixture of ( a ) silicon and silicon carbide and ( b ) silicon carbide and dlc can be used to improve friction and wear properties of metallic elements in the dry environment . under the humid environment , both friction coefficient and wear rate were higher with the disc deposited with a mixture of silicon and silicon carbide than the uncoated disc , as shown in table 2 . the friction coefficent and wear rate were , however , very favorable with a disc deposited with a mixture of silicon carbide and dlc compared to the uncoated disc . therefore , a coating containing a mixture of silicon carbide and dlc coating can be used to improve friction and wear properties of metallic elements employed in the humid environment . in the presence of shc 626 mobil oil the uncoated disc showed low friction coefficient and wear rate even after 1 . 6 × 10 6 revolutions , as shown in table 3 . although the discs coated in example 11 , 12 and 13 showed friction coefficients comparable to the one observed with the uncoated disc , they resulted in extremely low wear rate , as shown in table 3 . this example showed that hard coatings deposited in accordance with the present invention containing a mixture of ( a ) silicon and silicon carbide and ( b ) silicon carbide and dlc provided excellent wear resistance in dry and lubricated environments . it also showed that a mixture of silicon carbide and dlc coating was exceptionally good for the use in the humid environment . example describing abrasive wear performance of uncoated and coated am - 355 stainless steel specimens the abrasive wear resistance of uncoated am - 355 stainless steel specimen and the specimens deposited with a mixture of ( a ) silicon and silicon carbide and ( b ) silicon carbide and dlc coatings in examples 12 and 13 were determined using a taber tester , model # 503 , manufactured by teledyne taber of north tonawanda , n . y . the abrasive wear tests were carried out using a 1 kg load on cs - 17 abrasive wheel for a total of 10 , 000 revolutions . the abrasive wear performance was determined by measuring the loss in wieght by the specimens . the test results summarized in table 4 showed considerable reduction in the abrasive wear of specimen deposited with a mixture of silicon and silicon carbide or silicon carbide and dlc coating compared to the uncoated specimen -- the coated specimens reduced the wear rate by 3 to 13 times . this example showed that hard coatings containing a mixture of ( a ) silicon and silicon carbide and ( b ) silicon carbide and dlc provided excellent protection against abrasive wear . the procedures described in example 12 were repeated to deposit a hard coating on a number of 3 / 4 &# 34 ;× 1 &# 34 ;× 1 / 32 &# 34 ; molybdenum , am - 350 stainless steel and ti / 6a1 / 4v specimens . all the specimens were deposited with an adherent and uniform light gray coating containing a mixture of silicon and silicon carbide . the uncoated molybdenum specimen and the one deposited with a mixture of silicon and silicon carbide were oxidized in a muffle furnace at 650 ° c . under flowing air to quantify their oxidation resistance . the date summarized in table 5 showed that a mixture of silicon and silicon carbide coating provided an excellent protection against oxidation . examples describing effects of deposition temperature , pressure , and rf power on coating composition the procedures described in example 6 were repeated using the same reactor , specimens and flow rates of gases with the exception of using 300 ° c . during the plasma cleaning and the deposition steps . the silicon to carbon ratio in the feed gas was 1 . 0 , indicating the presence of stoichiometric amounts of silicon and carbon in the feed gas for the formation of silicon carbide . all the specimens were deposited with an adherent and uniform , ˜ 4 . 2 μm thick light gray coating with a surface hardness of ˜ 1 , 410 kg / mm 2 . the si / c atomic ratio in the coating was ˜ 1 . 5 , indicating it to be rich in silicon . this example , therefore , showed that a hard silicon based coating can be deposited at temperatures as low as 300 ° c . the procedures described in example 6 were repeated using the same reactor , specimens and flow rates of gases with the exception of using 0 . 25 torr pressure during the plasma cleaning and the deposition steps . all the specimens were deposited with an adherent and uniform , ˜ 2 . 3 μm thick light gray coating with a surface hardness of ˜ 920 kg / mm 2 . the si / c atomic ratio in the coating was ˜ 2 . 5 , indicating it to be rich in silicon . this example showed that a hard silicon based coating can be deposited at pressures as low as 0 . 25 torr . the procedures described in example 6 were repeated using the similar reactor , specimens and flow rates of gases with the exception of using 14 mhz radio frequency during the plasma cleaning and deposition steps . all the specimens were deposited with an adherent and uniform , ˜ 5 . 1 μm thick light gray coating with a surface hardness of ˜ 1 , 395 kg / mm 2 . the si / c atomic ratio in the coating was ˜ 1 . 6 , indicating it to be rich in silicon . this example showed that a hard silicon based coating can be deposited at higher radio frequencies . the foregoing examples illustrated that a wide variety of coatings can be deposited uniformly on a variety of metallic substrates by using the rf - pecvd reactor and process of this invention . without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention , one of ordinary skilled can make various changes and modification to the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions . as such , these changes and modifications are properly , equitably , and intended to be , within the full range of equivalence of the following claims . table 1______________________________________friction and wear test resultsin the dry environment wear rate , friction 10 . sup .- 15 m . sup . 2 / nspecimen coefficient disc ball total______________________________________uncoated 1 . 12 280 42 322am - 355 stainless steelcoated am - 355 stainless steelexample 11 0 . 96 33 41 74 ( silicon and silicon carbide ) example 12 0 . 95 75 21 96 ( silicon and silicon carbide ) example 13 0 . 82 15 8 23 ( silicon carbide and dlc ) ______________________________________ table 2______________________________________friction and wear test resultsin the humid environment wear rate friction 10 . sup .- 15 m . sup . 2 / nspecimen coefficient disc ball total______________________________________uncoated 0 . 57 0 7 7am - 355 stainless steelcoated am - 355 stainless steelexample 11 0 . 58 25 1 26 ( silicon and silicon carbide ) example 12 0 . 77 20 6 26 ( silicon and silicon carbide ) example 13 0 . 23 3 . 5 0 . 07 3 . 6 ( silicon carbide and dlc ) ______________________________________ table 3______________________________________friction and wear test resultsin the lubricated environment wear rate friction 10 . sup .- 15 m . sup . 2 / nspecimen coefficient disc ball total______________________________________uncoated 0 . 06 0 . 06 0 . 0002 0 . 0602am - 355 stainless steelcoated am - 355 stainlesssteelexamples 11 , 12 and 13 0 . 07 0 . 00 0 . 00001 0 . 00001______________________________________ table 4______________________________________abrasive wear test results weight loss after 10 , 000 revolutions , relativespecimen mg improvement * ______________________________________uncoated am - 355 stainless steel 17 -- coated am - 355 stainless steelexample 12 1 . 3 13 ( silicon and silicon carbide ) example 13 5 . 4 3 ( silicon carbide and dlc ) ______________________________________ ## str1 ## table 5______________________________________oxidation resistance behavior of theuncoated and coated molybdenum specimens exposure relative time , weight gain improve - specimen hours or loss , g ment * ______________________________________uncoated molybdenum 12 + 0 . 24 -- coated molybdenumexample 16 20 + 0 . 0007 343 ( silicon and silicon carbide ) ______________________________________ ## str2 ## 89rad | 2 |
fig2 illustrates an especially preferred method for characterizing the cleanliness of sputter target material . in accordance with this method , a cylindrical sample 50 of the sputter target material ( which preferably comprises metal or a metal alloy ) is compressed or worked to produce a disc - shaped test sample 52 having a planar upper surface 54 and a planar lower surface 56 approximately parallel to the upper surface 54 . thereafter , a focused ultrasonic transducer 60 is positioned near the upper surface 54 . the transducer 60 irradiates the upper surface 54 of the test sample 52 with a single , short - duration , megahertz frequency range ultrasonic pulse 62 . the transducer 60 subsequently detects an echo 64 induced in the test sample 52 by the pulse 62 . the transducer 60 converts the echo into an electrical signal ( not shown ), which is processed for use in characterizing the test sample 52 . more specifically , the sample 50 first is compressed along a dimension 70 to form the disc - shaped test sample 52 . preferably , the sample 50 is compressed by forging or rolling of the sample 50 , followed by diamond cutting to prepare the planar surfaces 54 and 56 . the reduction in the dimension 70 may be anywhere between 0 % to 100 %. the compression of the sample 50 flattens and widens any flaws 72 , so as to increase their surface area normal to the dimension 70 . as illustrated in fig3 the test sample 52 then is immersed in deionized water ( not shown ) in a conventional immersion tank 80 . the transducer 60 is mounted on a mechanical x - y scanner 82 in electrical communication with a controller 84 such as a pc controller . the controller 84 is programmed in a conventional manner to induce the mechanical x - y scanning unit 82 to move the transducer 60 in a raster - like stepwise motion across the upper surface 54 of the test sample 52 . the presently preferred transducer 60 is sold by panametrics usa under the designation v 319 . this is a high resolution piezoelectric transducer having a fixed focalization distance . at a center frequency of approximately 15 mhz with a 7 . 2 mhz (− 6 db ) bandwidth , the transducer produces a pulse 62 having a focal distance of approximately 51 mm and a focal spot 12 . 5 mm in diameter . most preferably , the upper surface 54 of the sample 52 has a width or diameter on the order of approximately 7 . 5 inches ( approximately 19 cm ). data acquisition steps of approximately 0 . 8 mm in both the “ x ”- direction and the “ y ”- directions permit the detection of 0 . 1 mm flat bottom holes at a detection level of − 6 db without exposure area overlap . one thereby irradiates approximately 50 , 000 - 500 , 000 test points on the upper surface 54 . most preferably , the transducer 60 is oriented so that the pulse 62 propagates through the deionized water ( not shown ) in the immersion tank 80 and strikes the test sample 52 approximately normally to the upper surface 54 . furthermore , the transducer 60 is preferably spaced from the upper surface 54 such that the pulse 62 is focused on a zone 86 ( fig2 ) of the test sample 52 between approximately 3 mm and 6 . 2 mm below the upper surface 54 . the pulse 62 interacts with the sample 52 to induce echoes 64 , which then propagate back through the deionized water ( not shown ) to the transducer 60 approximately 60 μsec after the pulse is sent . to increase the signal - to - noise ratio , the zone 86 ( fig2 ) in which the pulse 62 is focused should be located near the upper surface 54 . the waveform and duration of the pulse 62 should be chosen keeping in mind that very short pulses experience dispersion which smooths the pulse and makes the detection of small flaws more difficult . therefore , it is preferred that the pulse 62 be a “ gaussian ” wave packet including several cycles of oscillations . an especially preferred echo acquisition system includes a low noise gated preamplifier 90 ; a low noise linear amplifier 92 with a set of calibrated attenuators with a signal ( from 0 . 1 mm flat bottom hole )- to - noise ( texture ) ratio of 6 db ; and a 12 - bit ( 2 . 44 mv / bit ) analog - to - digital converter 94 . when sufficient time has elapsed for the echoes to arrive at the transducer 60 , the controller 84 switches the transducer 60 from a transmitting mode to a gated electronic receiving mode . the echoes 64 are received by the transducer 60 and converted into an rf electric amplitude signal ( not shown ). the amplitude signal is amplified by the preamplifier 90 and by the low noise linear amplifier 92 to produce a modified amplitude signal . the attenuators ( not shown ) associated with the low noise linear amplifier 92 attenuate a portion of the texture - related noise . the modified amplitude signal then is digitized by the analog - to - digital converter 94 before moving on to the controller 84 . the analog - to - digital conversion is performed so as to preserve amplitude information from the analog modified amplitude signal . flaws of given sizes are detected by comparing the digitized modified amplitude signals obtained from the sample 52 with reference values derived from tests conducted on reference samples ( not shown ) having compositions similar to that of the test sample 10 and blind flat - bottomed holes of fixed depth and diameter . the especially - preferred pc controller 84 includes a microprocessor 100 programmed to control the data acquisition process . an especially preferred software package used in connection with the data acquisition system is available from structural diagnostics , inc . under the designation sdi - 5311 winscan 4 . the microprocessor 100 is also programmed to calculate the cleanliness factor characterizing the material of the samples 50 , 52 . more precisely , it is programmed to discriminate texture - related backscattering noise and to distinguish “ flaw data points ,” that is , digitized modified amplitude signals received from the analog - to - digital converter 94 representing amplitudes which , after comparison with the calibrations values , indicate the presence of flaws . one especially preferred method for discriminating texture related noise is to reject echoes having amplitudes less than an echo amplitude threshold . the microprocessor 100 maintains a count of the flaw data points detected during the testing of a test sample 52 to determine a flaw count “ c f .” the microprocessor 100 also is programmed to distinguish “ no - flaw data points ,” that is , digitized modified amplitude signals representing amplitudes which , after comparison with the calibration values , indicate the absence of flaws . the microprocessor 100 also determines a total number of data points “ c dp ,” that is , the sum of the flaw count c f and the number of no - flaw data points . although the total number of data points could be determined by maintaining counts of the flaw data points and the no - flaw data points , it is preferably determined by counting the total number of positions “ c 1 ” along the upper surface 54 at which the test sample 52 is irradiated by the transducer 60 and subtracting the number of digitized rf signals “ c n ” which the data acquisition circuitry was unable due to noise or other causes , to identify as either flaw data points or no - flaw data points . ( alternatively , the “ noise count ” c n may be described as the number of positions along the upper surface 54 at which neither a flaw data point nor a no - flaw data point is detected .) having determined the flaw count c f and the total number of data points c dp , the microprocessor is programmed to calculate the cleanliness factor f c =( c f / c dp )× 10 6 to characterize the material comprising the samples 50 , 52 . unlike the prior art “ flaws per cubic centimeter ,” the magnitude of the cleanliness factor is not dependent on any estimate of pulse cross - sectional area since the cleanliness factor is normalized by the dimensionless coefficient c dp × 10 − 6 rather than by volume , it is more closely related to ppm and ppb units than are units of “ flaws per cubic centimeter .” the preparation of a suitable program for determining the cleanliness factor in accordance with the invention as disclosed herein is within the ordinary skill in the art and requires no undue experimentation . another way in which to characterize the material comprising the samples 50 , 52 is by determining the size distribution of flaws in the test sample 52 . more specifically , one may characterize the cleanliness of the sample 52 by defining amplitude bands or ranges ; comparing the amplitudes represented by the digitized modified amplitude signal magnitudes with the amplitude bands to form subsets of the modified amplitude signals ; counting these subsets of modified amplitude signals to determine a modified amplitude signal counts for each amplitude band ; and constructing a histogram relating the modified signal counts to said plurality of amplitude bands . since the amplitudes represented by the digitized modified amplitude signals are related to the sizes of flaws detected in the sample 52 , the histogram provides an indication of the flaw size distribution in the sample 52 . turning now to fig4 and 5 , there may be seen histograms characterizing two al - 0 . 5 wt % cu alloy sputter target materials having orthorhombic textures and grain sizes in the range of 0 . 08 mm to 0 . 12 mm . the material of fig4 was “ cleaner ” than that of fig5 ; the material of fig4 had a cleanliness factor of 183 , while the material of fig5 had a cleanliness factor signal of 1 , 714 . the zone of flaw monitoring was located within a gate of 1 microsecond duration with a gate delay of 0 . 9 microseconds . the abscissa 100 of the histogram of fig4 represents amplitude normalized as a percentage of the echo amplitude induced in a reference sample having a 0 . 1 mm blind , flat - bottomed hole . the ordinate 102 in fig4 represents the modified signal counts for each amplitude , expressed on a logarithmic scale . the echo amplitude threshold for the flaw counting was set to 48 % since , as established experimentally , the texture - related echo amplitude did not exceed 45 % for all aluminum alloys tested . the abscissa 104 and ordinate 106 of the histogram of fig5 were scaled similarly . the histograms of fig4 and 5 represent an improvement over prior art imaging techniques in that the distribution of flaw sizes may be represented without having to represent flaw sizes relative to the surface area of the test sample ( not shown ). the preparation of a suitable program for plotting histograms such as those shown in fig4 and 5 in accordance with the invention as disclosed herein is within the ordinary skill in the art and requires no undue experimentation . either the cleanliness factor or histograms such as those shown in fig4 and 5 may be used in a process for manufacturing sputter targets . as noted earlier , the cleanliness of a sputter target is one factor determining the quality of the layers or films produced by the target . by shaping only those sputter target blanks having cleanliness factors less than reference cleanliness factors , or having histograms with selected columns or areas less than reference values , to form sputter targets , and rejecting blanks not meeting those criteria , one improves the likelihood that the sputter targets so manufactured will produce high quality layers or films . while the method herein described , and the form of apparatus for carrying this method into effect , constitutes a preferred embodiment of this invention , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise method and form of apparatus , and that changes may be made in either without departing from the scope of the invention , which is defined in the appended claims . | 6 |
[ 0009 ] fig2 is a section view of a heterojunction bipolar transistor which is modified in accordance with one embodiment of the invention . the transistor comprises a gaas substrate 10 on which is formed an n + doped gaas subcollector region 12 and a n doped gaas collector 14 which includes an n doped layer 14 ′ and n − doped layer 14 ″ which abuts a p + gaas base 16 . an n doped ingaas emitter 18 is formed on base 16 with an n + cap layer 20 formed on emitter 18 . cap layer 20 can comprise an n + doped gaas layer with an n + ingaas layer thereon . contacts 22 , 24 , and 26 are formed on the emitter , base , and collector , respectively . since the kirk effect induced breakdown happens near the collector - subcollector junction , the provision of non - uniform doping as illustrated in fig2 with increased doping concentration in the collector near the subcollector layer will mitigate the effect . however , to have an optimum design , one has to be careful not to make the more heavily doped collector layer too thick or use a doping concentration close to that in the heavily doped subcollector layer . otherwise , bvcbo and therefore the soa boundary i will suffer . table i illustrates four collector structures and the respective calculated breakdown voltage . collectors made of gaas are assumed in the calculation . the standard structure has a uniformly doped collector , which one would normally use to have a high breakdown voltage . the other three collector structures , a , b , and c , all have non - uniform collector doping profiles , and each has a more heavily doped layer inserted in the subcollector side of the collector layer . the differences among the three structures , a , b , and c , are in the thickness of the low and high doped layers and the doping concentration in the high doped layer . all four structures have the same total collector thickness of 3 μm . the same emitter size of 24 μm 2 is used in the calculation . a constant breakdown field is assumed , and when the electric field reaches its value , the device fails because the collector breakdown and the soa boundaries are closely related to each other . the bvcbo decrease when a more heavily doped layer is included in the collector near the subcollector region . however , if the layer is kept thin relative to the total collector thickness , and its doping level remains low relative to the subcollector doping which is typically on the order of 10 18 ions cm − 3 , the decrease in bvcbo is minimal since a large portion of the collector close to the base remains at low doping level . the breakdown induced by the kirk effect , however , changes drastically with changes in the collector structure . at ic = 10 ma , for example , one can see that the breakdown voltage can be increased by more than a factor of two if a proper structure is used . [ 0012 ] fig3 shows the soa ( breakdown voltage as a function of ic ) of the four devices . a great improvement in soa boundary ii is obtained by using the invention illustrated in these embodiments . an added advantage for these structures is the reduced on resistance when the devices are in saturation because of the higher doping in the collector region near the subcollector layer . while a two - step , low high collector doping profile is used in these embodiments , other embodiments can realize the non - uniform collector doping profile for the improvement of soa boundary ii . for example , one can use multiple layers in the collector instead of two doping layers . the layer with the lowest doping concentration is near the base , and that with the highest doping concentration is near the subcollector which has the highest doping level . alternatively , a continuous grading in the collector doping profile can be used to improve soa boundary ii . the key is to have the more heavily doped collector region near the subcollector layer and the more lightly doped region near the base , and the heaviest doping concentration in the collector layer remains lower than that in the subcollector layer . the invention can be applied to all heterojunction bipolar transistors , including for example , algaas / gaas , ingap / gaas , inp / ingaas , inalas / ingaas , and inalgaas / ingaas single and double heterojunction bipolar transistors with gaas , ingaas , inp , algaas , ingap , inalas , or a combination thereof as the collector material . the invention can be also applied to si based bipolar transistors including si / sige heterojunction bipolar transistors . while the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments , the description is illustrative of the invention and is not to be construed as limiting the invention . various modifications and applications may occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . | 7 |
with reference to fig1 , example system 10 primarily includes computer 12 . computer 12 executes transaction software 14 for completing a vehicle rental transaction involving an automobile or other motor vehicle 44 . transaction software 14 additionally programs vehicle key 20 for use with vehicle security system 40 so that a rental customer may operate vehicle 44 . transaction software 14 may additionally offer upgrades to more expensive vehicles that are available . since keys 20 are programmable , there is no need to organize or search for keys . transaction software 14 obtains an encrypted code associated with vehicle security system 40 from host computer 30 and stores the encrypted code within key 20 . computer 12 includes a processor , memory , display , input device , and peripherals for completing vehicle rental transactions . the display and input device may be combined as a touch screen . an example peripheral includes a card reader for reading credit and other payment cards and code reader / writer 16 for reading and programming key 20 . code reader / writer 16 may include a wired or wireless device . an example wireless device includes a near field communication ( nfc ) reader / writer . code reader / writer 16 may be connected to computer 12 through a wired connection , such as a universal serial bus ( usb ) connection . code reader / writer 16 may alternatively be integrated within computer 12 . computer 12 may include many different types of computing devices . for example , computer 12 may include an assisted - service transaction terminal , typically located in a vehicle rental office . alternatively , computer 12 may include a self - service transaction terminal or kiosk , which may also be located in a vehicle rental office . as yet another alternative , computer 12 may include a portable computing device , which gives vehicle rental employees the freedom to complete assisted - service vehicle rental transactions anywhere within vehicle rental locations . as yet another alternative , computer 12 may include one or more computers at the same or different locations . for example , computer 12 may include a web server capable of completing an on - line transaction through an internet or other network connection with a remote computer 18 , and an in - store computer for programming key 20 . as another example , computer 12 may include a self - service computer , such as a kiosk , in an airport for completing a transaction , and a portable computer at a vehicle location for programming key 20 . key 20 may be a card , key fob , token , or other tangible portable device . key 20 communicates with vehicle security system 40 to lock and unlock vehicle doors , to start an engine or motor of vehicle 44 , to lock and unlock vehicle steering columns , and to lock and unlock interior storage bins , such as glove boxes . other uses are also envisioned . key 20 includes communication and control circuitry 22 and memory 24 . communication and control circuitry 22 receives an encrypted code from computer 12 and stores the encrypted code in memory 24 . communication and control circuitry 22 may also send the encrypted code to computer 12 . transaction software 14 may then request that host computer 30 verify that the code stored in memory 24 is the correct code for vehicle security system 40 . key 20 may be a wired or wireless device . for example , key 20 may include nfc capability . key 20 may derive power from code reader / writers 16 and 42 or optionally a battery 26 . key 20 may be a passive device . memory 24 may include static or dynamic rewritable memory . a rewritable memory offers the advantage of eliminating a permanent association between a particular key 20 and vehicle security system 40 . any key 20 not involved in a current vehicle rental transaction may be cleared of its encrypted code or reprogrammed with another encrypted code associated with another vehicle security system 40 . following the rental period agreed upon in the rental transaction , which may be construed as the return of vehicle 44 and key 20 , key 20 may be stored in a bin with other keys 20 until it is selected for use in a subsequent vehicle rental transaction . host computer 30 may be located on or off site from a vehicle rental location . host computer 30 executes code management software 32 for storing , retrieving , and encrypting unique codes associated with vehicle security systems 40 . computer 12 may be coupled to host computer 30 via wired or wireless network connections , or a combination of the both . the functions of computer 12 and host computer 30 may be combined into one computer . in one example embodiment , customers obtain keys 20 from vehicle rental locations . during an assisted - service transaction , a customer may obtain a programmed key 20 from an employee . during a self - service transaction , a customer may obtain an available unprogrammed key 20 from an employee or an adjacent bin and program it using self - service transaction terminal 20 . during a transaction with a roaming employee , a customer may obtain a programmed key 20 from the roaming employee . following an on - line transaction , transaction software 14 may issue the customer with credentials for obtaining key 20 upon arrival at the vehicle rental location . the customer may obtain a programmed key 20 using any of the methods identified in this paragraph . in another example embodiment , some customers , such as loyalty customers , may go straight to their assigned vehicles and find programmed keys 20 there . in yet another example embodiment , some customers , such as loyalty customers , may retain keys 20 . transaction software 14 reprograms such keys 20 during each vehicle rental transaction . vehicle security system 40 controls one or more functions related to the security of a vehicle , which may include controlling electronic ignition , electric door locks , transmission position , and alarms . vehicle security system 40 obtains an encrypted code from key 20 , decrypts the code using an encryption key , which may include a sequence of numbers used to encrypt or decrypt vehicle codes , and compares it a reference code stored within a memory of vehicle computer system 40 . if the codes match , vehicle computer system 40 disables alarms , releases door locks , permits starting of the vehicle , and permits placing the transmission in gear . if the codes do not match , then a security violation has occurred . a legitimate customer whose key 20 has a code that does not match must reprogram key 20 , have it reprogrammed , or obtain a new key 20 . vehicle security system 40 uses code reader / writer 42 to communicate with key 20 . code reader / writer 42 may include a wired or wireless device . for example , code reader / writer 42 may include an nfc reader / writer . code reader / writer 42 may be connected to vehicle security system 40 through a wired connection , such as a universal serial bus ( usb ) connection . code reader / writer 42 may alternatively be integrated within vehicle security system 40 . vehicle security system 40 may also communicate directly with host computer 30 . in one example embodiment , vehicle security system 40 may communicate with host computer 30 over a cellular connection to security information within vehicle security system , such as encryption key updates . for this purpose , host computer 30 and vehicle security system 40 would include cellular communication circuitry . with reference to fig2 , an example method of operation is illustrated . this method involves a customer who is located at a vehicle rental facility and completes either an assisted - service or self - service transaction . in step 50 , transaction software 14 provides a start screen . the start screen may include a web page . a customer or employee chooses an option to begin a new transaction . in step 52 , transaction software 14 displays a screen for entering customer information . in step 54 , transaction software 14 records customer information , including customer name , address , and travel itinerary . customers may provide loyalty or club membership information during this step . in step 56 , transaction software 14 displays a screen containing choices of available vehicles and prices . in step 58 , transaction software 14 records a choice for a vehicle . in step 60 , transaction software 14 optionally displays an upgrade offer and records a customer acceptance or rejection of the upgrade offer . in step 62 , transaction software 14 displays a payment screen with payment options , including insurance options . in step 64 , transaction software 14 records customer payment . in step 66 , transaction software 14 obtains an encrypted code associated with the chosen vehicle from host computer 30 . in step 68 , transaction software 14 displays a screen containing instructions for programming key 20 . in step 70 , transaction software 14 causes code reader / writer 16 to program key 20 with the encrypted code . in step 72 , transaction software 14 displays a final screen indicating that the transaction is complete . with reference to fig3 , another example method of operation is illustrated involving an on - line customer . in step 80 , transaction software 14 displays a start screen . the customer connects to the vehicle rental facility web site and begins a vehicle rental transaction . in step 82 , transaction software 14 displays a screen for entering customer information . in step 84 , transaction software 14 records customer information , including customer name , address , and travel itinerary . in step 86 , transaction software 14 displays a screen containing choices of available vehicles and prices . in step 88 , transaction software 14 records a choice for a vehicle . in step 90 , transaction software 14 optionally displays an upgrade offer and records a customer acceptance or rejection of the upgrade offer . in step 92 , transaction software 14 displays a payment screen with payment options , including insurance options . in step 94 , transaction software 14 records customer payment . in step 96 , transaction software 14 issues the customer a confirmation number or other credentials indicating that the customer has completed a vehicle rental transaction . the customer completes the remainder of steps during a subsequent visit to a vehicle rental facility using an assisted - service or full - service computer 12 . in step 98 , transaction software 14 provides a start screen . in step 100 , transaction software 14 displays a screen for entering customer information . in step 102 , transaction software 14 records customer information , including the confirmation number . in step 104 , transaction software 14 looks up the reservation information associated with the confirmation number . in step 106 , transaction software 14 obtains an encrypted code associated with the chosen vehicle from host computer 30 . in step 108 , transaction software 14 displays a screen containing instructions for programming key 20 . in step 110 , transaction software 14 causes code reader / writer 16 to program key 20 with the encrypted code . in step 112 , transaction software 14 displays a final screen indicating that the transaction is complete . although particular reference has been made to certain embodiments , variations and modifications are also envisioned within the spirit and scope of the following claims . | 8 |
fig1 illustrates a fence section module 20 of a delay - and - detect system in accordance with the invention . the fence section structural support elements include a base frame 21 , a first upright post 22 , and an extension arm 23 . the first upright post 22 is coupled to a first end 24 of the base frame 21 so as to extend substantially perpendicular to the plane defined by base frame . a first end of the extension arm 23 is coupled the same first end 24 of the base frame 21 so as to extend parallel to the base frame . the extension arm 23 includes a lower portion 25 that is parallel to the base frame and a second upright post 26 extending perpendicular from an end of the lower portion . each frame section includes at least two sets of first upright posts 22 and extension arms 23 . as may be appreciated , adjacent fence modules provide additional structural support elements . a first semi - rigid fence section 27 is coupled between each adjacent pair of first upright posts 22 . the first fence section 27 is preferably coupled to the first upright posts 22 so as to provide a generally flat vertical fence plane extending parallel to the vertical plane defined by the first upright posts . in one embodiment , the first fence section 27 extends in line with the upper edges of the first upright posts 22 , as is illustrated in fig1 . in another embodiment , the first fence section 27 extends beyond the edge of the first upright posts 22 . a second semi - rigid fence section 28 is coupled between second upright posts 26 of adjacent extension arms 23 . the second fence section 28 is preferably coupled to the second upright posts 26 so as to provide a generally flat vertical plane extending parallel to the vertical plane defined by the upright supports 26 . in the embodiment illustrated in fig1 , the second fence section extends beyond the edge of the second upright posts 26 . in other embodiments , the second fence section extends only to the edge of the second upright posts 26 ( fig5 ). a third semi - rigid fence section 29 is coupled between the second upright posts 26 and a point located a short distance along the first upright post 22 from the connection point of the first upright post and the base frame 21 . in one embodiment , the third fence section 29 is coupled so as to form an acute angle between the third fence section and the extension arm lower portion 25 . in one embodiment , this angle is about 30 degrees . in the illustrated embodiment , an extension portion 30 of the third section 29 is positioned parallel to the second fence section and is supported by the second upright posts 26 . a first vibration sensing module 31 is coupled to the first fence section 27 so as to sense disturbances of the first fence section by a possible intruder . a second vibration sensing module 32 is coupled to the third fence section 29 so as to sense disturbances of the third fence section . as may be appreciated , the first vibration sensing module 31 and the second vibration sensing module 32 may each include a plurality of sensors equally spaced along the first fence section 24 and the third fence section 29 or a continuous sensing module such as a fiber optic cable . fig2 illustrates a front view of the fence module 20 of fig1 . a pair of first upright posts 22 are shown positioned in perpendicular to the base frame 21 . fig3 illustrates a top view of the fence module of fig1 . in the illustrated embodiment , each base frame 21 includes three parallel longitudinal beams 40 , 41 , 42 and five parallel lateral beams 43 , 44 , 45 , 56 , 47 . two of the longitudinal beams serve as a front beam 40 and as a rear beam 42 of the base frame . two of the lateral beams serve as end beams 43 , 47 . as discussed with reference to fig1 and 2 , the first upright posts 22 and the extension arms 23 are coupled to the front beam 40 of the base frame . in one embodiment , these connection points proximate to the connection points 52 , 53 coupling the end lateral beam 43 and the central lateral beam 45 to the front beam 40 . in the illustrated embodiment , no support section elements are coupled to one of the two end beams 47 . to provide a continuous perimeter fence , adjacent base frames are initially joined by connecting an end beam 47 , 49 which does not include supporting structure to an end beam 43 , 48 on an adjacent module which includes supporting structure . as may be appreciated , in some embodiments , the base from is coupled to other base frames before any supporting structure is installed . in some embodiments , the base frame 21 is anchored to the underlying substrate by anchor elements ( not shown ) positioned adjacent to beams of the base frame . accordingly , the optional anchoring elements are placed at various locations within the interior of the frame defined by the end beams 43 , 47 , and the front and rear beams 40 , 42 , as permitted by terrain conditions . this anchoring is much more flexible than prior methods which required linear anchoring , at points along the length of a fence section where supporting posts are to be situated . as illustrated in fig1 , in one embodiment , a razor coil configuration 33 is placed on the base frame 21 of the fence module , adjacent to the upright support post 22 , to provide additional delay mechanism . in the illustrated razor coil configuration , a pair of braces 34 are used to secure razor coil elements 35 to one another so as to provide for a rigid pyramid - like coil structure 33 . as may be appreciated , a plurality of fence modules are coupled together as discussed above to form a barrier extending from a first fence module to a final module at an opposite end of the barrier . the barrier modules are positioned such that the extension arms 23 are facing the exterior , or non - secure , side of the barrier . in operation , the second fence section 28 , coupled to the second upright posts 26 , serves as a delay mechanism to inhibit access to the sensor modules 31 , 32 , and prevent objects from striking the third fence section or the first fence section and thereby trigger a false alarm . if an intruder gains access through the second fence section 28 , contact will be made with the third fence section 29 , which is positioned at an angle extending from the base of the second fence section . the second vibration sensing module 32 senses such contact and reports an alarm condition . an attempt to bypass the detection provided by the third fence section 29 and directly jump onto or climb the first fence section 27 will be detected by the first vibration sensing module 31 coupled to the first fence section . the first fence section 27 also serves to delay an intruder so as to allow time for security personnel to arrive at the alarm location when an alarm is triggered by contact with the third fence section or the first fence section 27 . additionally delay is provided by the razor coil configuration 33 placed beyond the first fence section 27 in the illustrated embodiment . as may be appreciated , the use of the angular third fence section 29 provides for an early alarm indication , prior to the time an intruder attempts to bypass the first fence section 27 . furthermore , the rate of false alarms resulting from animal contact with the third fence section 29 is reduced by placing the third fence section behind the second fence section 28 . moreover , the second fence section 28 prevents tampering with the sensors 31 , 32 on the first fence section 27 and the third fence section 29 . the fence section configuration of the invention provides early detection of potential intrusion at substantially lower costs than those associated with prior art configurations where independent sensing systems are placed in front of a physical barrier , such as by placing a microwave system in front of a razor wire fence . the third fence section configuration is also substantially cheaper than pressure or vibration sensing means buried in the ground in front of the physical barrier . moreover , such buried sensing systems may not be suitable where conditions do not allow for digging . additionally , the third fence section configuration provides a compact physical barrier that can be placed in space restricted environment . fig4 illustrates an embodiment of a fence module in accordance with the invention , where the base frame is replaced by a ground anchor , provided below the first upright posts 22 a . where conditions allow anchoring , a fence module of the invention , as illustrated in fig4 , nonetheless provides advantages over prior systems by the high delay and detection capabilities relative to the overall dimensions of the module . an anchoring extension 56 is provided from the first upright post 22 a so as to extend below the supporting surface , preferably in a underground cavity . the first upright support post 22 a is preferably anchored within a rigid anchoring substance 55 such as concrete . an optional supporting sleeve 54 is provided around the substrate cavity so as to ( add reason ). as may be appreciated , various anchoring techniques may be used in other embodiments without departing from the spirit of the invention . fig5 illustrates an alternate configuration of a fence module of the invention , which is configured for use in restricted spaces . the fence module 59 is intended for use in areas where topographical or environmental conditions do not allow for placement of configurations such as those in fig1 . the fence module 59 maintains the overall configuration of the invention by employing a pair of supporting posts 61 , 62 , and a base frame 21 a . the base frame 21 a is constructed substantially as discusses with reference to the base frame of fig3 , with differences including different connection points to the supporting posts as may be appreciated . sensor modules 66 , 67 , are provided on a first fence section 64 of the first supporting post 61 . a second fence section 63 is also provided on the second supporting post 62 for additional delay functionality . a pair of razor coils 68 are provided above the first and second supporting posts 61 , 62 so as to provide additional delay when an intruder attempts to climb over the fence module 59 . an advantage of the fence module 59 is that it does not require anchoring and can be installed and removed without disturbing the underlying substrate . accordingly , the fence module 59 , as well as the fence module of fig1 are suitable for installing over access roads , above sewage pipes and other utilities , and over rocky terrain . fig6 illustrates a fence module 69 in accordance with the invention , which is configured for placement adjacent to an existing fence or other structure . the fence module includes a first supporting post 22 b , a base frame 21 b , and a second supporting post 72 . the first support post 22 b and the second supporting post 72 are coupled to the base frame 21 b so as to extend perpendicular from the base frame . a first fence section 27 b is coupled between adjacent first supporting posts . a second fence section 28 b is coupled between adjacent second supporting posts 72 . a third fence section 29 b is coupled between the second supporting posts 72 , and the first supporting posts 22 b . the third fence section 29 b is coupled between the second supporting posts 72 and the first supporting posts 22 b so as to form a acute angle with the base frame 21 b as is shown in fig6 . a first sensor module 31 b is coupled to the first fence section 27 b . a second sensor module 32 b is coupled to the third fence section 29 b . a plurality of razor coils 74 is provided on the base frame behind the first fence section so as to occupy a space between the first fence section and an existing fence 76 . accordingly , the fence module of fig6 provides delay and detection capabilities in a restricted space environment , without interference with the underlying substrate and in a configuration which maximizes delay while providing reliable sensing functionality ( i . e ., low false alarms , high detection reliability ). although the present invention was discussed in terms of certain preferred embodiments , the invention is not limited to such embodiments . a person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that numerous variations and combinations of the features set forth above can be utilized without departing from the present invention as set forth in the claims . thus , the scope of the invention should not be limited by the preceding description but should be ascertained by reference to claims that follow . | 4 |
as used herein , the term &# 34 ; transition alumina &# 34 ; means a high surface area alumina in a powdered or fine particulate form . one preferred way of defining such alumina materials uses surface area and loss on ignition ( loi ) measurement criteria . more specifically , an alumina having a brunauer - emmett - teller or b . e . t .! measured surface area of about 100 m 2 / g or more would be considered as having a high surface area and thus qualify as a transition alumina for purposes of this invention . aluminas having an loi weight percentage of about 1 . 5 % or more would also qualify as a transition alumina under this definition while a typical δ -- al 2 o 3 would not . one particular preferred type of transition aluminas is referred to as &# 34 ; rehydratable aluminas &# 34 ;. they tend to form strong hydroxyl bonds on contact with water and their rehydration reactions are highly exothermic . the particle sizes for such aluminas may range from 0 . 01 - 200 μ , with a range of about 0 . 1 to 10 or 20 micrometers being more preferred . certain activated aluminas are more suitable than others for purposes of this invention . most are high surface area aluminas formed by the rapid calcination of hydrated aluminas at temperatures below that required for complete dehydration or calcination . typically , such aluminas are amorphous ( i . e ., have no microcrystalline structure ) as determined by x - ray diffraction . on a more preferred basis , the trivalent metal oxide powder combined with magnesia according to this invention is formed by the rapid dehydration of alumina trihydrate , typically by passing such trihydrate through a flame or hot gas for about 0 . 5 to several seconds . the resulting alumina derivative has an loi value of about 4 - 12 % by weight , and a bet surface area of about 200 - 300 m 2 / g . one representative and preferred material is the line of activated alumina powders sold commercially by the aluminum company of america ( alcoa ) under its cp series designation . such powder particulates are available in a variety of sizes . for such powders , the numeral following alcoa &# 39 ; s cp designation represents the average particle size for that product ; thus , greater than 50 % of the particles in alcoa &# 39 ; s cp - 1 powder measure 1 micron or larger . for alcoa &# 39 ; s cp - 2 powder , greater than 50 % measure 2μ or more , and so on for alcoa &# 39 ; s cp - 5 , cp - 7 and cp - 100 product line . as used herein , magnesia or magnesium oxide refers to the magnesium - based product activated by &# 34 ; soft burning &# 34 ; at one or more temperatures between about 450 °- 900 ° c . it generally has a surface area of 10 - 200 m 2 / g , preferably about 25 - 150 m 2 / g and an l . o . i . ranging from 1 . 0 to 6 . 0 wt . %. the percent carbon dioxide for such material generally ranges between 0 . 51 and 1 . 61 %. such criteria distinguishes this preferred product from activated magnesia which has been dead - burned or completely calcined . although the latter may still produce meixnerite at longer reaction times and under more strenuous reaction conditions , the percent yields from such conditions are significantly lower than those resulting for the present invention . there are numerous means for making an activated magnesia product to combine with transition aluminas according to this invention . for example , commercially sold magnesium carbonate can be heated to drive off carbon dioxide and thus form a reactive magnesia thereby . magnesium oxide may also be made by heating either natural or synthetic magnesium hydroxides to temperatures between 380 °- 950 ° c ., or basic magnesium carbonate by heating mgcl 2 with lime . various methods known to those skilled in the art may be used to generate magnesia powders of various particles sizes and / or surface areas . as used herein , the term &# 34 ; carbonate contamination &# 34 ; pertains to the level of carbonate ( or co 3 - 2 ) in the final product . sometimes , this is stated as a percent carbon which must be converted to a more representative level of actual carbonate contamination . still other divalent metal oxides , such as cao , may be combined with transition aluminas or other powdered trivalent metal oxides according to the aforementioned methods . one way of summarizing this mechanism is by the following chemical reaction : 6mgo + al 2 o 3 . xh 2 o + 12h 2 o → mg 6 al 2 ( oh ) 16 ( oh ) 2 . ( 3 + x ) h 2 o wherein x ranges from about 0 . 1 to about 1 . 0 . it is preferrred that ph &# 39 ; s be maintained at a level of 11 or higher in order to enhance overall solubility of the transition alumina reactant . still other temperature limitations on the contacting water solution have also proven beneficial to overall yield . it is preferred that this reaction proceed at one or more temperatures between about 80 ° and 180 ° c . at such temperatures , yields in excess of about 85 to 90 % are commonly observed . more preferred reaction temperatures generally run between about 95 °- 150 ° c . there are various end uses for the products made by the method of this invention . most notably , such compounds can be converted into hydrotalcite or a hydrotalcite - like material through contact with carbonate or another anion substitute . each of the following examples were conducted at two temperatures : atmospheric boiling ( or 98 ° c .) and 150 ° c . considerable conversion occurs after 2 hours at atmospheric boiling . but even greater conversion was observed after 22 . 8 hours ( based on x - ray diffraction patterns ). a better crystallized magnesium aluminum layered double hydroxide was made by heating a slurry mixture of magnesium oxide and alumina to 150 ° c . for 2 hours or more . magnesium oxide was prepared by heating hydromagnesite sold by fisher scientific and having the formula mg 5 ( co 3 ) 4 ( oh ) 2 . 4h 2 o , for 2 hours at about 475 ° c . about 52 . 5 grams of this mgo was charged into a reactor with 34 . 2 grams of alcoa cp - 2 activated alumina ( having an average particle size of 2 microns . the contents of this reactor were then stirred constantly and heated for 4 hours at 60 ° c . the reactor temperature was then raised to 98 ° c . and held there for an additional 18 . 5 hours . a sample of the slurry taken 2 hours after the reaction mixture reached 98 ° c . was then filtered , and the solids dried at 105 ° c . x - ray diffraction analysis showed that the solids so produced were mostly meixnerite - like , with some magnesium hydroxide present . the slurry reaction mixture was stirred and heated for another 16 hours before cooling and filtering . the filter cake was then dried overnight at 105 ° c . x - ray diffraction analysis showed that the latter filter cake solid was mostly meixnerite , with some residual magnesium hydroxide . another slurry of the same composition as above was stirred constantly and heated to 60 ° c ., then held at that temperature for 4 hours . the temperature was then increased to 150 ° c . and kept there for another 18 . 8 hours . a slurry sample taken 2 hours after the reaction mixture reached 150 ° c . contained meixnerite and some converted mg ( oh ) 2 . two more samples taken from the solids as the cooled reaction slurry was filtered , showed only a meixnerite - like material forming . about 52 . 5 g of magnesium oxide and 34 . 2 of activated alumina were mixed in a turbula powder mixer for 2 hours . the blended powders were then formed into an agglomerate , or more specifically pellets , using a hydraulic press and about 5 , 000 pounds of pressure . the resulting pellets had a diameter of about 0 . 40 inch ( 10 . 2 mm ) and required about 0 . 50 grams of mixed powder to form . ten pellets , formed as described above , were placed in a beaker under a layer of deionized water . the system was brought to atmospheric boiling ( by heating to one or more temperatures between about 80 °- 180 ° c . ( 176 °- 356 ° f .)) and kept there for about 2 hours . the only stirring was from turbulence due to the boiling water . one pellet separated into three pieces , another into two . the rest remained whole though several had cracks perpendicular to the direction of pressing . according to x - ray diffraction analysis , the pellets included meixnerite - like compounds , a minor amount of mg ( oh ) 2 , and trace amounts of mgo . ten more of the foregoing pellets were placed in a parr pressure reactor with some deionized water . the reactor was then closed , heated to about 150 ° c . and held at that temperature for about 2 hours . after the reactor cooled , the pellets were removed and dried overnight at 110 ° c . in a vacuum oven . upon x - ray diffraction analysis , the pellets contained a meixnerite - like compound and minor amounts of boehmite . a mineral sample containing magnesite , dolomite , and quartz was ground to minus 325 mesh ( 44 micrometers ) and calcined for 2 hours at 700 ° c ., thus resulting in a total weight loss of 46 . 5 %. analysis of this material showed about 16 . 9 wt . % magnesium , about 5 . 66 wt . % calcium , about 1 . 75 wt . % silicon , and about 0 . 4 wt . % iron ( mg , ca , and si were measured by atomic absorption ; and the iron by qualitative spectroscopy ). the carbon dioxide content was found to be 46 . 2 % by leco analysis . the reactor charge consisted of 750 ml of deionized water , 34 . 2 grams of alcoa cp - 2 alumina , and 61 . 8 grams of the latter calcined magnesite . the resulting slurry was placed in a parr autoclave reactor and stirred constantly while being heated for 4 hours at 60 ° c . after heating to atmospheric boiling for 2 hours , a slurry sample was withdrawn . the end contents were then filtered , dried at 110 ° c . overnight and sampled for analysis . according to x - ray diffraction , the solids consisted of meixnerite - like materials and tricalcium aluminate with trace quantities of quartz . the reaction slurry was heated to 150 ° c . and a slurry sample withdrawn after 2 hours . the reactor contents were then filtered at the end of the run and a sample of filter cake taken for analysis . both samples were dried at 110 ° c . overnight . each solid consisted of a major amount of meixnerite - like material , tricalcium aluminate , a trace amount of quartz , and traces of boehmite according to x - ray diffraction analysis . for comparative purposes , several meixnerite samples were prepared using an ai ( oh ), starting material in combination with the magnesium oxide described in above example 1 . these samples did not perform as well as the transition alumina - prepared samples using a direct comparative chromate ( cro 4 2 - ) absorption test ( for approximating the relative amounts of meixnerite - like materials present in the resulting products ). table______________________________________ formation chrome load (%) sample aluminum source time ( hrs ) vs . std . ! ______________________________________a cp - 2 alumina 18 . 5 11 . 64 6 . 82 ! b al ( oh ). sub . 3 21 . 75 7 . 90 8 . 52 ! c al ( oh ). sub . 3 22 . 17 7 . 45 8 . 52 ! ______________________________________ having described the presently preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the appended claims . | 2 |
embodiments of the invention include mricp , which can be used to automatically identify and configure multiple ethernet protocol ring ( erp ) rings within a network topology . the configuration performed by mricp can make the network topology loop - free . mricp can automatically identify both erp major rings and erp sub - rings . the configuration can involve configuring each ring to have an erp resource protection link ( rpl ) owner and an rpl port . the configuration can involve configuring both left and right interfaces for each node within each ring within the topology . all of the above can be performed within a particular vlan context . additionally , after initial configuration has been performed across the topology , mricp can compensate for changes in the topology that might occur due to the addition or removal of nodes or links from the topology . mricp can automatically adjust ring configurations in response to such topological changes . fig1 is a flow diagram that illustrates an example of a high - level overview of a multi - phase technique for automatically identifying and configuring rings within a network topology , according to an embodiment of the invention . in block 102 , mricp can perform actions involved in a first phase , called the ring detection phase . as part of this first phase , in block 104 , mricp can automatically identify all rings within the topology . also as part of this first phase , in block 106 , mricp can logically separate the topology into major rings , sub - rings , and non - rings . also as part of this first phase , in block 108 , as a part of this identification and separation , mricp can assign ring identifiers to each port of each node in the topology . fig2 is a network diagram illustrating an example of an original vlan topology 200 . rings within vlan topology have not yet been identified . fig3 is a network diagram illustrating an example of a similar vlan topology 300 in which the performance of mricp phase one has logically separated topology 300 into rings 310 , 320 , and 330 , according to an embodiment of the invention . referring again to fig1 , in block 110 , mricp can perform actions involved in a second phase , called a ring configuration phase . as part of this second phase , in block 112 , mricp can appoint one node in each ring to be an rpl owner for that ring . also as part of this second phase , in block 114 , mricp can select one port of each rpl owner node to be an rpl port for that node . also as a part of this second phase , in block 116 , mricp can load each node in the topology with complete erp configuration , based on the ring identifiers assigned in block 108 . fig4 is a network diagram illustrating an example of a vlan topology 400 in which a port of each ring in topology 400 has been selected as an rpl port as a result of the performance of mricp phase two , according to an embodiment of the invention . ports 410 ( of ring 310 ), 420 ( of ring 320 ), and 430 ( of ring 330 ) have been selected as rpl ports for their respective rings in this example . referring again to fig1 , in block 118 , mricp can execute erp relative to the configured nodes in the topology . in an embodiment , erp can block each ring &# 39 ; s rpl port ( selected in block 114 ) and can maintain that port in readiness to change from a blocked to a forwarding state in the event that a link failure occurs somewhere within that ring . fig5 is a network diagram illustrating an example of a vlan topology 500 in which the rpl ports of each of rings 310 , 320 , and 330 have been blocked as a result of the performance of erp relative to the rings configured by mricp as shown in fig4 , according to an embodiment of the invention . fig6 is a network diagram illustrating an example of a vlan topology 600 in which data traffic can flow through loop - free paths established a result of the port blocking performed relative vlan topology 500 as shown in fig5 , according to an embodiment of the invention . in an embodiment of the invention , a network can be automatically partitioned conceptually into separate rings , which can be closed rings or open rings . conceptually , within a graph of edges interconnected by vertices , both kinds of rings can be superimposed upon complete circuits , but while the edges of a closed ring form a complete circuit that can be traversed without traversing any edges not belonging to that closed ring , the edges of open rings do not ; one or more edges not belonging to a particular open ring ( but potentially belonging to some other ring ( s )) must be traversed in order to traverse any complete circuit upon which that particular open ring can be superimposed . the goal of the automatic partitioning process can be to ensure that each link connecting a pair of nodes within the network belongs to only one ring . when this condition is satisfied for each link in the network , then the network has been completely partitioned into rings . beneficially , then , each such ring can be configured independently using the ethernet ring protocol ( erp ) protocol , producing a network in which a link failure in any particular ring will only necessitate that the network nodes in that particular ring — instead of all of the network nodes in the entire network — re - learn network communication paths that might have involved the failed link . when a network &# 39 ; s links are assigned to single rings in that network , then only the media access control ( mac ) forwarding tables of the nodes connected to links of a ring containing a failed link — rather than the mac forwarding tables of every node in the network — need to be flushed . consequently , the network communication path re - learning process can require less time , and periods of network communication interruption can be reduced . according to an embodiment , each ring in the network is composed of a series of network links that are communicatively coupled to each other , end - to - end , by network nodes that occur at the junctions of those links . each ring &# 39 ; s set of network links can be given a different ring identifier . such a ring identifier can be numeric . each network node can have multiple ports to which links belonging to different rings can be directly connected . each such port can be assigned the ring identifier that is associated with the link to which that port is connected . in a graph , any given vertex of a ring &# 39 ; s several vertices cannot be directly connected to more than any given two of that ring &# 39 ; s several edges . it follows that no more than two links belonging to the same ring can be permitted to be directly connected to any given node &# 39 ; s ports during the performance of the ring partitioning technique . therefore , according to an embodiment , no more than two ports of any given node are allowed to be assigned the same ring identifier . techniques discussed herein can automatically assign ring identifiers to each of a network &# 39 ; s links by automatically assigning those ring identifiers to the network node ports to which those links are directly connected . ring identifiers can be assigned automatically to node ports through a technique that involves the forwarding , from node to node over various network links , of network packets that specify ring identifiers . generally speaking , with some exceptions , as a node receives a ring - identifying packet through a port of that node , the node can assign , to that port , the ring identifier that is specified by that packet . again with some exceptions , the node can then forward that packet out through another of that node &# 39 ; s ports and can also assign the same ring identifier to that other port . with some exceptions , in this general manner , the node can become a part of the ring that is identified by that ring identifier . other nodes that subsequently receive the forwarded packet can follow a similar process in handling the packet , thereby joining the same ring . according to an embodiment , some of the exceptions mentioned above can arise in response to the occurrence of , and network node &# 39 ; s detection of , certain conflicts . such conflicts can occur when assigning a packet &# 39 ; s ring identifier to a network node &# 39 ; s port would cause that ring identifier to become associated with more than two of that network node &# 39 ; s ports concurrently . such an assignment would erroneously cause more than two of the links directly connected to the network node to be assigned to the same ring concurrently . two different scenarios can produce such a conflict . under the first scenario , a node having two ports that are already associated with a particular ring identifier can receive , on another port not currently associated with that particular ring identifier , a packet specifying that particular ring identifier . in this scenario , assigning the particular ring identifier to the ingress port would erroneously cause three ports of the same node to become associated with the same ring identifier concurrently . under the second scenario , a node having a first port that is already associated with a first ring identifier can receive , on a second port that concurrently shares a second ring identifier with a third port , a packet specifying the first ring identifier . in this scenario , assigning the first ring identifier to both the second ( ingress ) port and the third ( egress ) port also would erroneously cause three ports of the same node to become associated with the same ring identifier concurrently . to prevent such erroneous associations of the same ring identifier to more than two of a network node &# 39 ; s ports concurrently , the network node can perform a rules - based conflict resolution technique in response to detecting the existence of either scenario . generally speaking , under either scenario , the node &# 39 ; s performance of the conflict resolution technique can prevent at least the node &# 39 ; s ingress port from becoming associated with the ring identifier specified in the incoming packet , while also permitting the automatic ring partitioning process to progress . fig7 a - 7d show a flow diagram that illustrates a technique for automatically discovering rings in a vlan and assigning ring identifiers — referred to below more specifically as erp identifiers — to the node ports involved in those rings , according to an embodiment of the invention . the technique can involve the generation and forwarding of different kinds of mricp packets , including “ discovery ” and “ assignment ” packets , from node to node along links that connect those nodes at those nodes &# 39 ; ports . these mricp packets can be control packets , and as such , can travel even through ports that are blocked relative to normal data traffic . referring first to fig7 a , in block 702 , each network port of each node can be initialized with an erp identifier of zero . in block 704 , an initial node can be selected to be a node at which the discovery process is to begin . in an embodiment , a human user can use a command line interface of the initial node in order to command the node to begin the discovery process . in block 706 , for each of its ports to which a network link is connected , the initial node can choose an erp identifier that is incrementally greater than the last erp identifier chosen , beginning with an erp identifier of one . for example , if the initial node has two ports that are connected to network links , then the initial node can select an erp identifier of one for the first port and an erp identifier of two for the second port . in block 708 , for each of its ports to which a network link is connected , the initial node can assign , to that port , the erp identifier chosen for that port . in block 710 , for each of its ports to which a network link is connected , the initial node can mark that port as being in a “ discovered ” state . in block 712 , for each of its ports to which a network link is connected , the initial node can transmit , on that port , a discovery packet that specifies that port &# 39 ; s assigned erp identifier . the following operations can be performed by each node in the vlan , including the initial node , independently and asynchronously relative to each other . in block 714 , the node can determine whether it has received a discovery or assignment packet on any of its ports . if so , then control passes to block 716 . otherwise , control passes back to block 715 . in block 715 , the node can restart a wtr ( wait to resolve ) timer . control passes to block 716 . in block 716 , in response to the receipt of a discovery or assignment packet on a particular port , the node can determine whether the particular port has already been assigned an erp identifier that is greater than the erp identifier specified in the discovery or assignment packet . if so , then the node can drop the discovery or assignment packet , not forwarding the discovery or assignment packet , and control passes back to block 714 . otherwise , control passes to block 718 . in block 718 , the node can determine whether the packet received on a particular port of that node is a discovery packet . if a discovery packet has been received on the particular port , then control passes to block 720 . otherwise , the packet is an assignment packet , and control passes to block 760 of fig7 d . in block 720 , the node can mark the particular port as being in the “ discovered ” state . in block 722 , the node can determine whether a second port of that node is already marked as being in the “ discovered ” state . if so , then control passes to block 728 . otherwise , control passes to block 724 . in block 724 , the node can assign , to the particular port , the erp identifier specified in the discovery packet . in block 726 , the node can forward the discovery packet through each of the node &# 39 ; s other ports . control passes back to block 714 . alternatively , in block 728 , the node can determine whether more than one port of the node already has been assigned the erp identifier specified in the discovery packet . if so , then control passes to block 740 of fig7 c to resolve the conflict . otherwise , control passes to block 730 of fig7 b . referring now to fig7 b , in block 730 , the node can determine whether ( a ) both the particular port of the node and a second port of the node already have been assigned an identical erp identifier ( but not necessarily the same erp identifier specified in the discovery packet ) and also ( b ) a third port of the node already has been assigned the erp identifier specified in the discovery packet . if so , then control passes to block 750 to resolve the conflict . otherwise , control passes to block 732 . in block 732 , having determined that no conflict will arise , the node can select the greatest erp identifier from a set of erp identifiers including both ( a ) the erp identifier specified in the discovery packet and ( b ) an erp identifier already assigned to a second ( i . e ., not the particular ) port of the node that has been marked as being in the “ discovered ” state . in block 734 , the node can assign the selected erp identifier to both the particular port and the second port . in block 736 , the node can generate a new assignment packet specifying the selected erp identifier . in block 738 , the node can forward the assignment packet through both the particular port and the second port . the node does not forward the discovery packet under these circumstances . control passes back to block 714 of fig7 a . referring now to fig7 c , alternatively , in block 740 , having determined that assigning the discovery packet &# 39 ; s erp identifier to the particular port alone would cause at least three of the node &# 39 ; s ports to have the same erp identifier ( a forbidden condition that would cause that erp identifier to be spread among more than one ring ) due to two others of the node &# 39 ; s ports already having the discovery packet &# 39 ; s erp identifier , the node can begin to resolve the conflict by selecting the greatest erp identifier from a set including the erp identifiers already assigned to the node &# 39 ; s ports . in block 742 , the node can generate a new erp identifier by adding one to the selected erp identifier . in block 744 , the node can assign the new erp identifier to the particular port . in block 746 , the node can generate a new assignment packet specifying the new erp identifier . in block 748 , the node can forward the assignment packet back through the particular port through which the discovery packet was received . the node does not forward the discovery packet under these circumstances . control passes back to block 714 of fig7 a . alternatively , in block 750 , having determined that assigning the discovery packet &# 39 ; s erp identifier to both the particular port and a second port having an erp identifier that is identical to the particular port &# 39 ; s current erp identifier would cause at least three of the node &# 39 ; s ports to have the same erp identifier ( a forbidden condition that would cause that erp identifier to be spread among more than one ring ) due to a third port of the node already having the discovery packet &# 39 ; s erp identifier , the node can resolve the conflict by assigning the discovery packet &# 39 ; s erp identifier to the particular port without forwarding the discovery packet . as a result , only two of the node &# 39 ; s ports end up having the discovery packet &# 39 ; s erp identifier following the assignment . control passes back to block 714 of fig7 a . referring now to fig7 d , alternatively , in block 760 , the node can determine whether more than one port of the node already has been assigned the erp identifier specified in the assignment packet . if so , then control passes to block 770 to resolve the conflict . otherwise , control passes to block 762 . in block 762 , the node can determine whether ( a ) both the particular port of the node and a second port of the node already have been assigned an identical erp identifier ( but not necessarily the same erp identifier specified in the assignment packet ) and also ( b ) a third port of the node already has been assigned the erp identifier specified in the assignment packet . if so , then control passes to block 780 to resolve the conflict . otherwise , control passes to block 764 . in block 764 , having determined that no conflict will arise , the node can assign the assignment packet &# 39 ; s erp identifier to ports of that node including both the particular port and a second port that has an erp identifier identical to that of the particular port . in block 766 , the node can forward the assignment packet through both the particular port and the second port . control passes back to block 714 of fig7 a . alternatively , in block 770 , having determined that assigning the assignment packet &# 39 ; s erp identifier to the particular port alone would cause at least three of the node &# 39 ; s ports to have the same erp identifier ( a forbidden condition that would cause that erp identifier to be spread among more than one ring ) due to two others of the node &# 39 ; s ports already having the assignment packet &# 39 ; s erp identifier , the node can begin to resolve the conflict by selecting the greatest erp identifier from a set including the erp identifiers already assigned to the node &# 39 ; s ports . in block 772 , the node can generate a new erp identifier by adding one to the selected erp identifier . in block 774 , the node can assign the new erp identifier to the particular port . in block 776 , the node can generate a new assignment packet specifying the new erp identifier . in block 778 , the node can forward the new assignment packet back through the particular port through which the old assignment packet was received . the node does not forward the old assignment packet under these circumstances . control passes back to block 714 of fig7 a . alternatively , in block 780 , having determined that assigning the assignment packet &# 39 ; s erp identifier to both the particular port and a second port having an erp identifier that is identical to the particular port &# 39 ; s current erp identifier would cause at least three of the node &# 39 ; s ports to have the same erp identifier ( a forbidden condition that would cause that erp identifier to be spread among more than one ring ) due to a third port of the node already having the assignment packet &# 39 ; s erp identifier , the node can resolve the conflict by assigning the assignment packet &# 39 ; s erp identifier to the particular port without forwarding the assignment packet . as a result , only two of the node &# 39 ; s ports end up having the assignment packet &# 39 ; s erp identifier following the assignment . control passes back to block 714 of fig7 a . even after the performance of the technique discussed above in connection with fig7 a - 7d , it is possible in some network topologies that two or more major rings identified using that technique can exist such that even after rpl owner ports are blocked in each of those major rings , a loop can persist among some of the links connecting the nodes involved in those major rings . fig8 is a network diagram that illustrates an example of a vlan topology 800 in which three nodes 810 , 820 , and 830 are interconnected by major rings 840 , 850 , and 860 . in spite of rpl owner ports 815 ( for node 810 ), 825 ( for node 820 ) and 835 ( for node 830 ) being blocked , a loop between nodes 810 , 820 , and 830 still exists along which data traffic could travel . mricp seeks to avoid the persistence of such loops prior to the performance of rpl owner port blocking therefore , in an embodiment of the invention , mricp can involve a technique whereby loops existing among nodes interconnecting multiple major rings can be identified automatically . in such an embodiment , mricp can also involve a technique through which one of the major rings involved in such a loop can be split into separate sub - rings automatically , so that when the rpl owner ports of the resulting rings are later blocked , the loop will not persist . the technique can be performed following the performance of the technique discussed above in connection with fig7 , for example . fig9 a - 9b show a flow diagram that illustrates a technique for automatically discovering loops existing among nodes interconnecting multiple major rings and for automatically splitting one of the major rings involved in such a loop into separate sub - rings , according to an embodiment of the invention . ports belonging to a pair of ports that share the same erp identifier are referred to herein as “ major ring ports .” referring first to fig9 a , initially , in block 900 , the node can determine , for each ring instance in which the node is involved , whether the wtr timer for that ring instance has expired . if any ring instance &# 39 ; s wtr timer has expired , then control passes to block 901 . otherwise , control passes back to block 900 . in block 901 , the node can determine whether the ring instance for which the wtr timer expired has paired ports . if so , then control passes to block 902 . otherwise , control passes to block 1102 of fig1 . in block 902 , each paired port ( port which can find another port with same assigned id as its own ) can generate , for remaining paired rings having ring id equal to or less than its own ring id a separate mricp packet having “ major_ring_ulr ” ( ulr standing for undiscovered loop resolution ) as its opcode ( operation code ). mricp packet having such an opcode is referred to herein as a “ mrulr packet ”. each such mrulr packet additionally can specify ( a ) the mac of the node at which that mrulr packet was generated and ( b ) an erp identifier of one of that node &# 39 ; s port pairs . the node can generate a separate mrulr packet for each such port pair . additionally , a ulr timer can be started . in block 904 , each such node involved in a major ring can forward , on each of that node &# 39 ; s ports involved in such a pair ( a node might have multiple such pairs ), the mrulr packet that was generated at that node . the following operations can be performed by each node in the vlan independently and asynchronously relative to each other . in block 906 , a node can determine whether it has received a mrulr packet on any of its ports . if so , then control passes to block 908 . otherwise , control passes back to block 906 . in block 908 , the node can determine whether the port on which the mrulr packet was received is a major ring port . if so , then control passes to block 912 . otherwise , control passes to block 910 . in block 910 , the node can drop the mrulr packet without forwarding the mrulr packet . control passes back to block 906 . alternatively , in block 912 , the node can determine whether the mrulr packet specifies the node &# 39 ; s own mac . if so , then the mrulr packet has returned to the node from which it originated , and control passes to block 922 . otherwise , control passes to block 920 . alternatively , in block 920 , the node can forward the mrulr packet on each of the node &# 39 ; s major ring ports that has an erp identifier that is not greater than the mrulr packet &# 39 ; s specified erp identifier . control passes back to block 906 . alternatively , in block 922 , in response to determining that the mrulr packet has returned to the node from which it originated , the node can determine whether the mrulr packet &# 39 ; s specified erp identifier is the same as the erp identifier of the particular port on which the mrulr packet was received . if so , then the mrulr packet has arrived back at the originating node through the same major ring on which the originating node forwarded the mrulr packet , and control passes to block 924 of fig9 b . otherwise , the mrulr packet has arrived back at the originating node through a major ring other than the major ring on which the originating node forwarded the mrulr packet , indicating that a forbidden loop persists , and control passes back to block 906 . referring now to fig9 b , in block 924 , the node can send an unresolved loop settlement ( uls ) packet on the packet recipient port that has the packet &# 39 ; s ring id . in 926 , the node can determine whether it has received a uls packet . if so , then control passes to block 928 . otherwise , control passes back to block 926 . in block 928 , the node can determine whether the packet &# 39 ; s source mac is the same as the node &# 39 ; s own mac . if so , then control passes to block 930 . otherwise , control passes to block 932 . in block 930 , the node assigns the packet &# 39 ; s ring id to the recipient port and drops the packet . alternatively , in block 932 , the node can determine whether there is any major ring present with an id other than the recipient port &# 39 ; s ring id . if so , then control passes to block 936 . otherwise , control passes to block 938 . in block 936 , the node can assign a newly generated ring id to a second port that has the same ring id as the recipient port . the node can also send a uls packet over the second port . the node can also assign the packet &# 39 ; s ring id to the recipient port . alternatively , in block 938 , the node can assign the packet &# 39 ; s ring id to the recipient port and a second port that shares the same ring id as the recipient port . the node can also forward the uls packet on the second port . as a consequence of the performance of this technique using the new erp identifiers , one of the major rings to which the originating nodes is connected will be logically separated into two new sub - rings that replace that major ring in the topology . when rpl owner port blocking is subsequently performed for each ring ( including the new sub - rings ) the loop that previously persisted among the major rings will no longer exist . even after the performance of the technique discussed above in connection with fig7 , it is possible in some network topologies that a combination of a major ring and a sub - ring identified using that technique can exist such that even after rpl owner ports are blocked in both the major and the sub - ring , a loop can persist among some of the links connecting the nodes involved in that ring combination . fig1 is a network diagram that illustrates an example of a vlan topology 1000 in which node 1020 is involved in separate major rings 1050 , 1060 , and 1070 with nodes 1010 , 1040 , and 1030 , respectively , and in which nodes 1010 , 1030 , and 1040 are involved in a sub - ring 1080 . in spite of rpl owner ports 1015 , 1025 , 1035 , and 1045 being blocked , a loop between nodes 1010 , 1020 , and 1030 still exists along which data traffic could travel . it should be noted that the link between nodes 1010 and 1040 is a part of a sub - ring while the other links in the loop are part of a major ring . mricp seeks to avoid the persistence of such loops prior to the performance of rpl owner port blocking therefore , in an embodiment of the invention , mricp can involve a technique whereby loops existing within major ring - and - sub - ring combinations can be identified automatically . in such an embodiment , mricp can also involve a technique through which the sub - ring involved in such a loop can be broken automatically at nodes that are both ( a ) intermediate in ( not end - points of ) that sub - ring and ( b ) involved in a major ring , so that when the rpl owner ports of the remaining rings are later blocked , the loop will not persist . the technique can be performed following the performance of the technique discussed above in connection with fig7 , for example . fig1 is a flow diagram that illustrates a technique for automatically discovering loops existing among major ring - and - sub - ring combinations and for automatically breaking sub - rings belonging to such combinations , according to an embodiment of the invention . initially , in block 1102 , each node that is an end - point of a sub - ring — that is , each node having a port that has an erp identifier not shared by any other port of that node — can generate a separate mricp packet having “ sub_ring_ulr ” ( ulr standing for undiscovered loop resolution ) as its opcode . such an mricp packet having such an opcode is referred to herein as a “ srulr packet .” each such srulr packet additionally can specify the erp identifier that is unshared among ( i . e ., assigned to only one of ) the end - point node &# 39 ; s ports ; this is the erp identifier of the port that connects the end - point node to the sub - ring . additionally , a ulr timer can be started . in block 1104 , each such end - point node can forward , on the port that has the srulr packet &# 39 ; s erp identifier , the srulr packet generated at that end - point node . the following operations can be performed by each node in the vlan independently and asynchronously relative to each other . in block 1106 , a node can determine whether it has received a srulr packet on any of its ports . if so , then control passes to block 1132 . otherwise , control passes back to block 1106 . in block 1132 , the node can determine whether there is any major ring present with an id other than the recipient port &# 39 ; s ring id . if so , then control passes to block 1136 . otherwise , control passes to block 1138 . in block 1136 , the node can assign a newly generated ring id to a second port that has the same ring id as the recipient port . the node can also send a uls packet over the second port . the node can also assign the packet &# 39 ; s ring id to the recipient port . alternatively , in block 1138 , the node can assign the packet &# 39 ; s ring id to the recipient port and a second port that shares the same ring id as the recipient port . the node can also forward the uls packet on the second port . as a consequence of the performance of this technique using the new erp identifier , a sub - ring that connects a node to a major ring will be logically broken apart in the topology . when rpl owner port blocking is subsequently performed , the loop that previously persisted within the major ring - sub - ring combination will no longer exist . as used herein , a “ cut path ” is a series of end - to - end node - interconnected network links that includes at least one “ subnetwork - connecting ” link through which all data traffic flowing from one subnetwork of the network to another subnetwork of the network must flow . if a port directly connected to such a subnetwork - connecting link were to be blocked as a part of the rpl owner port blocking process , then the network would be severed into the constituent subnetworks , which would then be disconnected from each other . if such a cut path were to be configured automatically as a sub - ring due to the performance of the technique discussed above in connection with fig7 , then this deleterious disconnection could occur . fig1 is a network diagram that illustrates an example of a vlan topology 1200 that includes a cut path . in topology 1200 , nodes 1210 and 1220 are involved in a major ring 1250 , nodes 1230 and 1240 are involved in a major ring 1270 , and a subnetwork - connecting link 1260 is the only link that connects nodes 1220 and 1230 . if rpl owner ports 1215 ( for node 1210 ), 1225 ( for node 1220 ), and 1245 ( for node 1240 ) were to be blocked , then nodes 1210 and 1220 would be disconnected ( specifically by the blockage of rpl owner port 1225 ) from nodes 1230 and 1240 . therefore , in an embodiment of the invention , mrcip includes a technique in which cut paths previously configured as sub - rings are automatically identified and are responsively and automatically re - configured to be non - rings instead . in an embodiment , such non - rings do not possess any specific ring configuration ( e . g ., such as the kind that is performed relative to a ring as a part of the operation of erp ). fig1 is a flow diagram that illustrates a technique for automatically discovering cut paths that have been configured as sub - rings and for automatically reconfiguring such sub - rings to become non - rings , according to an embodiment of the invention . in an embodiment of the invention , this technique can be performed after the rpl owner port selection performed as part of mrcip phase two ( as described above in connection with block 114 of fig1 ) but prior to the rpl owner port blocking performed as part of erp ( as described above in connection with block 118 of fig1 ). initially , in block 1302 , a node can determine that the ulr timer has expired . in block 1304 , a cut - path detection timer , having a specified expiration value , can be started . in block 1306 , each node can send , from every unpaired port , an mricp packet having “ cut_path_detection ” as its opcode . such an mricp packet having such an opcode is referred to herein as a “ cpd packet .” each cpd packet can carry a ring id that is assigned to the port from which that cpd packet is sent . in block 1308 , a node can determine whether it has received a cpd packet . if so , then control passes to block 1310 . otherwise , control passes back to block 1308 . in block 1310 , the node can determine whether the packet &# 39 ; s source mac is the same as the node &# 39 ; s mac . if so , then control passes to block 1312 . otherwise , control passes to block 1314 . in block 1312 , the node can determine whether the packet &# 39 ; s ring id is different from the recipient port &# 39 ; s ring id . if so , then control passes to block 1313 . otherwise , control passes back to block 1308 . in block 1313 , the node can send a non - ring packet over the port that shared the packet &# 39 ; s ring id , and can mark that port &# 39 ; s ring type as “ non - ring .” the non - ring packet can be an mricp packet having “ non_ring ” as its opcode . in an embodiment , nodes that receive such an mricp packet responsively refrain from participating in the erp ring configuration process . alternatively , in block 1314 , the node can modify the cpd packet by decrementing the cpd packet &# 39 ; s node count by one . in block 1316 , the node can determine whether the cpd packet &# 39 ; s node count is less than one . if so , then control passes to block 1318 . otherwise , control passes to block 1320 . in block 1318 , the node can drop the cpd packet without forwarding that cpd packet . the node may yet receive other cpd packets . control passes back to block 1308 . alternatively , in block 1320 , the node can forward the cpd packet through each of the node &# 39 ; s ports other than the port on which the node received the cpd packet . control then passes back to block 1308 . in an embodiment of the invention , the technique discussed in connection with fig1 can be performed after the performance of the techniques discussed in connection with fig9 and 11 . in one embodiment , the techniques of fig9 and 11 terminate after the expiry of one or more timers ( e . g ., the ulr timer ) that are started when the performances of those techniques begin . in one embodiment , the performance of the technique of fig1 can commence sometime after the termination of the techniques of fig9 and 11 . techniques discussed above can associate a network node &# 39 ; s ports with various erp ring identifiers in preparation for the erp configuration of all of the nodes in the network . in one embodiment of the invention , each network node can be associated with multiple separate vlans . in such an embodiment , each network node can maintain a separate erp ring identifier table for each separate vlan with which that network node is associated , and the techniques discussed above can be performed separately and independently with regard to each separate vlan . each such erp ring identifier table can indicate , for each of the network node &# 39 ; s ports , the erp ring identifier that is associated with that port ( as a result of the performance of the techniques discussed above ). thus , a particular port of a particular network node actually can be associated with multiple separate erp ring identifiers , each one pertaining to a separate one of the vlans to which the particular network node belongs . for example , for a first vlan , a first port of the network node can be associated with a first ring identifier , but for a second vlan , the first port of the network node can be associated with a second ring identifier that differs from the first ring identifier . continuing the example , for the first vlan , a second port of the network node can be associated with a third ring identifier , but for the second vlan , the second port of the network node can be associated with a fourth ring identifier that differs from the third ring identifier . the techniques described above can be performed separately and independently per each vlan , updating only the erp ring identifier tables that pertain to that vlan . as is discussed above in connection with fig1 , mricp can involve two major phases : phase one , in which rings in a vlan are detected , and phase two , in which the detected rings are automatically configured , preparatory for the application of erp . block 110 of fig1 illustrates an overview of the activities that can be performed during mricp phase two . embodiments of the automatic ring configuration that can be performed in mricp phase two are now discussed in greater detail . in one embodiment , the performance of such automatic ring configuration can commence upon the expiration of one or more timers started at the beginning of the performance of the cut path detection technique discussed above in connection with fig1 . fig1 a - 14c show a flow diagram that illustrates a technique for automatically appointing particular nodes within rings as rpl owners , for appointing a certain port of each rpl owner as an rpl port , and for loading erp configurations on each node , according to an embodiment of the invention . the technique discussed in connection with fig1 can be performed independently and concurrently by each network node in the vlan . referring first to fig1 a , in block 1400 , for each ring instance , a determination can be made whether a cpd timer has expired . if any cpd timer has expired , then control passes to block 1401 . otherwise , control passes back to block 1400 . in block 1401 , a determination can be made whether a ring type of the ring instance for which the cpd timer expired is marked as a non - ring . if so , the control passes to block 1470 . otherwise , control passes to block 1402 . in block 1402 , status identifiers can be initialized with default values : ring - types can be set to “ sub - ring ” and rpl - owner can be set to “ true .” additionally , a “ wait till enable ” ( wte ) timer can be started . the operations of block 1402 can be repeated for each ring instance . in block 1404 , a node can generate an mricp packet specifying the node &# 39 ; s mac and having “ rpl_owner_selection ” as the mricp packet &# 39 ; s opcode . in the following discussion , each packet having such an opcode is referred to as an “ rplos packet .” in block 1406 , the node can send a copy of the rplos packet through each of that node &# 39 ; s ports that are associated with the erp ring identifier of the ring to which the node belongs . in block 1408 , the node can determine whether the node &# 39 ; s wte timer has expired . if so , then control passes to block 1470 . otherwise , control passes to block 1410 . in block 1410 , the node can determine whether an rplos packet has been received on any of its ports . if so , then control passes to block 1412 . otherwise , control passes back to block 1408 . in block 1412 , the node can determine whether the mac specified in the rplos packet is less than the node &# 39 ; s own mac . if the mac specified in the rplos packet is lower than the node &# 39 ; s own mac , then control passes to block 1414 . otherwise , control passes to block 1416 . in block 1414 , the node drops the rplos packet that the node most recently received as of block 1410 . under such circumstances , the node does not forward the rplos packet . control passes back to block 1408 . alternatively , in block 1416 , the node can determine whether the mac specified in the rplos packet is greater than the node &# 39 ; s own mac . if the mac specified in the rplos packet is greater than the node &# 39 ; s own mac , then control passes to block 1418 . otherwise , the mac specified in the rplos packet is the node &# 39 ; s own mac , and the node has received back the rplos packet that it sent out through another port in block 1406 . under such circumstances , control passes to block 1422 of fig7 b . in block 1418 , the node can mark a status identifier rpl - owner as false for the packet ring , and can disable its wte timer , so that its wte timer will not expire . under these circumstances , some other node in the ring has a higher mac than this node , and so this node will not be selected as the rpl owner for the ring . in block 1420 , the node can forward the rplos packet out through its other port ( if any ) that has the same erp ring identifier as the port on which the node received that rplos packet . control passes to block 1436 of fig7 c . alternatively , in block 1470 , the node having the expired wte timer can complete mricp phase two and commence performance of erp relative to the nodes that have been prepared using the technique described above in connection with fig1 . erp can utilize the rpl owner information , rpl port information , and left and right port designations in order to configure each node in the vlan so that only the nodes within a ring containing a failed link will need to re - learn paths upon the failure of that link . referring now to fig7 b , alternatively , in block 1422 , the node can store a status identifier ring type as “ major ring ” for the packet ring . in block 1424 , the rpl owner node can associate , with one of its ports associated with the erp ring identifier of the ring to which the node belongs ( e . g ., the lower numbered of such ports ), a status identifier that indicates that the port is the “ left port .” in block 1426 , the rpl owner node can associate , with the other of its ports associated with the erp ring identifier of the ring to which the node belongs ( e . g ., the higher numbered of such ports ), a status identifier that indicates that the port is the “ right port .” in block 1428 , the rpl owner node can associate , with its port designated as the “ left port ,” a status identifier that indicates that the port is an rpl port for the ring . in one embodiment , each rpl port of each ring in the vlan eventually will be blocked during the erp configuration following mricp phase two . in block 1430 , the rpl owner node can generate and send , through its left port , a “ left ” fixed packet instructing recipients to designate the ports on which that “ left ” fixed packet is received to be “ right ports .” the “ left ” fixed packet also can contain information specifying the identity of the node that is the rpl owner . in block 1432 , the rpl owner node can generate and send , through its right port , a “ right ” fixed packet instructing recipients to designate the ports on which that “ right ” fixed packet is received to be “ left ports .” the “ right ” fixed packet also can contain information specifying the identity of the node that is the rpl owner . for example , such information can be the rpl owner node &# 39 ; s mac . in block 1434 , the rpl owner node can generate and send , through its left port , a dual - end blocking packet that instructs the recipient node to associate , with the port on which the dual - end blocking packet is received , a status that indicates that the port is an rpl port for the ring . control passes to block 1436 of fig7 c . referring now to fig7 c , in block 1436 , the node can determine whether a fixed packet ( left or right ) has been received on any of its ports . if so , then control passes to block 1438 . otherwise , control passes to block 1460 . in block 1438 , the node can determine whether an rpl node identifier specified in the fixed packet matches the node &# 39 ; s own identifier . for example , the node can determine whether an rpl node mac specified in the fixed packet is the node &# 39 ; s own mac . if the rpl node identifier specified in the fixed packet matches the node &# 39 ; s own identifier , then control passes to block 1440 . otherwise , control passes to block 1442 . in block 1440 , the rpl node can drop the fixed packet without forwarding the fixed packet . control passes back to block 1408 of fig7 a . alternatively , in block 1442 , the node can set an rpl owner field for the ring to the mac specified in the fixed packet . in block 1444 , the node can determine whether the fixed packed is a left fixed packet or a right fixed packet . if the fixed packet is a left fixed packet , then control passes to block 1446 . if the fixed packet is a right fixed packet , then control passes to block 1452 . in block 1446 , the node can set a status identifier associated with the port on which the left fixed packet was received indicating that the port is a “ right port .” in block 1448 , the node can set a status identifier associated with another port having a same erp ring identifier as the port on which the left fixed packet was received indicating that this other port is the “ left port .” in block 1450 , the node can forward the left fixed packet out through the left port . control passes back to block 1408 of fig7 a . alternatively , in block 1452 , the node can set a status identifier associated with the port on which the right fixed packet was received indicating that the port is a “ left port .” in block 1454 , the node can set a status identifier associated with another port having a same erp ring identifier as the port on which the right fixed packet was received indicating that this other port is the “ right port .” in block 1456 , the node can forward the right fixed packet out through the right port . control passes back to block 1408 of fig7 a . in block 1460 , the node can determine whether a dual - end blocking packet has been received on any of its ports . if so , then control passes to block 1462 . otherwise , control passes back to block 1408 of fig7 a . in block 1462 , the node can associate , with the port on which the dual - end blocking packet was received , a status identifier that indicates that the port is an rpl port for the ring . in one embodiment , each rpl port of each ring in the vlan eventually will be blocked during the erp configuration following mricp phase two . the association of the rpl port status identifier with this second port of this second node will ensure that both ends of the link connected to the rpl owner &# 39 ; s rpl port will be blocked . in an embodiment , the node does not forward the dual - end blocking packet . control passes back to block 1408 of fig7 a . fig1 is a flow diagram that illustrates a technique for achieving automatic ring identification and erp configuration within 2 seconds . in block 1702 , the ring identification process is triggered through a command line interface of any node of a vlan topology . control passes concurrently to blocks 1704 and 1714 . in block 1704 , a wtr ( wait to resolve ) timer runs for 500 ms . meanwhile , all vlan ports are assigned a ring id and all basic conflicts are resolved . in block 1706 , an ulr ( unresolved loop resolution ) timer runs for 500 ms . meanwhile , unresolved loops formed between multiple rings are destroyed . in block 1708 , a cpd ( cut path detection ) timer runs for 500 ms . meanwhile , sub - rings which can break the network into two components are identified and those are marked as non - rings which are not allowed to participate in the ring configuration process . in block 1710 , a wte ( wait to enable ) timer runs for 500 ms . meanwhile , every ring node elects an rpl owner for the ring , and ring nodes intelligently determine their own erp configuration after receiving a fixed packet from the rpl owner . in block 1712 , the ring has been configured . erp prepares with a backup link to handle any link failure . in block 1714 , any modification ( removal or addition ) in vlan port membership causes a reset packet to be sent through the involved port and the other port ( if any ) sharing the same ring id . the receiving port propagates the reset packet only in its ring . eventually , ring members remove the existing ring configuration and a fresh start is triggered when the reset packet reaches back to its originator ( in case of major ring ) or unpaired port ( end points in case of sub - ring ). various different systems and devices may incorporate an embodiment of the present invention . fig1 provides an example of a network device that may incorporate an embodiment of the present invention . fig1 depicts a simplified block diagram of a network device 1500 that may incorporate an embodiment of the present invention ( e . g ., network device 1500 may correspond to nodes depicted in figures above ). in the embodiment depicted in fig1 , network device 1500 comprises a plurality of ports 1512 for receiving and forwarding data packets and multiple cards that are configured to perform processing to facilitate forwarding of the data packets to their intended destinations . the multiple cards may include one or more line cards 1504 and a management card 1502 . in one embodiment , a card , sometimes also referred to as a blade or module , can be inserted into one of a plurality of slots on the chassis of network device 1500 . this modular design allows for flexible configurations with different combinations of cards in the various slots of the device according to differing network topologies and switching requirements . the components of network device 1500 depicted in fig1 are meant for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any manner . alternative embodiments may have more or less components than those shown in fig1 . ports 1512 represent the i / o plane for network device 1500 . network device 1500 is configured to receive and forward packets using ports 1512 . a port within ports 1512 may be classified as an input port or an output port depending upon whether network device 1500 receives or transmits a data packet using the port . a port over which a packet is received by network device 1500 is referred to as an input port . a port used for communicating or forwarding a packet from network device 1500 is referred to as an output port . a particular port may function both as an input port and an output port . a port may be connected by a link or interface to a neighboring network device or network . ports 1512 may be capable of receiving and / or transmitting different types of traffic at different speeds including 1 gigabit / sec , 15 gigabits / sec , 150 gigabits / sec , or even more . in some embodiments , multiple ports of network device 1500 may be logically grouped into one or more trunks . upon receiving a data packet via an input port , network device 1500 is configured to determine an output port of device 1500 to be used for transmitting the data packet from network device 1500 to facilitate communication of the packet to its intended destination . within network device 1500 , the packet is forwarded from the input port to the determined output port and then transmitted from network device 1500 using the output port . in one embodiment , forwarding of packets from an input port to an output port is performed by one or more line cards 1504 . line cards 1504 represent the data forwarding plane of network device 1500 . each line card may comprise one or more packet processors that are programmed to perform forwarding of data packets from an input port to an output port . in one embodiment , processing performed by a line card may comprise extracting information from a received packet , performing lookups using the extracted information to determine an output port for the packet such that the packet can be forwarded to its intended destination , and to forward the packet to the output port . the extracted information may include , for example , the header of the received packet . management card 1502 is configured to perform management and control functions for network device 1500 and represents the management plane for network device 1500 . in one embodiment , management card 1502 is communicatively coupled to line cards 1504 via switch fabric 1506 . management card 1502 may comprise one or more physical processors 1508 , one or more of which may be multicore processors . these management card processors may be general purpose multicore microprocessors such as ones provided by intel , amd , arm , freescale semiconductor , inc ., and the like , that operate under the control of software stored in associated memory 1510 . the processors may run one or more vms . resources allocated to these vms may be dynamically changed . in some embodiments , multiple management cards may be provided for redundancy and to increase availability . in some embodiments , one or more line cards 1504 may each comprise one or more physical processors 1514 , some of which may be multicore . these processors may run one or more vms . resources allocated to these vms may be dynamically changed . the embodiment depicted in fig1 depicts a chassis - based system . this however is not intended to be limiting . certain embodiments of the present invention may also be embodied in non - chassis based network devices , which are sometimes referred to as “ pizza boxes .” such a network device may comprise a single physical multicore cpu or multiple physical multicore cpus . various embodiments described above can be realized using any combination of dedicated components and / or programmable processors and / or other programmable devices . the various embodiments may be implemented only in hardware , or only in software , or using combinations thereof . for example , the software may be in the form of instructions , programs , etc . stored in a computer - readable memory and may be executed by one or more processing units , where the processing unit is a processor , a core of a processor , or a percentage of a core . in certain embodiments , the various processing described above , including the processing depicted in the flowcharts described above can be performed in software without needing changes to existing device hardware ( e . g ., router hardware ), thereby increasing the economic viability of the solution . since certain inventive embodiments can be implemented entirely in software , it allows for quick rollouts or turnarounds along with lesser capital investment , which further increases the economic viability and attractiveness of the solution . the various processes described herein can be implemented on the same processor or different processors in any combination , with each processor having one or more cores . accordingly , where components or modules are described as being adapted to or configured to perform a certain operation , such configuration can be accomplished , e . g ., by designing electronic circuits to perform the operation , by programming programmable electronic circuits ( such as microprocessors ) to perform the operation , by providing software or code instructions that are executable by the component or module ( e . g ., one or more processors ) to perform the operation , or any combination thereof . processes can communicate using a variety of techniques including but not limited to conventional techniques for interprocess communication , and different pairs of processes may use different techniques , or the same pair of processes may use different techniques at different times . further , while the embodiments described above may make reference to specific hardware and software components , those skilled in the art will appreciate that different combinations of hardware and / or software components may also be used and that particular operations described as being implemented in hardware might also be implemented in software or vice versa . the various embodiments are not restricted to operation within certain specific data processing environments , but are free to operate within a plurality of data processing environments . additionally , although embodiments have been described using a particular series of transactions , this is not intended to be limiting . thus , although specific invention embodiments have been described , these are not intended to be limiting . various modifications and equivalents are within the scope of the following claims . the contents of u . s . provisional patent application no . 61 / 697 , 211 , filed sep . 5 , 2012 , and titled “ mac flush optimizations for ethernet rings ,” are incorporated by reference herein . | 7 |
referring to fig1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 , 7 , and 13 , a jigsaw puzzle machine 20 ( fig1 ) is disclosed . the jigsaw puzzle machine 20 can produce a custom jigsaw puzzle 30 ( fig7 ) for a user from a composite image 22 ( fig4 and 13 ) that is a combination of an image of a subject person 24 ( fig1 and 3 — the subject may also be a pet or a toy or some other object ) with at least one stored image 34 ( fig2 ), the composite image 22 being shown in fig4 . more particularly , the present invention is embodied in a jigsaw puzzle machine 20 which includes a programmed computer 43 that permits one to select a first digital stored image 34 containing at least two layers of images 36 , including background scenes 23 and foreground objects 25 ( as shown in fig2 and 13 ), within a bank of digital images 38 . the machine 20 further includes digital image capturing means 40 ( such as a camera or scanner or data port ) for capturing a second digital image 42 of a person or other subject 24 . the machine 20 also includes image processing means 44 implemented using a computer 43 programmed with a layered image creation and printing program 41 for integrating the second digital image 42 between the at least two layers 36 of the first digital stored image 34 to obtain a composite image 22 ( as shown in fig4 ). the machine 20 also includes puzzle production means 46 ( fig1 ) for producing the custom jigsaw puzzle 30 bearing the digital composite image 22 . included in the puzzle production means 46 , and with reference to fig1 , are a printer 53 which prints the composite image 22 onto a flexible sheet 48 , a puzzle cutting die 80 resting on a surface 78 , and either a platen 78 or a roller 82 arranged to apply pressure to laminate the printed flexible sheet 48 on to a foam backing sheet 50 that is pre - coated with adhesive 59 and to cut the laminated sheets into a jigsaw puzzle . the puzzle production means 46 also includes a stack of the foam sheets 51 and a supply of the flexible sheets 55 that feeds the printer 53 , as is shown in fig1 . a programmed computer 43 and a program 41 to assist one in selecting a first digital stored image 34 within a bank of digital images 38 cooperate with digital image capturing means 40 ( such as a camera or photograph scanner or computer port for receiving digital image data from a camera or portable storage device or camera ) which captures a second digital image 42 of a person or other subject 24 . image processing means 44 in the form of a layered image creation and printing program 41 ( such as adobe &# 39 ; s ® photoshop ®) enable an operator to integrate the second digital image 42 into the first digital stored image 34 to produce a composite image 22 that may be printed on a flexible sheet 48 . jigsaw puzzle production means 46 ( see fig1 and 13 ) including the printer 53 and an apparatus for producing pressure ( either platens 76 and 78 or the platen 78 and a roller 82 shown in fig1 ) that laminates the sheet 48 onto a sheet 50 made of foam and that causes a puzzle die 80 to cut the laminated sheets 48 and 50 into puzzle pieces to produce the puzzle 30 ( fig7 ). the first sheet 48 , when pressure is applied , becomes attached to an adhesive coated 59 surface of the second sheet 50 which is made of foam ( as is shown in fig6 ). the foam sheets are pre - coated with the adhesive and are heated to set the adhesive , since the adhesive is thermally activated . the pre - coated sheets of foam are then stacked at 51 for convenient storage before use . the image processing means 44 may include a memory 45 in which are stored pre - established parameters upon which the integrating of the images is based . it also includes a computer 43 provided with a keyboard and mouse 57 and a display 49 and programs 41 that can display the layered images and permit the operator to manipulate the composite image 22 and its layered elements 36 and 42 . referring to fig9 , the jigsaw puzzle machine 20 in one embodiment ( different from that shown in fig1 ) may have an external housing 52 that covers the jigsaw puzzle production means 46 , the external housing 52 including movable parts 54 ( to entertain any children ) and an exit 56 . the jigsaw puzzle machine may also include a motor for moving the movable parts 54 , a sound generator for generating interesting machine sounds , a conveyer that conveys the finished custom jigsaw puzzle 30 from inside of the housing 52 to the waiting child or adult through the exit 56 , and a button 58 for activating the motor , the sound generator and the conveyer from outside of the housing 52 . in an embodiment of the invention , the housing 52 is modular and takes only 3 hours to assemble . a child goes to the housing 52 and presses a button 58 that triggers the production process during which some parts 54 at the base of the housing 52 move about while making machine sounds . in an embodiment of the invention , a small door 64 opens on one side of the jigsaw puzzle production means 46 , and a sound can be heard as packaging containing the custom jigsaw puzzle 30 is dropped through the opening 56 . the whole jigsaw puzzle production process can be accomplished within a relatively short period of time , in the order of minutes . referring to fig6 , the foam sheet 50 may be made of a polyethylene foam having a thickness of at least 3 mm ( non - toxic polyethylene foam or foam for a perfalock ™ system ). the foam may be ld60 , weighing 2 . 5 pounds per square meter when the sheets are 3 millimeters thick . the puzzle is cut out of an 11 inch by 17 inch sheets . in the case of the thin , flexible sheets 48 , the grain is parallel to the long dimension , and this is why the sheets are 11 by 17 , rather than 17 by 11 . this paper has a semi - gloss finish , suitable for ink jet color printing . during the puzzle manufacturing process , these sheets are cut down to 14 by 11 for adult puzzles , which can have 200 to 300 pieces . the 3 inch portion of the sheet not cut up into puzzle pieces can be used for generating box labelling , as will be explained . in the case of children &# 39 ; s puzzles , the puzzles may be cut to considerably smaller sizes and the puzzle pieces may be cut larger , so that only 30 pieces are cut out . different puzzle dies are provided which give these different results . the pre - glued surface 59 may be provided with a glue of a type which remains flexible after setting , thereby permitting the puzzles to bend without pieces falling out . the adhesive is preferably pressure sensitive hot melt adhesive . referring now to fig4 , 5 , 6 , the printing means can be a printer 53 that prints at least one additional , reduced size , copy 60 of the composite image 22 onto the first sheet 48 for use as a customized box label . in one embodiment , and referring now to fig1 , 2 , and 3 , the digital image capturing means 40 comprises a digital camera arranged to capture the second digital image 42 of the person or other subject 24 in front of a uniformly coloured screen 62 . a child or person can select the specific image in which the child or person wants to be positioned , as if the child or person or pet or other object ( a teddy bear , for example ) is part of a scene with a cartoon character or in a movie scene or in any other scenery or image , using a multi - layer digital compositing technique . the machine 20 may include the selecting means 32 that aids the customer in selecting from storage the first digital image 34 which normally contains foreground objects 25 and background scenes 23 and also the image processing means 44 which combines a selected background scene 23 and a foreground object 25 with the second digital image 42 of a person or other object 24 , these means being implemented by the programmed computer 43 shown in fig1 as a “ laptop ” and also shown in fig1 . the display 49 and keyboard and mouse 57 of the computer 43 may be used to grant user approval of the generated composite image 22 for use in designing the custom jigsaw puzzle 30 . the person or other subject 24 may be placed in front of a uniformly coloured screen 62 ( usually blue or green ) with a defined pre - positioning of the person or other subject 24 so that the subject person 24 seems to interact with the stored image 34 or forms an integral part of the stored image 34 . in an embodiment of the invention , a child or a person is photographed in a pre - selected position matching a situation in the stored image 34 . a preset process allows a quick and effective photo shoot on the blue screen background 62 . every scene has its own very simple process for capture of the photo . the photo will be taken in a store or shopping mall location or in any other location with public traffic . in an embodiment of the invention , the selecting means 32 and the image processing means 44 that generate the composite image 22 are implemented by means of a programmed computer 43 ( see fig1 ) which generates the composite image 22 , typically a 3 - layered digital composite image 22 . the computer 43 uses computer programs 41 , such as photoshop ™, advantedge ™, any other similar program , to sandwich the image 42 of the person or other object 24 in between the components ( typically a background scene 23 and one or more foreground objects 25 ) or layers of the stored image 34 ( the first image ) to form the layered composite image 22 which is printed on one of the flexible sheets 55 that forms the upper surface 59 of the custom puzzle 30 . in an embodiment of the invention , a photographer / technician transfers the composite image 22 from the computer 43 to a high resolution printer 53 located within the jigsaw puzzle production means 46 . the high resolution printer 53 or a colour photocopier produces a print containing different sections ( shown in fig5 ). these include one bigger size image 22 for use as the face of the puzzle . also included is a smaller image of the child in the puzzle setting for use as a label for the puzzle box . additional box label information may be printed out . thus , if the background scene 23 or any foreground objects 25 are licensed images , the copyright notice and the terms of the license may need to be printed out on the puzzle box . ant to facilitate the gathering of accounting information to track royalty payments , a upc bar code 74 may have to be printed out and studied . note that all image sizes and die - cut jigsaw puzzle sizes are subject to vary and change , depending on the die line of the jigsaw puzzle . in one embodiment of the invention , the jigsaw puzzle production means 46 provides means for transferring the larger hardcopy version of the composite image 22 and pre - glued foam sheet 50 ( shown in fig6 ) to a press or roller machine . the press &# 39 ; s platens 78 and 76 ( fig1 ) may squeeze the puzzle die against the foam sheet 50 and the printed image sheet 48 . the puzzle die has a masonite ™ base one - half inch thick into which puzzle grooves are cut , and then metal strips are pushed in to the grooves to do the cutting . a hard rubber pad is then squeezed into the die and cut so that it fills the spaces between the metal strips and enables great force to be applied to the laminated layers . as an alternative to a press , and requiring considerably less force to develop high pressure , a roller 82 may be mounted over the lower platen 78 and die 80 . in one arrangement , the platen 78 is mounted on rollers and rolls under the roller 82 which compresses the two sheets together in a manner similar to an old fashioned clothes ringer . since pressure is applied along a thin line , rather than over a large area all at once , considerably less downward force is needed when the roller 82 is used than when two platens 76 and 78 and a press ( not shown ) are used . in one embodiment of the invention , the jigsaw puzzle production means 46 also includes means for affixing on generic packaging for each custom jigsaw puzzle one of the at least one smaller hardcopy version 60 of the composite image 22 on a predetermined location on the packaging , as well as means for inserting the fully die cut jigsaw puzzle pieces into the packaging and means for closing the packaging containing the custom jigsaw puzzle . the technician affixes on generic packaging for each personalized jigsaw puzzle a small copy 60 of the composite image 22 on a predetermined location on the packaging . other smaller images can also be generated as backups for the packaging , or alternately they may be inserted into the box to serve as a colour reference to facilitate jigsaw puzzle assembly . any legal information 72 , including licence information and copyright notices , any logos and trade - marks 72 related to the use of licensed images in the jigsaw puzzle can also be affixed on a predetermined location on the packaging , as well as a upc code 74 related to the custom jigsaw puzzle . the technician then inserts the fully die cut jigsaw puzzle pieces into the package which is closed and ready to come out of the jigsaw puzzle production means 46 to be taken home . and as noted above , the bar code allows full automation of the count of each puzzle sold to serve as a basis for royalty payments . according to the invention , as shown in fig1 , there is provided a method for producing a custom jigsaw puzzle , comprising steps of : a ) selecting 102 a first digital stored image containing at least two layers of images , within a bank of digital images ; b ) capturing 104 a second digital image of a person or other subject ; c ) integrating 106 the second digital image between the at least two layers of the first digital stored image to obtain a composite image 22 ; and d ) producing 108 the custom jigsaw puzzle with the digital composite image 22 . printing a first copy of the composite image 22 onto a first sheet ; securing the first sheet onto a pre - glued surface 59 of a second sheet made of foam , to obtain a double sheeted member ; and die cutting the double sheeted member to obtain the custom jigsaw puzzle . step c ) can include the step of storing pre - established parameters upon which the integrating is based . step c ) can further include the steps of displaying the composite image 22 on the display 49 and manipulating the composite image 22 . in step d ), the second sheet can be made of a polyethylene foam having a thickness of at least 3 mm . in step d ), the pre - glued surface 59 may be provided with a glue of a type which remains flexible after setting thereof . in step d ), the glue may be pressure sensitive hot melt adhesive . step d ) can include the step of printing at least one additional copy 60 of the composite image 22 onto the first sheet , the at least one additional copy 60 being smaller than the first copy 22 . in step b ), the person or other subject 24 may be positioned in a predetermined position in the second digital image 42 to match a situation determined by the at least two layers of the first digital stored image 34 . step b ) involves capturing a third digital image of another person or other subject , and step c ) involves integrating the third digital image between the at least two layers of the first digital stored image within the composite image 22 . according to the invention , as shown in fig1 , there is also provided a method for producing a custom jigsaw puzzle , comprising steps of : a ) selecting 112 a first digital stored image , within a bank of digital images ; b ) capturing 114 a second digital image of a person or other subject ; c ) integrating 116 the second digital image into the first digital stored image to obtain a composite image 22 ; and d ) producing 118 the custom jigsaw puzzle on a sheet made of foam with the composite image 22 . printing a first copy of the composite image 22 onto a first sheet ; securing the first sheet onto a pre - glued surface 59 of a second sheet made of foam , to obtain a double sheeted member ; and die cutting the double sheeted member to obtain the custom jigsaw puzzle . step c ) may include storing pre - established parameters upon which the integrating is based . step c ) can involve displaying the composite image 22 on the display 49 and using the keyboard and mouse 57 to manipulate the composite image 22 . in step d ), the second sheet is preferably made of a polyethylene foam having a thickness of at least 3 mm ., but it may be as thick as ¼ inch or more , particularly for children &# 39 ; s puzzles . in step d ), the pre - glued surface 59 is preferably provided with a glue of a type which remains flexible after setting thereof . in step d ), the glue is a pressure sensitive hot melt adhesive . the step d ) can include printing at least one additional copy 60 of the composite image 22 onto the first sheet , the at least one additional copy 60 being smaller than the first copy 22 . in step b ), the person or other subject 24 may be placed into a predetermined position in the second digital image 42 to match a situation or scene established by the first digital stored image 34 . step b ) may involve capturing a third digital image of another person or other subject 24 , and step c ) may then involve integrating this third digital image in with the first two digital images 34 and 42 within the composite image 22 . the production of a custom jigsaw puzzle 30 for a user from a composite image 22 montage combining an image of a person or other subject with at least one stored image ( from a variety of stored images offered to a user ) may be carried out using the following more detailed sequence of steps : a ) selecting , from a variety of stored images offered to a user , at least one stored image in which the person or other subject is to be positioned ; b ) taking a photographic image of the person or other subject in front of a blue screen with a defined pre - positioning of the person or other subject so that such subject person seems to interact with the stored image or forms an integral part of the stored image ; c ) generating the image montage including the photographic image of the person or other subject positioned within the at least one stored image ; d ) approving the generated image montage for use on the jigsaw puzzle ; g ) initiating movement of movable parts 54 of external housing of the jigsaw puzzle production unit during production of the jigsaw puzzle ; h ) producing at least one larger hardcopy version of the image montage and at least one smaller hardcopy version of the same image montage ; i ) applying the larger hardcopy version of the image montage to a pre - glued foam sheet ; j ) transferring the larger hardcopy version of the image montage and pre - glued foam sheet to pressing means ; k ) gluing the larger hardcopy version of the image montage to the pre - glued foam sheet ; l ) die cutting the glued image montage and foam sheet received from the pressing means into jigsaw puzzle pieces ; m ) affixing on generic packaging for each custom jigsaw puzzle one of the smaller hardcopy versions of the image montage on a predetermined location on the packaging , as well as a custom upc code and any appropriate legal data ; n ) inserting the fully die cut jigsaw puzzle pieces into the packaging ; p ) providing the custom jigsaw puzzle to the user through an opening in the jigsaw puzzle production unit . referring now to fig8 , another aspect of the custom made packaging 70 is the need to provide a memory , such as the memory 45 of the computer 43 shown in fig1 for storing data . programming is needed that can select the correct legal data 72 from a first bank of data stored in the memory 45 , in relation to a specific product , and also select the proper upc bar code 74 from those stored within a second bank of data stored in the memory 45 . this ties in with the means for selecting visual data 60 which determines which royalty information is applicable and which bar code corresponds to the selected background scene and foreground objects , and a reduced size version of the visual data is included on the label . thus , a third bank of data stored in the memory 45 is needed . and of course means are required for applying the legal data 72 , the upc bar code 74 and the visual data 60 onto a generic package to produce the custom made packaging 70 . the means for selecting can be the computer 43 provided with a display 49 and with a keyboard and mouse 57 , as is shown in fig1 . the first bank of data is data chosen within the group including license data , copyright data , logo data and trademark data . the third bank of data includes the composite images 22 including a person or other subject 24 . the applying means may include the printer 53 which prints the legal data 72 , the upc bar code 74 and the visual data 60 on stickers that can be applied on the generic packaging . as illustrated in fig5 , these may be printed on a portion of the same first flexible sheet 48 on which the puzzle &# 39 ; s composite image 22 is printed and cut off to form labels by the puzzle cutting die 80 , as is illustrated schematically in fig1 . in one embodiment of the invention , the apparatus for producing a custom made packaging can be used in conjunction with the jigsaw puzzle machine described above , in order to produce a custom made packaging wherein the visual data 60 on the packaging corresponds to the composite image 22 shown on the custom jigsaw puzzle . the legal data in this case will be any legal information ( copyright , licenses , logo , trade - mark or others ) related to licensed images used in the composite image 22 . the upc code is related to the type of custom jigsaw puzzle produced and to the imagery used in the composite image 22 , to ensure proper tracking of inventory and sales of products . referring now to fig1 a method for producing the custom made packaging is described in that figure and below , involving a number of basic steps to which may a plurality of optional steps may be added , as is explained below . according to the invention , there is provided a method for producing a custom made packaging , comprising steps of : a ) selecting 122 legal data within a first bank of data stored in a memory , in relation to a product ; b ) selecting 124 a upc bar code within a second bank of data stored in the memory , in relation to the product ; c ) selecting 126 visual data 60 within a third bank of data stored in the memory , in relation to the product ; and d ) applying 128 the legal data , the upc bar code and the visual data 60 on a packaging to obtain the custom made packaging . the steps a ), b ) and c ) are performed by means of the computer 43 which is provided with a display 49 and with a keyboard and a mouse 57 . in step a ), the first bank of data can be data chosen within the group including license data , copyright data , logo data and trademark data . in step c ), the third bank of data is the composite image 22 including a person or other subject . the step d ) includes printing the legal data 72 , the upc bar code 74 , and the visual data 60 on stickers to be applied on the generic packaging . alternatively , this step can include printing the legal data 72 , the upc bar code 74 and the visual data 60 on the generic packaging . although just a few embodiments of the invention have been described , it should be understood that the invention is not limited to these precise embodiments , and that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as set forth in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification . | 8 |
the present invention uses an asymmetric cryptography system to prevent the cloning of * sims ( i . e ., sims , usims , and isims ) and to enhance protection against cloned identity modules ( ims ). in sharp contrast to prior - art arrangements ( storing the same information in the * sim and he / auc ), the present invention stores different information in the he / auc from the information in the * sim , and even if the information in the he / auc is leaked , it is not sufficient to clone a * sim . in one embodiment , the * sim generates its secret ( private ) public key pair internally , and securely delivers the public key to the he / auc . in another embodiment , a trusted third party generates the secret ( private ) public key pair . the trusted third party enters the secret key into the * sim , and delivers the public key to the he / auc . note that the system does not rely on a shared key as in the standard gsm / umts authentication and key agreement ( aka ) procedures . the asymmetric schemes in the present invention may be based either on public key encryption , or on a diffie - hellman public key distribution system . in the first case , the secret key , u_sk equals the private key in the public key crypto system , and u_pk denotes the corresponding public key . in the second case , u_sk denotes a secret value ( x ) and the u_pk is the corresponding public value g x . the present invention is designed to prevent * sim cloning by attackers having information gained in any one of the following three ways . 1 . the information held in the hlr / auc is leaked to the attacker . this implies that the attacker can , generate authentic challenges . however it does not necessarily imply that the attacker could generate a cloned usim . 2 . the information held in the vlr is leaked to the attacker . this should not enable the attacker to generate new valid challenges or give correct responses for the challenges held . the attacker should also not be able to derive the keys that result from the aka procedure . 3 . the information / parameters programmed into the usim is leaked to the attacker . this should not enable the attacker to generate valid challenges . note that information generated internally in the usim is assumed not to be available to the attacker . typically this is the private key in a public key system , and if it was available , then the attacker would obviously be able to clone the usim . however , in one embodiment , even if the private key is made available , it would still not enable an attacker to issue valid authentication challenges , i . e ., creating a false authentication server . it is also assumed that the attacker can monitor all signaling between all involved entities up until the moment the attack is performed . the attacks considered by the present invention are the standard attacks : ( 1 ) masquerading as a user ; ( 2 ) masquerading as a system ; ( 3 ) a redirection attack ( i . e ., to redirect authentication requests from one service to a usim used for another service ); ( 4 ) replay attacks ; ( 5 ) a man - in - the - middle attack to influence keys ; and ( 6 ) derivation of keys from intercepted traffic and knowledge . fig2 is a message flow diagram illustrating the flow of messages between a * sim such as usim 11 , a visitor location register ( vlr ) 12 , and a he / auc 13 in a first embodiment of the present invention . the usim has knowledge of a secret key ( sk ), and the he / auc has knowledge of a public key ( pk ) corresponding to the sk . in an exemplary embodiment the rsa public key system is assumed , but as can be easily seen , any public key system may be utilized . while rsa has some special advantages ( discussed later ), other systems such as those based on elliptic curve could also be beneficial to use from an efficiency / bandwidth point of view . the usim sends an authentication request 14 to the vlr and includes an identifier such as an imsi in the request . the vlr forwards the authentication request to the he / auc . when the he / auc receives the authentication request , the he / auc selects a random value r , and calculates rand = e ( pk , r ), where e is rsa encryption . optionally , the he / auc may add redundancy / padding to r at this point , for example , according to the pkcs # 1v1 . 5 or rsa - oaep standards . the he / auc also calculates a derived shared secret key , k , using k = kdf ( r , . . . ), where kdf is a key derivation function ( for example , based on aes or hmac ). the he / auc then updates the sequence number sqn he , calculates mac using f 1 ( k , rand ∥ sqn ∥ amf . . . ), calculates xres using f 2 ( k , rand ), calculates ck using f 3 ( k , rand ), calculates ik using f 4 ( k , rand ), calculates ak using f 5 ( k , rand ), and constructs the message autn = sqn xor ak ∥ amf ∥ mac , as described in 3gpp ts 33 . 102 . at 15 , the he / auc sends the rand , xres , autn , ck , and ik to the vlr . at 16 , the vlr forwards the rand and autn containing the sqn he ( confidentiality protected ), the amf , and the mac to the usim . upon receiving the rand and autn , the usim 11 determines r = d ( sk , rand ), where d is rsa decryption . if the he / auc added redundancy / padding to r , the usim checks the redundancy / padding at this point . the usim also calculates the shared secret key , k = kdf ( r , . . . ) using the key derivation function . the usim then proceeds as in 3gpp ts 33 . 102 to prepare a response , res . at 17 , the usim sends the res to the vlr , which determines whether the res received from the usim is equal to the xres received from the he / auc . the information in the usim is not sufficient to generate valid challenges if an rsa - based public key scheme is utilized in which only the public key &# 39 ; s modulus is stored in the usim , but not the primes that the public key is formed from , and in which the public key is erased after it has been distributed to the he / auc . thus , the invention applies public key cryptography ( or hash chains , described below ) to secure user authentication . the public key solutions are aligned with the message exchange of the standard umts aka procedure and utilize the same trust model , with a slightly modified message format and processing . the hash chain solution may require small amounts of extra signaling , except in the isim case , where the solution only affects home network internal signaling . alternatively , the present invention may use a plaintext challenge approach instead of the encrypted challenge approach described above . both approaches assume firstly that the usim generates a private / public key pair ( internally ) and enrolls the public key with the he / auc in a secure way . “ secure ” here means authenticated , but not necessarily encrypted . the usim operation that cannot be cloned , and which enables detection of an attack , is to perform an operation involving the private key for generation of a digital signature or to retrieve plaintext information . the plaintext challenge also assumes that the usim and the he / auc share a secret , although alternatively , this assumption may be replaced with an assumption that the he / auc has a private / public key . the present invention adds a general improvement to the standard umts aka system as well to the new aka solutions described below , by making the aka output explicitly dependent on the imsi of the usim . this makes it impossible to program a usim for the standard umts aka procedure with the key , k , for a given user and generate correct responses . the present invention also makes the standard umts aka output dependent on the sequence number of the challenge . including the sequence number in the response calculation prevents the output parameters from being calculated from previously used input arguments . fig3 is a message flow diagram illustrating the flow of messages between the usim 11 , the vlr 12 , and the he / auc 13 in an embodiment of the present invention utilizing a plaintext challenge system . it is assumed in this embodiment that the usim has generated and enrolled its public key ( u_ek ) at the he / auc . the usim sends an authentication request 14 to the vlr and includes an identifier such as an imsi in the request . the vlr forwards the authentication request to the he / auc . when the he / auc receives the authentication request , the he / auc retrieves the usim &# 39 ; s public key , u_ek , and prepares a challenge ( chal ). as in the standard umts aka , the he / auc maintains an individual sequence counter for each usim . the generation of sequence numbers and the snap employed by the usim can be adapted to system needs , and the total system solution , due to the fact that a usim cannot be cloned . the challenge includes at least one of rand and seq , and possibly additional data ( data ). preferably , both rand and seq are part of the challenge , which preferably includes a service identifier in the data part . the service indicator makes it impossible to redirect challenges from one service and use the results for another service . at 18 , the he / auc sends the challenge ( chal ) together with the usim &# 39 ; s public key ( u_ek ) to the vlr 12 , which forwards the chal to the usim at 19 . the usim prepares a digital signature u_sign ( chal ) of the challenge and sends it as a response ( res ) 20 to the vlr , which then checks the signature by determining whether the challenge ( chal ) equals the public key u_ek ( res ). in the embodiment of fig3 , a signature scheme with message recovery is assumed . if signatures with an appendix are used , the check chal =? u_ek ( res ) is replaced by hash ( chal )=? u_ek ( res ). to protect against denial - of - service attacks and verify that the challenge comes from an authenticated source , the challenge together with the user &# 39 ; s public key may be integrity protected with a shared - key mac . the he / auc may alternatively digitally sign the challenge using either a common public / private key pair for all users or usim unique public / private key pairs . in the latter case , the public key may be distributed to the usim at the same time that the usim enrolls its public key with the he / auc . by integrity protecting the challenge in this manner , it is not possible for an attacker to produce valid challenges for all cases , except when he has the same knowledge as the he / auc . thus , the attacker cannot send challenges to block valid sequence numbers . the shared key may also be used as in the standard umts aka system to derive shared keys such as ck and ik . in this derivative embodiment , the keys preferably depend on the complete challenge , not just the rand part . this guarantees that keys will also depend on the sequence number and the data part . if the terminal or the usim can verify that a service descriptor in the data part , for example , is correct , then redirection attacks are blocked . note that the derived shared keys must be sent from the he / auc to the vlr . the method to hide the sequence number offered by the standard umts aka system also applies for this solution . it is also noted that if the shared key in the usim is leaked , an attacker can generate valid challenges , because the public key of the usim has to be considered publicly known since it is sent to the vlr in plaintext . if the challenge is signed with a he / auc private key , this is not the case . an attacker may in this case also be able to “ hijack ” a connection after the real usim has authenticated because the attacker may be able to derive the same session keys . to protect against this , the keys should be derivable only when one has possession of the secret ( non - shared ) key in the usim . this may be accomplished by having the he / auc send a “ key seed ” to the usim , encrypted by the usim &# 39 ; s public key , as was performed in the earlier described encrypted challenge solution . fig4 is a message flow diagram illustrating the flow of messages between the usim 11 , the vlr 12 , and the he / auc 13 in an alternative embodiment of the present invention utilizing an encrypted challenge system . there are two major differences between this embodiment and the encrypted challenge embodiment described above . first , in this embodiment , integrity protection is provided by having the usim and he / auc share a secret key . second , in this embodiment , the usim public key is made available to the vlr . it is assumed in this embodiment that the usim has generated and enrolled its public key ( u_ek ) at the . he / auc . just as described above , the he / auc may alternatively use a public / private key pair to digitally sign the challenges . the usim sends an authentication request 14 to the vlr and includes an identifier such as an imsi in the request . the vlr forwards the authentication request to the he / auc . when the he / auc receives the authentication request , the he / auc retrieves the usim &# 39 ; s public key , u_ek , and prepares and encrypts a challenge ( e_chal ). at 21 , the he / auc sends the e_chal together with the usim &# 39 ; s public key ( u_ek ) and mac to the vlr 12 , which forwards the e_chal and the mac to the usim at 22 . as noted , the transfer of the public key , u_ek , to the vlr is a second major difference to the earlier described encrypted challenge embodiment . the usim modifies the encrypted challenge e_chal by application of a publicly known function hr . the usim digitally signs the obtained result , and at 23 , the signature is sent as a response ( res ) to the vlr . the vlr knows the hr function and the usim &# 39 ; s public key , and therefore it can verify the signature received . shared keys may be derived from the challenge by applying a hash ( prg ) function on the plaintext challenge , chal_d . also here , the derived shared keys must be sent from the he / auc to the vlr . it is also noted that if the shared key in the usim is leaked , an attacker can also in this case generate valid challenges . if the challenge is signed with a he / auc private key , this is not the case and aka keys could be derived from the plaintext challenge . fig5 is a message flow diagram illustrating the flow of messages between the usim 11 , the vlr 12 , and the he / auc 13 in a third alternative embodiment of the present invention utilizing an encrypted challenge system . in this embodiment , the public key of the usim is not sent to the vlr as in the preceding embodiment . the usim sends an authentication request 14 to the vlr and includes an identifier such as an imsi in the request . the vlr forwards the authentication request to the he / auc . when the he / auc receives the authentication request , the he / auc retrieves the usim &# 39 ; s public key , u_ek , and prepares and encrypts a challenge ( e_chal ). the he / auc also derives the s_key to be shared with the vlr 12 . at 24 , the he / auc sends the e_chal together with the expected response ( xres ), the s_key , and the mac to the vlr 12 , which forwards the e_chal and the mac to the usim at 25 . the usim prepares a response ( res ) as a hash or pseudo - random generator ( prg ) of the plaintext challenge chal_d , ha ( chal_d ). at 26 , the res is sent to the vlr , which determines whether the res received from the usim is equal to the xres received from the he / auc . to maintain the feature that the information held by the vlr is not sufficient to generate valid responses to a challenge , a masking technique is applied . the same type of masking technique may be used to make the derived shared keys depend on the response generated by the usim . this method is also applicable to both solutions described above . it is also noted that in this embodiment there is no shared key . the information in the usim is not sufficient to generate valid challenges if an rsa - based public key scheme is utilized in which only the public key &# 39 ; s modulus is stored in the usim , but not the primes that the public key is formed from , and in which the public key is erased after it has been distributed to the he / auc . the benefits of a hash - based solution is efficiency , although the signaling and maintenance is somewhat more complicated . a principle of digital signatures is that the signer reveals a value that only the signer can produce , but anybody is able to verify the correctness . the same result can , in principle , be achieved with one - way hash functions . starting with a function h , which is easy to compute but hard to invert , a “ signer ” a chooses a random x and publishes y (= h ( x )) as a “ public key ”. later , signer a reveals x , and anybody can apply h and verify that the value is correct . to be able to “ sign ” more than once , one can use a chain x — j = h ( x _ ( j − 1 )), j = 1 , 2 , . . . a problem is that such a chain will anyway always be of finite length , and one may run out of x - values . however , in the usim case , there is usually a maximum number of allowed authentications defined ( about 20000 - 50000 ), so the chain can always be made long enough . alternatively , there are methods to “ bootstrap ” new chains from old . this is done by letting the second to last value of a first hash chain be used as a message integrity key , this key integrity protecting the last value of a second hash chain . thus , the usim generates a hash chain { x_j } as signer a above , and the last “ anchor ” value , x_n , is enrolled in the auc . to reduce storage requirements , the usim may store , for example , only every r : th value , and derive intermediate values as necessary . in principle , at each authentication , the usim reveals the “ next ” x_j ( which is the previous x - value in the chain ). this , however , has some synchronization problems , since the home network needs to know how many authentications have taken place in order to supply the correct x - value . this may not always be easy , since the home may have difficulty in “ tracking ” the user when roaming . a solution is for the usim , via the vlr , to “ report home ”, at least at given intervals . the auc stores ( j , x_j ), which is the most recently reported hash chain value . ( alternatively , since j will be in correspondence to n and sqn by j = n − sqn , then n and sqn can be used to deduce j , see below .) the home network always knows what sqn was used in connection with a particular challenge - response ( aka vector ). therefore , whenever the vlr reports back a particular x_j , the auc can update its value accordingly . next time , when a vlr requests aka parameters , the auc looks up the most recent ( j , x_j ) value . the auc produces an aka vector , and includes x_j and the integer t = sqn − j . this value t is how many times the vlr needs to apply h to the x_k value revealed by the usim in order to get x_j . it should be noted that the vlr can order more than one aka vector at once and store them for later use . suppose for instance that the vlr orders m & gt ; 1 vectors . a “ malicious ” vlr may then take the last of these vectors ( rather than the first as normally expected ) and send to the usim . when the usim reveals the corresponding x_n , the vlr will be able to produce a cloned usim that is good for m successive authentications if the vlr also has access to k . in general , such caveats exist if someone is able to compromise both the vlr and the usim ( to get k ). in the ip multimedia subsystem ( ims ), authentication is done in the home network . therefore , the solution is more suited there ( to isims ), since the “ report home ” function is essentially in place already . fig6 is a message flow diagram illustrating the flow of messages between the usim 11 , the vlr 12 , and the he / auc 13 in an embodiment of the present invention utilizing a public key distribution system rather than public key encryption . the solution may be illustrated using the standard diffie - hellman method . the usim has knowledge of a diffie - hellman secret key ( x ), and the he / auc has knowledge of a diffie - hellman public key ( g x ). note that g x can be easily computed from x , but the opposite is presumed computationally infeasible . the usim sends an authentication request 14 to the vlr and includes an identifier such as an imsi in the request . the vlr forwards the authentication request to the he / auc . when the he / auc receives the authentication request , the he / auc selects a random value y , and calculates rand = g y . the he / auc then calculates a value r = g xy , based on the public key g x , where the value x is the diffie - hellman private key . the he / auc also calculates the shared secret key , k , using k = kdf ( r , . . . ), where kdf is a key derivation function . the he / auc then updates the sequence number sqn he , calculates mac using f 1 ( k , rand ∥ sqn ∥ amf . . . ), calculates xres using f 2 ( k , rand ), calculates ck using f 3 ( k , rand ), calculates ik using f 4 ( k , rand ), calculates ak using f 5 ( k , rand ), and constructs the message autn = sqn xor ak ∥ amf ∥ mac , as described in 3gpp ts 33 . 102 . at 27 , the he / auc sends the rand , xres , autn , ck , and ik to the vlr . at 28 , the vlr forwards the rand and autn containing the sqn he ( confidentiality protected ), the amf , and the mac to the usim 11 . upon receiving the rand and autn , the usim 11 determines r = rand x , where x is the diffie - hellman private key . this step may be expressed as : the usim also calculates the shared secret key , k = kdf ( r , . . . ) using the key derivation function . the usim then proceeds as in 3gpp ts 33 . 102 to prepare a response , res . at 29 , the usim sends the res to the vlr , which determines whether the res received from the usim is equal to the xres received from the he / auc . in one embodiment , relating to the public key or diffie - hellman cases , secret information is stored in the im and protected by a password so that it can only be used by initializing the im , for example , by entering appropriate initializing information . the secret information may include a secret key , a public key , or both . appropriate initializing information may be used to initiate generation of secret information and to output , for example ; a public key that is further exported to an auc . this initializing information is not known to the ordinary user , and consequently , the public key is not known to the ordinary user . other appropriate initializing information may be used at the time a user performs authentication requiring use of a private key . by applying the appropriate initializing information , use of a previously created private key is enabled , or the information initiates recreation of the keys based on a pre - stored seed . in the latter case , it should be noted that , prior to applying the initializing information , no keys are available at the mobile equipment . electronic circuits implementing these features are disclosed in the international patent application pct / se03 / 01660 , incorporated herein by reference . as will be recognized by those skilled in the art , the innovative concepts described in the present application can be modified and varied over a wide range of applications . accordingly , the scope of patented subject matter should not be limited to any of the specific exemplary teachings discussed above , but is instead defined by the following claims . | 7 |
the invention is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements . references to embodiments in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment , and such references mean at least one . while specific implementations are discussed , it is understood that this is done for illustrative purposes only . a person skilled in the relevant art will recognize that other components and configurations may be used without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention . in the following description , numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough description of the invention . however , it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the invention may be practiced without these specific details . in other instances , well - known features have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the invention . an application can depend on multiple components within different projects and each of those components may also have dependencies on other components within other projects . each component &# 39 ; s project may in turn have dependencies on other components &# 39 ; projects . this chain might end with the runtime library for the target computing system . in various embodiments , a dependency graph provides a way to determine how projects are interrelated . a simplified diagram is shown in fig1 . in this figure , the main project depends on a data access library and a business logic component . these , in turn , depend upon a system runtime library . systems and methods in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure overcome the problems described above by efficiently tracking the relationships between a project and changes to source code for components upon which the project &# 39 ; s application depends . it will be appreciated by those of skill in the relevant art that the embodiments of the present disclosure are not dependent on or limited by the particular programming language ( s ) found in the source code . in various embodiments , a project dependency data structure can represent the dependencies of projects on components . in aspects of these embodiments , this data structure is a directed acyclic graph ( dag ) formed by references between class path level nodes ( cpls ). cpls model the ordered dependencies of a set of projects and the individual components and files within the projects . cpls are coupled with a dependency resolution mechanism that ensures dependent projects reflect the latest versions of components . fig2 provides an exemplary illustration of a project dependency data structure in accordance to various embodiments . in various embodiments and by way of illustration , each project has a cpl 200 . a cpl can hold a list of source files associated with a project and one or more binary paths . a binary - path is an ordered list that can include references to jar files 202 , locations of binary ( e . g ., “. class ”) files 204 , and references to other cpls 206 . the order of elements in the binary path has significance , since it establishes a search priority . a reference to a cpl in a binary path indicates that a project depends on the code in another project ( source code or binary code ). the project dependency data structure provides optimizations for commonly used components . many applications and components may depend upon one or more commonly used components and in the absence of the present invention copies of commonly used components are often stored inefficiently with every project that uses the component . for example , most or all components depend on the runtime library of the target computing system and a copy of this library may be included with every component project . however , the software analysis system can utilize the project dependency data structure to maintain a single copy of each common component used across all the projects . this saves space and reduces the time required to build the projects . as described in the previous paragraph , different projects might refer to the same resource . in conventional software development environments , when several projects are loaded simultaneously , it is common for a development environment to create duplicate in - memory representations for each resource that was referred to by multiple projects . this increased the memory and cpu utilization of the compilation system . the project dependency data structure also allows a compilation or other system to understand the common dependencies across projects and load a single version of each shared resource . the project dependency data structure also serves as a hierarchy for specifying the resources a project depends on . in conventional software development environments , projects specified the resources they depended on with a flat list . in cases where project a depended on project b , which depended on project c , project a was required to specify all resources required by projects a , b and c in a single list . project b was required to specify all resources required by projects b and c in a single list . therefore , any resource required by project c had to be duplicated in the flat lists associated with projects a , b and c . as changes occur to these separate projects , keeping these lists synchronized could be a challenge . a common problem was for projects a , b and c to end up referring to different , incompatible versions of the same resource . in various embodiments , the software analysis system can locate resources available to the project ( e . g ., files , directories , data types , etc .). in aspects of these embodiments , this is easily accomplished by searching a project dependency data structure . by way of illustration , suppose a process wants to find information about a type given its type name . type information is stored in a source file or an object file ( e . g ., a class ). if it exists , a source file is considered the most up - to - date version of type information and will be used instead of the class file . otherwise , the class file can be used . fig3 is an illustration of an exemplary recursive algorithm for searching a project dependency data structure for type information in accordance to various embodiments . although this figure depicts functional steps in a particular order for purposes of illustration , the process is not necessarily limited to any particular order or arrangement of steps . one skilled in the art will appreciate that the various steps portrayed in this figure can be omitted , rearranged , performed in parallel , combined and / or adapted in various ways . the benefit of this process is immediate visibility of source file changes in an external project , like that available for source files internal to the project . similar benefits can be derived by from the effect of a configuration change to the cpl hierarchy itself . that is , the cpl / project hierarchy can be altered ( e . g ., by the user or a process ) and the resulting impact determined on any cpls lower in the hierarchy from the point of change with performance similar to changes in their own source files . the first time this algorithm is invoked , the cpl searched is the project &# 39 ; s . subsequent recursive calls to the algorithm refer to the cpls of other projects . in step 300 , the source files of the cpl are searched for a matching type . if found , the information associated with the type is returned in step 304 . otherwise , a binary - path from the cpl selected in step 306 . in one embodiment , binary - paths are selected in order of dependency . next , an entry from the chosen binary - path is selected in step 308 . if the selected entry is not a directory or a java ® archive ( jar ) file , it is determined in step 312 whether the entry is for a cpl . if so , the algorithm is invoked recursively with the cpl for the entry . if not , the algorithm resumes at step 320 where it is determined if there are any remaining entries to be searched in the chosen binary - path . if the chosen entry is a directory or a jar file , the corresponding directory or file is searched for a matching type in step 314 . if found , the information associated with the type is returned in step 318 . if not , it is determined in step 320 if there are any remaining entries ( i . e ., yet to be searched ) in the chosen binary - path . if so , the process continues at step 308 with the selection of another entry . if not , it is determined in step 322 whether or not there are any remaining binary - paths to search in the current cpl . if so , the algorithm continues at step 306 by choosing another binary - path from the current cpl . if not , the process completes . fig4 is an exemplary illustration of a process for responding to changes in source code . although this figure depicts functional steps in a particular order for purposes of illustration , the process is not necessarily limited to any particular order or arrangement of steps . one skilled in the art will appreciate that the various steps portrayed in this figure can be omitted , rearranged , performed in parallel , combined and / or adapted in various ways . in various embodiments , the software analysis system monitors changes to the code registered for each project . in aspects of these embodiments , changes can be detected in step 400 when modified code is processed by the software analysis system . in one embodiment , processing code includes parsing and analyzing the code according to the syntax and semantics of a programming language and comparing the parsed representation to a previous parsed representation . in step 402 , the software analysis system traverses a project dependency data structure to determine which dependent source code is affected by the change . once the dependent code is identified , the software analysis system can reevaluate the dependent code in step 404 within the context of the modifications and provide notification ( s ) to the associated project in step 406 . a smart editor can then provide relevant information to the software developer , for example by highlighting a syntax error due to the modification of a method signature on a component . fig5 is an exemplary illustration of a system in accordance to various embodiments . although this diagram depicts components as logically separate , such depiction is merely for illustrative purposes . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the components portrayed in this figure can be combined or divided into separate software , firmware and / or hardware components . furthermore , it will also be apparent to those skilled in the art that such components , regardless of how they are combined or divided , can execute on the same computing device or can be distributed among different computing devices connected by one or more networks or other suitable communication means . in various embodiments , a compiler framework 506 provides communication between language modules ( 508 - 512 ) for compiling source code and clients of information about the source code , such as ides with “ smart ” editors 504 used by the software developer . the ide allows a software developer to create projects and specify dependencies between projects . the software analysis system 502 utilizes project dependency data structure 500 and causes code to be parsed and analyzed within a project , collects information about that code and presents that information to the ide so the ide can assist the software developer ( e . g ., in editor 504 by adding syntax coloring to the source code , statement completion , etc .). in aspects of these embodiments , the software analysis system maintains a list of locations where internal components may be found for each project . the system allows clients to specify dependencies between projects by inserting references to other software projects within this list . in one embodiment , software developers can specify this information via an ide . the ide can in turn utilize an api to communicate the list to the software analysis system . in one embodiment , a setbinarypaths api method allows the ide ( or other process ) to specify the list of locations where internal components and external projects this project depends on can be found . the ide may call this method passing a list of objects representing locations , which may include directory paths within the project , software libraries within the project or other objects implementing a cpl interface representing external projects . the objects representing external projects may contain similar lists of locations including additional objects representing the projects they depend upon . in one embodiment , the order of the objects provided to the setbinarypaths method is significant — the order defines the order in which the software analysis system searches internal components and external projects to find definitions of components used in the project . in one embodiment , the first definition of a component found in the locations on this list is used by the software analysis system and definitions from subsequent locations are ignored . one embodiment may be implemented using a conventional general purpose or a specialized digital computer or microprocessor ( s ) programmed according to the teachings of the present disclosure , as will be apparent to those skilled in the computer art . appropriate software coding can readily be prepared by skilled programmers based on the teachings of the present disclosure , as will be apparent to those skilled in the software art . the invention may also be implemented by the preparation of integrated circuits or by interconnecting an appropriate network of conventional component circuits , as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art . one embodiment includes a computer program product which is a storage medium ( media ) having instructions stored thereon / in which can be used to program a computer to perform any of the features presented herein . the storage medium can include , but is not limited to , any type of disk including floppy disks , optical discs , dvd , cd - roms , microdrive , and magneto - optical disks , roms , rams , eproms , eeproms , drams , vrams , flash memory devices , magnetic or optical cards , nanosystems ( including molecular memory ics ), or any type of media or device suitable for storing instructions and / or data . stored on any one of the computer readable medium ( media ), the present invention includes software for controlling both the hardware of the general purpose / specialized computer or microprocessor , and for enabling the computer or microprocessor to interact with a human user or other mechanism utilizing the results of the present invention . such software may include , but is not limited to , device drivers , operating systems , execution environments / containers , and applications . the foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description . it is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed . many modifications and variations will be apparent to the practitioner skilled in the art . embodiments were chosen and described in order to best describe the principles of the invention and its practical application , thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the invention , the various embodiments and with various modifications that are suited to the particular use contemplated . it is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents . | 6 |
referring to fig1 there is seen a system that may be used to quantitate spots used in performing the method of this invention . the system is described in one of its applications , i . e ., quantitating the spots of an electrophoresis gel . it is to be understood , however , that the method and system are equally appliable to quantitating other spot patterns as well , i . e ., those encountered in astronomy , as well as in chemistry and biology . although the method and system of this invention relate to the quantitation of the spots in a spot image , in order to provide a complete disclose of an operative system , a gel scanning system that has been successfully built and operated to scan a spot image and provide a pixel - by - pixel representation thereof is described . the system includes a laser gel scanner module 1 , a computer module 2 , system peripherals 3 , and analysis software 4 . the laser gel scanner 1 digitizes , with high resolution , the two - dimensional optical - density information in 2 - d electrophoresis gels . the computer system 2 serves many functions . it transmits the scan parameters to the laser scanner &# 39 ; s control circuitry . it assists in the transfer of data from the scanner to an image memory . it processes the image data according to specially designed algorithms . and , it helps to effect data movement from various storage systems to a video display device . the system peripherals include a crt terminal , color monitor , printer and floppy disk drive and hard disk drive . the method of this invention , which overcomes many of the difficulties experienced in the prior art , is a &# 34 ; one - pass &# 34 ; method that treats each spot or peak once . after each spot has been modeled and the model subtracted from the image , the resultant model &# 39 ; s parameters are stored and not accessed again until it is time to combine the individual resultant models into spot structures . if some of the spots are overcompensated , negative regions , i . e ., negative residuals , are modeled in addition to the positive peaks or regions . the method begins by loading individual array of elements or a pixels defining the image from the scanner , disk , or other storage medium into the image random access memory 110 ( fig6 ). the image is then preprocessed using known techniques , such as described by lutin et al ., so as to render the background substantially zero , and the volumes to be measured as positive quantities . the value of a positive cutoff level is entered . this value represents two surfaces close to a background reference level of the image , one surface on each side of the background . the two surfaces need not be separated from the background by equal distances . the cutoff value is assumed , however , to parametrically control these distances . when all of the image , outside the region between these surfaces has been modeled , the initial modeling step is completed . it is to be understood that , in its most general form , the method of this invention can deal with both positive and negative images , and with varying backgrounds . next the pixel having the maximum absolute value of intensity is sought by testing all the image pixels ( or with the aid of a look - up table to be described ). in the following description the optical density samples of the image i . e ., pixels will be represented by integer values of z ( x , y ) where x and y are cartesian coordinates in the image plane represented as integers . the absolute value is used in order to detect negative residual peaks that may arise in subsequent steps , as well as the positive peaks present at the beginning . although the absolute value function is considered here , the concept may be generalized as noted in the foregoing to include two surfaces , one on each side of the background , separated from the background by given distances . hence if the maximum absolute value is greater than the preselected cutoff value , the image is searched , starting at the peak pixel position , in the four principal orthogonal cartesian coordinate directions to ascertain the extent of the spot . this extent may differ in all four directions . once the extent has been determined , an appropriate model is generated and subtracted from the data . because of the differing extent measurements , the most accurate model needs to be assymetric . this model is assigned a negative amplitude if the maximum found resulted from a pixel having a negative value . in this way , the model is able to describe negative residuals that may have arisen because of earlier overcompensation . this overcompensation arises when the model value exceeds z ( x , y ) at certain pixels . overcompensation may also occur when a negative residual is removed by compensation with a negative amplitude model . in this case , the result is a positive residual that is subsequently modeled with a positive - amplitude model . by an analogy drawn from mechanics , unique model - width parameters are established that incorporate information from all pixels processed . note that spatial position information concerning every element of mass in a solid body is used in determining the bodies center of mass and amount of inertia properties . by considering the spots as if they were solid bodies , it is apparent that these properties are candidates for spot position and shape measures . the parallel axis theorem provides an elegant method of combining the moments of inertia of separate components of a composite model . more conventional width measures are then more easily obtained from the composite moments . the parallel - axis theorem is used to establish these parameters . the incorporation of all information stands in contrast to the original use of inflection points , which only included information along a swath parallel to each cartesian coordinate axis and passing through the maximum pixel . the virtue of the new parameters for volume , position , and width or extent is that they can be combined in a sensible way in subsequent steps to yield parameters of composite , multi - model spot structures such as would be obtained by direct calculation from the original image data . after the parameters are determined , they are added to a list . the next maximum of the image , which has been adjusted as just described , is then sought in a repetition of previous steps as indicated in fig2 . with each successive subtraction , the absolute - value maximum found decreases , until it is less than the cutoff value and the method terminates . at this point , the total volume under the models represented on the parameter list substantially equals the original volume under the surface z ( x , y ) and we say that z ( x , y ) has been adequately parameterized . in subsequent steps the model volume center coordinates and widths are combined to form single spot composite structures that are characterized by like parameters . it is a property of the analogy with mechanics , i . e ., the use of center of mass , and moments of inertia , that allows the combination of all these parameters in a way that results in values that are the same as one would obtain if one computed the parameters directly by their definition from the spot image data alone . the latter technique , however , only works for isolated spots . this method and system has the significant advantage of being able to resolve overlapping spots . high - resolution 2 - d gel - separation technology is believed to offer a key element needed to understand the structure and function of the molecular building blocks underlying life itself . this understanding will lead to improvement in the quality of life through the treatment of disease and alleviation of suffering . the technology of 2 - d gel - separation cannot reach its potential without practical methods of spot quantitation . at present , there are basically two classes of spot quantitation methods : efficiency and resolving capability are of paramount importance . spot resolving capability is needed because a significant number of spots on a typical gel overlap . a method that cannot resolve them is limited in applicability . efficiency is needed because inefficient programs require either long execution time , large expensive computers , expensive array processing hardware , or all of the above . any of these requirements would make a method impractical for widespread use . the invention disclosed here combines the best feature of both classes of methods , namely efficiency and resolving capability . it is therefore , believed to hold the key to widespread adoption of not only computerized gel quantitation , but 2 - d gel separation technology itself . while the method and apparatus of the invention can be used in the quantitation of the spot - like representations of many types such as thin layer chromatograms , radio maps of the sky , or astronomical plates , it is herein described as being used for the quantitation of spots on 2 - d electrophoresis gels . the gel optical densities are digitized by the scanner ( as will be described ) to a desired precision ( typically 1 part in 256 , ie ., 8 - bit encoding is adequate ) over an image format of selected density . typically a 1024 × 1024 pixel array is satisfactory , although higher densities such as 2048 × 2048 pixel array may be used merely by the addition of memory . in the following discussion the reader will wish to refer to the flow chart of fig2 . also , the digital data are corrected to render the spots as positive - going peaks superimposed on a zero - level background . finally the scanned , corrected spots are stored as an array in a random access memory in a manner that is well known in the art . a cutoff value is then either read from disk or entered by an operator . the cutoff value is chosen to represent two surfaces close to the background reference level of the image , which level is chosen as zero in the present implementation . while the two surfaces need not be equidistant from the background level , they are chosen here to be planes , equidistant from background . when all volume outside the region between these two surfaces is accounted for by models represented on the parameter list , the gel is considered to be adequately quantitated . as stated previously , the mathematical model used may be any model that represents a localized , bounded volume . an assymetric 4 - component gaussian is preferred , although certain other assymetric models should probably work nearly as well . to speed later computation of the model , exponential and square - function look - up tables are generated and stored at this point in the program for future reference . in order to begin the modeling process , the pixel having the largest absolute value in the entire array is first located . if the maximum absolute value is greater than or equal to the cutoff value previously selected , which it certainly should be on this time through the loop , the program goes on to determine the extent of the model . after the algorithm has run for a while , a similarly located maximum absolute value pixel will fall below cutoff and the analysis will terminate . when using an assymetric gaussian as the model , the inflection points of the data are especially convenient as descriptors of extent of each spot . this arises from the face that , for a gaussian function , the inflection point occurs precisely one standard deviation from the peak . thus we obtain four inflection points and generate the mathematical model as will be described . the model is then subtracted from the image . the parameters of the model are placed on a list that may reside on a disk . the next absolute - value maximum is then sought . as noted previously , the algorithm terminates when the maximum absolute - value found is below cutoff . next , the various individual models represented by the parameters stored on the parameter list may be combined in appropriate groups representing single spot structures . the method by which these models are combined is generally that described in the prior art by jansson et al . with several improvements . it is a unique property of the gaussian parameters v , σ x , σ y , x , and y that they may be easily combined in a sensible way to form overall spot volumes , width parameters and center - of - mass coordinates . the virtue of this technique , however , lies in its efficiency and applicability to overlapping spots . its utility stems from the frequent occurence of such overlapping spots , and the lack of any other efficient method to sensibly allocate volumes between the spots , accurately determine their positions , and accurately determine their width parameters . in the original lutin et al . method , and in the simplest version of the present method , the most computer time consuming step is searching the entire image for the maximum absolute - value pixel . to alleviate this problem , a max table that records the maximum absolute - value pixel in each of many separate regions of the image , and its position in each region may be used . each time a new absolute - value maximum is needed , it is found merely by searching the max table for the region containing the largest absolute value . in order that the max table accurately represent the values in the image , it must be updated every time the image values are altered , that is , every time a mathematical model such as a gaussian is subtracted new values must be placed in the max table for all rows affected . when the image maximum has been located , the closest inflection points to this maximum in each of the four principal orthogonal coordinate directions are sought ; that is , the first inflection points in the + x , - x , + y , and - y directions . thus far the determination of inflection points is usually done by finding the pixel location where the second partial derivative vanishes . this approach is similar to that taken in the prior art . a finite difference technique is appropriate . because of the well known propensity for differentiation to emphasize the effects of high - frequency noise in the data , the technique is prone to inaccuracies resulting in the establishment of erroneous locations for the inflection points . to partially overcome this problem , each pixel along one of the four principal coordinate directions is replaced ( for the purpose of inflection - point finding only ) by the average of itself and its 6 closest neighbors along a line perpendicular to the principal direction in which the inflection point is sought . this too is described in the prior art . even this averaging is not sufficient , however , so the prior art stresses the need to filter the entire image before analysis by convolving it with a smoothing function . unfortunately , these techniques taught by lutin et al ., are a time - consuming procedure . overall filtering is avoided by using a method that makes use of the information in neighboring points along the principal direction in which the inflection point is sought . this stands in contrast to the prior art , in which only neighbors perpendicular to the principal directions are employed . thus , when the inflection point is sought along the principal direction whose pixels have been replaced by averages as noted above , the inflection points are obtained by calculating the second derivative through use of a well known method of simplified least squares . the least - squares method is described by savitzky , a . and golay , m . j . e ., analytical chemistry , vol . 36 , no . 8 , pg . 1627 - 1629 , july , 1964 . the method of this invention therefore makes use of the information in neighboring pixels along the principal direction as well as the information perpendicular to the principal direction , as was described in the prior art . while any model having a shape that localizes a volume may be used in the present algorithm , it is convenient to employ a gaussian function of the two independent gel - plane coordinates . however , inflection points need not be , and usually are not , at equal distances from the maximum pixel ; that is , the + x and - x distances are not equal and the + y and - y distances are not equal . these differences are a natural consequence of the assymetric shape that protein spots typically have . this information is retained by this invention . accordingly , this invention employs an assymetric volume model having four characteristic spatial dimensions . in the preferred embodiment , each cartesian quandrant of the gaussian function is identical to a quadrant of the function described by lutin , et al . if σ x + , σ x - , σ y + , and σ y - are the four principal inflection - point distances from the maximum pixel as noted elsewhere , then the model in this invention is , for the first quadrant , in which both x - x o and y - y 0 are positive , for the second quadrant , in which x - x o is negative and y - y o is positive , for the third quadrant , in which x - x o and y - y o are negative , and for the fourth quadrant , in which x - x o is positive and y - y o is negative , in the above formulas , z m ( x , y ) is the value of the model at the pixel located at the gel plane cartesian coordinates x and y , x o and y o are the coordinates of the center of the model ( which is chosen as the coordinates of the maximum pixel ) and a is the amplitude of the model , which is chosen as the value of the maximum pixel that was located as a result of the absolute value search of the image . if the maximum absolute value was located on the negative side of the surface , a is taken to be negative . the volume of the model is easily obtained by summing the volumes of the four components which , in turn , are easily obtained by either direct integration or from a table of integrals . thus we find ## equ1 ## because the gaussian model falls to a relatively small value within a relatively short distance from its center coordinates of ( x o , y o ), the model is evaluated and subtracted from the image only within a rectangle in which this operation would cause significant alteration of the image . therefore , computation time is greatly reduced as compared with that which would be required to evaluate the model over the entire image plane . the boundaries of the rectangle may be usefully specified as the vertical straight lines located at ## equ2 ## and the horizontal straight lines located at ## equ3 ## in order to save time , the model may be computed with the aid of look - up tables , thereby eliminating repeated computation of the exponential expression for each pixel in each model . in the method of this invention , the tables are established before beginning the analysis . the two principal computations that are time - consuming in generating the model are the exponential function and the square operation , so two tables are employed . when the model is subtracted from the image surface , negative regions result that represent overcompensation for the image values . this effect occurs at all pixel locations at which the values of the model z m ( x , y ) exceed the value of the pixel z ( x , y ). as subtraction is carried out at each pixel , the image is updated by replacing each image value z ( x , y ) by z ( x , y )- z m ( x , y ). these negative regions are eliminated by subsequent models having negative amplitude . two questions are next presented : ( 1 ) what should be considered to be the center of each model ? and ( 2 ) how does one characterize it &# 39 ; s width in a simple way such that when multiple models are later combined into single spot entities , the width parameters retain a sensible meaning ? these questions are answered as described in the copending elias et al . application by an analogy to the dynamics of rotating bodies , particularly the physical properties that are used in characterizing their motion . to determine the center of a spot , this spot may be considered as if it had mass , of a uniform density within the volume defined by a local peak of z ( x , y ). one may obtain the model center of mass by computing ## equ4 ## and ## equ5 ## it is known that the moments of inertia of physical bodies can be combined provided that the moments about their respective centers of mass are known , and that the coordinates of the spatial distribution of masses is known . this may be done with the parallel - axis theorem of mechanics . the result of such a combination is a moment of inertia of the aggregate masses about their common center of mass . the applicability of the analogy becomes clearer when one realizes that the moment of inertia is given by the simple product of the volume and variance σ 2 . ( note that in the case of a perfect gaussian , the variance is the inflection - point distance squared ). by knowing the centers of mass of each of the four components of the model and applying the parallel - axis theorem , the aggregate moment of inertia may be determined about the four - component aggregate center of mass . once that moment is obtained , the variance results by dividing the moment by the aggregate mass . by following this procedure it is easy to derive the variances of a four - component gaussian model about it &# 39 ; s center of mass : after the modeling algorithm has completed its work and substantially all the integrated optical density ( volume ) under the surface z ( x , y ) has been accounted for in the positive and negative values of v stored on the parameters list , the various single models represented by the parameters stored on the parameter list may be combined in appropriate groups representing single spot structures . it is the unique property of the parameters v , σ x , σ y , x and y that they too may be easily combined in a sensible way to form overall spot volumes , width parameters , and center of mass coordinates . the prior art ( jansson et al .) describes the preferred human - interactive peak - combining method of selecting gaussians to be included in the composite model for each spot . this method employs a digital - refreshed - raster display to represent the models as colored crosses superimposed on the spot pattern image . as the operator selects models to be incorporated into each spot composite , the colors of the crosses are altered to show which model has been selected . the method presently employed is identical to the prior art except for the following refinement : ( 1 ) the plus - arm lengths determined by the four standard deviations σ x + , σ x - , σ y + , and σ y - are now displayed instead of the l / e points described in the prior art . ( 2 ) the console terminal numeric keypad has replaced the joystick as a means of positioning the cursor , ( 3 ) a different display system is being used that , in this instrument , performs the same function as in the system described in the prior art , ( 4 ) the standard deviations σ x and σ y of the spot are computed with the aid of the parallel - axis theorem by referring to the moment - of - inertia analogy employed earlier . explicitly , assume that one is given the parameters for n gaussians where the parameters for the i th gaussian are expressed as note : ( parentheses and the subscript i have been added to the notation previously introduced to signify that the parameters correspond to the i th gaussian .) the parameters for the spot comprising the n gaussians may then be obtained as follows . the volume of the spot is given by ## equ6 ## the center of mass of the spot is given by ## equ7 ## and ## equ8 ## respectively . the x and y standard deviations of the spot are given by ## equ9 ## and ## equ10 ## respectively . the results obtained by these formulas are the same as those that would have been obtained by computing the volumes , center - of - mass coordinates , and standard deviations directly from the spot data , for one isolated spot , by use of their respective definitions . by using the above methods of quantitation and peak combining , however , two substantial advantages are gained : ( 1 ) one is able to correctly characterize spots that are partially overlapping and , ( 2 ) computer - time - consuming explicit summations involving individual pixel values are entirely avoided . the models account completely for contributions elsewhere . the advantage of applicability to overlapping spots has special significance because of the frequent occurrence of such spots . the above - described spot parameters result from contributions over the entire spot . they are measures of volume , location , and shape , respectively , that draw upon every optical density measurement in the spot , and are , therefore , truly representative . because they are integral measures , they exhibit the precision and noise - minimizing properties that are characteristic of averaging processes . furthermore , these means are seen to successfully and simultaneously solve the problems of accuracy , precision , efficiency , and resolving capability . in appendix i there is displayed a fortran program to quantitate an image according to the method described in the foregoing . for clarity , the use of look - up tables for both absolute - value maximum location , and for model generation have been omitted in this example . the laser gel scanner that has been used successfully to provide the image data processed by this invention will be described in three parts : the beam focusing and directing optics ( fig3 ), the gel scanner mechanical assembly ( fig4 ); and the gel scanner electronics and data interface system ( fig5 ). it is to be understood , however , that any suitable image or radiation scanning system can be used . the subject invention is concerned only with the processing of spot image data to quantitate the spots . refering to fig3 and 4 , the laser scanner uses a low powered he - ne laser 5 as the source of a focused laser beam 29 that is swept rapidly in a transverse direction relative to the line of movement of a gel such that the focal line is adjacent to , but not coincidental with , the gel surface . this is done in order to obtain an optimal beam spot size . in describing the optical train the laser 5 , typically a 5 mw he - ne source , produces a substantially parallel beam 29 which is focused by lens 7 to a point between respective first and second folding mirrors 10 , 12 . a beam splitter 6 is interposed between lens 7 and first folding mirror 10 to direct a portion of the beam to a reference photodiode 8 , which in turn , generates a reference signal input for the optical density analyzer . the laser beam , after being reflected from the second folding mirror 12 , passes to a second lens 14 , which in turn , brings the beam to a focus at a point near , but not necessarily on , the gel plane 24 . a scan mirror 16 , driven by galvo ( galvanometer ) scanner 18 , scans the focused beam across a third and fourth folding mirrors 20 , 22 in series and thence to the long - line photodiode sensor 28 , typically a 9 &# 34 ;× 1 / 4 &# 34 ; shott ky photodiode manufactured by united detector technology . the third and fourth folding mirrors 20 , 22 have been positioned after the scan mirror 16 to lengthen the scan radius sufficiently to maintain ( within 2 . 5 degrees ) the perpendicularity of the scan beam to the gel plane 24 throughout the extent of each scan . this is done so as to avoid the effects of apparent changes in optical density in the plane 24 as the scan is generated . as a further measure to enhance the uniformity of response of this detector 28 a strip of opal glass 26 is positioned adjacent to the photosensitive surface to diffuse the light , thereby averaging and minimizing the effect of any nonuniformities that may be present . if the beam is truly perpendicular to the gel at any beam position , say at the center of the scan , then optical interference may corrupt the data due to the appearance of fringes superimposed on the image . the interference arises because the direct beam and the beam internally reflected in the plate and / or gel are coaxial when the beam is perpendicular . this interference problem is avoided by adjusting the geometry of the beam deflection so that the beam is not perpendicular at any beam position during the scan . this condition is obtained by inclining the beam slightly in the plane that is perpendicular to both the gel plane and the plane that is defined by the beam sweep . the optics depicted in fig3 are shown in place in the pictorial illustration of fig4 . the laser gel scanner has been designed specifically to digitize the two - dimensional optical density information in 2 - d gels . however , it will digitize any substantially transparent object , possibly containing absorbing or light scattering regions , provided that the object dimensionally fits on a gel stage 30 . wet and dry gels as well as autoradiograms may be scanned . the maximum gel size is 200 × 240 mm . refering to fig4 the gel stage 30 is a rectangular - shaped frame that is designed to accomodate a glass gel holder , typically 200 × 240 × 9 mm ., and transport it in the gel plane through the scan zone . when the unit scans wet gels , a glass gel holder with a raised lip ( not shown ) around the edge is typically used to confine the liquid . a glass cover plate ( not shown ) is also often used to flatten the gel surface . the gel stage 30 is designed to be introduced into the scanner assembly 39 which includes a base plate 41 and a pair of end plates 43 supported by rods 45 . the various components of the optical system are located at various points on this assembly to form the folded beam , compact scanning system . the scan zone is defined as that region in the gel plane that lies between the long - line photo sensor 28 and fourth folding mirror 22 . the gel stage 30 comprises two apertured aluminum support plates 34 , 36 that are connected by aluminum support tubes 38 , 40 . the stage 30 is mounted to slide along two steel support rods 42 , 44 which define the gel plane so that the stage can be drawn through the scan zone by a continuous pulley 47 , mounted pull string 46 , the ends of which are secured to the stage at opposing attachment points 48 . pull string 46 is typically a high tensile - strength stainless - steel cable to minimize effects of both thermal and mechanical stresses on its elongation . stage - position detectors 50 comprise pairs of leds and photosensors to signal when the stage is in either the &# 34 ; begin - scan &# 34 ;, or &# 34 ; end of scan &# 34 ; positions . stage motor 32 , typically a 1 rpm instrument gear motor with a constant speed and reversible field , is attached to the exterior surface of one of the two end plates 43 for the scanner assembly and turns drive capstan 52 which is keyed to the motor shaft . pull string 46 is tightly wrapped around capstan 52 , at least four times , for positive traction so that as the capstan turns , the stage translates smoothly through the scan zone in the signalled direction , at a constant speed . simultaneously , it is transversely scanned by the scanning beam which passes through the gel to the diode sensor 28 . depicted in fig5 a and 5b are block diagrams of the gel scanner and data interface system . the laser gel scanner system 1 interfaces the computer 2 via a scanner interface 106 which in turn interfaces an lsi - 11 bus 108 . all communication to the scanner system is conducted through the scanner interface 106 . thus , the computer controls the stage motor control 62 , a 12 - bit programmable counter 72 , an 8 - bit programmable counter 74 , a programmable gain circuit 88 , and a programmable offset circuit 86 . these functions are all interrelated such that the laser scanner precisely scans the gel in a fashion that enables the two - dimensional optical density information to be digitized for use during analysis by the software . in order to provide precise synchronization between the stage position and the initiation of each scan , zero - crossings of the stage motor 32 supply voltage waveform are used to toggle a 6 khz phase - locked loop oscillator 70 which , in turn , clocks a row - spacing 12 - bit programmable counter 72 . the synchronized periodic start - scan signals produced by the 12 - bit counter 72 are spaced according to instructions programmed by the operator via the scanner interface 106 to establish row spacing , and the separation between successive scan lines . 1 . it causes the galvanometer ramp generator 54 , to produce a saw - tooth waveform needed to deflect the galvanometer scanner mirror 16 ( fig3 and 4 ) and sweep the laser beam across a gel 60 in the gel stage 30 . the ramp generator 54 is provided with a manual reset switch that may be used to stop the scan without affecting the stage movement . 2 . it enables the variable time delay circuit 68 such that it is ready to respond to the reference - position indication signal from the reference - position indicator 66 , which is coupled to the reference - position photodetector 8 . the variable time - delay circuit 68 provides the means by which the operator can manually select a prescribed portion of the gel ( in terms of pixels in the scan direction , or columns ) to be scanned . 3 . when combined with the output of the column - spacing 8 - bit programmable counter 74 it provides the enabling signal for the scan - length decoder 80 . the 8 - bit column counter 74 performs a similar function as the 12 - bit programmable counter 72 in that it receives pixel - spacing information from the operator via the scanner interface 106 and signals the occurrence of the end of each scan to the scan length decoder 80 . the scan - length decoder 80 generates ( a ) an end of scan signal and transmits it to the 12 - bit programmable counter 72 , which in turn , transmits a clear address signal to the scanner interface 106 , and ( b ) a convert signal to the a / d converter 100 . a 10 mhz clock 76 is used to increment the 8 - bit column - spacing counter 74 . the scanner interface 106 transmits scan enable and counter load signals to the respective counters . 4 . the start - scan signal also activates the dark current compensator 92 for measuring a representative photodetector dark current / voltage from the gel - free portion of the scan for subtraction from the instantaneous analytical signal for calibration purposes . 5 . finally , the start - scan signal enables each eoc ( end of convert ) status signal to strobe 104 the a / d converted data via the a / d converter 100 in the buffer registers 100 into the scanner interface 106 . the last circuit to be described is the od ( optical density ) analyzer . the principal inputs to this circuit are the reference signal and the analytical signal which are obtained from the action of the galvo deflector 18 passing the scanning laser beam through the laser scanner optics 58 through the gel 60 onto the long - line photodetector 28 . in addition , programmable gain 88 and programmable offset 86 parameters are input to this circuit from the computer via the scanner interface 106 . these parameters are used to optimize the digitization of pixel od values . in operation the reference and analytical signals are separately amplified logarithmically via the operational amplifier 82 , 84 in the reference line and 90 , 94 in the analytical line . these signals are then summed with the programmed offset value at a summing junction where the log ( a / r ) result is formed . manual controls are provided for the operator to make zero - adjust corrections 96 to the analytical signal prior to its appearance at the summing junction . the settings are made based on od values existing at the outset of each scan in the calibration series . the programmable - gain circuit 88 is configured to enable the operator to manually select either high or low od ranges and make full - scale adjustments for them upon prompting by the computer should the operator know ahead of time what high and low od limits are needed for the gel to be scanned . this feature is provided in addition to its normal function of automatically applying gain values to the ratio signals present at the summing junction using values transmitted to it from the scanner interface 106 . the a / d sample / hold circuit 98 samples the scan signals at a programmed rate , and transmits the held voltages directly to the a / d converter 100 for processing into 8 - bit format . the output data terminals of the a / d converter are connected to a set of buffer registers for storing each scan &# 39 ; s data in 12 - bit format . the buffer register output terminals are in turn connected to a lookup table memory 102 , which communicates the digitized od values to the scanner interface 106 , the od values are represented by eight data bits . the a / d converter 100 responds to a convert signal that is generated by the scan - length decoder 80 at the end of each scan . upon its receipt , the a / d converter 100 loads the buffer registers and generates end of convert ( eoc ) signal pulses to the a / d sample / hold 98 and strobe - generator circuits 104 to simultaneously load new data into the a / d converter 100 while the preceeding scan &# 39 ; s data is entered onto the computer via the scanner interface 106 . during the operation of the scanner , a reference position indicator 66 is positioned at one of the scan extremes to sense the beginning of each scan needed to initiate the operation of the scanner / stage motor controller 62 . a split photodector 50 has been found useful for this purpose by generating a sharply rising trigger pulse that contributes substantially to the precision of scan direction displacement ( column ) measurements . the last module which will be discussed in detail is the computer system 2 and 3 ( fig1 ) used with the gel scanner . illustrated in fig6 is a detailed block diagram of the computer 2 , the interface modules 106 , 114 , 116 , 118 , 120 its peripherals and memory module 110 , 112 . the system &# 39 ; s peripherals includes blocks 124 , 126 , 128 , 130 , the analysis software 4 and the computer memory modules 110 , 112 . the lsi - 11 bus 108 serves as the main communication link to all the major system components . the computer serves many functions , several of which are specific to 2 - d gel analysis . it transmits the scan parameters to the scanner interface 106 which in turn passes these parameters to the gel scanner 1 . it both receives and transmits data from the various peripheral interfaces 114 , 116 , 118 , 120 to the associated system peripherals 124 , 126 , 128 , 130 which are directly accessible by the operator . it processes the 2 - d gel data using the analysis software 4 that resides in the main random - access memory 110 and interacts with the image memory 112 during system operation . in addition , the computer controls the movement of data to and from the major components of the system via the lsi - 11 data bus 108 . each of these major components will be described in more detail below . the computer 2 , is a dec ( digital equipment corporation ) lsi - 11 / 23 microcomputer with 256k bytes of main memory . the operating system is dec &# 39 ; s single - user system , rt - 11 version 4 . the computer uses the random - access memory 110 to store both programs and data . as mentioned above the lsi - 11 bus 108 serves as the main communication link to all the major system components . the image - memory system 112 has been designed to store over four million 8 - bit samples per circuit board with integrated - circuit memories now readily available . the amount of data generated by the laser scanner system 1 is relatively large , at present typically over one million samples . these data must be stored in a place where access to them is random and rapid . the image memory 112 provides this function as follows . the image memory 112 which , consists of commercially available components , utilizes a 2048 word - wide address - window of the dec lsi - 11 / 23 computer 2 located in the i / o portion of the memory physical address space as the location where the scanned image data are accessed . this section of the i / o memory addresses is used to access a single horizontal line of pixels , all of which are contained in the image memory 112 . the horizontal line appearing in the 2048 word window is specified by a number in a single register in a neighboring area of the i / o address region . different lines may be made to appear in the 2048 word window by changing the horizontal line pointer in this register . the system peripherals 3 are detailed in fig6 as items 124 , 126 , 128 and 130 . an interface module 114 , 116 , 118 , and 120 is associated with each peripheral as a means for providing the correct communications link between the computer bus 108 and the operator . the crt terminal 124 is a conventional terminal used by the operator to control the operation of the laser gel scanner instrument . the interface associated with the terminal is an rs - 232 serial interface 114 which is linked directly to the lsi - 11 bus 108 . the rgb monitor 126 is a color display monitor that accepts an rs - 170 video signal from the display memory and control interface 116 via the lsi - 11 bus 108 . the display memory and control interface 116 stores a portion of the gel image which is continuously displayed on the rgb monitor 126 . the display memory array is arranged as 480 rows with 512 picture elements ( pixels ) per row . both the rgb monitor 126 and the display memory and control interface are commercially available . the printer 128 and its serial interface 118 both of which are commercially available , are used to generate hard copy information generated as a result of the gel analysis . a winchester dsd 880 floppy disk drive 130 , a disk interface 120 and the winchester 30 megabyte disk 122 in combination provide the system with an adequate amount of data mass - storage capability . the method and apparatus of this invention are thus seen to provide a rapid , efficient means of resolving and quantitating image spot information from whatever source derived . ## spc1 ## | 6 |
the method and apparatus described is for enabling the association of two or more devices . associating devices , or pairing them , establishes a connection between the devices , and shares data between them . the term “ pairing ” and “ associating ” are used interchangeably . the process , in one embodiment , includes putting both devices in pairing mode , then performing a motion such as shaking the devices holding them in the same hand . the movement pattern , in one embodiment , is used both to identify which devices one intends to pair and then generate the key that will create the secure connection . in an alternate embodiment , a certain motion automatically launches the pairing process . the process then looks for nearby devices and attempts to pair with them , only completing the pairing if the exact motion pattern of that device &# 39 ; s motion and the date / time stamp of the motion also match . in one embodiment , this happens in the background transparently to the user . by holding the two devices together , they become effectively one body , and the accelerations measured by the accelerometer in each device are of the same magnitude . in contrast , if the devices were simply held separately , and similar motions were made , there would be a differential not only because humans cannot reproduce the identical motions , but also because of mass differentials between the devices . although the term “ pairing ” is used , it should be understood that this association need not create a permanent relationship between the devices . rather , it is used to exchange data between the devices . fig1 is a network diagram of the devices . a first device 110 is designed to be paired with a second device 120 . both devices , in one embodiment , include a motion sensor 115 , 125 . the user then performs a preset motion with both devices in one hand . this ensures that both devices receive exactly the same motion data . this motion data is used to pair the two devices . this process is described in more detail below . an alternative pairing may be between the first device 110 and the third device 130 . the third device 130 , in one embodiment , also includes a motion sensor 135 . however , in this example , the third device 130 does not have the processing capability necessary to provide motion analysis , provide device identification , and / or provide an encryption key for a secure connection . therefore , the third device 130 relies on a server 150 to provide at least some processing and / or memory for the connection . in one embodiment , both the first device 110 and third device 130 are coupled to the server 150 . in another embodiment , only one of the devices is coupled to the server 150 , and the other device need not be aware of the server connection . when a server is involved in the process , any portion of the processing may take place on the server . an alternative pairing may be between the first device 110 and a fourth device 140 , which does not have a motion sensor . the fourth device 140 may be a conventional device which does not include an accelerometer or similar motion sensor . for example , the fourth device 140 may be a conventional bluetooth headset , while the first device 110 is a mobile phone including an accelerometer . the pairing of these devices may be accomplished using the accelerometer to reduce the complexity and navigation requirements , as will be described below . fig2 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the pairing logic . in one embodiment , the pairing logic resides on one of the mobile devices . in one embodiment , only one of the devices has the pairing logic . in one embodiment , the pairing logic 210 may be split between the handheld device and a remote device , such as a server . in another embodiment , both devices have a pairing logic . in one embodiment , one or both of the devices may include a subset of the pairing logic elements described . the motion sensor 115 provides data to motion identifier 230 . motion identifier 230 identifies the motion . in one embodiment , the motion identifier uses a database of motions 235 to identify the meaning of each motion . in one embodiment , the motions may initiate pairing . in one embodiment , the user may initiate pairing through user interface 220 . user interface 220 may also be used to define the motions used for pairing . in another embodiment , the motions , stored in motion database 235 , are pre - defined . in one embodiment , when the motion for pairing is identified by motion identifier 230 , or initiated by user interface 220 , the subsequent motions are passed to target device identification logic 240 . in one embodiment , the motion identifier 230 identifies the motion components , and passes these identified motion components to target device identification logic 240 . for example , a motion component may be a “ rapid horizontal shake ” or a “ clockwise circle ,” etc . the target device identification logic 240 uses these motion components , and data from the device patterns library 245 , to identify which devices should be paired . secure connection logic 250 then establishes a secure connection between the device and the identified target device . in one embodiment , the motions ( i . e . accelerations ) are used to generate a key , by key generation logic 255 . this key is used to establish the secure connection . since the two devices are moved together , they have performed the identical motions , and thus captured substantially identical motion data . therefore , the motion data can be used to ensure that the correct devices are paired . in one embodiment , relative motion data is used , instead of absolute motion data . this ensures that even if there are calibration differences between the accelerometers in the two devices , the same key is generated . in one embodiment , the accelerometer data is smoothed , filtered , and / or normalized prior to performing the key generation . this ensures that the two devices &# 39 ; data match if they experienced the same motions . in one embodiment , a clock differential between the two devices is identified , so that an “ absolute ” clock time may be used for comparison purposes . for example , the system may calculate that one of the devices is 3 seconds ahead of the other device , and is 0 . 02 seconds faster ( per second skew ). this may be used to ensure that when motions are compared , the calculated “ absolute ” time when they occur is identical on both devices . data exchange logic 260 exchanges data between the devices . this data is obtained from pair data 270 , and any relevant data to be used for future connections is stored . in one embodiment , the future connection data is also stored in pair data 270 . in subsequent uses of the device , in one embodiment , connection logic 280 utilizes the stored data from pair data 270 , to establish a connection with the other device . in one embodiment , this occurs automatically when the device is subsequently turned on . fig3 is an overview flowchart of one embodiment of pairing . the pairing is initiated , at block 320 . as noted above , the pairing may be initialized by a user action . at block 330 , the pairing motions are detected . in one embodiment , if the pairing is initiated by motion , blocks 320 and 330 may refer to the same motions . at block 340 , a secure connection is established . the secure connection is established based on the motions detected . in one embodiment , the secure connection is an encrypted connection . at block 350 , data is exchanged between the devices for pairing . once devices are paired , their connection can be automatically established in the future . fig4 is a flowchart of one embodiment of pairing . the process starts at block 410 . at block 420 , a command to place the device into pairing mode is received . in one embodiment , this command may be initiated through a menu selection , through a motion , or through other means . in one embodiment , when the device is placed in pairing mode , the system indicates to the user to take both devices , hold them together , and perform a pairing motion . in one embodiment , the device may provide a list of potential pairing motions , based on the identity of the devices to be paired . at block 430 , the motions initiating pairing are received . in one embodiment , the motions identify the device to be paired . for example , a triple shake of the device may indicate pairing with a bluetooth headset . for another example , a double shake up and down may indicate pairing with a particular sensor . in one embodiment , motion data is filtered on all three axes using a low - pass filter . in one embodiment , the low pass filter is configured to have a frequency cutoff at 4 hz . the filter removes transient noise and allows the detection of hand movement that exhibits a change of direction greater than 250 ms . in one embodiment , each of the axes will be scaled to have a normalized motion of 1 - g acceleration equivalent to 1000 integer counts . during the initial steady state , in one embodiment the dominant vector affected by earth &# 39 ; s gravitational field will be used to determine the accelerometer orientation on both devices . in one embodiment , this process is performed for both devices . at block 440 , a key is generated to create a secure connection . in one embodiment , the key is generated based on the exact motions performed by the user , to initiate pairing . in one embodiment , the key is based on differential motion ( i . e . the relationship between various measurements , rather than exact measurements ). this ensures that even if the two devices have not been cross - calibrated , the proper key is generated . in one embodiment , the measurement of the accelerometer orientation is used to perform an axis translation on both devices . along with the axis normalization and axis translation , the directional acceleration and amplitude measurements will be equivalent on both devices . in one embodiment , using direction , acceleration amplitude and time , a coded numeric sequence will be computed and used as the key for both devices . at block 445 , the device attempts to connect with the identified device to be paired . in one embodiment , both devices attempt to establish a connection . in another embodiment , one device is the “ host ” device which has the software to establish such a connection , while the other device is the “ client ” device which is more passive , and receives the connection attempt . at block 450 , the process determines whether a secure connection can be established . if not , at block 460 , the user is informed of the failed connection attempt . in one embodiment , the connection attempts are retried for a number of tries , or a preset amount of time , before this occurs . the process then ends , at block 480 . if a secure connection can be established , at block 470 , data for pairing is exchanged . the secure connection is then closed , in one embodiment . in another embodiment , a pairing channel is opened , based on the pairing data , so that the devices are immediately paired for use . the process then ends , at block 480 . fig5 is a flowchart of one embodiment of associating the two devices . the process starts at block 510 . at block 520 , pairing motions are detected . in one embodiment , the user may initiate pairing mode prior to performing pairing motions . in another embodiment , the pairing motions may automatically initiate pairing mode . at block 530 , a discovery message is sent out . the discovery message , in one embodiment , is sent out in the format indicated by the pairing motions . for example , for a bluetooth device , the discovery protocol may be to send out a “ wake - up ” message paired with a “ trigger connection message .” each protocol and / or device may have a different discovery message . at block 540 , the process determines whether there was any response . if not , the process continues to block 545 . at block 545 , the process determines whether the pairing has timed out . if not , the process returns to block 530 , to send out a new discovery message . in one embodiment , the pairing process is maintained for a preset period of time , or a preset number of discovery messages . for example , the system may attempt pairing for 1 minute , with discovery messages being re - sent every 10 seconds . if the system times out , the process ends at block 550 . if a response is received , at block 540 , the process continues to block 555 . at block 555 , the process compares the detected motions to establish whether the devices were moved together for pairing . in one embodiment , comparing the detected motions is a three step process . first , in one embodiment , the systems perform a clock differential correction . in one embodiment , the clock differential correction involves using the time stamps on handshake messages , to determine clock differential between the devices . the clock differential may include a per / minute differential as well as a base differential . for example , clock a may be 3 seconds ahead , while clock b loses 0 . 1 second per minute . once the clock differential is determined , the system has an absolute time available to use for the comparison . second , the system in one embodiment accounts for different relative positions between the objects being paired . since the user can hold the devices together in any configuration , the detected motions would be along different axes depending on relative positions . this also compensates for different accelerometer locations and orientations within the devices . in one embodiment , a first motion pattern is used to orient the relative accelerometers . in one embodiment , for each motion pattern , the first motion is a spike or other noticeable motion pattern . third , the system compares motions or accelerations at absolute times . in one embodiment , the motion data is filtered and smoothed , prior to comparison . at block 560 , the process determines whether the motions match . if they do not match , the process returns to block 545 , to determine whether the process should time out or resend the discovery message . if the motions match , at block 570 the secure connection is created , and data is exchanged for the pairing , at block 580 . fig6 is a flowchart of an alternative embodiment of associating the two devices . the process starts at block 610 . at block 620 , a series of motions is detected . at block 630 , the series of motions is identified as a series of motions to initiate pairing , with device identification . at block 630 , the system further identifies the device indicated by the motions . in one embodiment , the particular device type is identified , i . e . bluetooth headset . in another embodiment , the protocol used by the device is identified , i . e . bluetooth device . in another embodiment , the device manufacturer and type is identified , i . e . jabra bluetooth headset . in yet another embodiment , the precise device is identified , i . e . the jabra freespeak headset . at block 640 , a connection request is sent out to the identified device . in one embodiment , the request is as targeted as possible . at block 650 , a secure channel is created . in one embodiment , the secure channel is created by creating a unique key based on the motions performed by the user . the motion data may be converted into a series of numbers , i . e . each motion segment represented by a number . in one embodiment , a look - up table may be used for this conversion . in one embodiment , the series of numbers may be used to generate the key , through a one way hash function . alternative methods of generating the key may be used . at block 660 , the process determines whether a successful connection was made . if not , the process determines if the attempt has timed out . if not , the process continues to try for a connection . otherwise , the process ends at block 690 . if a connection is made , it is secured using the key , at block 680 . the data exchange as described above occurs at that point . the process then ends . fig7 is one embodiment of a computer system that may be used with the present invention . it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art , however that other alternative systems of various system architectures may also be used . the data processing system illustrated in fig7 includes a bus or other internal communication means 715 for communicating information , and a processor 710 coupled to the bus 715 for processing information . the system further comprises a random access memory ( ram ) or other volatile storage device 750 ( referred to as memory ), coupled to bus 715 for storing information and instructions to be executed by processor 710 . main memory 750 also may be used for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions by processor 710 . the system also comprises a read only memory ( rom ) and / or static storage device 720 coupled to bus 715 for storing static information and instructions for processor 710 , and a data storage device 725 such as a magnetic disk or optical disk and its corresponding disk drive . data storage device 725 is coupled to bus 715 for storing information and instructions . the system may further be coupled to a display device 770 , such as a cathode ray tube ( crt ) or a liquid crystal display ( lcd ) coupled to bus 715 through bus 765 for displaying information to a computer user . an alphanumeric input device 775 , including alphanumeric and other keys , may also be coupled to bus 715 through bus 765 for communicating information and command selections to processor 710 . an additional user input device is cursor control device 780 , such as a mouse , a trackball , stylus , or cursor direction keys coupled to bus 715 through bus 765 for communicating direction information and command selections to processor 710 , and for controlling cursor movement on display device 770 . another device , which may optionally be coupled to computer system 700 , is a communication device 790 for accessing other nodes of a distributed system via a network . the communication device 790 may include any of a number of commercially available networking peripheral devices such as those used for coupling to an ethernet , token ring , internet , or wide area network . the communication device 790 may further be a null - modem connection , or any other mechanism that provides connectivity between the computer system 700 and the outside world . note that any or all of the components of this system illustrated in fig7 and associated hardware may be used in various embodiments of the present invention . it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that any configuration of the system may be used for various purposes according to the particular implementation . the control logic or software implementing the present invention can be stored in main memory 750 , mass storage device 725 , or other storage medium locally or remotely accessible to processor 710 . it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the system , method , and process described herein can be implemented as software stored in main memory 750 or read only memory 720 and executed by processor 710 . this control logic or software may also be resident on an article of manufacture comprising a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein and being readable by the mass storage device 725 and for causing the processor 710 to operate in accordance with the methods and teachings herein . the present invention may also be embodied in a handheld or portable device containing a subset of the computer hardware components described above . for example , the handheld device may be configured to contain only the bus 715 , the processor 710 , and memory 750 and / or 725 . the handheld device may also be configured to include a set of buttons or input signaling components with which a user may select from a set of available options . the handheld device may also be configured to include an output apparatus such as a liquid crystal display ( lcd ) or display element matrix for displaying information to a user of the handheld device . conventional methods may be used to implement such a handheld device . the implementation of the present invention for such a device would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art given the disclosure of the present invention as provided herein . the present invention may also be embodied in a special purpose appliance including a subset of the computer hardware components described above . for example , the appliance may include a processor 710 , a data storage device 725 , a bus 715 , and memory 750 , and only rudimentary communications mechanisms , such as a small touch - screen that permits the user to communicate in a basic manner with the device . in general , the more special - purpose the device is , the fewer of the elements need be present for the device to function . in some devices , communications with the user may be through a touch - based screen , or similar mechanism . it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that any configuration of the system may be used for various purposes according to the particular implementation . the control logic or software implementing the present invention can be stored on any machine - readable medium locally or remotely accessible to processor 710 . a machine - readable medium includes any mechanism for storing or transmitting information in a form readable by a machine ( e . g . a computer ). for example , a machine readable medium includes read - only memory ( rom ), random access memory ( ram ), magnetic disk storage media , optical storage media , flash memory devices , electrical , optical , acoustical or other forms of propagated signals ( e . g . carrier waves , infrared signals , digital signals , etc .). in the foregoing specification , the invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments thereof . it will , however , be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims . the specification and drawings are , accordingly , to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense . | 7 |
a preferred embodiment of the present invention is now described with reference to the figures where like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements . also in the figures , the left most digits of each reference number corresponds to the figure in which the reference number is first used . reference in the specification to “ one embodiment ,” “ a first embodiment ,” “ a second embodiment or to “ an embodiment ” ( for example ) means that a particular feature , structure , or characteristic described in connection with the embodiments is included in at least one embodiment of the invention . the appearances of the phrase “ in one embodiment ,” “ a first embodiment ,” “ a second embodiment ” or “ an embodiment ” ( for example ) in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment . some portions of the detailed description that follows are presented in terms of algorithms and symbolic representations of operations on data bits within a computer memory . these algorithmic descriptions and representations are the means used by those skilled in the data processing arts to most effectively convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art . an algorithm is here , and generally , conceived to be a self - consistent sequence of steps ( instructions ) leading to a desired result . the steps are those requiring physical manipulations of physical quantities . usually , though not necessarily , these quantities take the form of electrical , magnetic or optical signals capable of being stored , transferred , combined , compared and otherwise manipulated . it is convenient at times , principally for reasons of common usage , to refer to these signals as bits , values , elements , symbols , characters , terms , numbers , or the like . furthermore , it is also convenient at times , to refer to certain arrangements of steps requiring physical manipulations or transformation of physical quantities or representations of physical quantities as modules or code devices , without loss of generality . however , all of these and similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities . unless specifically stated otherwise as apparent from the following discussion , it is appreciated that throughout the description , discussions utilizing terms such as “ processing ” or “ computing ” or “ calculating ” or “ determining ” or “ displaying ” or “ determining ” or the like , refer to the action and processes of a computer system , or similar electronic computing device ( such as a specific computing machine ), that manipulates and transforms data represented as physical ( electronic ) quantities within the computer system memories or registers or other such information storage , transmission or display devices . certain aspects of the present invention include process steps and instructions described herein in the form of an algorithm . it should be noted that the process steps and instructions of the present invention could be embodied in software , firmware or hardware , and when embodied in software , could be downloaded to reside on and be operated from different platforms used by a variety of operating systems . the invention can also be in a computer program product which can be executed on a computing system . the present invention also relates to an apparatus for performing the operations herein . this apparatus may be specially constructed for the purposes , e . g ., a specific computer , or it may comprise a general - purpose computer selectively activated or reconfigured by a computer program stored in the computer . such a computer program may be stored in a computer readable storage medium , such as , but is not limited to , any type of disk including floppy disks , optical disks , cd - roms , magnetic - optical disks , read - only memories ( roms ), random access memories ( rams ), eproms , eeproms , magnetic or optical cards , application specific integrated circuits ( asics ), or any type of media suitable for storing electronic instructions , and each coupled to a computer system bus . memory can include any of the above and / or other devices that can store information / data / programs . furthermore , the computers referred to in the specification may include a single processor or may be architectures employing multiple processor designs for increased computing capability . the algorithms and displays presented herein are not inherently related to any particular computer or other apparatus . various general - purpose systems may also be used with programs in accordance with the teachings herein , or it may prove convenient to construct more specialized apparatus to perform the method steps . the structure for a variety of these systems will appear from the description below . in addition , the present invention is not described with reference to any particular programming language . it will be appreciated that a variety of programming languages may be used to implement the teachings of the present invention as described herein , and any references below to specific languages are provided for disclosure of enablement and best mode of the present invention . in addition , the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes , and may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter . accordingly , the disclosure of the present invention is intended to be illustrative , but not limiting , of the scope of the invention . referring now to the drawings , fig1 depicts a passive surface ( 101 ) that can be precisely repositioned without an individual microprocessor , azimuth drive motor , elevation drive motor , central control system , backup power supply , or calibration sensor . two adjustment wheels ( 102 ) controlled by a single robotic controller may actuate this system through a flexible or rigid drive shaft ( 103 ). the depicted system uses a flexible cable to transmit rotational motion from a fixed adjustment wheel to the azimuth gear train ( 104 ) and the elevation lead screw assembly ( 105 ). fixed adjustment wheels are desirable as they enable a relatively simple robotic controller that can move along a track or tube ( 106 ). however , this design constraint is not necessary as the robotic controller does not need to be confined to a set path , and can move freely throughout a field of solar surfaces . the robot transport track may include a hollow square or circular tube made out of aluminum , steel , non - ferrous metals , ferrous metals , plastic , or composite materials . the passive solar surface may be supported by a number of foundation types including but not limited to : driven pier ( 107 ), ground screw , ballasted , or simply bolted to a rigid surface . the robot transport tube may also be used as a foundational support for individual passive solar surfaces . fig2 demonstrates an embodiment of a passive solar tracker or heliostat that does not require a gear reduction to transform rotational input motion from an adjustment wheel ( 102 ) or wheels into single or dual axis control of a solar surface . the system may be actuated in a tip - tilt fashion directly by a flexible drive shaft ( 103 ). in one embodiment , the flexible drive shaft connects directly to a pin joint ( 201 ) that is rigidly fixed to one rotational axis . rotation of the adjustment wheel therefore alters the rotation of the solar surface in a 1 : 1 manner on one axis . this system may utilize friction to lock the position of a solar surface or other active braking mechanisms described in patent application ser . no . 13 / 118 , 274 , referenced above . fig3 demonstrates the present invention &# 39 ; s core actuation paradigm of passive systems with active robotic control . a robotic controller ( 301 ) is able to propel itself along a track ( 106 ), stop near a solar surface ( 101 ), and precisely control the rotation of one or more adjustment wheels ( 102 ) linked to aforementioned solar surface using an onboard adjustment wheel interface ( 302 ). each adjustment wheel is connected to a rigid or flexible shaft that can be routed to accommodate many passive tracker designs . the present invention focuses on features of the robotic controller to ensure that the adjustment wheels are reliably and precisely repositioned . it is desirable to provide a large amount of input torque to the adjustment wheels as to decrease the gear reduction needed to reposition a solar surface . contact based adjustment methods may be used , but are prone to poor station alignment , mechanical fatigue , and are difficult to seal from the installation environment . if necessary , the robotic controller may use positive mechanical engagement , friction , or suction based systems , for example , to mechanically control the rotation of an adjustment wheel . fig4 shows one embodiment of a non - contact interface between a robotic controller and an adjustment wheel ( 102 ). this system uses individually controlled electromagnets ( 401 ) to rotate a metallic adjustment wheel . the adjustment wheel may have a distinct metallic form ( 402 ) that enables certain electromagnetic coil firing patterns to alter its degree of rotation . other systems / embodiments may utilize permanent magnets on the adjustment wheel and / or permanent magnets on the robotic controller ( 301 ). systems that utilize a permanent magnet or contact based adjustment interface may be connected to a rotational drive system in order to rotate the adjustment wheel . systems that utilize electromagnets on the robotic controller side may be solid state . in many embodiments adjustment interfaces using electricity to control the rotation of an adjustment wheel use electromagnets , and it is most effective from an energy usage and system lifetime perspective to reduce the adjustment interface to a simple axial flux or induction motor wherein the expensive components are contained on the robotic controller . fig4 also shows that a robotic controller may contain a system to detect the orientation of an adjustment wheel before , after , and during adjustment . these systems may utilize one or more sensors ( 403 ) to detect the position of a distinct marking ( 404 ) on the adjustment wheel . types of markings include , but are not limited to magnetic or metallic materials , physical indents , or markings that can be recognized by an optical , electromagnetic , or electrostatic sensing mechanism . this system is useful because it allows the robotic controller to verify that a solar surface has been correctly repositioned by a distinct number of input rotations . it also allows the robot to verify that the wheel has not rotated between adjustments . fig5 depicts an overview of a robotic controller &# 39 ; s components in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . from this view it can be seen that the robot has idler ( 501 ) and drive wheels ( 502 ) that keep it aligned and propel it along an enclosed track . these idler wheels may be spring - loaded to index the robotic controller to one or two sides of the track . the robotic controller may also include a calibration camera ( 503 ) and a structured light emission mechanism to discover the orientation of a solar surface in 3d space . for systems / embodiments that utilize an enclosed track , a window ( s ) or other opening transparent to a particular frequency can be positioned in the track near a solar surface . this window ( s ) allows a calibration camera to view the underside of the solar surface . puncturing a hole in the robot transport tube may create this window . to enable the track to remain sealed , a piece of glass , plastic , or other transparent material may cover the hole . to reposition a solar surface , the robotic controller must be able to control the position of one or more adjustment wheels . this may be accomplished through the use of an adjustment interface that can include solid - state electromagnetic coils ( 401 ) that may be activated / deactivated individually . adjustment wheel rotation sensors ( 403 ) may enable the robotic controller to determine the instantaneous position of the adjustment wheel . other components of the robotic controller not depicted may include but are not limited to an individual station detection unit , global or relative location discovery unit , internal wiring , central processing unit , motor driver controller , drive motor encoder , onboard climate control system , battery management system , contact based charging system , inductive charging system , distance proximity sensor , data storage system , capacitor storage system for regenerative braking purposes , and wireless data transmitter / receiver . the precise placement of these components varies depending on the embodiment as they can be housed in many configurations within the confines of a robotic controller . fig6 shows the operational process of the robotic controller in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . this operational process demonstrates how a single robotic controller ( 301 ) may reposition a multiplicity of solar surfaces ( 101 ). the functional duty of this robotic controller is to work in conjunction with one or more adjustment wheels ( 102 ) near a solar surface to properly maintain the orientation of an individual solar surface . when a robotic controller is first deployed , its initial goal is to understand its environment and the passive trackers / heliostats it will be controlling . this begins with the robotic controller moving towards an adjustment wheel ( 601 ) and continually searching for a braking point ( 602 ) placed near a solar surface . this point could be an actual marking on the beam , a magnet , or a piece of metal , for example . if there is an actual marking on the beam , the robotic controller may be outfitted with a camera to detect this point . if the braking point is magnetic or metallic , the robotic controller may be outfitted with hall effect sensors or metal detection system to discover the braking point . in one embodiment , the adjustment wheel or markers on the adjustment wheel used for rotational sensing may be used as the braking point . after the braking point has been detected , the robotic controller may activate its braking mechanism ( 603 ). methods of braking may include but are not limited to : deactivation of the drive motor , application of a wheel brake , application of a motor brake , regenerative braking , or a hybrid of these braking mechanisms . while the device is slowing down , the robotic controller searches for the final adjustment point ( 604 ). once this point has been found , it applies a full brake and brings itself to a complete stop ( 605 ). after properly aligning itself to one or more adjustment wheels , the robotic controller discovers its relative orientation to the solar surface . if it is the first time that a robotic controller has visited a particular solar surface adjustment station , it may “ zero ” the solar surface by adjusting it to zero degrees tilt and zero degrees of azimuthal rotation or another defined setting . to achieve this goal , the robotic controller may engage an adjustment wheel ( 606 ), and begin rotating it ( 607 ). while rotating , it may use onboard adjustment wheel sensors ( 403 ) to verify that the wheel is spinning properly ( 608 ). the solar surface may have hard calibration stops that prevent it from being rotated past the zero point . in these systems , the robotic controller may stop trying to adjust the system once the wheel can no longer be rotated ( 609 ). to prevent damage to a passive surface or a gear train attached to a passive surface , a robotic controller &# 39 ; s adjustment wheel interface may include a mechanism that prevents the system from delivering a damaging amount of torque . for applications that do not require much precision , the robotic controller may use these stops and record the number of adjustment wheel revolutions from an initial calibration point during daily operation to estimate the current orientation of the surface . for more precise applications , the robot may also use a structured or natural light camera to analyze the underside of a solar surface to determine its relative orientation in 3d space . once this information has been obtained , it is relayed to a central processor for analysis . depending on the solar application , it may also be necessary to find the absolute or relative location of the solar surface in x , y , and z coordinates . this may be accomplished with an onboard gps unit with a triangulation system that utilizes three locations in the field of solar surfaces . in this second method , the robotic controller may emit a signal and measure the time delay from each defined point in the field . using this information , it may determine its relative location to other components in the field of solar surfaces . the central processing may now analyze inputs from the calibration camera , location discovery unit , internal clock , and combine this with the known gear reduction of the passive solar tracker / heliostat , and known field geometry ( 610 ). inputs from the robot &# 39 ; s internal clock and discovered or known global location can be used to calculate the current solar vector ( 611 ). inputs from the robot &# 39 ; s calibration camera , location discovery unit , adjustment wheel sensing mechanism , and / or historic adjustment information from past adjustments can be used to approximate the orientation of a solar surface in 3d space . in one embodiment , the passive solar tracker or heliostat driven by the adjustment wheels has anti - back drive properties . these systems only require a one - time calibration as wind and other forces are unable to move the solar surface between adjustments . pv and cpv applications may use up to five pieces of information for proper repositioning . the orientation of the solar surface , the position of the sun , the orientation of adjacent trackers , the distance between trackers , and the pre - defined tracker area and dimensions of the solar surface . standard solar tracking algorithms may only require the first two pieces of information , but the robot uses the other three to properly execute backtracking control algorithms . these algorithms optimize a solar field for minimal inter - tracker shading , and therefore understand the shadows that are currently being generated by adjacent trackers , and the shadow that an individual solar tracker will cast on its neighbors . more details regarding backtracking are found at mack , solar engineering : http :/ www . rw - energy . com / pdf / yield - of - s_wheel - almansa - graphics . pdf which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety . heliostat applications require the robot to discover the vector from a solar surface to a solar target . this may be achieved by finding the location of both the solar target and the solar surface in a global or relative coordinate plane . once the desired change in solar surface orientation has been calculated , the central processor analyzes a passive system &# 39 ; s known gear reduction to determine how many degrees it should rotate an adjustment wheel linked mechanically or magnetically to the solar surface ( 612 ). for passive trackers or heliostats that do not have inherent friction braking or anti - back drive properties , an active solar surface braking mechanism may be necessary . for these systems , the robotic controller deactivates the brake prior to rotating the adjustment wheel or wheels . this brake may be actuated with another adjustment wheel . the robotic controller may then use its adjustment wheel interface to rotate one or more adjustment wheels . in one embodiment , the robotic controller has a multiplicity of electromagnetic coils that can be activated individually or in groups . this system is able to control the rotation of a metal or magnetic adjustment wheel by firing the coils as an axial flux or induction style motor ( 613 ). the coils may be fired blindly or may obtain feedback from an adjustment wheel sensing mechanism that determines the instantaneous degree of rotation of an adjustment wheel ( 614 ). once adjustment is complete , the central processor may send a signal to actuate the braking mechanism if necessary . this re - engages the gear braking mechanism and prevents outside forces from altering a solar surface &# 39 ; s orientation until its next adjustment from the robotic controller . as a final step of this process , the robotic controller may use onboard proximity sensors or past operational history to determine if it is currently at the end of a row of solar surfaces ( 615 ). if yes , it may move backward until it reaches the first solar surface adjustment point ( 616 ). if no , the controller may repeat this adjustment cycle ( 617 ). also note that it is possible to connect the ends of a robot transport tube such that it forms a continuous loop . in this embodiment , robotic controller would continue circulating the robot transport tube until nighttime or stopping for maintenance . the processor that determines the behavior of the robotic controller and its sub components could be located on the robotic controller directly , at a central processing station , or on another robotic controller in the field of solar surfaces . if the processor is not onboard , the robotic controller may require a wireless or direct data link to receive operational instructions . after a day of adjusting solar surfaces , the robotic controller may need to recharge its onboard energy storage mechanism . it may also recharge this system two or more times throughout the day . it may be desirable for a field of solar surfaces to be adjusted by three or more grades of robotic controllers . fig6 demonstrates the operational process of a top grade robotic controller . this robot may work in conjunction with less sophisticated robotic controllers . a purpose of the top grade robotic controller is to permit the removal of the location discovery unit and calibration camera from both the mid and low grade robotic controllers . in an embodiment , a field of solar surfaces may only use one top grade robotic controller ( if any ) and could therefore greatly reduce total system and robotic controller replacement costs by removing expensive components from the unit . fig7 shows the operational process of a less sophisticated , mid grade robotic controller in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . the main difference between this unit and the top grade robotic controller described in fig6 is that this adjustor does not have a calibration camera or a location discovery unit . the functional duties of the calibration camera and the location discovery unit are assumed by a data discovery unit that communicates with other robots or a central control station , and a data storage unit that stores the last known orientation of individual solar surfaces . when a mid grade robotic controller first interacts with a passive solar surface and has no prior data points , it may assume that the top grade robotic controller has properly “ zeroed ” the solar surface . unlike a top grade robot , a mid - grade robotic controller pulls its input for the adjustment point &# 39 ; s location from a data storage unit instead of a location discovery unit ( 701 ). it also determines the relative orientation of a solar surface from an onboard data storage unit and hall effect sensors instead of a precise calibration camera . the data storage unit stores the number of adjustment wheel rotations from the zero point , and the adjustment wheel sensing mechanism is used to determine the exact degree of wheel rotation ( 702 ). combined with known gear reduction information , this data may be sufficient for the mid grade robotic controller to approximate the orientation of a solar surface in 3d space . as the mid grade robotic controller does not have a method of determining the exact orientation of a solar surface directly , it may save the degree of adjustment wheel rotation performed to one or more adjustment wheels so that it may properly reorient a solar surface in future adjustments . after a day of adjusting solar surfaces , the robotic controller may need to recharge its onboard energy storage mechanism . it may also recharge this system two or more times throughout the day . fig8 shows the operational process of a less sophisticated , low - grade robotic controller in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention . the purpose of a low - grade robotic controller is similar to a spare tire for a car — it is to be used only in emergency situations . this third class of robotic controllers enables a low cost , and rapid wind stow procedure . it also enables a high - speed emergency defocus procedure for heliostat applications . this robotic controller may have a similar operational process as the mid grade robotic controller described in fig7 , but it may only require one adjustment interface to move a passive solar tracker or heliostat to its wind stow position , and would not need to be built for long lifetime . during emergency procedures , the low - grade robotic controller would not need to know the current position of a solar surface , only that the solar surface must be either a ) moved 2 - 5 degrees away from its current position or b ) moved into a horizontal wind stow position . it may have an onboard anemometer to determine current wind speed or may be connected to a central network that sends the low - grade robotic controller a signal to initiate an emergency wind stow procedure ( 801 ). this procedure begins with the robotic controller moving itself near an individual solar surface , stopping near a solar surface &# 39 ; s adjustment wheel ( 605 ), and rotating the adjustment wheel a pre - defined number of revolutions ( 802 ). it may also use an adjustment wheel sensing mechanism ( 403 ) to determine if the adjustment wheel has stopped rotating ( 614 ). if it has , this may indicate that the low - grade robotic controller has driven the passive solar tracker or heliostat into its wind stow hard stop . the process for emergency defocus may be even simpler than for emergency wind stow . as the purpose of this procedure is to move a heliostat &# 39 ; s image away from a solar target , the low - grade robotic controller only needs to be able to quickly alter the position of many solar surfaces . fig9 demonstrates some of the methods that could be used by a field of robotic controllers to communicate with each other and / or with a centralized network . these methods include , but are not limited to : wireless data communication ( 901 ), direct data link ( 902 ), external switches , or by storing information near individual passive solar surfaces or groups of passive solar surfaces ( 903 ). for wireless data communication , each robotic controller may be equipped with an electromagnetic frequency transmitter and / or receiver ( 904 ) that is able to communicate with other robots ( 301 ) or a centralized network ( 905 ). for direct data transfer , each robotic controller may be equipped with contacts that can interact with contacts on other robots or a centralized data unit . when these systems make physical contact , data may be transferred from one device to another . a human or robotic field operator may activate certain features on a top , mid , or low - grade robot that correspond to certain pre - programmed actions . actuating an external , magnetic , or electromagnetic switch may initiate these actions . for example , if a low - grade robot has a pre - programmed emergency defocus feature , a mid - grade robot may be able to activate it simply by running into it and depressing a push button switch . it is also useful to be able to store relevant data near individual solar surfaces or groups of solar surfaces . in one embodiment , an rfid chip ( 903 ) placed near a solar surface may be used to store the information about each solar surface &# 39 ; s absolute or relative location in the field and how this corresponds to the initial position of each adjustment wheel . these systems would require individual robotic controllers to have an rfid writer and / or rfid reader . other methods of storing data locally include but are not limited to using semiconductor , magnetic , and / or optical based data storage technologies . fig1 shows a robotic controller ( 301 ) with multiple adjustment wheel interfaces ( 302 ). the purpose of adding more adjustment interfaces is to distribute the cost of the most expensive onboard components and to allow for more precise control of a solar surface ( 101 ) by permitting more frequent adjustments over the same period of time . the depicted embodiment is able to adjust two solar surfaces at one time ; enabling this design to cut the number of start - stop cycles for a given field of solar surfaces in half . fig1 shows a robotic controller ( 301 ) that is able to control adjustment wheels without stopping at an adjustment station . this system may utilize a contact , magnetic , or electromagnetic based gear rack and pinion system to control the adjustment wheel . the robotic interface conceptually serves as the gear rack ( 1101 ) and the adjustment wheel ( 102 ) as the pinion ( 1102 ). as the robot drives past an adjustment wheel , it may actuate its conceptual gear rack interface so that it couples — physically , magnetically , or electromagnetically — with one edge of an adjustment wheel . once coupled , the linear motion of the robotic controller may be turned directly into rotation of the adjustment wheel . the robotic controller may actuate its interface ( 1101 ) a second time to decouple itself from the adjustment wheel pinion ( 1102 ). the robotic controller can precisely control the rotation of an adjustment wheel by carefully monitoring its speed and time that its adjustment interface is coupled with an adjustment wheel . for example , if a robotic controller is moving at 1 meter per second and engages the edge of a 3 . 18 cm diameter adjustment wheel ( 10 cm circumference ) for 1 second , it will rotate it approximately 10 times . the robotic controller can utilize a long strip of sensors ( 403 ) that measure the instantaneous degree of wheel rotation to confirm that the adjustment wheel ( 102 ) has been engaged and is spinning properly . a robotic controller that does not stop or make physical contact with individual solar surfaces may accurately reposition up to 1 . 2 mw of photovoltaic modules if moving at a constant rate of 5 mph . the robotic controller depicted in fig1 uses a long line of individually actuated electromagnets ( 401 ) to control the orientation of an adjustment wheel . when these electromagnets are turned on in a ( n - s - n - s - n - s ) arrangement , they are able to rotate 4 - pole magnetic adjustment wheel ( n - s - n - s ) simply by driving past the adjustment station . this magnetic gear rack system turns linear motion of the robot into rotational motion of the adjustment wheel . fig1 shows how the robot transport tube ( 106 ) may be routed in a field with a large number of solar surfaces ( 101 ). the robot transport tube may be hermetically sealed to prevent large object , water , and dust ingress into the robotic controller . in the depicted embodiment , each passive solar tracker or heliostat has an individual foundation and the robot transport tube only has to support the weight of a robotic controller or controllers . this figure demonstrates that while an individual robotic controller may normally adjust a particular row of solar surfaces , it can utilize an onboard drive motor to return itself to a central station for maintenance ( 1201 ). this style of track routing also enables a field operator easily deploy a field of robotic controllers by inserting two or more of them into a central station . this central station may also be used for charging or maintenance purposes . fig1 also demonstrates that excess robotic controllers ( 301 ) can be used redundantly . in one embodiment , one or more backup robotic controllers are placed at the central station . in the case of a robotic failure , a backup robotic controller can drive itself into the proper section of track , push the failed robot to the end of the tube and resume adjustment solar surfaces assigned to the failed robot . if the failed robot was not constantly relaying the position of its assigned solar surfaces to a central data system , it may be necessary for the backup robot to run an initial re - calibration process as outlined in fig6 . if this information was accurately relayed to a central data system , the backup robot may resume operation wherein the failed robot stopped adjusting . in the case that a field of solar surfaces does not have a central robot collection system , two or more robots may be placed into one section of track . these two or more robots may establish a constant data transfer link . one robot may assume daily operation ( 1202 ) while the other serves as a redundant robot ( 1203 ) to prevent power loss due to failed controllers not being able to properly reposition a solar surface &# 39 ; s adjustment wheels . fig1 shows one embodiment of a climate control system for the robotic controller ( 301 ). this system may comprise , but is not limited to including the following components : fan ( 1301 ), heat sink ( 1302 ), active heat pump , peltier device , electric heater , ventilation system , refrigerator , humidity control system , moisture sensors , temperature sensors , and air filter . these climate control components may also be offloaded onto a sealed robot transport tube so that the system may maintain a consistent environment that prolongs the life of the robotic controller &# 39 ; s key failure components . it may be useful to use batteries , capacitors , super capacitors , or other forms of energy storage to reduce installation complexity and overall system cost as a single battery can replace one mile of electrified track . fig1 shows one embodiment of the present invention that utilizes a wireless power transfer interface to charge an energy storage mechanism onboard the robotic controller . wireless charging mechanisms may be desirable , as they do not require exposed contacts to transmit power to a robotic controller . it is not necessary , however , for the robotic controller to have an onboard source of stored energy , and it could be powered by an electrified rail system , or inductively by the track . an inductive charging station ( 1401 ) placed at any location on the robot transport tube is able to transfer energy to the robotic controller by generating an oscillating electromagnetic field . an inductive coil loop ( 1402 ) placed on the robotic controller ( 301 ) is able to capture this energy and store it within an onboard energy storage mechanism . other forms of power transfer that could be utilized by the robotic controller include , but are not limited to : electrostatic induction , electromagnetic radiation , and electrical conduction . fig1 shows the operational process of a robotic controller &# 39 ; s onboard diagnostic and quality assurance system . a robotic controller may continuously perform aspects of this process to enable a field or remote operator to determine a field &# 39 ; s instantaneous health . this process in its entirety or certain aspects of this process may also be initiated daily , weekly , monthly , or as needed to enable field operators to perform preventive maintenance of the system . in particular , a robotic controller &# 39 ; s diagnostic system may determine : a ) the overall health of an individual robotic controller as defined by the status of key components ( 1501 ), b ) the health of a robot transport tube ( 1502 ), c ) the health of a passive solar tracker or heliostat ( 1503 ), and d ) the health of an individual pv or cpv surface ( 1504 ). this process may begin with the robotic controller relaying all saved operational data to a central processing system or network ( 1505 ). this data may include , but is not limited to : historical temperature and moisture readings on internal and external sensors , historic meteorological data from an on or offsite monitoring system , historic current and voltage readings from all onboard components , and soc / sos readings from an onboard energy storage mechanism . the diagnostic system may then compare this information to past operational data ( 1506 ) and to pre - defined safe ranges of operation ( 1507 ). analysis of irregularities may be used to determine the current health of individual components and / or to perform preventative maintenance of a robotic controller ( 1508 ). to determine the health of a robotic transport tube ( 1502 ), the robotic controller may access data from onboard cameras or proximity sensors that are able to inspect the physical features of the track ( 1509 ). if any abnormalities are discovered , such as an object protruding into the track , a large build up of dirt in one section of track , a hive of insects , or a puncturing in the track that allows foreign object ingress , the robotic controller may send a signal to a field or remote operator ( 1510 ). a field or remote operator may access a live video feed from the robotic controller &# 39 ; s camera in order to better assess a maintenance situation . to determine the health of a passive solar tracker or heliostat , a robotic controller may access the data log generated from adjusting an individual tracker ( 1511 ). it may then access the data log measuring the amount of input torque / current needed to rotate an adjustment wheel ( 1512 ) and understand how this metric changes over time . if the robot uses an electromagnetic interface , this torque metric can be determined by recording the average current delivered to the interface over the course of an adjustment . in one example , if the diagnostic system recognizes that a passive solar tracker that usually requires 95 +/− 5 amps suddenly begins requiring 320 +/− 20 amps to adjust during normal operating conditions , it may deem this individual passive tracker to be dysfunctional and send an alert a field maintenance worker ( 1513 ). the robotic controller may also use vision - based systems to inspect and analyze the health of an individual solar tracker or heliostat . this video input may be relayed directly to a field operator to assess the health of the tracking system . if a passive tracker &# 39 ; s torque / current readings are within an acceptable range , this portion of the process ( 1503 ) may be repeated for every passive surface ( 101 ) under a robot &# 39 ; s control domain . to autonomously determine the health of an individual pv or cpv surface ( 1504 ), the robotic controller may first move an individual tracker into its optimal orientation ( 1515 ). it may then communicate with a device that is able to monitor the power output of a central inverter , combiner box , or individual string of solar modules ( 1516 ). as it is possible that in the robotically controlled system that only one module in a group of modules may be actuated at a single moment in time , the power output reading should remain relatively constant . once a data link has been established , the robot may execute a search algorithm ( 1517 ) where it moves the passive surface in a spiral while monitoring system output . it may then record the maximum power point ( 1518 ) and adjust the tracker so that it is no longer facing the sun ( 1519 ). the diagnostic system may measure the change in central inverter , combiner box , or string level output ( 1520 ). this information can be used to determine the degradation percentage of an individual module by measuring the exact difference in central inverter , combiner box , or string level output and comparing this to a module &# 39 ; s rated output ( 1521 ) to calculate degradation percentage ( 1522 ). if no change is detected , this may indicate that an individual solar surface ( 101 ) is not contributing to the pv or cpv system &# 39 ; s total output . this module may be classified as defective and the robotic controller may use its adjustment interface to place this surface in a special configuration as to alert field maintenance workers of the potential problem ( 1523 ). if the degradation percentage is within an acceptable range , sub process 1504 may be repeated for all surfaces under a robot &# 39 ; s control domain ( 1524 ). the robotic controller may also include pre - programmed algorithms and security features to protect itself from theft and / or reverse engineering . onboard controllers and data storage units may be encrypted to prevent access to control protocols and data stored on the robot . in addition , there may be sensors that detect unauthorized access to the robot , including attempts to open a robotic controller . the controller may respond to such actions by notifying a remote operator and / or erasing the control algorithms and operational data . at the time of deployment , each robot may be initialized with its deployment location and unique identification number . if the robot , field operator , or remote operator detects that the robot is no longer in the assigned location , then an appropriate action may be taken to retrieve the lost or stolen robotic controller . while particular embodiments and applications of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction and components disclosed herein and that various modifications , changes , and variations may be made in the arrangement , operation , and details of the methods and apparatuses of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 5 |
fig3 shows an outline of an embodiment of the present invention . an optical communication system shown in fig3 has a plurality of stations a1 , a2 , ai and an . a terminal equipment 300 is installed in each of the stations a1 and an , and a regenerative repeater 200 is installed in the station a2 . two terminal equipments 300 are installed in the station ai . the two terminal equipments 300 in the station ai are connected to each other via a conductive information path l1 which carries main signals having information which is to be transmitted . the terminal equipment 300 in the station a1 is connected to the repeater 200 in the station a2 via an optical transmission path . further , the terminal equipments 300 in the station ai are connected to each other via a control path l2 . the repeater 200 and one of the terminal equipments 300 in the station ai are connected to each other via an optical transmission path . the other terminal equipment 300 in the station ai and the terminal equipment 300 in the station an are connected to each other via an optical transmission path . in the above - mentioned manner , two optical network nw1 and nw2 are connected to each other via the paths l1 and l2 . that is , the optical network nw1 comprises the terminal equipment 300 in the station a1 , the repeater 200 in the station a2 and the terminal equipment 300a in the station ai . the optical network nw2 comprises the terminal equipment 300b in the station ai and the terminal equipment 300 in the station an . each terminal equipment 300 installed in the station ai includes an optical transmitter / receiver unit 100 , a selector unit 120 and a controller unit 170 . the optical transmitter / receiver unit 100 has a function of multiplexing and demultiplexing main signals ( information signals ) and a function of converting light signals into electric signals and converting electric signals into light signals . the selectors 120 of the terminal equipments 300 in the station ai are connected to each other via input / output terminals 150 and the control path l2 . the controller 170 controls the entire operation of the terminal equipment 300 . particularly , according to a polling signal inserted in the main signal transmitted via the optical transmission path , the controllers 170 control the respective selectors 120 in a manner as will be described in detail later . the terminal equipment 300 in each of the stations a1 and an includes the above optical transmitter / receiver unit 100 and the controller 170 . similarly , the repeater 200 is composed of the optical transmitter / receiver unit 100 and the controller 170 . as shown in fig4 it is possible to configure the terminal equipments 300 in the stations a1 and an and the repeater 200 in the same manner as shown in fig3 . it will now be assumed that the station a1 is a master station . when the master station a1 requires to receive control data about the terminal equipment 300 in the station an , the controller 170 in the station a1 outputs a polling signal to the optical transmitter / receiver unit 100 , which inserts the polling signal into overhead bits of the main signal ( information signal ) and converts this main signal into a light signal . the optical transmitter / receiver unit 100 of the repeater 200 in the station a2 receives the light signal transmitted via the optical transmission path , and separates the overhead bits forming the above - mentioned polling signal from the main signal . the separated overhead bits are output to the controller 170 , which determines whether or not the polling signal formed by the overhead bits is addressed to the repeater 200 . in the example being considered , the polling signal is address to the station an . thus , the controller 170 of the repeater 200 instructs the optical transmitter / receiver unit 100 to insert the polling signal into the main signal and convert the main signal into a light signal . the optical receiver / transmitter unit 100 of the terminal equipment 300 in the station ai receives the above light signal from the repeater 200 , and separates the overhead bits from the main signal . hereinafter , the terminal equipment 300 which faces the repeater is identified by reference numeral 300a , and the other terminal equipment 300 in the station ai is identified by reference numeral 300b . the optical transmitter / receiver unit 100 of the terminal equipment 300a converts the optical main signal into an electric signal and separates the polling signal from the electric signal . the separated polling signal is output to the controller 170 of the terminal equipment 300a via its selector 120 . the controller 170 of the terminal equipment 300a determines that the received polling signal is addressed to the station an . the controller 170 of the terminal equipment 300a controls the selector unit 120 so that the controller 170 is connected to the input / output terminal 150 . after this , the controller 170 of the terminal equipment 300a outputs the polling signal to the input / output terminal 150 thereof via the selector unit 120 . the polling signal is then transferred to the input / output terminal 150 of the terminal equipment 300b via the path separated from the optical transmission path . the terminal equipment 300b in the station ai collects control data about the operation of the terminal equipment 300 in the station an by outputting a polling signal to the station an via the optical transmission path . this polling procedure for collecting the control data about the terminal equipment 300 in the station an is , for example , periodically carried out . the control data about the station an is stored in a memory in the controller 170 of the terminal equipment 300b . the polling signal transmitted from the terminal equipment 300a is received by the controller 170 of the terminal equipment 300b via its input / output terminal 150 and its selector 120 . in response to the polling signal , the controller 170 of the terminal equipment 300b reads out the control data from the built - in memory , and transfers the control data in the reverse route . that is , the control data is transferred to the controller 170 of the terminal equipment 300a via the two selectors 120 , and then output to the optical transmission path connected to the repeater 200 via the selector 120 and the optical transmitter / receiver unit 100 of the terminal equipment 300a . then , the control data is transferred to the controller 170 of the station a1 via the optical transmission path . in this manner , the controller 170 of the master station can obtain the control data about the terminal equipment in the station an . if one of the stations other than the station a1 functions as a master station , the system will operate in the same manner as described above . fig5 is a block diagram of each of the terminal equipments 300a and 300b installed in the station ai shown in fig3 or fig4 . in fig5 parts which are the same as those shown in the previous figures are given the same reference numerals . the selector unit 120 includes selectors 11 - 16 . the selector 12 has two input terminals , one of which is connected to a terminal 1s of the optical transmitter / receiver unit 100 , and the other of which is connected to one of three input terminals of the selector 11 and a terminal 1s . an output terminal of the selector 12 is connected to a terminal r of a serial - to - parallel / parallel - to - serial converter 18 of the controller 170 . a terminal s of the converter 18 is connected to one of the three input terminals of the selector 11 and one of two input terminals of the selector 15 . one of the input terminals of the selector 11 is connected to one of two input terminals of the selector 13 and one of three input terminals of the selector 14 . an output terminal of the selector 11 is connected to a terminal 1r of the unit 100 . one of the input terminal of the selector 13 is connected to a terminal 2s of the unit 100 . an output terminal of the selector 13 is connected to a terminal r of a serial - to - parallel / parallel - to - serial converter 19 of the controller 170 . a terminal s of the converter 19 is connected to one of two input terminals of the selector 16 , and one of the three input terminal of the selector 14 . an output terminal of the selector 16 is connected to a terminal 2r of the unit 100 . the terminal 1s of the unit 100 is connected to one of the two input terminals of the selector 15 and one of the three input terminals of the selector 14 . a terminal s2 is connected to one of the three input terminals of the selector 11 and one of the three input terminals of the selector 14 , and one of the two input terminals of the selector 13 . an output terminal of the selector 15 is connected to a terminal 1r . an output terminal of the selector 14 is connected to a terminal 2r . the terminal 1r connected to the selector 15 is connected to the terminal 1s of the other terminal equipment ( not shown in fig5 ), and the terminal 2r connected to the selector 14 is connected to the terminal 2s of the other terminal equipment ( not shown in fig5 ). as shown in fig6 the optical transmitter / receiver unit 100 includes a demultiplexer ( dmux ) 100a , a multiplexer ( mux ) 100b , an opto - electric converter ( o / e ) 100c and an electro - optical converter ( e / o ) 100d . the opto - electric converter 100c converts a light signal into an electric signal . the demultiplexer 100a separates electrical main signals from control bits , such as overhead bits , frame bits and so on . the mutiplexer 100b multiplexes electric main signals and control bits , and generates a multiplexed electric signal . the electro - optical converter 100d converts the received electric signal into a light signal . fig7 shows the structure of the controller 170 shown in fig5 . in addition to the aforementioned converters 18 and 19 , the controller 170 includes a register group 20 , a cpu 21 , a ram 22 , a rom 23 and a bus 24 . the register group 20 includes a plurality of registers associated with the selectors 11 - 16 shown in fig5 . the cpu 21 controls the entire operation of the controller 170 . further , the cpu 21 writes bit data for controlling the selectors 11 - 16 into the registers of the register group 20 . the rom 22 stores programs necessary for the control operation of the cpu 21 . the ram 23 is used for temporarily storing data . it will now be assumed that the station a1 functions as a master station , and the terminal equipments 300a and 300b in the station ai and the terminal equipment 300 in the station an function as slave station . if the controller 170 of the terminal equipment 300 in the station a1 sends the polling signal to the controller 170 of the terminal equipment 300a in the station ai , the polling signal ( which is a serial signal ) output by the controller 170 of the terminal equipment 300 in the station a1 is applied to the optical transmitter / receiver unit 100 thereof . a multiplexer of this optical transmitter / receiver unit 100 ( which is the same as that shown in fig6 ) inserts the polling signal into the overhead bits of a main signal which is not to be transmitted . the main signal with the polling signal added thereto passes through the optical transmission path , the repeater 200 and the optical transmission path , and is received by the optical transmitter / receiver unit 100 of the terminal equipment 300a , as indicated by [ 1 ] shown in fig8 . the received main signal is converted into an electric signal by the opto - electric converter 100c shown in fig6 . the converted electric signal is then applied to the demultiplexer 100a , which separates the polling signal from the received electric main signal . the separated polling signal is then applied to the converter 18 of the controller 170 in the terminal equipment 300a via path [ 2 ], the selector 12 and path [ 3 ] shown in fig8 . the converter 18 converts the received serial polling signal into a parallel signal , which is then written into the ram 23 ( fig7 ) under the control of the cpu 21 . the cpu 21 determines whether or not the received polling signal is addressed to the terminal equipment 300a in the station ai . when the result of this determination is affirmative , the cpu 21 outputs a parallel acknowledgement signal to the converter 18 . the converter 18 converts the parallel acknowledgement signal into a serial signal , which is then applied , via the terminal 1r ( fig8 ), to the multiplexer 100b ( fig6 ) via path [ 4 ] and the selector 11 shown in fig8 . the multiplexer 100b of the optical transmitter / receiver unit 100 inserts the acknowledgement signal into the overhead bits of the main signal which is to be transmitted . then , the main signal with the acknowledgement signal added thereto is converted into a light signal by the electro - optic converter 100d , and transmitted to the optical transmission path as indicated by [ 6 ] shown in fig8 . the optical transmitter / receiver unit 100 in the station a1 receives the main signal via the repeater 200 , and separates the acknowledgement signal therefrom by the multiplexer provided therein after it is converted into an electric signal . the controller 170 in the station a1 receives the acknowledgement signal from the optical transmitter / receiver unit 100 , and confirms that the polling signal has been duly received by the controller 170 of the terminal equipment 300a in the station ai . after this , control data about the terminal 300a is sent to the station a1 . in the above manner , the station a1 manages the terminal equipment 300a in the station ai . when the controller 170 of the terminal equipment 300 in the master station a1 generates a request to send the polling signal to the controller 170 of the terminal equipment in the station an , the polling signal is sent to the controller 170 of the terminal equipment 300a in the station ai in the same manner as described previously . the cpu 21 of the controller 170 of the terminal equipment 300a determines that the received polling signal is not addressed to the terminal equipment 300a . the polling signal in electric form is transferred to the terminal 2r via path [ 2 ] and the selector 14 shown in fig8 . then , the polling signal is applied to the terminal 2s of the terminal equipment 300b shown in fig9 and transferred to the converter 19 of the terminal equipment 300b via path [ 1 ], the selector 13 , and path [ 2 ]. the converter 19 converts the serial polling signal from the terminal equipment 300a into a parallel signal , which is then output to the cpu 21 of the terminal equipment 300b . the cpu 21 determines whether or not the received polling signal is addressed to the terminal equipment 300b . in the case being considered , the result of this determination is affirmative . thus , the cpu 21 sends a parallel acknowledgement signal to the converter 19 via the bus 24 . the parallel acknowledgement signal is converted into a serial acknowledgement signal by the converter 19 and sent to the terminal 2r via path [ 3 ], the selector 14 and path [ 4 ] shown in fig9 . the serial acknowledgement signal from the terminal equipment 300b is applied to the terminal 2s shown in fig8 and sent to the 1r terminal of the optical transmitter / receiver unit 100 via path [ 8 ], the selector 11 and path [ 5 ]. the acknowledgement signal is inserted , by the multiplexer 100b of the terminal equipment 100a shown in fig6 into the overhead bits of the main signal which is to be transmitted . the main signal with the acknowledgement signal added thereto is converted into a light signal by the electro - optic converter 100d , and output to the optical transmission path indicated by [ 6 ] shown in fig8 . then , the acknowledgement signal is sent to the controller 170 of the terminal equipment 300 in the master station a1 . after this , control ( supervisory ) data about the terminal equipment 300b is sent to the controller 170 in the master station a1 . when the controller 170 of the terminal equipment 300 in the master station a1 sends the polling signal to the terminal equipment 300 in the station an in order to obtain control data thereon , the polling signal is transferred to the controller 170 of the terminal equipment 300b in the same manner as described previously . for example , the controller 170 of the terminal equipment 300b periodically requests , by the polling procedure , the controller 170 in the station an to send back control data about the terminal equipment 300 in the station an . the polling signal is sent to the station an via the optical transmission path . the received control data is stored in the ram 23 ( fig7 ) of the controller 170 of the terminal equipment 300b . in response to the polling signal from the master station a1 , the controller 170 of the terminal equipment 300b returns the acknowledgement signal to the master station a1 in the same manner as has been described previously . after this , the control data is read out from the ram 23 of the controller 170 of the terminal equipment 300b , and sent to the controller 170 in the master station a1 in the same manner as has been described previously . in the above - mentioned manner , the master station a1 manages not only the repeater 200 and all the terminal equipments 300 , 300a and 300b in the stations a1 , ai and an . it is also possible for the master station a1 to manage a terminal equipment connected to an optical transmission path branched from an optical transmission path to which the station ai , for example , is connected . in this case , the polling procedure and acknowledgment procedure are the same as those described in the foregoing . one of the terminal equipments other than the terminal equipment 300 installed in the station a1 can function as a master station . each of the selectors 11 - 16 are controlled by data registered in the register group 20 under the control of the cpu 21 . the present invention is not limited to the specifically disclosed embodiments , and variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention . | 7 |
fig1 and 2 show a preferred embodiment of measurement device 10 of the present invention . the measurement device 10 includes a face probe 20 , a probe arm 30 , a retaining tube 40 , a retaining arm 50 , a spacer 60 , a clamp 70 , two tightening bolts 80 , 85 , and two gauges 90 , 95 . fig3 and 4 show close - up views of the face probe 20 , which includes a centrally - located sighting hole 210 , three arms 212 , 214 , 216 , and a stem 218 . fig3 shows that the stem 218 and one of the arms 214 include horizontal touch points 220 , 222 disposed across from one another with the sighting hole 210 between them . fig4 shows that two arms 212 , 216 include vertical touch points 230 , 232 disposed across from one another with the sighting hole 210 between them . fig5 shows that the face probe 20 and probe arm 30 are formed as a unitary piece as shown in fig1 and 2 , the probe arm 30 is threaded through the retaining tube 40 , which connects the probe arm 30 to the retaining arm 50 . when tightening bolt 85 is loosened , the probe arm 30 can rotate within the retaining tube 40 and thus enable the face probe 20 to flip over to expose the side having horizontal touch points 220 , 222 or the side having vertical touch points 230 , 232 . the probe arm 30 can also move in and out of the retaining tube 40 when tightening bolt 85 is loosened . tightening the tightening bolt 85 will prevent the probe arm 30 from rotating and moving in and out of the retaining tube 40 , and will fix the face probe 20 at a desired orientation with respect to the rest of the measurement device 10 . tightening bolts 80 , 85 are shown in more detail in fig7 . as shown in fig6 , retaining tube 40 comprises a tube piece 42 and a connector piece 44 that extends from the tube piece 42 at an acute angle α . connector piece 44 is slid into the opening 55 of retaining arm 50 , shown in fig8 and 9 , and tightening bolt 80 is fitted within bolt hole 82 and tightened to retain connector piece 44 within retaining arm 50 at a desired location . loosening tightening bolt 80 allows the connector piece 44 to slide in and out of retaining arm 50 and to rotate within retaining arm 50 , which consequently allows tube piece 42 to rotate . rotation of tube piece 42 when the probe arm 30 is inserted within tube piece 42 causes the probe arm 30 ( and therefore the face probe 20 ) to pivot towards or away from a golf club face . as shown in fig8 and 9 , retaining arm 50 is preferably integrally formed with a spacer 60 , which helps to locate the face probe 20 in front of a golf club face . in alternative embodiments , the retaining arm 50 and spacer 60 may be separate pieces that are connected through other means . fig8 and 9 also disclose clamp 70 , which in the preferred embodiment includes two clamping mechanisms 72 , 74 that are affixed to the spacer 60 after retaining arm 50 and spacer 60 are integrally formed . in alternative embodiments , the clamp 70 may comprise one or more than two clamping mechanisms , and may be integrally formed with the retaining arm 50 and / or the spacer 60 . fig1 and 11 illustrate the gauges 90 , 95 of the preferred embodiment . fig1 shows gauge 90 where the probe arm 30 is inserted in the tube piece 42 of the retaining tube 40 . the probe arm 30 has markings 100 on it that indicate , when the measuring device has been used with a golf club head , the angle of the golf club face with respect to the golf club shaft and the distance of the center of the golf club face from a shaft axis or other points on the golf club , for example . fig1 shows the gauge 95 where the connector piece 44 of the retaining tube 40 is inserted through the opening 55 of the retaining arm 50 of the measuring device 10 . the connector piece 44 also has markings 110 on it that indicate , when the measuring device has been used with a golf club head , the angle of the golf club face with respect to the golf club shaft and the distance of the center of the golf club face from a shaft axis or other points on the golf club , for example . the gauges 90 , 95 may also measure additional or alternative features of the golf club orientation . fig1 illustrates how the measuring device 10 is assembled with respect to a golf club head 300 . clamp 70 and tightening screws 80 , 85 are omitted from this figure for purposes of clarity . fig1 shows that spacer 60 is lined up with and flush against a golf club shaft 350 . the connector piece 44 of retaining tube 40 is inserted into the opening 55 in the retaining arm 50 . bolt hole 86 on the retaining arm 50 can receive tightening bolt 85 to fix the connector piece 44 within the retaining arm 50 . the unitary piece comprising the face probe 20 and probe arm 30 is then inserted , probe arm 30 end first , into the tube piece 42 of the retaining tube 40 . bolt hole 82 on the tube piece 42 can receive tightening bolt 80 to fix the probe arm within the tube piece 42 . the near - fully assembled measuring device 10 illustrated in fig1 is then adjusted to the golf club head 300 to take orientation and geometry measurements of the golf club head 300 . fig1 shows a process for taking measurements using the preferred embodiment of the present invention . first , a center 310 of the golf club face 320 is located and marked . this marked center 310 represents a point from which measurements will be taken using the measuring device 10 . the measurement device is then aligned with ( and attached to , via the clamp 70 ) the golf club shaft as shown in fig1 . the face probe 20 is then rotated , using the retaining tube 40 , so that horizontal touch points 220 , 222 are facing the club face 320 . the face probe is then 20 adjusted by moving the face arm 30 in or out of the retaining tube 40 so that the face center 310 of the golf club face 320 is visible within the sighting hole 210 of the face probe 20 and the horizontal touch points 220 , 222 are both resting on the face 320 on opposite sides of the sighting hole 210 . tightening bolts 80 , 85 ( not shown ) can be tightened , and then the angle and distance values visible on the gauges 90 , 95 can be recorded . at this point , marks can be placed on the shaft 350 , preferably where the clamps ( not shown in fig1 ) attach to the shaft 350 , to indicate test points for future analysis with , for example , a cmm . if tightening bolts 80 , 85 are used , they are then loosened and the face probe 20 is rotated or otherwise adjusted again so that vertical touch points 230 , 232 are facing and resting on the club face 320 as shown in fig1 and the center 310 of the club face 320 is located within the sighting hole 210 . tightening bolts 80 , 85 ( not shown ) can be tightened , and then the angle and distance values visible on the gauges 90 , 95 can be recorded again . once angle and distance values are measured , the tightening bolts 80 , 85 ( if any ) are loosened and the face probe 20 is adjusted by moving the probe arm 30 through the retaining tube 40 such that one of the vertical touch points 230 , 232 touches a desired toe test point 330 . at this point , angle and distance values visible from the gauges 90 , 95 may be recorded again . after the process outlined in fig1 is completed , the values derived from the measurement device 10 can be input into an impact monitor software program or a cmm for further analysis . the measurement device 10 disclosed herein can measure both loft and face angle at a defined standard of 56 degrees from the shaft axis . alternative embodiments can measure loft , lie , and / or face angles at other angles from the shaft axis . it is portable and easy to use , and identifies where on the club to place markers for use with an impact monitor system . the measurement device 10 also provides the correct geometry relationship between the face center , face plane , golf club body , and test markers on a golf club . the measurement device 10 disclosed herein may be made from a variety of materials known to those skilled in the art , including metals , plastics , and composites . the various pieces of the measurement device 10 disclosed herein may be made integrally or separately and then connected together using methods known to those skilled in the art . the measurement device 10 of the present invention may be used with any type of golf club , and may also be used to measure other sports equipment . from the foregoing it is believed that those skilled in the pertinent art will recognize the meritorious advancement of this invention and will readily understand that while the present invention has been described in association with a preferred embodiment thereof , modifications and substitutions of equivalents may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention which is intended to be unlimited by the foregoing except as may appear in the following appended claims . therefore , the embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined in the following appended claims . | 0 |
as described above , ionization of halogen - based species , such as fluorides , may cause particles released from the inner surfaces of the ion source to be implanted in the workpiece . these contaminants may include aluminum , carbon , oxygen , silicon , fluorine - based compounds , and other unwanted species ( including heavy metals present as impurity elements ). one approach to address the damage caused by free halogen ions may be to introduce additional source gasses . fig1 a - 1c show various embodiments of a workpiece processing system in which multiple source gasses may be introduced to an ion source . in each of these figures , there is an ion source 100 . this ion source 100 includes a chamber 105 defined by plasma chamber walls 107 , which may be constructed from graphite or another suitable material . this chamber 105 may be supplied with one or more source gasses , stored in one or more source gas containers , such as a first source gas container 170 , via a gas inlet 110 . this source gas may be energized by an rf antenna 120 or another plasma generation mechanism to generate a plasma . the rf antenna 120 is in electrical communication with a rf power supply ( not shown ) which supplies power to the rf antenna 120 . a dielectric window 125 , such as a quartz or alumina window , may be disposed between the rf antenna 120 and the interior of the chamber 105 . the chamber 105 also includes an aperture 140 through which ions may pass . a negative voltage is applied to extraction suppression electrode 130 disposed outside the aperture 140 to extract the positively charged ions in the form of an ion beam 180 from the plasma in the chamber 105 through the aperture 140 and toward the workpiece 160 , which may be disposed on a workpiece support 165 . a ground electrode 150 may also be employed . in some embodiments , the aperture 140 is located on the side of the chamber 105 opposite the side containing the dielectric window 125 . as shown in fig1 a , a second source gas may be stored in a second source gas container 171 and introduced to the chamber 105 through a second gas inlet 111 . a third source gas may be stored in a third source gas container 172 and introduced to the chamber 105 through a third gas inlet 112 . in another embodiment , shown in fig1 b , a second source gas may be stored in a second source gas container 171 and a third source gas may be stored in a third source gas container 172 . the second source gas and the third source gas may both be introduced to the chamber 105 through the same gas inlet 110 used by the first source gas . in yet another embodiment , shown in fig1 c , the second source gas and the third source gas may be mixed with the first source gas in a single gas container 178 . this mixture of gasses is then introduced to the chamber 105 through gas inlet 110 . in any of these embodiments , the first source gas , the second source gas and the third source gas may be introduced simultaneously or sequentially to the chamber 105 . while these figures show the use of three different source gasses , the disclosure is not limited to any particular number . these figures intend to show various embodiments where multiple source gasses may be introduced to a chamber 105 . however , other embodiments are also possible and within the scope of the disclosure . fig1 a - 1c shows embodiments of a workpiece processing system . however , the disclosure is not limited to these embodiments . for example , fig5 shows another embodiment of a workpiece processing system , which may be a beam line implanter 500 . the beam line implanter 500 comprises an ion source 510 , where source gasses are introduced . the ion source 510 may comprise a chamber having an aperture through which ions may be extracted . the first source gas may be stored in first source gas container 170 , the second source gas may be stored in second source gas container 171 and the third source gas may be stored in third source gas container 172 . these sources gasses may be introduced to the ion source 510 through gas inlet 110 . of course , these source gasses may be introduced in other ways , such as those shown in fig1 a and 1c . the ion source 510 generates ions by energizing the source gasses into a plasma . in certain embodiments , an indirectly heated cathode ( ihc ) may be used , although other mechanisms may be used to generate the plasma . ions from the plasma are then accelerated through an aperture in the ion source 510 as an ion beam 180 . this ion beam 180 is then directed toward a set of beam line components 520 , which manipulate the ion beam 180 . for example , the beam line components 520 may accelerate , decelerate or redirect the ions from the ion beam 180 . in certain embodiments , the beam line components 520 may include a mass analyzer . the mass analyzer may be used to remove unwanted species from the ion beam 180 before they impact the workpiece 160 . the workpiece 160 may be disposed on a workpiece support 165 . fig6 shows another workpiece processing apparatus that may be used with the present disclosure . this workpiece processing apparatus 600 includes a chamber 605 defined by plasma chamber walls 607 . like fig1 b , the chamber 605 may be in communication with a first source gas container 170 , a second source gas container 171 and a third source gas container 172 via gas inlet 110 . however , in other embodiments , the source gasses may be configured as shown in fig1 a or 1c . further , like fig1 b , the apparatus may include a dielectric window 625 having an rf antenna 620 disposed thereon . like fig1 b , the rf antenna is used to generate a plasma within the chamber 605 . of course , other plasma generators may also be used . in this workpiece processing apparatus 600 , the workpiece 160 is disposed within the chamber 605 . a platen 610 is used to hold the workpiece 160 . in certain embodiments , the platen 610 may be biased to accelerate ions from the plasma toward the workpiece 160 in the form of an ion beam 180 . the first source gas , also referred to as the feed gas , may comprise a dopant , such as boron , in combination with fluorine . thus , the feed gas may be in the form of df n or d m f n , where d represents the dopant atom , which may be boron , gallium , phosphorus , arsenic or another group 3 or group 5 element . in other embodiments , the first source gas may comprise a processing species in combination with fluorine . thus , although the term “ dopant ” is used throughout this disclosure , it is understood that there are other processing species that may be used which may not be dopants . thus , the first source gas comprises a processing species and fluorine . in certain embodiments , the processing species is a dopant . the second source gas may be a molecule having a chemical formula of xh n or x m h n , where h is hydrogen . x may be a dopant species , such as any of those described above . alternatively , x may also be an atom that does not affect conductivity of the workpiece 160 . for example , if the workpiece 160 comprises silicon , x may be a group 4 element , such as silicon and germanium . the third source gas may be a noble gas , such as helium , argon , neon , krypton and xenon . in other words , the first source gas may be bf 3 or b 2 f 4 , while the second source gas may be , for example , ph 3 , sih 4 , nh 3 , geh 4 , b 2 h 6 , or ash 3 . the third source gas may be a noble gas , such as helium , argon , neon , krypton or xenon , in each of these embodiments . this list represents possible species that may be used . it is understood that other species are also possible . by combining the first source gas with the second source gas , the deleterious effects of the fluorine ions may be reduced . for example , without being limited to any particular theory , the introduction of hydrogen may create a film or coating on the dielectric window 125 . this serves to protect the dielectric window 125 , which reduces the amount of contaminants originating from the dielectric window 125 that are contained in the extracted ion beam 180 . in addition , the second source gas may coat the inner surfaces of the plasma chamber walls 107 , which may be another source of contaminants . this coating may reduce the interaction between fluorine ions and the inner surfaces of the plasma chamber walls 107 , reducing the amount of contaminants generated . the introduction of the second source gas may reduce the creation of contaminants and the incorporation of these contaminants in the ion beam 180 . however , in some embodiments , the resulting ion beam produced using the first source gas and the second source gas may not contain a sufficient quantity of the desired ions . fig2 a shows a plurality of bar graphs which show the ion species produced by an ion source using bf 3 as the first source gas and geh 4 as the second source gas , with a varying amount of argon , which serves as the third source gas in this embodiment . in each of these bar graphs , the rf power was 8 kw , and the combined flow rate of the bf 3 and geh 4 was 18 sccm . additionally , the ratio of bf 3 to geh 4 was held constant at 9 : 1 . in each of the bar graphs , it can be seen that the ion source 100 ionizes the bf 3 to form boron ions ( i . e . b + ), as well as bf x + ions , where bf x includes bf , bf 2 and bf 3 . additionally , fluorine ions are created . finally , a plurality of other ion species , which may be components of the second source gas or may be impurities , is also created . as described above , the introduction of the second source gas may reduce the amount of contaminants introduced in the ion beam . as stated above , this may be significant when the ion beam is used to implant the workpiece without mass analysis . bar graph 250 shows the composition of an ion beam where no argon is introduced , also referred to as the baseline . as seen in line 200 , in this configuration , nearly 69 % of the ions in the ion beam are dopant - containing ions , where , in this example , the dopant is boron . this metric is referred to as the boron fraction , or the dopant fraction . however , many of the dopant - containing ions also contain fluoride , such as in the form of bf + , bf 2 + and bf 3 +. in fact , as shown in line 210 , only about 45 % of the dopant - containing ions are pure dopant ( i . e . b + ). this ratio is referred to as the boron purity percentage , or the dopant purity percentage . in other embodiments , this ratio may be referred to as the processing species purity percentage . lastly , while 69 % of the ion beam contains boron , a very large percentage of the ions also contain fluorine . in fact , line 220 shows the ratio of fluorine ions extracted as part of the ion beam 180 to dopant ions . the fluorine ions used in this ratio are a measure of all of the fluorine ions that are extracted . in other words , this includes pure fluorine ions ( f x + ), as well as ions that include other species , such as bf x + . each fluorine ion is individually counted ; thus , for example , bf 2 + is counted as two fluorine ions . the number of dopant ions is calculated in the same way . line 220 shows that there are actually more fluorine ions than boron ions . this metric is referred to as the f / b ratio . bar graph 260 shows the composition of an ion beam where approximately 19 % of the total gas introduced to the ion chamber is the third source gas , which may be argon in this embodiment . note that the total beam current of dopant - containing ions ( i . e . b + and bf x + ) remains almost unchanged at about 360 ma . however , there is a change in the composition of the ion beam . specifically , as seen on line 200 , the boron fraction has decreased slightly , mostly due to the additional argon ions that have been created . however , surprisingly , as shown in line 210 , the percentage of pure dopant ions as compared to the total number of dopant - containing ions ( the boron purity percentage or dopant purity percentage ) has actually increased ! in fact , the beam current of pure boron ions has also increased . additionally , the ratio of fluorine ions to boron ions extracted as part of the ion beam ( i . e . the f / b ratio ), as shown in line 220 , has also decreased unexpectedly to about 100 %. additionally , the beam current of fluoride ions has decreased as well . in other words , the introduction of argon as a third source gas affected the composition of the resulting ion beam . specifically , the introduction of argon has increased the formation of pure boron ions relative to the total number of boron - containing ions . interestingly , the introduction of argon has also decreased the ratio of fluorine ions to boron ions . as stated above , in embodiments where mass analysis is not performed , these changes may improve the performance of the implanted workpiece . many of these trends continue as a greater percentage of argon is introduced . bar graph 270 shows the composition of the ion beam where about 32 % of all gas introduced into the chamber 105 comprises argon . at this concentration , the beam current of boron - containing ions begins to decrease slightly , from 360 ma to about 320 ma . the boron fraction has also decreased slightly due to the increased number of argon ions . however , other metrics have improved . specifically , the boron purity percentage actually increased to nearly 50 %. additionally , the f / b ratio decreased to about 95 %. interestingly , the amount of other species , which includes all ions that are not boron - containing ions , fluorine ions or argon ions , actually decreases at this argon percentage . the beam current of fluorine ions also decreases to less than about 20 ma . bar graph 280 shows the composition of the ion beam where about 48 % of all gas introduced into the chamber 105 comprises argon . at this concentration , the beam current of boron - containing ions again decreases slightly , from 320 ma to about 290 ma . the boron fraction has also decreased slightly to about 60 % due to the increased number of argon ions . however , other metrics have continued to improve . specifically , the boron purity percentage actually increased to about 50 %. additionally , the f / b ratio decreased to about 90 %. again , the beam current of the other species has decreased as well . the beam current of fluorine ions also decreases to about 10 ma . surprisingly , the introduction of argon in very large percentages , such as up to about 50 %, still results in improvements in many of the ion beam metrics . fig2 b shows many of these metrics represented in a different format . specifically , the total beam current of boron - containing ions is shown in line 290 . note that the total boron - containing beam current remains above about 290 ma , even as the amount of argon increases to about 47 % of the total gas introduced into the chamber 105 . however , there is a decrease in the total boron - containing beam current as the amount of argon exceeds about 20 %. interestingly , the beam current of pure boron - containing ions , shown in line 291 , increases as the amount of argon introduced into the chamber 105 increases to about 20 %. however , at larger percentages of argon , the beam current of pure - containing ions decreases slightly . in fact , the pure boron beam current is about 160 ma with no argon , and increases to about 172 ma when about 20 % of the total gas is argon . the pure boron beam current then decreases to about 145 ma as the argon percentage continues to increase . the f / b ratio is shown as line 292 , which is identical to line 220 in fig2 a . as described above , the f / b ratio decreases as the amount of argon increases throughout the range . similarly , the boron fraction is shown as line 293 , is identical to line 200 in fig2 a . finally , the boron purity fraction is shown in line 294 and is identical to line 410 in fig2 a . fig2 b shows that , as the percentage of argon introduced into the chamber 105 increases , the total beam current of the boron - containing ions ( line 290 ) decreases as the percentage of argon exceeds about 20 %. the beam current of pure boron ( line 291 ) also decreases as the percentage of argon exceeds about 20 %. however , the boron purity fraction ( line 294 ) increases throughout this entire range . additionally , the ratio of fluorine ions to boron ions ( the f / b ratio shown as line 292 ) decreases throughout this range . finally , while there is a steady decrease in the boron fraction ( line 293 ), the percentage of ions that contain boron remains above about 60 % throughout the entire range . other noble gasses may also be used . for example , rather than using argon , neon may be used as the third gas . fig4 a - 4b show a plurality of bar graphs that show the ion species produced by an ion source using bf 3 as the first source gas and geh 4 as the second source gas , with a varying amount of neon , which serves as the third source gas in this embodiment . like argon , the introduction of neon as the third gas has positive benefits on ion beam composition and other metrics . however , surprising , the amount of neon which may be introduced while still achieving these benefits is much greater than for argon . in fact , as shown in more detail below , positive benefits are achieved even when over 80 % of the total gas introduced to chamber 105 is neon ! in each of these bar graphs , the rf power was 8 kw , and the combined flow rate of the bf 3 and geh 4 was 18 sccm . additionally , the ratio of bf 3 to geh 4 was held constant at 9 : 1 . as described above , in each of the bar graphs , it can be seen that the ion source 100 ionizes the bf 3 to form boron ions ( i . e . b + ), as well as bf x + ions , where bf x includes bf , bf 2 and bf 3 . additionally , fluorine ions are created . finally , a plurality of other ion species , which may be components of the second source gas or may be impurities , is also created . bar graph 450 shows the composition of an ion beam where no neon is introduced , also referred to as the baseline . as seen in line 400 , in this configuration , nearly 75 % of the ions in the ion beam are dopant - containing ions , where , in this example , the dopant is boron . as described above , this metric is referred to as the boron fraction , or the dopant fraction . however , many of the dopant - containing ions also contain fluoride , such as in the form of bf + , bf 2 + and bf 3 + . in fact , as shown in line 410 , only about 41 % of the dopant - containing ions are pure dopant ( i . e . b + ). this ratio is referred to as the boron purity percentage , or the dopant purity percentage . in other embodiments , this ratio may be referred to as the processing species purity percentage . lastly , while 75 % of the ion beam contains boron , a very large percentage of the ions also contain fluorine . in fact , line 420 shows the ratio of fluorine ions to dopant ions that are extracted as part of ion beam 180 . the fluorine ions used in this ratio are a measure of all of the fluorine ions that are extracted . in other words , this includes pure fluorine ions ( f x + ), as well as ions that include other species , such as bf x + . each fluorine ion is individually counted ; thus , for example , bf 2 + is counted as two fluorine ions . the number of dopant ions is calculated in the same way . line 420 shows that there are actually more fluorine ions than boron ions . this metric is referred to as the f / b ratio . bar graph 455 shows the composition of an ion beam where approximately 37 . 8 % of the total gas introduced to the ion chamber is the third source gas , which may be neon in this embodiment . while fig4 a shows data using at least 37 . 8 %, it is noted that positive benefits are observed where the percentage of neon is as low as 20 % note that the total beam current of dopant - containing ions ( i . e . b + and bf x + ) has increased from about 420 ma when no neon is used , to about 440 ma . additionally , there is a change in the composition of the ion beam . specifically , as seen on line 400 , the boron fraction has decreased slightly , mostly due to the additional neon ions that have been created . however , surprisingly , as shown in line 410 , the percentage of pure dopant ions as compared to the total number of dopant - containing ions ( the boron purity percentage or dopant purity percentage ) has actually increased ! in fact , the beam current of pure boron ions has also increased . additionally , the ratio of fluorine ions to boron ions ( i . e . the f / b ratio ), as shown in line 420 , has also decreased unexpectedly to about 105 %. additionally , the beam current of fluoride ions has decreased as well . in other words , the introduction of neon as a third source gas affected the composition of the resulting ion beam extracted from the plasma . specifically , the introduction of neon has increased the formation of pure boron ions relative to the total number of boron - containing ions . interestingly , the introduction of neon has also decreased the ratio of fluorine ions to boron ions . as stated above , in embodiments where mass analysis is not performed , these changes may improve the performance of the implanted workpiece . each of these trends continues as a greater percentage of neon is introduced . bar graph 460 shows the composition of the ion beam where about 54 . 9 % of all gas introduced into the chamber 105 comprises neon . at this concentration , the beam current of boron - containing ions begins to decrease slightly , from 440 ma to about 430 ma . however , the beam current of boron - containing ions is still greater than the baseline . the boron fraction , shown as line 400 , has also decreased slightly due to the increased number of neon ions . however , other metrics have improved . specifically , the boron purity percentage , shown in line 410 , actually increased to nearly 50 %. additionally , the f / b ratio , shown in line 420 , decreased to about 100 %. interestingly , the amount of other species , which includes all ions that are not boron - containing ions , fluorine ions or neon ions , actually decreases at this neon percentage . the beam current of fluorine ions also decreases to less than about 40 ma . bar graph 465 shows the composition of the ion beam where about 64 . 6 % of all gas introduced into the chamber 105 comprises neon . at this concentration , the beam current of boron - containing ions again decreases slightly , from 430 ma to about 420 ma . however , the beam current of boron - containing ions is still greater than in the baseline . the boron fraction , shown in line 400 , has also decreased slightly to about 70 % due to the increased number of neon ions . however , other metrics have improved . specifically , the boron purity percentage , shown in line 410 , actually increased to about 48 %. additionally , the f / b ratio , shown in line 420 , decreased to under 100 %. again , the beam current of the other species has decreased as well . the beam current of fluorine ions also remains relatively constant at about 20 ma . bar graph 470 shows the composition of the ion beam where about 70 . 9 % of all gas introduced into the chamber 105 comprises neon . at this concentration , the beam current of boron - containing ions remains relatively constant at about 420 ma . however , the beam current of boron - containing ions remains greater than in the baseline . the boron fraction has also decreased slightly to about 70 % due to the increased number of neon ions . however , other metrics have improved . specifically , the boron purity percentage , shown in line 410 , actually increased to over 50 %. additionally , the f / b ratio , shown in line 420 , decreased to about 95 %. again , the beam current of the other species has decreased as well . the beam current of fluorine ions also remains relatively constant at about 20 ma . bar graph 475 shows the composition of the ion beam where about 75 . 3 % of all gas introduced into the chamber 105 comprises neon . at this concentration , the beam current of boron - containing ions remains relatively constant at about 420 ma . the boron fraction , shown in line 400 , has also decreased slightly to slightly under 70 % due to the increased number of neon ions . however , other metrics have improved . specifically , the boron purity percentage , shown in line 410 , actually increased to about 52 %. additionally , the f / b ratio , shown in line 420 , decreased to about 90 %. again , the beam current of the other species has decreased as well . the beam current of fluorine ions also decreased slightly to about 15 ma . bar graph 480 shows the composition of the ion beam where about 83 . 0 % of all gas introduced into the chamber 105 comprises neon . at this concentration , the beam current of boron - containing ions decreases slightly to about 410 ma . the boron fraction , shown in line 400 , has also decreased slightly to about 68 % due to the increased number of neon ions . however , other metrics have improved . specifically , the boron purity percentage , shown in line 410 , actually increased to about 56 %. additionally , the f / b ratio , shown in line 420 , decreased to about 80 %. again , the beam current of the other species has decreased as well . the beam current of fluorine ions also decreased slightly to about 15 ma . surprisingly , even when 83 % of the total gas is neon , the neon ion beam remains less than about 40 ma . this may be due to the high ionization energy of neon . surprisingly , the introduction of neon in very large percentages , such as between 20 and 90 %, still results in improvements in many of the ion beam metrics . this is in contrast to argon , where the introduction of argon improved beam metrics up to a certain percentage , and then degraded those metrics . the fact that the amount of neon can be as great as 83 % or more is an unexpected result . fig4 b shows many of these metrics represented in a different format . specifically , the total beam current of boron - containing ions is shown in line 490 . note that the total boron - containing beam current remains above 400 ma , even as the amount of neon increases to about 83 % of the total gas introduced into the chamber 105 . interestingly , the beam current of pure boron - containing ions , shown in line 491 , increases as the amount of neon introduced into the chamber 105 increases . in fact , the pure boron beam current is about 175 ma at the baseline , which is when no neon is used , and increases to about 230 ma when 83 % of the total gas is neon . more specifically , when 37 . 8 % neon is introduced , the pure boron beam current increases more than 10 % relative to the baseline . at the baseline , the pure boron beam current is about 175 ma . this increases to about 195 ma when 37 . 8 % neon is introduced . this trend continues with increasing amounts of neon . for example , there is a 15 % increase in pure boron beam current , relative to the baseline , when 64 . 6 % neon is introduced . this increase is 20 % or more for increased levels of neon . the f / b ratio is shown as line 492 , which is identical to line 420 in fig4 a . as described above , the f / b ratio decreases as the amount of neon increases throughout the range . specifically , the f / b ratio is 112 . 6 % at the baseline , when no neon is used . that f / b ratio drops more than 6 % to 105 . 7 % with the introduction of 37 . 8 % neon . as the amount of neon increases , the f / b ratio continues to drop . for example , at 54 . 9 % neon , the f / b ratio is nearly 10 % lower as compared to the baseline . at 75 . 3 % neon , the f / b ratio drops more than 20 % relative to the baseline . similarly , the boron fraction is shown as line 493 , is identical to line 400 in fig4 a . finally , the boron purity fraction is shown in line 494 and is identical to line 410 in fig4 a . this boron purity fraction , which represents the ratio of pure processing species ions to total processing species ions , increases by more than 6 % when 37 . 8 % neon is introduced , as compared to the baseline . at 54 . 9 % neon , the boron purity fraction increases nearly 10 % relative to the baseline . in fact , at high levels of neon dilution , the improvement in boron purity fraction relative to the baseline is more than 20 %! additionally , the number of pure dopant ions , or pure processing species ions , as a percentage of the total ions , referred to as pure dopant ratio , also increases as neon is introduced in greater quantities . this pure dopant ratio is shown in line 495 . for example , at the baseline , about 31 % of all of the ions are pure dopant ions . however , at 37 . 8 % neon , that pure dopant ratio increases by about 4 % to 32 . 2 %. at higher levels of neon , the percentage of pure dopant ions may increase by 10 % or more , relative to the baseline . fig4 b shows that , as the percentage of neon introduced into the chamber 105 increases , the total beam current of the boron - containing ions ( line 490 ) remains roughly constant . however , metrics , such as the beam current of pure boron ( line 491 ), the boron purity fraction ( line 494 ), and the pure dopant ratio ( line 495 ) all improve throughout this entire range . additionally , the ratio of fluorine ions to boron ions ( the f / b ratio shown as line 492 ) decreases throughout this range , with a large decrease as the percentage of neon exceeds about 60 %. finally , while there is a steady decrease in the boron fraction ( line 493 ), the percentage of ions that contain boron remains above 70 % throughout the entire range . these unexpected results , shown in fig2 a - 2b and 4a - 4b , have many benefits . first , heavier dopant - containing ions , such as bf + , bf 2 + and bf 3 + tend to be implanted at a more shallow depth than pure dopant ions , such as b + . during the subsequent thermal treatment , these shallowly implanted ions are more likely to diffuse out of the workpiece . in other words , the total beam current of all dopant - containing ions may not be indicative of the amount of dopant that is actually implanted and retained in the workpiece . without wishing to be bound to any particular theory , it is believed that the argon and neon metastables in the plasma may break down the larger dopant - containing ions into more desirable pure dopant ions . secondly , the implanting of fluorine , in any form , may be deleterious effects . the implanting of fluorine ions may cause defects in the workpiece , which affects its performance . the implanted fluorine may also cause the dopants to diffuse out from the workpiece . fluorine is also known to retard the dopant diffusion into the workpiece , making the annealed dopant profile shallow , which is not preferable for solar cell applications . third , the introduction of argon and / or neon has a limiting effect on the generation of other species , also referred to as contaminants , that are generated . without wishing to be bound to any particular theory , it is believed that these gasses stabilize the plasma , resulting in a reduction in chamber wall sputtering . due to its large ionization cross - section , argon and neon are relatively easy to ionize and stabilize the discharge . because of this , the plasma is maintained at relatively low plasma potential , so that ion sputtering from the wall material can be reduced . fourth , during the implanting of the workpiece , the argon and / or neon ions may sputter on the surface deposition layer of the workpiece . this may serve to remove any materials that are deposited during the implant process . some of these materials may be difficult to remove via a wet chemistry process after the implant . fifth , in the case of neon , high ionization energy implies that few neon ions are created . further , these ions have a relatively low mass and therefore cause minimal damage to the workpiece . thus , neon may be used to improve the beam composition , without having few adverse effects . thus , an ion beam having reduced beam impurity and increased dopant purity can be created by using three source gasses . the first source gas , or feedgas , may be a species that contains both a dopant and fluorine , such as bf 3 or b 2 f 4 . the second source gas may be a species that contains hydrogen and either silicon or germanium , such as silane ( sih 4 ) or germane ( geh 4 ). the third source gas may be argon , neon or another noble gas . these three source gasses are introduced into a chamber 105 of an ion source 100 , either simultaneously or sequentially , where they are ionized . the ion source may use rf energy generated by rf antenna 120 . in another embodiment , the ion source may utilize the thermionic emission of electrons using an ihc . other methods of ionizing a gas may also be used by the ion source . ions from all three source gasses are directed toward a workpiece 160 , where they are implanted into the workpiece 160 . as described earlier , these ions may not be mass analyzed , meaning that all extracted ions are implanted into the workpiece 160 . in another example , the second source gas may include a dopant having the opposite conductivity . for example , the first source gas , or feedgas , may be a species than contains both boron and fluorine , such as bf 3 or b 2 f 4 . the second source gas may be a species that contains hydrogen and a group v element , such as phosphorus , nitrogen or arsenic . while fig2 a - 2b and 4a - 4b shows the results when boron is used as the dopant in the first source gas , the disclosure is not limited to this embodiment . other dopants , such as gallium , phosphorus , arsenic or other group 3 and group 5 elements , may be used . the above disclosure discusses that the third source gas may be introduced in amounts ranging from about 19 % to about 48 % for argon and from about 20 % to 90 % for neon . however , the disclosure is not limited to this range . in some embodiments , the third source gas may be introduced in amounts ranging from about 15 % to about 90 %. in other embodiments where the third source gas is argon , the third source gas may be introduced in amounts ranging from about 15 % to about 40 %. in other embodiments where the third source gas is argon , the third source gas may be introduced in amounts ranging from about 15 % to about 50 %. in certain embodiments where the third source gas is neon , the third source gas may be introduced in amounts ranging from about 20 % to about 90 %. in certain embodiments where the third source gas is neon , the third source gas may be introduced in amounts ranging from about 25 % to 60 %. in certain embodiments , where the third source gas is neon , the third source gas may be introduced in amount greater than 40 %, such as between 40 % and 90 %. additionally , the ratio of the first source gas to the second source gas may be about 9 : 1 , although other ratios may also be used . the combined flow rate of the first source gas and the second source gas may be between 10 and 20 sccm . while the above description discloses the use of three source gasses , in other embodiments , two source gasses may be used . for example , in some embodiments , as described above , the first source gas may be in the form of df n or d m f n , where d represents the dopant ( or processing species ) atom , which may be boron , gallium , phosphorus , arsenic or another group 3 or group 5 element . in certain embodiments , the second source gas is not used . instead , only the first source gas and the third source gas are combined in the ion source 100 . in this embodiment , the flow rate of the first source gas may be between 10 and 30 sccm . in one embodiment where the third gas is argon , the third source gas may constitute between 15 % and 40 % of the total gas introduced to the chamber 105 . in some embodiments where the third gas is argon , the third source gas may be introduced in amounts ranging from about 15 % to about 30 %. in other embodiments where the third gas is argon , the third source gas may be introduced in amounts ranging from about 15 % to about 40 %. in other embodiments where the third gas is argon , the third source gas may be introduced in amounts ranging from about 15 % to about 50 %. in certain embodiments where the third gas is neon , the third gas may be introduced in amounts ranging from about 20 % to about 90 %. in certain embodiments where the third source gas is neon , the third source gas may be introduced in amounts ranging from about 25 % to 60 %. in certain embodiments , where the third source gas is neon , the third source gas may be introduced in amount greater than 40 %, such as between 40 % and 90 %. as described above , the introduction of a third gas , such as argon or neon , with the bf x gas may affect the composition of the resulting ion beam . specifically , the boron purity percentage may be increased , while the f / b ratio may decrease . in other words , the change in the composition of the ion beam may occur without the use of the second source gas . fig3 shows another embodiment . in this embodiment , the ion source 300 has a chamber separator 390 disposed within the chamber , effectively separating the chamber into a first sub - chamber 305 a and a second sub - chamber 305 b . each of first sub - chamber 305 a and second sub - chamber 305 b has a respective aperture 340 a , 340 b . additionally , the ground electrode 350 and extraction suppression electrode 330 may be modified to have two openings , corresponding to apertures 340 a , 340 b . as before , the chamber has a dielectric window 125 and an rf antenna 120 disposed thereon . in this embodiment , the first source gas is stored in first source gas container 170 and is introduced to the second sub - chamber 305 b through the gas inlet 110 . the first source gas may be any of the species described above . the second source gas is stored in the second source gas container 171 and is introduced to the second sub - chamber 305 b through the second gas inlet 111 . the second source gas may be any of the species described above . as described with respect to fig1 b , in some embodiments , the first source gas container 170 and the second source gas container 171 may be connected to a single gas inlet . in another embodiment , illustrated in fig1 c , the first and second source gasses may be mixed in a single source gas container . additionally , in some embodiments , the second source gas is not used , as described above . as described above , the ratio of the first source gas to the second source gas may be about 9 : 1 , although other ratios may be used . the combined flow rate may be between 10 and 20 sccm . argon may be stored in third source gas container 172 and introduced to the first sub - chamber 305 a through the third gas inlet 112 . in this embodiment , an argon ion beam 380 a is extracted through aperture 340 a . concurrently , a dopant ion beam 380 b is extracted through aperture 340 b . this dopant ion beam 380 b contains boron - containing ions , as well as fluorine ions , and other ion species . in fig3 , the argon ion beam 380 a and the dopant ion beam 380 b are parallel to one another so that they strike the workpiece 160 at different locations . in this embodiment , the workpiece is scanned in the direction indicated by arrow 370 . in this way , each location on the workpiece 160 is first implanted by dopant ion beam 380 b , and then struck by argon ion beam 380 a . as described above , the argon ion beam 380 a may serve to sputter deposition layer material from the surface of the workpiece 160 , which was deposited during the implant of dopant ion beam 380 b . as explained above , the argon implant may remove material from the surface deposition layer , which is difficult to remove using wet chemistry . in another embodiment , the argon ion beam 380 a and the dopant ion beam 380 b are directed or focused so that they simultaneously strike a location on the workpiece 160 . in this embodiment , the workpiece 160 can be scanned in any direction . in yet another embodiment , the two implants may be sequentially , such that the entire workpiece 160 is implanted by the dopant ion beam 380 b . at a later time , an argon ion beam 380 a is directed toward the workpiece 160 . in each of the embodiments described herein and associated with fig3 , the implants may be performed without mass analysis , such that all of the extracted ions strike the workpiece . while the embodiment of fig3 was described using argon , it is possible that other gasses , such as neon , may be substituted for argon to achieve the same effect . furthermore , although the embodiments disclosed herein describe the use of argon and neon as the third source gas , the disclosure is not limited to this embodiment . as stated above , other noble gasses , such as helium , krypton and xenon , may also be used as the third source gas . alternatively , a combination of noble gasses may serve as the third source gas . additionally , the embodiments disclosed herein describe an implant process where a processing species , such as a dopant , is implanted into the workpiece 160 . however , the disclosure is not limited to this embodiment . for example , other processes may be performed on a workpiece using the combinations of source gasses described herein . for example , deposition or etching processes may also be performed on the workpiece using the disclosed combination of source gasses . the present disclosure is not to be limited in scope by the specific embodiments described herein . indeed , other various embodiments of and modifications to the present disclosure , in addition to those described herein , will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the foregoing description and accompanying drawings . thus , such other embodiments and modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the present disclosure . furthermore , although the present disclosure has been described herein in the context of a particular implementation in a particular environment for a particular purpose , those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that its usefulness is not limited thereto and that the present disclosure may be beneficially implemented in any number of environments for any number of purposes . accordingly , the claims set forth below should be construed in view of the full breadth and spirit of the present disclosure as described herein . | 7 |
with initial reference to fig1 a laundry appliance constructed in accordance with the present invention is generally indicated at 2 . for exemplary purposes , laundry appliance 2 is shown to be constituted by a clothes washer . however , as will become more fully evident below , the invention is also applicable to clothes dryers as well . as shown , laundry appliance 2 includes an outer cabinet 5 provided with an upper opening 8 that can be selectively closed by means of a pivotable lid 12 . in a manner widely known in the art , lid 12 can be raised to provide access to a rotatable basket ( not shown ) mounted within cabinet 5 , with clothes to be laundered being adapted to be placed in the basket . in the preferred embodiment shown , lid 12 includes an angled front portion 15 to enhance access to within cabinet 5 . at a rear portion of cabinet 5 is arranged a control panel 20 that includes various control units which can be used to program a desired laundering operation for appliance 2 . in the preferred embodiment shown , control panel 2 includes a first control unit 30 having a vertically shiftable knob 32 . knob 32 is adapted to be shifted between raised and lowered positions in order to enable a user of appliance 2 to select a desired load size . for instance , knob 32 can be shifted between mini , medium , large and super load capacity positions , as well as potential reset position . control panel 20 also includes a second control unit 35 that is defined by a plurality of buttons 38 - 41 . second control unit 35 is provided in accordance with the exemplary embodiment of the invention of a washer machine in connection with establishing wash and rinse temperatures . therefore , button 38 is used to establish hot / cold wash / rinse temperatures ; button 39 is used to establish warm / warm wash / rinse temperatures ; button 40 is used to establish warm / cold wash / rinse temperatures ; and button 41 is used to establish cold / cold wash / rinse temperatures respectively . adjacent second control unit 35 is a third control unit 45 which is defined , in the preferred embodiment shown , by buttons 48 - 50 . third control unit 45 can be used by a consumer to selectively establish a super wash operation through the use of button 48 , the application of a second rinse through button 49 , and to cancel either of these control features through button 50 . in addition to these operating parameters , it is also necessary to establish both a desired cycle and operational time for a laundry operation to be performed within appliance 2 . to this point , it should be recognized that first , second and third control units 30 , 35 and 45 are dedicated for use in connection with the preferred embodiment of laundry appliance 2 being a washing machine . obviously , the need for this number of control units and / or the functions performed thereby would change when utilizing the invention in connection with a clothes dryer . in general , the structure described above with respect to laundry appliance 2 is already known in the art and does not constitute part of the present invention . therefore , this structure has only been described for the sake of completeness . instead , the present invention is particularly directed to the structure and function of a fourth control unit 55 formed as part of control panel 20 . as shown in both fig1 and 2 , fourth control unit 55 includes a control member 59 that preferably takes the form of a rotatable knob . about control member 59 is provided graphic indicia generally indicated at 63 which , in the preferred embodiment shown , is essentially divided into first , second and third graphic zones 66 , 70 and 74 respectively . first graphic zone 66 is used in connection with the preferred embodiment of the invention to represent a washing cycle for whites ; second graphic zone 70 represents a washing zone for delicate clothing articles ; and third graphic zone 74 represents a washing cycle selection zone for colored garments . as will be readily evident to the reader of this disclosure , the provision of indicia defined within zones around a rotatable knob within a washing machine is also quite prevalent in the art . however , it is particularly the manner in which control member 59 is shifted to establish a particular operation cycle as represented by the various zones , along with the operational time for the selected cycle , that is of particular concern as will be more detailed more fully below . disposed annularly about control member 59 and radially positioned between control member 59 and graphic indicia 63 is an annular illumination track 80 as clearly shown in fig2 . disposed within annular illumination track 80 is an indicator 84 which is preferably constituted by a light element such as an led or diode . indicator 4 is used to convey to the user of appliance 2 an established desired cycle and operational time for a laundry operation . for example , in the position shown in fig2 indicator 84 represents a selected cycle for whites , with the operation being established for a relatively short cycle due to light clothes soiling . [ 0021 ] fig3 illustrates details of control member 59 . more specifically , control member 59 includes an inner body portion 90 that is rotatable about an axis 92 . as will be detailed fully below , body portion 90 is only rotatable about a limited angular range in opposing directions . that is , body portion 90 is biased to a neutral position as shown in fig3 and can be rotated either clockwise or counterclockwise . in the most preferred embodiment , body portion 90 is biased by means of a torsion spring 95 including a first end 98 attached to body portion 90 adjacent axis 92 and a second end 99 that is fixed at 100 . as shown , body portion 90 includes angled side portions 104 and 105 which are adapted to cooperate with stop abutments 106 and 107 respectively for limiting the rotational angle or shifting of control member 59 . in a preferred embodiment of the invention , this angular movement is limited to a range of no more than 45 °. in the most preferred embodiment , body portion can only be shifted from the neutral position through approximately 15 ° in either the clockwise or counterclockwise rotational directions . extending from body portion 90 are a plurality of spaced contact members 108 - 111 . most preferably , each contact member 108 - 111 has arranged on a tip thereof an electrical contact , such as that indicated at 114 . control member 59 also has associated therewith a plurality of fixed contact elements 121 - 123 . in a manner similar to contact members 108 - 111 , fixed contact elements 121 - 123 also have associated electrical contacts on tips thereof , such as indicated at 127 . as will be detailed further below , contact members 108 - 111 are adapted to be electrically interconnected with respective ones of fixed contact elements 121 - 123 through the engagement of electrical contacts 114 and 127 in order to complete an electrical circuit through body portion 90 in order to direct signals to a program module 133 of control panel 20 through various wires 136 . in the most preferred embodiment depicted in fig3 contact members 108 and 109 are interposed between contact elements 121 and 122 , while contact members 110 and 111 are interposed between contact elements 122 and 123 . more specifically , while body portion 90 and , commensurately , overall control member 59 , is in a neutral position , contact member 108 is preferably spaced a distance x from contact element 121 . contact member 111 is similarly distanced from contact element 123 . on the other hand , contact members 109 and 110 are spaced a greater distance than distance x from contact element 122 . in the most preferred form of the invention , contact members 109 and 110 are each spaced a distance equivalent to 2x from contact element 122 . with this arrangement , rotation of control member 59 in a first direction , such as a counterclockwise direction , will always initially cause contact member 108 to engage contact element 121 . that is , after body portion 90 has been shifted through an arcuate distance equal to x , the electrical contact 114 of contact member 108 will engage the electrical contact 127 of contact element 121 in order to send a signal through a respective wire 136 to program module 133 . continued rotation of control member 59 in the counterclockwise direction will cause contact member 110 to engage contact element 122 . of course , this engagement requires some flexing of either or both of contact member 108 and contact element 121 . in the most preferred form of the invention , each of contact members 108 - 111 and contact elements 121 - 123 can be elastically deflected . as indicated above , the distance x only represents a minimal angular shifting of body portion 90 , most preferably through approximately 15 °. in a similar fashion , control member 59 can be rotated in the clockwise direction from the neutral position shown in fig3 in order to initially engage contact member 111 with contact element 123 and , upon further rotation in the clockwise direction , to cause contact member 109 to engage contact element 122 . again , each of these interengagements function to complete an electrical circuit whereby control signals are forwarded through wires 136 to program module 133 for appliance 2 . in the most preferred form of the invention , the engagement of contact member 108 with contact element 121 functions to slowly increase the cycle time for a laundry operation . therefore , with the engagement of contact member 108 and contact element 121 , indicator 84 shown in fig2 would slowly shift toward the “ light ” setting and , if maintained in engagement , further toward the “ normal ” and “ heavy ” settings . further rotation of control member 59 will also cause the abutment of contact member 110 and contact element 122 . in accordance with the most preferred embodiment , this functions to shift the overall selected cycle for appliance 2 to a previous cycle . therefore , if this momentary switch contact was made , indicator 84 would jump from the whites cycle setting to the colors cycle setting . on the other hand , rotation of body portion 90 in the clockwise direction will cause contact 111 to engage contact element 123 to slowly decrease the cycle time established for the particular laundry operation . further rotation in the clockwise direction also causes engagement between contact member 109 and contact element 122 which functions to shift the overall selected cycle to the next cycle , i . e ., in a clockwise direction about the illustrated graphic indicia 63 . with this arrangement , only limited rotational movement of control member 59 is required to easily establish and adjust desired cycle and operational times for a particular laundry operation to be performed within appliance 2 . if the desired setting position as represented to the user through indicator 84 is passed , it would not be necessary to rotate main selector knob through nearly 360 ° as with conventional , rotatable control knob arrangements . instead , only a limited degree of rotation of control member 59 in a predetermined direction is required . although described with respect to a preferred embodiment of the invention , it should be readily understood that various changes and / or modifications can be made to the invention without departing from the spirit thereof . for instance , although the engagement between the various contact members 108 - 111 and contact elements 121 - 123 have been disclosed with respect to performing particular setting functions , it should be readily understood that the arrangement of the functions could be readily altered . in addition , such a setting control arrangement could be employed for use in connection with other parameters needing to be set for appliance 2 . furthermore , control member 59 could also be linearly shifted , instead of rotated in opposing directions from a neutral position to perform corresponding functions . therefore , it is only important that limited shifting is required which enhances the ability for appliance 2 to be efficiently programmed in a quick and convenient manner . the use of indicator 84 and annular illumination track or zone 80 provides immediate feedback , in a consumer friendly manner , to the user . when control member 59 is rotary in accordance with the preferred embodiment , graphic indicia 63 generally simulates a conventional dial skirt which will be readily recognized by the user . in any event , the invention is only intended to be limited by the scope of the following claims . | 3 |
referring now to fig1 of the drawings , an apparatus for heating and shaping sheets of material , such as glass , includes a heating means including a furnace 42 ( the exit end of which is shown ). the furnace includes a shaping station 43 to which flat sheets of glass are conveyed from a loading station ( not shown ) after being heated to the glass deformation temperature . a cooling station generally indicated at 44 for cooling the sheets of glass after their shaping and an unloading station ( not shown ) beyond the coolng station 44 are located in end - to - end relation along a transverse path to one side of the shaping station 43 . a box retraction station 45 is located to the other side of the shaping station 43 and to the side opposite the cooling station 44 . a sheet transfer means 47 shown at the shaping station 43 transfers the glass sheet to the cooling station 44 . heat may be supplied in the furnace 42 by hot gases from gas burners or by electrical radiant heaters or by a combination of both , which heat supply means are well known in the art . the furnace side walls support bearing housings for a horizontal conveyor comprising longitudinally spaced , transversely extending conveyor rolls 48 that define a path of travel which extends through the furnace 42 . additional conveyor rolls 48 are located at the shaping station 43 to form a continuation of the path of travel through the furnace 42 . the rolls of the conveyor are arranged in sections and their rotational speed controlled through clutches ( not shown ) so that the speed of the different conveyor sections may be controlled and synchronized in a manner well known in the art . a glass sensing element s is located a short distance upstream of the shaping station 43 to initiate a cycle of operation of this apparatus . limit switches or electronic controllers may be provided to synchronize the operation of various elements of the apparatus according to a predetermined sequence . since their arrangement and manner of operation are not part of this invention , they will not be described in detail herein . the shaping station 43 comprises a deformable box 50 , preferably of thin sheet metal . the latter is covered along its bottom surface with a blanket of refractory material such as fiber glass ( not shown ) that is folded around the opposite ends of the box and secured by clamps and / or spring means to the upper portion of the box . the deformable box 50 comprises a pair of end wall members 53 interconnected by a lower sheet 54 of a flexible , fluid - impervious material ( preferably thin sheet metal ) having perforations 55 distributed throughout , and an upper sheet 56 that is also flexible , fluid - impervious and preferably thin sheet metal but has a transverse row of rectangular apertures 57 extending across its central portion . upper and lower flexible sheets 54 and 56 are preferably of half hard tempered sheet steel , and are of rectangular outline . the flexible metal sheets 54 and 56 are spaced from one another throughout their extent by a plurality of rectangular , flexible , openwork plates 58 . the latter are aligned with one another to form a plurality of elongated chambers 59 , each communicating with a different one of said apertures 57 . the rectanglar , flexible , openwork plates 58 each comprise a pair of cross slats 61 at each end interconnected by a plurality of parallel , transversely spaced , flexible , longitudinal slats 63 . the plates 58 are secured by bolts 60 that extend through elongated attachment apertures 62 extending vertically through the flexible , longitudinal slats 63 of the openwork plates 58 and corresponding elongated attachment openings 64 i the lower flexible metal sheet 54 and additional corresponding attachment apertures 66 distributed throughout the upper metal sheet 56 . in a deformable box used successfully in commercial operations on a mass production basis , the upper and lower sheets and the openwork plates are composed of type 430 stainless steel and have thicknesses of 62 mils ( 1 . 5 millimeters ). five openwork plates are disposed between the upper and lower sheets . the flexible longitudinal slats 63 extend parallel to one another in longitudinal rows approximately one inch ( 2 . 5 centimeters ) apart . the spaces between the interconnected corresponding flexible longitudinal slats 63 form the plurality of elongated chambers 59 . in the preferred embodiment of this invention , the dimensions of the rectangular apertures 57 are aligned with those of elongated chambers 59 such as to assure uniform distribution of positive or negative air pressure to the elongated chambers 59 of the deformable metal box 50 according to the criteria to be described later . the flexible longitudinal slats 63 of the lowest openwork plate 58 adjacent the lower apertured sheet 54 may include transverse tabs 65 that extend in opposite directions from the longitudinal dimensions of the slats 63 , except for the laterally outer slats , which extend only laterally inward . the transverse tabs 65 cooperate with the slats 63 to form the lowest layer of a laminated spring of thin layers , which are slidable relative to one another when the deformable box 50 changes shape . the tabs 65 are fixed to the upper surface of the lower apertured metal sheet 54 in any suitably manner such as welding or brazing . a pair of transverse hollow metal bars 72 in the form of square members 3 / 4 inch ( 19 millimeters ) wide on each side interconnect the opposite end edge portions of the lower flexible metal sheet 54 and the upper flexible metal sheet 56 by additional screws 60 which are secured in place through vertical holes 73 in the upper and lower walls of the hollow bars 72 and additional screw - receiving holes 66 in the ends of upper sheet 56 . the transverse hollow metal bars 72 abut the end wall members 53 to reinforce the latter . the cross slats 61 of the openwork plates 58 are separated from the hollow bars 72 a distance barely sufficient to allow for relative sliding of adjacent openwork plates 58 in response to deforming the box 50 without distorting the bottom surface of lower sheet 54 from its desired shape . the rectangular apertures 57 across the upper sheet 56 communicate with an opening in the lower wall of an l - shaped plenum chamber 99 . the latter communicates with a flexible pipe 76 , which in turn selectively communicates with a vacuum source or a source of pressurized fluid such as air through appropriate valves and supply pipes in a manner well known in the art . ( the sources , valves and supply pipes are not shown .) the l - shaped plenum chamber 99 is connected to a carriage 100 , which is fixed for vertical movement with the deformable metal box 50 . in order to provide the vertical adjustability feature for positioning the deformable metal box 50 , the carriage has a front support beam 101 , a rear support beam 102 , a pair of slide bars 103 , and a pair of slide bar housings 104 supported on each support beam . each rear support beam 102 is supported on a vertical post 105 . each vertical post 105 supports its unique vertical pisto 106 . the latter act in unison with a pair of front vertical pistons 107 mounted on the roof of the furnace 42 at shaping station 43 to raise or lower the front and rear support beams 102 and 102 and their supported slide bar housings 104 . such actuation moves the carriage 100 vertically , which raises or lowers the deformable metal box 50 in the shaping station 43 . a horizontal piston 108 fixed to rear support beam 102 is connected through a piston rod 110 and a piston head 112 to a lug 114 fixed to front support beam 101 . actuation of the piston rod 110 moves the deformable metal box 50 through front support beam 101 between the shaping station 43 and the mold retraction station 45 . the sheet transfer means 47 comprises a ring - like member 119 conforming in elevation and plan outline to the shape desired immediately inward of the peripheral edge of a glass sheet to be shaped at the shaping station 43 . the ring - like member 119 is surrounded by a pipe type reinforcement 121 . the ring - like member has an upper edge surface that is notched or serrated to minimize contact with the glass and preferably is constructed in the manner of u . s . pat . no . 3 , 973 , 943 to samuel l . seymour . connectors 122 are provided around the periphery to interconnect the ring - like member 119 and the reinforcement 121 . extension arms 123 extend outward from the opposite longitudinal ends of the outline formed by the sheet transfer means 47 and terminate in connections to cantilevered rods 127 which are actuated for movement in unison by motor drive means ( not shown ) to move the ring - like member 119 from shaping station 43 through cooling station 44 to an unloading station ( not shown ) and a return to the shaping station 43 . the cooling station 44 comprises an upper plenum 130 connected to an air supply duct 131 which delivers air under pressure from a source of tempering medium ( not shown ) to said upper plenum 130 for delivery through downwardly directed pipe nozzles 132 toward the upper surface of a glass sheet supported on said member 119 . additional tempering medium supply means communicates with a lower plenum 134 which is provided with upwardly directed nozzles 136 for supplying the tempering medium , such as pressurized air , against the lower surface of a glass sheet supported on said ring - like member 119 . the preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a pair of actuating rods 140 , each fixed for rotation with an inner pair of links 142 of two pairs of links on each longitudinal side of the l - shaped plenum chamber 99 . inner links 142 are pivotally mounted at their inner ends to pivots 143 fixed to the upper surface of the upper sheet of the deformable metal box 50 , while an outer pair of links 144 is pivotally mounted at their outer ends to pivots 145 , also fixed to said upper surface . a common pivot 146 pivotally connects each inner link 142 with a corresponding outer link 144 . the pivots 143 and 145 are spaced from one another a distance such that the corresponding links 142 and 144 extend at a more obtuse angle when the deformable metal box 50 defines a flat configuration and at a more acute angle relative to one another to distort the deformable metal box 50 into a convexly curved configuration . the shaping station 43 is provided with a side opening 147 on one side facing the cooling station 44 and another side opening 148 on its opposite side facing the mold retraction station 45 . these side openings are associated with doors ( not shown ) that are opened only when needed for the passage of the sheet transfer means 47 through side opening 147 and for the passage of the deformable metal box 50 through sid opening 148 so as to minimize loss of furnace heat between successive shaping operations . a plurality of glass sheets is conveyed through the furnace 42 while supported on rotating furnace conveyor rolls 48 . when a glass sheet is sensed by the sensing means s , the apparatus elements of the illustrative embodiment are in positions ready to begin a shaping cycle . at the beginning of a sheet shaping cycle , doors for openings 147 and 148 are closed when a flat glass sheet enters the sheet shaping station 43 and both the deformable box 50 and the ring - like member 119 are outside the shaping station . the box 50 is in position at the box retraction station 45 and the member 119 is at the cooling station 44 on the opposite side of the shaping station 43 . next , the door for opening 148 retracts and the deformable box 50 is ready to enter the shaping station from its box retraction station 45 to one side of said shaping station as the glass sheet nears its destination at the shaping station . the glass sheet g continues to travel along the conveyor rolls 48 until it reaches a shaping position within the sheet shaping station 43 , and the horizontal piston rod 108 extends to urge the deformable box 50 to enter the shaping station 43 until the deformable box is in vertical alignment over the glass sheet at the shaping position . the deformable box 50 is in its flat configuration and vacuum has been started to lift the hot , flat glass sheet into engagement against the deformable box 50 when the latter is flat . as soon as the flat glass sheet g engages the box 50 , pistons 106 and 107 extend upward in unison to cause the vacuum mold to lift the glass sheet . at the same time , a door to opening 147 opens to permit the ring - like member 119 to move into the shaping station and actuating rods 140 rotate to cause the metal box 50 to deform upwardly at its longitudinal end portions . vacuum continues to be applied to the deforming box 50 so that the glass sheet g continues to engage said box as it is lifted and shaped . opening 147 opens completely to allow the sheet transfer means 47 including said ring - like member 119 to enter the shaping statio 43 as the defoming box continues to lift and shape the glass sheet . the pistons 106 and 107 continue to lift the deformable box 50 and the actuating rods 140 continue to rotate until the ring - like member reaches a position in the shaping statio 43 under the deformable box . at that moment , vacuum is either released or replaced by pressurized fluid in l - shaped plenum chamber 99 to drop the glass sheet onto the ring - like member . the empty deformable metal box 50 is removed in one direction toward the box retraction station 45 by retraction of piston rod 110 while the actuating rods 140 rotate to spread the links 142 and 144 . the latter movements cause the deformable box 50 to resume its flat configuration as the sheet transfer means 47 moves in a direction opposite said one direction with the glass sheet supported on its ring - like member 119 for transfer into cooling station 44 . when the transfer means 47 clears the shaping station 43 , the door for opening 147 closes . similarly , the door for opening 148 closes when the deformable metal box 50 and its associated reinforcing and actuating structure clears the shaping station . when the deformable box rests at mold retraction statio 45 , the ring - like member 119 supports the bent glass sheet between upper and lower plenum chambers 130 and 134 . pressurized fluid is applied through the sets of nozzles in the cooling station 44 while the doors for the openings 147 and 148 at the opposite walls of the furnace are closed as the shaping station awaits the arrival of a succeeding glass sheet that is conveyed through the furnace toward said shaping station . various alternative embodiments may be used in the practice of the present invention . for example , any available energy source such as electrically , gas , oil , coal , etc . may be used to heat the glass sheets within the furnace . any type of conveyor , such as a gas hearth type of conveyor or a conveyor that uses rolls in conjunction with a fluid that compensates for part of the mass of glass rotatably supported on the rolls of a roller conveyor may be substituted for the described and illustrated roller conveyor system for delivering glass sheets to the shaping station . furthermore , the deformable box of the illustrated embodiment that moves vertically may be replaced by a deformable box that maintains a fixed position relative to vertically movable conveyor rolls and the ring - like member may be made of special rail sections to provide clearance to lower said rolls and drop a glass sheet from the deformable metal box onto the ring - like member and provide clearance for the ring - like member to transfer the glass sheet to the cooling station and to return empty to the shaping station before the vertically movable rolls rise to their glass sheet receiving position in time for the arrival of the next glass sheet to be shaped . in another embodiment contemplated , the deformable metal box may move horizontally instead of vertically from a first mold position above the additional conveyor rolls to a second mold position above the rail - like member and change its configuration during its horizontal movement . the present invention also contemplates that the deformable metal box may be located at a shaping station that is locatedbeyond the exit of a glass sheet heating furnace . the requirements for the components of the deformable box to be of materials capable of withstanding a wide range of temperature is not as severe as it is with the preferred embodiment described previously . however , with intermittent contact of the deformable box with a glass sheet heated to its deformation temperature followed by lack of contact with any hot element and the requirement for the deformable box to be shaped between a flat configuration and a curved configuration conforming to the configuratio to which the glass sheet is desired to be changed while it engages the deformable box by vacuum makes it nevertheless desirable for the deformable box to be composed of materials having the requisite sliding characteristics of the openwork plates between the upper and lower sheets of thin flexible sheet material that form the upper and lower walls of the deformable box of the present invention . the cooling station may use liquids or other fluids instead of air as the cooling medium and may use slot type nozzles or bar type nozzles instead of or in combination with the pipe - type nozzles shown . other variations within the gist of the present invention include the substitution of flexible , laminated metal springs instead of the hollow metal bars 72 to connect the longitudinal ends of the flexible metal plates 54 and 56 to one another or to provide a single , continuous , laminated spring extending around the entire perimeter of the deformable metal box 50 . the latter variations permit the metal box to be deformed about its longitudinal axis as well as about its transverse axis to produce more complex shapes . in addition , the deformable metal box may be sectionalized into a plurality of two or more smaller mold sections in the form of vacuum boxes pivoted to one another to accommodate to one or more sharply bent end regions of the glass sheet to be bent , regardless of whether the vacuum boxes comprising the vacuum mold sections are rigid or deformable . the invention is also suitable for shaping glass sheets to asymmetrical shapes where the glass sheet is bent adjacent either one or more side edges and / or one or more end edges regardless of whether the vacuum mold is a unitary mold comprising a single deformable metal box as in the illustrative preferred embodiment or a sectionalized vacuum mold . it is also understood that while the embodiments described previously relate to shaping and tempering glass shets , the present invention can be used to shape glass sheets that are to be annealed subsequently . in such a case , the cooling station 44 is replaced by an annealing lehr section wherein the bent glass is cooled at a controlled rate after its shaping . the form of the invention shown and described in this disclosure represents an illustrative preferred embodiment and certain modifications thereof . it is understood that the gist of the invention is defined in the claimed subject matter which follows . | 2 |
referring to fig1 the headliner 10 of the present invention comprises a double corrugated paperboard laminate 12 . the laminate is dished or concave to conform to the general shape of automotive headliners , the convex face being installed next to the roof of the automobile and the concave face being exposed to the interior of the automobile . perforations 14 can be seen in the interior face of the laminate . the headliner may be installed by any of a variety of methods , generally utilizing clips or other attachment devices . such attachment devices are not shown since they do not form part of the invention and since they are well known to those skilled in the art . as shown in fig2 the double corrugated paperboard laminate is comprised of a front or exposed paperboard facer or sheet 16 , a back paperboard sheet 18 and an intermediate or median paperboard sheet 20 . a first corrugated paperboard medium 22 occupies the space between the back and median sheets 18 and 20 , and a second corrugated medium 24 occupies the space between the front and median sheets 16 and 20 . the corrugated mediums 22 and 24 are attached to the paperboard sheets at their corrugation peaks by suitable adhesive 26 , such as starch . the double corrugated paperboard laminate described thus far can be fabricated from the individual sheets and corrugated mediums or can be purchased ready - made from a paperboard manufacturer as desired . it will be understood that the components from which the laminate is fabricated , or the ready - made laminate itself , would be flat . the corrugated medium 22 has larger individual corrugations or flutes than the corrugated medium 24 , causing the distance between the median sheet 20 and the back sheet 18 to be greater than the distance between the median sheet and the front sheet 16 . although the corrugated mediums impart strength and rigidity to the assembly , it is not necessary that they be formed of paperboard which is as heavy as the paperboard used to make the front and back sheets . for example , in a preferred arrangement , the front , back and median sheets were comprised of paperboard weighing 69 pounds per 1000 square feet , while the corrugated mediums were comprised of paperboard weighing only 42 pounds per 1000 square feet . still referring to fig2 a vapor barrier film 27 is laminated to the outer surface of the back sheet 18 to prevent condensation from the metal automobile roof from penetrating the paperboard liner . any suitable vapor barrier material can be used , such as a polypropylene or polyethylene film . referring also to fig3 the front sheet 16 contains a series of closely spaced small diameter perforations 14 which extend through the corrugated medium 24 , the median sheet 20 and the corrugated medium 22 as perforations 30 , 32 34 , respectively . as illustrated , the perforations 14 , 30 , 32 and 34 are aligned as a result of perforating these elements in a single perforating operation . preferably , the back sheet 18 would not be perforated in order not to penetrate the vapor barrier 27 . although it is possible to perforate the back sheet if the vapor barrier film is laminated to the paperboard after the perforating step has been carried out , it is preferred that the back sheet not be perforated in order to avoid the risk of the film tearing at the unsupported area of an underlying perforation . the perforations should be relatively closely spaced and should be small enough to adequately admit sound but not so large as to weaken the laminate . perforations having a diameter of 1 mm and being spaced apart about 1 / 2 inch on center have been found to be an effective arrangement . while perforations in thick fibrous bodies such as relatively dense fibrous acoustical panels are known to substantially reduce noise levels , it was surprising to find the degree of effectiveness exhibited by the perforated double corrugated liner of the present invention . when tested according to the procedures of astm c - 423 a sample of paperboard laminate constructed and dimensioned as described above had an nrc value of 0 . 35 . this is equivalent to the nrc value of a typical molded fiber glass headliner , having a density of 4 pcf and a thickness of 0 . 5 inch , which has a reputation of having excellent sound absorbing qualities . the perforations allow the sound waves to penetrate the paperboard and apparently to be absorbed in both the paperboard itself and in the cavities surrounding the corrugations of the laminate to an unexpected degree of efficiency . still referring to fig2 the outer surface of the front sheet 16 would normally be coated to give the laminate a more decorative appearance , such as by the coating of paint 36 . as stated above , paints which are rubbery in nature also act to somewhat deaden or dampen sound waves encountering the liner . the paint could be sprayed on the laminate either before or after the perforating operation , but if it is applied after the laminate has been perforated it should be controlled , as by the density of application or by its viscosity , to prevent the paint from clogging or significantly diminishing the size of the perforation in the front sheet 16 . as shown in fig4 a fabric 38 having a foam backing 40 can be used instead of paint as an outer covering for the front sheet 16 of the laminate 12 . the foam , which is of open cell structure such as , for example , open - cell polyether , more effectively dampens sound waves , and the fabric provides the decorative appearance to the assembly . if desired , fabric alone may be used as the covering material , although this would not function as well acoustically as the combination fabric and foam layer . referring to fig5 the liner is formed by first introducing the laminate 12 to a perforating station 42 . the laminate rests on a support 44 while a perforating head is moved down toward it by any suitable means so that the pins 48 penetrate the laminate . as stated earlier , movement of the perforating head preferably is controlled so that the pins do not extend into the back sheet of the laminate . at this point the vapor barrier film if present would be at the bottom of the laminate adjacent the support 44 . it could instead be applied after the perforating operation as previously indicated . after the laminate has been perforated it is subjected to a moisturizing operation at the moisturizing station 50 . this may simply be a humidity chamber or a steam chamber . in any event the laminate remains in the chamber until it has been softened to the point where it can readily be molded into the final desired shape . by way of example , exposure to high humidity for 20 minutes was found to amply soften the paperboard material . this time can be reduced by using a steam chamber instead . the softened laminate is then inserted in a mold comprised of male and female members 52 and 54 , respectively . both mold members contain heating units 56 , such as electrical heaters or hot water lines , to maintain the press surfaces at a predetermined temperature . this may vary with the desired shape of the liner , the rigidity of the laminate when introduced into the mold and the construction details of the laminate . it has been found , however , that when the temperature of the mold is in the range of about 325 ° f . to 360 ° f . the molding operation proceeded with optimum results , requiring about 15 to 60 seconds depending on conditions . generally , the higher the heat the shorter the molding operation . if the heat of the press mold and the length of time the laminate is in the mold are found to be enough to drive out a sufficient amount of moisture to restore adequate rigidity to the paperboard , the fabrication operation is at an end . if more rigidity is required the laminate can be further heated in a heating station 58 after removal from the mold . it was found that a double corrugated liner is required because a liner comprised of only a single corrugated layer tends to wrinkle as a result of the molding operation and does not have the acoustical and strength characteristics required of the finished liner . it has also been found that the smaller corrugated medium should be adjacent the interior face of the liner , or in other words should correspond to the concave face of the liner in order for the molding operation to proceed without danger of cracking . the larger corrugated medium is needed for the strength and rigidity it contributes to the liner , but because of its lesser ability to be molded without wrinkling is placed on the convex side of the liner which is not as sharply curved during molding . in a preferred arrangement , for the overall ability of the laminate to be molded and for the strength and acoustical benefits provided , the outer or larger corrugated medium is comprised of a c flute , which is 140 mils thick and contains 39 flutes per foot , and the inner or smaller corrugated medium is comprised of a b flute , which is 120 mils thick and contains 50 flutes per foot . the paperboard industry also makes available a flutes , which are 190 mils thick and contain 36 flutes per foot , and e flutes , which are 40 - 70 mils thick and contain 80 - 120 flutes per foot . because of the different requirements of the outer and inner corrugated mediums , c flutes or a flutes would be used as the outer or larger corrugated mediums , while b flutes or e flutes would be used as the inner or smaller corrugated mediums . in tests run to determine the strength of the laminate , 3 &# 34 ; by 12 &# 34 ; samples having a thickness of 0 . 286 &# 34 ; were prepared from corrugated mediums comprised of c and a flutes and supported across a 10 &# 34 ; span while being subjected to loading by a crosshead moving at a speed of 0 . 2 &# 34 ; per minute . the tests were performed in both the corrugated direction of the samples and the cross - corrugated direction . for the corrugated direction , the average flexural load withstood was 14 . 2 pounds and the average modulus of rupture was 870 psi . for the cross - corrugated direction , the average flexural load was 13 . 2 pounds and the average modulus of rupture was 805 psi . in both cases the results are well beyond the minimum required strength requirements . it should now be understood after reading the foregoing description that the invention is not necessarily limited to all the specific details described , but that changes to certain features of the preferred embodiment , which do not affect the overall basic function and concept of the invention , may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , as defined in the appended claims . | 1 |
the method for decreasing susceptibility of short range mark xii type interrogators to pulse jamming and spoofing may be implemented as follows . the first interrogation is made with the receiver set at its predetermined normal operating sensitivity . all replies received in a time period corresponding to sixteen range bins prior to range zero are counted . these replies can only be due to spoofing , jamming , and fruit , that is , asynchronous friendly replies . if the number of replies received in the time period corresponding to sixteen range bins prior to zero time exceeds the number of asynchronous friendly replies expected with a given reply reliability in a benign environment , the receiver sensitivity is lowered by 3db and the aircraft is again interrogated . this method is continued through subsequent interrogations until the number of replies received in the period corresponding to sixteen range bins prior to range zero is less than or equal to the number of asynchronous friendly replies expected with a given reply reliability in a benign environment . so long as this condition prevails , the replies received after range zero may be considered valid , and subsequent interrogations are made with the same receiver sensitivity . after a friend - foe determination has been made , the receiver may be returned to its normal operating sensitivity , or it may be retained at its less sensitive adjustment until the operator has reason to believe the jamming and spoofing environment has changed . in the illustration in fig1 assume the expected number of asynchronous friendly replies prior to range zero is two . all range bins for the first interrogation are shown filled with replies due to jamming , spoofing and fruit . for the second interrogation , the receiver sensitivity has been lowered by 3db . as a result some jamming , spoofing , and fruit are no longer detected , but not enough have been removed to make a friend - foe decision . a similar situation exists for the third and fourth interrogation . on the fifth interrogation the number of replies prior to zero range has dropped to the expected amount or fewer and therefore , the sensitivity has been lowered sufficiently to prevent detection of enough of the jamming , spoofing , and fruit , so that a friend - foe decision can be made . the remainder of the interrogations are made with the same adjusted sensitivity level and the friend is shown in the second range bin . it should be noted that in the general application of this invention no significance is attached to the use of sixteen range bins prior to range zero . the number of range bins selected prior to range zero will be dependent on the required certainty of friend identification . further , while the technique may be implemented manually , that is , the operator may compare the count of replies received prior to range zero with a predetermined number and manually reduce the receiver sensitivity if necessary , it easily lends itself to electronic implementation by well - known techniques . for example , an apparatus of the type illustrated in block diagram form in fig2 may be utilized . fig2 illustrates a receiver 10 , the output of which is coupled through a switch 11 to either ground , a counter / comparator 12 , or a post - range - zero memory 13 dependent on the output of a timing circuit 14 which also controls the transmitter 15 . the time at which the timing circuit 14 activates the switch 11 or the transmitter 15 is dependent upon the size of each range bin , the minimum range of the interrogator , and the number of range bins it is desirable to examine prior to range zero . in the usual case , the timing circuit 14 will activate switch 11 prior to transmission of the interrogation signal . it should be noted the two preceding sentences relate to design criteria . the size of each range bin is generally fixed by the interrogator design , and , as is well known in the prior art , relates directly to its resolution capabilities with respect to differentiating aircraft at nearly the same range . as may be gleaned from the foregoing , the timing of the circuitry proposed to implement the method of the invention is affected by the size of the range bins once one settles on the number of range bins to be examined prior to range zero , since as the range bins increase in size , so does the time required to examine a given number . the minimum range of the interrogator is also generally fixed by the interrogator design . it is important for the implementation of the invention because it provides information as to when the first valid replies are to be expected after the time of transmission . replies received prior to this time may be used as a measure of the jamming environment as described in the specification . the number of range bins examined prior to range zero will be dependent upon the required certainty of friend identification . as a general rule , the more range bins examined prior to range zero in order to determine the jamming environment , the more certain will be friend identification . this generalization , of course , does not hold true when the jamming environment is widely fluctuating since the average jamming environment will not be indicative of the instantaneous jamming environment . fig2 shows the switch 11 initially in a position such that the output of the receiver 10 is channeled to ground . at the proper time as determined by the above criteria the timing circuit 14 activates the switch 11 such that the receiver output is coupled to a counter / comparator 12 wherein receiver replies in the sixteen range bins prior to range zero are normalized , counted and compared to a predetermined count ( the number of asynchronous friendly replies expected in a benign environment ). if the received replies exceed the predetermined count an adjustment signal is forwarded to the servo mechanism 16 which decreases receiver sensitivity . the constituents of the counter / comparator 12 , post range - zero memory 13 and timing circuit 14 are all well known in the prior art . counter / comparator 12 need be nothing more than a voltage source , integrator , potentiometer and schmidt trigger . the integrator should be coupled to the receiver through appropriate buffer circuitry . if the charge across the integrating capacitor exceeds a predetermined level , which level is established by a voltage source and potentiometer , it is used to actuate a schmidt trigger . the output of the schmidt trigger is coupled to a servo mechanism which incrementally lowers the receiver sensitivity . design information related to the requisite circuits may be found in analysis and design of electronic circuits referenced infra . a typical post range - zero memory 13 is that described on page 5 - 1 of u . s . army technical manual tm 11 - 5895 - 687 - 35 - 2 for d . s . g . s . and depot repair of interrogator set an / tpx - 50 ( signal processor cp - 936 / tpx - 50 ) dated august 1971 . timing circuit 14 may be of the type which utilizes an oscillator coupled to a binary counter , the output of which is decoded and used to control the position of switch 11 . information concerning oscillators suitable for this application may be found on pages 448 - 467 of analysis and design of electronic circuits by p . m . chirlian published by mcgraw hill and copyrighted in 1965 . suitable digital logic circuitry may be found on page 41 of the digital logic handbook distributed by digital equipment corporation of maynard , massachusetts , and copyrighted in 1967 . subsequent to range zero the timing circuit 14 actuates the switch 11 so that replies are channeled to the post range - zero memory 13 where they are stored for friend - foe decision purposes in a manner well known in the prior art and exemplified by the an / tpx - 46 and an / tpx - 50 equipments . between successive interrogations , during the time period starting subsequent to the maximum range of the interrogator and ending prior to the first of the sixteen range bins prior to range zero , the timing circuit 14 actuates the switch 11 to route receiver 10 replies to ground . as noted previously , the method of the claims may be implemented manually to a large degree . the switching , timing , and sensitivity control functions may all be performed by an operator without the assistance of any apparatus other than a simple switch and a receiver with variable gain . only the counting / comparison function requires the use of elecronic circuitry . an automatic or manual reset feature may be provided for returning the receiver sensitivity to its normal value either incrementally or directly . | 7 |
fig1 illustrates a semiconductor laser module 10 according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention . semiconductor laser module 10 comprises a tapered laser diode 12 and beam shaping optics in the form of a plano - convex spherical cylindrical lens 14 . lens 14 is arranged directly in front of the output facet 16 of the tapered laser diode 12 . the beam output by the tapered laser diode 12 is highly astigmatic and elliptical . the reason for this is that the laser diode facet has an elliptical cross section and has different divergences for the fast axis ( fast axis divergence angle θ f between 24 and 46 °) and the slow axis ( the slow axis divergence angle θ s , depends on the taper angle θ f ). with a taper angle of 6 ° the slow axis divergence angle θ s of the output beam amounts to about 20 ° due to diffraction at the facet 16 . in the context of the example discussed with respect to fig1 to 3 , the m 2 factors are assumed to be approximately 1 both for the slow axis direction and the fast axis direction . tapered laser diodes are index - guided devices and typically have an active layer with a cross section size at the facet of about 0 . 1 μm by 150 μm . the 1 / e 2 diameters of the emission stripe are typically 1 μm and 190 μm directly at the facet , due to beam spreading into the surrounding lower index material , which leads to an ellipticity ( ratio of minimum to maximum beam diameter ) of less than 0 . 01 . different design parameters may result in ellipticity in the range from 0 . 002 to 0 . 03 . as best shown in fig2 and 3 , the beam 18 is strongly astigmatic , since , in the direction perpendicular to the quantum well , it appears to diverge from a virtual source s 1 in close proximity of the output facet 16 , but , in the plane of the quantum well , it appears to diverge from a virtual source s 2 that is located deeply inside the gain region 20 . the magnitude of the astigmatism is the linear distance between s 1 and s 2 . whereas for index - guided , low power laser diodes the astigmatism amounts typically to 5 μm - 15 μm and for gain - guided diodes the astigmatism may be as large as 50 μm , for tapered laser diodes the astigmatism may be larger than 500 μm or even more than 1000 μm in case of high power devices . to correct the astigmatism , the plano - convex spherical cylindrical lens 14 is arranged such that the laser beam is circular ( i . e . has an ellipticity of less than 0 . 87 ) at the axial position where the circular cylindrical surface 22 of the lens 14 intersects the beam axis 24 and configured such that the fast axis divergence of the laser beam 28 behind the lens 14 is reduced to match the divergence of the slow axis divergence of the laser beam 28 behind the lens . there is a special condition , called aplanatic condition , in which a spherical surface ( or , if only one transversal direction is considered , a circular cylindrical surface ) introduces no spherical aberration . in the aplanatic condition not just all orders of spherical aberration , but also primary coma is zero for finite angles , which makes the lens more tolerant to misalignment . a spherical lens configured so as to satisfy the aplanatic condition may thus be considered more powerful than an aspheric lens , since the latter introduces primary coma . the aplanatic condition is mainly used to image a point source like in a microscope objective , but also works for line sources , which is a good approximation for the laser diode facet . fig4 illustrates the aplanatic condition for a light ray originating from a source o in an optically thick medium with refractive index n and passing to an optically thinner medium with refractive index n ′, i . e . n & gt ; n ′. the inclination angle α between the optical axis and the light ray is reduced at the boundary surface between the two media , which is spherical ( or circular cylindrical , as in the invention ). for an observer behind the spherical surface , all the light rays originating from o thus appear to originate from the virtual image o ′. when the aplanatic condition is not met , the position of the virtual image o ′ depends on the inclination angle α , i . e . there is spherical aberration . no spherical aberration occurs when the aplanatic condition is met . this means , mathematically , that : sin α ′ n ′ = sin α n ( eq . 8 ) furthermore , the distances l between the source o and the point of intersection p of the spherical ( circular cylindrical ) surface and the optical axis and l ′ between the virtual image o ′ and p have to satisfy the following relationships : and ( eq . 9 ) l ′ = n + n ′ n ′ · r , ( eq . 10 ) a comprehensive deduction of the aplanatic condition can be found in p . drude , “ lehrbuch der optik , 3 rd edition , isbn : 3864547873 ( trapeza ). when the optically thinner medium is air , n ′= 1 , and the relationships simplify to : according to the illustrated embodiment of the invention , the plano - convex spherical cylindrical lens 14 is configured and arranged to satisfy the aplanatic condition in such a way that the virtual source s 2 of the slow axis divergence substantially coincides with the virtual image of the virtual source s 1 of the fast axis divergence . in the theoretical situation of fig4 , there is only one boundary surface . in practice , however , the laser beam 18 enters the optically denser medium at the planar surface 26 of the lens 14 and leaves it across the circular cylindrical surface 22 . as illustrated in fig5 , a light ray with inclination angle β is refracted at the first boundary surface such that : sin β ′ = n ′ n sin β ( snell ’ s law ) , ( eq . 14 ) where β ′ is the inclination angle of the beam inside the lens . if the aplanatic condition is satisfied , it follows for the refraction at the second , curved , boundary surface : sin β ″ = n ′ n sin β ′ = ( n ′ n ) 2 sin β ( eq . 15 ) where β ″ is the inclination angle of the beam after passage through the lens 14 . what follows from this relation ( with n ′ being the refractive index of air , i . e , n ′= 1 ) is that for given fast and slow axis divergences ( which depend on the laser diode configuration ), the refractive index n of the lens 14 is chosen such that the equation n = sin u f / sin ( u s · m f 2 m s 2 ) = sin u f / sin u s ( eq . 16 ) where u f denotes the uncorrected fast axis divergence half - angle ( i . e , the fast axis divergence half - angle before the lens 14 ) and u s denotes the uncorrected slow axis divergence half - angle ( i . e . the slow axis divergence half - angle before the lens 14 ), is satisfied . in practice , this means that the material of the lens 14 is chosen such that 25 its refraction index satisfies 93 %·√{ square root over ( sin u f / sin u s )}≦ n ≦ 107 %·√{ square root over ( sin u f / sin u s )}. ( eq . 6 ′) those skilled will note that some spherical aberration results from the presence of the first , planar , surface 26 of the lens 14 . in order to keep these spherical aberrations small , the planar surface 26 is positioned as close to the facet 16 as possible . in practice , this means that the distance δ between the planar surface 26 and the facet 16 should not exceed 1 mm . in the illustrated embodiment , δ is comprised in the range from 50 μm to 500 μm . the thickness of the lens 14 is then selected such that d f / d s = m f 2 / m s 2 , i . e . ( in this example ) such that the beam is circular , at the axial position where the circular cylindrical surface 22 of the lens 14 intersects with the beam axis 24 . during the design of the beam shaping optics , this lo step is preferably carried out using a ray - tracing program or a lens design program on a computer . finally , the radius of curvature r of the lens is chosen such that , after passage of the laser beam through the lens , the fast axis divergence is substantially in agreement with the slow axis divergence ( since in this example m f 2 ≈ 1 and m s 2 ≈ 1 ). with reference to fig5 , let h denote the 1 / e 2 radius of the beam at the axial position where the circular cylindrical surface 22 of the lens 14 intersects with the beam axis 24 . assuming that the lens 14 reduces the fast axis divergence to the slow axis divergence , it follows from l ′=( n + 1 )· r that r = l ′ n + 1 = h ( n + 1 ) tan u s = d f 2 ( n + 1 ) tan u s , ( eq . 17 ) where d f designates here the 1 / e 2 diameter of the beam at the axial position of the intersection of the curved lens surface with the beam axis 24 . with some tolerance , one finally obtains : with the above parameters of the plano - convex spherical cylindrical lens 14 , the beam 28 obtained after the lens 14 has substantially circular power density distribution and substantially equal beam divergence angles in fast and slow axis directions . with the above assumption m f g ≈ 1 and m s 2 ≈ 1 , it is , therefore , comparatively easy to couple the obtained beam into an optical fiber with a good coupling efficiency . indeed , the laser beam can be collimated using an aspheric lens or a lens group 30 , as shown in fig2 and 3 . it shall be noted that the way of matching the fast and slow axis divergence angles may not be possible with every type of laser diode or amplifier diode , since a certain amount of astigmatism is required for a given pair of divergence angles . it is the inventors &# 39 ; merit to have recognized that the correction mechanism presented herein can be used for tapered laser diodes and tapered amplifier diodes , due to the comparably high value of the astigmatism . as will be appreciated , the proposed scheme is a compact and powerful way to remove astigmatism and to circularize the beam of a tapered laser diode , which is highly astigmatic and elliptic . only a single plano - convex spherical cylindrical lens with a specific refractive index is necessary for this purpose . an aspheric lens may thereafter be used to collimate the beam and / or to couple the beam into an optical fiber . the far field beam profile , or the focused spot , can be free of the side lobes and be nearly diffraction - limited . due to the low number of lenses and the absence of truncating elements , the total power loss of the optical system may be reduced to less than 20 %, which is much less than in systems using anamorphic prisms , a single mode fiber or a small aperture for circularizing a beam output by a laser or amplifier diode . a very interesting advantage of using a plano - convex spherical cylindrical lens is that such lenses are easy to manufacture with high precision and also , compared with aspheric lenses , inexpensive . since , in the illustrated configuration , spherical aberration is substantially eliminated , the use of a spherical cylindrical lens instead of an aspheric lens does not negatively affect beam quality . to the contrary , with primary coma being also eliminated , slight misalignment does not translate into a significantly deteriorated beam quality as in the case of an aspheric lens . a semiconductor laser module as shown in fig1 to 3 has been implemented with a tapered laser diode ( wavelength λ = 980 nm ). the taper angle of the gain region was 6 ° ( full angle ). the facet measured 425 μm ( slow axis direction ) to 3 μm ( fast axis direction ). without correction , fast axis divergence was 42 ° ( full angle ) and slow axis divergence 20 ° ( full angle ) at an output power of 8 . 5 w . m f 2 = m s 2 = 1 . for matching the fast axis divergence to the slow axis divergence , a fused silica plano - convex spherical cylindrical lens ( n = 1 . 45 ) with r = 1 . 0 mm and a thickness of 1 . 42 mm ( on the beam axis ) was placed at a distance δ = 150 μm from the facet of the tapered laser diode . the conditions on n ( eq . 6 ) and r ( eq . 7 ) were thus met . ellipticity of the laser beam on the curved surface of the lens amounted to 0 . 97 ( i . e . the beam was circular ). the fast axis divergence after the lens was reduced to 20 . 1 ° ( full angle ), which is approximately equal to the slow axis divergence . the identical laser diode of example 1 was chosen with the difference that the m f 2 = 1 and m s 2 = 2 . for matching the fast axis divergence to m f 2 / m s 2 times the slow axis divergence , a plano - convex spherical cylindrical lens made of p - sf68 10 ( schott , n = 1 . 96 ) with r = 0 . 51 mm and a thickness of 0 . 46 mm . ( on the beam axis ) was placed at a distance δ = 150 μm from the facet of the tapered laser diode . the conditions on n ( eq . 6 ) and r ( eq . 7 ) were thus met . ellipticity of the laser beam on the curved surface of the lens amounted to 0 . 51 , which corresponds to the desired ratio of d f / d s = m f 2 / m s 2 = 0 . 5 . the fast axis divergence after the lens was reduced to 10 . 1 °, which is approximately equal to half the slow axis divergence . fig6 relates to a second preferred embodiment of the invention and shows a semiconductor laser diode array 32 comprising a stack of tapered laser diodes 34 , each comprising a plano - convex spherical cylindrical microlens 36 arranged in front of its facet 38 . each tapered laser diode 34 produces a highly astigmatic and elliptical beam at its output . it is assumed that m f 2 ≈ 1 , whereas m s 2 is larger ( e . g . m s 2 comprised in the range from 2 to 5 ), as if often the case in industrial systems because this makes laser diodes more robust against back - reflections . each lens 36 is positioned such that its circular cylindrical surface intersects the respective beam axis at an axial position where the ratio d s / d f of the slow axis beam diameter d s of the laser beam ( after passage through the lens 36 ) to the fast axis beam diameter d f of the laser beam ( after passage through the lens 36 ) amounts to a value comprised in the range from 0 . 87 · m s 2 / m f 2 to 1 . 15 m s 2 / m f 2 . furthermore , the parameters of each lens are chosen such that the fast axis divergence of the respective laser beam is reduced to approximately match m f 2 / m s 2 times the slow axis divergence . as a consequence , by focusing the beam , one obtains a circular power density distribution . as in the previously discussed embodiment , the material of each lens 36 is chosen such that its refraction index satisfies eq . 6 . the distance δ ′ between the planar surface of each lens 36 and the respective facet 38 is comprised in the range from 50 μm to 500 μm . the radius of curvature of each lens is chosen such that , after passage of the laser beam there through , the fast axis divergence is substantially in agreement with the slow axis divergence multiplied with m f 2 / m s 2 , i . e . eq . 7 is satisfied . the tapered laser diode of example 2 can be used to build a laser diode stack , which consists of 20 laser diode bars , each of which consists of 10 tapered laser diodes with a pitch ( center to center of the tapered laser diode ) of 1 mm . the spacing between the laser diode bars may be 0 . 5 mm , such that the laser diode stack has a square emitting area of 10 mm by 10 mm . since each emitter is capable of producing at least 5 w of optical power , the stack can deliver more than 1000 w of optical power . the optics detailed in example 2 may be mounted in front of each laser diode bar and afterwards a multi lens array can collimate each tapered laser diode individually , each facet of the multi lens array comprising a lens with the geometrical ratio equal to d f / d s . after the multi lens array , a collimated beam consisting of 200 smaller beams is obtained , which can be focused by a lens into a fiber of 100 μm diameter with a numerical aperture of 0 . 22 . fig7 shows a semiconductor laser module 40 according to a further preferred embodiment of the invention . semiconductor laser module 40 comprises tapered amplifier diode 42 and beam shaping optics in the form of a plano - convex spherical cylindrical lens 44 arranged directly in front of the output facet 46 of the tapered laser diode 42 . the tapered gain region 48 amplifies a seed beam 50 input at input facet 52 of the tapered amplifier diode 42 . the plano - convex spherical cylindrical lens 44 is configured and positioned so as to match the fast axis divergence θ f with θ s · m f 2 / m s 2 at the position where d f / d s = m f 2 / m s 2 , in accordance with what has been explained with respect to fig1 to 3 . while specific embodiments have been described in detail , those with skill in the art will appreciate that various modifications and alternatives to those details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure . accordingly , the particular arrangements disclosed are meant to be illustrative only and not limiting as to the scope of the invention , which is to be given the full breadth of the appended claims and any and all equivalents thereof . | 6 |
fig1 is a schematic sectional view of a compound - semiconductor single - crystal - manufacturing apparatus embodying this invention . reference numeral 10 represents a high pressure vessel made of , for example , stainless steel . received in this vessel 10 are a crucible 20 , crucible holder 30 , heat element 50 and heat - shielding unit 60 . the crucible 20 is a blind cylindrical member prepared from pbn . the crucible 20 contains the source of a molten raw material 81 such as metal ga and as , and the source of a liquid capsule layer 82 such as b 2 o 3 . a seed crystal 83 suspended from the lower end of a crystal pullup shaft 70 penetrating the upper wall of the vessel 10 is brought into contact with the molten raw material 81 . a gaas single crystal 84 is progressively manufactured while being pulled up by the pullup shaft 70 . the crucible 20 is supported by the crucible holder 30 . the crucible holder 30 is constructed by assembling together a cylinder 31 , bottom plate 32 and pedestal 33 . the cylinder 31 is closely attached to the crucible 20 so as to surround its outer peripheral wall . the bottom plate 32 is closely attached to the crucible 20 in contact with its base . the pedestal 33 supports the bottom plate 32 . according to this invention , the cylinder 31 , bottom plate 32 and pedestal 33 jointly constituting the crucible 30 are prepared from a sintered molded element of aluminum nitride ( aln ) instead of carbon , which is used in the conventional compound - semiconductor single - crystal - manufacturing apparatus ( herein - after simply referred to as the conventional apparatus ). a mixture of aln powder and y 2 o 3 used as a binder is sintered at a temperature of 1800 ° c . to provide the cylinder 31 , bottom plate 32 and pedestal 33 . the content of y 2 o 3 is defined to be 0 . 1 to 3 % by weight . the reason why the content of y 2 o 3 is defined within the above range is that if said content is too small , the sintered mass will be reduced in breaking strength , whereas an excess y 2 o . sub . 3 content increases the dislocation density , as shown in fig2 . the pedestal 33 of the crucible holder 30 is fitted with a rotary shaft 40 penetrating the bottom plate of the vessel 10 . the crucible 20 is turned around by rotating the rotary shaft 40 by a rotation mechanism ( not shown ). the cylindrical heat element 50 is spatially set around the outer peripheral wall of the crucible 20 . the heat element 50 melts the raw material and capsule material held in the crucible 20 , thereby providing the molten raw material 81 and overlying liquid capsule layer 82 . the heat - shielding unit 60 is set around the heat element 50 . this heat - shielding unit 60 is formed of a side ring 61 , top plate 62 and bottom plate 63 . the side ring 61 is made into a cylindrical form having a larger diameter and greater height than the heat element 50 . the side ring 61 is concentrically set around the heat element 50 . the top plate 62 is formed into a disc whose center is provided with a hole allowing for the insertion of the crucible 20 , and is positioned above the side ring 61 . the bottom plate 63 has the same shape as the top plate 62 and is set below the side ring 61 . the heat - shielding unit 60 consisting of the side ring 61 , top plate 62 and bottom plate 63 is prepared from an aln sintered element like the crucible holder 30 . a description may now be made of the process of manufacturing a gaas single crystal by the above - mentioned apparatus embodying this invention . a raw material of gaas and b 2 o 3 capsule material were first placed in the crucible 20 . the crucible 20 was set in the pressure vessel 10 prepared from , for example , stainless steel as shown in fig1 . then , argon gas was taken into the vessel 10 to pressurize its interior . the crucible 20 was heated by the heat element 50 to melt the raw material and capsule element held in the crucible 20 in such a manner that the liquid capsule layer 82 was spread over the molten raw material 81 . after the melting of the raw material 81 of gaas , its temperature was adjusted to a level suitable to provide a single crystal 84 . the seed crystal 83 was brought into contact with the molten raw material of gaas through the liquid capsule layer 82 . after the seed crystal 83 and molten raw material 81 were fully wetted together , the subject crystal was manufactured by being pulled up under the following conditions : the above - mentioned experiment showed that it was possible to ensure the heating efficiency of the heat element 50 and the proper temperature distribution within the crucible , thereby enabling the stable manufacture of a compound - semiconductor single crystal . fig3 a shows a temperature distribution observed when the crucible holder 30 and heat - shielding unit 60 were prepared from carbon as in the case of the conventional apparatus : fig3 b indicates a temperature distribution observed in the apparatus of this invention : as seen from fig3 b , the apparatus of the present invention ensured a very satisfactory temperature gradient . with the conventional apparatus , it was rare that a single crystal was continuously pulled up . namely , the conventional apparatus had the drawback that when the raw material - pullup steps were taken 5 times at most , a polycrystal or twin was prominently produced , making it necessary to restore proper heating conditions , for example , by the adjustment of the crucible position or the exchange of deteriorated parts . in contrast , the present apparatus enabled the single crystal pullup step to be taken continuously for more than 10 times without the readjustment of the aforementioned heating conditions . a single crystal manufactured by the conventional apparatus was contaminated by the inclusion of carbon particles having a number of 1 × 10 16 [ cm - 3 ]. in the compound - semiconductor single crystal manufactured by the present apparatus , however , the number of included carbon particles was decreased by ten times to 1 × 10 15 [ cm - 3 ]. with the conventional apparatus , a heat element and other parts generally having a short life were exchanged for fresh ones when the pullup was taken about 7 times . with the present apparatus , however , the heat element and other parts did not indicate a noticeable quality deterioration even when they were applied 15 times . by way of comparison , experiments were made by applying a heat - shielding unit and crucible holder prepared from sic , si 3 n 4 or bn . however , any of these materials failed to ensure the satisfactory heating efficiency , the proper temperature distribution within the crucible and the extension of the effective life of the subject compound - semiconductor single crystal as can be attained by the aln material . si 3 n 4 and bn in particular have to be sintered with the inclusion of a binder having an amount several times larger than that which is used in the sintering of the aln element . therefore , the application of a heat - shielding unit and crucible holder prepared from the sintered si 3 n 4 or bn element is more likely to give rise to the binder contamination of the molten raw material . it will be noted that this invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiment . namely , if either crucible holder or heat - shielding unit is anticipated to contaminate the molten raw material , it is advised to prepare the crucible holder or heat shielding unit from aluminum nitride . when the aluminum nitride element is sintered , it is advised to mix the aluminum nitride element with not only a binder such as y 2 o 3 but also various additives , thereby ensuring the desired property of the aforementioned crucible holder or heat - shielding unit . further , the same effect as the sintered aluminum nitride element can be attained by coating the surface of a molded aluminum oxide element with a layer of aluminum nitride . obviously , this invention is applicable to manufacture not only a single crystal of gaas but also that of inp or gap , a semiconductor element belonging to groups iii to v . further , the invention is applicable with various modifications without departing from the scope and object of the invention . | 8 |
in a typical design according to the present invention , an emitter follower configuration of a transistor establishes a bias for the rf power transistor , as shown in fig3 a . in this circuit , noise becomes a significant factor . however , by properly adjusting the value of the buffering resistor between the emitter follower and the diode , it is possible to reduce the noise contributions , as shown in fig5 . as the value of this resistor increases , the linearity performance degrades , and there is also a detrimental effect on the temperature performance characteristics of the bias circuit . therefore , an optimum value of the resistor is selected based on the desired noise , linearity and temperature performance . table 1 shows two devices that have been built and also compared using computerized simulation at 28 dbm , 836 mhz . the measured noise floor was very close to the simulated value . according to one embodiment of the present invention , a linear power amplifier is provided for cellular and pcs is95 applications using algaas technology and providing 28 dbm of linear power with 28 db gain ( cellular ) and 25 db gain ( pcs ) with a supply voltage above 3 . 2v ( usually 3 . 2 - 4 . 2v , for example as provided over the discharge life of a lithium ion battery ). this linear power amplifier is provided , for example , as a module having hybrid 50 ohm terminal devices with lga ( land grid array ) connection , with a form factor of 6 × 6 × 1 . 7 mm 3 . ltcc ( low temperature co - fired ceramic ) or laminates are used with 0402 smds ( surface mount devices ). the gaas die size is 1 . 25 × 1 . 25 mm 2 . fig1 and 2 show the radio frequency performance measured on such a device . fig4 shows a power amplifier according to the present invention having two sequential active stages , with the devices matched on the module and on the die . this embodiment of the power amplifier incorporates a second harmonic trap , which has been found to provide advantageous adjacent channel power ratio ( acpr ) performance . according to one aspect of the invention , this second harmonic trap employs a parasitic inductance of the capacitor to define a substantive parameter of circuit operation . this arrangement provides two advantages ; first , it reduces the required inductance of the principal inductor , allowing a reduction in size , which facilitates incorporation of the trap within the power amplifier module , and potentially allows integration of the power amplifier within an integrated circuit . second , the second harmonic trap improves the acpr of the system . likewise , attention to optimizing the bias circuit also assures acceptable linearity . fig3 a , 3 b , and 3 c show typical bias circuits according to the present invention . they provide an optimum compromise between linearity performance , temperature compensation and noise . these bias circuits also accommodate several operating modes for high and low power operation . multiple performance modes are preferred for efficient operation over a wide range of power levels . typically , for cdma systems , the dynamic range is on the order of 60 db . thus , by distinguishing low power and high power modes , each can be separately optimized , each with respectively less compromise than in a single - mode design . in designing the power amplifier circuit , several key factors dictate design parameters . for example , both vbe and hfe vary with temperature , requiring compensation by the bias circuit of both gain and operating point variations with temperature . in addition , due to the bandgap of the gaas semiconductor , it is only possible to stack two forward biased transistors ( vbe ) with a 3 . 2v supply . thus , the complexity of the bias circuit is generally limited by this architectural constraint , and thus the design must be implemented using relatively simple circuit topologies . it has been found that , according to the present invention , the resistor between the emitter follower and the diode , as shown in fig3 a , is important to achieving a balanced performance at all temperatures . typical embodiments of the invention provide an additional current mirror that feeds back a current to the base of the emitter follower circuit , to have a better performance over a range of temperature behavior ; without it would be difficult to meet all requirements at the same time . in the first stage of the bias circuit shown in fig3 a , the emitter follower transistor that is driving the current to the rf transistor generates noise . by properly adjusting the value of the buffering resistor between the emitter follower and the diode , it is possible to reduce the noise contributions , as shown in fig5 . however , increasing this resistor too much is detrimental to the linearity performance , and also has an effect on the temperature characteristics of the bias circuit . thus , the impedance is preferably optimized to balance noise and linearity , while meeting operating specifications over the required temperature range . fig3 a - 3c show embodiments of a bias circuit for a radio frequency linear power amplifier , biasing output bipolar transistor 1 . the circuit has an input 2 for selecting one of a pair of independent operating modes which differ in quiescent current of the bipolar transistor 1 . in fig3 a , transistors 36 and 37 serve as thermal sensors . as the currents through 36 and 37 are proportional to the current through transistor 1 , the bias current is adjusted with temperature through the modification of the current driving the base of the emitter follower 18 . in fig3 b and 3c , no current mirror is provided and the values of resistors 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 leading to the base of transistors 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 along with the emitter resistors 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 establish temperature compensation and quiescent current values . transistor 38 provides breakdown voltage protection for the output bipolar transistor 1 , as well as assuring that the impedance presented by the biasing circuit 4 remains low at baseband frequencies ( thus assuring linearity ). the bias circuit 4 maintains linear performance in each of the available modes of operation over a range of temperatures . fig4 shows a collector biasing circuit for output bipolar transistors of a linear power amplifier . in this case , the amplifier is a two stage design , and each output transistor has a corresponding base bias circuit . a second harmonic trap 6 is provided for the second stage output transistor 1 ′, for attenuating second harmonics of an input signal . capacitor 7 and inductor 12 act as a trap circuit operating at the fundamental frequency , while the capacitor 7 , with its internal inductance and other circuit inductances , for example the inductance of bypass capacitor 13 , and the contributing inductance 14 of the bond wire , acts as a second harmonic trap 6 . it is less critical to provide a second harmonic trap for the first stage of the amplifier employing transistor 1 , although this may be provided . inductor 11 and capacitor 15 act as an interstage matching circuit between the two stages . all of the other shown elements are part of the matching circuit at the fundamental frequency , with the exception of capacitor 16 and inductor 17 , which form an optional alternate second or higher harmonic trap circuit . the transistors 36 , 37 form a current mirror which provides a stable current with changes in temperature to the collector or output bipolar transistor 1 . transistors 18 , 19 are each configured as high gain emitter followers , which amplify the current and provide a low impedance presented by the bias circuit to output transistor 1 , through base bias resistor 10 . as shown in the histogram of fig6 in a cdma system , the power generated by the power amplifier is low most of the time , with the power level mode centered around 0 ˜ 5 dbm . therefore , in order to achieve high average efficiency over time , the icq for normal operation must be kept low . according to the present invention , the bias circuit of the power amplifier is provided with several operating modes , allowing a low average icq to be maintained at lower power levels while still meeting acpr . another method that can be used to reduce dissipation at lower power levels is to use a dc / dc down converter , which adjusts vcc as a function of power level . as can be seen in fig6 the dissipation at lower power levels is significantly lower when using a dc / dc converter , compared to operating at a constant battery voltage ( 3 . 2v in the provided measurements ). the resulting reduction in average power dissipated can significantly improve the handset talk time , as shown in table 2 . in table 2 , a power amplifier , optimized and tested for a higher 30 dbm power level is employed . the battery life increase is hypothetical and was computed for a handset dissipating 1 w without the power amplifier . it is noted that the current cellular communications networks are transitioning to higher bandwidth capacity . for example , 1xrtt is the first phase of cdma2000 ( 2 . 5 g in the us ). it is a cdma system using the same spreading rate as is95 , and therefore provides compatibility with existing systems while affording some of the advantages of the newer standards . the power amplifier according to the present invention is applicable to such newer systems and standards as well , since linearity and power efficiency are concerns in these systems as well . one of the consequences of 1xrtt is that the power amplifier will not be punctured as in is95 , to allow for data transmission as well as voice . therefore , the importance of reducing icq will be greatly increased to achieve a good battery lifetime . another consequence comes from the use of hybrid phase shift keying ( hpsk ), which has a higher peak to average ratio under some conditions . for a dedicated - only channel , the peak to average ratio is 5 . 4 db (@ 99 %) against 3 . 8 db for is95 . the higher peak to average ratio makes it more difficult to meet higher efficiencies and the required acpr at the same time , and therefore highlights another advantage of the present design . those two consequences will require power amplifiers to use more advanced features to improve acpr , efficiency , such as the improved control over icq , as are provided in the present design . fig7 and 8 show the respective performance of a power amplifier according to the present invention under is95 and 1xrtt ( dedicated - only ) signals . as was expected , the 1xrtt acpr performance is met 2 db below the is95 power rating , reflecting the higher peak to average ratio . most gaas manufacturers are moving , or have moved , from building algaas devices to ingap devices . the anticipated next step beyond ingap is inp , when cost effective , it will provide higher thermal performance , allowing higher reliability , current density , and smaller die size , while also providing a lower vbe . principal reasons for moving from algaas to ingap are increased gain , increased reliability and holding hfe constant with temperature . holding hfe constant with temperature is beneficial for obvious reasons : it allows a better icq bias control . however it has an even more important desired effect : the rcesat of algaas is highly dependent on temperature . this is due to the dependence of rcesat on hfe , as , at a given vbe , both vcesat and icesat would increase when hfe is decreasing . if hfe drops with temperature , or is naturally low , the saturation of the amplifier occurs sooner , reducing p1 db . this is seen with typical algaas circuits at high temperatures ; holding icq to a constant level leads to a decrease in acpr and efficiency due to lower p1 db . fig9 shows in effect how differently vcesat behaves with temperature in algaas and ingap . those curves were derived from models from two manufacturers of gaas devices . looking at fig1 and 11 , the consequences of the use of algaas on p1 db and acpr are obvious , eating into the minimum icq required for performance . the curves were derived from simulation of a 28 dbm is95 power amplifier , using 5 , 800 square μm of total output emitter area . the output stage icq is held close to 75 ma . the lower overall vcesat in ingap allows a higher power capability for the same load line . ingap therefore allows the reduction of icq while still meeting all specifications , at higher temperatures , and therefore would be helpful in meeting ever - increasing device talk time requirements . the circuits that are commonly used to bias transistors for linear operation , see fig3 a - 3c , all have the drawback that they are sensitive to hfe and vref ( vbb ) variations from wafer to wafer , as well as temperature variations of vbe and hfe at different locations within the device . gaas is not as good thermal conductor as silicon and the bias circuits that are adequate for silicon are not as easy to implement successfully in gaas . with both algaas and ingap circuits , it is still impossible to stack up more than two vbe , since the characteristic voltage drop is ˜ 1 . 3v . inp technology is advantageous in this regard , since the characteristic vbe voltage drop is lower . according to an aspect of the present invention , a bias circuit is provided with current reading using a current mirror , used in a feedback control circuit similar to that found in an operational amplifier circuit . those circuits may be implemented directly in the gaas circuitry , or in the case of a module implementation , in a mixed technology device . in the case of algaas , since hfe varies with temperature , and the relative temperatures of the diode and the rf transistor are different , it is relatively more difficult to implement this circuitry than with ingap . 2 . 5 g systems are putting increased performance expectations on power amplifiers for noise , icq , acpr and efficiency over power level and temperature . based on the analysis of rcesat , ingap is a preferred technology for 2 . 5 g handset power amplifiers . improved biasing topologies such as that provided according to the present invention , will help meet those new requirements . it is therefore apparent that the power amplifier according to the present invention may be advantageously implemented using various semiconductor technologies , and is not fundamentally limited to gaas . in addition to group iii - v semiconductors , strained lattice semiconductors , such as silicon germanium ( sige ) may be employed . use of sige is advantageous because it has a lower vbe , and may be used in more complex processes , thus facilitating more complex bias circuitry . however sige also has a much lower bvce0 than gaas , for example , making the diode more important . further , an emitter ballast resistor may need to be used instead of or in addition to a base ballast resistor . the circuit presented in fig1 demonstrates improvements over an earlier design ( e . jarvinen , s . kalajo , m . matilainen , “ bias circuits for gaas hbt power amplifiers ”, 2001 ieee mtt - s ), and provides independence of the bias current with hfe and vbb . in addition , it provides two modes of operation for high and low power level and still full temperature compensation . it provides an additional diode to further improve the acpr performance at all power levels by lowering the base band impedance presented to the rf device by the bias circuit . this diode will also provide increased stability of the bias circuit by lowering the loop gain . it also provides for an increase in the reliability and linearity of the device under higher vswr operation , by the increase of the operating bv ( breakdown voltage ). with a diode the device is allowed to operate under bvcer , or better still , bvces condition , rather than bvce0 . this , in turn , reduces the possibility of high vswr distortion and / or device failure that is sometimes caused by the incursion of modulated peak voltages into the breakdown region . typically , a breakdown voltage under twice the maximum battery supply ( often 4 . 2v , therefore about 8 . 4v ) would create added non - linearity by clipping the signal at a level below device saturation . this condition is usually met in gaas without any extra circuitry . operating breakdown voltage should be higher still for protection under higher vswr . for an ingap - gaas technology , with bvce0 = 12v and bvces = 21v , the protection can be extended from about 3 . 5 : 1 up to about 16 : 1 vswr . another improvement over prior art systems is that the present invention provides a method for discretely changing the quiescent current for multiple operating modes . this is achieved by the addition of one or more switching transistors which , when enabled in saturation , connects a resistor to the sensing side of the differential pair , thus modifying in proportion the current through the sense transistor and the quiescent current of the rf operating device , to a lower stabilized level , suitable for a less dissipative lower power operation . this method is preferred over a known analog adjustment technique ; it employs a discrete ( logic ) current adjustment , compatible with most cdma phones currently marketed . as shown in fig1 , a bias circuit 5 includes a differential transistor pair 8 , which has a negative feedback control loop including gain elements 20 , 21 . at the positive input of differential transistor pair 8 , element 31 reads the current flowing through transistor 1 , as it is a current mirror . the resistor at the collector of transistor 31 converts the current into a voltage reading . the output of differential transistor pair 8 drives the emitter follower 20 , supplying current to the base of the mirror defined by transistor 31 and transistor 1 . transistor 32 provides breakdown voltage protection for the output bipolar transistor 1 , as well as assuring that the impedance presented by the biasing circuit 5 remains low at baseband frequencies ( thus assuring linearity ). due to the high gain negative feedback control , combined with the sensing transistor 31 , the bias circuit 5 maintains precise control over bias current with temperature , improved over the approximation provided by the bias circuit 4 of fig3 a . operating quiescent current on device 1 is controlled by mode control signals 2 a , 2 b switching the corresponding transistor . a greater number of mode control inputs can be provided for additional current modes . in the presented configuration , because there are two mode inputs 2 a , 2 b , the circuit can provide 4 separate modes of operation . fig1 shows an improved version of the bias circuit according to fig1 , having capacitors 41 , 42 , 43 , added respectively , about transistors 20 , 31 and 55 . as shown in fig1 , the capacitors reduce noise by a factor of 10 db . the position of the capacitors is chosen to provide maximum performance where the noise would otherwise be amplified or generated . the positioning of the capacitors 41 , 42 , 43 also increases the phase margin of the bias circuit and significantly reduces the bandwidth of the bias circuit , therefore increasing the overall stability of the bias circuit . in the example provided , the capacitors increased the phase margin from about 20 to 60 degrees , while the circuit bandwidth was limited to 80 mhz ( from about 800 mhz without capacitors ). this limited bandwidth is quite sufficient for wide band modulation systems such as wcdma , and adequate for limiting the noise in the receive band . the improvements in bias circuits discussed above are useful , but may not be sufficient to meet all future requirements of the 2 . 5 g and 3 g communication standards . icq and efficiency , for example , may need further improvements to meet phone maker requirements . some examples of further techniques which may be employed to improve performance to meet these needs include : gain switching , power amplifier bypass ( i . e ., for very low power output modes , avoiding the use of the power amplifier altogether ), providing a second vmode for lower icq ( i . e ., providing more than two power amplifier modes ), adaptive bias ( allowing the amplifier bias circuit to determine the output requirements and provide a power amplifier bias accordingly , for example with a proportional control over operating status ), and coupling the power amplifier with a dc / dc converter to reduce the vcc voltage presented to the power amplifier . thus , each of these improvements taken alone , in various subcombinations , or together , provides significant opportunity for improvements in power amplifier function . the invention obviously applies to other network systems than those illustrated in the figures and is not restricted to the embodiments that have just been described and represented . other variants of the invention will be clear to a person of ordinary skill in the art , more particularly , by substitution of equivalent technical means , and these variants do not go beyond the scope of the invention . | 7 |
in its preferred embodiment , the outside mount glass door mount framing piece ( 11 ) is an essentially t shaped , elongated member composed of extruded polyvinyl foam . as illustrated in fig1 there are three integrally connected portions of framing piece ( 11 ). the first portion is a mounting portion ( 20 ) which is placed against the window panel of the door so that it overlaps the glass mounting bead . the second portion is a bead covering portion ( 30 ) which is integrally connected to mounting portion ( 20 ) and extends from mounting portion ( 20 ) to cover the glass mounting bead . the third portion is a light stop portion ( 40 ) which is integrally connected to mounting portion ( 20 ) and extends from mounting portion ( 20 ) to block light passing between framing piece ( 11 ) and the shutter panel . mounting portion ( 20 ) has essentially three sides including a rear mounting surface ( 21 ), a shutter mounting surface ( 22 ), and a front mounting surface ( 23 ). rear mounting surface ( 21 ) is an essentially planar surface positioned parallel to the door . shutter mounting surface ( 22 ) is an essentially planar surface , normal and proximate to rear mounting surface ( 21 ). shutter panels will be attached to shutter mounting surface ( 22 ) in an abutting relationship with hinges and the hinged mount will create a vertical margin through which light may pass . front mounting surface ( 23 ) is the remaining surface of the essentially l shaped mounting portion ( 22 ). front mounting surface ( 23 ) is made up of a series of interconnected curvilinear shapes which provide an aesthetic facade for framing piece ( 11 ). light - stop portion ( 40 ) has a least two exterior surfaces and one interior surface . the interior light - stop surface ( 43 ) is integrally connected to shutter mounting surface ( 22 ) proximate to the rear mounting surface ( 21 ). the light - stop surface ( 41 ) is normal to shutter mounting surface ( 22 ) and positioned a predetermined distance from the front edge of shutter mounting surface ( 22 ). the visible surface ( 42 ) extends proximate to the light - stop surface ( 41 ) and essentially parallel to the shutter mounting surface ( 22 ). in its various embodiments visible surface ( 42 ) can be any shape or configuration extending between light - stop surface ( 41 ) and rear mounting surface ( 21 ). in the preferred embodiment visible surface ( 42 ) is generally planar and parallel to the shutter mounting surface and a rear light - stop surface ( 44 ) extends between rear mounting surface ( 21 ) and visible surface ( 42 ). light - stop surface ( 41 ) will be partially visible at all times between the shutter mounting surface and the hingedly attached shutter panels . light - stop surface ( 41 ) blocks light that would otherwise pass through the vertical margin between the hingedly connected shutter mounting frame ( 22 ) and shutter panels . bead covering portion ( 30 ) is integrally connected to mounting portion ( 20 ) proximate to front mounting surface ( 23 ). bead covering portion ( 30 ) extends normal to the rear mounting surface ( 21 ) proximate to front mounting surface ( 23 ). bead covering portion ( 30 ) has three exterior surfaces and one interior surface . the interior bead cover surface ( 31 ) is integrally connected to rear mounting surface ( 21 ) proximate to front mounting surface ( 23 ). the visible bead cover surface ( 32 ) appears as an continuation of the front mounting surface ( 23 ) and is positioned essentially normal to the door . the rear bead cover surface ( 33 ) is parallel to rear mounting surface ( 21 ) and contacts the door adjacent to the glass mounting bead . the hidden bead cover surface ( 34 ) is normal to rear mounting surface ( 21 ) and the rear bead cover surface ( 33 ). bead covering portion ( 30 ) forms an extension on the framing piece ( 11 ) that covers the glass mounting bead and positions mounting portion ( 20 ) so that the mounting devices pass through front mounting surface ( 23 ), rear mounting surface ( 21 ) and into the glass mounting bead in order to secure framing piece ( 11 ) to the door with glass inserts . fig2 illustrates framing piece ( 11 ) in a dimensional view . the first portion of framing piece ( 11 ) is mounting portion ( 20 ) which includes rear mounting surface ( 21 ) and shutter mounting surface ( 22 ) and front mounting surface ( 23 ). the second portion is light - stop portion ( 40 ) including light - stop surface ( 41 ), rear light - stop surface ( 44 ), visible surface ( 42 ), and interior light stop surface ( 43 ). light - stop portion ( 40 ) blocks the light passing through the vertical margin between the hingedly attached shutter mounting surface ( 22 ) and the shutter panel . the third portion is bead covering portion ( 30 ) which covers the glass mounting bead on the door with the glass insert . bead covering portion ( 30 ) includes interior bead cover surface ( 31 ), visible bead cover surface ( 32 ), rear bead cover surface ( 33 ), and hidden bead cover surface ( 34 ). fig3 shows a dimensional view of framing piece ( 11 ) in contact with a door ( 13 ) having a glass insert ( 14 ). the glass is secured in door ( 13 ) by a glass mounting bead ( 15 ) which surrounds the glass panel . framing piece ( 11 ) is mounted on door ( 13 ) by screws , nails or other attachment means which pass through front mounting surface ( 23 ) and rear mounting surface ( 21 ), into glass mounting bead ( 15 ). fig4 is a dimensional cross - section view of framing piece ( 11 ) which illustrates optional pre - drilled mounting holes ( 16 ) in mounting portion ( 20 ). pre - drilled mounting holes ( 16 ) are a convenience , but are not necessary for installation . unlike wood , the extruded polyvinyl foam will not split when nails or screws are inserted for mounting purposes . in the preferred embodiment , the frame is mounted with nails inserted by an impulse nail gun . while this invention has been described in connection with particular examples thereof , it is to be understood that other modifications will become apparent to the skilled practitioner upon a study of the drawings , specification and following claims , and such changes or modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope as defined in the following claims . | 4 |
referring more specifically to the drawings , for illustrative purposes the present invention will be described in relation to fig1 through fig1 . it will be appreciated that the system and apparatus of the invention may vary as to configuration and as to details of the constituent components , and that the method may vary as to the specific steps and sequence , without departing from the basic concepts as disclosed herein . the context in which this invention is described is one or more applications being installed , running and accessing local and remote resources . without affecting the general case of multiple applications , the following scenarios often depict and describe one or two applications as applicable . multiple applications are handled in a similar manner . fig1 illustrates by way of example embodiment 10 the overall structure of the present invention . the following brief overview illustrates the high - level relationship between the various components ; further details on the inner workings and interdependencies are provided in the following sections . fig1 . illustrates by way of example embodiment 10 two applications a 22 and b 26 loaded in memory 14 on a node 12 . the interception layers 16 , 17 , are interposed between the applications 22 , 26 and the system libraries 18 and operating system 20 . the interception database 28 provides system - wide persistent interception information and configuration information for the isolated environments . the interception layers 16 , 17 combined with the interception database 28 provides application isolation 24 . system resources , such as cpus 36 , i / o devices 34 , network interfaces 32 and storage 30 are accessed using the operating system . devices accessing remote resources use some form of transport network 38 . by way of example , system networking 32 may use tcp / ip over ethernet transport , storage 32 may use fibre channel or ethernet transport , and i / o may use usb . the present invention access and arbitrate resources through the operating system and does not work at the transport level . fig2 illustrates by way of example embodiment 40 installation of a typical application “ appxyz ” 42 . the interception layer ( il ) 50 intercepts all calls to system libraries and the operating system . il 50 communicates with the interception database ( idb ) 58 to create a private and isolated environment where the application can execute without depending on or affecting other parts of the environment . by way of example , and not limitation , first the installation process requests a resource 44 , such as opening a file . the resource request is intercepted by il 50 and a request to create 54 a private instance of the resource is made to the interception database ( idb ) 58 . the idb 58 is a system wide database containing mappings 60 , 62 , 64 between the resources as the application 42 requests them 60 , and their private values inside the isolated environment 62 , subject to global exceptions 64 . further details on the idb are given in section 4 below . by way of example , and not limitation , if the resource request 44 was to create a file in c :\ program files \ appdir , the idb may map that to a private location 62 , such as d :\ private \ appxyz \ c \ program files \ appdir . so while appxyz 42 operates under the assumption that it &# 39 ; s working on c :\ program files \ appdir , in reality all access has been intercepted and re - directed to a private and isolated environment in d :\ private \ appxyz \ c \ program files \ appdir . the idb 58 returns 54 the private resource to il 50 , which returns the resource handle 46 to the application 42 . as the application 42 uses the resource 46 it operates under the assumption that the original resource request was satisfied , and is unaware that all resources have been relocated to a private and isolated environment . when use of the resource is terminated 48 , the il 50 sends a message to the idb 58 that the resource currently is inactive 56 . all mappings are maintained in the idb 58 after the installation finishes as they may be needed after the initial request . fig2 also illustrates , by way of example embodiment 40 , how an application 42 runs after being installed . as resources are opened , used , and freed , the same steps as described above are used . as the application 42 executes , it generally access or create resources not used during installation . by way of example , if appxyz 42 is a word processor , the user may create a document and save it to storage . that document did not exist as part of the installation process , but is handled using the same mechanisms previously taught . as the user choose to create a new document , appxyz 42 makes a request 44 to have the file created . this is intercepted by the il 50 and forwarded 52 to the idb 58 . the idb creates a mapping between the applications 42 s public document name 60 , and the private and isolated document name 62 . as with application 42 information stored in the idb 58 , so is the application data information stored persistently until un - installation . at times it may be desirable to store some user - data outside the isolated environment , such as on a central file server . in a preferred embodiment , this is supported by specifying which resource locations should remain fixed and public in the global exceptions 64 . such public resources are not translated into the isolated environment . fig3 illustrates by way of example embodiment 80 , un - installation of a typical application appxyz 82 . the un - installation uses and requests resources 84 , which are intercepted by the il 86 and redirected 88 by the idb 90 , as described above . all actions , such as deletion of files , are re - directed to the private and isolated location . when the un - install terminates , sometimes called exit ( ) the exit is intercepted 92 by the il 86 , and forwarded 94 to the idb 90 . the idb 90 removes all entries mapping 100 application appxyz 82 resources 96 against its isolated environment 98 . the application is now uninstalled , and all isolation information has been removed . the interception database ( idb ) is a system wide database containing mappings between the resources as the application requests them , and their private values inside the isolated environment . fig4 illustrates , by way of example embodiment 120 , the interception database ( idb ) 122 , and its various components . the ibd 122 contains two main components , a rules engine 130 and the core resource mappings 132 . the rules engine 130 contains the main high - level configuration information 124 as provided by an administrator 126 . the rules engine 130 and its configuration information 124 includes , but is not limited to , information designating the base directory for installing the isolated environment , specific exceptions 138 to the resource mappings and the general mechanism used to create the mappings . the administrator 126 defines exceptions 138 as needed . the global exceptions contain all resources that should not be remapped to the isolated environments . examples include , but are not limited to , shared storage , shared devices , network resources , and system - wide resources . the resource mapping 132 maintains mapping between public resources 134 and the corresponding private and isolated resources 136 . the resource mapping 132 also consults the global exceptions 138 prior to translating any public to private or private to public resource requests . resources take many forms including but not limited to files , fonts , shared libraries , shared devices , and storage . on microsoft windows the registry is an important component and contains system wide configuration information used by most applications . some resources , such as data files , tend to be local to the individual applications , while e . g . fonts tend to be shared between multiple applications . access to files are handled by the il ( fig2 - 50 ) intercepting all file operations between the application and the system libraries and operating systems . examples include , but are not limited to open ( ) fopen ( ) write ( ) read ( ) close ( ) seek ( ) remove ( ) and the windows equivalents . generally these functions either contain a public file name as part of the arguments , or a file handle to an already established file . the files names are remapped as described above , to an isolated environment , and any further reference to the handle is automatically re - directed to the isolated environment . file operations that return information , are translate back to the public values . by way of example , and not limitation , if the applications ask for “ current directory ”, the public name , as the application expects is returned , and not the private name within the isolated environment . by way of further example , if the current directory is located on shared storage included the global exceptions 138 , the directory is returned un - translated , as it &# 39 ; s subject to the exception handling . file , paths and other resource names can be specified both as absolute values or relative values . by way of example , and not limitation , an absolute path for a document file may be “ c :\ mydocuments \ myfile . doc ”, while a relative reference may be “ . . . \ docs \ myfile . doc ”. absolute references are resolved as previously described by consulting the public resources 134 , private resources 136 and global exceptions 138 . relative addresses are resolved in a multi - step process : first relative names are converted to absolute names and then the absolute name is converted as previously described . this mechanism ensures fully transparent support of both absolute and relative naming of all resources . fonts pose particular problems , as fonts reside both in application - specific directories and global system directories , such as “ c :\ windows \ fonts ” on windows and “/ usr / x11r6 / lib / x11 / fonts /” and “/ usr / share / fonts /” on linux . an application may install font both into one or more global font directories as well as application - specific directories . all shared - fonts directories are included in the global exceptions 138 as they should be accessed directly . if during installation additional fonts are installed , they are installed according to the policy chosen by the administrator 126 . prior to installation , the administrator chooses if application - installed fonts are allowed to be placed in the global fonts directory or if they should be placed in the isolated environment . the rules engine 130 consults this administrative choice and upon receiving a request to enumerate the font directory will include isolated - environment fonts if so configured . if the application installs its fonts into its own file structure , the fonts are treated as normal files and are not subject to the automatic enumeration as the application knows where to look for its application - specific fonts . modern operating systems share components across multiple applications . such shared libraries also pose a special case . on windows dynamic link libraries ( dlls ) and on linux / unix shared objects (. so files ) are examples of such shared components . on window shared libraries primarily reside in c :\ windows and c :\ windows \ system32 , but can sit anywhere . on linux / unix the primary locations are ‘/ usr / lib ’, ‘ usr / x11 / lib ’ and the entire / usr / lib / directory structure . the loader of the operating system traverses the system path to find any requested shared library , but this can be manually or programmatically changed as part of the load process . the path is set using environment variables both on windows and linux . in order to intercept loading of shares libraries the present invention loads the application in stead of using the system loader directly . this enables interception of library loading done by the loader . if during installation additional shared libraries are installed , they are installed according to the policy chosen by the administrator 126 . prior to installation , the administrator chooses if application - installed libraries are allowed to be placed in a global directory or if they should be placed in the private and isolated environment . if the libraries are placed into the private and isolated environment , the load path is adjusted to search the private location . as with files , libraries can be loaded with both absolute and relative addresses . the load process handles the resource mapping as described above . in all cases , the loading must follow the same path and address resolution as the system loader provides . if the application installs its shared libraries into its own file structure , the libraries are treated as normal files and are not subject to an adjusted path or load - order as the application knows where to look for its application - specific libraries . in the preferred embodiment , if the application installs new shared libraries , they are installed into the isolated environment one of the most significant sources of application incompatibilities , and one of the motivators for the present invention , is shared library conflict . by way of example , and not limitation , if a shared library is loaded on the system , and a new application installs an older version of the library , the older version may overwrite the newer version and render other applications non - functional based on having their shared library replaced by an incompatible older version . this is a common problem on both the windows and linux platforms . using the preferred embodiment described above , the application would install the older library into its isolated environment and therefore not affect other applications . the application would load and use the older library without ever being aware that it was provided from the isolated environment , and other applications running on the system would be unaffected by the installation of the older library . microsoft windows uses a special configuration system generally referred to as “ the registry ”. the registry contains configuration , installation and un - installation information for applications on the system . when an application installs on a windows system , it uses the registry to store values such as “ home directory ”, “ recent files ”, etc . the preferred embodiment on windows systems additionally include interception of all registry information , and ensures that installation and runtime information that would normally go into the registry , in stead is stored and maintained in the idb . during installation of a windows application all registry information is thus stored in the idb and not the registry . when an application requests registry information , the information is provided from the idb , and not the registry . this ensures complete application isolation from the registry . the isolated environment contains all application files and shared resources and their respective mappings . these are all preserved persistently on local or remote storage and can be archived , copied and restored as any other set of files . specifically , the isolated environment directory structure can be copied to a different node , and used directly to start the application on that node . so far the interception database has been described as a “ database ”. based on the teachings above , it &# 39 ; s readily apparent to anyone skilled in the art , that the only requirement is that updates to the resource tables 134 , 136 and 138 be atomic at the record level . this functionality can be readily implemented in a variety of ways , including using java &# 39 ; s concurrenthashmap ( ) the windows . net equivalents , or by custom programming the data structures and locking . furthermore , preferably concurrent access to the interception database translations is provided . in an alternate implementation such a custom interception database is used in stead of a full database . fig1 illustrates by way of example embodiment 240 the data and control flow in more detail . by way of example , and not limitation , consider first an environment with the present invention inactive . an application 242 calls a write ( ) 243 operation . the write operation is resolved by the operating system loader and directed 244 to the system libraries 248 and operating system 250 , and ultimately writes data to storage 251 . return value is returned 246 to the caller 243 within the calling application 242 . by way of example , and not limitation , consider an environment with the present invention active . an application 252 calls a write ( ) 253 operation . as described in above , the write ( ) is intercepted 254 by the interception layer 262 . parameters to the write ( ) call are translated by the interception database 264 and the rules for the isolated environment 266 and the file context and parameters of the calling write are adjusted to point to the isolated environment . the write call 268 is then forwarded to the system libraries 258 and operating system 260 as were the case with the present invention inactive . the return value 266 from the write is returned to the il 262 which , using the idb 264 , maps the result back into the original context and returns the value 256 to the caller 253 . the application 252 issuing the write 253 operating is thus unaware that the write is being intercepted and re - directed to the isolated environment . all translation and isolation is performed outside the application 252 , and before the write operation ever reaches the system libraries 258 or operating system 260 . a specific example , using ansi c , further illustrates the mechanics of the il 262 and idb 264 translations . consider an example where a file is opened for writing , a small text is written , and the file is closed using the following code the call to fopen ( ) returns a file pointer , which the fwrite ( ) operation uses to write data to the file . the call to fopen ( ) includes the file name “/ home / user / newfile . txt ” as the first parameter . the interception layer 262 intercepts the call to fopen ( ) and changes the actual filename to the corresponding location in the isolated environment before passing 268 the call on to the system library implementation 258 . the following fwrite ( ) operation is unaware that the file pointer points to the isolated environment and simply writes the data . finally , fclose ( ) is called to close the file . the file pointer still points to the isolated environment and the close proceeds as a close would without the present invention active . at times multiple applications share data , libraries and work in combination . by way of example , and not limitation , microsoft word may include a microsoft excel spreadsheet . in general any number of applications may need to collaborate and share data . so far the approach has been to isolate applications so that , to continue the example , if word and excel were installed separately , they would both be isolated and not able to work together . to enable sharing between pre - designated applications , the applications need to be grouped together in an application group and installed inside the same isolated environment . fig5 illustrates by way of example embodiment 140 , an application group 142 operating within the present invention . the administrator 152 pre - defines the application group 142 and the individual applications within the group : app - 1 143 , app - 2 144 and app - n 146 . the administrator 152 commits the application group to the idb 150 . the idb uses the same mechanisms as described above for individual applications , and structures the isolated environment 154 so that the individual applications share resources and file system . by installing the applications together they automatically use the same isolated environment and sharing is fully automatic without requiring any additional information . the interception layer 148 intercepts , as previously described , and requires no special configuration ; all application group information is contained within the idb 150 and the settings for the isolated environment 154 . fig6 illustrates by way of example embodiment 160 , concurrent operation of three application groups : application group a 162 , application group b 166 and application group c 170 . each application group consists of one or more applications . as previously described each application group has a dedicated interception layer : il 164 for application group a 162 , il 168 for application group b 166 , and il 172 for application group c 170 . each interception layer 164 , 168 , 172 provide the interception services as previously described , with each attached to only one application group . as previously disclosed , the interception database 174 is global , and is shared between all application groups and interception layers . the administrator 176 commits all administrative settings to the idb 174 , which is reflected in the database tables for the isolated environment 178 . at times it may be desirable to run multiple instances of the same application or application group , but in separate isolated environments . referring again to fig6 for illustrative purposes . the administrator 176 defines each instance of the application group using separate application group names . even though application group a 162 , application group b 166 , and application group c 170 are identical , they have been pre - defined with their own environment , and thus run in separate isolated environments without any further intervention or configuration . one of the major problems with application deployment is the actual installation and the associated risks as described previously . using the present invention , a pre - created isolated environment can be used in place of performing an actual installation . the isolated environment contains all application files , shared libraries , and installation data and can be moved , copied and run from anywhere the present invention is present . fig7 illustrates by way of example embodiment 180 , how to deploy an isolated environment without needing more than one initial installation 181 . first the administrator 196 installs 184 the application group 182 . as previously taught the interception database 186 creates an isolated environment 188 which contains all application group data , including shared files , data and programs . as taught above , the isolated environment is written to storage and can be copied and run elsewhere . with the isolated environment ensuring isolation from the underlying operating system and applications , an isolated environment can be deployed on a different node by copying the entire isolated environment directory structure to the new node and starting the application . referring to fig7 , the administrator 196 copies the isolated environment 188 into the first node 190 , the second node 192 and the third node 194 . in an alternate embodiment , the environment 188 is stored on shared storage , and is accessed directly from the shared storage . in this embodiment , the isolated environment is loaded directly from shared storage , and only local data , such as temporary files , are kept locally . in another embodiment , the environment 188 is saved to storage and shipped to a remote site . the remote site loads the environment and runs the applications directly from within the environment without any installations . in this embodiment the present invention may be used for disaster recovery . fig8 illustrates by way of example embodiment 200 , the management infrastructure . the administrator 202 communicates configuration preferences to the interception database 204 for each isolated environment 206 . the idb 204 contains , as described above , two separate modules : 1 ) a rules engine ( fig4 — 130 ) and 2 ) management of the resource mappings ( fig4 — 132 ). the rules engine implements the administrator provided resource translations and populates the tables ( fig4 — 134 , 136 , 138 ). the administrator 202 provides general configuration information applicable to all isolated environments and applications 203 , unless explicitly changed for a particular isolated environment 205 . examples of administrator - provided global configuration information 203 includes , but is not limited to default policy for installing fonts and shared resources into global or isolated environment each setting can be changed , i . e . replaced , on an application by application basis , and on an application - group by application basis . as determined by the administrator , examples of administrator - provided application - level configuration information 205 include , but is not limited to policy for installing fonts and shared resources into global or isolated environment the combination of the global configuration information 203 with the rules engine ( fig4 — 130 ), makes the configuration and deployment on new isolated environment fully automatic after the initial global configuration has been provided . as described , it may be desirable to change one or more of an application &# 39 ; s isolated environment settings . by way of example , and not limitation , if a particular application needs to locally access certain resources only available on a particular server , that one application &# 39 ; s isolated environment would be located on that particular server , while all other environments were centrally stored . the ability to “ mix and match ” environments and deployments ensure full flexibility and ability to deploy multiple applications in a heterogeneous environment with all the benefits of the present invention . in another embodiment the administrative functions 202 is done programmatically using an application programming interface ( api ). fig9 illustrates by way of example embodiment 220 a variety of ways the invention can be configured to operate . in one embodiment , the invention is configured to run from a central file server 222 , in another it is configured to run on a pair of application servers 224 , 226 . in a third embodiment the invention is configured to run on a lan 228 connected pc 232 together with the application servers 224 , 226 , and with environments loaded from the central file server 222 . in a fourth embodiment the invention is configured to isolate applications on a cell phone 230 , which is wirelessly connected 238 to the internet 236 , the application servers 224 , 226 and the file server 222 . a fifth embodiment has an isolated environment on a home - pc 234 connected via the internet 236 to the application servers 224 , 226 and the lan pc 232 . the invention runs on one or more of the devices , can be distributed across two or more of these elements , and allows for running the invention on any number of the devices ( 222 , 224 , 226 , 230 , 232 , 234 ) at the same time in the embodiments described herein , an example programming environment was described for which an embodiment of programming according to the invention was taught . it should be appreciated that the present invention can be implemented by one of ordinary skill in the art using different program organizations and structures , different data structures , and of course any desired naming conventions without departing from the teachings herein . in addition , the invention can be ported , or otherwise configured for , use across a wide - range of operating system environments . although the description above contains many details , these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the exemplary embodiments of this invention . therefore , it will be appreciated that the scope of the present invention fully encompasses other embodiments which may become obvious to those skilled in the art , and that the scope of the present invention is accordingly to be limited by nothing other than the appended claims , in which reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “ one and only one ” unless explicitly so stated , but rather “ one or more .” all structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the above - described preferred embodiment that are known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the present claims . moreover , it is not necessary for a device or method to address each and every problem sought to be solved by the present invention , for it to be encompassed by the present claims . furthermore , no element , component , or method step in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element , component , or method step is explicitly recited in the claims . no claim element herein is to be construed under the provisions of 35 u . s . c . 112 , sixth paragraph , unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “ means for .” | 7 |
as stated above , the present invention relates to a programmable semiconductor fuse with enhanced programming characteristics and methods of manufacturing the same , which are now described in detail with accompanying figures . it is noted that like and corresponding elements are referred to by like reference numerals . referring to fig1 a - 1c , an exemplary semiconductor structure according to the present invention comprises a semiconductor substrate containing shallow trench isolation 20 located in a substrate semiconductor layer 10 , a cathode semiconductor portion 30 , a fuselink semiconductor portion 40 , and an anode semiconductor portion 32 . the fuselink semiconductor portion 40 laterally abuts the cathode semiconductor portion 30 and the anode semiconductor portion 32 . preferably , the cathode semiconductor portion 30 , the fuselink semiconductor portion 40 , and the anode semiconductor portion 32 are formed by depositing and lithographically patterning a layer of semiconductor material . the semiconductor material may be amorphous or polycrystalline . further , the semiconductor material may comprise silicon , germanium , carbon , iii - v semiconductor alloy , ii - vi semiconductor alloy , and / or a combination thereof . each of the cathode semiconductor portion 30 , the fuselink semiconductor portion 40 , and the anode semiconductor portion 32 may , or may not , be doped with dopants to optimize performance of an electrical fuse to be formed . preferably , a dielectric spacer 50 is formed on the periphery of the collective structure of the cathode semiconductor portion 30 , the fuselink semiconductor portion 40 , and the anode semiconductor portion 32 . a metal layer 60 is deposited directly on at least the entirety of the top surface of at least the fuselink semiconductor portion 40 . preferably , the metal layer 60 is deposited on the entire top surface of the exemplary semiconductor structure . optionally , portions of the metal layer 60 may removed by a combination of lithographic methods and reactive ion etching outside the area of the fuselink semiconductor portion 40 . the metal layer 60 comprises a metal capable of forming a metal semiconductor alloy when reacted with the semiconductor material of the cathode semiconductor portion 30 , the fuselink semiconductor portion 40 , and the anode semiconductor portion 32 . for example , the cathode semiconductor portion 30 , the fuselink semiconductor portion 40 , and the anode semiconductor portion 32 may comprise silicon and the metal layer 60 may comprise a metal or a metal alloy that may form a silicide . for example , the metal or the metal alloy may comprise elements such as ta , ti , co , w , ni , pt , os , ir , mo , and / or other transition metals and refractory metals . the thickness of the metal layer 60 may be from about 4 nm to about 40 nm , and typically from about 8 nm to about 15 nm . the metal layer 60 may be deposited , for example , by physical vapor deposition ( pvd ). a photoresist 71 is applied over the top surfaces of the metal layer 60 and lithographically patterned to expose an area of the metal layer 60 located over a middle portion of the fuselink semiconductor portion 40 , while covering areas of the metal layer 60 located over the end portions of the fuselink semiconductor layer 40 . the exposed segment of the metal layer 60 located above the middle portion of the fuselink semiconductor portion 40 is partially etched . the exposed segment of the metal layer 60 is recessed by a recess depth , i . e ., the thickness of the removed portion of the metal layer 60 . the recess depth is from about 20 % to about 80 % of the thickness of the metal layer 60 , and preferably from about 35 % to about 65 % of the thickness of the metal layer 60 . segments of the metal layer 60 over two end portions of the fuselink semiconductor portion 40 are not etched since the photoresist 71 covers the top surfaces of these segments of the metal layer 60 . the fuselink semiconductor portion 40 is subdivided into three sub - portions for the purpose of description of the present invention . the portion of the fuselink semiconductor portion 40 directly underneath the thinned portion of the metal layer 60 constitutes a second semiconductor portion 40 b . the portion of the fuselink semiconductor portion 40 between the cathode semiconductor portion 30 and the second semiconductor portion constitutes a first semiconductor portion 40 a . the portion of the fuselink semiconductor portion 40 between the anode semiconductor portion 32 and the second semiconductor portion constitutes a third semiconductor portion 40 c . the etching of the exposed portion of the metal layer 60 may be performed employing a wet etch or a dry etch . in the case of a metal layer 60 consisting of ni , a first exemplary wet etch solution comprises 5 parts of hno 3 , 5 parts ch 3 cooh , 2 parts h 2 so 4 , and 28 parts of h 2 o , which provides an etch rate of 250 nm / minute at room temperature . a diluted version of this solution may be employed to control the etch rate of the solution as needed . a second exemplary wet etch solution comprises aqua regia , which is a mixture of 5 parts of concentrated ( 37 %) hydrochloric acid , 1 part concentrated ( 70 %) nitric acid , and 4 parts of deionized water . other wet etch chemistry or dry etch processes may be employed . referring to fig3 a and 3b , the first exemplary structure is thereafter annealed at a pre - determined elevated temperature at which the metal layer 60 reacts with the underlying semiconductor material to form various metal semiconductor alloy portions . methods of performing an anneal or multiple anneals are well known in the art . metal semiconductor alloy portions having a first thickness are formed at least on the two end portions of the fuselink semiconductor portion 40 , i . e ., the first semiconductor portion 40 a and the third semiconductor portion 40 c . a fraction of the second semiconductor portion 40 b reacts with the metal layer 60 to form a second metal semiconductor alloy portion 94 b having a second thickness . preferably , metal semiconductor alloys are formed on all top surfaces of the patterned semiconductor layer . a fraction of the cathode semiconductor portion 30 reacts with the metal layer 60 to form a cathode metal semiconductor alloy portion 90 having a first thickness . a fraction of the anode semiconductor portion 32 reacts with the metal layer 60 to form an anode metal semiconductor alloy portion 92 having the first thickness . a fraction of the first semiconductor portion 40 a reacts with the metal layer 60 to form a first metal semiconductor alloy portion 94 a having the first thickness . a fraction of the third semiconductor portion 40 c reacts with the metal layer 60 to form a third metal semiconductor alloy portion 94 c having the first thickness . unreacted portions of the metal layer 60 is thereafter removed by an etch , which may be a wet etch . for example , a wet etch employing aqua regia may be employed . the etch is selective to the various metal semiconductor alloy portions ( 90 , 92 , 94 a , 94 b , 94 c ). the second thickness is less than the first thickness . the various metal semiconductor alloy portions ( 90 , 92 , 94 a , 94 b , 94 c ) have substantially the same composition . in case the various semiconductor portions ( 30 , 32 , 40 a , 40 b , 40 c ) comprises silicon , the various metal semiconductor alloy portions ( 90 , 92 , 94 a , 94 b , 94 c ) may comprise a metal silicide . the doping of the various semiconductor portions ( 30 , 32 , 40 a , 40 b , 40 c ) may , or may not , be the same . in one case , all of the various semiconductor portions ( 30 , 32 , 40 a , 40 b , 40 c ) have the same doping . in another case , the cathode semiconductor portion 30 is doped and the anode semiconductor portion 32 and the first , second , and third semiconductor portions ( 40 a , 40 b , 40 c ) are not doped . in yet another case , the cathode semiconductor portion 30 and the first semiconductor portion 40 a are doped and the anode semiconductor portion 32 and the second and third semiconductor portions ( 40 b , 40 c ) are not doped . since the resistivity of metal semiconductor alloys is about one to two orders of magnitude lower than the resistivity of highly doped semiconductor materials , programming current flows mostly through the various metal semiconductor alloy portions during programming . the abruptly changes in cross - sectional areas at the interface between the first metal semiconductor alloy portion 94 a and the second metal semiconductor alloy portion 94 b , and at the interface between the second metal semiconductor alloy portion 94 b and the third metal semiconductor alloy portion 94 c causes the current density to converge or diverge at the two interfaces . therefore , the divergence of current density achieves high values at the two interfaces , and thus , facilitates electromigration between the two interfaces . a middle - of - line ( mol ) dielectric layer ( not shown ) is formed on the various metal semiconductor alloy portions ( 90 , 92 , 94 a , 94 b , 94 c ) and the shallow trench isolation 20 . the mol dielectric layer may comprise a silicon oxide , a silicon nitride , a chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ) low - k dielectric material , a spin - on low - k dielectric material , or a stack thereof . the mol dielectric layer may contain a mobile ion diffusion barrier layer that prevents diffusion of mobile ions such as sodium and potassium from back - end - of - line ( beol ) dielectric layers . further , the mol dielectric layer may contain a stress liner that applies tensile or compressive stress on underlying structures to alter charge carrier mobility . contacts are formed through the mol dielectric layer to the cathode metal semiconductor alloy portion 90 and the anode metal semiconductor portion 92 . referring to fig4 a , a second exemplary structure according to a second aspect of the present invention comprises a semiconductor substrate containing shallow trench isolation 20 located in a substrate semiconductor layer 10 , a cathode semiconductor portion 30 , a fuselink semiconductor portion 40 , and an anode semiconductor portion 32 . the fuselink semiconductor portion 40 laterally abuts the cathode semiconductor portion 30 and the anode semiconductor portion 32 . a metal semiconductor alloy layer is formed directly on at least the entirety of the top surface of at least the fuselink semiconductor portion 40 , and preferably on all of the cathode semiconductor portion 30 , a fuselink semiconductor portion 40 , and an anode semiconductor portion 32 . a metal semiconductor alloy layer is subdivided into three portions : a cathode metal semiconductor alloy portion 90 , an anode metal semiconductor alloy portion 92 , and a fuselink metal semiconductor alloy portion 94 . the cathode metal semiconductor alloy portion 90 is located directly on and above the cathode semiconductor portion 30 . the anode metal semiconductor alloy portion 92 is located directly on and above the anode semiconductor portion 32 . the fuselink metal semiconductor alloy portion 94 is located directly on and above the fuselink semiconductor portion 40 . the second semiconductor structure may be formed by omitting the application and patterning of the photoresist 71 in fig1 a - 1c , and performing an anneal to induce reaction of the metal layer 60 with the underlying semiconductor material to form the various metal semiconductor alloy portions ( 90 , 92 , 94 ). the same anneal process may be employed as in the first embodiment . the cathode metal semiconductor alloy portion 90 , the anode metal semiconductor alloy portion 92 , and the fuselink metal semiconductor alloy portion 94 have substantially the same composition and substantially the same thickness , i . e ., a first thickness . referring to fig5 a - 5b , a photoresist 71 is applied over the top surfaces of the various metal semiconductor alloy portions ( 90 , 92 , 94 ) and lithographically patterned to expose an area of the fuselink metal semiconductor alloy portion 94 located over a middle portion of the fuselink semiconductor portion 40 , while covering areas fuselink metal semiconductor alloy portion 94 over the end portions of the fuselink semiconductor layer 40 . for the purpose of description of the present invention , the fuselink metal semiconductor alloy portion 94 is subdivided into three segments . the exposed segment of the fuselink metal semiconductor alloy portion 94 constitutes a second metal semiconductor alloy portion 94 b . the segment of the fuselink metal semiconductor alloy portion 94 between the cathode metal semiconductor alloy portion 90 and the second metal semiconductor alloy portion 94 b constitutes a first metal semiconductor alloy portion 94 a . the segment of the fuselink metal semiconductor alloy portion 94 between the anode metal semiconductor portion 92 and the second metal semiconductor alloy portion 94 b constitutes a third metal semiconductor alloy portion 94 c . likewise , the fuselink semiconductor portion 40 is also subdivided into three segments . the segment of the fuselink semiconductor portion 40 directly underneath the first metal semiconductor alloy portion 94 a constitutes a first semiconductor portion 40 a . the segment of the fuselink semiconductor portion 40 directly underneath the second metal semiconductor alloy portion 94 b constitutes a second semiconductor portion 40 b . the segment of the fuselink semiconductor portion 40 directly underneath the third metal semiconductor alloy portion 94 c constitutes a third semiconductor portion 40 c . the exposed segment of the metal semiconductor alloy layer , i . e ., the second metal semiconductor alloy portion 94 b , located over a middle portion of the fuselink semiconductor portion , i . e ., the second semiconductor portion 40 b , is recessed to a second thickness , while the other segments of the metal semiconductor alloy layer , i . e ., the first metal semiconductor alloy portion 94 a and the third metal semiconductor alloy portion 94 c , that are located over two end portions of the fuselink semiconductor portion , i . e ., the first semiconductor portion 40 a and the third semiconductor portion 40 c , are not recessed . the second metal semiconductor alloy portion 94 b is etched to a second thickness . the recess depth , i . e ., the thickness of the removed portion of the second metal semiconductor alloy portion 94 b , is from about 20 % to about 80 % of the thickness of the second metal semiconductor alloy portion 94 b , and preferably from about 35 % to about 65 % of the thickness of the second metal semiconductor alloy portion 94 b . the recess depth is equal to the difference between the first thickness and the second thickness . the recessing , or etching , of the second metal semiconductor alloy portion 94 b may be performed by a wet etch or a reactive ion etch . for example , reactive ion etch processes employing cf 4 , cl 2 , co , ar , a combination of co and cf 4 , a combination of co and cl 2 , or a combination of cf 4 and o 2 for etching metal semiconductor alloys such as metal silicides are known in the art . after removing the patterned photoresist 71 , the second exemplary structure has the same structure as the first exemplary structure in fig3 a - 3b . a middle - of - line ( mol ) dielectric layer ( not shown ) is formed on the various metal semiconductor alloy portions ( 90 , 92 , 94 a , 94 b , 94 c ) and the shallow trench isolation 20 as in the first embodiment . contacts are formed through the mol dielectric layer to the cathode metal semiconductor alloy portion 90 and the anode metal semiconductor portion 92 . while the invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments , it is evident in view of the foregoing description that numerous alternatives , modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art . accordingly , the invention is intended to encompass all such alternatives , modifications and variations which fall within the scope and spirit of the invention and the following claims . | 7 |
referring now to fig1 and 2 , the prior art device is shown in which an outer form structure 12 and inner form structure 14 which forms the core - wall is seen to be positioned in place for the cement pouring operation , the cement 10 having been received in the median space provided by the inner and outer forms . at each corner of the inner form 14 can be seen a tri - part hinge construction consisting of a corner hinge 16 extending the depth of the form which has two leaf members 18 , the free ends of which form further hinges 19 that are connected by a suitable leaf members with a respective end rail 20 and a side rail 21 . a turnbuckle 22 is shown connected between adjacent end rails and side rails by which means the hinges can be activated to an operative position as shown in fig2 . in this position the corner hinge 16 of the tri - part hinge assembly is brought to an acute angle which in turn causes the hinges 18 to form an obtuse angle , and thus break off or away from the concrete wall or surface . each corner of the inner form 14 is adjusted in like manner to cause that particular part of the form to break away from the corner of the core - wall so that the entire form retains its rectangular configuration . each of the corners , because of the tri - part hinge construction , is infinitely adjustable , and therefore must be adjusted by means of the turnbuckle to form a precise rectangle or square form , which is not only a time consuming operation but in many cases may not result in precise 90 ° corners , since the human factor is always controlling in adjusting the turnbuckles . additionally , as mentioned above , the corners are not rigid even in the finally adjusted position because there always will be some play in the corner hinge construction , especially in a multiple hinge construction as shown . in order to overcome these defects , the apparatus according to the invention , and as shown in fig3 provides a core - wall form structure that comprises rigid corners and a minimum of hinge seams in which there are three basic elements : 3 . a stripping assembly and connecting hardware element designated generally at 28 and 29 . the primary form structure may be composed of wood and / or metal panels 30 which are gang formed into a modular assembly to form wall surfaces , that is , end walls and side walls and , in this particular case , the four corners 32 that in turn define the corners of the coreshaft structure formed by the cement 10 . panels 30 together with filler panels 31 ( which may be added in those cases where a desired dimension requires such an addition ) generally have no designated top or bottom , and can , therefore , be placed edge to edge , horizontally or vertically , in a mixed or uniform pattern to achieve nearly any configuration of any size . such panels are connected by means of suitable hardware such as wedge bolts and tie bolts in a well known manner such as described in applicant &# 39 ; s brochure publication entitled &# 34 ; mod - u - form : modular panel concrete forming system &# 34 ; ( 1979 ). the secondary element 26 of the assembly shown in fig3 is composed of double channel waler members 34 arranged in a plane normal to the plane or dimension of the panels of the primary form structure 24 . only one tier of the waler members is shown , it being understood that several tiers make up a support package for the entire primary form , the exact number depending on the height or depth of the form assembly desired . the distance between each tier of waler members can vary according to the strength and size of a form to be constructed , but in most cases , such distances are commonly in a range between 18 and 36 inches . each of the waler members 34 comprise a parallel pair of channel members 35 , to be described in greater detail below , and between which at one end thereof is slidably mounted a waler extension member 36 which extends into the corner 32 of the primary form , as shown . the extension members 36 each comprise a pair of spaced apart parallel plate members 37 to be described in more detail below , but together as a unit slide between the channel members 35 of the waler member 34 . the extension members are provided with elongated slots 40 to facilitate their being adjusted and bolted to their associated waler members by suitable bolts 39 . the other end of each waler member 34 is free to slide past the extension member connected with the adjacent waler member which will be described in detail below . the waler members themselves are secured to the primary form 24 by means of suitable gang rods 41 which fit between the channel members 35 and connect a plate washer on the whaler side with suitable coil ties , not shown within the panels 30 , that is on the panel side of the connection . it will be seen that the primary form 24 is a continuous rigid rectangular structure having fixed rigid corners . each of the hinge structures 29 divides the entire form into four separate l - shaped members in which the crook of each l forms a corner 32 . the single vertical seam in one of the wall faces adjacent each corner thus connects the double hinged structure 29 which vertically extends the depth of the entire form . the hinges are shown in a closed position in the left hand side of fig3 and in the right hand side in an open or activated position . referring now to fig4 and 5 , the hinge structure 29 comprises a double hinge joint 42 , a connecting leaf 44 therebetween , and two end leaf members 46 . the leaf member remote from the corner 32 has slots therein , not shown , which match up corresponding slots , not shown , in the end plate 54 of the primary form 24 . wedge bolts 50 engage the slots and are secured therein by means of tie bolts 52 . the hinge leaf member 46 nearest the corner 32 is secured , however , by bolts and nuts 56 which extend via corresponding holes through the leaf member 46 , and the u - shaped stud member 60 which extends the length or depth of the primary form and forms the end plate thereof . thus , the u - shaped channel 60 forms the end face of the primary form nearest the corner 32 and is designed to receive a restraining clip 62 which is bolted , as shown , between the parallel plates 37 of the waler extension member 36 . by means of a nut and bolt assembly 64 cooperating with gusset or spacer member 66 , the gang waler rod 68 connects the extension member 36 into the panel of the primary form adjacent thereto in a well known manner . the adjacent waler member 34 is seen to have its parallel plate member 35 extend or pass over and under , respectively , the adjacent waler extension member 36 so that it abuts the u - shaped channel 60 and extends just slightly beyond it . a hole 74 is provided in the end portion of the waler member 34 which when aligned with a corresponding hole , not shown , in the adjacent whaler extension member 36 receives a locking bolt to maintain the two members 36 and 34 in a rigid right angle configuration , as shown in fig4 and 5 . cooperating with each corner of the core - wall form assembly 24 , according to the invention , is a novel stripping assembly for activating the hinge structures 29 as above described . as shown in fig3 the assembly 28 comprises a combination cam lever and a turnbuckle structure 80 , the latter of which is secured between the channel plates 35 of the appropriate waler member 34 by means of one of the bolts extending therethrough . the other end of the assembly 28 comprises a bar member 82 having one end thereof welded to one end of the turnbuckle device 80 and its other free end pivotally mounted by means of a bolt between a parallel pair of plate members 84 which extend from a welded connection to a vertically extending rod 86 which is journaled through a plate member 88 secured between the channels 35 of the appropriate waler member 34 by means of a suitable bolt . naturally , for each waler tier , of which only one is shown , or at least every other waler tier similar journal plates 88 and combination cam lever and turnbuckle assembly 80 are provided and secured in the manner already described in order to provide an axially aligned and multiple support for the vertical rod 86 . in order to rotate the rod 86 , a handle member 90 extending at right angles therefrom is also provided . more than one handle 90 may be provided in order to increase the power required to rotate the rod 86 . the core - wall form stripping assembly operates in the following manner . setting up the assembly as shown in the left hand side of fig3 the outer form is positioned in place while the inner form structure , that is , the core - wall form structure according to the invention , is positioned inside the outer form as shown . the connecting hardware which forms the tertiary element of the form is operative so as to define a rectangular or square form structure . thus , the wedge bolts 50 and bolt assemblies 56 are locked into their respective leaf elements 46 and end faces 54 and 60 . also , one end of each waler member 34 is locked by means of its respective pin member to the adjacent waler extension member 36 . in this position , the waler member 36 abuts the u - shaped channel 60 , thus ensuring a strong straight line connection between the corners 32 so that the primary form 24 is also rigidly straight and rectangular . each of the lever assemblies are positioned as shown wherein the plate members 88 are seen to be generally parallel to the waler members 34 . in this closed position of the lever assemblies 28 , the turnbuckle devices 80 may be adjusted to square off the corners 32 if such are seen to be greater or less than 90 °. once the core - wall form is in place , the cement 10 is then poured in the median space to form the core - wall structure desired . after the cement has set , the outer form is removed in a well known manner , and then the connecting pin in the hole 74 is removed from the connecting waler and extension members , and the handles 90 are then manually rotated so that the plate members 88 swing outwardly from the waler members 34 to a generally right angled position with respect thereto . this action causes the hinge structures 29 to activate , that is , first one of the hinges 42 which is nearest the turnbuckle device 80 pivots so as to form an arcuate path or swing between the connecting leaf members 46 and 44 , while at the same time the end of the waler member 34 associated with the waler extension member 36 to form a right angle therebetween undergoes a compound motion for sliding along the extension member 36 , as best shown in the right hand side of fig3 . this action causes that part of the primary form 24 to the left of the hinge to strip or lift gradually away from the concrete in a progressive peeling - like action , while at the same time lifting that part of the primary form away from the concrete at a point defined by the right hinge 42 . in this way , the particular corner 32 of the primary form associated with the hinge being activated will undergo a rotational movement inwardly towards the core shaft with the direction thereof pivoting generally about the hinge 29 , such as shown in the lower right hand corner of fig3 . normally , this operation is performed in a diagonal manner , that is , the corners 32 that are diagonally related are removed or stripped in succession ; however , the corners 32 can be removed or stripped from the concrete in a clockwise or a counter - clockwise manner because of the generally rotational and centripetal action of the entire form articulating inwardly . when all the corners are thus removed away from the cement 10 , the entire core - wall form is then crane - lifted out of the shaft . the foregoing relates to a preferred embodiment of the invention , it being understood that other embodiments and variants thereof are possible within the spirit and scope of the invention , the latter being defined by the appended claims . | 4 |
preferred embodiments of the process can be inferred from the dependent claims . the deposition is effected as elucidated in the description of the prior art . the rod pairs can be deinstalled by means of a crane , a grab or the like . the silicon rods are ultimately comminuted to rod pieces or chunks . in the comminution to give rod pieces , after removal of the graphite residues from the electrode ends of the rods , one or more rod pieces can be removed from one or both ends of the rods . particular preference is given to comminuting the silicon rods to chunks . the silicon rods are preferably comminuted to chunks by means of a jaw crusher or roll crusher . this is optionally preceded by a pre - comminution by means of suitable impact tools . the graphite residues are preferably knocked off by means of an impact tool , more preferably with a hammer . the impact face of the impact tool , for example the hammer head , comprises a low - contamination cemented carbide or a low - abrasion ceramic such as tungsten carbide , titanium carbide , chromium carbide , molybdenum carbide , vanadium carbide , nickel carbide or silicon carbide . the impact energy expended in the at least one mechanical impulse is preferably not more than 20 j , more preferably not more than 10 j . the impact energy is preferably determined by means of suitable pressure sensors . it is likewise possible to calculate the impact energy from the speed and mass of the impact tool , the final speed of the impact tool being determined , for example , by means of a camera . after the graphite residues have been knocked off , the silicon rods preferably have surface contamination with fe , cr , ni , w , ti and co of less than 250 pptw in total . the surface metals are determined to astm f 1724 - 96 by chemical leaching of the silicon surface by dissolution and subsequent analysis of the leaching solution by icpms ( inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry ). preferably , the mechanical impulse is exerted at a distance of not more than 50 mm from the electrode end of the silicon rod . particular preference is given to a distance of not more than 20 mm , very particular preference to not more than 10 mm . the distance should be at least 5 mm . during the process of knocking off the graphite residues , the residual rod ( distance from the electrode end greater than 50 mm if the mechanical impulse is exerted at a distance of less than 50 mm ) is covered with a plastic bag . in this arrangement , particularly good results are achieved with respect to the contamination of the rods . the contamination of the silicon rods with surface metals fe , cr and ni is preferably not more than 30 pptw in total , more preferably not more than 10 pptw . preferably , the graphite residues are knocked off by means of two mechanical impulses . the impact energy expended in the first mechanical impulse is preferably not more than 20 j and the impact is made at a distance of not more than 30 mm from the electrode end of the silicon rod . the impact energy expended in the second mechanical impulse is preferably not more than 10 j and the impact is made at a distance of not more than 30 mm from the electrode end of the silicon rod . alternatively , rather than the first mechanical impulse , several impacts can be made , each with an impact energy of about 2 j . alternatively , rather than the second mechanical impulse , several impacts can be made , each with an impact energy of about 1 j . preferably , the graphite residues are knocked off with spatial separation from the subsequent process steps , especially from the comminution of the rods to chunks . this can also be accomplished by isolating the workbench at which the graphite residues are knocked off , for example by means of suitable wall elements or curtains . preferably , the mechanical impulses to knock off the graphite residues are each made at an angle of less than 45 ° to the rod axis , with the rod axis arranged horizontally . it has been found that this enables more controlled removal of the graphite residues with low contamination . for personnel , it additionally means increased safety if the rod breaks in a defined manner . more preferably , the rod lies on a suitable rest , with a support point at a distance of less than 500 mm , more preferably less than 300 mm , most preferably less than 100 mm , from the electrode end of the rod . preferably , the graphite residues are knocked off while the at least one silicon rod pair is in a deinstallation aid . a deinstallation aid comprises a body which was an outer wall and an inner wall and fully surrounds the rod pair , wherein the body along with the rod pair that it surrounds is removed from the reactor by means of a crane , a cable winch or a grab . the dimensions of the body are preferably such that its length corresponds at least to the height of the upright rod pair . its width is preferably at least the width of a u - shaped pair of silicon rods ( silicon bridge + rod diameter ). its width is preferably at least 200 mm , more preferably at least 300 mm . preferably , the body has an inner wall made of steel . the inner wall of the body may be coated with a polymer . the body preferably consists of steel , i . e . has a steel jacket . particular preference is given to a design which provides for a body with an uncoated inner steel wall , the pair of silicon rods being covered with a plastic bag during the deinstallation . as an alternative to the uncoated steel wall in combination with a plastic bag , preference is especially also given to an embodiment of the body composed of a low - contamination cemented carbide or a low - abrasion ceramic ( e . g . tungsten carbide , titanium carbide , chromium carbide , vanadium carbide and nickel carbide , silicon carbide ). preference is also given to the use of a body comprising an inner steel wall , the inner wall of the body being partly or fully coated with such a low - contamination cemented carbide or with a low - abrasion ceramic . it is likewise preferable that the body consists of a flexible but stable plastic . possible plastics here are fiber composite plastics , composed of an aromatic polyamide ( aramid fibers ) or of a polyester such as polycarbonate and polyethylene terephthalate . equally possible are materials composed of carbon or carbon constituents or glass fiber - reinforced plastics ( grp ). the pair of silicon rods itself can be raised with the aid of a crane device , a cable winch or comparable systems . preferably , each body comprises a flap closable manually or by means of a mechanical or electrical mechanism in one or more openings of the body . after the rods have been lifted out of the reactor , the graphite residues can be knocked off while the rod pair is still within the body . for this purpose , the rod pair is lifted out of the deinstallation aid , for example by means of a grab , such that every rod base projects out of the opening of the deinstallation aid by less than 500 mm , more preferably less than 300 mm and most preferably less than 100 mm . in this arrangement , the graphite residues are then knocked off the rods , with at least the parts of the rods that do not project out of the deinstallation aid covered by a plastic bag . this preferably ensures that there is no contact between the plastic bag and graphite residues . the plastic bag therefore preferably ends at a distance of at least 5 mm from the graphite residues . it is thus possible to avoid contamination of the plastic bag by the graphite residues . preference is given to using a cart which can be moved to the deinstallation aid . the cart is preferably configured such that it can be positioned beneath the electrode end of the rods , while the rods are still within the deinstallation aid . the cart is preferably lined with a low - contamination material such as silicon or plastic . the cart preferably comprises a collecting box for material knocked off . most preferably , the cart comprises a separating plate , for example a grid or a sieve , beneath the electrode end of the silicon rods . larger lumps are collected by the separating plate , while smaller lumps fall through the separating plate and land in the collecting box . this enables visual classification of the larger lumps with respect to graphite residues present . preferably , after the deinstallation of the polycrystalline silicon rods from the reactor and before the comminution of the deinstalled polycrystalline silicon rods into chunks , the polycrystalline silicon in rod form is classified into at least two quality classes on the basis of at least one feature , with those at least two quality classes being sent to separate further processing steps . the invention thus envisages undertaking a classification of the deinstalled silicon rods into at least two quality classes . this classification precedes the comminution of the rods into chunks . it preferably follows the knocking - off operation on the graphite electrode . however , it is also preferable to undertake a classification after the comminution of the rods into chunks . the classification may be based on surface contamination volume contamination . in this context , it is possible to classify by surface contamination of the rods or chunks with metals , nonmetals or compositions , by contamination of the volume of the rods or chunks with metals , nonmetals or compositions , and by contamination of the surface of the rods or chunks with dust ( e . g . silicon dust ) or by combinations of these features . preference is given to classification with respect to the presence of graphite residues on the rods . rods with graphite residues are preferably transported for further processing in a different transport unit than the rods without graphite residues . this reduces the risk of entrainment with respect to graphite residues . it is also preferable to undertake a classification after the comminution of the rods into chunks . it is especially preferable to classify based on the distance from the electrode end of the rod . particular preference is given to classifying chunks into at least two fractions distinguishable by such a feature . in practice , this can be accomplished by producing at least two rod pieces from one rod , one rod piece having a distance from electrode of & lt ; 1000 mm and the other rod piece a distance from electrode of & gt ; 1000 mm . the two rod pieces are comminuted separately , and so the chunks produced separately are likewise classified by this feature . the at least two rod pieces and the at least two fractions of chunks produced therefrom may have different contamination with extraneous substances . they can be sent to different further processing steps . in the comparative example , the process described in ep 2 479 142 a1 was effected . 70 mm were sawn off from the electrode end of the rod . based on the complete rod pair , a yield of about 80 % was found . the contamination of the sawn surface with fe , cr , ni , w and co totaled 1 . 3 ppm . this necessitates cleaning of the rod surface before the rod can be comminuted to chunks . in the example , the graphite residues were knocked off with the aid of the process according to the invention . in each case , a mechanical impulse was made with a hammer , with variation of the impact energy expended ( 10 j , 5 j , 3 j , 2 j , 1 j ), and the distance from the electrode end of the rod was 50 mm in each case . contamination with fe , cr , ni , w and co at the surface is much lower than in the comparative example . the yields increase . cleaning of the rods is unnecessary . | 2 |
the present invention relates to computer systems and more particularly to a method and system for customizing a computer system . the following description is presented to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention and is provided in the context of a patent application and its requirements . various modifications to the preferred embodiment and the generic principles and features described herein will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art . thus , the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiment shown but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features described herein . according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention , configuration parameters that are utilized to customize a computer system &# 39 ; s os are transmitted to and stored in a configuration mechanism in the computer system . the configuration mechanism preferably is a pci adapter that includes at least one communication port connected to a network . when coupled to the computer system , the configuration mechanism provides the necessary information to customize the computer system . through aspects of the preferred embodiment of the present invention , a generic computer system is shipped to the remote branch office with a configuration mechanism that has not yet been programmed with the configuration parameters . when the computer system is installed at the remote branch , a system administrator at a central office transmits the configuration parameters to the configuration mechanism via the at least one communication port . the computer system then proceeds to customize its os via the now programmed configuration mechanism . to describe the preferred embodiment of the present invention in more detail , please refer now to fig1 , which is a block diagram depicting a computer system 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention . the computer system 10 preferably is a server 10 , such as an xseries ™ server developed by international business machines of armonk , n . y . as is shown , the server 10 includes standard components , such as a cpu 40 , memory 50 , and a power source or adapter 60 . those skilled in the art readily appreciate that the server 10 includes other standard components and devices that are not illustrated in fig1 . the server 10 also includes a remote supervisor adapter ( rsa ) 70 , which allows a system administrator 25 to manage the server 10 remotely via a director server 20 . the rsa 70 provides continuous remote access to the server 10 regardless of the on or off status of the server 10 . in addition , the rsa 70 continuously monitors critical system components for potential problems and alerts the administrator 25 of events that can impact the system operation . the rsa 70 is a pci adapter that includes a serial port 80 a for supporting system management functions through a modem , an ethernet port 80 b for enabling system management functions over a lan connection , and a power connector and ac adapter ( not shown ). through the ethernet port 80 b , the rsa 70 can be connected directly to a data network or to a dedicated management lan 15 . the system management functions of the rsa 70 can be exploited at any time or anywhere from the lan 15 , even if the server 10 has failed or is powered off . moreover , lan throughput allows for increased performance and additional functions . according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention , the rsa 70 includes a configuration mechanism 100 . the configuration mechanism 100 stores customization information 10 , including configuration parameters , that are used to personalize the server 10 . such configuration parameters include ip address information , computer name , host name and other personalized information . while fig1 shows the configuration mechanism 100 integrated in the rsa 70 , those skilled in the art would appreciate that the configuration mechanism 100 can also be a stand alone module coupled to a pci adapter , such as the rsa 70 . to describe how the configuration mechanism 100 is utilized to customize the server 10 , please refer now to fig2 , which is a flowchart illustrating a process for customizing the server 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention . the process begins at step 202 when the customer installs and connects the server 10 to the network 15 at the customer site . at this time , although ac power is applied to the server 10 , the server 10 has not been turned “ on .” once the server 10 is connected to the network 15 , the director server 20 has the ability to detect , i . e ., discover , the new server 10 via the rsa 70 . thus , in step 204 , the director server 20 detects the new server 10 . alternatively , the configuration mechanism 100 transmits a notification to the director server 20 requesting the customization information when the server 10 is coupled to the network 15 . preferably , the connection between the director server 20 and the server &# 39 ; s rsa 70 is an “ out - of - band ” communication link via the rsa &# 39 ; s ethernet port 80 b . in step 206 , the system administrator 25 uses the director server 20 to transmit the customization information 110 for the server 10 to the configuration mechanism 100 in the server 10 via the rsa 70 . preferably , the transmission is over a dedicated lan 15 into the rsa &# 39 ; s ethernet port 80 b . accordingly , the time to transmit the customization information 10 to the configuration mechanism 100 is minimal . after this step , the customization information 110 is stored in the configuration mechanism 100 , and accessible by the server 10 . in step 208 , the server 10 is turned “ on ” either by the customer or by the system administrator 25 via the director server 20 , and the server 10 begins a first booting process . during the first system boot , the server 10 queries the rsa 70 , accesses the configuration mechanism 100 and retrieves the customization information 110 , including the configuration parameters via step 210 . in a preferred embodiment , the customization information 110 is embedded into corresponding sections of a sysprep . inf file , which is utilized during a sysprep process . it is noted that while sysprep is the application / supported process for microsoft operating systems , the customization information 110 can also be embedded in portions of equivalent applications and processes used for other operating systems well known in the art , e . g ., linux , unix . the configuration parameters 110 are then used to customize the os and to build the final system image in step 212 . in a preferred embodiment , the customizing step can be performed by booting first into a dos partition that calls the rsa 70 and performs the personalization prior to loading the os . while the above process describes a system administrator 25 transmitting the customization information 110 to the configuration mechanism 100 , those skilled in the art will recognize that other parties can also perform the transmitting step as well . for instance , a dealer or even a third party shipping company can offer this service to its customers . because the information transfer process is relatively fast and allows the server 10 to be personalized at the customer &# 39 ; s site , deployment cost , time and manpower are minimized . through aspects of the preferred embodiment of the present invention , a computer system can be automatically customized at a customer site during the first system boot . by transmitting the customization information 110 to the configuration mechanism 100 via a dedicated lan , network bandwidth is not impacted . moreover , because the server 10 is automatically customized at the customer &# 39 ; s site , there is no danger of shipping a warehoused system that has been preconfigured to the incorrect address , or of erroneously entering the information . although the present invention has been described in accordance with the embodiment shown , one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that there could be variations to the embodiment and those variations would be within the spirit and scope of the present invention . for example , the configuration mechanism can be implemented as a stand alone pci adapter and does not necessarily require an rsa . accordingly , many modifications may be made by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims . | 6 |
the process of the present invention utilizes a highly active oxidation - reduction catalyst to destroy particularly perchlorates and nitrates / nitrites contaminating aqueous streams . the development of an aqueous phase catalytic reduction ( apcar ) process for the destruction of contaminants in water , particularly perchlorates and nitrates / nitrites , offers an innovative solution to potentially serious health problems . a schematic representation of a preferred apcar system 10 is shown in fig1 . the system is configured as a plug flow reactor 20 containing an oxidation - reduction catalyst designed to promote perchlorate and / or nitrate / nitrite reduction , forms innocuous inorganic by - products . the choice of reductants and the apcar process configuration will depend on the perchlorate or nitrate / nitrite concentration . for example , at low perchlorate concentrations the intrinsic organic carbon levels in drinking water will suffice for destruction and only a single reactor pump 24 is needed . when high concentrations of perchlorate are encountered , non - toxic organic reductants such as carbohydrates , alcohols , or organic acids are metered from the reduction reservoir 28 by the metering pump 26 into the inlet stream 30 prior to the reactor pump 24 . inorganic reductants may also be used including hydrogen gas , ammoniacal nitrogen species ( i . e ., nh 3 and nh 4 + ), and other soluble inorganic species which form soluble oxidized by - products . metering pumps are used to introduce water soluble reductants , while a pressurized tank coupled to a mass flow controller is utilized to introduce gaseous reductants . in the next stage , heat is transferred from the reactor &# 39 ; s treated water to the influent water by passage through a regenerative heat exchanger 22 . in order to raise the water temperature to reaction conditions , additional heat is provided in the preheater 25 . the apcar reactor temperature is controlled through a combination of heat exchanger 22 , preheater 25 , and resistive heating within the reactor 20 . the temperature from the preheater 25 is read by the inlet thermocouple 21 , and the temperature at the outlet of the reactor 20 is read by the outlet thermocouple 23 . after passage through the reactor 20 , the water perchlorate and nitrate / nitrite levels are typically reduced below 5 μg / l and 10 mg / l , respectively . the amount of reductant as quantified by the total organic carbon ( toc ) level which decreases as the reducing agent is oxidized . the effluent water temperature is then reduced to ambient conditions following flow through the regenerative heat exchanger . the pressure in the line prior to heat exchanger 22 is determined by pressure gauge 27 . the pressure can be modified , if necessary , by pressure regulator 29 . the water is then available from outlet 32 for transfer to the water treatment plant for normal processing . a catalytic reduction test system 10 , similar to that shown in fig1 was constructed . a 19 . 63 cm 3 plug flow reactor was filled with przr51 catalyst ( i . e ., 2 % platinum and 0 . 5 % ruthenium on zirconium oxide extrudates between 1 mm and 3 mm in diameter ) and challenged with 50 ppm ( mg / l ) of naclo 4 . as a reductant , the naclo 4 solution contained 50 mm of ethanol . the effluent naclo 4 concentration was monitored using a perchlorate ion selective electrode ( i . e . nitrate ion selective electrode ) which has previously been shown to respond to clo 4 − more strongly than to no 3 − . 22 using this electrode , clo 4 − concentrations between 0 . 2 and 20 ppm were accurately determined . reaction kinetics for the reduction of naclo 4 were studied as a function of flow rate and temperature . at each temperature , the effluent naclo 4 concentration ( c ) was determined for different flow rates ( q ). the residence time within the reactor ( reactor space - time , τ ) was determined according to the following ( l ), τ = v r φ q ( 1 ) where φ is the fractional void volume of the packed catalyst bed and v r is the reactor volume . since a twenty fold stoichiometric excess of ethanol was used during these runs , the reaction becomes zero order with respect to the reductant and was determined to be first order with respect to naclo 4 . the rate constant ( k ) for a psuedo first order reaction in a plug flow reactor are given by the following ( 2 ): equation 2 was derived from the resulting ( c , τ ) ordered pairs using the levenberg - marquardt method . 23 . correlation coefficients ( r 2 ) for the derived rate constants were calculated using a linear regression of experimentally observed concentrations versus those calculated from equation 2 . at least four data points were gathered for each temperature of operation . reaction kinetics experiments were conducted at three temperatures . rate constants , which are shown as functions of temperature were then fitted to the arrhenius expression as ( 1 / t , ln k ) ordered pairs using a least squares approximation to a linear equation , are given by the ( 3 ), k = ae e a rt ( 3 ) where t is the temperature in degrees kelvin , e a is the arrhenius activation energy , r is the gas constant , and a is the pre - exponential factor determined from the slope and intercept , respectively . the reaction kinetic experimental results at 60 ° c ., 70 ° c ., and 80 ° c . are shown in fig2 - 4 , respectively . the flow rates were varied between 1 . 0 and 18 . 6 ml / min corresponding to reactor space times between 17 and 330 seconds . good pseudo first order reaction kinetics were obtained for these reaction conditions . a 97 to 99 . 8 % lowering of the influent naclo 4 concentration was realized over this temperature range . the logarithms of each reaction rate constant were then plotted as a function of the reciprocal of the absolute temperature (° k . − 1 ) producing an excellent linear fit as shown in fig5 . based on the slope of this line , the arrhenius activation energy was determined to be 49 . 12 kj / mole ( 11 . 74 kcal / mole ) with a pre - exponential factor of 5 . 74 × 10 5 sec − 1 . based on these data , the extent of perchlorate reduction can be controlled by a combination of temperature and reactor residence time . using a properly designed apcar process , the elimination of perchlorates from ground and surface waters or a variety of waste waters is achievable by adjustment of temperature and catalyst contact time . for example , a 200 μg / l perchlorate level in water can be lowered to below the provisional rfd ) ( i . e ., 6 μg / l ) at 60 ° c . after contact with the catalyst for 3 minutes . as the concentration of perchlorate increases and / or the solution composition changes , the reaction temperature and catalyst contact time can be adjusted to destroy perchlorate , reducing the concentration to acceptable values . at very low perchlorate levels significant destruction can be achieved at very low temperature . the reduction of nitrate was evaluated in the same reactor system using ethanol as the reductant . this system was challenged with 20 mg / l solution of no 3 − ( as nano 3 ) containing 20 mg / l of ethanol at 80 ° c . the flow rate was varied between 0 . 5 and 10 ml / min corresponding to reactor space times between 42 and 942 seconds . good pseudo first order kinetics were obtained over these reaction conditions . the results are shown in fig6 . the pseudo first order reduction rate was 0 . 0114 sec − 1 . under these conditions , a 95 % reduction of the nitrate concentration can be achieved in ˜ 260 seconds . the reduction of 30 . 6 mg / l of nano 3 with 20 mg / l of ethanol as reductant was investigated at 100 ° c . fig7 shows the destruction of nitrate as a function of reactor space time . the reaction rate determined from this curve was 0 . 0214 sec − 1 . a 95 % reduction of the nitrate concentration at 100 ° c . requires 140 seconds . using the data at 80 ° and 100 ° c ., the arrhenius activation energy for this reaction is 34 . 5 kj / mole ( 8 . 25 kcal / mole ) with a pre - exponential factor of 1 , 445 sec − 1 . adjustment of either reaction temperature or the catalyst bed size can be used to ensure that the destruction of nitrate in a wide variety of water samples will meet regulatory limits as required . these reduction data have demonstrated that both perchlorate and nitrate can be destroyed in water by the apcar process using a non - toxic organic reductant such as ethanol in conjunction with high activity oxidation - reduction catalyst przr51 manufactured by umpqua research company of myrtle creek . furthermore , this can be accomplished at relatively low temperature with a variety of other reductants . clearly , such a unit operation can be integrated into current drinking water or waste water treatment systems in a straightforward manner . in experiments investigating reductants other than organic species , the apcar system shown in fig1 utilized hydrogen gas as the reductant . the introduction of dissolved hydrogen into the process stream is accomplished from a pressurized gas source via a membrane saturator or by direct injection . in the experimental apparatus , a membrane saturator is used . the concentration of dissolved hydrogen depends on the hydrogen pressure according to henry &# 39 ; s law as shown in ( 4 ), h k = ph 2 χ ( 4 ) where χ is the mole fraction of hydrogen in water , ph 2 is the hydrogen pressure in atmospheres , and h k is the henry &# 39 ; s law constant . since the χ is independent of temperature , the hydrogen pressure needed to maintain a fixed χ is dependent only on the henry &# 39 ; s law constant . at room temperature , the henry &# 39 ; s law constant for hydrogen is 77 , 600 . since henrys law constant increases with temperature reaching a maximum at ˜ 90 ° c ., the reactor pressure must exceed the equilibration pressure to maintain a single phase . the stoichiometry for the reaction between hydrogen and perchlorate is given by ( 5 ). based on a 40 mg / l naclo 4 concentration , a 35 psig ( 3 . 38 atm ) hydrogen pressure at 22 ° c ., and the complete conversion of perchlorate to chloride , a two fold excess of hydrogen was used during these runs . in the presence of excess hydrogen , the reaction becomes zero order with respect to the reductant and first order with respect to naclo 4 . the reaction kinetic experimental results at 80 ° c ., 90 ° c ., and 100 ° c . are shown in fig8 - 10 , respectively . the flow rates were varied between 1 . 3 and 16 . 6 ml / min , corresponding to reactor space times between 29 and 369 seconds . good pseudo first order reaction kinetics were obtained for these reaction conditions . the pseudo first order reaction rate constants were 0 . 0051 , 0 . 0102 , and 0 . 0207 sec − 1 at 80 °, 90 °, and 100 ° c ., respectively . these values are lower than those obtained using ethanol as the reductant ( i . e ., 0 . 0116 , 0 . 0185 , and 0 . 0317 sec − 1 at 60 °, 70 °, and 80 ° c ., respectively ). the logarithms of each reaction rate constant were then plotted as a function of the reciprocal of the absolute temperature (° k − 1 ) producing an excellent linear fit as shown in fig1 . based on the slope , the arrhenius activation energy was determined to be 80 . 5 kj / mole ( 19 . 24 kcal / mole ) with a pre - exponential factor of 4 . 09 × 10 9 sec − 1 . when the przr51 catalyst was tested at 100 ° c ., the reduction of naclo 4 was considerably slower . the pseudo first order reaction rate constant was 0 . 0051 sec − 1 . this is equivalent to the przr51 + 2 % pd catalyst at 80 ° c . clearly , the presence of palladium increases the reduction rates of naclo 4 using hydrogen as the reductant . the enhanced reaction rates are attributed to the availability of hydrogen at reduction sites due to the enhanced solubility of hydrogen in palladium . in experiments investigating inorganic reductants other hydrogen , the apcar system 40 shown in fig1 . system 40 comprises a influent reservoir 41 from which an contaminant - containing aqueous feed stream is transferred by pump 42 into preheater 43 , and in turn into reactor 44 . themocouples 45 read the inlet temperature into the preheater 43 and the outlet temperature exiting reactor 44 . the inlet and outlet temperatures are regulated by temperature controllers 46 which in turn run the power controllers / resistive heating elements 47 . a secondary regulator 48 controls the flow of product effluent from the reactor 44 which collects in effluent reservoir 49 . system 40 utilizes ammonium chloride , nh 4 cl , as the reductant . balancing the oxidation - reduction reaction between sodium perchlorate , naclo 4 , and nh 4 cl yields ( 6 ), after passage through the reactor 4 , ph is lowered and perchlorate is reduced to chloride . the reactor 4 contains 20 cm 3 of the przr51 catalyst . the influent contained 50 mg / l naclo 4 concentration and 330 mg / l nh 4 cl concentration . assuming a complete conversion of perchlorate to chloride , a five fold excess of ammonium was used during these runs . in the presence of excess ammonium , the reaction becomes zero order with respect to the reductant . the reaction kinetic experimental results at 120 ° c . and 130 ° c . are shown in fig1 and 13 , respectively . the flow rates were varied between 0 . 71 and 4 . 62 ml / min , corresponding to reactor space times between 104 and 676 seconds . good zero order reaction kinetics with respect to perchlorate reduction were obtained for these reaction conditions . the pseudo zero order reaction rate constants are 0 . 1184 and 0 . 1808 mg l − 1 sec − 1 at 120 ° and 130 ° c ., respectively . the oxidation - reduction catalyst used in these experiments , designated as przr51 , is composed of 2 weight % platinum and 0 . 5 weight % ruthenium on a zirconia support . the preparation of this high activity reduction catalyst involves the homogeneous adsorption of aqueous ions containing ruthenium and platinum onto a zirconium oxide ( i . e ., zro 2 ) support . other catalysts that are effective at oxidizing aqueous organic species using molecular oxygen should exhibit similar reduction behavior , since like przr51 , they are all effective at reducing molecular oxygen and other oxygen sources using a variety of organic contaminants as a reductant . other catalysts which should behave in this manner include platinum and ruthenium on supports such as activated carbon , titanium dioxide , silicon dioxide , and other transition metal oxides . platinum alone and combinations of palladium have also been shown to function as effective oxidation catalysts . in particular , the addition of 2 . 0 weight % palladium to przr51 provided excellent performance when hydrogen was utilized as the reductant . the development of a heterogeneous catalyst and a process that can efficiently utilize organic contaminants as a reductant to destroy perchlorate or nitrate at moderate temperatures and pressures is unique . due to the extremely high activity of the przr51 catalyst , the reduction reaction occurs rapidly at 80 ° c . the reduction of inorganic species requires a catalyst , a reductant , and sufficient reaction temperature to drive the reaction forward . the przr51 catalyst will eliminate inorganic contaminants from drinking water supplies and also reduce the concentration of organic contaminants in the process . this innovative technology is uniquely suited to environmental remediation . the utilization of organic contaminants as a reductant by an advanced catalytic reduction technology using this new heterogeneous catalyst provides the basis for a water reclamation system capable of processing highly contaminated water . perchlorate or nitrate / nitrite contaminants in a variety of waters can be processed at low temperature and pressure . the przr51 catalyst has been shown to promote the rapid reaction of both naclo 4 , nh 4 clo 4 , and nano 3 using a variety of reductants at temperatures between 60 ° and 80 ° c . these moderate treatment conditions reduce energy consumption and translate directly into the potential for economies in size , weight , and power . in the case of perchlorate , the apcar process can treat water at temperatures below 80 ° c . where the reaction occurs rapidly . the chief by - products are innocuous inorganic chlorine compounds , carbon dioxide , and water . the small amount of reductant required to destroy the 10 and 100 μg / l of perchlorate typically found in contaminated water is satisfied by the intrinsic organic levels of this water . processing of more highly contaminated water with perchlorate levels greater than 5000 μg / l will require the addition of a reducing agent such as ethanol , sugar , or acetic acid . the apcar system can operate as a self - contained process within a drinking water plant or at a wastewater treatment facility . the apcar system eliminates perchlorate from drinking water or other contaminated water , does not produce a secondary more highly concentrated contaminant stream , and as an added benefit , reduces the concentration of organic contaminants . in the case of nitrate / nitrite , the apcar process can also treat water at low temperatures . the chief by - product is nitrogen gas , carbon dioxide , and water . the amount of reductant required to treat contaminated water depends on the contamination level which for nitrate / nitrite will be highly variable depending on the water &# 39 ; s source . in general , due to the more typical level of nitrate / nitrite contamination (≧ 10 mg / l ), a reducing agent such as ethanol , sugar , or acetic acid will be needed albeit at low levels since background orangic levels in water will exhibit insufficient reducing capacity . as with perchlorate , the apcar system will eliminate nitrate / nitrite without producing a secondary waste stream . the end products for the reduction of perchlorate depends on the reductant , the catalyst , and the reaction conditions . for example , when ethanol is oxidized to carbon dioxide ( co 2 ) in the presence of sodium perchlorate ( naclo 4 ), several reactions are possible . this is shown in ( 7 ) through ( 9 ), where the formation of the more reduced forms of chlorine ( i . e ., chlorate , hypochlorite , and chloride ) results in the more effective use of ethanol as a reducing agent . the catalyst plays an important role in determining the reduction by - products . in the case of the przr51 catalyst , a high chloride residual determined by precipitation with agno 3 coupled with very low free chlorine residuals determined by method sm4500cl 24 indicates that chloride is the chief by - product of naclo 4 reduction . in the case of nitrate , ( 10 ) and ( 11 ) show similar to produce nitrite or nitrogen . the absence of no 3 − or no 2 − in the effluent from nano 3 reduction ( epa 300 . 0 ) indicates that n 2 ( g ) is the chief by - product formed by the reaction th ethanol . 25 5ch 3 ch 2 oh + 12no 3 − → 6n 2 + 10co 2 + 12oh − ( 11 ) the following are the references cited above regarding the scope of the for perchlorate and nitrate problem , the health risks , and previous technologies used for perchlorate and nitrate / nitrite destruction . 1 . us epa , drinking water contaminant candidate list , epa 815 - f - 97 - 001 , 1997 . 2 . california department of health services , division of drinking water and environmental management , drinking water program , perchlorate in california drinking water , 1997 . 3 . us epa , 1992 , provisional non - cancer and cancer toxicity values for potassium perchlorate ( casrn 7778 - 74 - 7 ) ( aerojet general corp . ), memorandum from joan s . dollarhide , superfind health risk technical support center , environmental criteria and assessment office , office of research and development , to dan stralka , us epa region ix . 4 . us epa , 1995 , correspondence from joan s . dollarhide , national center for environmental assessment , office of research and development , to mike girrard , chairman , perchlorate study group . 5 . standbury , j . b . and wyngaarden , j . b ., “ effect of perchlorate on the human thyroid gland .”, metabolism , 1 , 533 - 539 , 1952 . 6 . godley , a . f . and j . b . stanbury . “ preliminary experience in the treatment of hyperthyroidism with potassium perchlorate ” endocrinology . 14 , 70 - 78 , 1954 . 7 . crooks , j . and e . j . wayne . “ a comparison of potassium perchlorate , methylthiouracil , and carbimazole in the treatment of thyrotoxicosis ”, lancet ., 1 , 401 - 404 , 1960 . 8 . morgans , m . e . and w . r . trotter . “ potassium perchlorate in thyrotoxicosis ”, br . med . j ., 2 : 1086 - 1087 . 1960 . 9 . hobson , q . j . g . “ aplastic anemia due to treatment with potassium perchlorate ”, br . med . j ., 1 , 1368 - 1369 , 1961 . 10 . johnson , r . s . and w . g . moore . “ fatal aplastic anemia after treatment of thyrotoxicosis with potassium perchlorate ”, br . med . j ., 1 , 1369 - 1371 , 1961 . 11 . fawcett , j . w . and c . w . f . clarke . “ aplastic anemia due to potassium perchlorate ”, br . med . j ., 1 , 1537 , 1961 . 12 . krevans , j . r ., s . p . asper , jr . and w . f . rienhoff . “ fatal aplastic anemia following the use of potassium perchlorate in thyrotoxicosis ”, j . amer . med . assoc ., 181 ( 2 ), 162 - 164 , 1962 . 13 . gjemdal , n . “ fatal aplastic anemia following the use of potassium perchlorate in thyrotoxicosis ”. acta med . scand ., 174 ( 2 ), 129 - 131 , 1963 . 14 . barzilai , d . and sheinfeld , m ., “ fatal complications following the use of potassium perchlorate in thyrotoxicosis ”. israel j . med . sci ., 301 ( 3 ), 190 - 199 , 1966 . 15 . connell , j . m . c . “ long - term use of potassium perchlorate ”, postgrad med . j ., 57 , 516 - 517 , 1981 . 16 . burgi , h ., m . benguerel , j . knopp , h . kohler , and h . studer . “ influence of perchlorate on the secretion of non - thyroxine iodine by the normal human thyroid gland ”, europ . j . clin . invest ., 4 , 65 - 69 , 1974 . 17 . brabant , g ., p . bergman , c . m . kirsch , j . kohrle , r . d . resch , and a . vonzur muhlen . “ early adaptation of thyrotropin and thyroglobulin secretion to experimentally decreased iodine supply in man ”, metabolism ., 41 , 1093 - 1096 , 1992 . 18 . mannisto , p . t ., t . rantum , and j . leppaluoto . “ effects of methylmercaptoimidazole ( mmi ), propylthiouracil ( ptu ), potassium perchlorate ( kclo 4 ) and potassium iodide ( ki ) on the serum concentrations of thyrotrophin ( tsh ) and thyroid hormones in the rat ”, acta endocrin ., 91 , 271 - 281 , 1979 . 19 . kessler , f . j . and h . j . krunkemper . “ experimental thyroid tumors caused by many years of potassium perchlorate administration ”, klin . wochenschr ., 44 , 1154 - 1156 , 1966 . 20 . brooks airforce military home page . demonstration of ammonium perchlorate degredation . www . brooks . af . mil / hsc / al / eq / prod13 . ht , 1997 . 22 . hseu , t . m . and rechnitz , a ., “ analytical study of a perchlorate ion selective membrane electrode .”, anal . lett ., 1 , 629 - 640 , 1968 . 23 . press , w . h ., flannery , b . p ., teukolsky , s . a ., and vetterling , w . t ., numerical recipes : the art of scientific computing , cambridge , n . y ., 1986 . 24 . standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater — 19th edition , edited by a . d . eaton , l . s . clesceri , a . e . greenberg , and m . a . h . franson , american public health association , washington , d . c ., 1995 . 25 . methods for chemical analysis of water and wastewater , u . s . environmental protection agency , cincinnati , ohio , 1997 . 26 . mussan , a . e . and sukhotin , a . m ., russ . j . inorg . chem ., 4 , 276 , 1959 . 28 . heath , g . a . and majer , j . r ., trans . faraday soc ., 60 , 1783 , 1964 . 29 . sibbet , d . j . and lobato , j . m ., “ investigation of the mechanism of combustion of composite solid propellants ”, aerojet report n . 1782 , aerojet - general corp ., azusa , calif ., 1960 . 30 . swaddle , t . w ., miasek , v . i ., and henderson , m . p ., “ kinetics of thermal decomposition of aqueous perchloric acid ”, can . j . chem ., 49 , 317 - 324 , 1971 . 31 . korenkov , v . n ., romanenko , v . i ., kuznetsov , s . i ., and voronov , j . v ., “ process for purification of industrial waste waters from perchlorates and chlorates ”, u . s . pat . no . 3 , 943 , 055 , 1976 . 32 . mower , g . l ., “ perchlorate removal process ”, u . s . pat . no . 5 , 382 , 265 , 1995 . 33 . wanngard , c . j ., “ process for the reduction of perchlorate in electrolytes used for the production of chlorate ”, u . s . pat . no . 5 , 063 , 041 , 1991 . 34 . cawlfield , d . w . and kaczur , j . j ., chlorine dioxide generation using inert load of sodium perchlorate ”, u . s . pat . no . 5 , 322 , 598 , 1994 . 35 . brown , g . m . “ the reduction of chlorate and perchlorate ions at an active titanium electrode ”, j . electroanal . chem ., 198 , 319 - 330 , 1986 . 36 . process design manual for nitrogen control , office of technology transfer of the us epa , 1975 . 37 . bishop , d . f ., and stamberg , j . b ., “ removal of nitrogen and phosphorus from waste water ”, u . s . pat . no . 3 , 617 , 540 , 1971 . 38 . ganczarczyk , j . j . and sabaratnam , s ., “ nitrification process in waste water treatment ”, u . s . pat . no . 4 , 720 , 344 , 1988 . 39 . guter . g . a , “ removal of nitrate from water supplies using a tributyl amine strong base anion exchange resin ”, u . s . pat . no . 4 , 479 , 877 , 1984 . 40 . murphy , a . p ., “ chemical process for the denitrification of water ,” u . s . pat . no . 5 , 069 , 800 , 1991 . 41 . akse , j . r ., and jolly , c . d ., “ catalytic oxidation for treatment of eclss and pmms waste streams ”, technical paper series sae 911539 , presented 21st international conference on environmental systems , san francisco , jul . 15 - 18 , 1991 . 42 . akse , j . r ., “ catalytic methods using molecular oxygen for treatment of pmms and eclss waste streams ”, final report , contract nas8 - 38490 , nasa - msfc , 1992 . 43 . akse , j . r ., thompson , j ., scott , b ., jolly , c ., and carter , d . l ., “ catalytic oxidation for treatment of eclss and pmms waste streams ”, technical paper sae 921274 , presented 22nd international conference on environmental systems , seattle , jul . 13 - 16 , 1992 . 44 . atwater , j . e ., akse , j . r ., mckinnis , j . a , and thompson , j . o ., “ low temperature aqueous phase catalytic oxidation of phenol ”, chemosphere , 34 ( 1 ), 203 - 212 , 1997 . 45 . atwater , j . e ., akse , j . r ., mckinnis , j . a , and thompson , j . o ., “ aqueous phase heterogeneous catalytic oxidation of trichloroethylene ”, appl . catal . b ., 11 , l11 - l18 , 1996 . 46 . atwater , j . e ., akse , j . r ., and thompson , j . o ., “ reactor technology for aqueous phase catalytic oxidation of organics ”, phase i final report submitted to the u . s . air force , environics directorate , tyndall afb , contract no . f08637 c6022 , 1996 . 47 . akse , j . r ., atwater , j . e ., schussel , l . j ., and thompson , j . o ., “ electrochemically generated , hydrogen peroxide boosted aqueous phase catalytic oxidation ”, final report nasa contract nas9 - 19281 , 1995 . 48 . akse , j . r ., et al ., “ in situ hydrogen peroxide generation for use as a disinfectant and as an oxidant for water recovery by aqueous phase catalytic oxidation ”, sae technical paper series 961521 , presented at the 26th international conference on environmental systems , monterey , 1996 . 49 . akse , j . r ., atwater , j . e ., schussel , l . j ., thompson , j . o ., and wheeler , r . r , electrochemical water recovery process for treatment of urine and other biological waste streams , final report contract nas9 - 18528 , prepared for johnson space center , june 1993 . 50 . akse , j . r ., atwater , j . e ., thompson , j . o ., and wheeler , r . r ., jr ., a breadboard electrochemical water recovery system for producing potable water from composite wastewater generated in enclosed habitats , in water purification by photocatalytic , photochemical , and electrochemical processes , rose , t . l ., conway , b . e ., murphy , o . j ., and rudd , e . j , eds ., electrochemical society , 1994 . 51 . hamilton , c . e ., teal , l . j ., and kelly , j . a ., u . s . pat . no . 3 , 442 , 802 , may , 1969 . 52 . sadana , a ., and katzer , j . r ., catalytic oxidation of phenol in aqueous solution over copper oxide , ind . eng . chem ., fundam ., 13 , 127 , 1974 . 53 . baldi , g ., goto , s ., chow , c .- k ., and smith , j . m ., 1974 , catalytic oxidation of formic acid in water . intraparticle diffusion in liquid - filled pores , ind . eng . chem ., process des . develop ., 13 , 447 . 54 . goto , s ., and smith , j . m ., trickle - bed reactor performance . i . holdup and mass transfer effects , aiche j ., 21 , 706 , 1975 . 55 . goto , s ., and smith , j . m ., trickle - bed reactor performance . ii . reaction studies , aiche j ., 21 , 714 , 1975 . 56 . levec , j ., and smith , j . m ., oxidation of acetic acid solutions in a trickle - bed reactor , alche j ., 22 , 159 , 1976 . 57 . levec , j ., herskowitz , m ., and smith , j . m ., an active catalyst for the oxidation of acetic acid solutions , aiche j ., 22 , 919 , 1976 . 58 . box , e . o ., and farha , f ., jr ., polluted water purification , u . s . pat . no . 3 , 823 , 088 , july , 1974 . 59 . levec , j ., catalytic oxidation of toxic organics in aqueous solution , appl . catal ., 63 , l1 , 1990 . 60 . levec , j ., german patent application p 39 38 835 . 2 , november , 1989 . 61 . okada , n ., nakanishi , y ., and harada , y ., process for treating waste water , u . s . pat . no . 4 , 141 , 828 , february , 1979 . 62 . mitsui , k ., terui , s ., sano , k ., kanazaki , t ., nishikawa , k ., and inoue , a ., method for treatment of waste water , u . s . pat . no . 4 , 751 , 005 , june , 1988 . 63 . harada , y ., nakashiba , a ., matuura , h ., okino , t ., fujitani , h ., yamasaki , k ., doi , y ., and yurugi , s ., process for treating waste water by wet oxidations , u . s . pat . no . 4 , 699 , 720 , october , 1987 . 64 . akse , j . r ., atwater , j . e ., schussel , l . j ., and verostko , c . e ., development and fabrication of a breadboard electrochemical water recovery system , technical paper sae 932032 , presented at 23rd international conference on environmental systems , colorado springs , july 1993 . | 8 |
a handheld electronic device with a lanyard and a lanyard attachment mechanism is disclosed . the lanyard is molded into an anchor member . the anchor member fits within a receptacle formed in the handheld electronic device to which the lanyard is attached . in some embodiments , the anchor member is cylindrical in shape and fits into a cylindrical receptacle in the body of the handheld electronic device . a cover is attached to the handheld electronic device &# 39 ; s body to capture the anchor member within the handheld electronic device . the cover can include a notch to provide clearance for the portion of the lanyard extending from the anchor member in the receptacle . various examples of the devices introduced above will now be described in further detail . the following description provides specific details for a thorough understanding and enabling description of these examples . one skilled in the relevant art will understand , however , that the techniques discussed herein may be practiced without many of these details . likewise , one skilled in the relevant art will also understand that the technology can include many other features not described in detail herein . additionally , some well - known structures or functions may not be shown or described in detail below so as to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the relevant description . the terminology used below is to be interpreted in its broadest reasonable manner , even though it is being used in conjunction with a detailed description of some specific examples of the embodiments . indeed , some terms may even be emphasized below ; however , any terminology intended to be interpreted in any restricted manner will be overtly and specifically defined as such in this section . fig1 - 4 are isometric , front , rear , and exploded views , respectively , of a handheld electronic device 101 coupled to a lanyard 103 . the handheld electronic device 101 is illustrated and described throughout as a remote control device , however in other embodiments the handheld electronic device 101 can take other forms or perform other functions . for example , in some embodiments the handheld electronic device 101 can be any small , portable electronic device , such as a media player , smartphone , camera , an rfid transponder , or other electronic device . referring to fig1 - 4 together , the device 101 has a substantially oblong shape , with the lanyard 103 extending from a lower portion 105 of the device 101 . the lanyard 103 can be a cord , string , wire , band , or other such elongated material that extends away from the device 101 and provides a convenient structure for gripping , securing , or otherwise retaining the device 101 . the device 101 includes a front housing 107 that mates with a corresponding rear housing 109 . the front housing 107 includes a plurality of openings 111 a - e that receive , respectively , a plurality of user input controls 113 a - e therethrough . for example , the first user input control 113 a can include a touch - sensitive surface that allows a user to provide input via touching or moving the user &# 39 ; s finger across a touch - sensitive surface of the control 113 a , and / or by depressing a button portion of the control 113 a . second and third user input controls 113 b and 113 c are volume - down and volume - up buttons , respectively , while the fourth user input control 113 d provides a return or “ back ” function . the fifth user input control 113 e is a power button . in other embodiments the user input controls can take a variety of configurations , including other touch - sensitive surfaces , depressible - buttons , or any other input mechanism . sandwiched between the front housing 107 and the rear housing 109 are an internal control assembly 115 and a support body portion 117 . the internal control assembly 115 includes the plurality of input controls 113 a - e on a front side 119 that faces toward the front housing 107 . the control assembly 115 can include a printed circuit board 123 , carrying associated electronics configured to process user input provided via the controls 113 a - e and perform various other electronic functions of the device 101 . the support body portion 117 has a front side 125 that mates with the internal control assembly 115 . the support body portion 117 also includes an access aperture 127 that provides access to a portion of the backside 121 of the control assembly 115 having connection terminals 131 a , 131 b ( fig7 ) that releasably receive a battery 129 . accordingly , the battery 129 can be installed through the access aperture 127 when the rear housing 109 is removed from the support body portion 117 . the support body portion 117 further includes a lanyard receptacle 133 formed in a back side 135 of the support body portion 117 adjacent to the access aperture 127 . as seen in fig4 , the lanyard 103 is fixed at a first end 137 to an anchor member 139 . in some embodiments , the first end 137 of the lanyard 103 is integrally molded into the anchor member 139 . in other embodiments , the first end 137 of the lanyard 103 can be fixed to the anchor member 139 in other ways , such as an additional fastener , an adhesive , or other such approach . the anchor member 139 is configured to be removably received within the receptacle 133 of the support body portion 117 . the receptacle 133 of the illustrated embodiment has a substantially cylindrical shape with an inner diameter , and the anchor member 139 has a corresponding substantially cylindrical shape with an outer diameter just slightly less than the receptacle &# 39 ; s inner diameter to permit the anchor member 139 to be slidably and snuggly inserted into and removed from the receptacle 133 . the anchor member 139 includes a first surface , a second surface , and a sidewall extending between the first surface and the second surface . the first surface is sloped with respect to the second surface . when inserted within the receptacle 133 , the first surface faces the bottom of the receptacle and the second surface faces away from the receptacle 133 . the slope of the second surface corresponds to the portion of the support body portion 117 surrounding the receptacle 133 , such that when inserted within the receptacle 133 , the second surface of the anchor member is substantially coplanar with the portion of the support body portion 117 surrounding the receptacle 133 . although the illustrated embodiment shows a substantially cylindrical receptacle 133 and anchor member 139 , other embodiments can have a mating receptacle 133 and anchor member 139 with other shapes , such as cuboid , frustoconical , polyhedron , or other selected shapes . a notch 141 is formed in a lower portion 143 of the rear housing 109 . referring to fig5 and 6 together , the anchor member 139 is removably inserted into the receptacle 133 with a snug friction fit therebetween so the anchor member 139 is in an installed position and substantially does not move radially relative to the support body portion 117 . when the anchor member 139 is in the installed position , the lanyard 103 extends away from the anchor member 139 and away from a lower portion of the support body portion . the rear housing 109 is removably fastened to the front housing 107 , such that the rear housing 109 covers the rear side of the support body portion 117 and covers the anchor member 139 in the installed position . accordingly , the rear housing 109 blocks the anchor member 139 from moving axially out of the receptacle 133 away from the installed position . in at least one embodiment , the anchor member 139 is retained in the receptacle by a friction fit and / or the rear housing . in other embodiments , an additional fastener can be used to help retain the anchor member 139 in the receptacle when the rear housing 109 is removed from the support body portion to expose the anchor member 139 . for example , the anchor member 139 can be fastened in the installed position by a screw , clip , hook - and - loop , or other fastener or fastening mechanism . in the illustrated embodiment , the anchor member 139 , the support body portion 117 at the receptacle 133 , and the rear housing 109 are configured to accommodate the lanyard 103 extending from the anchor member 139 . for example , the lanyard 103 is molded or otherwise fixedly attached to the anchor member 139 and projects radially away from the cylindrical sidewall of the anchor member 139 . in another embodiment , the lanyard can be positioned to extend away from the circular end wall of the anchor member 139 , or from another selected portion of the anchor member 139 . the substantially cylindrical receptacle 133 has an open slot 145 on one side that permits the lanyard 103 to extend therethrough when the anchor member 139 is in the installed position . when the device 101 is assembled , the slot 145 in the receptacle 133 is substantially aligned with a notch 141 formed in the end of the rear housing 109 . as a result , when the anchor member 139 is in the installed position in the receptacle 133 and the rear housing 109 is fitted over the support body portion 117 , a portion of the lanyard 103 extends from the anchor member 139 , through the slot 145 in the receptacle , and through the notch 141 in the rear housing 109 . the notch 141 is large enough to receive the lanyard 103 therethrough but small enough that the anchor member 139 cannot pass through . the lanyard and anchor member 139 can be removed as a unit , for example if the lanyard needs to be replaced , by removing the rear housing 109 to expose the rear side of the support body portion 117 , and lifting the anchor member out of the receptacle 133 and away from the installed position to a removed position . a new lanyard 103 and anchor member 139 can be quickly and easily installed into the receptacle 133 and the rear housing 109 re - attached to the front housing 107 ( fig4 ) such that the lanyard 103 extends through the slot 145 and the notch 141 . fig7 is a side cross - section of the device 101 and lanyard 103 of fig1 - 6 , with the rear housing 109 removed . as illustrated , the anchor member 139 is received within the receptacle 133 , which is formed in the support body portion 117 of the device 101 . the lanyard 103 is fixed to the anchor member 139 at a first end 137 and extends away from the anchor member 139 through the slot 145 in the receptacle 133 . the battery 129 is received within the access aperture 127 in the support body portion 117 , and abuts the connection terminals 131 a and 131 b disposed on the back side 121 of the internal control assembly 115 . since the anchor member 139 and the associated lanyard 103 can be removed from the receptacle 133 , different lanyards coupled to different anchor members can be quickly and easily substituted for a given device . the above description and drawings are illustrative and are not to be construed as limiting . numerous specific details are described to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosure . however , in some instances , well - known details are not described in order to avoid obscuring the description . further , various modifications may be made without deviating from the scope of the embodiments . reference in this specification to “ one embodiment ” or “ an embodiment ” means that a particular feature , structure , or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure . the appearances of the phrase “ in one embodiment ” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment , nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments . moreover , various features are described which may be exhibited by some embodiments and not by others . similarly , various requirements are described which may be requirements for some embodiments but not for other embodiments . the terms used in this specification generally have their ordinary meanings in the art , within the context of the disclosure , and in the specific context where each term is used . it will be appreciated that the same thing can be said in more than one way . consequently , alternative language and synonyms may be used for any one or more of the terms discussed herein , and any special significance is not to be placed upon whether or not a term is elaborated or discussed herein . synonyms for some terms are provided . a recital of one or more synonyms does not exclude the use of other synonyms . the use of examples anywhere in this specification , including examples of any term discussed herein , is illustrative only and is not intended to further limit the scope and meaning of the disclosure or of any exemplified term . likewise , the disclosure is not limited to various embodiments given in this specification . unless otherwise defined , all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains . in the case of conflict , the present document , including definitions , will control . | 0 |
mordenites are naturally occurring zeolite mineral and those preferably used in the process according to the present invention are characterized by a tubular structure , orthorhombic symmetry , and they possess the lattice parameters ( x - ray diffraction ): a = 18 . 1 å , b = 20 . 2 to 20 . 4 å and c = 7 . 4 to 7 . 5 å with the canals being paralle to the c axis . the process according to the present invention can be used in liquid phase or in vapor phase . this adsorption - desorption process can be carried out between about 25 ° c . and 350 ° c . and in a broad pressure range ( e . g ., under pressures ranging from ca . 1 bar to ca . 30 bar ). the dichlorotoluene isomers can be contacted with the mordenite in a conventional adsorption - separation device . it is especially possible to use devices permitting continuous or batch operations . the form and the dimensions of the said devices can be optimized by the person skilled in the art and they are not themselves within the scope of the present invention . in general , the mordenite used in the adsorption - desorption device , e . g ., in an adsorption column , is in the form of particles whose mean dimensions are between 0 . 1 and 10 mm , and preferably between 0 . 5 and 5 mm . the said mordenite is brought into contact with the dichlorotoluene isomer mixture . even though the adsorption capacity of this type of zeolite with respect to the said five isomers in itself permits the separation of the five isomers , it is possible to only send a mixture containing only a part of the said isomers to the mordenite . thus , after separation of the - 2 , 3 and - 3 , 4 isomers ( which boil at ca . 209 ° c .) by distillation , it is possible to subject only the aforementioned fractions to the adsorption - desorption , as the mordenite adsorbs the - 3 , 4 and - 2 , 3 isomers differently , on the one hand , and the - 2 , 4 - 2 , 5 and - 2 , 6 isomers , on the other hand . it is , of course possible to treat mixtures preliminarily concentrated with respect to at least one of the said isomers by the process according to the present invention . as was stated above , the isomer mixture , total or partial , is partially adsorbed on the mordenite . the non - adsorbed dichlorotoluenes can be collected at the outlet of the adsorption - desorption device . the mordenite is then brought into contact with an eluent or desorbent ; that is , a compound permitting the isomers to be displaced and then to be separated . a compound whose action on the mordenite is on the same order of magnitude as that of the dichlorotoluenes in question is preferably selected . examples of desorbents suitable for use in the instant process are hydrogen , nitrogen , oxygen , carbon dioxide , helium , hydrocarbons and especially alkanes such as methane , ethane , propane , n - hexane , n - heptane , n - octane , iso - octane , cycloalkanes and especially cyclohexane , monocyclic or polycyclic aromatic compounds , which may be unsubstituted or substituted ( preferably halogenated ), such as benzene , toluene , ethyl benzene , cumene , tetrahydronaphthalene , decahydronaphthalene , as well as mono - and dichlorotoluenes . iso - octane , benzene , monochlorobenzene or dichlorobenzenes are preferably used according to the present invention . after the action of the desorbent or eluent agents , the isomers proper can be separated from the said agents by conventional methods ; e . g ., distillation . in general , the process according to the present invention permits the composition of mixtures containing five dichlorotoluene isomers to be modified due to the remarkable selectivity of mordenite . this selectivity is defined by the fraction : ## equ1 ## in particular , this process permits the fractions boiling at 201 ° c . and 209 ° c . to be separated into their constituents and , from the fraction boiling at 201 ° c ., which consists of the - 2 , 4 , - 2 , 5 and - 2 , 6 isomers , it permits the - 2 , 6 isomer to be obtained in a highly efficient manner . the present invention will be illustrated by the following examples which are set forth for purposes of illustration only . a modernite of the molar composition of 0 . 1 na 2 o : 0 . 9 h 2 o : al 2 o 3 : 18 sio 2 was used as the zeolite in these examples ; this mordenite is in the form of particles with a diameter of 3 mm . this mordenite is commercially available from societe chimique de la grande paroisse under the trademark alite 180 . the dichlorotoluene isomer mixture used is formed either by the industrial product obtained by chlorinating toluene ( example 1 ) or by the fractions of the said industrial product which boils at ca . 209 ° c . and ca . 201 ° c ., or finally , by compositions in which the proportions of the constituents were varied ; the experiments were carried out in the vapor phase ( adsorption temperature : 220 ° c .) or in the liquid phase ( 25 ° c .). the experiments were carried out in a column with a diameter of 1 cm and a height of 1 m , containing 10 g of mordenite . nitrogen at a temperature of 450 ° c . was passed through the mordenite for 16 hours before the experiments , after which the mordenite was saturated with the monochlorobenzene . 10 cm 3 of the dichlorotoluene isomer mixture were introduced into the column at a flow rate of 0 . 5 cm 3 / minute . then , 15 cm 3 monochlorobenzene were passed through the column at the same flow rate of 0 . 5 cm 3 / minute . the solution of the dichlorotoluene isomers in the monochlorobenzene was collected , and the molar composition of the desorbate was determined . the instant process was applied to an industrial mixture of dichlorotoluene isomers utilizing the mordenite , isomer mixture , and apparatus , and process conditions described above . the results are set forth in table i and the abbreviations used in the table have the following meanings : mol .% at inlet : molar fraction of the isomer in question in the composition subjected to the adsorption / desorption mol .% at outlet : molar fraction of the isomer in question in the desorbate selectivity /- 2 , 6 : selectivity of the isomer in question with respect to the - 2 , 6 isomer . the selectivity is stated with reference to the - 2 , 6 isomer so as not to crowd the table , but it is certain that it can easily be calculated for any two pair of isomers from the formula above . table i______________________________________dctisomer mol . % at inlet mol . % at outlet selectivity /- 2 , 6______________________________________ - 2 , 5 36 . 95 38 . 92 1 . 43 - 2 , 6 8 . 34 6 . 13 1 . 0 - 2 , 4 33 . 55 34 . 73 1 . 41 - 3 , 4 12 . 92 14 . 23 1 . 50 - 2 , 3 7 . 62 6 . 00 1 . 07______________________________________ the above - described procedure is applied to the fraction of the industrial product boiling at 201 ° c . the results are set forth in table ii . table ii______________________________________ selectivityinitial compo - desorbate compo - - 2 , 4 /- 2 , 6sition ( mol . %) sition ( mol . %) - 2 , 4 /- 2 , 5example - 2 , 5 - 2 , 6 - 2 , 4 - 2 , 5 - 2 , 6 - 2 , 4 - 2 , 5 /- 2 , 6______________________________________2 33 . 40 33 . 19 33 . 23 39 . 11 23 . 62 37 . 27 1 . 58 1 . 64 1 . 04______________________________________ the above - described process is applied to compositions containing two of the three isomers of the fraction boiling at 201 ° c . and the results set forth in table iii . table iii______________________________________ex - initial compo - desorbate compo - am - sition ( mol . %) sition ( mol . %) selectivityple - 2 , 5 - 2 , 6 - 2 , 4 - 2 , 5 - 2 , 6 - 2 , 4 ( s ) ______________________________________3 49 . 95 50 . 05 -- 63 . 78 36 . 22 -- s - 2 , 5 /- 2 , 6 = 1 . 764 -- 50 . 00 50 . 00 -- 36 . 49 63 . 51 s - 2 , 4 /- 2 , 6 = 1 . 745 50 . 35 -- 49 . 65 51 . 05 -- 48 . 95 s - 2 , 5 /- 2 , 4 = 1 . 03______________________________________ the process is applied to mixtures of the - 2 , 4 and - 2 , 6 isomers at varying ratios and the results set forth in table iv . table iv______________________________________initial compo - desorbate compo - sition ( mol . %) sition ( mol . %) selectivityexample - 2 , 4 - 2 , 6 - 2 , 4 - 2 , 6 - 2 , 4 /- 2 , 6______________________________________6 10 . 70 89 . 30 21 . 70 78 . 30 2 . 317 17 . 13 82 . 87 27 . 12 72 . 88 1 . 808 39 . 72 60 . 28 55 . 72 44 . 28 1 . 91______________________________________ the process is applied to mixtures of the - 2 , 5 and - 2 , 6 isomers at varying rations and results set forth in table v . table v______________________________________initial compo - desorbate compo - sition ( mol . %) sition ( mol . %) selectivityexample - 2 , 5 - 2 , 6 - 2 , 5 - 2 , 6 - 2 , 5 /- 2 , 6______________________________________ 9 25 . 03 74 . 97 42 . 42 57 . 58 2 . 2110 59 . 72 40 . 28 72 . 75 27 . 25 1 . 80______________________________________ the separation test with the - 2 , 4 , - 2 , 5 and - 2 , 6 isomer mixtures is repeated in the liquid phase with solutions in iso - octane at 25 ° c . and results set forth in table vi . table vi______________________________________ % of isomer in the relative % of the initial final two isomersexample isomers solution initial final______________________________________11 - 2 , 4 5 . 73 5 . 05 50 46 . 30 and - 2 , 6 5 . 74 6 . 00 50 53 . 7012 - 2 , 5 5 . 76 5 . 16 50 46 . 30 and - 2 , 6 5 . 77 5 . 99 50 53 . 70______________________________________ it is apparent from this table that the absolute percentage of the - 2 , 6 isomer in the final solution is practically identical with the initial percentage , whereas the decreases in the concentrations of the - 2 , 4 and - 2 , 5 isomers are evident . consequently , high selectivity is observed in the liquid phase as well . the liquid - phase experiment from example 11 was repeated with ternary mixture ( example 13 ) or with the commercial product ( example 14 ). the following results were obtained : table viii______________________________________ % of isomer in the relative % of the initial final two isomersexample isomers solution initial final______________________________________13 - 2 , 5 3 . 81 3 . 32 33 . 48 31 . 41 - 2 , 6 3 . 79 3 . 90 33 . 30 36 . 90 - 2 , 4 3 . 78 3 . 35 33 . 22 31 . 6514 - 2 , 5 4 . 24 3 . 87 37 . 19 36 . 44 - 2 , 6 0 . 96 0 . 98 8 . 42 9 . 23 - 2 , 4 3 . 85 3 . 54 33 . 77 33 . 33 - 3 , 4 1 . 48 1 . 31 12 . 98 12 . 34 - 2 , 3 0 . 87 0 . 92 8 . 07 8 . 66______________________________________ while the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment , it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular form set forth , but , on the contrary , it is intended to cover such alternatives , modifications , and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . | 2 |
the compounds of formula i , and salts thereof , can be complexed with a paramagnetic metal atom and used as relaxation enhancement agents for magnetic resonance imaging . these agents , when administered to a mammalian host ( e . g ., humans ) distribute in various concentrations to different tissues , and catalyze relaxation of protons ( in the tissues ) that have been excited by the absorption of radiofrequency energy from a magnetic resonance imager . this acceleration of the rate of relaxation of the excited protons provides for an image of different contrast when the host is scanned with a magnetic resonance imager . the magnetic resonance imager is used to record images at various times generally before and after administration of the agents , and the differences in the images created by the agents &# 39 ; presence in tissues are used in diagnosis . in proton magnetic resonance imaging , paramagnetic metal atoms such as gadolinium ( iii ), and octahedral manganese ( ii ), chromium ( iii ), and iron ( iii ) ( all are paramagnetic metal atoms with a symmetrical electronic configuration ) are preferred as metals complexed by the ligands of formula i ; gadolinium ( iii ) is most preferred due to the fact that it has the highest paramagnetism , low toxicity , and high lability of coordinated water . the metal - chelating ligands of formula i can be complexed with a lanthanide ( atomic number 58 to 71 ) and used as chemical shift agents in magnetic resonance imaging or in magnetic resonance in vivo spectroscopy . while the above - described uses for the metal - chelating ligands of formula i are preferred , those working in the diagnostic arts will appreciate that the ligands can also be complexed with the appropriate metals and used as contrast agents in x - ray imaging , radionuclide imaging and ultrasound imaging . to use the ligands of this invention for imaging , they must first be complexed with the appropriate metal . this can be accomplished by methodology known in the art . for example , the metal can be added to water in the form of an oxide or in the form of a halide and treated with an equimolar amount of a ligand of formula i . the ligand can be added as an aqueous solution or suspension . dilute acid or base can be added ( if needed ) to maintain a neutral ph . heating at temperatures as high as 100 ° c . for periods up to four hours is sometimes required , depending on the metal and the chelator , and their concentrations . pharmaceutically acceptable salts of the metal complexes of the ligands of this invention are also useful as imaging agents . they can be prepared by using a base ( e . g ., an alkali metal hydroxide , meglumine or arginine ) to neutralize the above - prepared metal complexes while they are still in solution . some of the metal complexes are formally uncharged and do not need cations as counterions . such neutral complexes are preferred as intravenously administered x - ray and nmr imaging agents over charged complexes because they provide solutions of greater physiologic tolerance due to their lower osmolality . sterile aqueous solutions of the chelate - complexes can be administered to mammals ( e . g ., humans ) orally , intrathecally and especially intravenously in concentrations of 0 . 003 to 1 . 0 molar . for example , for the visualization of brain lesions in canines using magnetic resonance imaging , a gadolinium complex of a ligand of formula i can be administered intravenously at a dose of 0 . 05 to 0 . 5 millimoles of the complex per kilogram of animal body weight , preferably at a dose of 0 . 1 to 0 . 25 millimole / kilogram . for visualization of the kidneys , the dose is preferably 0 . 05 to 0 . 25 millimoles / kilogram . for visualization of the heart , the dose is preferably 0 . 25 to 1 . 0 millimoles / kilogram . the ph of the formulation will be between about 6 . 0 and 8 . 0 , preferably between about 6 . 5 and 7 . 5 . physiologically acceptable buffers ( e . g ., tris ( hydroxymethyl ) aminomethane ) and other physiologically acceptable additives ( e . g ., stabilizers such as parabens ) can be present . use in radiotherapy or imaging where the metal - chelate - complex is bound to a biomolecule the bifunctional metal - chelating ligands can bind to a monoclonal antibody or a fragment thereof for use in radiotherapy . monoclonal antibodies are useful in that they can be used to target radionuclides to cancer or tumor sites with great specificity . the compounds of this invention wherein r 1 is other than hydrogen are then linked to monoclonal antibodies or fragments thereof . the methods of linking the bifunctional chelate to the antibody or antibody fragment are known in the art ( brechbiel , same reference as referred to hereinabove ) and will depend primarily on the particular bifunctional chelate and secondarily on the antibody or fragment thereof . for example , when the formula i compound is ## str7 ## one reacts 10 μl of a 5 . 0 mm aqueous solution of the formula i chelator with 0 . 5 ml of a 5 . 0 mg / ml monoclonal antibody ( b72 . 3 purchaseable from damon biotech corporation ) in 50 mm hepes buffer at ph 8 . 5 . 16 μl of 1 . 5m aqueous triethylamine is added . after 2 hours reaction time , the monoclonal antibody is purified by dialysis . this procedure provides between 1 and 2 formula i chelator molecules bound to each monoclonal antibody . radioactive metal ion ( for example 90 y ) can then be added to the monoclonal antibody - bound chelator by methods known in the art . for example , 90 y as the 90 y ( iii )( acetate ) 3 ( h 2 o ) 4 ( approximate formula in aqueous solution ) can be reacted with the mono - clonal antibody - bound chelate in solutions where the concentration of each is between 10 - 5 - 10 - 7 and the ph is 6 . dialysis against citrate is then used to purify the product . an alternative , and preferred method follows that described above , but substitutes the metal - chelate complex for the chelating ligand . to use this method the metal chelate complex is first made by reacting metal - oxide ,- halide , nitrate - acetate , or the like with formula i chelator . for the chelator described above the acetate of 90 y at & lt ; 10 - 6 m is reacted with the chelator at about 10 - 3 at ph 6 , the chelate complex is purified by ion exchange or reverse phase hplc chromatography , and then reacted with the monoclonal antibody described above for the chelator . the bifunctional , metal - containing , linked antibody is used in the following manner . a human or animal with a tumor to which the monoclonal antibody is specific is injected intravenously , subcutaneously , intraparetoneally or intralymphatically for example , with an aqueous solution of the 90 y - formula i chelator - monoclonal antibody compound . this allows the radioactive metal ion to be directed to the tumor for which it is intended . the intravenous dosaged used is 0 . 1 to 0 . 4 millicurie per kilogram of body weight . the compounds of formula i can be prepared by the reaction of a compound having the formula ## str8 ## with a reactive acid derivative having the formula ## str9 ## wherein x is a readily displaceable group such as chlorine , bromine or iodine . in preparing those compounds of formula i wherein y is oxygen or ## str10 ## other than -- nh --, the above - described reaction of a compound of formula ii with a compound of formula iii is preferably carried out in water at a ph of about 9 to 10 ( most preferably about 9 . 5 ). the reaction proceeds most readily if it is warmed to about 50 °- 80 ° c . base , such as an alkali metal hydroxide or a tetraalkylammonium hydroxide , can be used to adjust and maintain the ph of the reaction . the reaction is completed in about 6 to 18 hours . in preparing those compounds of formula i wherein y is -- nh --, the above - described reaction of a compound of formula ii with a compound of formula iii is preferably carried out in water at a ph of about 8 . 5 to 9 and the temperature of the reaction is maintained at about 45 °- 55 ° c . preferably , only about two equivalents of a compound of formula iii are initially used in the reaction ; an additional equivalent of the compound of formula iii is added in portions starting about 2 to 3 hours after the reaction begins . total reaction time will preferably be about 8 to 24 hours . the desired tri - substitued product can be separated from the reaction mixture , which includes the mono -, di -, tri - and tetra - substituted derivatives , by art - recognized techniques including selective precipitation , chromatography and crystallization . a preferred preparation of the compounds of formula i wherein y is nh and r 2 is hydrogen is to react 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane , known in the art , with dimethylformamidedimethylacetal in the presence of benzene to yield 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazatricyclo [ 5 . 5 . 1 . 0 ] tridecane . this &# 34 ; tricyclic &# 34 ; compound is reacted with an ethanol / water mixture to yield 1 - formyl - 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane . this formyl compound is then reacted with t - butyl bromoacetate to yield 1 - formyl , 4 , 7 , 10 - triscarboxymethyl - 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane , tris - t - butylester . finally , the ester groups are removed in the presence of strong acid , such as sulfuric acid , to yield a compound of formula i wherein y is nh and r 2 is hydrogen . additional synthetic approaches for preparing the compounds of this invention will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art . for example , those compounds of formula i wherein y is ## str11 ## and r 1 is alkyl , arylalkyl , hydroxyakyl , aryl can be prepared by alkylation of the corresponding compound of formula i wherein y is -- nh --. those compounds of formula i wherein y is -- nh -- can be prepared by debenzylation of the corresponding compound of formula i wherein y is ## str12 ## and r 1 is benzyl . the debenzylation reaction can be accomplished using catalytic hydrogenolysis . those starting compounds of formula ii wherein y is oxygen or -- nh -- are known . the compounds of formula ii wherein y is ## str13 ## and r 1 is alkyl , arylalkyl , hydroxyalkyl or aryl ( this subgenus is referred to hereinafter as r &# 39 ; 1 ) are novel , and as such constitute an integral part of this invention . they can be prepared from the compound of formula ii wherein y is -- nh -- using conventional alkylation techniques . alternatively , the starting compounds of formula ii wherein y is ## str14 ## can be prepared by first reacting the 1 , 4 , 7 - tritosylate of diethanolamine with the 1 , 7 - ditosylate of a 4 - substituted 1 , 4 , 5 - triazaheptane to yield ## str15 ## wherein the symbol &# 34 ; ts &# 34 ; represents the tosyl ( p - toluenesulfonyl ) group . this general approach to polyazamacrocycles is described in org . synth ., 58 : 86 ( 1978 ). the 4 - substituted 1 , 4 , 7 - triazaheptanes can be prepared using the methodology described in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 201 , 472 . removal of the tosyl groups from a compound of formula iv yields the desired compounds of formula ii wherein y is ## str16 ## it can be accomplished by acid hydrolysis using , for example , concentrated sulfuric acid or hydrobromic acid with acetic acid and phenol or by reductive cleavage using , for example , lithium aluminum hydride or sodium in liquid ammonia . alternatively , the starting compounds of formula ii wherein y is ## str17 ## can be prepared by reducing the corresponding compound having the formula ## str18 ## using phosphorous oxychloride or phosphorous pentachloride and zinc or sodium borohydride , lithium aluminum hydride , or borane . compounds of formula v can be prepared by cyclocondensation of diethylenetriamine with diesters of substituted imino diacetic acids , i . e ., compounds of the formula ## str19 ## the compounds of formula i wherein y is ## str20 ## r 2 = hydrogen and r 1 is other than hydrogen are prepared from the compound of formula i wherein y is ## str21 ## and r 2 is hydrogen namely , 1 , 4 , 7 - triscarboxymethyl - 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane ( do3a ). these type of reactions are known in the art and are described below : for convenience &# 34 ; do3a &# 34 ; will be represented pictorially by ## str22 ## in order to illustrate the reactive secondary amine nitrogen . ## str23 ## and r &# 39 ; and r &# 34 ; can be the same or different and are alkyl . to a solution of 8 . 00 g ( 24 . 8 mmol ) of 1 - oxa - 4 , 7 , 10 - triazacyclododecane sulfuric acid salt in 20 ml of water was added 6m potassium hydroxide to give a ph of 9 . 1 . chloroacetic acid ( 11 . 66 g , 124 mmol ) was added , the ph adjusted to 9 . 5 , and the solution warmed to 45 ° c . the reaction was continued for 15 hours with base added as necessary to maintain the ph between 9 . 5 - 10 . the solution was cooled to 21 ° c ., the ph brought to 2 . 0 with concentrated hydrochloric acid , and the solution evaporated to dryness . the residue was extracted with 400 ml of ethanol , filtered , and the solvent evaporated . the solid was dissolved in water and passed onto a cation exchange column ( dowex 50x2 , hydrogen form ). the column was washed with water and the ligand eluted with 0 . 5m ammonium hydroxide . the solvent was evaporated , the solid redissolved in water and passed onto an anion exchange column ( ag1 - x8 , formate form ). the column was washed well with water , and the ligand eluted with 0 . 5m formic acid . the solvent was evaporated under reduced pressure , the solid redissolved in water and reevaporated . the crude solid was dissolved in methanol and slowly precipitated by the addition of acetone and cooling to about 5 ° c . the yield was 2 . 66 g of an extremely hygroscopic and deliquescent solid . 13 c nmr ( d 2 o , ppm vs tms ): 175 . 4 , 170 . 7 , 65 . 3 , 58 . 4 , 56 . 0 , 54 . 0 , 53 . 7 , 49 . 9 . mass spectrum ( fab ): m / e 348 ( m + h ) and 346 ( m - h ). a solution of 36 . 8 g ( 0 . 100 mol ) 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane bissulfuric acid salt in 166 ml deionized water was brought to ph 8 . 5 using 6m potassium hydroxide . to this solution was added 18 . 9 g ( 0 , 200 mol ) of solid chloroacetic acid , and the ph was readjusted to 8 . 5 . the temperature was increased to 50 ° c . and the ph maintained between 8 . 5 - 9 . 0 by the addition of 6m potassium hydroxide as necessary . after 3 hours , an additional 4 . 73 g ( 0 . 050 mol ) of chloroacetic acid was added , and the ph readjusted . after 5 hours , an additional 3 . 78 g ( 0 . 040 mol ) of chloroacetic acid was added and the ph was readjusted . the reaction was continued at 50 ° c . and ph 8 . 5 - 9 . 0 for 16 hours after the second addition . the reaction mixture was cooled , the ph brought to 2 with concentrated hydrochloric acid , and the mixture diluted with methanol . the mixture was filtered and the filtrate evaporated . the solid was dissolved in water and passed onto a cation exchange column ( dowex 50x2 - 400 , hydrogen form ). the column was washed well with water then the ligand brought off by eluting with 0 . 5m ammonium hydroxide . evaporation gave the solid ammonium salt . this salt was dissolved in water and passed onto a column of anion exchange resin ( dowex ag1 - x8 ). the column was washed well with water and the ligand eluted with 0 . 5m aqueous formic acid . the solid obtained after evaporation of the solvent was crystallized from methanol to give 8 . 2 g of the ligand as a colorless solid . 13 c nmr ( d 2 o , ppm vs tms ): 176 . 9 , 171 . 0 , 57 . 0 , 55 . 7 , 52 . 7 , 50 . 3 , 49 . 3 , 43 . 6 . mass spectrum ( fab ): m / e 345 ( m - h ) and 347 ( m + h ). a mixture of 100 mg of 10 % palladium on charcoal and 250 mg of 1 - benzyl - 4 , 7 , 10 - triscarboxymethyl - 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane in 40 ml of 5 % acetic acid in water was shaken under 35 . 8 p . s . i . of hydrogen for 16 hours . filtration and evaporation gave the crude ligand which was crystallized from methanol / acetone yielding 130 mg of the desired product . to a solution of 250 mg ( 0 . 723 mmol ) of 1 , 4 , 7 - triscarboxymethyl - 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane in 2 . 9 ml of methanol was added 220 mg ( 1 . 59 mmol ) of potassium carbonate . to the resulting mixture was added 308 mg ( 2 . 17 mmol , 3 equiv ) of methyl iodide . within a short time , most of the solids dissolved . after 15 hours at 21 ° c ., a mass of crystals had separated . additional methanol was added ( 2 ml ) to dissolve the solid . after 23 hours , an additional 102 mg ( 0 . 72 mmol ) of methyl iodide was added . after an additional 16 hours , the solution was acidified with concentrated hydrochloric acid and the volatiles were removed on the rotary evaporator . the residue was extracted with methanol , filtered , and the methanol evaporated . the residue was crystallized twice from methanol / acetone yielding 56 mg ( 0 . 16 mmol ) of a colorless solid , melting point 215 °- 240 ° ( dec .). 13 c nmr ( d 2 o , ppm vs tms ): 177 . 2 , 171 . 1 , 57 . 2 , 56 . 5 , 54 . 1 , 52 . 6 , 50 . 1 , 49 . 9 , 43 . 7 . mass spectrum ( fab ): m / e 359 ( m - h ) and 361 ( m + h ). to a solution of 6 . 80 g ( 95 . 7 mmol ) acrylamide ( 95 . 7 mmol ) in 10 ml water at ca . 5 ° c . was added dropwise 4 . 4 ml ( 4 . 32 g , 40 . 3 mmol ) of benzyl amine . after the addition was complete , the temperature was raised to 87 ° c for 6 hours . the water was evaporated to give a thick oil . the oil was dissolved in about 25 ml acetone and about 15 ml of ether was added to precipitate an oil . this mixture was allowed to stand for 16 hours , during which time the oil solidified . the solid was broken up and collected by filtration and dried under vacuum at 50 ° c . for 6 hours . the crude product weighed 9 . 75 g ( 39 . 1 mmol ), melted at 103 °- 106 ° c ., and was suitable for use in the next reaction without further purification . to a solution of 38 . 7 g ( 0 , 586 mol ) potassium hydroxide in 150 ml water at 5 ° c . was added 30 . 0 g ( 0 . 120 ml ) of 5 - benzyl - 2 , 8 - dioxo - 1 , 5 , 9 - triazanonane . to the resulting mixture was added dropwise 345 ml of 0 . 80m potassium hypochlorite over 0 . 5 hours . the solution was allowed to warm to 21 ° c . then heated to 85 ° c . for 4 hours . the solvent was then evaporated under reduced pressure and the residue was extracted with dichloromethane , filtered , dried with magnesium sulfate , filtered , and evaporated to give 14 . 7 g of the crude product . vacuum distillation gave 10 . 1 g of the desired triamine as a colorless liquid , boiling point 110 °- 115 ° c . at 0 . 35 mm . of hg . 13 c nmr ( cdcl 3 , ppm vs tms ): 139 . 1 , 128 . 7 , 128 . 1 , 126 . 9 , 59 . 0 , 56 . 3 , 39 . 3 . mass spectrum ( ci ): m / e 194 ( m + h ) and 192 ( m - h ). to a solution of 141 . 2 g ( 0 . 741 mol ) of p - toluenesulfonyl chloride in 250 ml of dichloromethane with 110 ml ( 0 . 8 mol ) of triethylamine was added dropwise 68 . 0 g ( 0 . 352 mol ) of 4 - benzyl - 1 , 4 , 7 - triazaheptane in 75 ml of dichloromethane . after 2 hours , the solution was washed three times with water at ph 9 , and the organic phase was dried with sodium sulfate and filtered . evaporation gave an oil which was dissolved in about 450 ml of ethyl acetate . the solution was diluted with 200 ml of ether and left to stand at room temperature for 24 hours . the mixture was further diluted with about 50 ml of ether and refrigerated for another day . the product crystallized in massive prisms which were collected by filtration and dried under vacuum at 40 ° c . for 6 hours , yielding in the first crop 140 g ( 0 . 279 mol ) of a colorless solid ; melting point 87 °- 91 ° c . mass spectrum ( ci ): m / e 502 ( m + h ) and 500 ( m - h ). into a dry flask under nitrogen was placed about 3 . 9 g of a 60 % sodium hydride dispersion . it was washed twice with hexanes then suspended in 200 ml of dry dimethylformamide . to the mixture was added 20 g ( 40 mmol ) of 4 - benzyl - 1 , 7 - bis -( p - toluenesulfonyl )- 1 , 4 , 7 - triazaheptane over 5 minutes . after the initial reaction had subsided , the mixture was heated to 110 ° c . for 1 hour . to the resulting hot solution was added dropwise 22 . 6 g ( 40 mmol ) of diethanolamine tritosylate in 100 ml of dry dimethylformamide over 3 . 5 hours . after an additional 0 . 5 hours , the solution was allowed to cool and 20 ml of methanol was added . the volatiles were then removed on the rotary evaporator . the residue was dissolved in a mixture of 400 ml of water and 200 ml of dichloromethane . the phases were separated and the aqueous phase washed twice more with dichloromethane . the combined organic fractions were dried ( magnesium sulfate ), filtered , and evaporated to give a yellow oil . crystallization was induced by the addition of about 100 ml of methanol . the mixture was kept at - 5 ° c . overnight and the product collected by filtration . after drying , 20 . 4 g of a colorless solid was obtained ; melting point 208 °- 210 ° c . to a slurry of 2 . 0 g ( 2 . 8 mmol ) 1 - benzyl - 4 , 7 , 10 - tris ( p - toluenesulfonyl )- 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane in about 25 ml of ammonia at - 77 ° c . under nitrogen was added 0 . 50 g ( 22 mmol , 8 equiv ) of sodium metal in portions over about 5 minutes . the blue mixture was stirred an additional 45 minutes and the reaction was quenched with 1 . 16 g ( 22 mmol ) of solid ammonium chloride . the ammonia was allowed to evaporate . water ( 50 ml ) was added to the residue and the ph adjusted to about 12 using 6m potassium hydroxide . the mixture was extracted three times with 30 ml portions of dichloromethane . the combined organic fractions were then extracted with three 30 ml portions of 2m hydrochloric acid . evaporation of the water under reduced pressure gave a solid residue . the residue was washed with methanol and dried under vacuum at 50 ° c . to give 600 mg ( 1 . 47 mmol ) of a colorless solid , which was used directly in the final step . to a solution of 31 . 2 g dimethyl - n - benzyliminodiacetate in 2 . 5 l of dry ethanol at reflux under nitrogen was added dropwise 12 . 8 g of diethylenetriamine in 160 ml of dry ethanol . reflux was carried out for a total of 137 hours . the solution was evaporated under reduced pressure leaving a yellow paste . trituration with acetone left 5 . 2 g of the desired product as a colorless solid . 13 c nmr ( methanol , ppm vs tms ): 173 . 6 , 139 . 0 , 130 . 5 , 129 . 6 , 128 . 8 , 64 . 0 , 46 . 3 , 38 . 7 . mass spectrum ( ci ): m / e 291 ( m + h ) and 289 ( m - 859 h ). to a suspension of 890 mg ( 3 . 07 mmol ) of 1 - benzyl - 3 , 11 - dioxo - 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane in tetrahydrofuran under nitrogen was added 2 . 64 ml of 8m borane - methyl sulfide complex ( 21 . 1 mol , 7 equivalents ). the mixture was heated to reflux allowing the methyl sulfide to distill out of the reaction flask . after 2 hours , the reaction was quenched by the addition of 12 ml 1 . 8m hydrochloric acid in methanol and refluxed for an additional 3 hours . volatiles were removed by evaporation , and the solid resuspended in methanol and reevaporated . the product was crystallized from methanol / ethyl acetate ; yield 455 mg , 37 %. mass spectrum ( ci ): m / e 263 ( m + h ). the ph of a solution of 3 . 5 g of 1 - benzyl - 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane tetrahydrochloride in 17 ml of water was adjusted to 7 using 6 . 0m potassium hydroxide . to this solution was added 3 . 64 g of chloroacetic acid , and the ph was re - adjusted to 9 . 5 . the solution was warmed to 45 ° c . and the ph adjusted as necessary to maintain the ph at 9 . 5 - 10 . after 6 hours , the heat source was removed and the solution left to stand for 1 day . the solution was acidified to ph 3 with concentrated hydrochloric acid , diluted with 500 ml of water , and applied to a dowex 50x - 2 cation exchange resin ( h + form ). after washing with water , the ligand was eluted with 0 . 5m aqueous ammonia . after evaporation of the solvents , the crude ammonium salt was redissolved in water and applied to an anion exchange column . after washing with water , the ligand was eluted with 0 . 2m aqueous formic acid . after evaporation of the solvents , the crude product was crystallized from methanol / acetone to give 2 . 0 g of the ligand as a colorless solid . mass spectrum ( fab ): m / e 437 ( m + h ) and 435 ( m - h ). to a solution of 9 . 05 g ( 26 . 1 mmol ) of 1 , 4 , 7 - triscarboxymethyl - 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane ( see example 3 ) in 50 ml of water was added 4 . 74 g ( 13 . 1 mmol ) of solid gadolinium oxide . the mixture was heated to 90 ° c . for 4 hours , during which time most of the solid dissolved . the mixture was filtered and the filtrate evaporated to dryness under reduced pressure . the gummy residue was twice dissolved in ethanol and evaporated to dryness . the colorless solid residue was dissolved in nitromethane , filtered through a fine porosity sintered glass funnel , and the filtrate placed in a flask in a closed container also holding about 1 liter of water . diffusion of water into the organic solution over several days gave a colorless solid precipitate . the precipitate was collected by filtration , washed with nitromethane , resuspended in acetone and washed well with that solvent , then dried under vacuum at 60 ° c . for 2 days yielding 10 . 7 g of a colorless solid . anal . calcd . for 90 . 06 % ligand , 9 . 94 % water ; c , 30 . 25 ; h , 5 . 28 ; n , 10 . 08 . found : c , 30 . 25 ; h , 5 . 48 ; n , 9 . 97 ; c / n = 14 . 4 gadolinium acetate tetrahydrate ( 145 . 5 mg ) was dissolved in 3 ml of deionized water . aqueous 1m 1 , 4 , 7 - triscarboxymethyl - 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane was added to the gadolinium acetate solution , mixed and adjusted to ph 3 . the mixture was heated for 20 minutes at 88 ° c . and adjusted to ph 7 . 3 with 1n sodium hydroxide . the free gadolinium content was measured by paper thin layer chromatograhy . twice the quantity of 1 , 4 , 7 - triscarboxymethyl - 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane required to chelate any free gadolinium was added . the solution was adjusted to ph 3 , heated at 88 ° c . for 20 minutes and then adjusted to ph 7 . 3 . free gadolinium content was determined and 1 , 4 , 7 - triscarboxymethyl - 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane was added as required . the sample was adjusted to 7 ml with deionized water , passed through a 0 . 22μ filter ( millipore ) into a vial , stoppered and sealed . thirty mg of 4 , 7 , 10 - triscarboxymethyl - 1 - oxa - 4 , 7 , 10 - triazacyclododecane ( see example 1 ) was added to 0 . 7 ml of 100 mm gadolinium acetate . the solution was adjusted to ph 3 and heated at 88 ° c . for 20 minutes . a precipitate was visible when the solution was adjusted to ph 7 . 3 . 4 , 7 , 10 - triscarboxymethyl - 1 - oxa - 4 , 7 , 10 - triazacyclododecane ( 16 mg ) was added , the solution adjusted to ph 3 and heated at 88 ° c . for 20 minutes . on adjustment to ph 7 . 3 , a slight precipitate was observed . twenty mg of 4 , 7 , 10 - triscarboxymethyl - 1 - oxa - 4 , 7 , 10 - triazacyclododecane was added and the solution was adjusted to ph 3 . 0 . reheating under the same conditions resulted in reducing the free gadolinium to 0 . 22 ± 0 . 18 % as measured by paper thin layer chromatography of a radiolabeled chelate solution . the final chelate solution was clear at ph 7 . 3 . it was passed through a 0 . 22μ filter ( millipore ) into a vial and sealed . 100 mm of calcium ( ii ) ( 1 , 4 , 7 - triscarboxymethyl - 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane ) was prepared by mixing equal volumes of 200 mm of calcium chloride and 200 mm of 1 , 4 , 7 - triscarboxymethyl - 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane . one and one - half ml of the solution was adjusted to ph 8 . 8 with dilute sodium hydroxide and 150 μl of 0 . 88 % stannous tetrahydrochloride chloride was added and mixed . technetium - 99m was added to obtain a final concentration of 20 μci / ml and the solution was adjusted to ph 3 . the solution was heated at 88 ° c . for 20 minutes , cooled , and adjusted to ph 7 . after adjusting to a volumne of 3 ml , it was passed through a 0 . 22μ filter . ( 1 , 4 , 7 - triscarboxymethyl - 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane ( 69 . 3 mg ) and 58 . 8 mg of dihydrated calcium chloride were mixed in water to yield calcium ( ii ) ( 1 , 4 , 7 - triscarboxymethyl - 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane ). 90 μci of 67 - gallium was added . the solution was adjusted to ph 3 , heated at 88 ° c . for 20 minutes and adjusted to ph 7 . 3 . 50 mm bismuth ( iii ) ( 1 , 4 , 7 - triscarboxymethyl - 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane ) was prepared by combining 24 . 2 mg of bismuth nitrate with 100 μl of 1m 1 , 4 , 7 - triscarboxymethyl - 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane and 140 μl of acid . the solution was adjusted to ph 3 with dilute sodium hydroxide . the mixture was heated at 88 ° c . until the bismuth nitrate dissolved ( ca . 30 minutes ). the solution was adjusted to ph 7 . 3 with dilute sodium hydroxide and reheated briefly at 88 ° c . until a small quantity of precipitate was dissolved . on cooling , the solution remained clear . determination of free bismuth by precipitation and x - ray fluorescence spectroscopy showed that & gt ; 99 % of the bismuth had been chelated . four hundred fifty μl of 100 mm solutions of each of chromic chloride , ferric chloride , manganese chloride and dysprosium chloride were mixed with 50 μl of 1m 1 , 4 , 7 - triscarboxymethyl - 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane and adjusted to ph 4 . 5 . the solutions were heated at 88 ° c . for 20 minutes to enhance the rate of chelation , cooled and then adjusted to ph 7 . to determine if chelation had occurred , the solutions were diluted to a concentration of 1 mm metal chelate . an aliquot was tested by measuring its relaxivity and comparing it with the relaxivity of the metal ion alone . the data demonstrated clearly that the metal ions had been chelated . the relaxivity is proportional to the number of water molecules bound to the metal . the chelator displaces coordinated water molecules and thus lowers the relaxivity . relaxitives of metal chelates are shown in the following table . ______________________________________relaxivities of metal chelates at 20mhzchelate k . sub . 1metal ( mole . sup .- 1 sec .. sup .- 1 ) ______________________________________dysprosium ( iii ) ( 1 , 4 , 7 - triscarboxymethyl - 1771 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane ) dysprosium chloride 525iron ( iii )( 1 , 4 , 7 - triscarboxymethyl - 5301 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane ) ferric chloride 3374chromium ( iii )( 1 , 4 , 7 - triscarboxymethyl - 4221 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane ) chromic chloride 3270manganese ( iii )( 1 , 4 , 7 - triscarboxymethyl - 11511 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane )( sodiumsalt ) manganese chloride 6250______________________________________ gadolinium acetate tetrahydrate ( 102 mg ) was mixed with 133 mg of 4 , 7 , 10 - triscarboxymethyl - 1 - methyl - 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane . to the mixture was added 250 μci of 153 gadolinium nitrate . the solution was adjusted to ph 3 with 1n hydrochloric acid and heated for 20 minutes at 88 ° c . the solution was adjusted to ph 7 . free gadolinium content was 5 . 07 %. additional ligand , 36 mg , was added , the solution was adjusted to ph 3 and heated as before . the solution was adjusted to ph 7 . 3 and tested by the thin layer chromatography procedure . free gadolinium content was 0 . 14 %. 145 . 4 mg of yttrium acetate tetrahydrate y ( oac ) 3 ( h 2 o ) 4 is dissolved in 3 ml of deionized water . 0 . 1 mci of a radioactive tracer , 90 y in hydrochloric acid , is added . 385 μl of aqueous 1m 1 , 4 , 7 - triscarboxymethyl - 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane is added to the yttrium acetate solution , mixed and adjusted to ph 3 to 4 with 1n hydrochloric acid or 1n sodium hydroxide . the mixture is heated for 20 minutes at 88 ° c . and adjusted to ph 7 . 3 with 1n sodium hydroxide . the unreacted yttrium is measured by paper thin - layer chromatography . the quantity of 1 , 4 , 7 - triscarboxymethyl - 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane required to react with any unreacted yttrium is added by weighing the proper amount of solid 1 , 4 , 7 - triscarboxymethyl - 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane or by adding an additional volume of the 1m 1 , 4 , 7 - triscarboxymethyl - 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane solution . the solution is adjusted to ph 3 to 4 , heated at 88 ° c . for 20 minutes and then adjusted to ph 7 . 3 . the process of detecting unreacted yttrium and adding further aliquots of 1 , 4 , 7 - triscarboxymethyl - 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane is repeated until the unreacted yttrium level is less than 0 . 05 mm as determined by the tlc method . the sample is adjusted to 7 ml with deionized water , passed through a 0 . 22μ filter ( millipore ) into a vial , stoppered and sealed . 10 mci of 90 y in a minimum volume of [ 0 . 1m ] hydrochloric acid is treated with sodium hydroxide using a micropipet until the ph is 3 to 4 . μl aliquots of 1m 1 , 4 , 7 - triscarboxymethyl - 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane at ph 3 . 5 are added to make the mixture 10 - 5 m in 1 , 4 , 7 - triscarboxymethyl - 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane and then the mixture is heated for 20 minutes at 88 ° c . and adjusted to ph 7 . 3 with concentrated sodium hydroxide . the percentage of 90 yttrium is determined by thin layer chromatography . if more than 0 . 1 % of the yttrium is unreacted , the ph is lowered to 3 to 4 and the mixture again heated at 88 ° c . for 20 minutes . this procedure is repeated until either the level of unreacted 90 y is less than 0 . 1 % of the total , or the level is the same after two consecutive heating cycles . if the level of unreacted 90 y is greater than 0 1 % and not decreasing after two heating cycles , and additional aliquot of 1 , 4 , 7 - triscarboxymethyl - 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane is added to make the concentration 2 × 10 - 5 m in 1 , 4 , 7 - triscarboxymethyl - 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane . the heating procedure is then repeated until the level of unreacted 90 y is less than 0 . 1 %. the sample is adjusted with deionized water to the desired activity level , and passed through a 0 . 22μ filter ( millipore ) into a vial and sealed . 9 grams ( 26 mmol ) of 1 , 4 , 7 - triscarboxymethyl - 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane in 50 ml of distilled water is treated with 2 . 95 grams of ( 13 mmol ) y 2 o 3 . the mixture is heated at 88 ° c . for 4 hours , while the solid dissolves . the solution is filtered to remove any undissolved solid and the solvent is removed by evaporation . vacuum drying is used to obtain a dry solid . alternatively , the filtered reaction solution may be spray dried . into a 50 ml round bottom flask was placed 5 . 22 g ( 0 . 0151 mol ) of 1 , 4 , 7 ,- triscarboxymethyl - 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane ( do3a ) and dissolved in 21 ml of water . the ph of the solution was raised to 8 . 28 with 6n naoh . then 1 . 35 ml ( 1 . 09 g , 0 . 0205 mol ) of acrylonitrile was added and the reaction allowed to stir overnight at room temperature . the reaction is then concentrate in vacuo , and then re - dissolved in methanol and concentrated in vacuo . the crude product of a 0 . 015 mol preparation of example 15 was added to 100 ml of 3n naoh ( large excess ) and heated to 85 ° c . and allowed to stir under nitrogen for five hours . the inorganic salts are then removed via cation / anion exchange chromatrography as described in example 2 , method i . 0 . 5 g of the crude reaction product of example 15 was dissolved in 25 ml of water and to this was added 1 ml of conc . hcl . this solution was then added to 0 . 25 g of 10 % pd / c and then hydrogenated at approximate 40 psi overnight . the cataylst was then filtered over a celite bed and the solution concentrate in vacuo . the above were combined and heated in an oil bath at 80 ° c . under nitrogen while the benzenemethanol azeotrope ( 64 ° c .) distilled off . after ninety minutes , the temperature of the distillate rose to 80 ° c . indicating complete reaction . distillation of benzene was continued for an additional thirty minutes to ensure complete reaction . the reaction mixture was concentrated in vacuo ( 50 ° c .) then the residue distilled ( bath temperature 160 ° c .) to yield 253 g ( 96 %) of desired product . b . p . 128 °- 130 ° c ./ 0 . 5 mm . ______________________________________a . 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazatricyclo [ 5 . 5 . 1 . 0 ] tri - 246 g decaneb . absolute ethanol 500 mlc . h . sub . 2 o 500 ml______________________________________ the product of a was chilled in an ice bath ( 4 ° c .) then treated with ethanol - water ( pre - mixed ) which had been chilled to - 20 ° c . the mixture was allowed to slowly warm to room temperature then stirred under nitrogen for twenty - four hours at ambient temperature . the reaction mixture was concentrated in vacuo . the residue was dissolved in acetonitrile ( 1 , 000 ml ) then concentrated in vacuo . this operation was repeated three times ( 3 × 1 , 000 ml ) to remove all traces of water . the residue was dried in vacuo at room temperature overnight . after four hours the material crystallized with significant heat of crystallization . yield 270 g ( 100 %). to the product of b , dissolved in dimethylformamide , was added 4 equivalents of t - butyl bromoacetate . an initial exotherm was controlled by ice bath cooling , and after 30 minutes a solution of sodium carbonate was added . after agitating this mixture briskly for an additional 30 minutes , toluene is added and the reaction is allowed to proceed at 30 ° c . until complete by tlc . after agitation is stopped , the layers are allowed to settle and the lower aqueous layer , containing mainly dmf and salts , is withdrawn . further extraction of the toluene layer with aqueous sodium carbonate effects removal of any remaining dmf . the toluene solution is treated with 1 equivalent of dilute hcl to extract the intermediate formyl triester into water , and to separate excess t - butyl bromoacetate , which remains in the toluene layer . methylene chloride is added to the acidic aqueous layer , and sodium carbonate is added slowly as the mixture is rapidly agitated . once a solution ph of 9 . 5 is reached , agitation is stopped and layers are allowed to form . the lower , rich methylene chloride solution is withdrawn . additional methylene chloride is added to extract the remaining aqueous layer , and the combined organic layers are then backwashed with fresh deionized water . the methylene chloride solution containing formyl triester is concentrated . the methylene chloride concentrate from above is added over 30 - 40 minutes to 2 equivalents of sulfuric acid in water , maintained at 55 °- 60 ° c . under a vigorous nitrogen sparge . once addition is completed , the temperature and sparge are continued , with occasional replacement of water lost to evaporation , until reaction is judged to be complete by hplc ( usually 4 to 5 hours ). to remove formic acid generated during deprotection , the reaction mixture is concentrated in vacuo at no more than 40 ° c ., until a thick viscous oil is formed . water is added and the solution is reconcentrated to residue ; this is repeated until little or no formyl proton resonance is evident by nmr ( usually after 3 - 4 reconcentrations ), and is typically accompanied by partial crystallization of do3a as a sulfate salt . after full dissolution in a minimum volume of water , the do3a sulfate salt is applied to a pretreated column of poly ( 4 - vinylpyridine ). the title compound , free of sulfate , is eluted from the column with deionized water . the aqueous solution is concentrated , and optionally lyophilized to provide the product as a hygroscopic solid . gd ( iii ) complexes of the chelating ligands of examples 15 , 16 and 17 were prepared as in example 5 . purification was by standard ion exchange chromatography . a solution of 5 1 , 4 , 7 - triscarboxymethyl - 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane 7 . 08 g ( about 19 mmol assuming 5 % water content ) in 68 ml h 2 o was adjusted to ph 8 using koh . to it was added 4 . 4 g ( 40 mmol ) clch 2 conhch 3 . the solution was warmed to 50 ° and the ph adjusted to 9 . 5 and the ph was maintained between 9 - 10 by the addition of koh as required . after 23 hours the solution was cooled to room temperature , acidified to ph 3 , then applied to a 500 ml bed volume of dowex 50 - x2 cation exchange resin ( h + form ). the column was washed with eight volumes of water then the product eluted with two volumes of 0 . 5m nh 3 . evaporation gave a yellow glassy solid . this solid was taken up in meoh and the product precipitated with acetone . obtained was 3 . 95 g of the title compound as a slightly yellow solid . the ph of a mixture of 3 . 47 g of the crude ammonium salt from example 20 ( 8 . 33 mmol assuming 100 % of the tris nh 3 salt ) and 1 . 58 g gd 2 o 3 ( 4 . 37 mmol ) in 33 ml water was adjusted to a ph of 4 using glacial acetic acid . the mixture was heated with stirring to 100 ° c . for 2 hours dissolving most of the solid . the mixture was cooled and the slight amount of remaining solid removed by filtration through a 0 . 2 micron filter . the filtrate was passed through a 500 ml bed of chelex 100 ( ammonium form ), then through a 500 ml bed column of ag1 - x8 anion exchange resin ( formate form ). the solution was concentrated and the product further purified by preparative hplc . evaporation gave 3 . 1 g of the title compound as a colorless solid ( 5 . 2 mmol , 63 % calculated for 3 . 5 % water ). the complex may be recrystallized from water . to a solution of 1 , 4 , 7 - triscarboxymethyl - 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane 5 . 19 g ( 14 . 3 mmol assuming 5 % water ) in 30 ml water was added 2 . 4 g ( 6 . 0 mmol ) naoh ; the ph of resulting solution was then 12 . 2 . the solution was cooled to room temperature then 1 . 3 g ( 2 . 3 mmol , 1 . 5 equiv . ) of propylene oxide was added . the stoppered flask was left to stir at room temperature for 14 hours . hplc analysis at that point indicated a small amount of starting material so an additional 0 . 25 g ( 4 . 3 mmol , 0 . 28 equiv .) of propylene oxide was added . after 4 hours , the reaction solution was acidified to ph 2 . 9 with concentrated hcl , diluted to 0 . 5 liters with water , then applied to a 5 × 40 cm column of dowex 50x - 2 cation exchange resin ( h + form ). the column was washed with six liters of water then the product was eluted with 0 . 5m nh 3 . obtained after rotary evaporation was 5 . 9 g of the title product as the ammonium salt . to a solution of 5 . 6 g of the crude ammonium salt of example 22 in 30 ml water was added 6 . 70 g ( 16 . 5 mmol ) of gd ( oac ) 3 . 4h 2 o . after 14 hours , the ph of the solution was adjusted from 4 . 5 to 7 . 0 with dilute naoh . a solution of 1 . 5 g ( 4 . 0 mmol ) na 2 edta in 10 ml h 2 o ( ph adjusted to 7 . 5 with dilute naoh ) was added and the resulting solution allowed to stand for 6 hours . after dilution to 0 . 5 liters with water the solution was applied to a 5 × 40 cm column of biorad ag1 - x8 anion exchange resin ( formate form ). after loading , the column was eluted with 1 liter of water . the total volume of eluent was collected as one fraction . evaporation gave the title compound as a white solid . the complex was further purified by preparative hplc . obtained was 4 . 6 g of a colorless solid ( 12 . 3 % water , 7 . 2 mmol ). the complex was recrystallized from ch 3 cn . into a 100 ml round bottom flask containing 40 ml of h 2 was placed 4 . 0 g ( 10 mmol ) of crude material from example 15 and 4 . 5 g ( 11 mmol , 1 . 1 eq .) of gd ( oac ) 3 . 4h 2 o . the ph of the solution was 4 . 85 . the mixture was allowed to stir at room temperature for 14 hours . the reaction solution was then analyzed via hplc for both free ligand and for free gadolinium . the sample was found to contain a large excess (& gt ; 20 %) of free metal and no detectable amount of free ligand . the ph of the solution was increased to 6 . 95 with dilute naoh resulting in a white suspension . the suspension was filtered through a 0 . 22 micron filter and the solution purified via preparative hplc . the major peak from each injection was collected and the solution concentrated on a rotary evaporator to yield 4 . 2 g of the gadolinium complex as a white solid . analysis of this material indicated that an unacceptable amount ( 5 %) of free gadolinium was still present . the sample was dissolved in 420 ml of h 2 o and the ph of the solution adjusted to 7 . 5 with dilute naoh . the solution was applied to a 75 ml ( 2 . 5 cm × 13 cm ) column bed of chelex - 100 ( nh 4 + form ) at a flow rate of 20 ml / min . the column was rinsed with 1 l of h 2 o and the effluent collected and concentrated on a rotary evaporator to yield a white solid . the solid was found to contain less than 0 . 1 % free gadolinium . however , there was a small impurity of an unidentified gadolinium complex . the material was subsequently repurified via preparative hplc . the desired peak was collected and concentrated on a rotary evaporator , dissolved in anhydrous methanol and then taken to dryness on a rotary evaporator and put under high vacuum for 14 hours at room temperature to yield 3 . 0 g ( 54 %) of 1 , 4 , 7 - tris ( carboxymethyl )- 10 -( 2 &# 39 ;- cyanoethyl )- 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecanatogadolinium , as a hygroscopic white solid . the ph of a solution of 1 . 40 g of 1 , 4 , 7 - tris ( carboxymethyl )- 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane in about 4 ml water was adjusted to 9 . 5 using 40 % aqueous benzyltrimethylammonium hydroxide . to the resulting solution was added 412 mg α - chloroacetamide . the temperature was increased to 80 ° c . and base was added as necessary to maintain the ph at 9 . 5 - 10 . after 3 hours the solution was cooled to room temperature and acidified to ph 3 with concentrated hcl . the resulting solution was evaporated under reduced pressure to a colorless sludge . the mixture was taken up in about 25 ml meoh and re - evaporated . the thick residue was triturated with a 1 : 1 mixture of acetone and ethanol to provide a granular solid and colorless solution . the solid was collected by filtration , washed with acetone / ethanol followed by acetone and finally ether , then dried in a vacuum oven at 50 ° for 2 hours . obtained was 1 . 54 g of the title compound as a colorless powder . the product was twice crystallized from ethanol / water . anal calcd for c 16 h 31 n 5 o 7 cl 2 + 1 % h 2 o : c , 39 . 94 ; h , 6 . 61 ; n , 14 . 55 found : c , 39 . 96 ; h , 6 . 74 ; n , 14 . 33 a mixture of 87 mg of 1 , 4 , 7 - tris ( carboxymethyl )- 10 - carbamoylmethyl - 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane and 40 mg of gd 2 o 3 in 0 . 8 ml water was heated to 80 ° c . for 3 hours . after cooling to room temperature , the slightly cloudy solution was clarified by filtration through a 0 . 22 micron filter . the water was removed under reduced pressure . the residue containing the title compound was crystallized from a mixture of h 2 o / etoh / ch 3 cn ( 1 : 2 : 4 ). anal calcd for c 16 h 26 n 5 o 7 gd + 6 . 18 % h 2 o : c , 32 . 33 ; h , 5 . 10 ; n , 11 . 78 found : c , 32 . 59 ; h , 5 . 10 ; n , 11 . 62 ; h 2 o 6 . 18 to a suspension of do3a ( 1 . 02 g , 2 . 93 mmol ) and k 2 co 3 ( 1 . 22 g , 8 . 81 mmol ) in 10 ml dmf / h 2 o ( 5 : 3 ) was added a solution of 4 - nitrobenzylbromide ( 866 mg , 4 . 01 mmol ) in 3 ml of dmf . the suspension was stirred at 60 ° c . for 24 hours which yielded a solution containing a small amount of insoluble material . the solution was evaporated under vacuum and resuspended in 20 ml h 2 o . the suspension was acidified to ph 3 with 2m hcl and extracted with 2 × 10 ml ethyl acetate . the aqueous layer was evaporated under vacuum to a solid and redissolved in 50 ml h 2 o . this solution was loaded onto a column ( 2 . 5 × 13 cm ) of dowex 50wx8 cation exchange resin prepared in the acidic form . after washing the column with h 2 o ( ca . 500 ml ), the column was eluted with 0 . 5m nh 4 oh ( ca . 500 ml ). the effluent was collected in one fraction and evaporated under vacuum to afford 1 . 35 g of crude product as the ammonium salt . the ammonium salt ( 508 mg , 1 . 02 mmol ) was dissolved in 5 ml h20 and adjusted to ph 8 . 4 with dilute nh 4 oh . this was placed on a column ( 1 . 5 × 25 cm ) of ag - 1x8 anion exchange resin prepared in the formate form . the column was washed with h 2 o , then the ligand was eluted with 250 ml of 0 . 5m hco 2 h . the effluent was collected as one fraction and evaporated under vacuum to afford a glassy solid . this solid was redissolved in 100 ml of h 2 o , evaporated to dryness , then crystallized from 5 ml h 2 o to yield 214 mg ( 40 . 4 % based on do3a of the title compound as a colorless solid . the compound was pure by 1 h and 13 c nmr . hplc analysis showed trace impurities (& lt ; 5 % ). anal calcd for c 21 h 31 n 5 o 8 . 12 . 59 % h 2 o : c , 45 . 71 ; h , 6 . 22 ; n , 12 . 63 . found : c , 45 . 78 , h , 7 . 08 ; n , 12 . 72 to a solution of 1 , 4 , 7 - tris ( carboxymethyl )- 10 -( 4 - nitro ) benzyl - 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecanane , ( 193 mg , 0 . 40 mmol ) in 5 ml h 2 o was added solid gd ( oac ) 3 . 4h 2 o ( 219 mg , 0 . 54 mmol ). the resulting solution was stirred at 60 ° c . for 2 hours , then adjusted to ph 7 . 0 with 1 . 0m tris base and stirred for an additional 1 hour . the reaction solution was diluted to 10 ml with h 2 o and placed in a parr bottle containing 200 mg of raney nickel , washed to neutral ph with h 2 o suspended in 3 ml h 2 o . the complex was hydrogenated under 20 p . s . i . g h 2 for 3 hours . the catalyst was removed by centrifugation and the supernatant ( ph 6 . 7 ) was filtered through a 0 . 2 micron filter . this solution was evaporated under vacuum to afford 564 mg of a solid . the solid was dissolved in 2 ml of h 2 o and placed on a column ( 1 . 0 × 20 cm ) of diaion chp20p reversed phase resin packed in h 2 o . after eluting the column with h 2 o ( 100 ml ), the solvent was changed to 50 % meoh by use of a linear gradient ( 100 ml ). elution of the complex was detected by uv ( 280 nm ) and collected in one fraction . this was evaporated under vacuum to yield 176 mg ( 72 % based on starting ligand ) of the title compound . anal calcd for c 21 h 30 n 5 o 6 gd . 13 . 84 % h 2 o : c , 35 . 87 ; h , 5 . 80 ; n , 9 . 96 found : c , 35 . 56 ; h , 5 . 51 ; n , 10 . 05 to a solution of 1 , 4 , 7 - tris ( carboxymethyl )- 10 -( 4 - amino ) benzyl - 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecanatogadolinium ( 37 . 8 mg , 0 . 06 mmol ) in 2 ml h 2 o was added 1 . 0 ml of a 104 mm ( 0 . 15 mmol ) solution of thiophosgene in chcl 3 . the biphasic mixture was stirred at 40 ° c . for 5 minutes then at room temperature for 1 hour . the aqueous layer was removed and evaporated under vacuum to afford 39 . 1 mg ( 96 . 5 %) of the title compound . this compound may be exchange labelled with 90 y and used directly to react with antibodies or other proteins which contain free lysine groups . into a 50 ml round bottom flask containing 10 ml of h 2 o was dissolved 1 . 93 g ( 5 . 58 mmol ) of do3a . the ph of the solution was adjusted to 8 . 3 with dilute naoh . then 0 . 47 g ( 9 . 0 mmol , 1 . 6 eq .) of acrylonitrile was added and the solution allowed to stir overnight at room temperature for 16 hours . the solution was then taken to dryness on a rotary evaporator and the white solid dissolved in 20 ml of 3n naoh . the solution was allowed to stir at 85 ° c . for 6 hours under nitrogen . the solution was adjusted to ph 4 . 5 with 2m hcl , then applied to a 2 . 5 × 20 cm column of dowex 50x - 2 ( h + form ). the column was eluted with 0 . 5 l of h 2 o and the compound eluted off the column with 0 . 5 l of 0 . 5m nh 4 oh . the eluate was collected as one fraction and evaporated under vacuum to a solid . the solid was evaporated ( 2 x ) from 25 ml of h 2 o to yield 2 . 52 g of the ammonium salt of the title compound . into a 50 ml round bottom flask containing 1 . 96 g of the ammonium salt described above ( 4 . 3 mmol based on a diammonium salt ) was added 10 ml of h 2 o and 0 . 94 g of gd 2 o 3 ( 2 . 6 mmol ). the resulting suspension was stirred at 100 ° c . for 6 hours . the insoluble gd 2 o 3 was removed by centrifugation and the solution was adjusted to ph 7 with 1m acetic acid . this solution was combined with another solution of the title compound prepared similarly and passed through a 1 . 0 × 30 cm column of chelex - 100 ( nh 4 + form ). the effluent was collected as one fraction and the solution was concentrated to 20 ml on a rotary evaporator . the solution was then purified via preparative hplc , the major peak collected and concentrated to dryness on a rotary evaporator to yield 1 . 99 g of 1 , 4 , 7 - tris ( carboxymethyl )- 10 -( 2 &# 39 ;- carboxymethyl )- 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecanato - gadolinium ( 68 % based on ligand ). into a 100 ml round bottom flask containing 5 . 2 g of do3a dissolved in 22 ml of h 2 o ( ph adjusted to 8 . 25 with dilute naoh ) was added 1 . 35 ml of acrylonitrile . the reaction was allowed to stir at room temperature for 14 hours . after 14 hours , hplc analysis inidcated complete conversion to 1 , 4 , 7 - tris ( carboxymethyl )- 10 -( 2 &# 39 ;- cyanoethyl )- 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane . the reaction mixture was taken to dryness on a rotary evaporator to yield a glassy solid . the solid was dissolved in methanol and then taken to dryness on a rotary evaporator to yield 5 . 9 g of crude 1 , 4 , 7 - tris ( carboxymethyl )- 10 -( 2 &# 39 ; cyanoethyl )- 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane as a white solid . 3 . 0 g of the crude 1 , 4 , 7 - tris ( carboxymethyl )- 10 -( 2 &# 39 ;- cyanoethyl )- 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane was dissolved in 150 ml of h 2 o , and the solution acidified with 6 ml of concentrated hcl . the solution was then added to a 500 ml hydrogenation vessel containing 1 . 5 g of 10 % pd / c and the reaction mixture hydrogenated at 50 psi h 2 at room temperature for 14 hours . after 14 hours the catalyst removed over a celite bed and the filtrate taken to dryness on a rotary evaporator . the sample was dissolved in 200 ml of h 2 o and applied to a 2 . 5 × 20 cm column of dowex 50x - 2 ( h + form ). the column was eluted with 4 l of 0 . 5 h 2 o and the material eluted off the column with 1 . 0 l of 0 . 5m nh 4 oh . the eluant was concentrated to dryness on a rotary evaporator , the residue dissolved in methanol and taken to dryness on a rotary evaporator to yield 3 . 8 g of the ammonium salt of 1 , 4 , 7 - tris ( carboxymethyl )- 10 -( 3 &# 39 ;- amino - propyl )- 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane . into a round bottom flask containing 1 . 0 g of the ammonium salt of 1 , 4 , 7 - tris ( carboxymethyl )- 10 -( 3 &# 39 ;- aminopropyl )- 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecane in 5 ml of h 2 o was added 1 . 1 g ( 0 . 0027 mmol ) of gd ( oac ) 3 . 4h 2 o and the reaction was allowed to stir at room temperature for 14 hours . after 14 hours the ph of the solution was adjusted to 7 . 0 with dilute naoh and filtered through a 0 . 22 micron filter . the filtrate was then purified on a c - 18 reverse - phase preparative hplc using a 98 % h 2 o and 2 % ch 3 cn eluent . the major peak collected and concentrated to dryness on a rotary evaporator to yield 1 , 4 , 7 - tris ( carobyxmethyl )- 10 -( 3 &# 39 ;- amino - propyl )- 1 , 4 , 7 , 10 - tetraazacyclododecanatogadolinium . a solution of 5 . 0 g ( 13 . 3 mmol adjusted for 8 . 1 % h 20 ) of do3a in 50 ml of h 2 o was adjusted to ph 8 . 5 using 5m koh . to this was added a solution of 3 . 98 g ( 28 . 9 mmol ) of n -( 2 - hydroxyethyl )- chloroacetamide in 10 ml of h 2 o . the resulting solution was adjusted to ph 9 . 5 and stirred at 80 ° c . for 24 hours . the ph was maintained at 9 . 5 - 9 . 7 by occasional addition of 5m koh . the solution was then cooled to room temperature and adjusted to ph 3 . 5 using concentrated hcl . the acidic solution was diluted to 200 ml with h 2 o and applied to a 4 . 5 × 20 cm column of dowex 50x - 2 strong cation exchange resin , h + form . the column was washed with 2 l of h 2 o and the material eluted off the column with 800 ml of 0 . 5m nh 4 oh . rotary evaporation of the nh 4 oh fraction gave 6 . 5 g of the crude ammonium salt of the title compound . to a solution of 5 . 0 g of the crude ammonium salt of example 33 in 60 ml of h 2 o was added 2 . 04 g of gd 2 o 3 . the mixture was adjusted to ph 4 using glacial acetic acid and stirred at 100 ° c . for 5 hours . the resulting cloudy solution was cooled to room temperature and filtered through a 0 . 2 micron filter . the filtrate was adjusted to ph 9 with concentrated nh 4 oh and applied to a 2 . 5 × 25 cm column of chelex - 100 , ammonium form . the column was eluted with 600 ml of h 2 o . the eluant was collected and further diluted with an additional 200 ml of h 2 o , adjusted to ph 9 using concentrated nh 40 h , and applied to a 2 . 5 × 30 cm column of ag1 - x8 ( strong anion exchange resin , formate form ). the column was eluted with 700 ml of h 2 o , and the eluate was concentrated to dryness on a rotary evaporator . the product was then purified via preparative hplc . the major fraction collected and evaporated to dryness on a rotary evaporator . the residue was then dissolved in 25 ml of etoh and treated with 0 . 5 g of activated carbon . the moisture filtered and concentrated to dryness on a rotary evaporator to yield 3 . 5 g of the title complex as an off - white glassy solid . | 8 |
fig1 illustrates an electrodielectric print engine of the present invention and is referred to by the general reference numeral 3 . the print engine 3 is implemented within a printer system 4 using a print media 5 of either individual cut sheets or continuous rolls . the engine 3 includes a toner drum 6 having four different compartments 7 for storing toner of a different color , an imaging drum 8 , a blade electrode 11 , ground wires 12 , a fuser 13 and a roller 14 . the printer system 4 feeds the print medium 5 into the print engine 3 , and ejects the finished printed product . the print engine 3 controls the detailed stepping of the print medium 5 during imaging via a stepper motor 15 . the print medium 5 is an untreated receiving sheet . binder material may be contained in the toner particles to permanently bond imaged toner to the print medium 5 at the fuser 13 . the toner drum 6 and the imaging drum 8 are locked in synchronous rotation by a system of gears 16 , driven by a dc motor 18 operating at a fixed speed . the drum 6 has four toner support lobes 20 and the imaging drum 8 has four imaging lobes 21 which may also be referred to as writing heads . the lobes 20 and 21 are arranged such that each toner color ( black , yellow , cyan , magenta ) has a dedicated pair of lobes 20 and 21 , i . e . one lobe 20 on the toner drum 6 and a corresponding imaging lobe 21 on the imaging drum 8 . an optical encoder assembly 22 is attached to an end plate of the imaging drum 8 and provides an angle of rotation to a plurality of integrated driver circuits 24 which control the imaging functions and are located in the recessed areas between the lobes 21 of the imaging drum 8 . the electrode driver circuits 24 may be implemented with cmos circuits except for the output driver transistors which may be dmos circuits capable of operating at higher output voltages . a slip - ring and wiper assembly 25 is connected about and to the end of the toner drum 6 . similarly , a slip - ring and wiper assembly 26 is connected about and to the end of the imaging drum 8 . after imaging , the toner is held to the corresponding lobe 21 of the imaging drum 8 against centrifugal forces by voltages applied to imaging electrodes in the lobes . the imaging drum then rotates until the imaged toner is positioned adjacent to the blade electrode 11 . then , the attractive imaging potentials are turned off . a high negative voltage pulse applied between the blade electrode 11 and the ground wires 12 , pulls the toner off the surface of the imaging lobe 21 of the drum 8 and it deposits the toner on the print medium 5 . multiple rotations , e . g . up to three , of the imaging drum 8 can occur before the print medium 5 is stepped to the new pixel line position , depending on the pixel depth programmed for the current print . the size of the step depends on the programmed pixel size for the current print and is equal to the edge dimension of the pixel . the print medium 5 is stepped until the entire imaged area has passed through the fuser 13 , whereupon the print is ejected , e . g . into an output cassette ( not shown ). the exploded cross - sectional view of fig2 shows the close - up details of the imaging surfaces about two facing lobes . in operation , a quantity of toner 29 migrates from the compartment 7 under centrifugal forces toward a plurality of grid wires 30 which agitate the toner as it passes through a nylon mesh 31 which is bonded to a support bracket 33 attached to the inner surface of a peripheral wall 32 of the toner drum 6 . the screen size of the nylon mesh 31 is fine enough such that when the toner drum 6 is not rotating , the toner 29 remains captured within the associated drum compartment 7 with no electrical potentials applied to embedded conductors 34 embedded within the outer wall 32 of the drum 6 . this is necessary when the engine 3 is turned off . a mesh size of 20xx as used by artists for screen printing has been used for this purpose . during printing operations , as toner 29 is used by the imaging process , additional toner moves through a toner feed hole 35 of the associated compartment 7 and forms a bump 36 of un - imaged toner at the outer surface of the wall 32 of the toner drum 6 . the toner feed holes 35 are arranged in a line along the printing length , and the un - imaged toner forms a continuous bump of even height along the printing length because of lateral spreading of the toner 29 between feed holes 35 , and the attractive force of the embedded conductors 34 which are continuous along the printing length . the embedded conductors 34 are connected to a single common positive voltage of approximately two hundred volts dc to hold the toner in position as the drum rotates . this voltage is supplied via the slip - ring and brush assembly 25 . during the instant that the toner bump 36 is imaged , there is no relative motion between the toner and imaging drum 8 surfaces , such that the toner is in a stable position during imaging . fig2 a illustrates section aa of fig2 to show the linear array of imaging electrodes 37 on the imaging lobes 21 of the imaging drum 8 . the electrodes 37 are centered within a square conducting grid at ground potential and are electrically driven by dmos driver transistors contained within the imaging circuits 24 . depending on the programmed pixel size , electrodes 37 are grouped into groups of 1 , 4 , 16 or 64 element groups to implement print resolutions of 32 , 16 , 8 and 4 pixels / mm respectively . fig2 b illustrates programmable pixel sizes . each group is switched as a single electrical entity with the appropriate number of electrode drivers 24 operating in parallel . the rise time of the imaging potential is typically of the order of one microsecond . a toner material containing batio 3 has a high dielectric constant at this frequency as shown in fig3 . the toner material 29 preferrably contains primary particles of a ceramic powder , e . g . titanates of barium , strontium and calcium . the primary particles are attached to the periphery of a sphere of translucent materials including resin binder , pigments , and additives . alternatively , the primary particles may first be encapsulated in pigment , then distributed at the periphery of a sphere containing binder and additives . such composite toner particles have a high effective relative dielectric constant , typically greater than one hundred . this property allows strong imaging forces to be generated with relatively weak electric fields . the physical and electrical properties of barium titanate ceramic are attractive to printing applications . it may be processed into molded components or into a very fine powder , has a dielectric strength in the order of 300 v / mil ; a volume resistivity in the order of 10 10 ohms / centimeter , a density of 4 . 5 grams per cubic centimeter , very little water absorption and is of low cost . ball milling may be employed to produce particles that are approximately spherical in shape with a maximum particle diameter of five microns and a median diameter of 1 . 5 microns , and this process is typically used prior to molding three dimensional components . the imaging voltage at each electrode 37 or group of electrodes is programmed to one of four values , i . e . vcc1 , vcc2 , vcc3 or ground , depending on the amount of toner 29 of the current color required . a pixel depth of four is obtained for each toner color for a single rotation of the imaging drum 8 . depending on the pixel depth programmed and the corresponding number of image drum 8 rotations , four , eight or twelve levels of each toner color can be applied resulting in theoretical color combinations totalling 256 , 4 , 096 and 20 , 736 , respectively . after fusing , the distribution of primary particles within the matrix of translucent materials is preferrably a uniform distribution in order to achieve the highest perceived brightness of the printed image . fig4 shows a close - up cross - sectional view of a portion of an optical data link assembly 49 connected to the imaging drum 8 and assembled about the axial end of drum 8 . a fixed printed circuit board 50 supports an optical transmitter 54 . light energy 55 propagates across an air gap to an optical receiver 56 , which is mounted to rotate with the imaging drum 8 . the optical receiver 56 is positioned on the centerline axis of the imaging drum 8 by a spacer 57 and the received signal is fed to a rotating printed circuit board 58 . a conductor pair 59 is connected to the board 58 and passes via feed - through hole 60 to circuit traces on an endplate 61 of the imaging drum 8 . the imaging drum 8 has a hollow shaft 62 , providing space to mount the optical receiver 56 and associated components . the shaft 62 rotates in a ball bearing assembly 64 which is mounted in a fixed bearing support wall 66 . table 1 includes data load times per page for all the printer modes assuming a net serial data rate of ten million bits per second . this data rate is realized using common local area network standards such as ethernet , and easily accomplished using emerging standards such as fiber distributed data interface , fddi . since the printing environment typically includes data distribution by local area networks , convenient and inexpensive ports to such networks are an important consideration for printer manufacturers . in addition , the imaging circuits that implement the print algorithms are designed to be interruptible without image degradation , and this leads to lower system costs by reducing print buffer memory requirements in the computing system and the printing system . fig5 illustrates a functional block diagram 70 of a printing system enclosing the print engine 3 . the diagram 70 includes a description of functional objects in the printer 4 , including an interface to a human operator . inputs to the print engine 3 are reduced to a minimum number of physical connections : high speed serial interface circuits 74 ; an input port conveying control signals from a man - machine interface 77 , a single power supply 78 providing an input of 28 volts dc , and replacement toner cartridges 80 . access to replace toner cartridges 80 is provided by hinging an endplate of the toner drum 6 such that a spent cartridge 80 can be removed , and the replacement cartridge 80 inserted after removing a protective adhesive strip that covers the outer radius of the toner cylinder quadrant . the paper moving responsibilities are shared by the printer and the printer engine ; the printer taking care of loading and ejecting the print medium , the print engine controlling paper movement via stepper motor 15 during imaging . this separation of responsibilities provides maximum flexibility to the printer manufacture to provide custom paths for the print media ; to potentially include cut sheet feeders , sorters , collators , and the like . within the print engine 3 , the control module supports the timing and control of a step motor , the dc motor that drives the drums , and the fuser . additionally , the data interface circuits accept data and control information from the printer interface circuits 74 and load a buffer having two pixel lines of data . control related information is sent to the control module . the 2 - line buffer feeds data and control information to the transmitter 54 and receiver 56 of the optical data link to the rotating circuits which include a data extractor module , a mode control module , and electrode driver circuits . within the print engine 3 , there are stationary and rotating circuits . stationary circuits are implemented with a general purpose microprocessor and include controls for the step motor , dc motor and fuser . the print data stream can be interrupted at any time without degradation of image quality . this is accomplished by circuits that &# 34 ; look ahead &# 34 ; by one step of the stepper motor , and do not start to print a pixel line until the data for that line is ready . preferrably , the stepper motor should be of a quality sufficient to position accurately in start / stop mode as well as continuous mode . the net result of this feature , together with bidirectional communication protocols between the information source and the printer , is substantially smaller print buffers in both the computing environment and the printer environment , leading to economies in memory costs at multiple levels . the rotating electrode driver circuits carried by the imaging drum 8 are further defined in the functional block diagram of fig6 . the optical receiver converts the incoming light pulses to electrical signals . clock recovery circuits generate both clock and data signals from the single serial input . the data stream contains both print data and control data such as print mode information , and passes into a shift register . the data and control information are separated , and the data information is formatted to drive the electrode driver integrated circuits 24 . this is accomplished by using the combination of a content addressable memory to identify control versus data elements , and a linear store that contains micro instructions for the data formatter . in addition , the optical encoder assembly 22 feeds a timing pulse generator with angle information , such that correct timing pulses for imaging each color are provided to the electrode driver integrated circuits , which are arranged in banks , one bank for each color . details of the electrode driver integrated circuits are contained in fig7 . since these circuits are replicated several hundred times for a typical printer application , the logic is partitioned to be as simple as possible on the replicated circuits . each minimum pixel position has three bits of information 59 , provided by the data formatter , of fig7 that control the pixel density via the three - state driver transistors 60 . the three voltages vcc1 , vcc2 and vcc3 provide three levels of toner attraction . the fourth level , gnd , represents no toner attraction and is implied by the absence of any active enable bits in the shift register 61 . referring again to table 1 , it shows a listing of programmable modes of the print engine for color , including black and white print applications . relevant print parameters are included to allow calculation of print times and data load times for each combination of resolution and pixel density . the operational flexilibity outlined in table 1 provides a printing resource that can be connected to multiple diverse users ; configurable to provide service to a wide range of printing requests . such requests may range from monochrome copying with forty - eight gray scale levels , to multi - color printing at approximately thirteen seconds per page , to sophisticated color printing with many thousands of selectable colors and very high print resolutions up to thirty - two pixels per millimeter for photograph quality color output . additionally , with stable and accurate toner colors , and digital metering of the color components of an image , very high color accuracy produced by the print engine can result in faithful copies of digitized images . also , print sizes are selectable between a and b size , or continuous roll . fig8 shows an alternative embodiment of an electrodielectric print engine of the present invention and is referred to by the general reference numeral 200 . those elements which are similar to those of the engine 3 , carry the same reference numeral and are distinguished by a prime designation . the engine 200 includes a toner drum 202 ; a transfer belt 204 carried on a roller 205 , the roller 14 &# 39 ;; and integrated driver circuits 24 &# 39 ; mounted on a molded circuit assembly . the operation of the toner drum 202 is similar to that of the toner drum 6 in system 3 , except that a multiple of four toner compartments can be provided which will increase printing speed for a given rotational speed of the toner drum 202 . in the system 200 , eight toner compartments are included . a stationary writing head 212 , similar to the imaging lobes 21 is provided . the writing head 212 is similar in operation to that of imaging lobes 21 of system 3 except that the imaging potentials to the head 212 must be stronger to be effective through the transfer belt 204 which tends to shunt the electric field developed at the writing head 212 imaging electrodes . in operation , toner is transported on the transfer belt 204 to the fuser 13 &# 39 ; which permanently bonds the toner to the surface of the print medium 5 &# 39 ; in a manner similar to that implemented with system 3 . the imaging circuits in the head 212 , as in the imaging lobes 21 , may be implemented with cmos circuits driving dmos high voltage drivers on monolithic silicon ics . relative to the system 3 , system 200 has higher printing speed , a simpler data interface , and requires less mechanical precision . however , system 200 requires higher imaging voltages , has lower durability due to the thin transfer belt , and lower resolution due to the dielectric belt interposed between the imaging electrodes and the toner . the belt 204 is manufactured from the thinnest possible material to limit the field spreading effects . tedlar ® by dupont , a polyvinyl fluoride film , is one material because of its strength and surface properties . fig9 shows another alternative embodiment of an electrodielectric print engine of the present invention and is referred to by the general reference numeral 300 . those elements which are similar to those of system 3 , carry the same reference numeral and are distinguished by a prime designation . the engine 300 includes a toner drum 302 , a charge receptor drum 303 , and an optical writing means 304 . the blade electrode 11 &# 39 ;, ground wires 12 &# 39 ;, fuser 13 &# 39 ; and roller 14 &# 39 ; are similar to system 3 . the toner drum 302 is similar to that of the toner drum 6 in system 3 , except that a large number of toner compartments is provided during each rotation , for example thirty - two . the charge receptor drum 303 is a conventional photoconductive drum that has been used for many years in the copier industry . it is written by an optical writing means 304 as is known in the industry . the format of the charge image on the charge receptor drum 303 is not conventional . each pixel line of data is divided into its component colors , and a line of data is written on the drum for each color . there is a blank space between each line . imaging occurs because the high dielectric toner particles are attracted to the charges on the charge receptor drum . after the toner is transferred to the imaging drum which is in this case the charge receptor drum , the operation of the print engine is the same as for system 3 . fig1 shows another alternative embodiment of an electrodielectric print engine of the present invention and is referred to by the general reference number 400 . those elements which are similar to those of the engine 3 , carry the same reference numeral and are distinguished by a prime designation . the engine 400 includes a toner drum 402 ; a charge receptor drum 403 ; and a writing drum assembly 404 . the charge receptor drum 403 is similar to the drum 303 of system 300 except it is built on a ceramic substrate material such as batio 3 with high dielectric constant . the toner drum 402 is similar to the toner drum 6 of system 3 except that it has a large number of toner compartments , for example sixty - four . details of imaging electrodes provided on the surface of the charge receptor drum 403 are shown in fig1 . the electrodes extend the length of the drum with a row of electrodes for each toner color . the center electrodes 37 &# 39 ; are contained within a square grid 408 which is at ground potential . each row of electrodes is separated by a blank space 409 . fig1 a shows that the grid conductors 408 are covered with an insulating thin film 418 so that the electrode pairs will not be shorted when contacted with conductors on the writing drum assembly 404 . the thin film conductors are built on a high dielectric substrate material 410 which produces a significant capacitance between electrode pairs , even in the planar configuration . by way of example , fig1 is drawn with sixty - four toner compartments in toner drum 402 , sixty - four rows of electrodes on the surface of charge receptor drum 403 , and sixty - four conducting balls in each circumferential ring of balls contained in writing drum assembly 404 . this provides a simple case where all three drums are rotating at the same speed , locked in synchronism by the gears 16 &# 39 ;. each drum has an outer diameter of 80 mm and the conducting balls have a diameter of 1 . 25 mm in the example . fig1 shows an outline of the conducting balls 406 positioned over conducting pads 411 . each pad is connected to a unique ring electrode which encompasses the circumference of the drum . the figure shown is for the inner surface of the outer cylinder 406 of writing drum assembly 404 . the outer cylinder 406 rotates in synchronism with the charge receptor drum 403 , while the inner cylinder 405 is stationary and is connected via conducting posts or pads to a flex circuit supplying the print data ( not shown ), with one post corresponding to each conducting pad 411 . the conducting balls are sized such that they roll without sliding at either the outer cylinder 407 or the inner cylinder 405 . fig1 a is a side view of the electrical connection between each conducting pad 411 and corresponding ring electrode 412 . the optical encoder 22 &# 39 ; provides angle information for the drive electronics . by this means the driver circuits are synchronized to switch while the line of contact between the charge receptor drum 403 and the outer writing cylinder 407 is at the blank space 409 between lines of electrodes . at each of the sixty - four discrete angles when the conducting balls 406 are centered on the conducting pads 411 , a different address map exists between the conducting pads 411 and the ring electrodes 412 . each angle increment causes a one bit shift in the mapping . this is easily compensated in the driver circuits which use the angle information to shift the data in correct correspondence with the ring electrodes . fig1 , as drawn , assumes a resolution of sixteen pixels / mm . this requires sixteen ring electrodes per millimeter at the outer circumference of writing cylinder 407 . feedthroughs ( not shown ) connect matching ring electrodes at the outer and inner surface of writing cylinder 407 . since there are sixty - four conducting balls per plane perpendicular to the drum assembly 404 , there can be sixty - four ring electrodes between adjacent conducting balls in the longitudinal direction . this corresponds to a center - to - center spacing between conducting balls of 4 mm in this direction . in the circumferential direction , the center - to - center spacing is pi ( π ) times the diameter or 3 . 93 mm in order that no slippage occurs during rotation of the outer cylinder 407 past the stationary inner cylinder 405 . the conducting balls are held in a cylinder with a wall thickness less than the ball diameter . fig1 b shows the cylinder 416 and the conducting balls 406 held by spring mounted pins 417 . preferrably , the conducting balls 406 have some resilience and can be slightly deformed during operation such that , by minor shape adjustments , imperfections in the geometries of the interfacing mechanical components can be tolerated . this is also important at the line contact between the charge receptor drum 403 and the outer writing cylinder 407 . since the charge receptor drum 403 is molded from a hard ceramic material , some compliance must be provided at the surface of writing cylinder 407 . the advantage of this writing method is that high speed operation can occur at high printing resolutions and yet the positional tolerance of the balls is much greater than the distance between ring electrodes which matches the print resolution . a positive engagement between the writing drum assembly 404 and the charge receptor drum 403 is required to maintain longitudinal alignment between the two drums . also , there is no need for an optical data link to provide data transfer between stationary and rotating components ; this function is provided by the conducting balls . for the example given , each of the three drums would rotate at 1200 rpm in order to print an a - size sheet in ten seconds . with four programmable imaging voltages for each of four colors , a palette of 256 colors would be provided . the pulse time per imaging cycle would be approximately 100 microseconds which is easily achieved using modern integrated circuits . the toner material maintains a high dielectric constant at these switching speeds as shown in fig3 . although the present invention has been described in terms of the presently preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that such disclosure is not to be interpreted as limiting . various alterations and modifications will no doubt become apparent to one skilled in the art after having read the above disclosure . accordingly , it is intended that the appended claims be interpreted as covering all alterations and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention . | 6 |
the structure and operation of a magnetic disk unit will be described below briefly with reference to fig1 which is a perspective view of a magnetic disk unit of a contact start - stop type (&# 34 ; css &# 34 ; type hereinafter ). mounted adjacent the housing of the disk unit is an impact force applying mechanism to be discussed in greater detail hereinafter . with reference to fig1 a magnetic disk 1 is contained or positioned within a housing 3 and supported for rotation by a spindle motor 2 . the substrate material of the magnetic disk 1 may be a hard glass , aluminum , or any other non - magnetic material . a magnetic head slider 4 is mounted within the housing 3 through pivot bearing 5 , carriage 6 and gimbals 7 . in operation , the magnetic disk 1 is rotated at high speed by the spindle motor 2 , while the magnetic head slider 4 assumes a floating state by the dynamic pressure of the air present within the housing , which pressure is induced by the rotation of the disk 1 . the magnetic head utilizes a magnetic circuit formed between the floating magnetic head slider 4 and magnetic disk 1 to perform information recording and reproduction with respect to the disk 1 . when the magnetic disk unit is not in operation , the magnetic head slider 4 is pushed by the gimbals 7 against a css zone 8 formed outside the data area on the surface of the magnetic disk 1 . the slider 4 is in close contact with the css zone 8 at rest . this state often causes a sticking phenomenon to occur between the magnetic disk 1 and the magnetic head slider 4 . in this case , if the sticking force between is larger than the starting torque of the spindle motor 1 and vcm torque of the carriage 6 , the magnetic disk unit will not start operating , causing an operation problem . the principle of overcoming the sticking phenomenon in the present invention will be described below with reference to fig2 which is a schematic diagram showing the manner in which an impact force is transmitted to the magnetic head slider 4 and magnetic disk 1 . when an impact force is applied to the housing 3 , the applied impact force has such components as indicated with arrows 9 - a and 9 - b , which are transmitted to the magnetic disk 1 and the magnetic head slider 4 , respectively . the force component 9 - a is perpendicular to the magnetic disk 1 and the force component 9 - b is parallel to the disk 1 . a combined force of the two components 9 - a and 9 - b , effects the contact point between the disk 1 and the magnetic head slider 4 . the vertical component 9 - a causes oscillation of the magnetic head slider 4 , allowing it to strike the magnetic disk 1 continuously , and thus acts as a force to overcome the stickiness phenomenon . also , the horizontal component 9 - b acts in a shearing direction to overcome the stickiness , whereby the stickiness between the disk 1 and the slider 4 can be overcome or eliminated . an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to fig1 and 3 . as shown in fig1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention , an impact force applying mechanism has an impact force applying portion 11 , a spring 12 , a core rod 13 and a collar 14 provided externally of the sealed components storage portion of the housing 3 . a contact part of the impact force applying portion 11 for contact with the housing 3 is preferably formed of a spherical shape for concentrating the impact force . the spring 12 , which is disposed between the collar 14 and the housing 3 , is normally in a fully extended state . the core rod 13 is formed with a stepped portion so that , when pulled , it comes into abutment with the housing 3 and functions as a stopper . the housing 3 provides a guide at the two points of collar 14 and core rod 13 ( by way of through holes formed in the housing , for example ). when the core rod 13 is pulled by grasping end portion 13a to compress spring 12 , and the core rod is thereafter released by hand , the impact force applying portion 11 can impart or give an impact to the housing 3 by virtue of the resilience of the spring 12 . the generation of dust caused by the impact force applying portion 11 poses no problem because the impact force applying mechanism is disposed outside the sealed components storage portion of the housing , as shown . fig3 shows the results of an actual operation performed by using the mechanism described above to overcome a stickiness phenomenon occurring between a slider and a disk . in particular , fig3 is a diagram showing the relationship between the spring constant of the spring 12 used in the impact force applying mechanism and the sticking force capable of being overcome or eliminated . the magnetic disk unit used in the measurement was a 1 . 8 inch type magnetic disk unit ( thickness : 10 . 5 mm ) having two magnetic disk mediums and four magnetic heads . the impact force applying position and direction adopted in the 1 . 8 inch type magnetic disk unit are as illustrated in fig1 in which there is a spatial margin . glass , aluminum , and iron , were used as the substrate materials of the medium of magnetic disk 1 , housing 3 , and impact force applying portion 11 , respectively . the sticking force ( gf ) capable of being overcome or eliminated and the corresponding impact force ( g ) exerted on the magnetic disk unit are plotted along the axis of the ordinate , while the spring constant ( n / m ) is read along the axis of the abscissa . also shown in fig3 are constants based on the assumption that the impact resistance of the disk unit is 150 g and that the starting torque of the spindle motor 2 is 15 gf . in the case where the sticking force is not greater than 15 gf , the stickiness can be overcome by the starting torque of the spindle motor 2 , and the magnetic disk unit starts operating . but if the sticking force exceeds 15 gf , the stickiness cannot be overcome by the starting torque of the spindle motor 2 , and the spindle motor does not rotate . in this case , by applying an impact force in the range of 75 g to 150 g to the housing 3 , the stickiness associated with the relation shown in fig3 can be overcome without breakage of the magnetic disk unit and without damaging the magnetic disk medium . it thus becomes possible for the disk unit to operate . the impact force applied depends on a movable distance ( displacement of the spring ), so in the magnetic disk unit subjected to the measurement , such distance should be taken as large as possible and hence the core rod 13 was formed with a stepped portion in a position corresponding to the distance of 7 mm . taking variations into account , the spring constant was set at 5 . 25 n / m . assuming that variations in the applied impact force are 10 g , it is possible to apply an impact force of at least about 130 g . accordingly , it is possible to overcome a sticking force of 26 gf and eliminate the corresponding stickiness . however , no limitation is made to the relation shown in fig3 because this relation varies depending on the direction of impact , duration of impact , kind of the surface lubricant used , the surface condition of the magnetic disk medium , structure of the magnetic disk unit , and many other factors . also , as to the impact resistance of the magnetic disk unit and the starting torque of the spindle motor , they are not limited to those illustrated . theoretically , the impact resistance ought to be up to the breaking or damage causing point of the magnetic disk 1 or of the magnetic head slider 4 . the material of the magnetic disk medium ( substrate ) is not limited to glass ; it may be any other material having an impact resistance high enough to resist the continuous hitting of the magnetic head slider 4 such as , for example , ceramic , titanium element , carbon element , or a composite or alloy containing those materials as principal ingredients . the impacting position and direction are not limited to those shown above , either . if the spring constant is set small , the impact force applying mechanism is also applicable to the ordinary magnetic disk substrate medium formed principally of aluminum . other embodiments of the impact applying mechanism providing an impact force to the housing of the disk unit will be described below with reference to fig4 , 6 , 7 and 8 . fig4 is a perspective view of a magnetic disk unit which carries thereon an impact force applying mechanism utilizing an impact force imparting element formed of a resilient material . the reference numerals of the same components as in fig1 are omitted . as shown in fig4 a resilient member 16 - a , such as a leaf spring formed of metal or plastic , is attached with a bolt 15 to an outer portion of the housing 3 . when the resilient member 16 - a is manually pulled and then released , an impact force can be imparted to the housing 3 . the shape of the resilient member 16 - a and how to fix it are not limited to those illustrated . according to this method , an impact force can be applied to the housing 3 by means of a simple mechanism . fig5 shows an impact force applying mechanism according to a third embodiment of the present invention which utilizes a spring 19 for biasing a rotatable impact force applying portion or member 17 . member 17 is rotatable about a pivot 18 and is normally in contact with the housing 3 under the biasing force of the spring 19 . the sticking force can be overcome by releasing the impact force applying portion 17 after manually displacing the member inwardly in the direction indicated by arrow 20 . the impact force applying portion 17 returns to its original or normal position by virtue of the spring 19 with an impact force that is applied to the housing 3 . it is to be understood , however , that the shape of the impact force applying portion 17 , the position of the pivot 18 , as well as the shape of the spring 19 , and how to apply the biasing force of the spring , are not limited in the above mentioned embodiment . according to the embodiment of the impact force applying mechanism as shown in fig5 since the rotational angle of the impact force applying portion 17 can be fixed , it is possible to make constant the impact force applied and hence there is no fear of breakage of the magnetic disk unit caused by the application of excess impact thereto . besides , the impact force to be applied can be adjusted easily by changing the rotational angle and material of the impact force applying portion 17 , material of the housing 3 and the biasing force of the spring 19 . fig6 shows an impact force applying mechanism according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention which utilizes a rotatable impact force applying portion or member 21 . in this impact force applying mechanism , a metal piece 22 is embedded in member 21 , which portion is rotatable via a pivot 23 . on the other hand , a magnet 24 is embedded in the housing 3 . when the stickiness phenomenon occurs , the impact force applying portion 21 is pushed in the direction of arrow 25 and released , whereby the metal piece 22 embedded in the impact force applying portion 21 is attracted or thrust toward the magnet 24 embedded in the housing 3 , thus generating an impact that is imparted on the housing 3 . the shape of impact force applying portion 21 , the position of the pivot 23 and the relation between the magnet 24 and the metal piece 22 are not limited to those illustrated , according to this embodiment . this mechanism is suitable for the application of a relatively small impact force and does not require a spring to be used in its construction . fig7 illustrates an impact force applying mechanism according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention which utilizes a box containing a ball made of iron , for example , as the impact force applying mechanism . fig8 illustrates a relation between the mass of the ball 26 used in the impact force applying mechanism and the sticking force capable of being overcome . as shown in fig7 a box 27 larger than the ball 26 is formed in part of the housing 3 , and the ball 26 is contained in the box 27 . as the housing 3 somewhat tilts , oscillates or shakes , the ball 26 rolls and strikes against the housing 3 , whereby an impact force can be exerted on the housing indirectly . fig8 shows the results of an actual operation performed by using the mechanism described above to overcome a stickiness phenomenon occurring between a slider and a disk . for the operations there was used the same magnetic disk unit as that shown in fig3 . in fig8 the sticking force ( gf ) capable of being overcome and the corresponding impact force ( g ) applied to the magnetic disk unit are plotted along the axis of the ordinate , while the axis of the abscissa represents the mass ( g ) of the ball 26 . it is assumed that the acceleration applied is 30 m / s 2 . according to the impact force applying mechanism of the fourth embodiment of the present invention , it is possible to ensure a movable distance of 20 mm , and by using an iron ball of 0 . 4 g ( the preferred embodiment ) it is possible to apply an impact force of 140 g to the housing , whereby the stickiness of 28 gf in terms of strength can be overcome . but if the material and size of ball used , the shape and size of the box 27 , or other conditions , are changed , the results obtained are not limited to those shown in fig7 . according to this impact force applying mechanism of the fourth embodiment , upon occurrence of the sticking phenomenon , the phenomenon can be overcome by oscillating the magnetic disk unit . the mechanism is active whenever the magnetic disk unit or the associated computer body is carried from one place to another in that an impact force is periodically exerted thereon depending upon the actual shifting of the position of the device or the disk unit itself , thus preventing the occurrence of the sticking phenomenon . it is preferable that a mechanism which enables the iron ball 26 to be fixed magnetically in operation be added to the above magnetic force applying mechanism by utilizing , for example , the mounting or removing operation of the magnetic disk unit , or spindle motor or vcm . the application of the impact force by the impact force applying mechanism according to the foregoing embodiments of the present invention is not limited to those described above . an impact or oscillation may be generated electrically , or may be applied in interlock with the insertion or removal of the magnetic disk unit with respect to the associated computer body or in conjunction with the storage case for the magnetic disk unit , which interlock may be an interlock with the storage case , pcmcia slot of a computer or a packing container . the css zone 8 may be separately provided outside the data area of the magnetic disk medium . further , it is preferable that the impact force applying mechanism be interlocked with the insertion or removal of the magnetic disk unit , installation thereof , unpacking , unsealing , or the storage into a storage case . an impact force applying mechanism for imparting a slight displacement to the magnetic head , magnetic disk and other mechanical components of a magnetic disk unit is constructed according to the present invention by using members of simple structures . by slight displacement of the member ( s ) of the mechanism it is possible to eliminate or overcome the sticking phenomenon that occurs between the magnetic head and the disk medium . as a result , the magnetic disk unit equipped with such impact force applying mechanism can be operated smoothly . moreover , as the substrate material of the magnetic disk medium , there is used a hard glass or other highly rigid material , so even after the application of an impact force , there remains no damage trace on the surface of the magnetic disk medium caused by the magnetic head . further , the generation of dust caused by the operation of the mechanism poses no problem because the mechanism is isolated hermetically from a housing that loads a magnetic disk medium . having described a preferred embodiment of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments and that various changes and modifications could be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims . | 6 |
fig1 is a block diagram of a liquid crystal display device according to one embodiment of the present invention . the features which make the liquid crystal display device of this embodiment different from the conventional liquid crystal display device shown in fig8 lies in the fact that the ladder resistor circuit 8 and the driver circuit 9 are eliminated ; and , in place of these circuits , a gradation voltage setting circuit 6 and a rom ( read only memory ) 7 are provided , and external control signals can be inputted to a display control circuit 4 from the outside . in this liquid crystal display device , at the time of supplying power to the liquid crystal display device , a display control circuit 4 , which constitutes display control means , reads out gradation voltage value data corresponding to a liquid crystal panel 1 from the rom 7 , which constitutes storage means , and sets gradation voltages in the gradation voltage setting circuit 6 , which constitutes gradation voltage setting means . further , during regular operation , the gradation voltage also can be set based on external control signals from the outside . fig2 is a view showing a state in which the display control circuit 4 of the liquid crystal display device according to one embodiment of the present invention , as shown in fig1 , transmits gradation voltage value data stored in the rom 7 to the gradation voltage setting circuit 6 . here , external control signals are inputted to the display control circuit 4 . further , the external control signals are in the form of digital signals for serial communication , and , hence , this feature is effective in view of the fact that , in contrast to parallel communication , the number of pins , such as connectors , can be reduced . using the external control signals , the display control circuit 4 writes the gradation voltage value data in the rom 7 . further , using the external control signals , the display control circuit 4 directly sets arbitrary gradation voltages in the gradation voltage setting circuit 6 . the gradation voltage value data corresponding to the manufactured panel is stored in the rom 7 . the gradation voltage setting circuit 6 sets the gradation voltage corresponding to the gradation voltage value data from the outside or the gradation voltage value data from the rom which is transmitted through the display control circuit 4 . fig3 is a block diagram of an optimum gradation voltage setting apparatus , which measures the brightness corresponding to the gradation voltage of the liquid crystal module 14 that constitutes a liquid crystal display device forming one embodiment of the present invention , and which stores the gradation voltage value data in the rom 7 . for measuring the brightness corresponding to the optimum gradation voltage for every manufactured panel , the optimum gradation voltage setting apparatus includes a liquid crystal module 14 , a reference signal generator 16 which drives the liquid crystal module 14 , a brightness photometer 15 which measures the brightness of the liquid crystal module 14 , and a personal computer ( hereinafter referred to as “ pc ”) 17 which receives the measured data from the brightness photometer 15 and outputs control signals to the reference signal generator 16 and the external control signals to the liquid crystal module 14 . the pc 17 controls the reference signal generator 16 using the control signals , supplies the reference input signals corresponding to white and black from the reference signal generator 16 to the liquid crystal module 14 to cause the liquid crystal module 14 display black and white sequentially , causes the brightness photometer 15 to measure the brightness of black and white at a point of time , and reads the measured data on white and black . based on the gradation voltage value corresponding to the black and white measured data , the pc 17 controls the reference signal generator 16 using the control signals and causes the liquid crystal display module 14 to sequentially display a half tone , which is generated by the reference signal generator 16 . the brightness photometer 15 then reads out the brightness of the half tone sequentially . using the measured data of the half tone , the pc 17 determines whether or not the half tone is the optimum gradation voltage value for the liquid crystal display module 14 . that is , as shown in fig1 , it is judged whether or not the relationship between the gradation voltage and the brightness corresponds to the optimum brightness characteristic 12 . when the relationship is optimum , using the external control signals , the pc 17 transfers the optimum gradation voltage value data to the liquid crystal module 14 . when the relationship is not optimum , that is , as shown in fig1 , with respect to the case wherein the brightness characteristic 13 has irregularities , the pc 17 resets a new gradation voltage value by transmitting data on a gradation voltage value which is changed so as to be slightly larger or smaller than the gradation voltage value set in the liquid crystal module 14 , controls the reference signal generator 16 , and causes the liquid crystal module 14 to display the half tone sequentially . the brightness photometer 15 then measures the brightness sequentially . until the optimum gradation voltage value is obtained , this operation is repeated . when the pc 17 determines that the optimum gradation voltage value is obtained based on the measured data , the pc 17 transfers the optimum gradation voltage value data to the liquid crystal module 14 using the external control signal . fig4 is a view showing the writing of data to the rom 7 based on the external control signals when the pc 17 determines that the relationship between the gradation and the brightness is optimum . as shown in fig4 , the external control signals are inputted to the display control circuit 4 , the display control circuit 4 and the rom 7 are connected with each other through a serial interface ( di , do , clk , ld ) which performs reception and transmission of the gradation voltage value data , and the display control circuit 4 operate to write the gradation voltage value data in the rom 7 . fig5 is a view showing the setting of gradation voltages to the gradation voltage setting circuit 6 based on the external control signals when the pc 17 determines that the relationship between the gradation and the brightness is not optimum . as seen in fig1 , the display control circuit 4 transmits the gradation voltage value data to the gradation voltage setting circuit 6 through a serial interface ( di , clk , ld ). the gradation voltage setting circuit 6 uses a digital / analogue converter ( hereinafter , referred to as “ d / a ”) 18 to convert the digital gradation voltage value data consisting of black , white and a half tone into analogue data ( ch 1 to chn ) respectively corresponding to the gradation voltage value data , while the analogue data is supplied to the source driver 3 as a newly set gradation voltage via an operational amplifier 19 and the like . the source driver 3 outputs the voltages corresponding to the input signal out of the newly set gradation voltages to the liquid crystal panel 1 . assuming that the setting of the new gradation voltage value data formed of a half tone is repeated and it is determined that the pc 17 assumes the optimum gradation voltage value , the data on the optimum gradation voltage value is stored in the rom 7 . fig6 is a flow chart of the process for setting the optimum gradation voltage which expresses the above - mentioned operations . although the storing of the optimum gradation voltage values to the rom 7 is performed one after another , the storing of the optimum gradation voltage values may be performed collectively in the final step . with respect to the operation of the liquid crystal module 14 as a single unit which constitutes the liquid crystal display device , when power from the power source is supplied , the display control circuit 4 reads out the gradation voltage value data from the rom 7 in response to a reset signal or the like , transmits the data to the gradation voltage setting circuit 6 , and sets the gradation voltages corresponding to the data values . accordingly , it is possible to produce a display having a fixed γ characteristic . further , when the gradation voltage value data is transmitted in response to an external control signal from an external cpu or the like , the display control circuit 4 transmits the data to the gradation voltage setting circuit 6 where the gradation voltage is set , whereby the gradation voltage can be set on a real - time basis . accordingly , it is possible to set the gradation voltages which are most suitable for a change of scene , the bright portion and the dark portion of the transmitted image data , and , hence , images of high quality can be displayed . further , the brightness of the screen is dark when the backlight is turned on and becomes brighter along with the lapse of time . in such a case , however , by changing the gradation voltage along with the lapse of time in response to the external control signals , it is possible to always obtain an image display of high quality . fig7 shows one embodiment which further simplifies the gradation voltage generating means of the present invention , wherein the gradation voltage generating means is constituted of ladder resistors 10 and selectors 20 in place of the d / a 18 shown in fig5 . the gray scale voltages from the rom 7 , which become two kinds of references , are obtained by voltage dividing using the resistors 10 . either one of two kinds of voltages is selected by changeover in response to an on / off signal using the selectors 20 , and the selected voltage is supplied to the source driver 3 by way of the operational amplifier 19 or the like . although this embodiment can select only two γ characteristics , this embodiment can change the γ characteristics using a small number of parts and at a low cost . as has been explained heretofore , according to the present invention , it is possible to set the gradation voltages which respectively correspond to the manufactured panels . accordingly , the irregularities of γ characteristics for every panel can be eliminated , and , hence , the irregularities of 65 characteristics for every panel can be absorbed , whereby it is possible to provide a liquid crystal display device in which the yield rate of the manufacture of the panels is enhanced and , at the same time , which can display an optimum image . further , it is possible to set the gradation voltages corresponding to various images using external control signals , and , hence , it is possible to provide a liquid crystal display device which can favorably display an image of high quality by changing the γ characteristic depending on the scene produced on the screen . still further , by imparting a γ characteristic which increases the gradations to the panel , it is possible to provide a liquid crystal display device which exhibits fine images . | 6 |
there are provided in fig3 a to 4 e , 5 and 6 a to 6 e a cross sectional views of cmos image sensors 200 , 300 and cross sectional views setting forth methods for the manufacture thereof in accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention . in fig3 there is provided a cross sectional view of the inventive image sensor 200 comprising a silicon substrate 202 , a photo - sensing element 212 , an isolation region 208 , a transfer transistor 210 and a capacitor structure 230 . the photo - sensing element 212 includes an n - type conducting region that is formed in the silicon substrate 202 . the conducting region forms a p — n junction with the p - type material of the silicon substrate 202 to collect photoelectric charges . therefore , the photo - sensing element 212 is capable of converting a light beam impinging thereon into photoelectric charges . the transfer transistor 210 includes a gate oxide 205 , a gate electrode 207 and a spacer 211 . the transfer transistor 210 is coupled to a sensing node 203 . the sensing node 203 is implanted with n + dopants for transferring the photoelectric charges to the sensing node 203 in response to a transfer control signal . although the other devices , e . g ., a reset transistor or an amplification transistor , are not shown for the sake of the simplicity , the sensing node can be connected to the other devices . the capacitor structure 230 includes an insulating film 231 , a bottom electrode 233 , a spacer 232 , a capacitor dielectric 234 and a top electrode 235 . in the preferred embodiment , the insulating film 231 is made of a material , e . g ., siox or the like , used for the gate oxide 205 . the bottom electrode 233 is also made of a material , e . g ., doped polysilicon or the like , used for the gate electrode 207 . it is possible that the gate oxide 205 and the insulating film 231 can be made of a high k dielectric material such as ta 2 o 5 . in fig4 a to 4 e , there are illustrated manufacturing steps involved in manufacturing the image sensor 200 in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention . the process for manufacturing the image sensor 200 begins with the preparation of a silicon substrate 202 provided with an isolation region 208 and a sensing node 203 formed therein . thereafter , a first dielectric layer 204 , e . g ., made of sio 2 , is formed on the silicon substrate 202 by using a method such as a chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ). a first conductive layer 206 , e . g ., made of doped polysilicon , formed on top of the first dielectric layer 204 by using a method such as cvd . in order to define a conducting region , a transfer transistor and a capacitor structure , a first photoresist layer is formed on top of the first conductive layer 206 and patterned into a predetermined configuration , thereby obtaining a patterned photoresist layer 209 , as shown in fig4 a . it is preferable that the silicon substrate 202 is prepared with forming a p - type epitaxial layer on a p - type substrate , wherein an impurity concentration of the p - type epitaxial layer is lower than that of the p - type substrate . in an ensuing step , portions of the first conductive layer 206 and the first dielectric layer 204 , which are not covered with the patterned photoresist layer 209 , are removed by using an etching process , thereby obtaining an insulating film 231 , a bottom electrode 233 , a gate dielectric 205 and a gate electrode 207 , as shown in fig4 b . optionally , a spacer 211 can be formed on sides of the gate dielectric 205 and the gate electrode 207 . a spacer 232 also can be formed on sides of the insulating film 231 and the bottom electrode 233 . thereafter , first n + dopants are implanted into a sending node 203 and second n + dopants are implanted into the conducting region 212 , wherein the impurity of the second n + dopants is deeper than that of the first n + dopants . in a next step , a second dielectric layer 220 is formed on top of the bottom electrode 233 and the gate electrode 207 . a second photoresist layer is formed on top of the second dielectric layer 220 by using a method such as a spin coating and patterned into a preset configuration 228 to define a contact hole , as shown in fig4 c . thereafter , the second dielectric layer 220 is etched by using a chemical , thereby exposing a portion of the conducting region 212 . in a following step , a second conductive layer 222 , e . g ., made of doped polysilicon , is formed in the contact hole and formed on top of the second dielectric layer 220 . and then , a third photoresist layer is formed on top of the second conductive layer 222 and patterned into a certain configuration 240 to define a capacitor structure , as shown in fig4 d . thereafter , portions of the second conductive layer 222 and the second dielectric layer 220 are removed by using a method such as a chemical etching , thereby obtaining the capacitor structure 230 , as shown in fig4 e . in comparison with the prior art , the present invention can reduce the steps of the manufacturing the image sensor 2000 . this is achieved by forming elements , e . g ., the insulating film 231 , of the capacitor structure 230 and elements , e . g ., the gate dielectric 205 , of the transfer transistor 210 in the same process . alternatively , in fig5 there is provided a cross sectional view of an image sensor 300 in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention . the image sensor 300 comprises a silicon substrate 302 , a photo - sensing element 312 , an isolation region 308 , a transfer transistor 310 and a capacitor structure 330 . the inventive image sensor 300 is similar to the image sensor 200 shown in fig3 except that the top electrode 334 does not directly contact to the photo - sensing element 312 . in the second preferred embodiment , the top electrode 334 can be electrically connected to the photo - sensing element 312 through a conducting member 340 . in fig6 a to 6 e , there are illustrated manufacturing steps involved in manufacturing the image sensor 300 in accordance with the second preferred embodiment of the present invention . the process for manufacturing the image sensor 300 begins with the preparation of a silicon substrate 302 provided with an isolation region 308 and a sensing node 303 formed therein . thereafter , a first dielectric layer 304 , e . g ., made of sio 2 , is formed on the silicon substrate 302 by using a method such as a chemical vapor deposition ( cvd ). a first conductive layer 306 , e . g ., made of doped polysilicon , formed on top of the first dielectric layer 304 by using a method such as cvd . in order to define a conducting region , a transfer transistor and a capacitor structure , a first photoresist layer is formed on top of the first conductive layer 306 and patterned into a predetermined configuration , thereby obtaining a patterned photoresist layer 309 , as shown in fig6 a . it is preferable that the silicon substrate 302 is prepared with forming a p - type epitaxial layer on a p - type substrate , wherein an impurity concentration of the p - type epitaxial layer is lower than that of the p - type substrate . in an ensuing step , portions of the first conductive layer 306 and the first dielectric layer 304 , which are not covered with the patterned photoresist layer 309 , are removed by using an etching process , thereby obtaining an insulating film 331 , a bottom electrode 333 , a gate dielectric 305 and a gate electrode 307 , as shown in fig6 b . optionally , a spacer 311 can be formed on sides of the gate dielectric 305 and the gate electrode 307 . a spacer 332 also can be formed on sides of the insulating film 331 and the bottom electrode 333 . thereafter , first n + dopants are implanted into a sending node 303 and second n + dopants are implanted into the conducting region 312 , wherein the impurity of the second n + dopants is deeper than that of the first n + dopants . in a next step , a second dielectric layer 320 is formed on top of the bottom electrode 333 and the gate electrode 307 . a second conductive layer 322 , e . g ., made of doped polysilicon , is formed on the second dielectric layer 320 , successively . and then , a second photoresist layer is formed on top of the second conductive layer 322 and patterned into a certain configuration 336 to define a capacitor structure , as shown in fig6 c . thereafter , portions of the second conductive layer 322 and the second dielectric layer 320 , which are not covered with the certain configuration 336 of the second photoresist layer , are removed by using a method such as a chemical etching , thereby obtaining the capacitor structure 330 , as shown in fig6 d . finally , a conductive member 340 is formed on top of the photo - sensing element 312 with extending over the top electrode 334 of the capacitor structure 330 in such a way that the photo - sensing element 312 is electrically connected to the top electrode 334 . while the present invention has been described with respect to the particular embodiments , it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims . | 7 |
the memory shown in the single fig . corresponds to a non volatile rom erasable either electrically or by ultraviolet radiation . this memory is programmed in a conventional way , that is to say by application of given voltage levels on each line and on each column so that the logic state of each memory point formed by an mos type transistor connected to a line and a column is modified or not . the memory is programmed through line 2 and column 3 decoders . these decoders make it possible respectively to decode the line addresses adl and the column addresses adc and to read data o or to write data i depending on the state of the reading - writing signal r / w . writing takes place after reception of an enable signal we . in the device of the invention , the writing enable signal we is not directly applied to the line - column decoders . this signal is appiled to the input of an and gate 4 . the and gate 4 receives at another input and output signal from an inverting gate 5 . the inverting gate 5 receives the signal corresponding to a logic state &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; of the memory signal 6 dependng on whether this cell has been programmed or not . the memory cell 6 is programmed on the reception of an end of programming order sfp for memory 1 and a writing enable we . the corresponding signals sfp and we are applied respectively to the inputs of an and gate 7 . the two conditions for programming the cell 6 are present when these signals are in state 1 so that the output of gate 7 makes it possible , when an order w is given for writing into cell 6 , to program this cell in the desired state . as long as the end of programming signal sfp is not applied , that is to say as long as the signal is in state o , memory 1 is programmable . when the user finishes programming this memory , he causes the emission of the signal sfp whose logic state represents the end of programming and the logic state of the writing enable signal we is maintained so as to be able to write into cell 6 , these two signals are received at the input of the and gate 7 . the output logic level of this gate then makes it possible to program the memory cell 6 either for example by causing it to pass from a logic state 0 to a logic state 1 , a writing order having of course been given . to obtain the writing - reading order , the r / w order of memory 1 is used , inverted by a gate 8 . during the first programming of memory 1 , the r / w signal is for example at 1 , which corresponds to a writing order for memory 1 and to a reading order for cell 6 . the writing enable signal we is at state 1 . the contents of cell 6 is read , the logic state of this content is for example 0 , the output of gate 5 is at 1 . the output of gate 4 is at 1 , memory 1 is programmable . at the end of programmable memory 1 , the signal sfp is at 1 , the signal w is at 1 , the signal r / w is at 0 which corresponds to a writing order for cell 6 . the programming logic state of the cell is for example 1 . the output of gate 5 is a 0 . gate 4 prevents any writing enable . during any attempt at writing into memory 1 , after cell 6 has been programmed , the contents of this cell is systematically read , which prevents any reprogramming . in fact , the and gate 4 , which receives at one of its inputs the signal representing the logic state of the memory cell 6 , will , whatever the logic state of the signal we for enabling writing into memory 1 , prevent any reprogramming thereof . memory 1 is therefore protected against reprogramming , i . e . by a user who did not know that this memory was programmed . it is of course always possible to reprogram such a memory in the case of an eprom memory , for example , by providing a window which lets ultraviolet radiation pass over all the memory cells including the protection cell 6 for this memory 1 . so as to make possible reading and writing of cell 6 which includes a floating gate transistor , gates 7 and 8 are chosen so that they deliver a low level at 5v or a high level at 12v . | 6 |
fig4 is a side view of one embodiment of fofap 40 configured with front - mounted print mechanism 406 , front - mounted fusing system 401 , and front - mounted stapler / stacker 404 integrated into the top front portion of fofap 40 . in operation , pages that are to be stapled or offset are directed from main paper path 400 to stapler / stacker device 404 by redirecting the pages using media flipper 403 . media flipper 403 exists originally in fofap 40 for duplex printing . when the staple / offset printing feature is selected the paper begins exiting through media flipper 403 . however , when the trailing edge of the paper exits fuser 401 , media flipper 403 reverses direction , pulling the paper back into fofap 40 . instead of directing the paper into duplex paper path 407 , the page is directed into stapler / stacker 404 . pages are accumulated in stapler / stacker device 404 until the copy is complete . depending on the operation selected the copy is either stapled or offset into folding offset output tray 405 . folding offset output tray 405 does not obscure primary output 402 and may be folded away by the user , decreasing the effective footprint of fofap 40 . the staple / offset path through stapler / stacker device 404 is essentially unaltered from main paper path 400 except for the diversion through existing media flipper 403 of the duplexing system . there is no efficiency penalty for non - offset / stapled jobs because they generally do not deviate form the original paper path . as such , there is little effect on first page out time for stapled / offset print jobs . additionally , unlike the existing configurations , the embodiment shown in fig3 uses the existing media flipping capabilities of fofap 40 which reduces the costs , complexity , and time to the printing process compared to the printers with additional media flippers . furthermore , the user is presented front access to stapled / offset media output without the need to orient fofap 40 sideways . access to primary output bin 402 is also not diminished with the use of folding offset output tray 405 . moreover , because neither folding offset output tray 405 nor primary output bin 402 are bound on the output end by any mechanism , the height or depth of fofap 40 does not require significant increase to handle the larger sized paper stock , such as legal , a4 , and the like . fig5 a is a diagram detailing diverting system 50 of fofap 40 , as shown in fig4 . diverting mechanism 50 is activated when a staple / offset feature is selected . print media exits fuser 401 and enters existing media flipper 403 . the print media begins exiting fofap 40 ( fig4 ) until its trailing edge leaves fuser 401 . once the print media clears fuser 401 , media flipper 403 reverses direction drawing the media back into fofap 40 ( fig4 ) into duplex printing path 502 . however , when the stapler / offset feature is selected diverter 503 is in a closed position re - directing the print media into staple / stacker path 501 into stapler / stacker 404 . fig5 b is a diagram detailing open diverting system 51 of fofap 40 , as shown in fig4 . when normal or duplex printing is selected by the user , diverting system 51 remains in an open position . after passing through fuser 401 , if duplex operation is selected , the print media is reversed in media flipper 403 and directed down duplex printing path 502 . the print media does not get re - directed into stapler / stacker 403 through stapler / stacker path 501 because diverter 503 remains in its open position . fig6 a is a diagram detailing an alternative embodiment of diverting system 60 for fofap 40 , as shown in fig4 . diverting mechanism 60 is activated when a staple / offset feature is selected . print media exits fuser 401 and enters existing media flipper 403 . the print media begins exiting fofap 40 ( fig4 ) until its trailing edge leaves fuser 401 . once the print media clears fuser 401 , media flipper 403 reverses direction drawing the media back into fofap 40 ( fig4 ) into duplex printing path 502 . however , when the stapler / offset feature is selected gate 600 is in a closed position allowing the print media into staple / stacker path 501 into stapler / stacker 404 . fig6 b is a diagram detailing open diverting system 61 of fofap 40 , as shown in fig4 . when normal or duplex printing is selected by the user , diverting system 61 remains in an open position . after passing through fuser 401 , if duplex operation is selected , the print media is reversed in media flipper 403 and directed down duplex printing path 502 . when duplex printing is selected , gate 600 and diverter 601 are moved into a diverting position such that print media does not get re - directed into stapler / stacker 404 through stapler / stacker path 501 because diverter 601 blocks entry to stapler / stacker 404 . it should be noted that , while fig5 and 6 detail two alternative embodiments of a diverting system , various embodiments of the present invention may be configured with other implementations for diverting the printed media from the duplex path into the stapler / stacker assembly . also , it should be noted that , while fig4 is shown with a monochrome printer , alternative embodiments of the present invention may be configured on color printers . fig7 is a side view of another embodiment of fofap 70 configured with front - mounted color print mechanisms 702 – 705 , and front - mounted fusing system 701 . the diverting system of fig7 operates similarly to that shown in fig4 except for the additional ones of color print mechanisms 702 – 705 . print media on main path 700 and duplex path 706 will pass through color print mechanisms 702 – 705 to reach front - mounted fusing system 701 . although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail , it should be understood that various changes , substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . moreover , the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process , machine , manufacture , composition of matter , means , methods and steps described in the specification . as one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention , processes , machines , manufacture , compositions of matter , means , methods , or steps , presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present invention . accordingly , the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes , machines , manufacture , compositions of matter , means , methods , or steps . | 6 |
reference will now be made in detail to the present invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . wherever possible , the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts . methods and systems consistent with the principles of some embodiments of the present invention enhance a consumer &# 39 ; s personal shopping experience by providing a personal shopping device to a consumer in a retail shopping environment and enabling the consumer , utilizing a consumer interface , to access information . further systems and methods consistent with principles of some embodiments of the present invention enable a user , through an application server , to manage information delivered to the personal shopping device . further systems and methods consistent with principles of some embodiments of the present invention enable a retailer to manage inventory , location of products within a shopping establishment and / or study and maximize product layouts in order to maximize sales . further systems and methods consistent with principles of some embodiments of the present invention provide a user with a loyalty card , personal key fob , etc . that interacts with the personal shopping device to customize the shopping experience . further systems and methods consistent with principles of some embodiments of the present invention provide for the efficient exchange of content between a personal shopping device and an application server . further methods and systems consistent with principles of some embodiments of the present invention enable manufacturers to schedule and send information to the personal shopping device . further methods and systems consistent with principles of some embodiments of the present invention enable customers to place orders for counter services . further methods and systems consistent with principles of some embodiments of the present invention enable efficient management of company information , shopping establishment information and customer information within the system . further methods and systems consistent with principles of some embodiments of the present invention enable a customer to generate and maintain a list of products for purchase . it may be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art , that the systems and methods discussed herein may be implemented in a variety of shopping environments . for exemplary purposes , systems and methods consistent with principles of the present invention will be discussed herein in a retail grocery shopping environment . the terms personal shopping device and personal computing device are used interchangeably herein . fig1 is an exemplary diagram of a system environment 100 for implementing the principles of the present invention . the components of system 100 may be implemented through any suitable combinations of hardware , software , and / or firmware . as shown in fig1 , system 100 includes a plurality of stores 102 , 104 . store 102 includes store server 110 that is maintained by the grocery store . store 102 further includes a plurality of servers 106 , 108 that may interact with a plurality of application servers 120 , 122 through network 116 . alternatively , servers 106 , 108 may be implemented as one server . store 102 may further include a buffer server 107 that is communicably linked to both store server 110 and one or both of application servers 106 , 108 . buffer server 107 may store information that may be shared between application server 106 , 108 and store server 110 . the buffer server 107 may serve to protect information stored at the respective servers , so that all information stores at the respective servers may be secure . alternatively , one of both of application servers 106 , 108 may be communicably linked to store server 110 . a plurality of personal shopping devices 112 , 114 physically located within or near store 102 may interact with servers 106 , 108 , using known technology , including wireless communication . a consumer may access the personal shopping device 112 to access and manage information to enhance their shopping experience . each personal shopping device 112 , 114 may be associated with a unique identifier . the consumer may access the personal shopping device 112 with a personalized key fob 140 . system 100 may further include operator server 124 wherein a user at server 124 may manage information that is provided to application servers 120 , 122 , servers 106 , 108 and / or personal shopping device 112 , 114 through network 116 . manufacturer 126 , 128 may further reside on within system 100 wherein manufacturer 126 , 128 may access application servers 120 , 122 to request and / or schedule information related to their products to be downloaded to personal shopping device 112 , 114 . system 100 may further include client computers 130 , 132 , which may be communicably linked to application servers 120 , 122 , wherein a consumer may enter information for access by the personal shopping device 112 , 114 . for example , the consumer may access application servers 120 , 122 and enter information , i . e ., a shopping list , for access at the grocery store by the personal shopping device 112 , 114 . finally , system 100 may include merchant servers 136 , 134 . merchant servers 134 , 136 may be accessed by application servers 120 , 122 and / or personal shopping devices 112 , 114 to obtain content for viewing by the consumer at the personal shopping device 112 , 114 . it may be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that while only one or two devices , client computers , and / or servers may be depicted , that many devices , client computers , and / or servers may reside within system 100 . while network 116 may be implemented as the internet , network 116 may be any local or wide area network , either public or private . fig2 depicts an exemplary block diagram of components included in personal shopping device 112 , 114 . personal shopping device 112 , 114 may be implemented as a computing device that may be made a part of a shopping cart . personal shopping device 112 , 114 may include central processing unit 202 , a touch display screen 204 , application software 206 , memory 208 , secondary storage 210 , and input / output devices 212 . personal shopping device 112 , 114 may be communicably linked to servers 106 , 108 . further , personal shopping device 112 , 114 may be communicably linked to merchant server 134 , 136 through servers 106 , 108 . a customer may access network 116 through sever 106 , 108 using application software 206 wherein the application software may include a conventional browser including conventional browser applications available from microsoft or netscape . application software 206 may further include a user interface that enhances a consumer &# 39 ; s shopping experience by providing a plurality of features as discussed herein . input / output devices 212 may include , for example , a bar code reader , a usb port for receiving key fob 140 , an interface to receive a variety of external devices , including , but not limited to , a smart card , a floppy disk , an external memory device , i . e ., compact flash card , memory stick , etc ., and a touch screen display for displaying information to the consumer and receiving information from the customer through input at the touch screen , etc . fig3 depicts an exemplary block diagram of the components that may reside on key fob 140 consistent with principles of some embodiments of the present invention . as depicted in fig3 , identification information may be stored . upon issuance of the key fob 140 to the consumer , the system associates unique identification information 304 with the consumer . this unique identification information 304 identifying the consumer may be stored on key fob 140 . upon insertion of the key fob 140 into personal shopping device 112 , 114 , a verification algorithm 302 , stored on key fob 140 may be performed to verify the authenticity of key fob 140 . upon proper verification , the consumer may access the information available at the personal shopping device 112 , 114 . further , a session may be created and managed utilizing session management information 308 , stored at key fob 140 . as such , in the event of a personal shopping device failure , as the key fob device 140 stores all interaction between the customer and the personal shopping device , including a user &# 39 ; s completed actions and whereabouts in the user interface , the consumer &# 39 ; s session may be fully restored using the information stored at session management information 308 . fig4 depicts an exemplary diagram of application servers 106 , 108 , 120 , 122 that may be implemented in system environment 100 , consistent with the principles of some embodiments of the present invention . as shown in fig4 , application servers 106 , 108 , 120 , 122 include a cpu 402 , application software 404 , memory 406 , secondary storage 408 , network interface application 410 , and input / output devices 412 . input / output devices 212 may include , for example , a keyboard , a mouse , a video cam , a display , a storage device , a printer , etc . application software 404 may include software applications that facilitate the scheduling and sending of smart content as discussed herein to personal shopping devices 112 , 114 . application software 404 may further include software applications that facilitate the tracking of personal shopping devices within and around the retail shopping environment , and , based upon the tracking information , facilitate determining certain information as discussed herein . application software 404 may further facilitate the functionality in accordance with the personal shopping devices 112 , 114 discussed herein . it may be appreciated that the configuration of operator server 124 , manufacture server 126 , 128 , client computer 130 , 132 and merchant server 134 , 136 may be similarly configured to the application servers as depicted in fig4 wherein the application software may differ in accordance with the functionality of the individual computers as discussed herein . using conventional applications , the system may track the present location of each of the plurality of personal shopping devices located in or near the shopping environment . in addition to tracking each of the plurality of personal shopping devices , for each personal shopping device , the system may store the position of the personal shopping device at predetermined intervals , i . e ., every five seconds . this information may then be used to determine the actual location of the personal shopping device with respect to certain products , either part of or the total path of the personal shopping device as it travels through the shopping environment , etc . this information may be used for several purposes . first , using this information , the system may determine where , within the shopping environment , the personal shopping device is located . certain flags or conditions may be set within the system such that upon the determination of a personal shopping device being within a certain distance of a particular location , directed advertising may be employed . this directed advertising may or may not take into consideration the consumer &# 39 ; s shopping history . the user , at operating server 124 or at application servers 120 , 122 , may create and modify these flags or conditions thus establishing an event - driving process . for example , if it is determined , based upon the location of the personal shopping device , the consumer is located in the juice section , a computer - generated discount may be offered to the consumer . these computer - generated discounts may be offered to some or all of the consumers when they are within a predetermined location of the juice section . alternatively , if it is determined that the consumer has spent $ 20 in juice in the past 2 weeks , based upon a consumer &# 39 ; s stored shopping history , a computer - generated discount may be offered to the consumer based upon the consumer &# 39 ; s shopping history . these computer - generated discounts may be offered by displaying the discount to the consumer on the display of the personal shopping device 112 , 114 . similarly , advertising , surveys , etc ., may selectively be displayed to the consumer based upon personal shopping device location and / or the consumer &# 39 ; s shopping history . second , using the set of determined positions obtained using the personal shopping device location application , a part of or the total path of the personal shopping device through the shopping establishment may be determined . this may be useful to identify how frequently each aisle , area , zone , etc ., of the store is visited . by identifying which areas of the shopping establishment are most frequently visited , the shopping establishment owner may optimize this space by placing certain products within the area that the shopping establishment owner would like to sell quickly , heavily advertise , place special deals , etc . further , by identifying those areas of the store that are least frequently visited , the shopping establishment owner may re - arrange the products within the store to generate more traffic in those less - traveled areas . further , it may provide information indicating that the layout of the shopping establishment is confusing to the consumer ; not laid out properly , etc . third , the system may store information relating to the date , duration , etc . of a customer &# 39 ; s shopping experience . using the information obtained , the shopping establishment owner may be able to compare the speed of shopping at one store with the speed of shopping at another store . fourth , the personal shopping device position information may be used to support the self - healing planogram discussed below . a user may schedule content to be downloaded and displayed to a consumer at the personal shopping device using an application at operator server 124 , and / or application servers 120 , 122 . alternatively , a user at application servers 106 , 108 or buffer server 107 may schedule content to be downloaded and displayed at the personal shopping device . using the content scheduling application , a user may enter the content to be displayed , the start and end date / time , which shopping establishments and / or personal shopping devices the content should be downloaded to ( either by designating the individual personal shopping devices , or the individual consumers ), the commands to be performed by the personal shopping device before and / or after the content is to be displayed , etc . this content may be directed , active , and / or passive advertising and may be in the form of text , images , etc ., commands to be performed by the cpu of the personal shopping device , updates for software applications , etc . alternatively , the manufacturer , using a similar content scheduling application , may access application server 120 , 122 to request scheduling of content by inputting similar information . this request may be reviewed prior to the scheduling of the content , or may be automatically scheduled . alternatively , the content may simply be stored either at application server 106 , 108 , buffer server 107 , or personal shopping device 112 , 114 where the content is pushed to the personal shopping device and played in a list order , randomly , etc . information may be updated at the personal shopping device when the personal shopping device is recharging . a determination may be made to ensure sufficient power remains at the personal shopping device for the duration of the download and installation , if the personal shopping device is not plugged in . for example , upon a determination that the personal shopping device is not recharging , and that a predetermined power level is maintained , the personal shopping device may generate a message to application server 106 , 108 , advising the application server 106 , 108 that the personal shopping device is ready to download content . upon receipt of the message , application server 106 . 108 , prepares a response to the personal shopping device providing the personal shopping device with a public key and advises the personal shopping device that updates are ready for downloading . using the updating content application , the personal shopping device retrieves a private key from its storage and submits a request with the private key for updated content data . this ensures that only the proper personal shopping devices may download content from application server 106 , 108 . upon receipt of the request , application server 106 , 108 transmits the updated content to the personal shopping device . this exchange of transmissions between the personal shopping device and application server 106 , 108 , may be facilitated with microsoft &# 39 ; s message queuing center ( msmq ) wherein the header of the messages are modified to include security information , i . e ., an rsa key , to ensure secure transactions . it may be appreciated by one skilled in the art that the power level determination may not be performed if the personal shopping device is recharging . information relating to the plurality of shopping establishments , the companies that own the shopping establishments and the customers shopping within the shopping establishments may be stored in a manner that enables real - time access to accurate current and historical data . fig4 a depicts exemplary data tables consistent with the principles of some embodiments of the present invention . it may be appreciated that the data tables depicted in the figures may include additional information that is not discussed herein . further , it may be appreciated that additional tables may be stored including additional information relating to the companies , the shopping establishments , and / or the customers . for example , additional information may be stored relating to the customer &# 39 ; s shopping experience , including shopping lists , items , price , and quantity of items purchased , click - throughs of the user interface , customer demographic data as discussed above , path of the customer through the store , advertisements that were presented to the customer , coupons used by the customer , etc . as depicted in fig4 a , a plurality of data tables are provided . data tables may be implemented using an excel spreadsheet application by microsoft corporation , macromedia flash application by adobe systems incorporated , a dynamic html application etc . the data tables may include company information 421 , hierarchy information 423 , level information 425 , location information 427 , and grouping details 429 . fig4 a depicts the association between the data tables . exemplary details of the data tables depicted in fig4 a are set forth in fig4 b - 4c . company information 421 stores information related to the company , including the company id , as a primary key , and further includes the date the company record was created in the data table , and the name , street , state , zip code , country , telephone and fax number of the company . hierarchy information 423 stores information relating to the hierarchy definitions and includes company id and hierarchy as the primary keys , and further includes the date the record was created and the name of the hierarchy . location information 427 stores information relating to the individual locations of each of the shopping establishments of the companies stored in company information 421 and includes company id , hierarchy id , member id and time zone id as primary keys and further includes the date the record was created , the member name , level id , street , city , state , country , zip code , phone and fax number of the shopping establishment . location information 427 establishes which individual shopping establishments belong to which levels . level information 425 stores information relating to the level definitions and includes company id , hierarchy id , and level id as primary keys and further includes the date the record was created in the data table and the level name . grouping details 429 stores information relating to the groupings , or roll - ups of the shopping establishments and includes company id , hierarchy id , and group id as primary keys and further includes the date the record was created and the member id . grouping details 429 associates individual shopping establishments to certain groups . each of the data tables further stores information relating to whether the records included therein are active or inactive . for example , if a store moves locations , then a new record may be created within location information 427 maintaining the member id but updating all of the other stored data in the new record . the old record of the closed store will be saved in the data table , however the record may be indicated as being inactive . by storing the information in this manner , as companies and individual shopping establishments change locations , a simple update to the tables discussed herein , while maintaining the historic data provides for real - time data access to the current and historic data . for example , if member id 1001 moves location to zone - california south , a new record is created in location information 427 listing member id 1001 , the new time zone id , the date the new record was created , the member name , and the new level id associated with the new location . in addition , the old record is marked as inactive and the date the record was marked inactive is stored . none of the other tables need to be updated . the new information is maintained as current information , and the historic information is maintained for data mining purposes . as such , any time any of the values represented in the tables need to be updated , only those tables that store the value to be changed need to be updated . by establishing and maintaining the tables in this manner , real - time current and historic data may be data mined . for example , as the active / inactive status of records and the date records are created and the date records go inactive are stored , while still maintaining the data after records go inactive , by clarifying at least one of company id , hierarchy id , member id , level id , group id , time period , or any other information stored in the tables , accurate real - time current and historic data may be obtained . it may be appreciated that records may be established in order to enable a company to select certain shopping establishments for targeted advertising , without being limited to the previously established levels in the table . for example , a new record may be established in level information 425 with a level id 99999 . company 1 may wish to provide an advertisement for tide detergent only to store member id nos . 1001 , 10001 , and 10002 . by adding new records in the grouping details 429 , where store member id no . 1001 , 10001 , and 10002 have group id no . 99999 ( in addition to group id nos . already assigned , i . e ., 10001 , 1000000 , and 1000000 , respectively ) the company can designate the tide detergent ad be displayed to customers associated with group id no . 99999 . this provides added functionality because company id 1 is not limited to sending the advertising to all of the stores within the levels that may already be defined within level information 425 . company id 1 may , in a simple manner , target advertising to specific stores , regardless of predefined levels . it may be appreciated that this may save the companies money in advertising costs , administrative costs , etc . it may further be appreciated that , in addition to selecting stores to target advertising , a company may similarly select among the demographic customer information , customer &# 39 ; s shopping history , etc ., to target advertising . it may further be appreciated that by establishing such a 99999 record , information regarding the predefined levels are not affected . as such , data mining for the predefined levels remains the same , while providing the added functionality of defining levels for targeted advertising . it may be appreciated that similar functionality may result by adding new hierarchy ids in the hierarchy information table . it may be appreciated that additional tables may be provided for maintaining customer information . for example , a customer information table may be provided including primary key customer id , and storing demographic information of the customer including age , age range , gender , date of creation of customer record , number of members in the household , number of children , age and gender of the children in the household , household income , etc . further a shopping transaction table may be provided including primary keys for customer id , transaction id and location id , and further including date , type , quantity , price , etc ., of products purchased , click - though data , advertisements viewed , date , time and cart path of shopping trip , entry time and exit time of each zone during each shopping trip , etc . it may be appreciated that additional information may be stored in these tables to expand data mining results . it may be appreciated that all of the tables discussed herein may by stored at application server 106 , 108 , 122 , 124 , and / or database 142 , 144 . for each store , application servers 120 , 122 , 106 , 108 may store in memory the store &# 39 ; s planogram , i . e ., a design that shows where specific products are laid out on retail shelves or displays . fig5 depicts an exemplary planogram consistent with principles of some embodiments of the present invention . as depicted in fig5 , the store includes aisles 502 , 504 , 504 , end caps 508 , 510 , and 512 , produce displays 514 , 516 , 518 , 520 , dairy display 522 , meat and seafood display 524 , wine display 526 , 528 , hot food / salad bar display 532 , 534 , and bread display 530 . for example , the store may be broken down into a plurality of zones and each product in the store may be designated as being located within a particular zone . as shown in fig5 , dairy display 522 may be identified as zone 1 536 , and produce displays 514 , 516 , 518 may be designated as zone 2 540 . it may be appreciated that the data relating to each store &# 39 ; s planogram may be stored in data tables with similar structure discussed above with regard to the information management hierarchy . information may be stored relating to the location of products within the shopping establishment . for example , for each of the plurality of zones depicted in fig5 , information may be stored identifying the metes and bounds of each of the plurality of zones and information relating to the location and descriptive information associated with the products located within each zone . fig6 depicts exemplary tables that may be utilized in storing information within the shopping establishment . as shown in fig6 , table a 600 stores the boundaries of each of the plurality of zones , i . e ., the metes and bounds of each of the plurality of zones , in the shopping establishment . col . 602 identifies each zone , col . 604 identifies the minimum coordinates of each of the zones and col . 606 identifies the maximum coordinates of each of the zones . it may be appreciated that alternatively methods may be utilized in identifying the metes and bounds of each of the plurality of zones . col . 611 identifies the location identification of the shopping establishment . further table b 608 may store information about each of the products included in the shopping establishment , including a specific location of the product within the zone , descriptive information relating to the product , etc . for example , table b 608 includes a sku #, a unique identification number that uniquely identifies a particular product , a zone id , representing the zone that the product is located in , and a product number . it may be appreciated by one skilled in the art that additional information may be stored in these tables . one of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate that alternatives to zones may be implemented in storing information relating to the positioning of products within the shopping establishment , i . e ., the store may be broken down into smaller or larger areas ; etc . the planogram discussed herein may be self - healing , in that there does not need to be any user interaction to update the product location information stored in the tables , for example , in the event that the product display has been relocated within the shopping establishment . as noted above , the tables store information identifying the location of each of the products located in the shopping establishment . when a consumer scans an item and places the item in his shopping cart , the personal shopping device receives the bar code information . this information may be uploaded to application servers 106 , 108 . this information may further be associated with the position information of the personal shopping device . the system may assume that the consumer placed the item in the cart at approximately the same location where the consumer took the item from the shelf / display . the location information may be compared with the location information stored in the tables . if the information is different , the system may flag the item and , if a predetermined number of consumers are placing the same item in the their carts at the new location , the system may automatically set the entry of the item in the tables as “ inactive ”, and create a new entry in table b identifying new position or zone of the item . thus , the planogram does not necessarily need to be manually updated . it may be self - healing in that , as consumers shop within the shopping establishment , the tables may be automatically updated . when a consumer performs a search for a product , as discussed below , these tables may be searched to identify the location of the product within the shopping establishment . further , the consumer may use the information in these tables to access the location , direction and distance to the product based upon the current personal shopping device location . further , data mining may be performed to determine where a product sells the best . by viewing data relating to where the item was located and how many customers purchased the item , the shopping establishment may determine where to place an item achieving optimum sales . consistent with some embodiments of the present invention , the user interface of the personal shopping device may be generated based on stored customer information . this customer information may be collected at the time the consumer signs up for a loyalty card / key fob , etc . the information may be stored at store server 110 , application servers 106 , 108 , application servers 120 , 122 , and / or databases 142 , 144 . the user interface may alternatively be generated based on stored customer information that is collected based on a customer &# 39 ; s past shopping experience and / or may be generated based on a combination of the customer information collected at the time the consumer signs up for the loyalty card / key fob , etc ., and the shopping history information . when registering for a loyalty card , key fob , etc ., the customer may be asked for personal information . for example the customer may be asked for age , sex , address , zip code , number of family members in the household , number of children , age of children , household income , etc . all of the information provided by the customer may be stored as indicated above . additionally , information may be stored regarding the date of the last shopping trip of the customer , the duration of the last shopping trip , etc . different display attributes may be stored in memory and associated with the different categories of customer information . certain display attributes may be associated with gender , age and / or age group , race , address , marital status , number of children , sex of children , etc . for example , if the customer is female , then the display may have a certain color background that may be more appealing to females ; if the customer is spanish and the customer &# 39 ; s first language is spanish , then the text displayed on the display may be in the spanish language ; if the customer &# 39 ; s eyesight is poor , this information may be associated with a large font size , etc . information may further be stored relating to a customer &# 39 ; s past shopping experience . for example , each time the customer touches the personal shopping device , the buttons selected by the customer may be stored . this data may be accessed in order to determine how frequently the customer selected each of the menu options on the personal device . if the system determines that the customer uses the shopping list feature the more frequently , then the actuatable button representing the shopping list function may be more prominently displayed on the user interface , i . e ., at the beginning of the list of actuatable buttons , displayed as a larger button than the other actuatable buttons , etc . the next most frequently used feature may be displayed second in the list , as the second largest button , etc . the content to be displayed on the personal shopping device may be stored and associated with the different categories of customer information . the content displayed on the personal shopping device may be displayed based on the stored customer information . for example , if the customer is spanish , the recipes offered to the customer may be from the spanish culture , i . e ., paella , beans and rice , etc . in addition , the weekly flyer may be generated dynamically based on customer information . the advertisements eligible for the weekly flyer may be associated with different categories of customer information ; the advertisements eligible for the weekly flyer may be associated with particular types of products , etc . for example , if the customer has a newborn baby , the weekly flyer may include an advertisement for diapers . alternatively , based upon access of the customer &# 39 ; s shopping history and past purchases , the system may determine that canned corn is frequently purchased . based upon this determination , the weekly flyer may include an advertisement for canned beans , based upon the association of the canned beans with canned vegetables . for another example , an advertisement eligible for the weekly flyer for chips may be associated with soft drinks . these associations may be determined by a store employee , the advertiser , the manufacturer , etc . in addition to the advertising included in the weekly flyer , additional advertising may be displayed on the personal shopping device based on the customer information during the customer &# 39 ; s shopping experience . this additional advertising may be associated with particular products . the system may store information regarding the particular items , quantity , etc . a customer purchased in the past . the additional advertising may be selected and displayed on the personal shopping device based on , for example , the most frequently purchased items . for example , the application server 106 may access the customer &# 39 ; s shopping history and determine the top , for example , eight , products the customer purchases most frequently . advertisements associated with the eight most purchased products may be displayed to the customer throughout the shopping trip randomly ; may be displayed based on the position of the personal shopping device within a predetermined distance of the product , etc . consistent with some embodiments of the present invention , the use of the personal shopping device provides certain functionality to the consumer to enhance his shopping experience . some examples of this functionality include personalized offers , as discussed above , storage of shopping history , item search / locator , price check and / or suggestions of alternative products , access to recipe information , an interactive shopping list , self - scanning , etc . upon access to the personal shopping device , as noted above , the consumer may view an exemplary screen shot as depicted in each of fig7 a - 7d . as shown in fig7 a , a featured recipe is advertised . if the consumer wishes to view the recipe and the ingredients of the recipe , the consumer may select the “ view this recipe ” button 704 . upon selecting button 704 , the recipe may be displayed together with a shopping list of the ingredients that are needed to make the dish . in addition to the featured recipe , the shopping establishment &# 39 ; s top specials 706 may be displayed . further , menu items 708 are provided wherein the consumer may select any of the menu items . for example , the user may select home 708 wherein the consumer may be directed to the home page of the application . the consumer may further select 710 in order to access additional daily specials . these daily specials may be specials offered to all consumers within the shopping establishment or may be special offers made to the consumer based upon the consumer &# 39 ; s shopping history . the consumer may further select 712 in order to access the product directory to , i . e ., search for a product in the store . the consumer may select 714 to access the consumer &# 39 ; s personal shopping list . the consumer may select 716 to access recipes . the consumer may select 718 to access an electronic calculator , a calculation application that allows the consumer to perform basic math computations . the consumer may select 720 to access a help application that explains how to use the personal shopping device . additionally , section 722 presents passive advertising to the consumer , similar to banner advertising . fig7 b depicts an alternative exemplary screen shot that may be displayed to a consumer upon access to the application on the personal shopping device . alternatively , as depicted in fig7 b , the user may select fun stuff 724 to access entertainment information . for example , if the consumer was shopping with a child , the consumer may access appropriate entertaining videos to occupy the child while the consumer was shopping . alternatively , the consumer may access music information for the consumer to listen to while shopping . alternatively , the consumer may purchase this information and store it on the consumer &# 39 ; s personal key fob 140 . this information may subsequently be transferred to a device at the consumer &# 39 ; s home . fig7 c - 7d depicts alternative exemplary screen shots that may be displayed to a consumer upon access to the application on the personal shopping device . it may be appreciated by one skilled in the art that the display of the personal shopping device may be flipped , rotated , etc ., so that a person sitting in the cart may properly view the information appearing on the display of the personal shopping device . it may further be appreciated that the personal shopping device may include speakers , an earphone assembly , microphone ( to enable the consumer to interact with the personal shopping device through voice ), etc . as the customer uses the personal shopping device , information regarding the customer &# 39 ; s interaction with the personal shopping device is stored , including products scanned ( type of product , price , quantity , time of scan , etc . ), advertisements displayed , time advertisements were displayed , click - throughs , products searched , cart path , counter services ordered ( including the details of the order ), shopping list information , date of shopping trip , start and end time of shopping trip , etc . the information may be stored at the personal shopping device during the customer &# 39 ; s shopping experience . the information begins being compiled at the personal shopping device when the customer logs on . during the customer &# 39 ; s shopping experience , the information regarding the customer &# 39 ; s interaction may be stored , for example in a flat file , at the personal shopping device . the flat file may include a customer id , a shopping establishment location id , start date , start time , stop date , stop time , advertisement id representing advertisements displayed , time of advertisement display , time spent is different zones within the shopping establishment , start and stop time entering and leaving zones within the shopping establishment , products scanned , click - throughs , etc . after the customer logs off the device , the personal shopping device may filter the flat file and transmit the filtered flat file to store server 110 , and / or application server 106 , 108 . store server 110 and / or application server 106 , 108 may update the appropriate data tables with the information stored in the filtered flat file and / or may transmit the filtered flat file to application server 120 , 122 for processing and storage of the data in database 142 , 144 . it may be appreciated that alternatively , the personal shopping device may trigger interaction with other devices within the shopping establishment . for example , kiosks , displays , and other computing devices , may be situated throughout the shopping establishment that may provide additional and / or enhanced services to the customer . based on the customer &# 39 ; s position in the shopping establishment , the system may determine that a customer is physically close to another computing device . the system may instruct the other computing device to active and play content engaging the customer to use the other device and offer the enhanced and / or additional services . some examples of services that may be provides at the displays / kiosks may include printing of coupons , printing , access , and / or searching of recipes , printing of pictures ordered using the photograph counter services application , recording of media on a removable storage device , customized searching on the internet based on the stored customer information , purchasing of lottery tickets , obtaining funds from an automatic teller machine where the kiosk is communicably linked to the customer &# 39 ; s banking company , validating parking and alternatively , validating parking were the parking fee is added to the customer &# 39 ; s shopping check - out total , media rentals including video tapes , dvds , etc ., postal service kiosks wherein the customer may mail a package , and alternatively , the customer &# 39 ; s cost for mailing the package may be added to the customer &# 39 ; s shopping check - out total , providing fast food or snack food services wherein the cost of the food may be added to the customer &# 39 ; s shopping check - out total , providing personalized audio / video directed to the customer , provide games to the customer , provide advanced input features to enable the customer to provide comments or responses to surveys regarding the customer &# 39 ; s shopping experience , providing instructions videos to the customer or members of the customer &# 39 ; s family , printing customized books , i . e ., coloring books , story books , etc ., wherein the book is customized to the customer or members of the customer &# 39 ; s family , enable searching for and provide event tickets , purchase mobile / cellular telephone cards and / or replenish mobile cellular telephone minutes , enable searching for and provide airline tickets , suggest products for purchase based on stored customer information , i . e ., where the product is physically located near the kiosk / display , the product may be suggested based on age , gender , etc ., offering voice - over - ip services where the kiosk is communicably linked to the internet , etc . advertisements may be dynamically generated based on customer information stored within the system . a manufacturer may identify an ad template that may incorporate static components of the ad . additionally , the manufacturer may further identify dynamic components of the ad that may be associated with certain categories of customer information . the dynamic components may have a priority associated with them for example , the manufacturer may provide a template that indicates that tide detergent is on sale . the price of the detergent and the graphic of the price may be incorporated as the static component of the ad . further , a dynamic component including a graphic of a mother with a child may be associated with the family category having a young child . still further , a dynamic component of a graphic of an older woman may be associated with an age range of 55 - 65 . when the system determines that a certain customer is to receive the tide advertisement , the system accesses the customer information . based on the associated priority information and / or the customer information , a customer of 60 years of age will view the tide advertisement having the static components and the dynamic component of the graphic of the older woman . as such , the advertisement may be dynamically generated and presented to all customers where the advertisement will appeal to the particular customer that is viewing the advertisement , as the dynamic components may be tailored to specific customer that is viewing the advertisement . given the real - time capabilities of the system , the return on investment based on the advertising may be realized . as the personal shopping device and / or the system is storing information regarding the advertising that is being viewed by the customer , the items that are being scanned for purchase , and when the items are being scanned , the system may determine the effectiveness of the advertising in real time . the system may process and store information relating to how may customers scanned the advertised product . if the number is low , then the advertisement may be deemed to be ineffective . this information may be reported back to the manufacturer and the manufacturer may decide to update the static and / or dynamic components of the advertising . alternatively , a manufacturer may be able to set thresholds and modify the advertising based on the effectiveness of the advertising . for example , the manufacturer , user , etc ., may be able establish that an advertisement needs to be 30 % effective ; that out of 100 customers viewing the advertisement , 30 customers must purchase the advertised item . if this effectiveness is not achieved , system may automatically i . e ., modify the advertising graphics , expand the target audience of the advertising , generate a message to the manufacturer advising of the ineffectiveness of the advertisement , etc . alternatively , the system may automatically generate reports to the manufacturer at predetermined time ( s ) advising of the effectiveness of the advertisement ( s ). alternatively , payment for the advertising by the manufacturer may be dynamic based upon the effectiveness of the advertisement . for example , the manufacturer may be billed a lesser amount if only a few customers purchased the product after viewing the advertisement , and may be billed a higher amount if many customers purchased the product after viewing the advertisement . alternatively , after viewing the effectiveness of the advertising , the manufacturer may determine that certain dynamic components are more effective than other dynamic components and may decide to modify the priority or the categories of customer information that may be used in generating the advertisement . further , the utilizing the data stored in the data tables , a company may be able to determine if a customer is traveling to purchase products . for example , if a customer with one zip code is shopping at a shopping establishment in a different zip code and purchasing products that the customer is not purchasing at a shopping establishment located in the customer &# 39 ; s zip code , the company may be able to determine that there is a need for a particular product in the customer &# 39 ; s zip code . the company may then provide the needed product at the customer &# 39 ; s shopping establishment , making the customer &# 39 ; s shopping experience more productive and increasing sales . it may be appreciated that other types of dynamic advertising may be displayed to the customer based on the customer &# 39 ; s stored information . for example , if the customer previously paid for their purchases with a bank of new york bank card , the system may store information that the customer holds an account at the bank of new york . during the customer &# 39 ; s shopping experience , a bank of new york advertisement may be displayed promoting the bank &# 39 ; s services . the consumer may further access his personal shopping list using his personal shopping device . for example , the consumer may generate his shopping list at his home computer and download the shopping list to his key fob 140 . after the consumer puts the key fob 140 into the personal shopping device and after the consumer is verified , the shopping list may be retrieved from the key fob 140 . alternatively , the consumer may access an application at application sever 120 , 122 and enter his shopping list using his home computer . this shopping list may be downloaded to the personal shopping device after the consumer is verified . once the shopping list is retrieved , the consumer has the opportunity to add , remove or edit items on the shopping list . alternatively , the system may retrieve the shopping history of the consumer to identify those items that the consumer purchases on a regular basis . for example , the system may determine that the consumer purchases ½ gallon of milk each time the consumer shops . once the consumer is verified , the system may access the shopping history of the consumer and compare the regularly purchased items with the items on the consumer &# 39 ; s shopping list . if there is an item that the consumer normally purchases that is not located on the shopping list , the system may prompt the consumer asking if the item should be placed on the shopping list . this may help to ensure the consumer &# 39 ; s shopping list is complete . further it helps to generate sales for the shopping establishment . in addition , the consumer has the ability to enter budgeting information . upon receipt of the budgeting information , the personal shopping device may analyze the interactive shopping list and the budgeting information and search the information stored in table b to suggest a list of proposed products that will ensure the consumer stays within budget . as the system stores both shopping list information and information relating to the items purchased by the customer , the system may generate reports that show the purchasing trends of the customer . for example , the system may determine what products the customer intended to purchase from the shopping list information , and what products the customer did and did not purchase . further , the system may determine the effectiveness of advertising based on the items intended to purchase on the shopping list , the advertisements that were displayed to the customer , and the actual products purchased . alternatively , the system may generate the shopping list for the next visit to the supermarket based on the actual purchases of the customer during the current visit to the supermarket . this list may be modified by the customer at the customer &# 39 ; s home using the network application at application server 120 , 122 , and / or at the supermarket during the customer &# 39 ; s next visit . the shopping list may be updated as the customer is shopping . each item for purchase by the customer is scanned , for example , using a bar code reader at the personal shopping device . the personal shopping device may send the scanned information to store server 110 or application server 106 , 108 to obtain the associated product information . additionally , the product attribute information may further be accessed . the product information and the product attribute information may be transmitted to the personal shopping device . the customer &# 39 ; s shopping list may then be processed to determine if the scanned product or an associated product is on the list . if the product is on the list , the product is checked off as selected for purchase . if the product is not on the list , the product may be added to the list . at the end of the customer &# 39 ; s shopping trip , all of the items in the shopping cart may be included on the customer &# 39 ; s shopping list . this list may be stored locally on the personal shopping cart and / or stored at application server 106 , 108 120 , 122 . as noted above , personal shopping device may include a bar code reader . the consumer may scan a product to perform a price check . if the consumer wishes to discern the cost of a product , the consumer may scan , i . e ., the bar code , of the product . the bar code information is received at the personal shopping device . the price information may be stored at the personal shopping device , may be stored at the application servers 106 , 108 , or may be stored at buffer server 107 . if the price information is stored at the application servers 106 , 108 , or buffer server 107 , the personal shopping device may transmit the price check request to the server storing the price information , i . e ., application servers 106 , 108 or buffer server 107 . the request is received at the appropriate server , the memory queried , and a response may be transmitted back to the personal shopping device . the response may then be displayed to the consumer . each of the products for sale in the store may be stored at store server 110 , application server 106 , 108 , application server 120 , 122 , and / or database 142 , 144 . associated with each of the products may be keywords that help identify the product . for example , tide detergent may be stored and key words associated with tide detergent may be laundry , soap , detergent , etc . the consumer may query the system attempting to locate a particular item . the item may be located based on the product , or the key words associated with the product . for example , if the customer is searching for tide detergent , the customer may enter in “ laundry soap .” based on the key words associated with tide detergent , including “ laundry ” and “ soap ”, tide detergent may appear as a response to the customer &# 39 ; s query . for another example , the consumer may submit a request seeking to find the location of light bulbs . upon submission of the request , the personal shopping device either searches its own memory , if the information is stored locally , or prepares and submits a query to the application servers 106 , 108 or buffer server 107 , if the information is stored at one of these servers . upon receipt of the query , the appropriate server searches its memory and identifies the location of the product within the shopping establishment . the server then prepares a response to the query and transmits the response to the personal shopping device . the personal shopping device then displays the location of the product on the display of the personal shopping device . alternatively , the personal shopping device or the server may calculate a set of directions based upon the current position of the personal shopping device wherein the directions may be provided to the consumer . this information may be provided to the consumer in a number of ways , including merely identifying the aisle the product is located in , directions , in the form of text , to direct the consumer to the searched product , a map being displayed on the display providing the consumer with a marked path to the product , etc . alternatively , in addition to ads , a manufacturer may purchase certain key words that may only be associated with the products stored in the system . for example , the tide detergent manufacturer may purchase “ laundry ” as a key word associated with tide detergent . no other manufacturer may have the word “ laundry ” associated with their product . each time a customer searches for a product using the key word “ laundry ”, only tide detergent will appear on the list . this may provide an added benefit to the manufacturer as only their product is identified on the search result list , thus reducing competition . alternatively , manufactures may identify certain stores where their key words are associated with certain products . these selected stores may be based on location . alternatively , when a customer searches for a product , and an advertisement is associated with one of the products on the search result list , the customer may be presented with an advertisement that corresponds to a product on the search list . alternatively , after the system determines what product the customer is searching for , the inventory database , discussed below , may be queried to determine if there is stock on the sought after item . if there is no stock left , the system may suggest a substitute product . alternatively , the substitute product may be offered with an advertisement and / or coupon as an incentive for the customer to purchase the alternative item . still alternatively , the customer may be provided a “ rain check ” that may be stored within the system , on the customer &# 39 ; s loyalty card , key fob , etc . further if the item is a sale item , the sale price may further be stored and applied during a later shopping trip . the consumer may scan a product when the product is placed in the cart for purchase . upon the scanning of the item , the personal shopping device may store the information indicating that the consumer wishes to purchase the scanned product . at any time , the consumer may review the list of items placed within the cart . this may be beneficial if the cart is particularly full and the consumer is not sure if a particular item on the shopping list was picked up . upon scanning the item , the interactive shopping list may be searched to determine if the scanned item is on the shopping list . if the scanned item is on the interactive shopping list , the interactive shopping list may be automatically updated and an indication may be made in the interactive shopping list that the item has been picked up for purchase . upon check out , the information identifying the products that have been scanned into the personal shopping device and placed in the cart may be transferred to a checkout device . this may reduce the amount of time the consumer spends checking out . after a consumer checks out , the information identifying the products purchased may be transmitted , through application server 106 , 108 to application servers 120 , 122 , for storage in databases 142 , 144 . alternatively , application servers 106 , 108 may include databases that store the information locally . this stored shopping history may be used for many purposes as discussed herein . alternatively , certain products within the shopping establishment may include a rf id tag . the rf id tag may be active or passive . a product on a shelf with the tag may be active . when the customer registers the product with the personal shopping device and being intended for purchase , the personal shopping device may change the rf id tag to passive . at the time of checkout , the customer &# 39 ; s cart may be scanned to determine if there are any active tags in the shopping cart . an active tag in the customer &# 39 ; s shopping cart indicates that the customer did not properly scan the product for purchase . the consumer may scan a product and search for a similar or cheaper product . for example , the consumer may scan an item that is 64 ozs . and costs $ 8 . 00 . however , maybe the consumer may only need 6 ozs . of the product or maybe the consumer does not wish to pay $ 8 . 00 . the consumer may select a certain application within the consumer interface at the personal shopping device wherein the product directory may be searched to locate a similar product that is smaller and / or does not cost as much . alternatively , the consumer may scan a particular product , i . e ., mr . clean , a cleaning product . the system may identify a similar product that is on sale , or has a computer - generated discount available , and display the alternative to the consumer . the consumer may then take advantage of the information offered to the consumer . for example , the consumer may receive information from the system identifying a computer - generated discount for lysol cleaner . the consumer may decide to use the computer - generated discount and purchase lysol instead of mr . clean . upon scanning the lysol , the system may take note of the use of the computer - generated discount so that , upon checkout , the consumer may receive the discount without having to “ clip coupons ”, produce any paper notification of the discount , etc . in addition to the recipes discussed above , the consumer may search memory located in the personal shopping device and / or application servers 106 , 108 , 120 , 122 , for recipes . the recipes may alternatively be provided by a manufacturer through manufacture server 126 . upon selection of a recipe , the ingredients of the recipe may be placed on the consumer &# 39 ; s interactive shopping list . the consumer may make an indication through the consumer interface to remove the item from the interactive shopping list . further , the consumer may store the recipe on the key fob 140 for downloading at the consumer &# 39 ; s home personal computer . alternatively , the consumer , through personal shopping device 102 , 104 , may e - mail the recipe to himself for viewing at , for example , home , or the consumer may direct the recipe be printed out at a printer located , for example , at the shopping establishment . it may be appreciated by one skilled in the art that the personal shopping device may provide the consumer the capability to browse and access servers 134 , 136 on the internet to access information including recipes . store server 110 , application servers 106 , 108 and / or application servers 120 , 122 may store information relating to recipes . these servers may further store , or have access to data associating the ingredients of the recipes with certain products in order to assist the customer during the shopping experience . these products that are associated with the ingredients may be store brand products , name brand products , etc . the customer may be provided with an option of selecting whether the products associated with the ingredients for the recipe are store brand products or name brand products . for example , if the customer was shopping at safeway supermarket , safeway may want to promote their store brand products . when a customer selects a recipe to view , additional information may be displayed identifying safeway brand products that should be purchased in order for the customer to make the recipe . alternatively , the customer may have the option to select certain recipes based on characteristics of the dishes produced by the recipe . for example , the customer may select a recipe and may further select a low sodium version of the recipe , a diabetic friendly version of the recipe , a low fat version of the recipe , etc . additionally , the system may allow the customer to select how many people are being served and modify the recipe accordingly . for example , if the recipe serves 4 people , and the customer is serving 8 people , the system may automatically double the recipe . further , the products associated with the recipe , taking into account that the recipe has been doubled , may be provided to the customer and / or added to the customer &# 39 ; s shopping list . further , the customer may request a recipe based on other characteristics , including cost of products , number of calories per serving , amount of fat per serving , kosher ingredients , etc . further , the system may enable the customer to select a weekend meal plan , week meal plan , etc ., wherein the customer may select several recipes to serve over the weekend , week , etc . upon selection of the recipes , the associated products may be added to the customer &# 39 ; s shopping list , and the meal plan and / or recipes may be stored on the customer &# 39 ; s key fob or loyalty card , e - mailed to the customer , etc . the customer may be able to remove those items from the shopping list that the customer has at home . alternatively , the system may monitor the selected meal plan to ensure the selected meal plan conforms to a customer &# 39 ; s diet . for example , if the customer is on a weight watcher &# 39 ; s diet , the system may count the points per serving of the recipes selected by the customer and notify the customer of the point count , as a running total , as a final total count , etc . still further , the system may store information relating to wines that may be associated with recipes . if a customer has selected a certain recipe , the system may further recommend a wine that may go well with the selected recipe . by storing information relating to the products that the consumer has placed in the cart , additional features may be realized . for example , the ingredients of the recipes stored in memory may be search and associated with scanned items in the consumer &# 39 ; s shopping cart . for example , if the system determines that the consumer has purchased avocado , onion , and tomato , the personal shopping device , at the direction of application server 106 , 108 , 120 , or 122 , may prompt the consumer to purchase lemon and may further provide a recipe for guacamole . further , directed offers , i . e ., computer - generated discounts , may be made to the consumer . for example , if the consumer has selected $ 75 total merchandise for purchase , the personal shopping device may display an offer to the consumer to access a particular website to receive some incentive ; if the consumer has purchased 3 bags of chips , the consumer may be offered a computer - generated discount to receive a free can of salsa etc . alternatively , the system may offer information to the consumer that is associated with particular products being purchased . for example , if the consumer scans mr . clean into the personal shopping device , the system may search its memory and offer cleaning tips to the consumer . in addition to the information discussed herein , inventory information may be maintained at store server 110 , application server 106 , 108 , application server 120 , 122 and / or database 142 , 144 . this inventory information may be updated in real time as the consumers purchase the products within the shopping establishment . for example , when a consumer scans bounty paper towels at the personal shopping device , an inventory database that may be stored at store server 110 , buffer server 107 , application servers 106 , 108 , application server 120 , 122 , and / or database 142 , 144 may be updated . predetermined thresholds may be established so that when a particular product &# 39 ; s inventory level drops to the predetermined threshold , the system may prompt a user at application server 106 , 108 , store server 110 , and / or application server 120 , 122 to order more of that product . alternatively , the system may automatically generate an order that may be sent through application server 120 , 122 to manufacture sever 126 for more of that product . similarly , the system may provide for predetermined thresholds to identify when there is an overstock of a particular item . if the system determines there is an overstock , the system may automatically generate a computer - generated discount or advertisement that provides incentive for the consumer to purchase the item in order to reduce the overstock situation . these computer - generated discounts may be offered consumers using the plurality of methods discussed herein . alternatively , the manufacturer may predefine a price where products may be offered to customers at the predefined price when an overstock situation occurs . this reduced price may be offered to the customers for a period of time , until the inventory reaches a normal or predefined level , etc . it may be appreciated by one skilled in the art that applying the principles discussed herein , the shopping establishment owner may determine purchasing trends , anticipate further purchases and product arrays and quantities to be ordered upstream , etc . the system may further have the ability to monitor the power level of each of the plurality of personal shopping devices within or near the shopping establishment . each personal shopping device may have a battery charge of a particular time period . each personal shopping device may monitor its own power levels and may communicate the power levels periodically , or upon request , to application servers 106 , 108 . alternatively , the system may be configured so that when the personal shopping device power drops to a predetermined level , an alert may be generated and send to application servers 106 , 108 . the power levels may further be provided to a consumer so that , should a consumer access a personal shopping device , and should the power level be low , the consumer may select a different personal shopping device to access . further , upon receipt of notification that a personal shopping device is low on power , shopping establishment personnel may remove the personal shopping device from use and plug the device in to recharge . using the input device provided in the personal shopping device , the consumer may insert an external memory card , i . e ., compact flash , memory stick , thumb drive , etc . to download image data . using the consumer interface provided at the personal shopping device , the consumer may select the photo processing services the consumer wishes for the downloaded image data . the consumer may then submit the image data to the photo processing service of the shopping establishment . as key fob 140 may be associated with the identification of the consumer , the time taken to order prints of the image data may be reduced . as such , the consumer may shop within the shopping establishment while the image data is being processed . this reduces the need for the consumer to stand in line to request the image processing service and further , reduces the amount of information the consumer may need to input to request the image processing service . it may be appreciated that similar services may be requested using the personal shopping device . for example , the consumer may request from the flower arrangement services that a particular arrangement be prepared . thus , the consumer may shop while the arrangement is being prepared , thus speeding up the consumer &# 39 ; s shopping experience . alternatively , the consumer may request a certain cut of meat from the butcher using the personal shopping device and thus , the consumer can pick up his request without having to wait on line . similarly , the consumer may request movie rental services , coffee orders , seafood or deli orders , hot food orders , etc . in addition to the film processing application , the personal shopping device may enable the customer to select and transmit an order to a bakery section and / or a delicatessen section of the shopping establishment . the customer may be able to access the bakery counter services application , select item ( s ) for purchase , i . e ., a birthday cake , identify the size of cake , the type of cake , the decoration of the cake , the writing on the cake , etc . once the customer enters all of the bakery order information , the bakery order is transmitted from the personal shopping device through the store server 110 or application server 106 , 108 , to a computing device physically located at the bakery section of the shopping establishment . the customer &# 39 ; s order may appear on a display to a worker in the bakery section . the worker may then fulfill the customer &# 39 ; s order . once the worker has completed the order , the worker may transmit a message to the customer &# 39 ; s personal computing device indicating that the order is ready for pick up . if the customer has already left the shopping establishment , the customer may be notified by e - mail , telephone , etc ., that the bakery order is complete . the personal shopping device may enable the customer to select and transmit an order to a delicatessen section of the shopping establishment . the customer may be able to access the delicatessen counter services application , select item ( s ) for purchase , i . e ., a party platter , identify the size of platter , the contents of the platter , the theme of the platter , etc . once the customer enters all of the delicatessen order information , the order is transmitted from the personal shopping device through the store server 110 or application server 106 , 108 , to a computing device physically located at the delicatessen section of the shopping establishment . the customer &# 39 ; s order may appear on a display to a worker in the delicatessen section . the worker may then fulfill the customer &# 39 ; s order . once the worker has completed the order , the worker may transmit a message to the customer &# 39 ; s personal computing device indicating that the order is ready for pick up . if the customer has already left the shopping establishment , the customer may be notified by e - mail , telephone , etc ., that the delicatessen order is complete . alternatively , the personal shopping device may enable a customer to select and purchase media . for example , the personal shopping device may provide the customer with a list of songs for purchase . the songs may be selected by the customer and downloaded on the customer &# 39 ; s key fob , transmitted to the customer by e - mail , burned on a portable storage medium within the shopping establishment , etc . alternatively , the personal shopping device may enable a customer to refill a prescription at the pharmacy section of the shopping establishment . upon selecting this option , the customer may be required to enter the prescription number and details regarding the order . the order is transmitted from the personal shopping device through the store server 110 or application server 106 , 108 , to a computing device physically located at the pharmacy section of the shopping establishment . the customer &# 39 ; s order may appear on a display to a worker in the pharmacy section . the worker may then fulfill the customer &# 39 ; s order . once the worker has completed the order , the worker may transmit a message to the customer &# 39 ; s personal computing device indicating that the order is ready for pick up . if the customer has already left the shopping establishment , the customer may be notified by e - mail , telephone , etc ., that the pharmacy order is complete . the personal shopping device may further provide narrow - casting information to a consumer . for example , if the shopping establishment was a hardware store , and the consumer was purchasing a particular tool , the system may offer information to the consumer , i . e ., a how - to video providing instruction on how to use the tool . this information may be viewed using the personal shopping device , may be downloaded on the consumer &# 39 ; s key fob 140 , or may be e - mailed to the consumer &# 39 ; s e - mail account for home viewing . it may be appreciated that security features may be implemented within the personal shopping device and / or the shopping cart to ensure that all items placed in the shopping cart for purchase are properly scanned . for example , the personal shopping device , and / or the shopping cart may incorporate a camera whereby when the camera , analyzing images taken by the camera determines that the field of view of the top of the shopping cart has been broken , the personal shopping device determines if an item was scanned within a preset period of time . if there was no item scanned , but the field of view was broken , then an alert may be generated at the personal shopping device requesting the customer properly scan the item for purchase . if the item is again not scanned within a predetermined amount of time , an alert may be generated and forwarded to store server 110 or application server 106 , 108 so that a user of the server may examine the customer &# 39 ; s shopping cart at check out to ensure all items are properly scanned . alternatively , the personal shopping device and / or shopping cart may incorporate a three - dimensional scanner that scans the cart , and the items included therein . the scan may then be processed to determine whether all items in the cart were properly scanned . if then items were not all properly scanned , alerts may be generated to the customer and the user as noted above . in addition to the reporting capabilities discussed above , it may be appreciated that based upon the type of data stored within the system and the structures of the data tables discussed herein , real - time current and historic data mining may be realized . further , a company &# 39 ; s return on investment may be accurately determined . for example , assume customers may be categorized in four categories , i . e ., shops little / buys little , shops little / buys a lot , shops a lot / buys little , and shops a lot / buys a lot . these categories may be based upon predetermined thresholds based on the number of times a customer shops , and how much money is spent during each shopping trip . as the customer shopping information discussed above is obtained at the personal shopping device and stored within the system , reports may be generated to determine if customers are moving from one category to another as time progresses , the company may realize a return on investment . as historic data is maintained in addition to current data , accurate return on investment values may be calculated . return on investment may be determined based on an individual store , a predefined group of stores , a demographic group , etc . the return on investment value may be customized for each company , as each company may establish their own predetermined thresholds for each category . modifications and adaptations of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein . the foregoing description of an implementation of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description . it is not exhaustive and does not limit the invention to the precise form disclosed . modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from the practicing of the invention . for example , the described implementation includes software , but systems and methods consistent with the present invention may be implemented as a combination of hardware and software or hardware alone . additionally , although aspects of the present invention are described for being stored in memory , one skilled in the art will appreciate that these aspects can also be stored on other types of computer - readable media , such as secondary storage devices , for example , hard disks , floppy disks , or cd - rom ; the internet or other propagation medium ; or other forms of ram or rom . attached to this disclosure as appendix a are ( 1 ) twenty - six ( 26 ) sheets of exemplary displays that may be presented to the consumer consistent with principles of the present invention ; ( 2 ) systems and methods for enabling information management incorporating a personal computing device : user interface / application design ; ( 3 ) systems and methods for enabling information management incorporating a personal computing device : hardware application design ; ( 4 ) systems and methods for enabling information management incorporating a personal computing device : hardware design ; ( 5 ) two ( 2 ) information sheets including features consistent with some embodiments of the present invention ; all of these 5 documents are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety . | 6 |
the embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained more fully with reference to the non - limiting embodiments that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the following description . descriptions of well - known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein . the examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein . accordingly , the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein . the embodiments described herein provide a highly efficient method for synchronized playback and distribution of multimedia data that leverages the characteristics of the wireless mesh network and feedback from users of the mesh network . files herein refer to collections of data that are generally larger than will fit in an individual wireless transmission . moreover , embodiments described herein may include a tree - structured networks wherein each device in the network contains a radio transceiver capable of 2 - way radio communication with other devices in the network , but is not limited to such a structure . in a tree - structured network , a single device at the “ root ” of the network is referred to as a gateway device into which new files are introduced for distribution to remote devices ( the “ branches ” or “ leaves ”) in the network . examples of systems containing gateway and remote devices include mobile device connected to a common server , where the common server may be located at a location common to all such devices ( such as a night club or concert venue ) or the server may reside in a remote location and accessible over the internet or other common carrier platform . a wireless mesh networks may comprise large numbers of remote devices that are often difficult to physically access simultaneously and whose primary means of external communication is the wireless network . these remote devices may or may not include public network access ( e . g ., internet , pstn , etc .) and may include two - way wireless communication links that form the wireless mesh network . referring now to the drawings , and more particularly to fig1 through 3 , where similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the figures , there are shown preferred embodiments . contemporary wireless communication networks ( hereinafter “ networks ”) typically allow simultaneous communication between several independently operating wireless devices . in order to provide simultaneous communication , each device on the network must not interfere with the transmissions of another device . moreover , devices must ensure that sending and receiving messages are properly tuned and synchronized with respect to each other . devices capable of interfering with each other &# 39 ; s transmissions are referred to as adjacent devices . in order for transmissions to be properly sent and received , it is important that adjacent devices do not transmit data over the same communication channel at the same time , an event referred to as a collision . interference typically results when at least two adjacent devices transmit data over the same communication channel at the same time , making it difficult for intended recipients of the transmissions to disentangle originally transmitted data . a common approach used in radio frequency ( hereinafter “ rf ”) communication to ensure adjacent devices do not transmit over the same communication channel at the same time is to divide the available rf spectrum into fixed quanta called “ frequency channels ”, divide time into fixed quanta called “ timeslots ” which are aggregated into fixed groups called “ frames ”, and allow transmitters to send data using different frequency channels or different timeslots . an example of this type of communication is frequency hopping spread spectrum communication . in a wireless network where both the rf spectrum and time are divided up , each separate combination of a particular “ frequency channel ” and a particular “ timeslot ” constitutes a unique “ communication mode ” that does not interfere with other communication modes in the network . where the available rf spectrum is divided into many frequency channels and time is divided into many timeslots , each device in the network has a large number of non - interfering communication modes that it can use to communicate , thus making it possible for a large number of devices to participate in the network without interference . in addition , since the transmissions of two devices can only cause interference if the two devices are within rf range of one another , the likelihood of interference between devices can be further reduced by manipulating the spacing of the devices and the power level of the transmissions within a network . fig1 illustrates a wireless communication network including a plurality of wireless devices “ a ” through “ r ”. devices that are within rf range of each other ( hereinafter referred to as “ adjacent devices ”) have a line drawn between them . for example , devices “ a ”, “ b ”, and “ c ” are within rf range of each other . hence , in order to ensure that transmissions involving devices “ a ”, “ b ”, or “ c ” are properly sent and received , adjacent devices may not transmit on the same frequency channel during the same timeslot . in addition , in order for device “ a ” to successfully transmit data to devices “ b ” and “ c ” using a particular frequency channel and a particular timeslot , devices “ b ” and “ c ” must tune into the particular frequency channel during the particular timeslot in order to receive the message . fig2 illustrates an exemplary set of communication modes for a wireless network configuration . in fig2 , time is divided into sequential frames comprising 24 timeslots each , and the available rf spectrum is divided into fifty frequency channels . the beginning of a frame will be referred to as a “ frame time ” or a “ synchronized time reference ”. each box in the grid shown in fig2 represents one communication mode . for a particular frame of time , the number of available communication modes is the number of timeslots multiplied by the number of frequency channels , or in this case , 50 * 24 = 1200 modes . although dividing time and available rf bandwidth helps limit the amount of interference in a wireless network , it creates a complication for the devices of figuring out which frequency channels and timeslots the other devices are using . in order for a communication to succeed , a device transmitting data and a device receiving the transmitted data must both use the same timeslot and frequency channel . since wireless networks often involve a large number of frequency channels and timeslots , the likelihood that a particular pair of devices will use the same frequency channel / timeslot combination by chance alone is very slim . as a result , it is useful for devices to coordinate their communications in some structured way . for example : networks that use timeslot assignment require mechanisms to synchronize the timing of adjacent transmitters and receivers to ensure successful communication . in order to coordinate communications between adjacent devices , each device must be aware of the devices adjacent to it ; i . e ., the device &# 39 ; s “ adjacencies .” in some wireless networks , pre - planning may allow devices to be informed a priori of adjacent devices ; however , in wireless networks where devices are added or removed dynamically , manual intervention or an automatic mechanism for discovering adjacent devices may be necessary . automatic discovery of adjacent devices typically includes a bi - directional exchange of information between the adjacent devices that facilitates future coordinated communications . in relatively small networks , communication of information between adjacent devices ( e . g ., devices a and b in fig1 ) may be sufficient ; however , in large networks , source and destination devices are often not adjacent and the information must traverse numerous intermediate devices to reach its final destination ( e . g ., information sent from device a to device p in fig1 must traverse numerous other devices ). the process of moving information across multiple devices towards a final destination is referred to as “ routing ”. exemplary approaches used for routing include a priori planning ( i . e ., static routing ), which is used when all device adjacencies and / or destinations within a network are fixed and / or known in advance , and various metric based approaches ( i . e ., dynamic routing ), which is used in networks where device adjacencies change dynamically . the routing approach used in a particular network is generally chosen to suit the network &# 39 ; s structure and the application performed by the network . for example , networks in smaller environments or environments where there is third party control ( such as a wedding reception or private gathering ), where most information flows to or from a central point tend to use different approaches than networks such as peer - to - peer networks , where information flows between any two arbitrary devices . such an approach may be appropriate for larger environments or environments without significant third party control ( e . g ., concert venues or night clubs ). common properties used to characterize the performance of a routing method within a network include the method &# 39 ; s ability to respond to dynamic changes in the network , its speed of delivery of information , the method &# 39 ; s reliability of delivery , efficient use of network bandwidth , and efficient use of device resources ( e . g ., memory ). the quality of a communication link among devices in a network may vary considerably in quality and may change abruptly . for example , a link that normally works well may become unreliable when an obstruction is introduced between the two devices forming the link . moreover the quality of communication between an information source and destination separated by intermediate communication links varies with the quality of each intermediate communication link . certain routing methods are more reliable than others in the face of unreliable or rapidly changing intermediate links . reliable routing methods are generally capable of quickly adapting to changing link quality and often send information along multiple simultaneous paths in order to increase the chances for proper delivery . methods that send information along multiple simultaneous paths trade some network bandwidth and resource efficiency for increased reliability . network applications may attempt to compensate for lost network bandwidth and resource efficiency through efficient encoding of information . for example , the network applications may compress the information , or they may attempt to minimize the amount of overhead information sent . for large rf monitoring and control networks , at least the above issues must be coordinated and balanced to yield a system that is reliable , efficient , and easy to maintain . many networks maintain a map of paths stored in the bridging device that must be updated as the quality and presence of network paths change . a central controller in the bridging device specifies an optimal path for data to traverse from each wireless device to the central controller . in networks with dynamically changing links and relatively long communication latencies , maintaining centralized path maps makes it both difficult and slow to respond to changes in the network , particularly when dealing with compromised links and large topologies . the techniques provided by the embodiments herein may be implemented on an integrated circuit chip ( not shown ). the chip design is created in a graphical computer programming language , and stored in a computer storage medium ( such as a disk , tape , physical hard drive , or virtual hard drive such as in a storage access network ). if the designer does not fabricate chips or the photolithographic masks used to fabricate chips , the designer transmits the resulting design by physical means ( e . g ., by providing a copy of the storage medium storing the design ) or electronically ( e . g ., through the internet ) to such entities , directly or indirectly . the stored design is then converted into the appropriate format ( e . g ., gdsii ) for the fabrication of photolithographic masks , which typically include multiple copies of the chip design in question that are to be formed on a wafer . the photolithographic masks are utilized to define areas of the wafer ( and / or the layers thereon ) to be etched or otherwise processed . the resulting integrated circuit chips can be distributed by the fabricator in raw wafer form ( that is , as a single wafer that has multiple unpackaged chips ), as a bare die , or in a packaged form . in the latter case the chip is mounted in a single chip package ( such as a plastic carrier , with leads that are affixed to a motherboard or other higher level carrier ) or in a multichip package ( such as a ceramic carrier that has either or both surface interconnections or buried interconnections ). in any case the chip is then integrated with other chips , discrete circuit elements , and / or other signal processing devices as part of either ( a ) an intermediate product , such as a motherboard , or ( b ) an end product . the end product can be any product that includes integrated circuit chips , ranging from toys and other low - end applications to advanced computer products having a display , a keyboard or other input device , and a central processor . the embodiments herein may comprise hardware and software elements , wherein the embodiments that are implemented in software include but are not limited to , firmware , resident software , microcode , etc . furthermore , the embodiments herein can take the form of a computer program product accessible from a computer - usable or computer - readable medium providing program code for use by or in connection with a computer or any instruction execution system . for the purposes of this description , a computer - usable or computer readable medium can be any apparatus that can comprise , store , communicate , propagate , or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . the medium can be an electronic , magnetic , optical , electromagnetic , infrared , or semiconductor system ( or apparatus or device ) or a propagation medium . examples of a computer - readable medium include a semiconductor or solid state memory , magnetic tape , a removable computer diskette , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), a rigid magnetic disk and an optical disk . current examples of optical disks include compact disk - read only memory ( cd - rom ), compact disk - read / write ( cd - r / w ) and dvd . a data processing system suitable for storing and / or executing program code will include at least one processor coupled directly or indirectly to memory elements through a system bus . the memory elements can include local memory employed during actual execution of the program code , bulk storage , and cache memories which provide temporary storage of at least some program code in order to reduce the number of times code must be retrieved from bulk storage during execution . input / output ( i / o ) devices ( including but not limited to keyboards , displays , pointing devices , etc .) can be coupled to the system either directly or through intervening i / o controllers . network adapters may also be coupled to the system to enable the data processing system to become coupled to other data processing systems or remote printers or storage devices through intervening private or public networks . modems , cable modem and ethernet cards are just a few of the currently available types of network adapters . a representative hardware environment for practicing the embodiments herein is depicted in fig3 . this schematic drawing illustrates a hardware configuration of an information handling / computer system in accordance with the embodiments herein . the system comprises at least one processor or central processing unit ( cpu ) 110 . the cpus 110 are interconnected via system bus 112 to various devices such as a random access memory ( ram ) 114 , read - only memory ( rom ) 116 , and an input / output ( i / o ) adapter 118 . the i / o adapter 118 can connect to peripheral devices , such as disk units 111 and tape drives 113 , or other program storage devices that are readable by the system . the system can read the inventive instructions on the program storage devices and follow these instructions to execute the methodology of the embodiments herein . the system further includes a user interface adapter 119 that connects a keyboard 115 , mouse 117 , speaker 124 , microphone 122 , and / or other user interface devices such as a touch screen device ( not shown ) to the bus 112 to gather user input . additionally , a communication adapter 120 connects the bus 112 to a data processing network 125 , and a display adapter 121 connects the bus 112 to a display device 123 which may be embodied as an output device such as a monitor , printer , or transmitter , for example . the foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can , by applying current knowledge , readily modify and / or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept , and , therefore , such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments . it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation . therefore , while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments , those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . | 7 |
one - half tire and wheel portions are molded in a steel compression mold as shown in fig9 comprising top and bottom members which form a cavity having the shape of one - half of an integral tire and wheel divided by the midplane . the top and bottom members of the mold are provided with cooling means , heating means and temperature sensing means . a typical molding procedure is as follows : after applying a release agent to surfaces of the mold cavity , the mold is preheated to the desired curing temperature of curable materials or to about 20 ° above the melting temperature of the thermoplastic materials to be molded . the mold is charged with a measured quantity of moldable material in liquid , sheet , pellet or powder form and the mold is closed under pressure . in the case of curable materials , the mold is heated for the desired cure time , the mold opened and the molded part removed . in the case of thermoplastic polymers , the mold is heated for sufficient time to melt the polymer . after the polymer melts and flows , the heat is turned off , the cooling means turned on , and the mold pressure is increased incrementally as the mold cools . when the temperature of the polymer falls below the recrystallization or hardening temperature , the mold is opened and the molded part removed . parts are molded from thermoplastic polymer by the above procedure by charging weighed quantities of copolyetherester polymer comprising butylene terephthalate segments and polyalkylene ether glycol segments which polymer is sold by the du pont company as hytrel polyester elastomer . integral tire and wheels , for example , as illustrated in fig1 and 2 , are prepared by welding two parts together . the welding procedure is as follows : the molded parts are rotated on a common axis while the surfaces to be joined are heated with hot gases . heating is continued until the surfaces are molten after which the halves are pressed together until the molten polymer flows , fuses and recrystallizes permanently joining the two halves . flashing at joints may be removed , if desired . an integral tire and wheel having a diameter of 25 . 4 centimeters assembled as described is adapted with a conventional valve , inflated with about 2 . 1 kg ./ sq . cm . pressure , and run on a 1 . 71 meter diameter test wheel at about 38 ° c ambient temperature under a load of about 157 kilograms . the integral tire and wheel is run sequentially ; 15 minutes at 64 kilometers / hour , 15 minutes at 96 kilometers / hour , 15 minutes at 112 kilometers / hour , 15 minutes at 129 kilometers / hour , 15 minutes at 145 kilometers / hour and 3 minutes at 161 kilometers / hour at which time a melt fracture occurs in the shoulder region of the tire portion . a similar tire and wheel but having a rubber tread bound to the crown runs through a similar test sequence fails after 1 / 2 minute at 145 kilometers / hour . another tire and wheel having a rubber tread runs on an outdoor 0 . 76 meter diameter test wheel at 48 kilometers / hour under a load of 82 kg . for 200 hours without failure . although the invention has been illustrated by typical examples , it is not limited thereto . changes and modifications of the examples of the invention herein chosen for purposes of disclosure can be made which do not constitute departure from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 1 |
referring to the accompanying figs ., there is shown a system , generally indicated by reference number 10 for producing higher quality 3d stereographic images from a single chip dmd video projector . located inside the video projector 12 is a color switching device that controls the light transmitted from the projector &# 39 ; s light source to the dmd . referring more specifically to fig3 , the video projector 12 includes working memory 15 and color sequencing firmware 9 . in the preferred embodiment , the color switching device is one of six , multiple color wheels ( three , four , five , six , seven and eight color wheels ) referenced as 30 , 40 , 50 , 60 , 70 and 80 , respectively . each color wheel 30 , 40 , 50 , 60 , 70 , and 80 includes at least at least one red segment , at least one blue segment , and at least one green segment , which are referred to as ‘ critical color segments ’. five color wheels 40 , 50 , 60 , 70 and 80 include a physical non - critical segment , 48 , 58 , 68 , 78 , 88 respectively , that precedes or follows the other critical color sections located thereon . there are two types of physical non - critical segments — a transmissive non - critical segment that allows light to be transmitted through the color wheel , and a non - transmissive non - critical segment that blocks or impedes light from being transmitted through the color wheel . clear segments and all color segments except red , blue , green and black may be used as transmissive non - critical segments . non - transmissive non - critical segments include a black segment and any physical barrier placed on the color wheel that blocks the transmission of light through the color wheel . in the color wheels shown in the accompanying figs , all include the three critical color segments and some include at least one non - critical segment . with some color wheels , the firmware is used to control the dmd to block the transmission of light during a non - critical segment . with other color wheels the physical , non - critical segment has been eliminated ( see color wheel 30 ) and the firmware electronically creates a non - critical segment at different locations on the color wheel . as noted above , the color fading problem associated with single dmd 3d video projectors is caused by the occurrence of the eye - switching device &# 39 ; s unstable transition phase during any critical color segment of the color wheel being used . in the first embodiments shown herein , the firmware 9 is used to control the timing of the color sequence and controls the emission of light from the video projector 12 so that a non - critical segment is passed over or is electronically inserted in the color wheel to discontinue transmission of light during the unstable transition phase . by this means the color fading or deteriorating defect commonly experienced with single dmd 3d video projectors is substantially reduced or eliminated . the functional activities of the firmware 9 depend on the type of color wheel used . for example , when the color wheel includes a transmissive non - critical segment that has been aligned with the unstable transition phase , the firmware 9 controls the dmd so that it discontinues transmission of light from the dmd during said non - critical segment . if the color wheel includes a non - transmissive non - critical segment , the firmware 9 may or may not control the dmd to discontinue transmission of light since transmission of light through the color wheel is blocked . in another embodiment of the system , color wheels with both critical color segments and non - critical segments are used , but the dmd is not controlled by the firmware to modify the color sequence such that a non - critical color segment is presented during the unstable transition phase . instead , an eye switching adjusting device or program built into or loaded into the memory of the image source or located in an intermediate device controls the eye switching device generally referenced as 99 in fig6 - 15 , so that the unstable transition phase aligns in time with an eligible non - critical color and modifies the image source video data in order to deliver uniformly left - and right - oriented images synchronously with the eye - switching device . another important feature of the firmware 9 is that it designed to adjust the speed of the video projector 12 so that it operates at least 85 fps for flickerless images . once the firmware 9 has been loaded into the working memory 15 , a color wheel similar or equivalent to one of the six representative color wheels , 30 , 40 , 50 , 60 , 70 or 80 noted above is selected and installed in the projector 12 . in fig4 , 7 - 11 , and 16a there are shown representative color wheels and graphs that illustrate the coordination of the timings of color sequence and the shutter signals . more specifically , fig4 shows a four segment color wheel 40 ( red ( r ) 41 , green ( g ) 42 , white ( w ) 43 and blue ( b ) 44 color segments ). the numbers 1 - 4 represent the order that the color segments are displayed from 1 to 4 in a clockwise rotation . also shown is a graph 45 of the timing of the color sequencing from the video projector 12 . the actual sequence of color segments varies from projector manufacturer to projector manufacturer . located above the timing of color sequence graph 45 is a second graph 46 that shows the timing of the shutter signal and the unstable transition phase 47 of the eye - switching device 99 used with the projector 12 . with color wheel 40 , without modification to the firmware controlling the color sequencing , a critical color segment , in this case the red ( r ) segment 41 , is shown aligning undesirably with the unstable transition phase 47 of the eye - switching device 99 . this results in the color fading or deteriorating defect commonly experienced with 3d single dmd video projectors fig5 is an illustration of the first embodiment showing the same four segment color wheel 40 shown in fig4 with the timing of the color sequence shown in graph 45 being modified by an embodiment of the firmware 9 so that the non - critical color segment ( denoted w ( white ) segment 43 ) is aligned with the unstable transition phase 47 of the eye - switching device 99 . during use , the firmware 9 controls the dmd so that no light is transmitted from the projector 12 while the white segment 43 is presented . fig6 is another illustration of the first embodiment showing sequential images of the video projector 12 and an eye - switching device 99 showing the left and right signals 18 , 19 , respectively , being transmitted to the eye - switching device 99 which is appropriately transparent or opaque during the critical color segments r , g , and b , and undergoing transition during the non - critical ( white segment ). fig7 is an illustration of a second embodiment of a four segment color wheel , designated 40 ′ with the white segment shown in fig4 and 5 being replaced with a non - transmissive black non - critical segment 48 . as shown in the accompanying graphs 45 , 46 with this color wheel 40 ′, the timing of the color sequence is adjusted and the dmd is controlled by the firmware so that the non - transmissive black non - critical segment 48 is aligned with the unstable transition phase 47 of the eye - switching signal . more specifically , the black non - critical segment 48 blocks transmission of light through the color wheel 40 ′. fig8 is an illustration of a third embodiment showing the timing of the shutter signal and timing of the color sequence and a four segment color wheel 90 that includes enlarged red , green and blue segments , 92 , 94 , 96 , and a narrow non - transmissive black segment , 98 , respectively . the firmware 9 adjusts the color sequencing so that the non - transmissive black segment 98 is aligned with the unstable transition phase 47 . in this embodiment , the color bandwidth can be redistributed to the remaining color segments to increase color precision . it should be understood that the non - transmissive non - critical segment is not limited to a black segment . for example , it could be a physical blocking layer , made of plastic that is laminated to the color wheel 90 capable of blocking the transmission of light . fig9 is an illustration showing the timing of the color sequence and timing of the shutter signal used with the four segment color wheel 40 as an example , with another embodiment of the firmware 9 being used to automatically re - define a ‘ dark ’ segment 49 at the start of each color segment 41 - 44 . the firmware 9 controls the operation of the dmd so that one of the dark segments 49 is being coordinated with the unstable transition phase 47 ( in this case the dark segment formed at the start of the red segment ). it should be noted that with this embodiment , because a dark segment 49 is displayed between every color segment 41 - 44 , the overall brightness of the image is diminished . fig1 is an illustration of a fifth embodiment that uses an alternative five color segment color wheel 40 ″ as an example with non - transmissive black segments 72 , 74 , 76 , 78 located between each color segment 41 - 44 , respectively . as shown in the graph 45 , 46 the timing of the shutter and timing of the color sequence is the same as used with the four color wheel 40 shown in fig9 , but with a physical black or ‘ dark ’ non - transmissive segment being inserted between each color segment . by using physical non - transmissive segments , the contrast ratio is increased . fig1 is an illustration of a sixth embodiment of a three segment color wheel 30 with red 31 , green 32 , blue 33 , wherein the color wheel 30 does not include a physical non - critical segment . with the color wheel 30 the firmware 9 inserts a ‘ dark ’ sequence 39 into a portion of every critical color segment . the firmware 9 controls the operation of the dmd so that one of the dark segments 39 is being coordinated with the unstable transition phase 47 ( in this case the dark segment formed at the start of the red segment ). the duration of the ‘ dark ’ sequence is at least equivalent to the duration of the unstable transition phase of the eye - switching device . fig1 is an illustration showing an image source 11 transmitting a video signal 100 and an eye - switching signal 110 to the video projector 12 . connected to the projector 12 is a wired or wireless communication means 115 , which transmits an eye - switching signal 110 to a compatible eye - switching device 99 . fig1 is an illustration similar to the illustration shown in fig1 but with the image source 11 transmitting a video signal 100 to the video projector 12 and transmitting the eye - switching signal 110 directly to the eye - switching device 99 . it should be understood that the eye - switching signal could be transmitted to an intermediate device 115 , such as a wireless rf or ir transmitter which transmits the signal to the eye - switching device 99 . in an alternative embodiment , a projector and color switching device is used but the firmware to modify control of the dmd is replaced or supplemented by an image timing hardware and / or firmware loaded into the image source or intermediate device ( s ) located between the image source and the projector . the image timing hardware and / or firmware both modifies the signal to the eye - switching device so that the unstable transition phase occurs during the color switching device &# 39 ; s non - critical segment and modifies the image source in order to control the production and delivery of the images synchronously with the eye - switching device . for optimum stereo operation , light needs to be discontinued from the projector for at least the duration of the eye - switching device &# 39 ; s unstable transition phase . if the non - critical segment is non - transmissive , the process is complete in and of itself . if the non - critical segment is transmissive , the projector firmware must command the dmd to discontinue the light from the projector for at least the duration of the eye - switching device &# 39 ; s unstable transition phase . fig1 is an illustration showing an image source 11 transmitting the video signal 100 and eye - switching signal 110 to an intermediate eye - switching adjusting device or program 125 . the eye - switching adjusting device or program 125 then forwards a modified eye switching signal 130 to the projector 12 that then transmits via a wired or wireless communication device , such as an rf or ir transmitter 115 , to the eye - switching device 99 . alternatively , the eye - switching adjusting device or program 125 then forwards a modified eye - switching signal 130 via a wired or wireless communication device , such as a rf or ir transmitter 115 , directly to the eye - switching device 99 . the eye - switching adjusting device or program 125 also modifies the image source signal 100 and creates a modified signal 105 that is transmitted to the projector 12 in order to control the production and delivery of the images synchronously with the eye - switching device 99 . fig1 is an illustration similar to the illustration shown in fig1 but with the eye - switching adjusting device or program 125 built into or loaded into the memory of the image source 11 . a modified eye - switching signal 130 is then transmitted via a wired or wireless communication device , such as an rf or ir transmitter 115 and eventually to the eye - switching device 99 . a modified image source video signal 105 is produced by the eye - switching adjusting device or program 125 and transmitted to the projector 12 in order to control the production and delivery of the images synchronously with the eye - switching device 99 . as stated above , the system includes a means for selectively discontinuing transmission of light from the projector 12 . in one embodiment , the means for selectively discontinuing transmission of light from the projector is a physical non - transmissive segment of the color wheel presented in front of the projector &# 39 ; s light source when the unstable transition phase of the eye - switching device occurs . in another embodiment , the means for selectively discontinuing transmission of light from the projector is the coordinating software program resident in the projector and hardware referred to as firmware 9 . the firmware 9 may be used to discontinue light from projector via control of the dmd during a transmissive or non - transmissive non - critical segment which has been aligned with the unstable transition phase of the eye - switching device 99 . fig1 a is an illustration showing the system utilizing a projector and a four color wheel 40 but without the firmware 9 referenced above to modify control of the dmd . because control of the dmd is not modified , the unstable transition phase occurs during the red segment 41 thus diminishing the red color in the image as noted above . fig1 b is an illustration that shows the modified timing signal and modified image color data that occurs using the system depicted in fig1 or 15 . the eye - switching signal is shifted in time by the eye - switching adjusting device or program loaded into memory of the image source , the intermediary device or the projector . the device or program modifies the eye - switching signal so that the unstable transition phase occurs while the non - critical segment ( in this case the white segment ) is presented . as a result , some of the color data will now be out of phase with respect to the eye - switching signal . there are at least three approaches to fixing this problem through the modification of the image source video signal , all of which intentionally mix the left and right color data before input to the video projector , in order to be properly resolved after color sequencing by the video projector and filtering by the eye - switching device . the first approach , shown in fig1 c delivers phase corrected images synchronously with the modified eye - switching signal . the “ incorrect eye ” ( out of phase ) critical color data ( in this case red and green ) must be promoted to the next stereo input frame . this ultimately delivers uniform left and right color data from the same stereo frame to each eye during the corresponding eye - switching signal . non - critical color data is typically irrelevant , since it is not typically an input color , but rather created by processing the critical input colors red , green and blue . fig1 d illustrates a second approach whereby the “ correct ” ( in phase ) color data ( in this case the blue ) is demoted or moved backwards by one stereo frame in order to deliver uniform ( but polarity reversed ) left and right color data from the same stereo frame to each eye during the corresponding eye - switching signal . the polarity of the eye - switching signal is then reversed . fig1 e illustrates a third approach , whereby either in phase or out - of - phase color data is rearranged in order to deliver uniform left and right color data from mixed stereo frames to each eye during the corresponding eye - switching signal . when necessary , the polarity of the eye - switching signal is then switched . in this case , the “ correct ” ( in phase ) blue color data is promoted forward by one stereo input frame . regarding 16 e , other solutions may promote , demote , swap or otherwise move either “ correct ” or “ incorrect ” color data in order to deliver uniform left and right color data from mixed stereo frames to each eye during the corresponding eye - switching signal . while not an optimum solution , due to the mixing of stereo frame data — note that in the above example , while all critical color data is uniformly left or right eye data during the corresponding eye - switching signal , the blue color data presented to each eye is one frame out of phase with the other critical colors — it may be an acceptable solution for some non - critical applications . using the above described system , a method for improving the stereoscopic 3d image from the preferred embodiment of a single chip dmd video projector , comprises the following steps : a . selecting a dmd video projector that uses a color wheel to produce images for projection onto a viewing surface ; b . selecting a color switching device and color sequencing firmware , said color switch device produces at least three critical color segments and optionally one or more non - critical color segment ( s ), said firmware capable of controlling the color sequence timing from said video projector such that the said non - critical color segment is utilized during the unstable transition phase of the eye - switching device , while discontinuing illumination of the non - critical color segment ; c . selecting an eye - switching device capable of filtering multiple images transmitted by said video projector synchronous with an eye - switching control signal such that each eye sees a separate image ; d . positioning said eye - switching device between said projector &# 39 ; s light source and the viewer ; e . operating said video projector to transmit an image onto a viewing surface for viewing by the user utilizing said eye - switching device ; and , f . transmitting the eye - switching signal to the eye - switching device . in compliance with the statute , the invention described herein has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features . it should be understood , however , that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown , since the means and construction shown is comprised only of the preferred embodiments for putting the invention into effect . the invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the amended claims , appropriately interpreted in accordance with the doctrine of equivalents . | 7 |
in the following detailed description , only certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described , simply by way of illustration . as those skilled in the art would realize , the described embodiments may be modified in various different ways , all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention . accordingly , the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive . like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification . throughout the specification and claims , unless explicitly described to the contrary , the word “ comprise ” and variations such as “ comprises ” or “ comprising ” will be understood to imply the inclusion of stated elements but not the exclusion of any other elements . it will be understood that when an element such as a layer , film , region , or substrate is referred to as being “ on ” another element , it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may also be present . in contrast , when an element is referred to as being “ directly on ” another element , there are no intervening elements present . now , a polarizer according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings . fig1 is a perspective view showing a polarizer according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention , and fig2 is a cross - sectional view taken along line ii - ii ′ of fig1 . referring to fig1 and fig2 , a polarizer 100 includes a substrate 110 , a first dielectric layer 120 formed on the substrate 110 , a second dielectric layer 130 positioned on the first dielectric layer 120 , an optical waveguide 140 positioned in the second dielectric layer 130 , a third dielectric layer 150 positioned on the second dielectric layer 130 , and a graphene layer 160 positioned on the third dielectric layer 150 . the substrate 110 may be made of glass , quartz , silicon , or the like . the first dielectric layer 120 , the second dielectric layer 130 , and the third dielectric layer 150 may be made of silicon oxide or silicon nitride . alternatively , the first dielectric layer 120 , the second dielectric layer 130 , and the third dielectric layer 150 may be made of a polymer for use in optical devices . although the first dielectric layer 120 , the second dielectric layer 130 , and the third dielectric layer 150 have been described as different layers for convenience of explanation , they may be formed of the same material . the first dielectric layer 120 , the second dielectric layer 130 , and the third dielectric layer 150 may be individually formed according to a fabrication method . however , the first dielectric layer 120 and the second dielectric layer 130 may be simultaneously formed , or the second dielectric layer 130 and the third dielectric layer 150 may be simultaneously formed . the optical waveguide 140 is formed along the length direction of the substrate 110 . the optical waveguide 140 may be formed of a material having a difference in refractive index from those of the first dielectric layer 120 , the second dielectric layer 130 , and the third dielectric layer 150 . that is , the optical waveguide 140 has a different refractive index from those of the first dielectric layer 120 , the second dielectric layer 130 , and the third dielectric layer 150 . for example , the optical waveguide 140 may be formed of a material having a higher refractive index than those of the first dielectric layer 120 , the second dielectric layer 130 , and the third dielectric layer 150 , for example , silicon , silicon nitride , or a polymer for optical elements . the optical waveguide 140 transmits an optical signal by using a refractive index difference , etc . that is , if the refractive index of the optical waveguide 140 is higher than those of the second dielectric layer 130 and third dielectric layer 150 , an optical signal can be transmitted as the optical signal that is totally reflected toward the optical waveguide 140 . the graphene layer 160 is formed on the third dielectric layer 150 to correspond to the optical waveguide 140 . the graphene layer 160 is a very thin layer made of graphene . graphene , which is a material consisting of carbon atoms connected together in a honeycomb - like thin planar structure , has electrical properties . carbon atoms are held together to form a single carbon atom layer , and graphene may consist of a single layer or multiple layers of carbon atoms . a single layer graphene 160 has a thickness of one carbon atom . the carbon atoms form six - membered rings , five - membered rings , or seven - membered rings as a repeating unit . the graphene layer 160 may be formed by a simple photolithography process . when light is guided to the surface of graphene , an electronic surface wave , called surface plasmon , is generated . surface plasmon refers to an oscillating charge density wave which is formed by an interaction between free electrons and externally incident light , and travels along the interface between a material having free electrons and a dielectric material adjoining the material . in the case of graphene , light of the tm mode or te mode may travel along graphene depending on the chemical potential level of the graphene . for example , if the chemical potential is higher than ℏω / 2 , the intraband imaginary part contributing to the conductivity of the graphene is higher than the interband imaginary band . thus , the imaginary part of the overall conductivity of the graphene becomes negative . in this case , the graphene can waveguide the tm - mode light . otherwise , if the chemical potential is lower than ℏω / 2 , the graphene waveguides the te - mode light . here , ℏ = h / 2π , h indicates a planck constant ( 6 . 626068 × 10 − 34 m2 kg / s ), and ω indicates an angular frequency . using this principle , if the graphene is placed near the optical waveguide 140 having a rectangular or circular shape , the tm - mode light , of the light traveling along the optical waveguide 140 , is coupled to the adjacent graphene layer 160 and travels along the graphene , and the te - mode light travels only along the optical waveguide 140 . once the tm - mode light traveling along the graphene has traveled a certain distance , it becomes weaker in intensity and is extinguished due to a loss of electrons in the graphene . as a result , the te - mode light traveling along the optical waveguide 140 travels without any loss , and hence a te - mode pass polarizer can be achieved . consequently , it is possible to fabricate a te - mode pass polarizer for passing te - mode components therethrough by forming the graphene layer 160 so as to correspond to the optical waveguide 140 . moreover , the thus - fabricated te - mode pass polarizer can have a wide bandwidth because graphene has no energy bandgap and can therefore interact with light of all wavelengths . fig3 is a view showing the test results of optical signal attenuation of a polarizer according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention . specifically , fig3 illustrates the optical attenuation level db of the light output from the optical waveguide 140 versus the width of the optical waveguide 140 when light is incident on the optical waveguide 140 with the graphene layer 160 formed thereon according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention . as shown in fig3 , it can be seen that , if light is incident on the optical waveguide 140 with the graphene layer 160 formed thereon according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention , the attenuation of the tm mode component of the light output from the optical waveguide 140 is greater than the attenuation of the te mode component . there may be a difference between the optical loss of the te mode component and the optical loss of the tm mode component depending on the width of the optical waveguide 140 . here , a high attenuation level indicates a low intensity . thus , it can be seen that the polarizer 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is a te - mode pass polarizer . meanwhile , the attenuation level of an optical signal of the tm - mode component may vary according to the position of the graphene layer 160 . particularly , the longer the distance between the optical waveguide 140 and the graphene layer 160 , the lower the attenuation level of the tm mode . accordingly , a variety of polarizers can be fabricated according to the position of the graphene layer 160 . fig4 and fig5 are views respectively showing polarizers according to second and third exemplary embodiments of the present invention . as shown in fig4 , unlike the graphene layer 160 according to the first exemplary embodiment , the graphene layer 160 ′ of the polarizer 100 a may be positioned directly above the optical waveguide 140 . in this case , the graphene layer 160 ′ is formed in the second dielectric layer 130 . referring to fig5 , the graphene layer 160 ″ of the polarizer 100 b may be positioned in the third dielectric layer 150 at a predetermined distance from the optical waveguide 140 . the graphene layer 160 ″ may be formed on the second dielectric layer 130 . also , the chemical potential of graphene may vary by doping it or by applying an electric field to the graphene . accordingly , if the graphene is doped or an electric field is applied to the graphene , light of the tm mode or te mode may be selectively polarized , or the attenuation level thereof may be adjusted . in what follows , the polarizer according to this exemplary embodiment will be described . fig6 to fig8 are views respectively showing polarizers according to fourth to sixth exemplary embodiments of the present invention . fig6 to fig8 illustrate modified examples of the polarizer 100 shown in fig1 , which may be equally applicable to the polarizers 100 a and 100 b shown in fig4 and 5 . first , referring to fig6 , the polarizer 100 c may further include a fourth dielectric layer 170 , a metal thin film 180 , and a voltage supply unit 190 , as compared to the polarizer 100 according to the first exemplary embodiment . the fourth dielectric layer 170 is formed above the graphene layer 140 , and the thin metal film 180 is formed above the fourth dielectric layer 170 . if the optical waveguide 140 is composed of a conductive material such as silicon ( si ), the voltage supply unit 190 may apply an electric field to the graphene by applying an alternating current voltage or direct current voltage ( v ) between the metal thin film 180 and the optical waveguide 140 . if an electric field is applied to the graphene , the chemical potential of the graphene varies due to a change in the characteristics of surface plasmon polaritons induced by a change in the density of charge carriers , and therefore an optical loss of the tm / te mode varies . consequently , a change in voltage applied between the metal thin film and the optical waveguide 140 may lead to a change in the polarization characteristics of the polarizer . moreover , when an alternating current voltage is applied between the metal thin film 170 and the optical waveguide 140 , the intensity of polarized light may vary periodically . also , the graphene has electrical properties . hence , if the optical waveguide 140 is composed of a conductive material such as silicon ( si ), the voltage supply unit 190 ′ may apply an electric field to the graphene by applying an alternating current voltage or direct current voltage ( v ) between the graphene layer 160 and the optical waveguide 140 , as shown in fig7 , the chemical potential of the graphene with an electric field applied thereto varies , and therefore optical loss of the tm / te mode may vary . consequently , the polarization characteristics of the polarizer 100 d may vary with changes in the voltage applied between the graphene and the optical waveguide 140 . moreover , the intensity of polarized light may vary periodically by applying an alternating current voltage between the graphene and the optical waveguide . unlike fig6 and fig7 , referring to fig8 , the polarizer 100 e is identical to the polarizer 100 except that the graphene layer 160 is doped with a conductive dopant . by doping the graphene layer 160 with a conductive dopant , the chemical potential of the graphene varies , and therefore optical loss of the tm / te mode may vary . according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention , a polarizer can be fabricated which has wide wavelength selectivity and bandwidth by polarizing an optical signal traveling along an optical waveguide by the use of graphene . moreover , a variety of polarizers can be fabricated by applying to a functional optical device to which a variety of planar optical circuit structures are applicable . while this invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments , but , on the contrary , is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . | 6 |
the best mode of practicing the invention will now be described with respect to use of polyamide 11 , the polymer prepared by condensation of 11 - amino undecylenic acid , although one of skill in the art will recognize that polyamide 12 , the polymer prepared by condensation of the lactam of 12 - aminododecylenic acid , for which equivalent fabrication and applicable related handling techniques are also well understood by those of skill in the art will be contemplated as equivalent by the invention . there are three important features for the successful practice of the invention , the correct liner material , the correct liner dimensions relative to those of the host pipe and the correct stress state of the liner after installation in the host pipe . to prepare a pipeline of the invention a plasticized polyamide 11 may be extruded as a liner shape having an outside diameter that is the same as or slightly less than the inside diameter of the host pipe . the extrusion may be cut to any length convenient for handling and transport to the installation location . suitable plasticizers for polyamide 11 ( and polyamide 12 ) are well known in the art , preferred is n , n - butyl benzene sulfonamide . long chain diols , sulfonamides and other highly polar compounds are known to generally provide plasticization in polyamides in general . a chemist will readily recognize which compounds in the above classes are suitable and unsuitable . a typical range for the outside diameter of the liner is from zero to five percent smaller than the inside diameter of the host pipe . installation of the liner into the length of host pipe on site may be by any known conventional technique . a convenient method is by pulling with a cable from the distant end of the pipeline to be lined . to form long , continuous lengths of liner for the insertion in the interior of the pipeline , the liner segments cut into transport lengths must be welded at the joints to form a continuous length of liner . this is accomplished by standard fusion welding techniques well known in the art . the joints have sufficient strength to withstand the tensile stress of the insertion process without breaking and the liner material also has sufficient tensile strength to withstand pulling through the steel host pipe without sustaining permanent dimension changes while under tensile stress for the duration of the insertion process which may be from several minutes to several hours depending on the length of the pipeline to be lined . after being pulled through the host pipe , the liner material may be stretched up to about 10 % in length so that appropriate termination fitting may be fused onto the ends . this is to compensate for the differential thermal expansion between a steel pipe and the thermoplastic liner upon going from installation temperature to operating temperatures . the stretch must be calculated for each case , using known methods , to avoid over or under stretching . the liner must then undergo a radial expansion of from about zero to about 5 percent by pneumatic or hydraulic internal pressure for long periods of time in the operating environment without losing its ability to recover substantially to the original radial dimensions upon reduction of the internal pressure . without being bound to any particular theory , it is believed that these materials work because relaxation ( retraction from the host pipe wall ) provides a space into which high pressure annular gases ( which diffuse through the liner ) can expand . this reduces the pressure in the annulus , thereby resulting in smaller radial compressive stresses which are the cause of most liner collapse . the relaxation away from the wall happens because the liner was inserted loose and expanded and did not undergo a stress relaxation or swelling as polyethylene based liners do . the improved liner materials of the invention retain their elastic properties during its lifetime and are able to recover from collapse when the pressure differential is reversed . by way of contrast , the substantial majority of all installed liners in oil field service are made from either high density polyethylene or medium density polyethylene . they are installed by several different methods which can be summarized by the stress state in which they leave the liner . liners inserted by diameter reduction are left in a state of radial compression and axial tension . liners inserted by diameter expansion are left in a state of radial tension and axial compression . for the polyethylene ( pe ) materials these are transient stress states . under the influence of temperature and time , the materials stress - relax to an essentially neutral stress state . if hydrocarbons are present , the pe materials will absorb large quantities over time . eventually over a time period longer than that required for the original stress relaxation , this reduces the stiffness of the polymer and causes simultaneous swelling in the radial and axial directions . this swelling causes its own stresses . stresses alone are sometimes sufficient to cause collapse of the liner due to the dramatically reduced stiffness of the liner when compared to its initial state . proper design techniques are known which can normally avoid this result but the liner is still left in a state where it has lost its elastic properties and changes in pressure internally can cause collapse . when a stress relaxed , hydrocarbon swollen liner collapses , it undergoes a mechanical yield , and in some cases the deformation is sufficient to cause the liner to break , a pe liner inserted by diameter expansion will never , after the initial stress relaxation , be able to retract from the wall of the steel host pipe in response to a reduction in the internal pressure . pe liners inserted by diameter reduction were never able to move from the host pipe wall from the time of their insertion and this situation is not improved with age . the following comparative tests further illustrate the best mode contemplated by the inventor for the practice of his invention . tests were conducted to observe the behavior of polyamide 11 and hdpe liners when subjected to conditions intended to result in collapse of the liner . the tests were done using representative steel pipeline segments with a length of 10 feet and made from nominal 4 inch steel pipe . the wall thickness of the steel pipe was chosen such that the 4 . 0 inch diameter liner , after insertion , would be either loose ( liner od & lt ; steel id ), neutral ( liner od = steel id ), or tight ( liner od & lt ; steel id ). table 1 shows the room temperature and test temperature dimensions as well as the calculated liner tightness . negative tightness indicates a looser liner . the liners were inserted into the steel test pipes by conventional means and terminated at each end by flaring the thermoplastic liner to conform to the existing flange fitting on the steel pipe . a blind flange was attached , compressing the liner flare against the steel termination flange , isolating the annulus from the pipe bore . the test pipes were provided with a threaded injection port located approximately 36 inches from one end . this port was fitted with an injection apparatus and an independent valve to isolate the injection apparatus from the pipe . it was also fitted with an independent valve connecting the injection port to the collection apparatus . there were other threaded ports located along the pipe for the purpose of recovering liquids from the annulus during the experiment . these ports were fitted with independent valves and attached to the collection apparatus consisting of suitable tubing to deliver the oil to graduated cylinders for the purpose of measuring the volume of oil ejected from the annulus . the lined pipes were filled with a fluid mixture that simulates typical crude oil and gas service . the composition is shown in table 2 . the temperature was raised through the use of external heating jackets and the internal pressure maintained at 500 psi . the pipes were gently rocked to agitate the internal pipeline contents . this condition was maintained for 6 weeks to condition the liners for the collapse experiments to follow . to make the collapse experiments oil was injected into the annulus through the injection port using a precision piston pump and appropriate steel pressure fittings and tubing . the volume of oil injected was monitored by noting the piston position indicator . the pressure in the annulus was measured by a pressure gauge fitted at the injection port . before beginning the collapse experiments the graduated cylinders were filled to the upper mark with oil . the total volume of oil was calculated to be much larger than the theoretical annulus of the depressurized liner . the tubes from the collection system were immersed into the graduated cylinders and the amount of oil was adjusted to make oil volume up to the upper mark . the collection system valves were opened . then the pipe bore pressure was reduced to ambient pressure ( approximately 1 atm .) and left open to the atmosphere . oil was drawn into the annulus if the liner moved away from the steel pipe wall on depressurization . the amount of oil drawn into the annulus was noted . to begin collapse experiments oil was injected into the annulus . the pressure was continuously monitored . the normal course of the pressure evolution was such that it increased with increasing injected volume until such a time that the liner buckled . at that point the pressure , depending on the installed tightness of the liner , fell rapidly by a large fraction of the peak pressure ( for tight and neutral liners ) or dropped slightly and leveled off for loose liners . after the buckling pressure was reached , and exceeded to the degree necessary to ascertain that it was indeed reached , the valve connecting the injection apparatus was closed , and the valve connected to the collection apparatus and graduated cylinders was opened . all the other collection valves were also opened . any elastic recovery by the liner will push some of the injected oil out of the annulus through the collection system . after the oil was collected and the volume recorded , the collection valves were closed and volumetric cylinders were emptied . the process was repeated for several cycles . normally after the fifth collapse , instead of collecting the oil via an elastic recovery of the liner , the pipe bore was re - pressurized to 500 psi . this forcibly ejected the injected oil from the annulus into the collection system . the graduated cylinders were then filled to the upper mark and the internal pressure was reduced to ambient . as the liner relaxed away from the wall , oil was pulled into the annulus through the collection system . the sixth and subsequent collapses were conducted as before . during the collapse - recovery cycles the annulus volune was indicated by the oil volume in the annulus . the ability of the liner to recover its initial shape and diameter after being collapsed is an indication of the durability of the liner and is herein referred to as collapse tolerance . if the annulus volume after collapse is greater than the theoretical maximum volume calculated from the difference between the id of the steel and the initial od of the liner , then the liner is said to have poor collapse tolerance . the theoretical annulus volume of tight and neutral liners is zero . for loose liners it is a nonzero value that increases with the as - installed gap between the liner and the host pipe wall . the results of these experiments are presented in table 3 . the first column indicates the point at which the volume is recorded . after 1 , after 2 , etc . are the annulus oil volumes calculated from the amount residual in the annulus before injection plus the oil volume injected minus the oil expelled as the liner relaxes after collapse . at 500 psi is the amount of oil left in the annulus after re - pressurization of the pipe to 500 psi . before 4 , before 5 , etc . is the oil in the annulus after oil is drawn into the annulus when the 500 psi pressure is removed from the pipe and the liner relaxed back away from the steel pipe wall . theoretical maximum is the maximum annular volume calculated from the difference between the id of the steel pipe , the installed od of the liner , and the length of the test piece . since the theoretical maximum annulus volume for tight and neutral liners is zero , any positive oil volumes associated with the neutral and tight liners at 500 psi and after any injection — recovery cycle indicate the development of a “ permanent ” annulus volume . these volumes result in a decreased cross sectional area of the lined pipe bore , and an increased annular volume into which high pressure gases can permeate . at 500 psi , the loose liner at 105 ° c . and the neutral liner at 90 ° c . and 105 ° c . show negative volumes . the only reasonable explanation for these results is cumulative errors in measuring volumes other than the injected volumes , which are very precisely known . there were noted in the experimental record several occasions when the oil , collected on liner relaxation and / or pressurization to 500 psi , contained bubbles , presumably due to the oil mixing with trapped gases in the annulus that remained after installation of the liner . this would result in over - measurement of the volume of oil recovered compared to the known amount of bubble - free oil injected , resulting in a negative annulus volume after subtraction . the tight liner exceeded the theoretical annulus volume in all cases . upon repressurization to 500 psi after the fifth collapse there is still evidence of a permanent annulus volume . for the tight liner the annulus volume becomes progressively large with subsequent collapses at each of the three temperatures . fig1 shows the worst case tight polyamide - 11 liner and the permanent deformation caused by the collapse . this specimen is the 80 ° c . tight liner . the higher temperature liners also sustained similar damage . for the neutral liner , after 6 collapse cycles the annulus volume is large for each of the temperatures , but essentially unchanged after the first collapse . this indicates the rapid development of a stable annular volume that is , within the experimental uncertainty , fully recoverable over at least several collapse cycles . visual examination of the liner after the experiments were complete did not reveal anything unusual at any temperatures . the loose liner volumes do not exceed the theoretical maximum when repressurized to 500 psi . after several collapse cycles the annular volume increases gradually , but is reversible upon re - pressurization to a volume lower than the starting volume . this indicates that the liner is able to recover its pre - collapse cross - sectional area . the liner is also capable of being restored to pre - collapse proximity to the host pipe wall . none of the loose polyamide - 11 liners sustained any permanent deformation that could be observed on removal after completion of the testing . the resistance to permanent deformation is evidence of collapse tolerance . the loose liner displays this characteristic . the neutral liner can also recover its original cross sectional area and is considered collapse tolerant . the tight liner is not collapse tolerant . a permanent annular volume develops on the first collapse and it grows with subsequent collapses . it cannot be recovered by re - pressurizing the liner . similar experiments were conducted using hdpe liners . the temperatures for the hdpe experiments were different to reflect the normal upper use temperature range for hdpe liners . there are two loose liner cases . the 5 % loose liner reflects common hdpe loose liner industry practice . the 2 . 5 % loose liner has approximately the same degree of looseness as the polyamide - 11 loose liner . the tight liner is slightly tight , reflecting common industry practice based on field experience . table 4 shows the annulus oil volume results over several collapse cycles . the conventional thought about the behavior of hdpe liners is summarized in a publication of the national association of corrosion engineers international ( nace publication 1g190 , item no . 54269 , page 7 ) which says “ the liner . . . becomes mechanically locked into position by compression set and stress relaxation over time .”, and “ the liner may require from 1 day to 1 year to mechanically lock into the id of the steel pipe as a results of surface roughness of the steel . this normally occurs , however , within about six weeks .”. based on this experience of the industry we expected that the six weeks of conditioning at 500 psi was sufficient to accomplish the noted stress relaxation . if the stress relaxation had occurred as noted in the nace publication , the starting volumes would have been very close to zero as is the case for the 60 ° c . liners at 2 . 5 % loose and tight fit . since the conditioning for these experiments was almost exactly six weeks , it is possible that , at least for the 5 percent loose case , not enough time had passes for the stress to fully relax leaving the hdpe liner in full , inelastic contact with the steel pipe wall . visual examination of the hdpe liner after completion of the collapse tests revealed damage to the liners that increased in severity with temperature and tightness . fig2 shows the progression of deformation with tightness for the 60 ° c . hdpe liner with tightness . ( left to right : new liner , 5 % loose liner , 2 . 5 % loose liner , tight liner ) fig3 shows a cross section of the 40 ° c . 5 % loose liner with clear permanent deformation . the 2 . 5 % loose liner sustained similar damage . fig4 shows the 40 ° c . tight liner . the collapse is obvious . the mechanical properties of hdpe are known to deteriorate over time on exposure to hydrocarbon liquids at elevated temperatures . the test results in table 5 show the time dependence at the two test temperatures of this study using specimens from hdpe pipe intended for use as a liner . it is clear that at 40 ° c . the stiffness properties ( young &# 39 ; s modulus ) are still declining , but at 60 ° c . the properties appear to have become stable . exposures were made at the indicated temperature . measurements were made at room temperature as per astm d - 638 . the decrease in young &# 39 ; s modulus results in a decrease in the force with which the liner can attempt to recover its initial shape and eject the annular fluid . this decreased ability is still evolving at 40 ° c . after 32 weeks . at 60 ° c . equilibrium appears to have been established at 16 weeks . this is more than the 6 weeks of conditioning in the collapse tests so we cannot say conclusively that at 6 weeks the 60 ° c . liner has reached equilibrium . the implications for the liner performance is clear : at 60 ° c . the hdpe liner in a loose configuration retains at best a small fraction of the theoretical maximum annulus volume . at 40 ° c . the recoverable annulus volume is small compared to the theoretical volume and is declining . and in the tight configuration a permanent annulus with the attendant cross - section a1 area reduction is well developed . the long - term properties of polyamide - 11 have been verified by field experience in service as severe as the environment of these tests . after three years of exposure at 65 ° in crude gas service a polyamide - 11 liner was tested in the laboratory for mechanical properties . the results are presented in table 6 . the service conditions are presented in table 7 . the data indicate that polyamide - 11 does not become less stiff with long - term exposure to severe hydrocarbon environments . based on these results we can assume that the polyamide - 11 liners used for the collapse study will not loose properties over time in the petroleum environment . the elastic recovery tendencies of loose polyamide - 11 liner makes a large annular volume available for expanding permeated gases when the pipeline bore is depressurized , resulting in decompression of the small volume of annular high pressure gases . the availability of a large annular volume ( compared to the microannular volume during operation ) makes it possible to design a polyamide - 11 liner that is essentially collapse - proof . the subject matter which applicant regards as his invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed as follows : | 5 |
referring to fig1 - 4 , the present invention is a towing apparatus 20 having a first frame 22 and a second frame 24 . each frame 22 and 24 is generally rectangular in configuration . in the case of frame 22 , it is shown to include longitudinal members 26 and transverse members 28 . second frame 24 includes longitudinal members 30 and a transverse member 32 . the present invention also includes a handle assembly 38 having a member 39 which is attached to first frame 22 at pin connection 40 . member 42 serves to brace member 39 to first frame 22 . referring still to fig1 - 4 , a motor 44 is attached to , and supported by , first frame 22 . motor 44 may be a conventional internal combustion motor such as a lawnmower motor . in the prototype of the present invention , the motor is a 3 . 5 horsepower briggs & amp ; stratton engine , readily commercially available . alternatively , motor 44 may be another type of motor such as an electric motor or an air motor . obviously , in such cases the user would need to provide a power source such as electricity or compressed air through a power cord or air hose up to motor 44 . in the case of an internal combustion engine as shown , a throttle 46 / cable 48 is attached to handle 38 and connects with the throttle setting of motor 44 to power up or down motor 44 . the throttle 46 / cable 48 assembly is well known to those skilled in the art and is similar to that found on commercially - available lawnmowers . the present invention also includes a wheel assembly 50 which is rotatably supported within first frame 22 . referring to fig3 and 4 , wheel assembly 50 includes a wheel / tire 52 . axle 54 passes through wheel 52 and is rotatably supported in the preferred embodiment by flanges 56 which are attached to longitudinal members 26 of first frame 22 . each end of axle 54 is held in place by a hub 58 having a lynch pin 60 or other fastener such as a set screw . a sprocket 62 is attached to axle 54 and fixed relative to axle 54 and wheel 52 . in this manner , wheel 52 rotates about axle 54 , but within first frame 22 . referring back to fig1 - 2 , the present invention may include a transmission 64 , preferably a hydrostatic transmission , such as that manufactured by the eaton corporation , model no . c - 250 - 801 . such a hydrostatic transmission is well known to those skilled in the art and commonly used on riding lawnmowers , garden tractors and off - road vehicles . such a transmission serves to provide a gradual increase and decrease in power from motor 44 and transfer that power to a wheel assembly 50 in accordance with the present invention as described below . in addition , such a transmission provides for motorized forward and rearward motion . power is transferred from motor 44 to transmission 64 by means of a belt 66 . as shown in fig2 belt 66 passes around drive pulley 68 of motor 44 and pulley 70 of transmission 64 . in accordance with the operation of the present invention as will be described in more detail below , the power output side of transmission 64 is shown in fig1 as drive shaft 72 . shaft 72 is connected to a sprocket 74 . a chain 76 is used to drivably engage sprocket 74 with sprocket 62 thereby rotating wheel 52 and driving the present invention . referring still to fig1 - 4 , but in particular fig1 and 4 , second frame 24 is rotatably supported relative to first frame 22 by concentric drums 78 and 80 . as shown in fig2 and as noted above , second frame 24 comprises longitudinal members 30 . each longitudinal member 30 is fixedly attached to outer drum 80 . outer drum 80 is a cylindrical member which is vertically supported by , and rotates within , inner drum 78 . drum 78 is securely attached to members 26 of first frame 22 . referring still to fig1 and 4 , it can be seen that outer drum 80 is supported vertically by shoulder 82 of inner drum 78 . thus , second frame 24 can rotate relative to first frame 22 since outer drum 80 can rotate about inner drum 78 about a full 360 °. if desirable , second frame 24 may be locked to first frame 22 by a bracket 84 which is pivotably attached at connection 86 to first frame 22 . when it is desirable to permit the rotation of the first frame 22 relative to the second frame 24 , in accordance with the operation of the present invention as described below , the operator pulls knob 88 upwardly displacing cable 91 and thereby pivoting bracket 84 about connection 86 . thus , bracket 84 releases first frame 22 relative to second frame 24 enabling the rotational movement of first frame 22 relative to second frame 24 . referring still to fig1 and 2 and now fig5 and 6 , the present invention also includes a gripper assembly 90 which is used to engage a workpiece . in the case of fig1 - 6 , the workpiece as shown in phantom lines is a wheel 92 , such as the nosewheel of an aircraft . obviously , it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that wheel 92 may be the wheel of a workpiece other than an aircraft . gripper assembly 90 comprises a first arm 94 and second arm 96 . referring to fig5 ( which is a bottom view looking upwardly ), first arm 94 is fixedly attached to second frame 24 . first arm 94 includes a longitudinal member 97 which is shown bolted to longitudinal member 30 of second frame 24 . a sleeve 100 is attached at one end to member 97 and a pin 98 is adapted to pass through sleeve 100 . pin 98 is bolted by screw 102 to sleeve 100 . a hub 104 is attached at one end of pin 98 . hub 104 includes a recess and is selected in size to pass over the axle or wheel hub 106 of nosewheel 92 . referring still to fig5 second arm 96 of gripper assembly 90 is pivotably connected to frame 24 at pin connection 108 . the second arm 96 also includes a hub 126 / pin 128 arrangement similar to that described earlier with respect to hub 104 / pin 98 of first arm 94 . again , hub 126 engages wheel hub 130 of nosewheel 92 . a linkage assembly 110 supported by second frame 24 is used to pivotably rotate second arm 96 relative to second frame 24 . linkage assembly 110 includes a lever arm 112 attached at one end to pin connection 108 and at its other end 114 to rod 116 . rod 116 is in turn pivotably connected to handle 118 at connection 120 . handle 118 is pivotably connected and supported by bracket 124 at pin connection 122 . bracket 124 is welded directly to drum 80 as are longitudinal members 30 of second frame 24 . the selection of the length of bracket 124 from drum 80 to pin connection 122 is such that when handle 118 is rotated about pin connection 122 to the closed position as shown in fig6 an over - the - center locking action occurs which prevents handle 118 from being prematurely released except by the operator physically moving handle 118 back to the position shown in fig5 . this results in the locking of nosewheel 92 relative to said second frame 24 . the gripper assembly 90 may also include a dual - acting gas cylinder 132 which serves to provide compressive resistance in either direction . it is attached at one end 134 to second frame 24 and at its other end 136 to lever arm 112 . when handle 118 is rotated to the position shown in fig6 enabling the engagement of second arm 96 against hub 130 of wheel 92 , shaft 138 of gas cylinder 132 is extended thereby resisting any movement of second arm 96 relative to second frame 24 as may be caused by any jarring or bouncing movement of nosewheel 92 . yet cylinder 132 serves to permit extreme movement of the end of second arm 96 at hub 126 which may occur if nosewheel 92 hits a pothole or other obstruction on the airfield while being towed . this permits the emergency release of the nosewheel 92 without damaging the nosewheel axle or nosewheel undercarriage assembly . referring back to fig2 as discussed above transmission 64 receives its input power from belt 66 . transmission 64 provides forward or rearward direction of the present invention by placement of lever 142 in a forward or rearward direction as discussed herein . this is the mechanism most commercially available hydrostatic transmissions use to shift the direction of rotation of its drive shaft . the eaton model employed in the prototype of the present invention provides for forward or rearward motion by shifting the rotation of drive shaft 72 from a clockwise revolution to a counterclockwise revolution , depending on the orientation of lever 142 . referring to fig2 and 11 , handle linkage assembly 140 includes a handle 144 which enables the operator to pull up on either side of handle 144 activating the forward and rearward direction of the present invention in accordance with the foregoing description . handle 144 is pivotably bolted at connection 146 to member 39 and to a transverse member 147 . member 147 is pivotally connected to link 148 . link 148 is in turn connected to a link 150 through a triangular plate 152 . link 150 is pivotably connected to rod 153 , and rod 153 connects to lever 142 . referring to fig2 the present invention also includes a mechanism to return handle 144 to a centered position as shown in fig2 and 11 . that mechanism is shown in fig2 as centralizer system 151 . link 150 is also pivotally attached at connection 154 to member 155 . member 155 is pivotally connected to a vertical member 157 ( fig3 ) at pin connection 159 . vertical member 157 is fixed to first frame 22 . in this manner , member 155 pivots about connection 159 as handle 144 is pulled . centralizing system 151 also includes a camming member 162 which is fixedly attached at connection 164 to vertical member 157 . camming member 160 pivots at connection 164 and is restrained at its other end by spring 170 . in this manner , when either end of handle 144 is pulled and released , the notched portion 161 of camming member 162 serves to return member 155 to the vertical position as shown in fig2 . this then serves to return link 150 to its neutral position and also handle 144 to the neutral position as shown in fig1 . in addition to the centralizer system 151 shown in fig2 a tensioner system 163 is also shown in fig2 which serves to ensure adequate tension is maintained on belt 66 . this is achieved through a pulley 168 which is supported by member 166 . member 166 is in turn pivotally connected to vertical member 157 , and the other end of member 166 is forced in a downward position by compression spring 172 . pulley 168 is urged against the top of belt 66 to ensure that belt 66 remains tight against both pulleys 68 and 70 . the operation of transmission 64 to drive the present invention is as follows . when the operator pulls up or squeezes the right hand portion of handle 144 as shown in fig1 , links 148 and 150 are advanced forwardly . this in turn advances rod 153 and lever 142 forward . advancement of lever 142 forward causes the rotation of drive shaft 72 ( see fig1 ) of the eaton transmission selected to rotate in a clockwise direction . this in turn causes the clockwise rotation of sprocket 62 which advances the present invention forward . similarly , when the operator pulls up on the left hand portion of handle 144 as shown in fig1 , links 148 and 150 and rod 153 are advanced rearwardly which in turn causes lever 142 to move to the right as shown in fig2 . this causes the eaton transmission to rotate drive shaft 72 in a counterclockwise direction providing for rearward motion of the present invention . thus , whether the operator is pulling up on the left or right hand portion of handle 144 will determine whether the present invention moves in a forward or rearward direction . if the operator is not pulling up on either portion of handle 144 , the lever 142 remains in a neutral position as shown in fig2 due to the centralized system 151 and sprocket 74 of transmission 64 does not rotate . referring now to fig7 - 10 , alternate embodiments of the gripper assembly are shown . gripper assembly 290 is intended to be used on a workpiece such as the tailwheel of an aircraft . in the case of an aircraft which has a tailwheel ( also known as a “ tailtragger ”), there must be sufficient horizontal distance from the tailwheel of the aircraft to the end of its rudder to clear the towing apparatus . thus , gripper assembly 290 includes longitudinal members 294 and 296 . unlike the preferred embodiment of gripper assembly 90 , longitudinal members 294 and 296 do not pivot relative to one another . rather , they are bolted to longitudinal members 30 of second frame 24 by bolts 295 . while lever arm 112 and rod 116 of locking assembly 110 are shown in fig7 they are not used . longitudinal members 294 and 296 are held fixed relative to one another by cross members 298 . a cradle 300 is provided having members 301 , 302 , 303 . cradle 300 is used to support the tailwheel 292 of the aircraft , or similar workpiece . members 294 and 296 include apertures 305 . pins are provided at each end of member 302 and are adapted to fit within corresponding apertures 305 enabling the operator to select the size of opening 310 so as to accommodate a particular size tailwheel 292 . referring still to fig7 and 8 , assembly 290 includes sled 312 having longitudinal members 314 adapted to slide relative to members 294 and 296 . sled 312 supports a hydraulic jack 316 which is in fluid communication by hose 315 to a hydraulic ram 318 . members 320 are provided which connect at one end 321 to a flange 322 of each member 314 . the other end of each member 320 is pivotally connected to a rotating arm 324 . a wheel 326 is attached to one end of each arm 324 . each arm 324 is pivotally supported by a member 294 or 296 at pin connection 327 . in the operation of this alternate embodiment , the operator releases all pressure from hydraulic jack 316 which permits sled 312 to slide to the left as shown in fig7 . this results in the pivotal movement of wheel 326 about pin connection 327 , thereby lowering end 400 of gripper assembly 290 as seen in fig9 . in this lowered position , the operator may advance the present invention under a tailwheel 292 into space 310 defined by cradle 300 . the operator then pumps handle 317 of jack 316 introducing hydraulic pressure into ram 318 and advancing piston 319 to the right as shown in fig7 . such movement of piston 319 to the right causes sled 312 also to move to the right . this causes the pivotal movement of wheels 326 in a clockwise direction about connection 327 until an elevated position is achieved as shown in fig8 . the present invention may then be used to tow the aircraft as described below in more detail below . referring to fig1 , an alternate embodiment of gripper assembly 292 as seen in fig7 is depicted . in this alternate embodiment , gripper assembly 292 ′ includes a mechanical linkage assembly 401 in place of hydraulic jack 316 / hydraulic ram 318 as shown in fig7 . linkage assembly 401 includes a handle 402 pivotally attached to sled 312 at pin connection 404 . handle 402 is connected to member 406 at connection 407 . the other end of member 406 is attached to a cross member 298 . thus , rather than pumping a handle 317 to displace a piston 319 and move sled 312 as discussed above with respect to fig7 and 8 , the operator rotates handle 402 about pivot connection 404 . if handle 402 is in the position shown by solid lines in fig1 , the end 400 ′ of gripper assembly 292 ′ is in the position shown in fig9 . once the operator has positioned the present invention under a tailwheel within cradle opening 310 ′ as discussed above , the operator rotates handle 402 to the position shown by phantom lines in fig1 . this causes the advancement of sled 312 ′ to the right as shown in fig1 and elevates wheels 326 ′ to the position shown in fig8 . the operator would then be in the position of moving the aircraft in accordance with the present invention as described below . in the operation of the present invention , the operator starts motor 44 . the throttle would be placed initially in an idle position and handle 144 would be in a neutral position as seen in fig1 . as noted above , the present invention provides that wheel assembly 50 is fixed relative to first frame 22 , but can rotate about a first axis 501 defined by axle 54 . similarly , outer drum 80 rotates relative to inner drum 78 about a common substantially vertical axis 502 which , for purposes of fig1 is shown as passing through the center of axle 54 of wheel 52 because wheel assembly 50 is positioned in the center of drums 78 / 80 . however , it is not essential that axis 502 intersect axle 54 for the successful operation of the present invention . if gripper assembly 90 is used , the operator throttles up motor 44 using throttle 46 . if the operator wished to move the present invention in a forward direction , the operator would squeeze the right hand portion of handle 144 thereby advancing lever 142 forward . since lever 142 is moved in a forward direction , drive shaft 72 rotates in a clockwise direction which therefore rotates sprocket 62 in a clockwise direction and moves the present invention forward . to move the present invention in reverse , the operator squeezes the left - hand portion of handle 144 which moves lever 142 rearward and causes the counterclockwise rotation of drive shaft 72 . preferably , bracket 84 remains in the locked position as shown in fig1 while the present invention is being maneuvered about in a non - towing mode . however , when it is time to attach gripper assembly 90 to a workpiece , knob 88 is rotated upwardly pivoting bracket 84 about bolt connection 86 thereby permitting relative movement of the first frame 22 relative to the second frame 24 . referring to fig5 if the preferred embodiment of gripper assembly 90 is used , the operator advances gripper assembly 90 to the position shown in fig5 and engages hub 104 against axle hub 106 of nosewheel 92 , for example . at that point , the operator rotates lever 118 into a locked position as shown in fig6 advancing hub 126 of second arm 96 against hub 130 of the nosewheel . in this position , the gripper is fully engaged and gas cylinder 132 provides additional load further securing arm 96 against hub 130 . with bracket 84 disengaged , the operator may easily rotate the first frame relative to second frame as shown in fig6 . since wheel 52 has a single point of contact against the ground , it is very easy to rotate the present invention about vertical axis 502 . in fig6 first frame 22 has only been rotated about 45 ° relative to its original position ; however , it will be understood by one skilled in the art that first frame 22 may be rotated virtually 360 ° relative to its original position or with reference to second frame 24 . the only obstruction that may limit its rotation is that handle assembly 140 may contact the workpiece . however , except for this limitation , first frame 22 may rotate 360 ° relative to second frame 24 . referring back to fig6 once the operator has moved first frame 22 to a particular angle relative to second frame 24 , the left portion of handle 144 is pulled upwardly thereby advancing lever 142 to the right as shown in fig2 which is the reverse mode . this means that drive shaft 72 would rotate in a counter clockwise direction which in turn rotates sprocket 62 in a counterclockwise direction and causes the present invention to move in a reverse direction , i . e ., it is pulling the aircraft . moving in a reverse direction enables the operator to advance the workpiece rearwardly and easily maneuver it . since the present invention is balanced , it is very easy to operate . as can be seen , the weight of transmission 64 largely balances the weight of the motor 44 about vertical axis 502 . in this manner , the present invention is very easy to handle . additionally , since transmission 64 and motor 44 are close to the ground , the present invention is very stable . it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention provides means to simultaneously power and rotate first frame 22 relative to second frame 24 without the need to lift any portion of wheel 52 off the ground . additionally , the present invention provides a very stable design since it has a low center of gravity . furthermore , the present invention provides for the towing of a workpiece along an axis 503 ( occasionally referred to as a second axis ) which is generally co - linear with the point - of - contact of the nosewheel of the workpiece , for example , and the point - of - contact of second frame 24 with drum 80 . the present invention provides for the placement of axis 503 proximate axis 501 of wheel 52 . by positioning the tow axis 503 proximate axis 501 of wheel 52 enhanced stability is achieved not found in the prior art . for example , in both u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 819 , 001 and 3 , 861 , 483 , the prior art devices are unstable due to the significant vertical distance between the towing axis from the rotational axis of the wheel . this creates a large moment which therefore requires a stabilizing system as noted therein . in the present invention , it has been found preferable to position axis 503 no more than between about 60 % of the radius of wheel 52 above to about 60 % of the radius of wheel 52 below axis 501 . this relationship is shown in fig4 wherein “ r ” represents the radius of wheel 52 and α represents about 60 % of “ r ”. as used herein , the term “ wheel ” includes the tire . more preferably , α is about 40 % of “ r ”, and most preferably , α is about 20 % of “ r ”. additionally , the present invention provides for a very short turning radius — the distance from the contact point of wheel 52 with the ground and the axle of nosewheel 92 . this is also a significant advantage because it permits very sharp turns . in fact , the operator could move first frame 22 90 ° to 160 ° off center and then move the aircraft very sharply . in the use of the alternate gripper assemblies 290 and 290 ′, arms 94 and 96 of gripper assembly 90 are disconnected at bolts 99 as shown in fig5 and arms 294 and 296 are connected to members 30 with bolts 295 . if the embodiment shown in fig7 is used , the operator would release pressure within jack 316 allowing sled 312 to slide to the left as shown in fig7 permitting wheels 326 to pivot about connection 327 as seen in fig9 . this lowers end 400 of gripper assembly 290 . the operator would then advance the present invention by pulling on handle 144 to move the present invention in a forward direction . this would advance end 400 under a tailwheel until it rests within cradle opening 310 . at that point , the operator pumps handle 317 moving piston 319 to the right which causes sled 312 to move to the right . wheels 326 then rotate about connection 327 until in an upright position as shown in fig8 . at that point , the operator may move the present invention in a rearward direction as described above and easily maneuver the aircraft about the airfield or within a hanger or other confined space . if gripper assembly 290 ′ is used as shown in fig1 , the operator would simply place handle 402 in the position shown by solid lines . this lowers gripper assembly 290 ′ to the position shown in fig9 . once the tailwheel is positioned within cradle opening 310 ′, the operator moves handle 402 to the position shown by phantom lines in fig1 . this elevates gripper assembly 290 ′ to the position shown in fig8 . once again , the operator is then free to operate the present invention as described above . the foregoing invention has been described in terms of various embodiments . modifications and alterations to these embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of this disclosure . it is , therefore , intended that all such equivalent modifications and variations fall within the spirit and scope of invention as claimed . | 8 |
fig1 is a schematic sectional view of a typical image forming apparatus comprising an image heating apparatus , as a fixing apparatus , in accordance with the present invention , showing the general structure thereof . the image forming apparatus in this embodiment is a color laser beam printer of a tandem type employing one of the electrophotographic processes . designated by referential characters y , m , c , and bk are four image formation stations ( first to fourth stations ) which form toner images corresponding in color to the yellow , magenta , cyan , and black color components of an intended image , respectively , and which are vertically stacked in parallel in the listed order counting from the bottom . the first to fourth image formation stations y , m , c , and bk comprise electrophotographic photosensitive members ( which hereinafter will be referred to simply as photosensitive drum ) 1 a , 1 b , 1 c , and 1 d , as latent image bearing members , which are rotated at a predetermined process speed in the direction indicated by arrow marks in the drawing ( counterclockwise direction ), primary charging means 2 a , 2 b , 2 c , and 2 d , laser beam based exposing means ( which hereinafter will be referred to as scanner ) 3 a , 3 b , 3 c , and 3 d , developing portions 4 a , 4 b , 4 c , and 4 d , cleaning means 6 a , 6 b , 6 c , and 6 d , etc ., respectively . designated by a referential symbol 9 a is an endless conveying belt as a member for conveying a recording medium while electrostatically holding it . the endless electrostatic adhesion conveying belt 9 a is located on the photosensitive drum side ( front side of printer ) of the set of the vertically stacked first to fourth image formation stations y , m , c , and bk , being vertically extended from the first to the fourth image forming stations . referential symbols 9 b , 9 c , 9 d , and 9 e designate rollers around which the electrostatic adhesion conveying belt 9 a is stretched and suspended . the roller 9 a is a driver roller , and rollers 9 c and 9 d are support rollers . the roller 9 d is a tension roller . the electrostatic adhesion conveying belt 9 a is circularly driven by the driver roller 9 b in the direction indicated by an arrow mark in the drawing ( clockwise direction ) at a peripheral velocity matching the peripheral velocities of the photosensitive drums 1 a – 1 d . designated by referential symbols 5 a , 5 b , 5 c , and 5 d are four transfer rollers ( first to fourth ), which are kept pressed against the photosensitive drums 1 a – 1 d of the first to fourth image formation stations y , m , c , and bk , with the electrostatic adhesion conveying belt 9 a sandwiched between the transfer rollers 5 a , 5 b , 5 c , and 5 d and photosensitive drums 1 a – 1 d , respectively . in the first to fourth image forming stations y , m , c , and bk , the photosensitive drums 1 a – 1 d are rotationally driven . these photosensitive drums are rotationally driven by an unshown drum motor ( dc servo motor ). however , each photosensitive drum may be provided with its own driving force source . the rotation of the drum motor is controlled by an unshown dsp ( digital signal processor ), whereas the other controls are executed by an unshown cpu . in the first to fourth image formation stations y , m , c , and bk , the photosensitive drums 1 a – 1 d are uniformly charged to predetermined polarity and potential level by the primary charging means 2 a – 2 d , respectively , as they are rotated . then , the charged peripheral surfaces of the photosensitive drums 1 a – 1 d are exposed to four optical images , one for one , by scanners 3 a – 3 d , respectively . as a result , an electrostatic latent image is formed on each of the photosensitive drums 1 a – 1 d . the electrostatic latent images on the photosensitive drums 1 a – 1 d are developed by the development stations 4 a – 4 d into images formed of yellow , magenta , cyan , and black toners , which correspond in color to the four color components into which an intended full - color image has been separated by the electrophotographic process ( hereinafter , images formed of toner will be referred to simply as toner images ). as a result , yellow , magenta , cyan , and black toner images are formed on the photosensitive drums 1 a – 1 d , respectively . meanwhile , multiple pieces of recording medium s ( transfer sheet ) stored in a sheet feeder cassette 8 a located in the bottom portion of the main assembly of the image forming apparatus are sequentially fed , while being separated , into the main assembly , by a sheet feeder roller 8 b , in accordance with a predetermined image formation sequence control timing , and are conveyed to a pair of registration rollers 8 c , which keep the recording mediums s on standby or allow them to be further conveyed to the electrostatic adhesion conveying member 9 a , from the bottom side of the conveying member 9 a , in synchronism with the progression of the image forming operation . as each of the recording mediums s is delivered to the electrostatic adhesion conveying belt 9 a , it is electrostatically adhered to the surface of the electrostatic adhesion conveying belt 9 a , being thereby securely held thereto , and is conveyed upward as the belt 9 a is circularly driven . as the recording medium s is conveyed upward , yellow , magenta , cyan , and black toner images formed on the peripheral surfaces of the photosensitive drums 1 a – 1 d in the first and fourth image formation stations y , m , c , and bk are transferred in layers onto the recording medium s in the first and fourth transfer stations , that is , the contact areas between the photosensitive drums 1 a – 1 d and the electrostatic adhesion conveying belt 9 a , respectively . as a result , a single unfixed full - color toner image is synthetically formed . after the transfers of the toner images onto the recording medium s in the first to fourth image formation stations y , m , c , and bk , the residues such as the toner remaining adhered to the peripheral surfaces of the photosensitive drums 1 a – 1 d are removed by the cleaning means 6 a – 6 d , and then , the photosensitive drums 1 a – 1 d are used for the following image formation cycle . after being conveyed to the top end of the electrostatic adhesion conveying belt 9 a while the toner images are transferred in layers from the four photosensitive drums 1 a – 1 d onto the recording medium s , the recording medium s is separated from the surface of the conveying belt 9 a , at the location of the driving roller 9 a , and is further conveyed to a fixing apparatus 10 ( fixing device ), in which the toner images are thermally fixed . thereafter , the recording medium s is discharged by a pair of discharge rollers 10 into a delivery tray 13 . the above described is the image forming operation of the image forming apparatus in the one - sided print mode . when the image forming apparatus is in the two - sided print mode , its operation is as follows . after the separation of the recording medium s , on one surface of which an image has been transferred , it is incompletely discharged by the pair of discharge rollers 10 c , that is , the recording medium s is partially moved out of the apparatus main assembly , up to a point at which the trailing end of the recording medium s will have moved past the two - side print mode sheet guide 10 d . then , the pair of discharge rollers 10 c are rotated in reverse to guide the recording medium s into the two - sided print mode sheet guide 10 d . more specifically , as the pair of discharge rollers 10 c are rotated in reverse , the recording medium s is moved into the sheet guide 10 d , with the former trailing end becoming the leading end , and is guided by the top side of the guide 10 d . then , the recording medium s is guided to a pair of two - sided print mode rollers 14 by a guide rib 11 a located under an air duct 11 , and a guide rib 12 a located under the control panel 12 . then , it is conveyed downward by the pair of rollers 14 to a pair of two - sided printer mode rollers 15 , is conveyed further downward by the pair of rollers 15 to a pair of two - sided print mode rollers 16 , is conveyed further by the pair of rollers 16 to the pair of registration rollers 8 a along the u - turn guide 17 . then , it is released by the pair of registration rollers 8 c to be delivered to the transfer nips between the photosensitive drums 1 a – 1 d and electrostatic adhesion conveying belt 9 a , in synchronism with the progression of the image forming operation in the two - sided print mode . the sequence thereafter is exactly the same as that in the one - sided print mode . fig2 is an enlarged schematic sectional view of the essential portion of the fixing apparatus 10 . this fixing apparatus 10 is a heating apparatus of a film heating and pressure roller driving type ( tensionless ). it employs a cylindrical fixation film ( fixation film in the form of an endless belt ), that is , a flexible member . designated by a referential number 30 is a heating unit comprising the circularly rotatable heating member , and designated by a referential number 20 is a pressure roller , which is an elastic roller . the two are kept pressed against each other , forming a fixation nip n . the pressure roller 20 comprises : a metallic core 21 formed of aluminum or iron ; an elastic layer 22 covering the peripheral surface of the metallic core 21 ; and a mold release layer 23 covering the peripheral surface of the elastic layer 22 . it is rotatably supported between and by an unshown pair of lateral plates of the apparatus main frame , at the lengthwise end portions of the metallic core 21 , with the interposition of a pair of bearings . it is rotationally driven by an unshown driving system at a predetermined velocity in the direction indicated by an arrow mark in the drawing ( clockwise direction ). the elastic layer 22 is formed of solid silicon rubber , sponge rubber made by foaming the silicon rubber to make the silicon rubber thermally insulative , foamed rubber made by dispersing hollow filler particles in the silicon rubber to make the silicon rubber thermally insulative , or the like . the mold release layer 23 may be formed by coating the peripheral surface of the elastic layer 22 with fluorinated resin , such as perfluoroalkoxyl resin ( pfa ), polytetrafluoroethylene resin ( ptfe ), and tetrafluoroethylene - hexafluoropropylene resin ( fep ), or gls latex ( registered commercial name : daikin co ., ltd .). it may be in the form of a tube fitted over the elastic layer 22 . it may be formed by coating the peripheral surface of the elastic layer 22 with mold releasing paint . the heating unit 30 comprises a heating member holder 32 , a heating member 33 , a rigid pressure application stay 34 , a fixation film 31 ( flexible sleeve ), etc . the heating member holder 32 extends in the direction perpendicular to the drawing ( direction intersectional to recording medium conveyance direction ) which is heat resistant , thermally insulative , and rigid . the heating member 33 is firmly attached to the holder 32 by being fitted in the groove of the holder 32 cut in the outwardly facing surface of the holder 32 in the lengthwise direction of the holder 32 . the rigid stay 34 is u - shaped in cross section , and is formed of a metallic substance . it is placed on the inward side of the holder 32 to support the holder 32 . the fixation film 31 is loosely fitted around the assembly of the heating member holder 32 , heating member 33 , and rigid stay 34 . in the case of the fixing apparatus 10 in this embodiment , the lengthwise ends of the metallic core 21 of the pressure roller 20 are rotatably supported by the pair of lateral plates of the apparatus main assembly frame , with the interposition of the pair of bearings , so that the pressure roller 20 is rotatably supported between the pair of lateral plates . the heating unit 30 is placed on the left side , in fig2 , of the pressure roller 20 , in parallel to the pressure roller 20 , so that the heating member 33 of the heating unit 30 faces the pressure roller 20 . the lengthwise end portions of the rigid pressure application stay 34 are kept pressured toward the pressure roller 2 by an unshown pressure applying means , such as a pair of springs , so that the rigid pressure application stay 34 is kept pressured against the elastic layer 22 of the pressure roller 20 by a predetermined amount of pressure f . as a result , the elastic layer 22 of the pressure roller 20 is kept compressed , on the left - hand side thereof , by a predetermined thickness in the radius direction of the pressure roller 20 by the combination of the heating member 33 and heating member holder 32 , with the fixation film 31 remaining pinched between the combination of the heating member 33 and heating member holder 32 , and the pressure roller 22 , forming thereby the fixation nip n . as the pressure roller 20 is rotationally driven , the torque from the rotational driving of the pressure roller 20 is transmitted to the cylindrical fixation film 31 . as a result , the fixation film 31 is rotated around the assembly of the heating member holder 32 , heating member 33 , and rigid pressure application stay 34 , in the direction indicated by an arrow mark in the drawing ( clockwise direction ), with the fixation film 31 sliding on the heating member holder 32 and heating member 33 in such a manner that the inward surface of the fixation film 31 remains perfectly in contact with the outwardly facing surfaces of the heating member holder 32 and heating member 33 . as the pressure roller 20 is rotationally driven , and the cylindrical fixation film 31 is rotationally driven by the pressure roller 20 , power is supplied to the heating member 33 to raise the temperature of the heating member 33 to a predetermined temperature level , and maintain it at the predetermined temperature level . as the temperature of the heating member 33 is maintained at the predetermined temperature level , the recording medium s bearing an unfixed toner image t is introduced info the fixation nip n , that is , the interface between the heating unit 30 ( fixation film 31 ) and pressure roller 20 , and is conveyed through the fixation nip n , with the recording medium s pinched between the fixation film 31 and pressure roller 20 so that the toner image bearing surface of the recording medium s is kept perfectly in contact with the outwardly facing surface of the fixation film 31 . while the recording medium s is conveyed through the fixation nip n as described above , the heat from the heating member 33 is given to the recording medium s through the fixation film 31 . as a result , the unfixed toner image t on the recording medium s is welded ( fixed ) to the recording medium s by heat and pressure . after being conveyed through the fixation nip n , the recording medium s becomes separated from the fixation film 31 due to the curvature of the cylindrical fixation film 31 . the fixation film 31 ( flexible member ) comprises a substrate layer formed of heat resistant and heat insulating film of resin , such as polyamide , polyamide - imide , peek , pes , pps , pfa , ptfe , fep , etc ., and a surface layer formed of a single or mixture of heat resistant resins , such as pfa , ptfe , fep , silicone resin , etc ., superior in mold releasing properties . the heating member holder 32 is formed of resin such as liquid polymer , phenol resin , pps , peek , etc ., which are heat resistant and slippery . fig3 is a schematic drawing of the heating member 33 in this embodiment , showing the structure thereof . this heating member 33 is a low heat capacity ceramic heater , which generates heat at its top surface . it basically comprises a substrate , a heat generating resistive layer , a dielectric layer , and power supply electrodes . the substrate is formed of dielectric ceramics such as alumina or aluminum nitride , or heat resistant resin such as polyimide , pps or liquid polymer . the heat generating resistive layer is a line or narrow strip of ag / pd , ruo 2 , ta 2 n , etc ., formed on the surface of the substrate . it generates heat as electric current is flowed through it . it is coated on the surface of the substrate with the use of such a means as screen printing , and baked . the dielectric layer is a layer of glass or the like coated over the combination of the substrate and heat generating resistive layer . the power supply electrodes are electrically connected to the heat generating resistive layer , and voltage is applied to the power supply electrodes from a power supply circuit through a power supply connector . 1 . substrate 33 a which is a piece of thin , narrow , and flat plate of al 2 o 3 , ain , or the like , and extends in the direction parallel to the direction intersectional ( perpendicular ) to the direction in which a recording medium s is conveyed through the fixation nip n ; 2 . two parallel strips of heat generating resistive layer 33 b , which are roughly 10 μm thick and 1 – 5 mm wide , extending in the direction parallel to the lengthwise direction of the substrate 33 b , are formed on the top surface of the substrate 33 a , of electrically resistive substance such as ag / pd , with the use of a method in which the electrically resistive substance is coated in a predetermined pattern on the substrate 33 b by screen printing or the like , and is baked ; 3 . first and second power supply electrodes 33 d and 33 e formed on the substrate , being electrically connected to the two parallel strips of heat generating layer 33 b , one for one , at one of the lengthwise ends of the substrate 33 a ; 4 . electrically conductive portion 33 f formed , by patterning , on the substrate 33 a to electrically connect in series the two parallel strips of heat generating resistive layer 33 b , at the other lengthwise end of the substrate 33 a ; 5 . first and second temperature control output electrodes 33 g and 33 h formed on the substrate 33 a by patterning , being located outward side of the electrically conductive portion 33 f in terms of the lengthwise direction of the substrate 33 a ; 6 . a thin ( roughly 10 μm thick ) protective layer 33 c formed on the substrate 33 a , by patterning , in a manner to cover the combination of the heat generating resistive layer and electrically conductive portion 33 f , along with the surface of the substrate 33 a ; 7 . a temperature detection element 51 , such as a thermistor , placed on the back ( rear ) side of the substrate 33 a , in contact with the center portion , in terms of the lengthwise direction of the substrate 33 a , of the rear ( back ) surface of the substrate 33 a ; 8 . first and second electrically conductive portions 33 i and 33 j formed on the back ( rear ) surface of the substrate 33 a by patterning , being electrically connected to the temperature detection element 51 ; 9 . through holes 33 k and 33 l formed through the substrate 33 a so that the first and second electrically conductive portions 33 i and 33 j on the back ( rear ) surface of the substrate 33 a can be electrically connected to the first and second temperature control output electrodes 33 g and 33 h , respectively , on the outward surface of the substrate 33 a ; this heating member 33 is firmly embedded , in a manner of being inlayed , in the groove formed in the outward surface of the heating member holder 32 so that the top surface of the heating member 33 ( top surface of substrate 33 a which bears heat generating resistive layer 33 b and protective glass layer 33 c ) faces outward to be placed in contact with the inward surface of the fixation film 31 . designated by a referential number 52 is a thermo - protector such as a thermal fuse , thermo - switch , or the like , which is placed on the back ( rear ) side of the substrate 33 a , with its heat collector plate 52 a placed in contact with a predetermined portion of the back surface of the heating member 33 . designated by a referential number 52 is a power supply connector , which is attached to one of the lengthwise end portions of the substrate 33 a having the first and second power supply electrodes 33 d and 33 e of the heating member 33 firmly held to the heating member holder 32 , electrically connecting the power supply electrodes 33 d and 33 e to the electrical contacts of the power supply connector 53 . designated by a referential number 54 is a temperature control connector , which is attached to the other lengthwise end of the heating member 33 having the first and second temperature control output electrodes 33 g and 33 h , electrically connecting the temperature control output electrodes 33 g and 33 h to the electrical contacts of the temperature control connector 54 . referential numbers 55 , 56 , and 57 designate an ac power source , a control circuit ( cpu ), and a triac ( triode ac switch ). the heating member 33 is supplied with electric power by the ac power source 55 through the power supply connector 53 , first and second power supply electrodes 33 d and 33 e ; more specifically , power is supplied to the heat generating resistive layer 33 b . as a result , heat is generated across the entirety of the heat generating resistive layer 33 b , very quickly raising the temperature of the heating member 33 . the temperature increase of the heating member 33 is detected by the temperature detection element 51 , and the information , in the form of electrical signal , regarding the detected temperature is inputted into the control circuit 56 through the first and second electrically conductive portions 33 i and 33 j , electrically conductive walls of the through holes 33 k and 33 l , first and second temperature control output electrodes 33 g and 33 h , and temperature control connector 54 . the control circuit 56 controls the triac 57 in response to the inputted information regarding the detected temperature of the heating member 33 ; it keeps the temperature of the heating member 33 at a predetermined fixation temperature by controlling the phase , wave count , etc ., of the electric power supplied to the heat generating layer 33 b of the heating member from the ac power source 55 . the thermo - protector 52 located on the back side of the heating member 33 , with its heat collector plate 52 a kept in contact with the back side of the heating member 33 , is serially inserted in the circuit for supplying electric power to the heat generating resistive layer 33 b of the heating member 33 . thus , if the heating member 33 overheats , that is , the temperature of the heating member 33 exceeds the allowable level , because the power supply to the heat generating resistive layer 33 b of the heating member 33 from the power source 55 become uncontrollable , and therefore , the heat generating layer is continuously supplied with power , because of some problem occurring to the control circuit 56 , triac 57 , etc ., the thermo - protector is melted by the heat from the heating member 33 , breaking thereby the power supply circuit , and therefore , forcefully shutting down the power supply to the heat generating resistive layer 33 b for safety . the structural arrangement for controlling the temperature of the heating member 33 does not need to be limited to the above described one . for example , it may be such that the temperature level at which the surface temperature of the fixation film 31 needs to be for fixing the toner image t on the recording medium s , in the fixation nip n , is set as the target temperature for the surface of the fixation film 31 , and the amount by which electric power is supplied to the heat generating resistive layer 33 b of the heating member 33 is controlled according to the surface temperature level of the fixation film 31 detected by the unshown temperature detecting means such as a thermistor disposed so that it remains in contact with the inward surface of the fixation film 31 , at an optional point within the range of the fixation nip n , in order to keep the surface temperature of the fixation film 31 at the target temperature . the substrate of the heating member 33 is formed of dielectric ceramic such as alumina or aluminum nitride , heat resistant resin such as polyimide , pps , or liquid polymer , or the like . therefore , the heating member 33 can be simplified in shape ; for example , it can be made thin and flat . fig4 is a schematic sectional view of the fixation nip n of the fixing apparatus 10 in this embodiment , depicting the structure thereof . incidentally , in fig2 , the fixation nip n of the fixing apparatus is oriented so that a recording medium s is vertically fed into the fixation nip n . in fig4 , however , for ease of description , the fixation nip n is oriented so that the recording medium s is horizontally fed into the fixation nip n . the gist of the present invention is as follows . a fixing apparatus is structured so that as the recording medium s is conveyed through the fixation nip n , the amount of the pressure which applies to a given point of the recording member s reaches its peak with virtually no decline between the recording medium entrance ( upstream end in terms of recording medium conveyance direction ) of the fixation nip n and the peak pressure point in the fixation nip n , that is , the point at which the amount of pressure which applies to the recording medium s is highest in the fixation nip n . further , the heating member is located on the upstream side of the peak pressure point of the fixation nip n , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction . looking at the fixation nip n and its adjacencies in this embodiment from the direction parallel to the lengthwise direction of the fixation nip n , the line c 1 , which is perpendicular to the flat portion a of the recording medium pressing portion of the fixation film guiding ( contacting ) slippery surface of the heating unit 30 , made up of the outwardly facing surfaces of the heating member 33 in the form of a piece of thin plate ( which hereinafter may be referred to as heating plate 33 ) and heating member holder 32 , and which coincides with the center of the portion a , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , is on the upstream side of the line c 2 ( hypothetical line parallel to line c 1 ), which coincides with the rotational axis of the pressure roller ; it is on the recording medium entrance side of the line c 2 . in other words , the heating member , heating member holder , and pressure roller are positioned so that the hypothetical line , which is perpendicular to the surface of the heating member , which is in contact with the fixation film , and coincides with the center of the heating member in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , is on the upstream side of the rotational axis of the pressure roller in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction . with the employment of this structural arrangement , the upstream end j of the flat portion a of the fixation film guiding slippery surface of the heating unit , made up of the outward surface of the heating plate 33 and the outward surface of the heating member holder 32 is on the upstream side of the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n , and the downstream end k of the flat portion a of the fixation film guiding slippery surface of the heating unit 30 , made up of the outward surface of the heating plate 33 is within the fixation nip n . the heating unit 30 is kept pressed against the pressure roller 20 , with the fixation film 31 pinched between the heating unit 30 and pressure roller 20 . further , as described above , the fixation film 31 pinched by the pressure roller 20 and the combination of the heating member holder 32 and heating plate 33 is circularly moved around the combination of the heating member holder 32 and rigid pressure application stay 34 by the rotation of the pressure roller 20 . also with the employment of the above described structural arrangement , the portion b is created , as a part of the fixation nip n , which extends from the downstream end k of the recording medium pressing flat portion a to the recording medium ext of the fixation nip n , and in which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n sharply reduces toward the recording medium exit . as described above , in the sectional view of the fixing apparatus in this embodiment , perpendicular to the rotational axis of the heating unit 30 , the line c 1 perpendicular to the aforementioned flat portion a and coinciding with the center of the flat portion a in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction sf , is on the upstream side , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction sf , that is , on the recording medium entrance side , of the line c 2 perpendicular to the flat portion a and coinciding with the rotational axis of the pressure roller 20 . further , the upstream end j of the recording medium pressing slippery surface made up of the outwardly facing surfaces of the heating plate 33 and heating plate holding member 32 is outside the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n . with the provision of this structural arrangement , the pressure distribution within the fixation nip n becomes such that the closer to the downstream end k of the portion a of the recording medium guiding ( pressing ) surface of the heating unit 30 , the higher the amount of pressure which applies to the recording medium s as the recording medium s is conveyed through the fixation nip n while being heated by the heating plate 33 . at this time , the various phenomena which occur in the fixation nip n in this embodiment will be described . first , referring to fig5 ( b ), the pressure distribution in the fixation nip n will be described . as will be evident from fig5 ( b ), the pressure distribution in the fixation nip n in this embodiment is such that as the recording medium s is conveyed through the fixation nip n , the amount of the pressure which applies to the recording medium s begins to increase shortly after the recording medium s is moved into the fixation nip n , and continuously increases to its peak with virtually no decrease . then , as the recording medium s is moved past the peak pressure point k in the fixation nip n , the pressure which applies to the recording medium s begins to decrease , and steeply decreases to virtually zero by the time the recording medium s reaches the recording medium exit of the fixation nip n . in order to realize this pressure distribution , the fixing apparatus in this embodiment is structured to position its heating member , heating member holder , and pressure roller so that the upstream end j of the portion a of the recording medium pressing surface of the heating unit 30 is on the upstream of the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n ( outside fixation nip n ), and the hypothetical line ( c 1 in fig4 ) perpendicular to the flat surface of the heating member substrate which contacts the fixation film , and coinciding with the center of the flat surface in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , is on the upstream of the rotational axis of the pressure roller , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction . to describe in more detail , the upstream end j of the portion a of the recording medium pressing surface of the heating unit is located on the upstream of the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n ( outside fixation nip ), and the downstream end k roughly coincides with the intersection of the hypothetical plane h connecting the upstream and downstream ends j and k of the portion a of the recording medium pressing surface of the heating unit , and the hypothetical plane v perpendicular to the hypothetical plane h and coinciding with the rotational axis of the pressure roller 20 ( distance from hypothetical plane v to downstream end k is virtually zero ), as shown in fig6 - 1 . with the provision of the above described positional arrangement , the amount of the invasion of the portion a of the recording medium pressing surface of the heating unit into the pressure roller 20 between the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n and the downstream end k of the portion a of the recording medium pressing surface of the heating unit is such that the closer to the point k , the greater the amount of the invasion ; in other words , the relationship between the amount of the invasion and the distance from the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n is roughly linear , and is maximum at the point k . therefore , as the recording medium s is conveyed through the fixation nip n , the amount of the pressure applied to the recording medium s by the fixation nip n begins to increase at the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n , and roughly linearly increases until the recording medium s reaches the downstream end k of the portion a of the fixing film pressing surface of the heating unit past the center of the fixation nip n ( center between recording medium entrance to exit ), reaching its peak at the point k . also in this embodiment , the fixation film pressing surface of the heating unit ( heating member ) is provided with the second portion b , which is the portion between the downstream end k of the portion a and the recording medium exit of the fixation nip n , and is virtually flat . therefore , the amount of the invasion of the heating unit into the pressure roller 20 between the downstream end k of the portion a and the recording medium exit of the fixation nip n is such that the closer to the exit , the smaller the amount of the invasion , and the relationship between the distance from the point k to a given point in this range , and the amount of the invasion is roughly linear . therefore , as the recording medium s is conveyed through the fixation nip n , the amount of the pressure applied to the recording medium s by the fixation nip n begins to decrease at the downstream end k of the portion a , and steeply decreases until it falls to virtually zero at the recording medium exit of the fixation nip n . further , the temperature distribution in the fixation nip n is as represented by line 1 in fig5 ( a ). as for the temperature distribution of the fixation nip n , the portion of the fixation nip n , which extends from the recording medium entrance to the area immediately before the downstream end k of the portion a , via the center of the fixation nip n , is heated by the heating plate 33 , the internal temperature of the fixation nip n linearly increases toward the area immediately before the downstream end k . since the heating plate 33 is on the upstream of the downstream end k of the portion a , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , in the fixation nip n , the internal temperature of the fixation nip n reaches the predetermined temperature level before the point k . further , no heat source ( heating plate 33 ) is on the downstream side of the point k , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction . therefore , after the downstream end k , the internal temperature of the fixation nip n remains roughly the same toward the recording medium exit of the fixation nip n . it is reasonable to think that as the combination of the recording medium s and the unfixed toner image on the recording medium is moved through the fixation nip n while pressure and heat is applied to the toner as described above , the toner image on the recording medium s is melted as described next with reference to fig7 , 24 , and 25 , which show the changes in physical form of the toner in the fixation nip n in this embodiment . fig2 shows in detail the actual structure of the essential portion of the fixing apparatus in this embodiment , and fig2 shows the progression of the fixation process , in terms of the physical form of the toner , in the fixation apparatus shown in fig2 . in fig2 , paper thickness , toner particle diameter , etc ., are exaggerated . first , it is thought that prior to the entry into the fixation nip n of the fixing apparatus 10 , the state of the toner layer ( toner image t ) on the recording medium s is as depicted in the area in fig7 , or as depicted in fig2 . in other words , there are four layers of toner images t having been sequentially transferred in layers onto the recording medium s from the four photosensitive drums 1 a – 1 d . when the toner images t were transferred onto the recording medium s , they were not transferred so that no gap was left between the adjacent two toner layers ( toner images t ). in other words , there are a certain number of minute pockets of air between the adjacent two toner layers ( toner images t ). while the recording medium s is conveyed from the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n to the downstream end k of the portion a of the fixation film pressing surface of the heating unit , the amount of the heat applied to the toner layers on the recording medium s by the fixing nip n linearly increases as represented by line 1 in fig5 , and the amount of the pressure applied to the recording medium s by the fixation nip n roughly linearly increases as shown in fig5 ( b ). therefore , while the recording medium s is conveyed from the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n to the downstream end k of the portion a of the fixation film pressing surface of the heating unit , the toner layers on the recording medium s gradually melt , while remaining in contact with the fixation film 31 , as shown in the area 2 in fig7 , and fig2 . while the toner layers melt , the minute pockets of air in the toner layers gradually expand in the melting toner layers . by the time a given portion of the recording medium s reaches the downstream end k , the toner layers thereon are thoroughly melted by the heat from the heating plate 33 . referring to fig5 ( b ), the amount of the pressure applied to the toner layers on the recording medium s by the fixation nip n is highest at the downstream end k . further , while the recording medium s is conveyed from the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n to the point k , or the point at which the fixation nip pressure is highest , the amount of the pressure applied to the toner layers on the recording medium s continuously increases , that is , with virtually no decrease , keeping thereby the toner layers on the recording medium s perfectly in contact with the fixation film , in terms of the lengthwise direction of the fixation nip n . therefore , by the time the recording medium s is conveyed to the point k , or the point at which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is highest , the toner layers are thoroughly melted . then , as the recording medium s is moved past the downstream end k , the melted toner layers are uniformly squeezed in terms of the lengthwise direction of the downstream end k . as a result , the pockets of air in the toner layers are completely squeezed out of the toner layers by the squeezing function of the downstream end k as shown in the area 3 in fig7 , and fig2 . in other words , there remains no pockets of air in the portions of the toner layers having been moved past the downstream end k . in comparison , if the fixation nip n has an area in which the amount of the pressure applied to the recording medium s is smaller than that applied in the immediately upstream area thereof , and which is located on the upstream side of the maximum pressure point k , this area prevents the toner layers from being satisfactorily melted . as a result , the toner layers fail to be satisfactorily squeezed to purge the pockets of air therein , at the downstream end k of the portion a of the fixation film pressing surface of the heating unit . while the recording medium s is conveyed from the downstream end k to the recording medium exit of the fixation nip n , the temperature level of the toner layers remains roughly the same , as represented by line 1 in fig5 ( a ), whereas the amount of the pressure applied to the toner layers steeply falls as shown in fig5 ( b ). therefore , the toner layers are more uniformly melted , while maintaining a certain degree of elasticity , and being subjected to the small amount of pressure , as shown in area 4 in fig2 . since the temperature of the toner layers remains roughly the same while the recording medium s is conveyed from the downstream end k to the recording medium exit of the fixation nip n , the toner layers still maintain a certain level of elasticity at the recording medium exit of the fixation nip n . therefore , the toner layers can be smoothly separated from the fixation film 31 . also , while the recording medium s is conveyed from the downstream end k to the recording medium exit of the fixation nip n , it is kept pressed , along with the fixation film 31 , against the second portion b of the fixation film pressing surface of the heating unit , on the downstream side of the downstream end k . therefore , the curvature given to the recording medium s at the downstream end k in the fixation nip n is properly removed . in addition , the fixation film 31 is pulled in the direction in which it is circularly moved . therefore , the recording medium s cleanly separates from the fixation film 31 ; it does not remain wrapped around the fixation film 31 . through the above described process , the toner layers on the recording medium s are fixed to the recording medium s , turning into an image which is highly glossy , and also , uniform in the other surface properties . thereafter , the recording medium s is outputted from the main assembly of the image forming apparatus . as will be evident from the description of the structure of the fixing apparatus in this embodiment , the employment of the above described structural arrangement for the fixing apparatus affords more latitude in the setting of a fixing apparatus regarding hot offset , making it possible to output a permanent copy of an intended image , which does not suffer from hot offset , is superior in glossiness , is uniform in surface properties , and does not curl or remain adhered to the fixation film . incidentally , the application of the present invention is not limited to a fixing apparatus such as the fixing apparatus in this embodiment in which there is no difference in elevation between the fixation film pressing slippery surface of the heating plate 33 and the fixation film pressing slippery surface of the heating plate holder 32 . in other words , all that is necessary is that there is virtually no area , between the fixation film pressing slippery surface of the heating plate 33 and the point k ( at which internal pressure of fixation nip is highest ), in which the amount of the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is smaller than that in the immediately upstream area thereof . in other words , the structure for a fixing apparatus may be such that the downstream end of the fixation film pressing slippery surface of the heating plate 33 , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , is slightly lower in elevation than the portion of the fixation film pressing surface of the heating member holder , next to the downstream end of the heating plate 33 , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction . the studies made by the inventors of the present invention revealed that as long as the difference in elevation between the downstream end of the fixation film pressing slippery surface of the heating plate 33 and the upstream end of the fixation film pressing surface of the heating plate holder , next to the downstream end of the heating plate 33 , is no more than 100 μm , the effect of the reduction in the internal pressure of the fixation nip n caused by this difference in elevation is negligible . further , the structure of a fixing apparatus may be such that the downstream end of the fixation film pressing slippery surface of the heating plate 33 , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , is slightly higher in elevation than the upstream end of the fixation film pressing surface of the heating plate holder , immediately after the heating plate 33 , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction . in such a case , the downstream end of the fixation film pressing slippery surface of the heating plate 33 in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction is where the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is highest . however , if the point at which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is highest coincides with the downstream end of the fixation film pressing slippery surface of the heating plate 33 in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , the inward surface of the fixation film is shaved by the edge of the heating plate 33 . therefore , the structure of a fixing apparatus is desired to such that the point at which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is highest is created by the heater holder 32 . further , even if there is a slight gap ( in terms of recording medium conveyance direction ) between the downstream end of the heating plate 33 and the upstream wall of the recess of the heater holder 32 , in which the heating plate 33 is embedded , it does not matter . the studies made by the inventors of the present invention revealed that as long as this gap is no more than 300 μm , the pressure reduction caused by this gap is virtually negligible . according to the above described structure of the fixing apparatus in this embodiment , the upstream end j of the recording medium pressing portion a of the fixing film pressing slippery surface of the heating unit is on the upstream side of the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction . however , the upstream end j of the recording medium pressing portion a made up of the outward surfaces of the heating plate 33 and heating plate holder 32 has only to coincide with the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n , or on the upstream side the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n . the employment of the above described structure which makes the end j coincide with the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n , or be on the upstream side of the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n , makes it possible to make the other end k coincide with the point in the fixation nip n at which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is highest , and also , make the internal pressure of the fixation nip n drastically lower on the upstream side of the downstream end k than on the upstream side of the downstream end k . therefore , the toner layers are very effectively squeezed at the downstream end k ; in other words , the effects of the present invention are fully realized . if the end j of the recording medium pressing portion a made up of the outward surfaces of the heating plate 33 and heating plate holder 32 is in the fixation nip n , the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is higher at the point coinciding with the upstream end j of the portion a than that in the adjacencies of that point , making less drastic the difference in the internal pressure between the portion of the fixation nip n on the immediately upstream side of the end k and the portion of the fixation nip n on the immediately downstream side of the end k . therefore , the portion of the fixation nip n corresponding in position to the downstream end k of the recording medium pressing portion a fails to apply high pressure while the toner is in the thoroughly melted state ; in other words , the effects of the present invention cannot be realized . however , a fixing apparatus may be structured so that the upstream end j is located inward of the fixation nip n , as long as the amount of the reduction in the difference in the internal pressure between the portion of the fixation nip n on the immediately upstream side of the downstream end k and the portion of the fixation nip n on the immediately downstream side of the downstream end k , which is caused by the structural arrangement which places the upstream end j in the fixation nip n , is virtually negligible . further , as described above , the fixing apparatus in this embodiment is structured so that the downstream end k roughly coincides with the intersection of the hypothetical plane h connecting the upstream and downstream ends j and k of the recording medium pressing portion a of the fixation film pressing surface of the heating unit , and the hypothetical plane v perpendicular to the hypothetical plane h and coinciding with the rotational axis of the pressure roller 20 ( distance from hypothetical plane v to downstream end k is virtually zero ), as shown in fig6 - 1 . with the provision of this positional arrangement , the amount of the invasion of the recording medium pressing portion a of the fixation film pressing surface of the heating unit into the pressure roller 20 between the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n and the downstream end k of the portion a of the fixation film pressing surface of the heating unit is such that the closer to the point k , the greater the amount of the invasion ; in other words , the relationship between the amount of the invasion and the distance from the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n is roughly linear , and the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is maximum at the point k . however , the employment of the structural arrangement , in this embodiment , for a fixing apparatus is not mandatory to make the internal pressure of the fixation nip n highest at the downstream end k . in other words , one of the essential aspects of the present invention is the manner in which , and the distance by which , the heating unit , more specifically , the downstream end k , is made to invade into the pressure roller 20 . if the fixing apparatus is structured so that the downstream end k deviates upstream , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , by a substantial distance from the normal position of the downstream end k in this embodiment ( position in fig6 - 1 ), the distribution of the internal pressure of the fixation nip n becomes as shown in fig6 - 2 . that is , the distribution curve of the internal pressure of the fixation nip n remains definitely sharp , but the distance from the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n to the point of the fixation nip n ( downstream end k ) at which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is highest , becomes shorter , reducing the size of the heating portion of the fixation nip n . on the other hand , if the fixing apparatus is structured so that the downstream end k deviates downstream , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , by a substantial distance , from the normal position of the downstream end k in this embodiment , the distribution of the internal pressure of the fixation nip n becomes as shown in fig6 - 3 . that is , the distribution curve of the internal pressure of the fixation nip n becomes dull , making the present invention less effective . thus , the present invention requires a fixing apparatus to be structured to satisfy the following conditions , which will be described with reference to fig8 , in which a referential letter h designates the hypothetical plane coinciding with the slippery outward surface of the heating plate 33 ; a referential letter v designates the hypothetical plane perpendicular to the plane h and coinciding with the rotational axis of the pressure roller ; and a referential letter l stands for the distance between the line perpendicular to the plane h and coinciding with the intersection of the plane h and the peripheral surface of the pressure roller 20 ( fig8 shows only the distance l on the upstream side of the plane v in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction ; the distance l is present on the downstream side of the plane v ). all that is necessary for the present invention to be effective is that a fixing apparatus is structured so that the downstream end k is positioned in the hatched area m in fig8 ; in other words , it is positioned upstream of the plane v , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , and the distance between the downstream end k and the plane v is no more than “ half of the distance l ”, preferably , no more than “ one third of the length l ”, more preferably , no more than “ one quarter of the length l ”. the hatched portion m in fig8 represents the area in which the distance between the downstream end k and the plane v is no more than “ one third of the length l on the upstream side of the plane v ”, and the area in which the distance between the downstream end k and the plane v is no more than “ one quarter of the length l on the downstream side of the plane v ”, in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction . to describe in more detail the above described conditions with reference to fig8 , the referential letter l stands for the distance between the plane v to the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n , in the sectional view of the fixation nip n at the plane h . the portion of the borderline of the hatched area m , on the upstream side of the plane v , is where the distance from the plane v is roughly one third of l , whereas the portion of the borderline of the hatched area m , on the downstream side of the plane v , is where the distance from the plane v is roughly one quarter of l . in other words , as the amount by which the heating unit is made to invade into the pressure roller ( as plane h shifts upward in fig8 ) is reduced , the distance l reduces , reducing thereby the size of the hatched area m . on the other hand , as the amount by which the heating unit is made to invade into the pressure roller ( as plane h shifts downward in fig8 ) is increased , the distance l increases , increasing thereby the size of the hatched area m . therefore , the borderline of the hatched area m curves . further , since the proper range for the position of the downstream end k , on the downstream side of the plane v , in fig8 , is no more than one quarter of the distance l from the plane v , being different from that on the upstream side , that is , no more than one third of the distance l . therefore , the portion of the curved borderline of the area m , on the upstream side of the plane v , is slightly different from that on the downstream side of the plane v . however , the proper range for the position of the downstream end k , on the downstream side of the plane v , may extend as far as one half of the distance l , as described above . the reason for the inward curvature of the bottom portion of the borderline of the hatched area m is as follows . that is , if the heating unit is made to invade into the pressure roller by an amount greater than a certain value , even the upstream end j of the recording medium pressing portion a is made to invade into the pressure roller , although the position of the downstream end k still satisfies the condition that the distance of the downstream end k from the plane v must be no more than ⅓ and ¼ of the distances l , on the upstream and downstream sides of the plane v , respectively . therefore , such an area must be eliminated from the proper area for the placement of the downstream end k , and the elimination of such an area causes the borderline of the hatched area m to inwardly curve . further , in the above described embodiment of the present invention , the first recording medium pressing portion a , that is , the portion of fixation film pressing slippery surface of the heating member , from the upstream end j of the recording medium pressing portion of the fixation film pressing slippery surface made up of the outward surfaces of the heating plate 33 and heating plate holder 32 , to the point ( downstream end k of first portion a ), at which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is highest , was defined as a flat surface . however , all that is necessary is that the first recording medium pressing slippery portion a is configured so that the closer to the downstream end k , the higher the fixation pressure . in other words , all that is necessary is that the portion a does not curve upward relative to the plane h coinciding with the upstream j of the recording medium pressing portion of the fixation film pressing slippery surface made up of the outward surfaces of the heating plate 33 and heating member holder 32 , and the line ( downstream end k ) at which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is highest ; the portion a may curve slightly downward . as long as the first recording medium pressing portion a is flat or curves downward as shown in fig9 ( 1 ) and 9 ( 2 ), the distribution of the internal pressure of the fixation nip n across the first portion a becomes such that the closer to the downstream end of the first portion a , the higher the internal pressure . therefore , there is no area in the portion of the fixation nip n , corresponding to the first portion a , in which the amount of the pressure which applies to the recording medium s is less than that which applies to the recording medium s in the immediately preceding area in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction . therefore , as the combination of the recording medium s and toner images thereon is conveyed through this portion of the fixation nip n , it is kept perfectly in contact with the fixation film , in terms of the lengthwise direction of the fixation nip n , being thereby uniformly squeezed in terms of the lengthwise direction of the fixation nip n . as a result , the level of uniformity in surface properties , in particular , glossiness , at which an image is outputted improves . if the first recording medium pressing portion a curves toward the heating unit as shown in fig9 ( 3 ), the fixation pressure of the fixation nip n is lower in the area p . therefore , while the recording medium s is conveyed through this area p , the combination of the recording medium s and the toner images thereon cannot be perfectly in contact with the fixation film , being therefore unevenly squeezed in terms of the lengthwise direction of the fixation nip n . as a result , the level of uniformity in surface properties , in particular , glossiness , at which an image is outputted falls . further , in the above described embodiment of the present invention , the structure of the portion of the fixation nip n after the downstream end k , at which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is highest , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , in other words , the structure of the recording medium pressing portion b , is such that the entirety of the portion b was flat . however , it is not mandatory that the entirety of the portion b is flat . for example , the portion b may curve inward of the heating unit as shown in fig1 – 12 , 24 , and 25 , for the following reason . that is , even if the portion b curves inward of the heating unit , the recording medium s is kept pressed , along the fixation film s , against the portion b by the pressure roller 20 , being thereby made to conform to the inward curvature of the portion b , being thereby prevented from curving toward the fixation film . in addition , the recording medium exit of the fixation nip n is preceded , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , by the inward curvature of the recording medium pressing portion b . therefore , as the fixation film 31 is pulled to be circularly rotated around the heating unit , the recording medium s more smoothly separates from the fixation film s . in other words , making the recording medium pressing portion b slightly inwardly curve does not adversely affect the present invention . incidentally , the fixation nips n in fig1 – 12 are the same as those in fig4 , 9 , and 7 , except for the inward curving of the recording medium pressing portion b , and therefore , will not be described here . the heating plate 33 and heating member holder 32 , the outwardly facing surfaces of which make up the fixation film pressing surface of the heating unit , are rigid members , making it easier to structurally control the amount of the pressure f applied by them . fig1 is a schematic sectional view of the essential portion of the first example of a fixing apparatus comparable to that in the first embodiment . fig1 is an external perspective view of the heating member of the first example of a fixing apparatus comparable to that in the first embodiment . the structural members and portions of this fixing apparatus identical to those in the first embodiment will be given referential symbols identical to those in the first embodiment , and will not be described here . the difference between the first example of a fixing apparatus comparable to the fixing apparatus in the first embodiment and the fixing apparatus in the first embodiment is that the heating member in this example of a fixing apparatus is wide enough , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , to extend downstream beyond the downstream end k , at which the fixation pressure of the fixation nip n is highest . otherwise , the two fixing apparatuses are the same in structure . here , referring to the temperature and pressure distributions of the fixation nip n in fig5 , the difference between the first example of a fixing apparatus comparable to the fixing apparatus in the first embodiment , and the fixing apparatus in the first embodiment , will be described . the difference between the first comparative example and first embodiment is that the heating member in this example of a fixing apparatus is wide enough , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , to extend downstream beyond the downstream end k , at which the fixation pressure of the fixation nip n is highest . otherwise , the two fixing apparatuses are the same in structure . therefore , the distribution of the internal pressure of the fixation nip n in this example , is the same as that in the first embodiment shown in fig5 ( b ). in this comparative example , however , the heating member 33 is wide enough , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , to make contact with the fixation film 31 across virtually the entire range of the fixation nip n in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction . therefore , heat is generated across virtually the entire range of the fixation nip n in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction . therefore , the temperature curve ( distribution ) in the fixation nip n does not become one such as the one in the first embodiment , represented by line 1 in fig5 ( a ), that the point at which the internal temperature ( fixation temperature ) of the fixation nip n becomes optimal for fixation is on the immediately upstream side of the point ( downstream end k of recording medium pressing portion a ) at which the internal pressure ( fixation pressure ) of the fixation nip n is highest . in this first comparative example , therefore , even if the target temperature ( fixation temperature ) of the heating member is set to a level slightly below the level at or above which hot offset occurs , the internal temperature of the fixation nip n becomes highest on the downstream side of the downstream end k , at which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is highest , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction ( line 2 in fig5 ( a )). therefore , the toner on the recording medium s cannot be thoroughly melted by the time the recording medium s reaches the point k , at which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is highest . therefore , the minute pockets of air cannot be effectively squeezed out of the toner layers . as a result , the toner layers ( toner images ) cannot be uniformly fixed in terms of surface properties , in particular , glossiness ; an outputted image is not as glossy as the one outputted from the image forming apparatus in the first embodiment . on the other hand , if the target temperature level of the fixation apparatus in this example is set so that the internal temperature of the fixation nip n thereof at the point k , at which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is highest , becomes the same as that in the first embodiment ( line 3 in fig5 ( a )), the toner on the recording medium s will have been overheated by the time the recording medium s reaches the adjacencies of the recording medium exit of the fixation nip n , because , in the case of the fixation apparatus structure in this comparative example , the combination of the recording medium and the toner image thereon is continuously heated by the heating member 33 even after the combination is conveyed past the point k at which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is highest . therefore , the elasticity of the toner layers at the recording medium exit of the fixation nip n in this comparative example is lower than that in the first embodiment . as a result , hot offset occurs . in other words , if a fixing apparatus is structured so that heating occurs throughout the fixation nip n as it does in the first comparative example , it becomes impossible to realize the effect of the present invention . this is why in the first embodiment , the heating member is disposed so that , in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , the downstream end of the heating member is positioned on the upstream side of the point at which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is highest . fig1 is a schematic sectional view of the second fixing apparatus comparable to that in the first embodiment . the structural members and portions of this fixing apparatus identical to those in the first embodiment will be given referential symbols identical to those in the first embodiment , and will not be described here . the difference between this second comparative example of a fixing apparatus and the fixing apparatus in the first embodiment is that the portion of the heating member holder in this example of a fixing apparatus , on the downstream side of the heating member , is made to substantially ( by no less than 100 μm ) project inward of the pressure roller . otherwise , the structure of this example of a fixing apparatus comparable to that in the first embodiment is the same as the structure of that in the first embodiment . next , referring to fig1 , the difference between the fixing apparatus in the first embodiment and this example of a fixing apparatus comparable to the fixing apparatus in the first embodiment will be described . it is feasible to place a rib - like member in the fixation nip n to locally increase the internal pressure of the fixation nip n in order to enhance the effect of the present invention that the pockets of air are squeezed out of the toner layers , in the fixation nip n . definitely , providing the fixation nip n with a point at which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is higher than its adjacencies assures that a glossier image is yielded . however , with the presence of an area such as the area p in fig1 , in which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is lower than the immediately preceding area in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , the amount of the pressure applied to the recording medium and the toner layers thereon by the fixation nip n temporarily reduces immediately before it becomes highest . therefore , while the combination of the recording medium and the toner layers thereon is conveyed through this area like the area p , the contact between the combination of the recording medium s and the toner layers thereon and the fixation film becomes nonuniform , in terms of the lengthwise direction of the fixation nip n . therefore , the heat transmission from the fixation film to the toner on the recording medium s becomes insufficient . therefore , the toner fails to melt enough to achieve the level of viscosity necessary to allow the pockets of air to be squeezed out of the toner . as a result , a substantial number of pockets of air remain in the toner . in addition , the presence , in the fixation nip n , of the area in which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is lower than the immediately preceding area in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction makes nonuniform , in terms of the lengthwise direction of the fixation nip n , the contact between the fixation film 31 and the toner t on the recording medium s . as a result , the fixation nip n becomes nonuniform , in terms of its lengthwise direction , in the effect of squeezing the pocket of air out of the toner t , making the fixing apparatus inferior in the uniformity of the surface properties , in particular , glossiness , of an image outputted from the fixing apparatus ; an image which is nonuniform in glossiness in terms of the lengthwise direction of the fixation nip n is yielded . next , referring to fig1 , the relationship between the state of contact between the fixation film and the combination of the recording medium s and the toner thereon , and the temperature distribution and pressure distribution in the fixation nip n , will be described . the pressure distribution in the fixation nip n of this second example of a fixing apparatus is as shown in fig1 ( b ). that is , there is an area , in the fixation nip n , in which the internal pressure is lower than the internal pressure of the immediately preceding area in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction . therefore , as the recording medium s is conveyed through the fixation nip n , the contact between the fixation film and the toner on the recording medium s becomes nonuniform in terms of the lengthwise direction of the fixation nip n . in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , the temperature distribution of the fixation nip n , corresponding to the portion of the fixation nip n , in terms of its lengthwise direction , in which the contact is satisfactory ( the fixation film and the toner on the recording medium are perfectly in contact with each other ) in the aforementioned low pressure area , is as represented by line 1 in fig1 ( a ). that is , the internal temperature of the fixation nip n reaches the optimal level at a point on the upstream side of the point k at which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is highest , allowing thereby the fixation nip n to satisfactorily squeeze the pockets of air out of the toner at the point k . in comparison , the temperature distribution of the fixation nip n , corresponding to the portion of the fixation nip n , in terms of its lengthwise direction , in which the contact is unsatisfactory ( the fixation film and the toner on the recording medium are imperfectly in contact with each other ) in the aforementioned low pressure area , is as represented by line 2 in fig1 ( a ). that is , the rate of the upward change in the temperature distribution begins to reduce at the point at which pressure drop begins . therefore , the internal temperature of the fixation nip n does not reach the optimal level on the upstream side of the point k , preventing thereby the pockets of air from being efficiently squeezed out of the toner . obviously , even the internal temperature of the portion of the fixation nip n , in which the state of the contact is unsatisfactory as represented by line 3 in fig1 ( a ), can be increased to the optimal level by increasing the amount by which the heating member 33 generates heat . however , such a remedy causes the temperature of the portion of the fixation nip n , in which the state of contact is satisfactory , to become too high as indicated by line 4 in fig1 ( a ), making the toner too low in elasticity . as a result , hot offset occurs . in other words , if a fixing apparatus is structured as is this second example of a fixing apparatus comparable to that in the first embodiment , in which an area , in which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is lower than the immediately upstream side thereof is created in the fixation nip n , no latitude is afforded in achieving a desired level of surface uniformity ; in other words , it is impossible to realize the effects of the present invention . therefore , the distance by which the downstream side of the heating member holder in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction is made to protrude toward the pressure roller beyond the outwardly facing slippery surface of the downstream side of the heating member is desired to be no more than 100 μm . incidentally , even if this example of a fixing apparatus comparable to the fixing apparatus in the first embodiment is modified in structure in order to change the position of the contact area ( fixation nip n : fixation pressure generation area ) between the heating unit and pressure roller in terms of the horizontal direction , more specifically , in order to cause the line c 1 which is perpendicular to the recording medium pressing flat portion of the fixation film guiding surface made up of the outwardly facing slippery surfaces of the heating member 33 and heating member holder 32 , and coincides with the center thereof in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , to coincide with the rotational axis of the pressure roller 20 , the area , the internal pressure of which is lower than that in the immediately preceding area in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction , remains in the fixation nip n , and therefore , the effects of the present invention cannot be realized . fig1 ( a )– 19 ( b ) are schematic sectional views of the essential portion of the fixing apparatus in this embodiment . the structural members and portions of the fixing apparatus in this embodiment identical to those in the first embodiment will be given the same referential symbols as those in the first embodiment , and will not be described here . essentially , the fixing apparatus 10 in this embodiment comprises a pressure roller 20 and a heating unit 40 . the pressure roller 20 is 20 mm in diameter , and is provided with an elastic layer , the hardness of which is 60 ° in asker - c hardness scale . the heating unit 40 is kept pressed against the pressure roller 20 , forming a fixation nip n , and is provided with a heating means for heating the fixation nip n . the pressure roller 20 comprises a metallic core 21 formed of aluminum or iron , an elastic layer 22 fitted around the metallic core 21 , and a mold release layer 23 coated on the peripheral surface of the elastic layer 22 . the elastic layer 22 is a solid rubber layer formed of silicon rubber or the like , a sponge rubber layer formed of foamed silicon rubber made by foaming the silicon rubber in order to make the silicon rubber thermally insulative , a foamed rubber layer formed of foamed silicon rubber made by dispersing hollow filler particles in the silicon rubber to make the silicon rubber thermally insulative , or the like . the mold release layer 23 may be formed by coating the peripheral surface of the elastic layer 22 with fluorinated resin , such as perfluoroalkoxyl resin ( pfa ), polytetrafluoroethylene resin ( ptfe ), and tetrafluoroethylene - hexafluoropropylene resin ( fep ), or gls latex . it may be a tube fitted over the elastic layer 22 . it may be formed by coating the peripheral surface of the elastic layer 22 with mold releasing paint . the heating unit 40 comprises : a heat resistant cylindrical fixation film 41 which is 18 mm in diameter and 64 μm in thickness ; a heating member holder 42 for cylindrically holding the fixation film 41 ; and a rigid metallic pressure application stay 44 for holding the heating member holder 42 . the fixation film 44 is loosely fitted around the combination of the heating member holder 42 and stay 44 . the heating unit 40 also comprises a heating member 43 in the form of a piece of plate ( which hereinafter may be referred to as heating plate ), which is 5 . 83 mm in width , and is held to the heating member holder 42 , extending in the lengthwise direction of the holder 42 . the heating unit 40 is kept pressed against the pressure roller 20 by an unshown pressing means , which generates pressure f (= 20 kgf ), with the fixation film 41 sandwiched between the heating plate 43 and pressure roller 20 , forming thereby a fixation nip n shown in fig1 ( b ). referring to fig1 ( c ), the plane of which is perpendicular to the rotational axis of the pressure roller 20 , the heating unit 40 is kept pressured toward the rotational axis of the pressure roller 20 by the force f . the direction u of the normal line to the flat portion of the recording medium pressing surface of the heating member holder 42 is not parallel to the direction in which the force f is applied to the heating unit 40 to keep the heating unit 40 pressed against the pressure roller 20 . in other words , the flat portion of the recording medium pressing slippery surface of the heating unit 40 made up of the outwardly facing surfaces of the heating plate 43 and heating member holder 42 , forms an angle of 4 . 4 ° relative to the horizontal plane , making the amount of the invasion by the flat portion into the pressure roller 20 relative to the peripheral surface of the pressure roller 20 , gradually increase toward the downstream end of the flat portion in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction . incidentally , the direction in which force is applied to the heating member holder 43 is desired to be set so that the angle at which force is applied to the heating member holder 43 , relative to the direction of the normal line to the outwardly facing slippery surface of the heating member 43 ( hypothetical line perpendicular to the outwardly facing surface of heating member 43 ) falls in the range of 0 – 30 °. with the employment of such a structural arrangement , the upstream end j of the flat portion of the recording medium pressing portion of the fixation film pressing surface of the heating unit 40 is placed outside the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n , and the downstream end k thereof is placed in the fixation nip n . in this second embodiment , the portion a , that is , the portion between the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n and the downstream end k of the aforementioned flat portion , is 7 . 7 mm , and the distance by which the downstream end k of the flat portion invades into the pressure roller 20 is 1 . 09 mm . also in this embodiment , the hypothetical line which is perpendicular to the fixation film contacting surface of the heating member , and coincides with the center thereof , is on the upstream side of the vertical plane coinciding with the rotational axis of the pressure roller 20 . the heating unit 40 is kept pressed against the pressure roller 20 with the interposition of the fixation film 44 . the fixation film 44 held pinched between the heating member 42 and heating plate 43 is circularly rotated around the combination of the heating member holder 42 and rigid pressure application stay 44 by the rotation of the pressure roller 20 . the portion of the heating member holder 42 , on the downstream side of the downstream end k of the portion a , is made to curve inward of the heating unit 40 , forming the second portion b of the recording medium pressing slippery surface of the heating unit 40 , which extends from the downstream end k to the recording medium exit of the fixation nip n , and is 3 mm in width in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction . the fixation film 41 is a resin film comprising a substrate layer formed of heat resistant and heat insulating film of resin , such as polyamide , polyamide - imide , peek , pes , pps , pfa , ptfe , fep , etc ., and a surface layer formed of a single or mixture of heat resistant resins , such as pfa , ptfe , fep , silicone resin , etc ., superior in mold releasing properties . the heating member holder 42 is formed of resin such as liquid polymer , phenol resin , pps , peek , etc ., which are heat resistant and slippery . the heating plate 43 , that is , a heating member in the form of a piece of flat plate , is controlled in such a manner that the surface temperature of the pressure roller 20 or temperature of the inward surface of the heating plate 43 is maintained at a target temperature based on such information as the temperature detected by an unshown temperature detecting means , such as a thermistor , placed at an optional location next to the inward surface of the portion of the fixation film 44 , within the range of the fixation nip n . as described above , in this embodiment , the direction u of the normal line to the flat portion of the recording medium pressing portion of the fixation film pressing slippery surface of the heating unit 40 made up of the outwardly facing surfaces of the heating plate 43 and heating member holder 42 is not parallel to the direction in which the force f is applied to keep the heating unit 40 pressed against the pressure roller 20 . therefore , the recording medium pressing flat portion is angled relative to the horizontal plane ( fig1 ( c ). further , the upstream end j of the flat portion is outside the fixation nip n , and the downstream end k of the flat portion is in the fixation nip n ( fig1 ( b )). therefore , the distribution of the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is such that the internal pressure gradually increases toward the point k , at which the internal pressure is highest in the fixation nip n . therefore , as the recording medium s is conveyed through the fixation nip n , not only is it continuously heated by the heating plate 43 , but also , the pressure which applies to the recording medium s gradually increases with virtually no decrease until the recording medium s reaches the point k . further , the heating member is located on the upstream side of the point k of the heating member holder 42 , at which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is highest . therefore , the portion of the fixation nip n , which includes the portion a , and in which the combination of the recording medium s and the unfixed toner image is continuously heated without any drop in temperature , and in which the pressure which applies to the combination continuously and gradually increases , can be separated from the portion of the fixation nip n at which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is highest . the pressure distribution of the fixation nip n of the fixing apparatus in this embodiment is the same as that of the fixing apparatus in the first embodiment , which is represented by line 1 in fig5 ( a ), and the temperature distribution thereof is the same as that of the fixing apparatus in the first embodiment , shown in fig5 ( b ). therefore , before the toner reaches the point k ( downstream end k of flat portion a ), at which the internal pressure of the fixation nip n is highest , the toner is thoroughly melted , allowing the pockets of air to be efficiently squeezed out of the toner . further , the toner is not unnecessarily heated after it is moved past the point k ; the temperature of the portion of the fixation nip n , on the downstream side of the point k remains at the target temperature level . therefore , it is possible to achieve the desired level of uniformity in surface properties , in particular , glossiness , and more latitude is afforded in controlling the fixation temperature in order to prevent hot offset . in addition , the direction u of the normal line to the flat portion a of the fixation film pressing slippery surface made up of the outwardly facing surfaces of the heating plate 43 and heating member holder 42 is not parallel to the direction f in which the heating unit 40 is kept pressured toward the pressure roller . therefore , the flat portion a is tilted relative to the horizontal plane tangential to the peripheral surface of the pressure roller 20 . therefore , not only is the force f 1 , the direction of which is perpendicular to the flat portion a , generated , but also , the force f 2 , the direction of which is parallel to the flat portion a and the direction sf in which the recording medium s is conveyed , while sandwiched between the fixation film and pressure roller , is generated , raising the level of stability at which the recording medium s is conveyed through the fixation nip n . therefore , the possibility that the amount of the pressure applied to the recording medium s by the recording medium pressing slippery surfaces of the heating plate 43 and heating member holder 42 , through the fixation film 41 , locally reduces within the fixation nip n , is reduced , enabling thereby the fixation nip n to reliably squeeze the pockets of air . therefore , it is possible to further raise the level of uniformity in surface properties , in particular , glossiness . also in this embodiment , the heating plate 43 and heating member holder 42 which make up the fixation film pressing slippery surfaces of the heating unit 40 are rigid members , as those in the first embodiment , making it easier to control the pressure f . further , the fixing apparatus in this embodiment is provided with the portion b as is the fixing apparatus in the first embodiment . therefore , it is possible to raise the level of glossiness without the occurrence of hot offset , as it can be done in the first embodiment . further , the provision of the portion b prevents the recording medium s from remaining curled . therefore , the recording medium s is smoothly separated from the fixation film 41 at the recording medium exit of the fixation nip n ; it is prevented from remaining wrapped around the fixation film 41 . the shapes and materials of the members of the fixing apparatus in this embodiment , and the values representing the properties thereof , are not mandatory . as long as they can realize the pressure and temperature distributions shown in fig5 ( line 1 in fig5 ( a ), and fig5 ( b ), respectively ), they do not adversely affect the effects of the present invention . fig2 is a schematic sectional view of the essential portion of the fixing apparatus in this embodiment . the structural members and portions of the fixing apparatus in this embodiment identical to those in the first embodiment will be given the same referential symbols as those in the first embodiment , and will not be described here . the difference between this embodiment and the second embodiment is that in the second embodiment , the surface which catches the force f from the heating member holder 42 is roughly perpendicular to the direction of the force f ( surface which catches force f of heating member holder is nonparallel to outwardly facing slippery surface of heating member 43 ), whereas in this embodiment , the surface which catches the force f of the heating member holder 42 is not perpendicular to the direction of the force f ( surface which catches force f from heating member holder 42 is roughly parallel to the outwardly facing slippery surface of the heating member holder 42 ). referring to fig2 , the plane of which is perpendicular to the rotational axis of the fixation film of the heating unit 30 , in the case of the fixing apparatus in this embodiment , the direction parallel to the direction of the force f , in which the heating unit 30 is kept pressured toward the pressure roller 20 ( direction in which pressure is applied on heating member holder 42 ), is tilted upstream in terms of the recording medium conveyance direction sf , that is , tilted toward the recording medium entrance of the fixation nip n , at an angle d , which is no more than 30 °, relative to the direction u of the normal line to the flat portion of the recording medium pressing surface of the heating member holder 42 , in the range of the fixation nip n . in other words , 0 °& lt ; d ≦ 30 °. the pressure and temperature distributions similar to those shown in fig5 ( line 1 in fig5 ( a ), and fig5 ( b ), respectively ), which are realized in the first embodiment , can also be realized by the employment of the above described structural arrangement for a fixing apparatus in this embodiment . therefore , the effects realized by the first embodiment , that is , improvement in the level of uniformity in surface properties , in particular , glossiness , achieved by the flat slippery portion a , more latitude in prevention of hot offset , uncurling of the recording medium s by the slippery portion b , and prevention , by the slippery portion b , of the wrapping of the recording medium around the fixation film , can be realized also by the structural arrangement in this embodiment . in the case of the above described structural arrangement in this embodiment , the direction of the force f is tilted upstream , at an angle d . therefore , not only the force f 1 , the direction of which is perpendicular to the slippery surface , is generated , but also , the force f 2 , the direction of which is parallel to the slippery surface , and the direction sf in which the recording medium s is conveyed , being sandwiched between the fixation film and pressure roller , is generated , raising thereby the level of stability at which the recording medium s is conveyed through the fixation nip n . therefore , the possibility that the amount of the pressure applied to the recording medium s by the recording medium pressing slippery surfaces of the heating plate 43 and heating member holder 42 , through the fixation film 41 , locally reduces within the fixation nip n , is reduced , enabling thereby the fixation nip n to reliably squeeze the pockets of air . therefore , it is possible to further raise the level of uniformity in surface properties , in particular , glossiness , at which a toner image is fixed . if the angle d is no less than 30 °, the force f , the direction of which is perpendicular to the slippery surface , generates an excessive amount of force f 2 , which acts on the recording medium s in the direction to convey the recording medium s , raising the level of stability at which the recording medium s is conveyed . however , the pressure for keeping the fixation film satisfactorily in contact with the toner image on the recording medium s reduces or becomes unstable . therefore , the pockets of air cannot be efficiently squeezed out , lowering the level of the uniformity in surface properties at which the toner image is fixed . this is why the angle d of the force f is to be set to a value in the aforementioned range . with the angle d set to a value within the aforementioned range , the pockets of air can be more reliably squeezed out to raise the level of uniformity in surface properties , in particular , glossiness , at which the unfixed toner image is fixed by the fixing apparatus . regarding the value to which the angle d between the direction of the force f relative to the direction u of the normal line to the slippery surface , it should be selected in accordance with the coefficient of the friction between the recording medium s and slippery surface , or the like factors . however , it should be set to a value no more than 30 °, because as long as it is set to a value no more than 30 °, the effects of the present invention are satisfactorily realized . by structuring a fixing apparatus as the fixing apparatus in this embodiment is structured so that the direction in which the force f is applied to keep the heating unit pressured toward the pressure roller is tilted at the angle d , relative to the normal line u to the slippery surface , not only is the effects realized by the first embodiment , but also , the effects realized by the second embodiment can be realized . this embodiment is characterized in that the portion the heating member holder ( 32 and 42 in embodiments 1 – 3 ), which remains in contact with the inward surface of the fixation film ( 32 and 42 in embodiments 1 – 3 ) as the fixing film is circularly rotated around the heating member holder , sliding thereon , or the entirety of the heating member holder , is formed of ptfe , or a substance comparable in heat resistance and slipperiness . forming the portion of the heating member holder ( 32 and 42 ), which remains in contact with the inward surface of the fixation film ( 32 and 42 ) as the fixation film is circularly rotated around the heating member holder , sliding thereon , or the entirety of the heating member holder , of a substance such as ptfe which is heat resistant as well as slippery , improves the level of stability at which the fixation film is circularly moved around the heating member holder , and also , the durability of the fixation film . therefore , a fixing apparatus is improved in the state of contact between the heating member holder and fixation film , and the state of contact between the heating plate ( 33 in embodiment 1 – 3 ) and fixation film , not only making it possible to more reliably fix an unfixed toner image , but also , raising the level of uniformity in surface properties , in particular , glossiness , at which the unfixed toner image is fixed . this embodiment is characterized in that the portion the heating member holder ( 32 and 42 in embodiments 1 – 3 ), which remains in contact with the inward surface of the fixation film ( 32 and 42 in embodiments 1 – 3 ), in the fixation nip n , as the fixing film is circularly rotated around the heating member holder , sliding thereon , or the entirety of the heating member holder , is coated with fluorinated substance which is heat resistant and slippery . forming the portion of the heating member holder ( 32 and 42 ), which remains in contact with the inward surface of the fixation film ( 32 and 42 ) as the fixation film is circularly rotated around the heating member holder , sliding thereon , or the entirety of the heating member holder , of a substance such as ptfe , or the like , mentioned in the fourth embodiment , which is heat resistant as well as slippery , raises the level of stability at which the fixation film is circularly moved around the heating member holder , and also , the durability of the fixation film . therefore , a fixing apparatus is improved in the state of contact between the heating member holder and fixation film , and the state of contact , in the fixation nip n , between the heating plate ( 33 in embodiments 1 – 3 ) and fixation film , not only making it possible to more reliably fix an unfixed toner image , but also , raising the level of uniformity in surface properties , in particular , glossiness , at which the unfixed toner image is fixed . 1 ) a fixing apparatus in accordance with the present invention includes such an image heating apparatus as an image fixing apparatus for temporarily fixing an unfixed image to recording medium , a surface property improving apparatus for reheating a recording medium bearing a fixed image to improve the image in surface properties such as glossiness , or the like heating apparatus . 2 ) in the preceding embodiments of the present invention , a ceramic heater structured as shown in fig3 is employed as the heating member . obviously , a ceramic heater employed as the heating member may have a structure different from the one shown in fig3 . for example , it may be a ceramic heater of the so - called rear surface heating type , in which the heat generating resistive layer 33 b is placed on the opposite surface of the substrate 33 a from the surface on which the flexible member slides . further , it may be a heating device employing a piece of nichrome wire , or the like , or a heat generating device comprising a piece of iron plate or the like , in which heat can generated by electromagnetically induced current . 3 ) in the preceding embodiments , a thermistor of a contact type is employed as a means for detecting the temperature of the heating member . however , the temperature detecting means may be of a noncontact type , which detects radiant heat , and the employment of such a temperature detecting means causes no problem at all . further , the location of the temperature detecting means does not need to be limited to those in the preceding embodiments ; the temperature control is possible even if the temperature detecting means is disposed at a location different from those in the preceding embodiments . 4 ) the material for the flexible member does not need to be limited to the film of heat resistant resin . it may be metallic film , or composite film . 5 ) in the preceding embodiments , the flexible member is a cylindrical member ( flexible sleeve ), and is rotated by the rotation of the pressure roller driven by a driving means . however , the means for rotating the flexible member is optional . for example , a driver roller may be placed within the loop of the endless film ( flexible member ) to rotationally drive the endless film by rotationally driving the driver roller . 6 ) the flexible member may be in the form of a roll of a long piece of web , which is rolled out and moved in contact with the heating member . as described above in detail , according to the present invention , the pressure and temperature distributions in the fixation nip can be optimized . therefore , an image which is highly glossy and does not suffer from the defects attributable to nonuniform heating can be outputted , without sacrificing the benefits of a fixing apparatus of a film heating type , that is , thermal efficiency , rapid startup , low cost , etc . while the invention has been described with reference to the structures disclosed herein , it is not confined to the details set forth , and this application is intended to cover such modifications or changes as may come within the purposes of the improvements or the scope of the following claims . this application claims priority from japanese patent applications no . 195772 / 2003 filed jul . 11 , 2003 and no . 193164 / 2004 filed jun . 30 , 2004 , which is hereby incorporated by reference . | 6 |
for purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention , reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings , and specific language will be used to describe the same . it will nonetheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is intended by the illustration and description of certain embodiments of the invention . in addition , any alterations and / or modifications of the illustrated and / or described embodiment ( s ) are contemplated as being within the scope of the present invention . further , any other applications of the principles of the invention , as illustrated and / or described herein , as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains , are contemplated as being within the scope of the present invention . referring to the drawings , in particular fig1 , a non - limiting example of a system 10 for treating an object 12 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is schematically depicted . system 10 includes a furnace 14 having heating elements 16 , and a controller 18 . controller 18 is operative to control the amount of heat supplied to object 12 via furnace 14 , e . g ., operative to control the temperature of heating elements 16 . in one form , controller 18 is also operative to control the duration of heating . in other embodiments , the duration of heating may be manually controlled or may be controlled by one or more other systems . heating elements 16 are operative to heat object 12 in furnace 14 . in one form , furnace 14 and heating elements 16 are configured to heat object 12 by radiation . in other embodiments , furnace 14 and heating elements 16 may be configured to heat object 12 by convection and / or conduction in addition to or in place of radiation . in one form , furnace 14 is sized to heat a single object 12 . in other embodiments , furnace 14 may be configured to heat a plurality of one or more types of objects . in one form , furnace 14 is a vacuum furnace , in which case system 10 includes means for drawing a vacuum in furnace 14 . the vacuum may be a partial vacuum or a substantially full vacuum , depending upon needs of the particular application . in one form , system 10 includes a vacuum pump 20 operative to partially or substantially fully evacuate gases from furnace 14 . in other embodiments , other systems for evacuating or purging gases from furnace 14 may be employed . although the example of furnace 14 is described herein as a vacuum furnace , in other embodiments , furnace 14 may be any furnace or autoclave , and may have little or no atmosphere , an inert and / or other gas atmosphere or an ambient air atmosphere . referring to fig2 - 4 , some aspects of a non - limiting example of object 12 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention are depicted . in one form , object 12 is a gas turbine engine component . in other embodiments , object 12 may be any device or structure . in one form , object 12 is an assembly that is to be brazed together , e . g ., in furnace 14 . in other embodiments , object 12 may be one or more structures that are to be heat treated , e . g ., in furnace 14 . in still other embodiments object 12 may be an object or assembly that is to be heat treated and brazed , e . g ., in furnace 14 . in one form , object 12 is formed of a plurality of components or portions that are to be brazed together in furnace 14 . in the example illustrated in the drawings , e . g ., fig2 , object 12 is formed of portions 22 and 24 that are to be brazed together at a braze joint 26 . portion 22 is relatively thin compared to portion 24 , and has a lower thermal mass than portion 24 . in other embodiments , object 12 may have any number of portions . in order to braze portions 22 and 24 together , a braze filer metal 28 is applied to object 12 adjacent to braze joint 26 . heating of portions 22 and 24 by heating elements 16 in furnace 14 raises the temperature of portions 22 and 24 , with the goal of melting braze filler metal 28 so that it flows into braze joint 26 . however , because portion 22 is thinner than portion 24 , portion 22 heats up faster than portion 24 , which results in braze filler metal 28 wetting the surface of portion 22 and flowing away from braze joint 26 because portion 22 reaches a temperature sufficient to melt braze filler metal 28 prior to portion 24 reaching the same temperature , which yields an undesirable result , depicted in fig4 . the melted braze filler metal 28 is depicted in fig4 as thicker lines on portion 22 of object 12 . in order to prevent the occurrence illustrated fig4 , it is possible to heat object 12 up to a temperature below the solidus point of braze filler metal 28 over a longer time period to allow portion 24 and portion 22 to achieve relatively similar temperatures just below the solidus point of braze filler metal 28 . once the temperatures of portions 22 and 24 are just below the solidus point , furnace 14 may be operated to slowly increase the temperature of object 12 in an attempt to melt braze filler metal 28 and cause it to flow into braze joint 26 . however , such an approach is a time consuming process , resulting in higher energy costs and lower product throughput . referring to fig5 , in order to prevent portion 22 from achieving a temperature sufficient to melt braze filler metal 28 too soon , a heat shield 30 is employed . heat shield 30 is formed and positioned on portion 22 to shield only portion 22 from heating elements 16 , and to not shield portion 24 from heating elements 16 . in one form , heat shield 30 is configured to shield portion 22 from radiation emanating from heating elements 16 to reduce radiative heat transfer to portion 22 . heat shield 30 may also be configured to shield portion 22 from conduction and / or convection heating in addition to or in place of radiation heating . in one form , heat shield 30 is configured to conform to the shape of portion 22 . in other embodiments , other shapes may be employed . heat shield 30 is formed of one or more thin sheets of metal . the thickness of the sheet metal may vary with the needs of the application . in one form , sheet metal having a thickness in the range of 0 . 001 ″ to 0 . 010 ″ is employed . in other embodiments , other sheet metal thicknesses may be employed , including less than 0 . 001 ″ thickness and / or more than 0 . 010 ″ thickness . in one form , heat shield 30 is a layer of sheet metal . in one form , the material used to form heat shield 30 is a refractory metal , for example and without limitation , molybdenum , tantalum , niobium or their alloys . in other embodiments , other metals may be employed , including other refractory metals and / or their alloys , as well as common sheet metal materials , for example and without limitation , stainless steels or nickel alloys , in addition to or in place of refractory metals . in one form , heat shield 30 is laminated , being formed of a plurality of layers of sheet metal , for example and without limitation , sheet metal formed of one or more of the materials listed above . in one form , heat shield 30 is formed by wrapping portion 22 from a single sheet of sheet metal . in one form , the wrapping is performed in a spiral fashion , winding along a length and / or width of portion 22 . in one form , the layers are formed as concentric layers , e . g ., individual sheets wrapped around portion 22 and around each other . in various embodiments , each layer may also be formed by various means , including laser cutting , water cutting , electrical discharge machining and / or other techniques . referring to fig5 a and 5b , in one form , heat shield 30 is configured to form a gap 32 between heat shield 30 and portion 22 , e . g ., to prevent heat conduction from heat shield 30 to portion 22 . in one form , gap 32 is formed by one or more standoffs 34 disposed between heat shield 30 and portion 22 . in one form , standoff 34 is a ceramic powder or is formed of a ceramic powder . in other embodiments , standoff 34 may take other forms , for example and without limitation , ceramic rope and / or metallic wire . in still other embodiments , standoffs 34 may be formed in layers 36 that form heat shield 30 , e . g ., dimples in one or more layers 36 . in yet other embodiments , heat shield 30 may not be configured to form a gap between heat shield 30 and portion 22 . in one form , each layer 36 of heat shield 30 is also separated by a gap 32 , e . g ., formed by standoffs 34 . in other embodiments , only some layers 36 may be separated to form gaps 32 therebetween . in still other embodiments , no gaps may be formed between layers 36 of heat shield 30 . in one form , heat shield 30 is configured to permit gases between heat shield 30 and object 12 , as well as between shield layers 36 to escape when a vacuum is drawn in furnace 14 . in one form , heat shield 30 is configured , e . g ., by the number and locations of layers 36 and gaps 32 , to control the heat flux received by portion 22 from heating elements 16 , e . g ., to achieve a desired heating rate and / or peak temperature of portion 22 . heat shield 30 may also or alternatively be configured to control the cooling of portion 22 when furnace 14 is turned off and / or when object 12 is removed from furnace 14 , e . g ., to yield a desired cooling rate of portion 22 . in various embodiments , one or more coatings , e . g ., reflective and / or refractive coatings , may be deposited on one or more layers 36 in order to control the flow of heat to and / or from portion 22 . in addition , other materials , such as insulation materials or coatings may be deposited on heat shield 30 and / or between layers 36 of heat shield 30 in order to control the flow of heat to and / or from portion 22 . in order to braze portions 22 and 24 together , braze filler metal 28 is positioned adjacent to braze joint 26 . heat shield 30 is then positioned on portion 22 , and object 12 is placed into furnace 14 . in one form , a vacuum is drawn in furnace 14 , although in other embodiments a vacuum may not be drawn . in some embodiments , furnace 14 may be purged with an inert gas prior to heating . heating elements 16 are activated to heat object 12 with heat shield 30 . heat shield 30 prevents portion 22 from heating up too quickly , e . g ., promoting a more uniform temperature distribution as between portion 22 and portion 24 . as a result , both portions 22 and 24 achieve a sufficient temperature to melt braze filler metal 28 so that it flows into braze joint 26 , e . g ., as depicted in fig6 , wherein the thick lines represent braze filler metal 28 within braze joint 26 . after braze filler metal 28 has flowed into braze joint 26 , the temperature inside furnace 14 is reduced , allowing object 12 to cool . furnace 14 is then re - pressurized , e . g ., brought up to atmospheric pressure , and object 12 is removed from furnace 14 . heat shield 30 is then removed from object 12 . in some embodiments , heat shield 30 is configured to be reusable for subsequent objects 12 , e . g ., of the same configuration . in some embodiments , a heat shield such as heat shield 30 may be configured to control the heating rate and / or cooling rate of portion 22 of object 12 during heat treating of object 12 in order to obtain a desired microstructure in the portion covered by heat shield 30 , e . g ., portion 22 , that is different from the microstructure of other portions of object 12 , e . g ., portion 24 . this may be performed as a heat treat operation alone or in conjunction with a brazing operation . embodiments of the present invention include a method for brazing an assembly in a furnace , comprising : applying a braze filler metal adjacent to a joint in the assembly ; providing a radiation heat shield conforming to a shape of only a portion of the assembly , wherein the radiation heat shield is configured to reduce radiative heat transfer to the portion of the assembly ; positioning the radiation heat shield on the assembly ; placing the assembly and the radiation heat shield in the furnace ; and heating the assembly and the radiation heat shield in the furnace to melt the braze filler metal into the joint . in a refinement , the method further comprises positioning the radiation heat shield to shield only the portion of the assembly from heating elements of the furnace . in another refinement , the method further comprises configuring the radiation heat shield to form a gap between the radiation heat shield and the portion of the assembly . in yet another refinement , the method further comprises supplying a standoff to form the gap . in still another refinement , the standoff is formed in the radiation heat shield . in yet still another refinement , the method further comprises forming the radiation heat shield as a plurality of layers , each layer being separated by a gap . in a further refinement , the method further comprises forming each layer from sheet metal . in a yet further refinement , the method further comprises providing standoffs configured to form the gap between each layer . embodiments of the present invention include a method for treating an object , comprising : supplying a laminated heat shield conforming to a shape of a portion of the object ; positioning the laminated heat shield on the portion of the object ; placing the object and the laminated heat shield in a furnace ; heating the object and the laminated heat shield in the furnace ; and cooling the object and the laminated heat shield , wherein the laminated heat shield is configured to control a cooling rate of the portion of the object shielded by the laminated heat shield . in a refinement , the method further comprises drawing a vacuum in the furnace . in another refinement , the laminated heat shield is formed from a refractory metal . in yet another refinement , the laminated heat shield is formed of a plurality of layers of a sheet metal . in still another refinement , the method further comprises forming the layers by wrapping the portion with a sheet of sheet metal . in yet still another refinement , the wherein the wrapping is performed in a spiral fashion . in a yet further refinement , the method further comprises forming a different microstructure in the portion of the object than the balance of the object . embodiments of the present invention include a method for treating an object , comprising : wrapping a selected portion of the object in a plurality of layers of a sheet metal ; separating at least a portion of each layer of the sheet metal from an adjacent layer of the sheet metal ; placing the object in a furnace ; and heating the object in the furnace to braze the object and / or heat treat the object . in a refinement , the method further comprises forming standoffs in at least one layer of the sheet metal . in another refinement , the method further comprises applying a braze filler metal adjacent to a joint in the object . in still another refinement , the method further comprises further comprising selecting the number of layers based on a desired cooling rate for the portion of the object . while the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment , it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment ( s ), but on the contrary , is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims , which scope is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures as permitted under the law . furthermore it should be understood that while the use of the word preferable , preferably , or preferred in the description above indicates that feature so described may be more desirable , it nonetheless may not be necessary and any embodiment lacking the same may be contemplated as within the scope of the invention , that scope being defined by the claims that follow . in reading the claims it is intended that when words such as “ a ,” “ an ,” “ at least one ” and “ at least a portion ” are used , there is no intention to limit the claim to only one item unless specifically stated to the contrary in the claim . further , when the language “ at least a portion ” and / or “ a portion ” is used the item may include a portion and / or the entire item unless specifically stated to the contrary . | 5 |
having reference to the accompanying drawing there is shown a fixed bed tubular reactor 1 . a catalyst bed 2 is provided within the reactor . a port 3 for the introduction of feed gas is provided a conduit 4 extends downwardly into the catalyst bed 2 , defining ports 5 , for the injection of auxiliary oxygen thereto . following the oxidative coupling reaction , the products yielded leave the reactor via exit 6 . the ports 5 would typically be at the mid - point of the catalyst bed and at the end thereof . the feed gas may typically comprise ch 4 / o 2 having a ratio greater than one . alternatively the feed gas may comprise methanol with different oxidants including no , n 2 o and natural gas / oxygen and natural gas / air . the number of catalysts which have been described and tested in the literature and patents is extensive . amongst the catalysts tested were those detailed in table i herebelow . so when one states that a catalyst is present it is to be understood that the catalyst would be one suitable for the oxidative coupling reaction to take place . possible auxiliary gases would include o . sub ., ch 4 , air , or o 2 / ch 4 mixtures or natural gas ( 80 - 90 %) in admixture with air . selection of the gas and its concentration would be within the skill of the art . typical reaction conditions would range from 700 °- 750 ° c . although the range could be broadened to 600 °- 1000 ° c . the pressure would range from 101 kpa to 800 kpa . residence time in the reactor 1 would be about two seconds . the following examples are included to demonstrate the operability of the present invention . in this example a li 2 o / pbo / cao catalyst of nominal composition 7 : 20 : 73 weight % was tested at 101 kpa and 700 ° c . with auxiliary gas added to the midpoint of the catalyst bed ( location 1 , fig1 ). the main feed gas was fed to the reactor at a rate of 50 ml / min . and had a nominal composition he : ch 4 : o 2 equal to 80 : 13 : 7 volume %. the auxiliary gas was fed to the reactor at the rate of 50 ml / min . with a nominal composition he : o 2 equal to 93 : 7 volume %. helium is present in both feed gas streams to control the formation of explosive mixtures of ch 4 and o 2 . a comparative activity test was also performed in which the auxiliary gas consisted of pure he only , all other conditions being exactly the same . the results from the two experiments are shown in table ii herebelow ( runs 2 and 3 ). the data clearly indicates that with addition of oxygen at the midpoint of the reactor the c 2 + sty increases from 0 . 096 × 10 - 6 mole / g . catalyst / sec . to 0 . 14 × 10 - 6 mole / g . catalyst / sec ., representing an increase of 47 % in c 2 + production rate . furthermore , the selectivity to ethylene increases as shown by the increase in the ethylene / ethane ratio from 0 . 8 to 1 . 2 . table ii also presents data for the case where the total moles fed to the reactor via the main feed stream with no auxiliary feed gas is equivalent to the total moles fed via the main feed stream plus the auxiliary feed stream ( runs 1 and 3 ). in this case the c 2 + sty increases from 0 . 121 × 10 - 6 moles / g . catalyst / sec . to 0 . 141 × 10 - 6 moles / g . catalyst / sec . representing a 16 % increase in c 2 + sty . table ii__________________________________________________________________________reactor configuration effects onoxidative coupling of methane__________________________________________________________________________catalyst : li . sub . 2 o / pbo / caoconditions : 700 ° c ., 101 kpaauxiliary gas addition at the mid - pointof catalyst bed ( location 1 , fig1 ) __________________________________________________________________________primary feed auxiliary feed total total ch . sub . 2 + sty ch . sub . 4run flow ch . sub . 4 o . sub . 2 flow o . sub . 2 mol / g . cat ./ c . sub . 2 ═/ c . sub . 2 conversionno . ml / min . % % ml / min . % sec . ratio % __________________________________________________________________________1 100 7 7 -- -- 0 . 123 0 . 90 302 50 13 7 50 -- 0 . 098 0 . 83 303 50 13 7 50 7 0 . 142 1 . 19 37__________________________________________________________________________ in this example a la 2 o 3 pbo / cao catalyst of nominal composition 20 : 73 weight % was tested at 101 kpa and 700 ° c . with auxiliary gas added at the midpoint of the catalyst bed ( location 1 , fig1 ). the main feed gas was fed to the reactor at a rate of 50 ml / min . and nominal composition he : ch 4 : o 2 equal to 80 : 13 : 7 volume %. the auxiliary gas was fed to the reactor at the rate of 50 ml / min . with nominal composition he : o 2 equal to 93 : 7 volume % ( run 5 ). he is present in both feed gas streams to control the formation of explosive mixtures of ch 4 and o 2 . the results obtained from this experiment are compared to the case with no auxiliary gas addition ( run 4 ) but with the total moles of each component fed to the reactor equal to run 5 . the results shown in table iii indicate an increase in c 2 + sty from 0 . 034 × 10 - 6 mole / g . catalyst / sec . to 0 . 054 × 10 - 6 mole / g . catalyst / sec . representing an increase of 64 % in c 2 + sty . table iii______________________________________reactor configuration effects onoxidative coupling of methane______________________________________catalyst : la . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 / pbo / caoconditions : 700 ° c ., 101 kpaauxiliary gas addition at exit ofcatalyst bed ( location 2 , fig1 ). ______________________________________primary feed auxiliary feed c . sub . 2 + stytotal total mol / ch . sub . 4run flow ch . sub . 4 o . sub . 2 flow o . sub . 2 g . cat ./ conver - no . ml / min . % % ml / min . % sec . sion % ______________________________________4 100 7 7 -- -- 0 . 033 505 50 13 7 50 7 0 . 054 56______________________________________ in this example a li 2 o / mgo catalyst of nominal composition 7 : 93 weight % was tested at 101 kpa and 700 ° c . with auxiliary gas added at the end of the catalyst bed ( location 2 , fig1 ). the main feed gas was fed to the reactor at a rate of 50 ml / min . and nominal composition he : ch 4 : o 2 equal to 80 : 13 : 7 volume %. the auxiliary gas was fed to the reactor at the rate of 50 ml / min . with nominal composition he : oz equal to 93 : 7 volume % ( run 7 ). he is present in both feed gas streams to control the formation of explosive mixtures of ch 4 and o 2 . the results obtained from this experiment are compared to the case with no auxiliary gas addition ( run 6 ) but with the total moles of each component fed to the reactor equal to run 7 . the results shown in table iv indicate an increase in c 2 + sty from 0 . 030 × 10 - 6 mole / g . catalyst / sec . to 0 . 048 × 10 - 6 mole / g . catalyst / sec . representing a 60 % increase in c 2 + sty . table iv______________________________________reactor configuration effects oncoupling of methane______________________________________catalyst : li . sub . 2 o / mgoconditions : 700 ° c ., 101 kpaauxiliary gas addition at exit ofcatalyst bed ( location 2 , fig1 ). ______________________________________primary auxiliary feed c . sub . 2 + stytotal total mol / ch . sub . 4 + run flow ch . sub . 4 o . sub . 2 flow o . sub . 2 g . cat ./ conver - no . ml / min . % % ml / min . % sec . sion % ______________________________________6 100 7 7 -- -- 0 . 030 87 50 13 7 50 7 0 . 048 10______________________________________ | 8 |
hereinafter , embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings . fig1 to fig3 illustrate the structure of a cushion frame of a vehicle seat provided with a child seat according to the present invention . in the figures , reference numeral ( 1 ) denotes a cushion frame . reference numeral ( 2 ) denotes a reinforcing member integrally fixed to the cushion frame ( 1 ). reference numeral ( 3 ) denotes a s - typed spring suspendingly stretched across the cushion frame . the cushion frame ( 1 ) is composed of a back frame member ( 11 ), a front frame member ( 14 ) and the right and left frame members ( 12 ) ( 13 ) coupling the two frame members ( 11 ) ( 14 ) thereto . the frame members ( 11 ) ( 12 ) ( 13 ) ( 14 ) are each disposed to form a concave - shaped section in such a manner that each open portion of the section face another open portion . the frame members ( 12 ) ( 13 ) ( 14 ) ( except for the back frame member ( 11 ), e . g . the front frame member ( 14 ), may optionally be constituted by employing a metallic pipe . the frame members ( 11 ) . . . ( 14 ) are each constituted to form a frame by welding . in the figures , reference numeral ( 11a ) denotes a horizontal internal surface of the back frame member ( 11 ) and reference numeral ( 12a ) ( 13a ) denote vertical internal surfaces of the respective right and left frame members ( 12 ) ( 13 ). the reinforcing member ( 2 ) is integrally welded to the horizontal internal surface ( 11a ) of the back frame member ( 11 ) and to the vertical internal surfaces ( 12a ) ( 13a ) of the right and left frame members ( 12 ) ( 13 ) of the aforementioned cushion frame ( 1 ) so as to enhance reinforcing strength of the cushion frame . as illustrated in fig4 the reinforcing member ( 2 ) is constituted to form vertical sections ( 22 ) ( 23 ) by bending a metallic pipe into concave shape . further both ends of the pipe are squashed into substantially the shape of vertical portions ( 22 ) ( 23 ) by means of press so as to increase section modulus in the longitudinal direction at both ends of the pipe . moreover , a middle portion of the pipe is squashed into substantially the shape of a horizontal portion ( 21 ) by means of press so as to increase section modulus in the longitudinal direction . bent portions ( 24 ) ( 24 ) serve to maintain the section shape of the pipe . the horizontal portion ( 21 ) and its neighbouring portion are composed of an inner pipe ( 21a ) constituting the vertical portions ( 22 ) ( 23 ) and an outer pipe ( 21b ) for inserting the inner pipe ( 21a ) tightly and firmly into the inside thereof . middle portions of both pipes ( 21a ) ( 21b ) are squashed to constitute the horizontal portion ( 21 ) in substantially flat shape . reinforced portions ( 28 ) ( 28 ) consisting of the inner pipe ( 21a ) and outer pipe ( 21b ) in the shape of a circular pipe in section which have not been squashed , are arranged at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the horizontal portion ( 21 ). at the horizontal portion ( 21 ), a through hole is perforated for inserting a clamping bolt therethrough and a nut ( 25 ) is welded onto the horizontal internal surface ( 11a ) of the back frame member ( 11 ). furthermore , an anchor for fixation ( 27 ) is clamped to the horizontal internal surface ( 11a ) of the back frame member ( 11 ) and also to the horizontal portion ( 21 ). by constituting the horizontal portion ( 21 ) and reinforced portions ( 28 ) ( 28 ) by employing the outer pipe ( 21b ) as described above , when impact force in the direction f is applied to a seat belt ( 30 ) in fig3 angular moment centering around the bolt ( 26 ) is generated to the horizontal portion ( 21 ) and the horizontal internal surface ( 11a ) of the back frame member ( 11 ) from the seat belt ( 30 ) through the anchor ( 27 ). as a result , torsion centering around the bolt ( 26 ) is caused to generate and at the same time the back frame member ( 11 ) of the cushion frame ( 1 ) is loaded backwardly ( in the direction of f 1 in fig1 ) and further the right and left frame members ( 12 ) ( 13 ) are loaded upwardly ( in the direction of f 2 in fig2 ). it is noted in connection with the above that the angular moment centering around the bolt ( 26 ) may be received by the reinforced portions ( 28 ) ( 28 ) in the shape of a circular section arranged at both ends of the horizontal portion ( 21 ) of the reinforcing member ( 2 ) and the load in the direction of f 1 applied to the back frame member ( 11 ) may be received by the horizontal portion ( 21 ) of the reinforcing member ( 2 ) integrally fixed to the horizontal internal surface ( 11a ) of the back frame member ( 11 ). furthermore , the load in the direction of f 2 applied to the right and left frame members ( 12 ) ( 13 ) of the cushion frame ( 1 ) may be received by the vertical portion ( 22 ) of the reinforcing member ( 2 ) integrally welded to the vertical internal surfaces ( 12a ) ( 13a ) of the right and left frame member having large section modulus in the same direction . therefore , there is no fear that the cushion frame ( 1 ) is caused to deform owing to impact force generating from the seat belt ( 30 ). the s - typed springs ( 3 ) ( 3 ) . . . are latched at both ends of clamps ( 15 ) ( 15 ) and welded to each top face of the right and left frame members ( 12 ) ( 13 ). thus , a seat belt anchor for a child ( 27 ) is clamped by means of the bolt ( 26 ) at the base of the portion of the back frame member ( 11 ) to which the horizontal portion ( 21 ) of the reinforcing member ( 2 ) is firmly fixed . as illustrated in fig6 and fig7 the seat belt ( 30 ) provided with a buckle ( 31 ) at the end thereof is fitted to the seat belt anchor ( 27 ). in fig6 to 7 , reference character ( c 1 ) denotes a seat back and reference character ( c 2 ) denotes a seat cushion for a child , respectively . ( a ) denotes a seat cushion and reference character ( b ) denotes a seat back . according to the embodiment as described above , the reinforcing member is constituted by employing a metallic pipe , but a plate may also be employed in lieu of the above pipe further , when the reinforcing member is firmly fixed to the seat frame , it can also be fixed thereto by means of bolt clamping or adhesion , except welding . thus , the present invention as constituted above has the following effects and advantages in detail . to the back frame member of the cushion frame to which the seat belt anchor for a child is fixed , the horizontal portion of the reinforcing member having large section modulus in the longitudinal direction is firmly fixed , and further the vertical portions of the reinforcing member having large section modulus in the vertical direction are fixed firmly to the right and left frame members of the cushion frame , thereby reinforcing the back frame member and the right and left frame members of the cushion frame . thus , the load applied from the seat belt is applied to the back frame member while being considerably dispersed in the longitudinal and rotating directions and on the other hand the load is applied to the right and left frame members while being considerably dispersed in the vertical direction . however , since the reinforcing member having large section modulus is firmly fixed in the direction to which the load is considerably applied , it is possible to receive the load effectively so that deformation of the cushion frame may be prevented . furthermore , the back frame member is constituted in concave shape in section and the horizontal portion of the reinforcing member is set within the back frame member . still furthermore , the vertical portions of the ends of said reinforcing member are firmly fixed to the right and left frame members . accordingly , there is no fear that the reinforcing member projects towards the inside of the cushion frame . thus , it can prevent the spring suspendingly stretched across the cushion frame from coming into contact with the reinforcing member , causing no unpleasant sounds . further , cushioning effect can fully be maintained . according to the aforementioned embodiment , since a metallic pipe is employed as the reinforcing member , it is possible to constitute the same through a simple press and further the reinforcing strength thereof becomes large owing to closed section . | 1 |
the present invention provides one or more compounds of formula ( i ), ( ia ), ( ic ), ( id ), ( ie ) or ( if ) that are preferably small molecule ligands of the hdm2 and / or mdmx protein and prevent or reduce binding of other proteins to hdm2 and / or mdmx . in in vitro cell - based assays , one or more compounds of the present invention inhibit the interaction of the hdm2 and / or mdmx protein with the p53 protein . in such cell - based assays , such compounds demonstrate mechanistic activity such as induction of apoptosis and inhibition of proliferation . incubation of cancer cells with one or more compounds of formula ( i ), ( ia ), ( ic ), ( id ), ( ie ) or ( if ) leads to an accumulation of p53 protein , induction of p53 - regulated p21 gene , and cell cycle arrest in g1 and g2 phase , resulting in potent antiproliferative activity against wild - type p53 cells in vitro . in contrast , these activities were not observed in cancer cells with missing p53 at comparable compound concentrations . therefore , the activity of hdm2 and / or mdmx antagonists is likely linked to its mechanism of action . these compounds are therefore potent and selective anticancer agents . the present invention provides one or more compounds of formula ( i ) x is sulphur , oxygen or a group of formula ch 2 , cr 4b r 4c , nh , nr 4b , so or so 2 or a bond ; y is a group of formula conr 6 , ch 2 nr 6 , co , coo , ch 2 o , so 2 nr 6 , nr 6 co , nr 6 so 2 , nr 5a conr 6 , nr 6 coo , oconr 6 , conr 5 nr 6 , conr 5a or 6 , ch 2 co ch 2 conr 6 , ch 2 coo , cocr 5a r 6 or a bond ; r 1 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , heteroalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , cycloalkyl , alkylcycloalkyl , heteroalkylcycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , aralkyl or heteroaralkyl radical ; r 2 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , heteroalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , cycloalkyl , alkylcycloallcyl , heteroalkylcycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , aralkyl or heteroaralkyl radical ; r 3 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , heteroalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , cycloalkyl , alkylcycloalkyl , heteroalkylcycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , aralkyl or heteroaralkyl radical ; r 4 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , heteroalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , cycloalkyl , alkylcycloalkyl , heteroalkylcycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , aralkyl or heteroaralkyl radical ; r 4b is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , heteroalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , cycloalkyl , alkylcycloalkyl , heteroalkylcycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , aralkyl or heteroaralkyl radical ; r 4c is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , heteroalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , cycloalkyl , alkylcycloalkyl , heteroalkylcycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , aralkyl or heteroaralkyl radical ; r 5 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , heteroalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , cycloalkyl , alkylcycloalkyl , heteroalkylcycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , aralkyl or heteroaralkyl radical ; r 5a is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , heteroalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , cycloalkyl , alkylcycloalkyl , heteroalkylcycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , aralkyl or heteroaralkyl radical ; r 6 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , heteroalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , cycloalkyl , alkylcycloalkyl , heteroalkylcycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , aralkyl or heteroaralkyl radical ; the residues r 7 are independently from each other a hydrogen atom or an alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , heteroalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , cycloalkyl , alkylcycloalkyl , heteroalkylcycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , aralkyl or heteroaralkyl radical ; the residues r 8 are independently from each other a hydrogen atom or an alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , heteroalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , cycloalkyl , alkylcycloalkyl , heteroalkylcycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , aralkyl or heteroaralkyl radical ; or two of the radicals r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , r 4b , r 4c , r 5 , r 5a , r 6 , r 7 and r 8 together are part of an optionally substituted cycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , alkylcycloalkyl , heteroalkylcycloalkyl , heteroaryl , aralkyl or heteroarylalkyl ring system ; the expression alkyl refers to a saturated , straight - chain or branched hydrocarbon group that contains from 1 to 20 carbon atoms , preferably from 1 to 12 carbon atoms , especially from 1 to 6 ( e . g . 1 , 2 , 3 or 4 ) carbon atoms , for example a methyl , ethyl , propyl , iso - propyl , n - butyl , iso - butyl , sec - butyl , tert - butyl , n - pentyl , iso - pentyl , n - hexyl , 2 , 2 - dimethylbutyl or n - octyl group . the expressions alkenyl and alkynyl refer to at least partially unsaturated , straight - chain or branched hydrocarbon groups that contain from 2 to 20 carbon atoms , preferably from 2 to 12 carbon atoms , especially from 2 to 6 ( e . g . 2 , 3 or 4 ) carbon atoms , for example an ethenyl ( vinyl ), propenyl ( allyl ), iso - propenyl , butenyl , ethinyl , propinyl , butinyl , acetylenyl , propargyl , isoprenyl or hex - 2 - enyl group . preferably , alkenyl groups have one or two ( especially preferably one ) double bond ( s ), and alkynyl groups have one or two ( especially preferably one ) triple bond ( s ). furthermore , the terms alkyl , alkenyl and alkynyl refer to groups in which one or more hydrogen atoms have been replaced by a halogen atom ( preferably f or co such as , for example , a 2 , 2 , 2 - trichloroethyl or a trifluoromethyl group . the expression heteroalkyl refers to an alkyl , alkenyl or alkynyl group in which one or more ( preferably 1 , 2 or 3 ) carbon atoms have been replaced by an oxygen , nitrogen , phosphorus , boron , selenium , silicon or sulfur atom ( preferably by an oxygen , sulfur or nitrogen atom ). the expression heteroalkyl furthermore refers to a carboxylic acid or to a group derived from a carboxylic acid , such as , for example , acyl , acylalkyl , alkoxy - carbonyl , acyloxy , acyloxyalkyl , carboxyalkylamide or alkoxycarbonyloxy . preferably , a heteroalkyl group contains from 1 to 12 carbon atoms and from 1 to 4 hetero atoms selected from oxygen , nitrogen and sulphur ( especially oxygen and nitrogen ). especially preferably , a heteroalkyl group contains from 1 to 6 ( e . g . 1 , 2 , 3 or 4 ) carbon atoms and 1 , 2 or 3 ( especially 1 or 2 ) hetero atoms selected from oxygen , nitrogen and sulphur ( especially oxygen and nitrogen ). the term c 1 - c 6 heteroalkyl refers to a heteroalkyl group containing from 1 to 6 carbon atoms and 1 , 2 or 3 heteroatoms selected from o , s and / or n ( especially 0 and / or n ). the term c 1 - c 4 heteroalkyl refers to a heteroalkyl group containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms and 1 , 2 or 3 heteroatoms selected from o , s and / or n ( especially 0 and / or n ). furthermore , the term heteroalkyl refers to groups in which one or more hydrogen atoms have been replaced by a halogen atom ( preferably f or cl ). examples of heteroalkyl groups are groups of formulae : r a — o — y a —, r a — s — y a —, r a — n ( r b )— y a —, r a — co — y a —, r a — o — co — y a , r a — co — o — y a , r a — co — n ( r b )— y a —, r a — n ( r b )— co — y a —, r a — o — co — n ( r b )— y a —, r a — n ( r b )— co — o — y a —, r a — n ( r b )— co — n ( r c )— y a —, r a — n ( r b )— co — y a —, r a — o — co — n ( r b )— y a —, r a — n ( r b )— co — o — y a —, r a — n ( r b )— co — n ( r c )— y a , r a — cs — o — y a , r a — cs — n ( r b )— y a —, r a — n ( r b )— cs — y a —, r a — o — cs — n ( r b )— y a —, r a — n ( r b )— cs — o — y a —, r a — n ( r b )— cs — n ( r c )— y a —, r a — o — cs — n ( r b )— y a —, r a — co — s — y a —, r a — s — co — n ( r b )— y a , r a — n ( r b )— co — s — y a —, r a — s — co — o — y a —, r a — o — co — s — y a —, r a — s — co — s — y a , r a — s — cs — y a , — r a — cs — s — y a , r a — s — cs — n ( r b )— y a —, r a — n ( r b )— cs — s — y a —, r a — s — cs — o — y a —, r a — o — cs — s — y a —, wherein r a being a hydrogen atom , a c 1 - c 6 alkyl , a c 2 - c 6 alkenyl or a c 2 - c 6 alkynyl group ; r b being a hydrogen atom , a c 1 - c 6 alkyl , a c 2 - c 6 alkenyl or a c 2 - c 6 alkynyl group ; r a being a hydrogen atom , a c 1 - c 6 alkyl , a c 2 - c 6 alkenyl or a c 2 - c 6 alkynyl group ; r d being a hydrogen atom , a c 1 - c 6 alkyl , a c 2 - c 6 alkenyl or a c 2 - c 6 alkynyl group and y a being a direct bond , a c 1 - c 6 alkylene , a c 2 - c 6 alkenylene or a c 2 - c 6 alkynylene group , wherein each heteroalkyl group contains at least one carbon atom and one or more hydrogen atoms may be replaced by fluorine or chlorine atoms . specific examples of heteroalkyl groups are methoxy , trifluoromethoxy , ethoxy , n - pro - pyloxy , isopropyloxy , butoxy , tert - butyloxy , methoxymethyl , ethoxymethyl , — ch 2 ch 2 oh , — ch 2 oh , methoxyethyl , 1 - methoxyethyl , 1 - ethoxyethyl , 2 - methoxyethyl or 2 - ethoxyethyl , methylamino , ethylamino , propylamino , isopropylamino , dimethylamino , diethylamino , isopropylethylamino , methylamino methyl , ethylamino methyl , diisopropylamino ethyl , methylthio , ethylthio , isopropylthio , enol ether , dimethylamino methyl , dimethylamino ethyl , acetyl , propionyl , butyryloxy , acetyloxy , methoxycarbonyl , ethoxycarbonyl , propionyloxy , acetylamino or propionylamino , carboxymethyl , carboxyethyl or carboxypropyl , n - ethyl - n - methylcarbamoyl or n - methylcarbamoyl . further examples of heteroalkyl groups are nitrile , isonitrile , cyanate , thiocyanate , isocyanate , isothiocyanate and alkylnitrile groups . the expression cycloalkyl refers to a saturated or partially unsaturated ( for example , a cycloalkenyl group ) cyclic group that contains one or more rings ( preferably 1 or 2 ), and contains from 3 to 14 ring carbon atoms , preferably from 3 to 10 ( especially 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 or 7 ) ring carbon atoms . the expression cycloalkyl refers furthermore to groups in which one or more hydrogen atoms have been replaced by fluorine , chlorine , bromine or iodine atoms or by oh , ═ o , sh , ═ s , nh 2 , ═ nh , n 3 or no 2 groups , thus , for example , cyclic ketones such as , for example , cyclohexanone , 2 - cyclohexanone or cyclopentanone . further specific examples of cycloalkyl groups are a cyclopropyl , cyclobutyl , cyclopentyl , spiro [ 4 , 5 ] decanyl , norbornyl , cyclohexyl , cyclopentenyl , cyclohexadienyl , decalinyl , bicyclo [ 4 . 3 . 0 ] nonyl , tetraline , cyclopentylcyclohexyl , fluorocyclohexyl or cyclohex - 2 - enyl group . the expression heterocycloalkyl refers to a cycloalkyl group as defined above in which one or more ( preferably 1 , 2 or 3 ) ring carbon atoms have been replaced by an oxygen , nitrogen , silicon , selenium , phosphorus or sulfur atom ( preferably by an oxygen , sulfur or nitrogen atom ). a heterocycloalkyl group has preferably 1 or 2 ring ( s ) containing from 3 to 10 ( especially 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 or 7 ) ring atoms ( preferably selected from c , o , n and s ). the expression heterocycloalkyl refers furthermore to groups in which one or more hydrogen atoms have been replaced by fluorine , chlorine , bromine or iodine atoms or by oh , ═ o , sh , ═ s , nh 2 , ═ nh , n 3 or no 2 groups . examples are a piperidyl , prolinyl , imidazolidinyl , piperazinyl , morpholinyl , urotropinyl , pyrrolidinyl , tetrahydrothiophenyl , tetrahydropyranyl , tetrahydrofuryl or 2 - pyrazolinyl group and also lactames , lactones , cyclic imides and cyclic anhydrides . the expression alkylcycloalkyl refers to groups that contain both cycloalkyl and also alkyl , alkenyl or alkynyl groups in accordance with the above definitions , for example alkylcycloalkyl , cycloalkylalkyl , alkylcycloalkenyl , alkenylcycloalkyl and alkynylcycloalkyl groups . an alkylcycloalkyl group preferably contains a cycloalkyl group that contains one or two ring systems having from 3 to 10 ( especially 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 or 7 ) ring carbon atoms , and one or two alkyl , alkenyl or alkynyl groups having 1 or 2 to 6 carbon atoms . the expression heteroalkylcycloalkyl refers to alkylcycloalkyl groups as defined above in which one or more ( preferably 1 , 2 or 3 ) carbon atoms have been replaced by an oxygen , nitrogen , silicon , selenium , phosphorus or sulfur atom ( preferably by an oxygen , sulfur or nitrogen atom ). a heteroalkylcycloalkyl group preferably contains 1 or 2 ring systems having from 3 to 10 ( especially 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 or 7 ) ring atoms , and one or two alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl or heteroalkyl groups having from 1 or 2 to 6 carbon atoms . examples of such groups are alkylheterocycloalkyl , alkylheterocycloalkenyl , alkenylheterocycloalkyl , alkynylheterocycloalkyl , heteroalkylcycloalkyl , heteroalkylheterocycloalkyl and heteroalkylheterocycloalkenyl , the cyclic groups being saturated or mono -, di - or tri - unsaturated . the expression aryl refers to an aromatic group that contains one or more rings containing from 6 to 14 ring carbon atoms , preferably from 6 to 10 ( especially 6 ) ring carbon atoms . the expression aryl refers furthermore to groups in which one or more hydrogen atoms have been replaced by fluorine , chlorine , bromine or iodine atoms or by oh , sh , nh 2 , n 3 or no 2 groups . examples are the phenyl , naphthyl , biphenyl , 2 - fluorophenyl , anilinyl , 3 - nitrophenyl or 4 - hydroxyphenyl group . the expression heteroaryl refers to an aromatic group that contains one or more rings containing from 5 to 14 ring atoms , preferably from 5 to 10 ( especially 5 or 6 ) ring atoms , and contains one or more ( preferably 1 , 2 , 3 or 4 ) oxygen , nitrogen , phosphorus or sulfur ring atoms ( preferably o , s or n ). the expression heteroaryl refers furthermore to groups in which one or more hydrogen atoms have been replaced by fluorine , chlorine , bromine or iodine atoms or by oh , sh , n 3 , nh 2 or no 2 groups . examples are pyridyl ( e . g . 4 - pyridyl ), imidazolyl ( e . g . 2 - imidazolyl ), phenylpyrrolyl ( e . g . 3 - phenylpyrrolyl ), thiazolyl , isothiazolyl , 1 , 2 , 3 - triazolyl , 1 , 2 , 4 - triazolyl , oxadiazolyl , thiadiazolyl , indolyl , indazolyl , tetrazolyl , pyrazinyl , pyridazinyl , oxazolyl , isoxazolyl , triazolyl , tetrazolyl , isoxazolyl , indazolyl , indolyl , benzimidazolyl , benzoxazolyl , benzisoxazolyl , benzthiazolyl , pyridazinyl , quinolinyl , isoquinolinyl , pyrrolyl , purinyl , carbazolyl , acridinyl , pyrimidyl , 2 , 3 ′- bifuryl , pyrazolyl ( e . g . 3 - pyrazolyl ) and isoquinolinyl groups . the expression aralkyl refers to groups containing both aryl and also alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl and / or cycloalkyl groups in accordance with the above definitions , such as , for example , arylalkyl , arylalkenyl , arylalkynyl , arylcycloalkyl , arylcycloalkenyl , alkylarylcycloalkyl and alkylarylcycloalkenyl groups . specific examples of aralkyls are toluene , xylene , mesitylene , styrene , benzyl chloride , o - fluorotoluene , 1h - indene , tetraline , dihydronaphthalene , indanone , phenylcyclopentyl , cumene , cyclohexylphenyl , fluorene and indene . an aralkyl group preferably contains one or two aromatic ring systems ( 1 or 2 rings ) containing from 6 to 10 carbon atoms and one or two alkyl , alkenyl and / or alkynyl groups containing from 1 or 2 to 6 carbon atoms and / or a cycloalkyl group containing 5 or 6 ring carbon atoms . the expression heteroaralkyl refers to an aralkyl group as defined above in which one or more ( preferably 1 , 2 , 3 or 4 ) carbon atoms have been replaced by an oxygen , nitrogen , silicon , selenium , phosphorus , boron or sulfur atom ( preferably oxygen , sulfur or nitrogen ), that is to say to groups containing both aryl or heteroaryl , respectively , and also alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl and / or heteroalkyl and / or cycloalkyl and / or heterocycloalkyl groups in accordance with the above definitions . a heteroaralkyl group preferably contains one or two aromatic ring systems ( 1 or 2 rings ) containing from 5 or 6 to 10 ring carbon atoms and one or two alkyl , alkenyl and / or alkynyl groups containing 1 or 2 to 6 carbon atoms and / or a cycloalkyl group containing 5 or 6 ring carbon atoms , wherein 1 , 2 , 3 or 4 of these carbon atoms have been replaced by oxygen , sulfur or nitrogen atoms . examples are arylheteroalkyl , arylheterocycloalkyl , arylheterocycloalkenyl , arylalkylheterocycloalkyl , arylalkenylheterocycloalkyl , arylalkynylheterocycloalkyl , arylalkylheterocycloalkenyl , heteroarylalkyl , heteroarylalkenyl , heteroarylalkynyl , heteroarylheteroalkyl , heteroarylcycloalkyl , heteroarylcycloalkenyl , heteroarylheterocycloalkyl , heteroarylheterocycloalkenyl , heteroarylalkylcycloalkyl , heteroarylalkylheterocycloalkenyl , heteroarylheteroalkylcycloalkyl , heteroarylheteroalkylcycloalkenyl and heteroarylheteroalkylheterocycloalkyl groups , the cyclic groups being saturated or mono -, di - or tri - unsaturated . specific examples are a tetrahydroisoquinolinyl , benzoyl , 2 - or 3 - ethylindolyl , 4 - methylpyridino , 2 -, 3 - or 4 - methoxyphenyl , 4 - ethoxyphenyl , 2 -, 3 - or 4 - carboxyphenylalkyl group . as already stated above , the expressions cycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , alkylcycloalkyl , heteroalkylcycloalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , aralkyl and heteroaralkyl also refer to groups in which one or more hydrogen atoms of such groups have been replaced by fluorine , chlorine , bromine or iodine atoms or by oh , sh , ═ s , nh 2 , n 3 or no 2 groups . the expression “ optionally substituted ” especially refers to groups in which one , two , three or more hydrogen atoms have been replaced by fluorine , chlorine , bromine or iodine atoms or by oh , ═ o , sh , nh 2 , ═ nh , n 3 or no 2 groups . this expression refers furthermore to groups that are substituted by one , two , three or more unsubstituted c 1 - c 6 alkyl , c 2 - c 6 alkenyl , c 2 - c 6 alkynyl , c 1 - c 6 heteroalkyl , c 3 - c 10 cycloalkyl , c 2 - c 9 heterocycloalkyl , c 6 - c 10 aryl , c 1 - c 9 heteroaryl , c 7 - c 12 aralkyl or c 2 - c 11 heteroaralkyl groups . preferred substituents are f , cl , br , me , ome , cn or cf 3 . preferably , all alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , heteroalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , cycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , alkylcycloalkyl , heteroalkylcycloalkyl , aralkyl and heteroaralkyl groups described herein may optionally be substituted , preferred are compounds of formula ( i ) wherein the radicals r 5 and r 6 together are part of an optionally substituted heterocycloalkyl , heteroalkylcycloalkyl , heteroaryl or heteroarylalkyl ring system , and / or wherein r 2 and r 3 together are part of an optionally substituted cycloalkyl , alkylcycloalkyl , heteroalkylcycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , aralkyl or heteroaralkyl ring system . preferred are compounds of formula ( i ) wherein x is sulphur , oxygen , nh , ch 2 , so , so 2 , especially sulphur . further preferred are compounds of formula ( i ) wherein y is a group of formula conr 6 . further preferred are compounds of formula ( i ) wherein n is 0 or 1 , especially 1 . further preferred are compounds of formula ( i ) wherein r 7 is hydrogen . moreover preferred are compounds of formula ( i ) wherein r 8 is hydrogen . r 1 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , heteroalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , cycloalkyl , alkylcycloalkyl , heteroalkylcycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , aralkyl or heteroaralkyl radical ; r 2 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , heteroalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , cycloalkyl , alkylcycloalkyl , heteroalkylcycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , aralkyl or heteroaralkyl radical ; r 3 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , heteroalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , cycloalkyl , alkylcycloalkyl , heteroalkylcycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , aralkyl or heteroaralkyl radical ; r 4 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , heteroalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , cycloalkyl , alkylcycloalkyl , heteroalkylcycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , aralkyl or heteroaralkyl radical ; r 5 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , heteroalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , cycloalkyl , alkylcycloalkyl , heteroalkylcycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , aralkyl or heteroaralkyl radical ; r 6 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , heteroalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , cycloalkyl , alkylcycloalkyl , heteroalkyleycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , aralkyl or heteroaralkyl radical ; or the radicals r 5 and r 6 together are part of an optionally substituted heterocycloalkyl , heteroalkylcycloalkyl , heteroaryl or heteroarylalkyl ring system , and / or r 2 and r 3 together are part of an optionally substituted cycloalkyl , alkylcycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , heteroalkylcycloalkyl , aralkyl or heteroaralkyl ring system ; further preferred are compounds of formula ( i ) or ( ia ), wherein r 1 is a cycloalkyl , alkylcycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , heteroalkylcycloalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , aralkyl or heteroaralkyl radical . further preferred are compounds of formula ( i ) or ( ia ), wherein r 1 is an aryl , heteroaryl , aralkyl or heteroaralkyl radical . further preferred are compounds of formula ( i ) or ( ia ), wherein r 1 is a group of formula - a - ar or - a - cy ( especially - a - ar ) wherein a is a bond , c 1 - c 4 alkyl ( especially a bond , ch 2 or ch ( ch 3 )) or c 1 - c 6 heteroalkyl ( e . g . ch ( ch 2 n ( ch 3 ) 2 )), or wherein a is a group of formula — chr 1a — wherein r 1a is a c 1 - c 6 heteroalkyl group , cy is an optionally substituted c 3 - c 7 cycloalkyl group or an optionally substituted heterocycloalkyl group containing from 3 to 7 ring atoms and ar is an optionally substituted ( e . g . by 1 , 2 or 3 substituents ) phenyl ring or an optionally substituted ( e . g . by 1 , 2 or 3 substituents ) heteroaryl ring containing 5 or 6 ring atoms ( especially including from 1 to 3 heteroatoms selected from o , s and n ), especially preferably ar is an optionally substituted phenyl or an optionally substituted pyridyl residue ( e . g . a 4 - bromobenzyl residue ). preferred substituents are f , cl , br , cn , ch 3 , och 3 and cf 3 . further preferred are compounds of formula ( i ) or ( ia ), wherein r 1 is a group of formula - a - ar wherein a is a bond or c 1 - c 4 alkyl ( especially a bond , ch 2 or chch 3 ) and ar is an optionally substituted ( e . g . by 1 , 2 or 3 substituents ) phenyl ring or an optionally substituted ( e . g . by 1 , 2 or 3 substituents ) heteroaryl ring containing 5 or 6 ring atoms ( especially containing from 1 to 3 heteroatoms selected from o , s and n ), especially preferably ar is an optionally substituted phenyl or an optionally substituted pyridyl residue ( e . g . a 4 - bromobenzyl residue ). especially preferably , r 1 is a group of formula - a - phenyl ( especially — ch 2 - phenyl ) which is optionally substituted , preferably by one or two halogen atoms selected from f , cl and br and wherein a is preferrably a group of formula — chr 1a — wherein r 1a is a c 1 - c 6 heteroalkyl group ( e . g . cooh , ch 2 cooh ) further preferred , r 1 is cyclopropylmethyl , picolyl , phenylbenzyl or phenoxybenzyl , all of which may optionally be substituted . further preferred are compounds of formula ( i ) or ( ia ), wherein r 2 is hydrogen . further preferred are compounds of formula ( i ) or ( ia ), wherein r 3 is c 1 - c 6 alkyl , an aryl ( especially phenyl ), heteroaryl , aralkyl or heteroaralkyl residue , all of which may be substituted ( e . g . by 1 , 2 or 3 substituents ). especially preferably , r 3 is an optionally substituted phenyl group , an optionally substituted benzyl group or an optionally substituted heteroaryl residue having 1 or 2 rings and from 5 to 10 ring atoms ( especially 2 rings and a total of 9 ring atoms ) including 1 , 2 , 3 or 4 heteroatoms selected from o , s and n ( especially n ). preferred substituents are f , cl , br , c 1 - c 4 alkyl groups ( e . g . ch 3 ) and c 1 - c 6 heteroalkyl groups ( e . g . ch 2 so 3 − , ( ch 2 ) 5 nh 2 ). further preferred are compounds of formula ( i ) or ( ia ), wherein r 3 has the following structure wherein e is n or ch , r 3a is h , c 1 - c 6 alkyl or c 1 - c 6 heteroalkyl ( especially h or ch 3 ), r 3b is h , f , cl , br , ch 3 , och 3 or cf 3 and r 3c is h , f , cl , br , ch 3 , och 3 or cf 3 ( especially preferably , e is ch , r 3a is h , r 3b is cl and r 3c is h ). further preferred are compounds of formula ( i ) or ( ia ), wherein r 3 is an aryl ( especially phenyl ), heteroaryl , aralkyl or heteroaralkyl residue , all of which may be substituted ( e . g . by 1 , 2 or 3 substituents ); especially preferably , r 3 is an optionally substituted heteroaryl residue having 1 or 2 rings and from 5 to 10 ring atoms ( especially 2 rings and a total of 9 ring atoms ) including 1 , 2 , 3 or 4 heteroatoms selected from o , s and n ( especially n ). further preferred are compounds of formula ( i ) or ( ia ), wherein r 3 has the following structure wherein f is n or ch , r ia is h or ch 3 , r 3b is f , cl or br and r 3c is h , f , cl or br ( especially preferably , e is ch , r 3a is h , r 3b is c 1 and r rc is h ). further preferred , r 2 and r 3 together are part of an optionally substituted heterocycloalkyl or heteroaralkyl ring . moreover preferred , r 2 and r 3 together are part of a group having the following structure : further preferred are compounds of formula ( i ) or ( ia ), wherein r 4 is c 1 - c 6 alkyl , c 2 - c 6 alkenyl , optionally substituted c 1 - c 4 alkyl - c 3 - c 7 cycloalkyl , an optionally substituted phenyl ring , an optionally substituted benzyl group or an optionally substituted heteroaryl ring having 5 or 6 ring atoms including from 1 to 3 heteroatoms selected from o , s and n ( e . g . pyridyl ). especially preferably , r 4 is a phenyl ring which is substituted by 1 or 2 substituents , preferably selected from f , br , cl , i , no 2 , methyl or cyanide ( e . g . 4 - methylphenyl ), or an unsubstituted phenyl ring . moreover preferably , r 4 is phenyl or 4 - methylphenyl . further preferred are compounds of formula ( i ) or ( ia ), wherein r 4 is c 1 - c 6 alkyl or an optionally substituted phenyl ring or an optionally substituted heteroaryl ring having 5 or 6 ring atoms and containing from 1 to 3 heteroatoms selected from o , s and n . especially preferably , r 4 is a phenyl ring which is substituted by 1 or 2 substituents , preferably selected from f , br , cl , i , methyl or cyanide ( e . g . 4 - methylphenyl ). further preferred are compounds of formula ( i ) or ( ia ), wherein r 5 is an alkyl , heteroalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , heteroalkylcycloalkyl or heteroaralkyl group , all of which groups may be substituted . further preferred are compounds of formula ( i ) or ( ia ), wherein r 5 is selected from the following groups : c 1 - c 6 alkyl ; heteroalkyl containing 1 - 6 carbon atoms and 1 , 2 or 3 heteroatoms selected from o , s and n ; heteroalkylcycloalkyl comprising a c 1 - c 4 alkyl group or a c 1 - c 4 heteroalkyl group and an optionally substituted heterocycloalkyl group containing 5 or 6 ring atoms and 1 , 2 or 3 heteroatoms selected from o , s and n ; heteroaralkyl comprising a c 1 - c 4 alkyl group or a c 1 - c 4 heteroalkyl group and an optionally substituted heteroaryl group containing 5 or 6 ring atoms including 1 , 2 or 3 heteroatoms selected from o , s and n ; optionally substituted heteroaryl containing 5 or 6 ring atoms including 1 , 2 or 3 heteroatoms selected from o , s and n ; and optionally substituted heterocycloalkyl containing 5 or 6 ring atoms and 1 , 2 or 3 heteroatoms selected from o , s and n . further preferred are dimers of compounds of formulas ( i ) and / or ( ia ) that are linked via a heteroalkyl , heteroalkylcycloalkyl or a heteroaralkyl group , preferably via r 5 . further preferred are compounds of formula ( i ) or ( ia ), wherein r 5 is c 1 - c 6 alkyl ; heteroalkyl containing 1 - 6 carbon atoms and 1 , 2 or 3 heteroatoms selected from o , s , n ; heteroalkylcycloalkyl comprising a c 1 - c 4 alkyl group and an optionally substituted heterocycloalkyl group containing 5 or 6 ring atoms and 1 , 2 or 3 heteroatoms selected from o , s and n ; heteroaralkyl comprising a c 1 - c 4 alkyl group and an optionally substituted heteroaryl group containing 5 or 6 ring atoms and 1 , 2 or 3 heteroatoms selected from o , s and n . further preferred are compounds of formula ( i ) or ( ia ), wherein r 6 is hydrogen or c 1 - c 4 alkyl , especially hydrogen . further preferred are compounds of formula ( i ) or ( ia ), wherein r 5 and r 6 together with the nitrogen atom to which they are bound form an optionally substituted ( e . g . by 1 , 2 or 3 substituents ) heterocycloalkyl ring containing 4 , 5 , 6 or 7 ring atoms and 1 , 2 or 3 heteroatoms selected from o , s and n . moreover preferred , r 5 and r 6 together with the nitrogen atom to which they are bound form the following group : therein , m is 0 , 1 or 2 ; o is 0 , 1 or 2 ; the sum of m and o is preferably from 0 to 3 ; q is n — r 6x , cr 6y r 6z , c ═ o , — co — nr 6x —, — nr 6x — co — nr 6y —, — so 2 — nr 6x —, — so — nr 6x — or — o — co — nr 6x —, wherein r 6x , r 6y and r 6z independently from each other are a hydrogen atom , oh , nh 2 , sh or an alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , heteroalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , cycloalkyl , alkylcycloalkyl , heteroalkylcycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , aralkyl or heteroaralkyl radical . preferably , q is n — co — r 6a , nr 6b or chr 6c wherein r 6a is c 1 - c 6 alkyl , c 1 - c 6 heteroalkyl , nh 2 , optionally substituted phenyl or hydrogen ; r 6b is optionally substituted phenyl or optionally substituted heteroaryl containing 5 or 6 ring atoms including one or two heteroatoms selected from o , s or n ; r 6c is c 1 - c 6 heteroalkyl , nh 2 or oh . further preferred , q is n — co — nhr 6d , n — coor 6e , n — so 2 r 6f , n — so 2 nhr 6g , n — nhcor 6h , ch — nh 2 , ch — oh , ch — sh , ch — nh — cor 6i , co , conh , nhconh , so 2 nh , oconh , ch — cooh , ch — coor 6j , ch — cor 6k or ch — so 2 r 6l , wherein r 6d , r 6e , r 6f , r 6g , r 6h , r 6i , r 6j , r 6k and r 6l independently from each other are a hydrogen atom , oh , nh 2 , sh or an alkyl , alkenyl , alkynyl , heteroalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , cycloalkyl , alkylcycloalkyl , heteroalkylcycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , aralkyl or heteroaralkyl radical , especially hydrogen or a c 1 - c 6 alkyl group or a c 1 - c 6 heteroalkyl group . preferably , q is n — co — r 6a wherein r 6a is preferably nh 2 , c 1 - c 6 alkyl , nh — c 1 - c 6 alkyl or n ( c 1 - c 6 alkyl ) 2 . further preferrably , group q contains a hydrogen bond acceptor ( especially an atom or group having a lone electron pair like e . g . an electronegative atom such as fluorine , oxygen , or nitrogen ). especially preferably , m is 1 , o is 1 and q is n — co — r 6a . thereby r 6a is preferably c 1 - c 4 alkyl or nh — c 1 - c 4 alkyl ( e . g . ch 3 or nhch 2 ch 3 ). especially preferred are compounds of formula ( i ) or ( ia ), wherein r 5 and r 6 together are part of an optionally substituted ( e . g . by 1 , 2 or 3 substituents like e . g . ═ o ) piperazine ring . further preferred are compounds of formula ( i ) or ( ia ), wherein r 5 and r 6 together are part of an optionally substituted ( e . g . by 1 , 2 or 3 substituents ) heterocycloalkyl ring containing 5 or 6 ring atoms and 1 , 2 or 3 heteroatoms selected from o , s and n wherein w is an optionally substituted phenyl ring or an optionally substituted heteroaryl group having 5 or 6 ring atoms including 1 or 2 heteroatoms selected from o , s and n ; and wherein r 1 , r 1a , r 4 , r 5 , r 7 , r 8 , e , x , y and n are defined as above . especially preferred are compounds of formula ( ie ) wherein w is an optionally substituted phenyl ring ( preferably substituted by 1 , 2 or 3 halogen atoms selected from f , cl and br ); r 1 is an optionally substituted benzyl group ( preferably substituted by 1 , 2 or 3 halogen atoms selected from f , cl and br ); x is s ; y is conr 6 ; n is 1 ; r 3a is hydrogen ; r 4 is an optionally substituted phenyl group ( preferably unsubstituted or substituted by a methyl group , especially in the para position ); r 7 and r 8 are hydrogen ; e is ch ; and r 5 and r 6 are defined as above ; especially preferably , r 5 and r 6 together are part of an optionally substituted piperazine ring ( especially as defined above ). wherein r 1 , r 3a , r 3b , r 3c , r 4 , r 5 , r 6 , e and x are defined as above . especially preferred are compounds of formula ( id ) wherein r 1 is an optionally substituted benzyl group ( preferably substituted by 1 , 2 or 3 halogen atoms selected from f , cl and br ); x is s ; r 3a is hydrogen ; r 3b is cl ; r 3c is hydrogen , r 4 is an optionally substituted phenyl group ( preferably unsubstituted or substituted by a methyl group , especially in the para position ); e is ch ; and r 5 and r 6 are defined as above ; especially preferably , r 5 and r 6 together are part of an optionally substituted piperazine ring ( especially as defined above ). wherein r 1 , r 3a , r 3b , r 3c , r 4 , e , q , m , o and x are defined as above . especially preferred are compounds of formula ( ie ) wherein r 1 is an optionally substituted benzyl group ( preferably substituted by 1 , 2 or 3 halogen atoms selected from f , cl and br ); x is s ; r 3a is hydrogen ; r 3b is cl ; r 3c is hydrogen , r 4 is an optionally substituted phenyl group ( preferably unsubstituted or substituted by a methyl group , especially in the para position ); e is ch ; q is n — co — r 6a wherein r 6a is preferably c 1 - c 6 alkyl , nh — c 1 - c 6 alkyl or n ( c 1 - c 6 alkyl ) 2 ; m is 0 , 1 or 2 ; o is 0 , 1 or 2 ; and the sum of m and o is preferably from 0 to 3 . especially preferably , m is 1 , o is 1 and q is n — co — r 6a , wherein r 6a is preferably c 1 - c 4 alkyl or nh — c 1 - c 4 alkyl ( e . g . ch 3 or nhch 2 ch 3 ). wherein a , ar , r 3a , r 3b , r 3c , e , x , r 4a and r 6a are defined as above . especially preferred are compounds of formula ( if ) wherein x is s ; r 3a is hydrogen ; r 3b is cl ; r 3c is hydrogen , r 4a is hydrogen or a methyl group ; e is ch ; a is ch 2 ; ar is phenyl which is substituted by one or two halogen atoms selected from f , cl and br ; and r 6a is c 1 - c 4 alkyl or nh — c 1 - c 4 alkyl ( e . g . ch 3 or nhch 2 ch 3 ). a further preferred embodiment of the present invention relates to compounds of formula ( i ) or ( ia ), wherein r 1 is aryl , heteroaryl , arylalkyl or heteroarylalkyl , all of which may be substituted by f , br , cl , 1 , methyl or cyanide , r 3 is aryl , heteroaryl , arylalkyl or heteroarylalkyl , all of which may be substituted by f , br , cl , 1 , methyl or cyanide , r 5 and r 6 are independently selected from hydrogen , alkyl , heteroalkyl , aryl , alkenyl , akinyl , cycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , arylalkyl or heteroarylalkyl , or wherein r 5 and r 6 may be part of one heteroaryl , heterocycloalkyl , heteroalkylcycloalkyl or heteroarylalkyl ring system , a further preferred embodiment of the present invention relates to compounds of formula ( i ) or ( ia ), wherein r 1 is aryl , heteroaryl , arylalkyl or heteroarylalkyl , all of which may be substituted by f , br , cl , 1 , methyl or cyanide , r 2 and r 3 together are part of a heteroaryl , heteroaralkyl , heterocycloalkyl or heteroalkylcycloalkyl ring system such as but not restricted to 1 , 3 - dihydroindole , dihydro - indol - 2 - one , 2 , 3 - dihydro - 1h - indazole , tetrahydro - quinoline , tetrahydro - quinoline - 2 - one , 3 , 4 - dihydro - 1h - quinolin - 2 - one , 3 , 4 - dihydro - 1h - quinazolin - 2 - one , all of which may be substituted by f , br , cl , i , methyl or cyanide , r 4 is selected from aryl , heteroaryl , arylalkyl or heteroarylalkyl , r 5 and r 6 are independently selected from hydrogen , alkyl , heteroalkyl , aryl , alkenyl , akinyl , cycloalkyl , heterocycloalkyl , aryl , heteroaryl , arylalkyl or heteroarylalkyl , or wherein r 5 and r 6 may also be part of one heteroaryl , heterocycloalkyl , heteroalkylcycloalkyl or heteroarylalkyl ring system , a further preferred embodiment of the present invention relates to compounds of formula ( i ), ( ia ), ( ic ), ( id ), ( ie ) or ( if ), wherein r 3 and the sulfanyl group ( i . e . the group carrying x ) bearing the r 4 group are in cis position ( especially when r 2 is h ). an especially preferred embodiment are enantiomerically pure compounds of formula ( i ), ( ia ), ( ic ), ( id ), ( ie ) or ( if ). 1 . ng et al . angew . chem . int . ed . 2007 , 46 , 5352 - 5355 and 2 . ng et al . organic letters 2006 , vol . 8 , no . 18 , 3999 - 4002 ( and supporting information thereof ) are excluded from the scope of the present application and / or patent . further preferred , one or more of the following compounds are excluded from the present application and / or patent : further preferred , also the following compounds are excluded from the present application and / or patent : wherein r 3 is p - c 6 h 5 ch 2 oh ( or a derivative thereof which is bound to the solid phase as described in ng et al . angew . chem . int . ed . 2007 , 46 , 5352 - 5355 ), r 1 is selected from the following groups : r 4 is para - c 6 h 5 ch 3 and r 5 is selected from the following groups : all those compounds are described in ng et al . angew . chem ., int . ed . 2007 , 46 , 5352 - 5355 . further preferred , compounds of formula ( i ) or ( ia ) are excluded wherein r 3 is p - c 6 h 5 ch 2 oh ( or a derivative thereof which is bound to the solid phase as described in ng et al . angew . chem . int . ed . 2007 , 46 , 5352 - 5355 ). further preferred , also the following compounds are excluded from the present application and / or patent ( x ═ h , i ): the present invention further provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising a compound of formula ( i ), ( ia ), ( ic ), ( id ), ( ie ) or ( if ) as defined herein or a pharmaceutically acceptable ester , prodrug , hydrate , solvate or salt thereof , optionally in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier . a further preferred embodiment of the present invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising one or more compounds of formula ( i ), ( ia ), ( ic ), ( id ), ( ie ) or ( if ) as defined herein or a pharmaceutically acceptable ester , prodrug , hydrate , solvate or salt thereof , optionally in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier , further comprising one or more other anti - tumor agents , wherein the anti - tumor agent is especially selected from 16 - aza - epothilone b , aldesleukin , amifostine , aranose , bevacizumab , bleocin , bleomycin , bms - 184476 , bortezomib , calcitriol , carmustine , canertinib , canfosfamide , capecitabine , carboplatin , carmustine , cefixime , ceftriaxone , celecoxib , celmoleukin , cetuximab , ciclosporin , cisplatin , clodronate , cyclophosphamide , cytarabine , deoxorubicin , desoxyepothilone b , diethylstilbestrol , diflomotecan , docetaxel , doxorubicin , edatrexate , efaproxiral , ekb - 569 , epirubicin , epratuzumab , erlotinib , etoposide , et - 18 - och3 , exatecan , fludarabine , fluorouracil , folinic acid , galarubicin , gefinitib , gemcitabine , gemtuzumab , gimatecan , glufosfamide , granisetron , homoharringtonine , hyaluronic acid , ibandronate , ibritumomab , ifosfamide , imatinib , interferon alfa , interferon alfa - 2a , interferon alfa - 2b , irinotecan , isoflavone , isotretinoin , ixabepilone , ketoconazole , lapatinib , leflunomide , lenograstim , leucovorin , lexidronam , linezolid , lometrexol , lurtotecan , men10755 , methotrexate , mitomycin , neridronate , nimesulide , nitroglycerin , 06 - benzyl guanine , omeprazole , ortataxel , oxaliplatin , paclitaxel , patupilone , pegfilgrastim , peg - filgrastim , pelitinib , pemetrexed , pentostatin , perifosine , plevitrexed , polyprenoic acid , quinupristin , raloxifene , raltitrexed , ramosetron , retinoic acid , risedroante , rituximab , rofecoxib , rubitecan , s - 9788 , sabarubicin , sargramostim , satraplatin , sn - 38 , sorafenib , suberanilohydroxamic acid , sutent , tamoxifen , taxotere , tazarotene , tegafur , temozolamide , tesmilifene , tetrodotoxin , thalidomide , tipifarnib , topotecan , trabectedin , trastuzumab , traszutumab , tretinoin , vatalanib , vincristine , vinorelbine , vinscristine , zd - 6474 , zoledronate or zosuquidar . in a preferred embodiment , the compounds of the present invention sensibilize cancer cells for radio and / or chemotherapy whereas they display chemoprotective and / or radioprotective activity on healthy cells . thereby the dosage of these therapies can be better adjusted . a further preferred embodiment of the present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition comprising one or more compounds of formula ( i ), ( ia ), ( ic ), ( id ), ( ie ) or ( if ) as defined herein or one or more pharmaceutically acceptable esters , prodrugs , hydrates , solvates or salts thereof , optionally in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier . the pharmaceutical composition optionally comprises one or more antiviral agents . preferably , the antiviral agent is selected from 3tc , abacavir , adefovir dipivoxil , acyclovir , amprenavir , amantadine , amoxovir , azt , clevudine , delavirdine , d4t , emtricitabine , entecavir , famciclovir , ganciclovir , indinavir , lamivudine , nelfinavir , nevirapine , oseltamavir , rimantadine , ritonavir , saquinavir , septrin , telbivudine , tenofovir , valacyclovir , valtorcitabine , valopicitabine or zanamivir . it is a further object of the present invention to provide a compound of formula ( i ), ( ia ), ( ic ), ( id ), ( ie ) or ( if ) as defined herein or a pharmaceutical composition as defined herein for the preparation of a medicament for the treatment of cancer and / or viral infections the compounds selected from formula ( i ), ( ia ), ( ic ), ( id ), ( ie ) or ( if ) of the present invention are e . g . hdm2 and / or mdmx ligands and show binding affinities from about 1 nm to about 100 μm to hdm2 and / or mdmx , preferably from about 1 nm to about 10 μm , especially to about 1 μm , preventing binding of p53 and other proteins , inhibition of proliferation and induction of apoptosis in cell based assays , especially in the assays described herein . the compounds of the present invention are useful in the treatment or control of cell proliferative disorders , in particular oncological disorders . these compounds and formulations containing said compounds are useful in the treatment or control of solid tumors , such as , for example , breast , colon , lung and prostate tumors , as well as osteosarcoma , acute myeloid leukaemia , sporadic endometrial cancer , melanoma , malignant melanoma , soft tissue sarcoma , b - cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia , gastric cancers , cervical cancer , hepatocellular carcinoma , and colorectal cancer . the compounds described herein are especially useful for the treatment and / or prevention of cancers associated with overexpression of hdm2 and / or mdmx . accordingly the compounds of the present invention are especially useful for the treatment and / or prevention of the following cancers associated with mdm2 and / or mdmx : mdm2 is amplified in 7 % of all human cancers . gene amplification was observed in 19 tumor types , with the highest frequency observed in soft tissue tumors ( 20 %), osteosarcomas ( 16 %) and esophageal carcinomas ( 13 %). tumors which showed a higher incidence of mdm2 amplification than p53 mutation were soft tissue tumors , testicular germ cell cancers and neuro - blastomas ( momand et al , nar , 1998 ). naturally occurring polymorphism ( snp309 ) occurring within the mdm2 promoter leads to an increase in mdm2 transcription and translation . the overall frequency of mdm2 amplification in these human tumors was 7 %. it is a common event in hematological malignancies . a list of cancers with a wild type of p53 gene that is sensitive to mdm2 inhibitors includes : b - cell cll ( chronic lymphocytic leukemia ) ( coll - muler et al , blood , 2006 ), aml ( kojima et al , blood , 2005 ), multiple myeloma ( shruhmer et al , blood , 2005 ), neuroblastoma ( cattelani et al , ccr , 2008 ), hodgkin lymphoma ( drakos et al , ccr , 2007 ), osteosarcoma and prostate cancer ( vassilev et al , science , 2004 ), kaposi &# 39 ; s sarcoma ( sarek , j . clinic , invest ., 2007 ), rhabdomyosarcoma ( miyachi et al , ccr , 2009 ), rcc ( renal cell carcinoma ) ( roberts et al , cr , 2009 ), squamous cell carcinoma and esophageal cancers ( cescon et al , ccr , 2009 ), cutaneous melanoma ( firoz et al , ccr , 2009 ), retinoblastoma ( laurie et al , nature , 2006 ). there are evidences that pancreatic cancer with wild type p53 gene could be sensitive to mdm2 inhibitors as well ( submitted for publication ). c soft tissue tumors that did not fall into the listed classes . the number of samples was less than five in any individual class . human mdmx gene maps in chromosomal region 1q32 , which is frequently amplified in human cancers . it has been documented in 4 % of gliomas ( riemenschneider , c r 1999 ) and 5 % breast cancers ( danovi et al , mcb , 2004 ). recently , ˜ 60 % of retinoblastomas ( laurie , nature 2006 ) have been found to bear hdmx overexpression . moreover , hdmx gene was found overexpressed in a large subset of cervical and ovarian cancer cell lines ( ramos , c r 2001 ). a systemic analysis of hdmx expression in primary tumors of different origins revealed broad spectrum of human cancers with hdmx overexpression a therapeutically effective amount of a compound in accordance with this invention means an amount of compound that is effective to prevent , alleviate or ameliorate symptoms of disease or prolong the survival of the subject being treated . determination of a therapeutically effective amount is within the skill in the art . the therapeutically effective amount or dosage of a compound according to this invention can vary within wide limits and may be determined in a manner known in the art . such dosage may be adjusted to the individual requirements in each particular case including the specific compound being administered , the route of administration , the condition being treated , as well as the patient being treated . examples of pharmacologically acceptable salts of sufficiently basic compounds of formula ( i ), ( ia ), ( ic ), ( id ), ( ie ) or ( if ) are salts of physiologically acceptable mineral acids like hydrochloric , hydrobromic , sulfuric and phosphoric acid ; or salts of organic acids like methanesulfonic , p - toluenesulfonic , lactic , acetic , trifluoroacetic , citric , succinic , fumaric , maleic and salicylic acid . further , a sufficiently acidic compound of formula ( i ), ( ia ), ( ic ), ( id ), ( ie ) or ( if ) may form alkali or earth alkali metal salts , for example sodium , potassium , lithium , calcium or magnesium salts ; ammonium salts ; or organic base salts , for example methylamine , dimethylamine , trimethylamine , triethylamine , ethylenediamine , ethanolamine , choline hydroxide , meglumin , piperidine , morpholine , tris -( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) amine , lysine or arginine salts ; all of which are also further examples of salts of formula ( i ), ( ia ), ( ic ), ( id ), ( ie ) or ( if ). compounds of formula ( i ), ( ia ), ( ic ), ( id ), ( ie ) or ( if ) may be solvated , especially hydrated . the hydratization / hydration may occur during the process of production or as a consequence of the hygroscopic nature of the initially water free compounds of formula ( i ), ( ia ), ( ic ), ( id ), ( ie ) or ( if ). the solvates and / or hydrates may e . g . be present in solid or liquid form . it should be appreciated that certain compounds of formula ( i ), ( ia ), ( ic ), ( id ), ( ic ) or ( if ) may have tautomeric forms from which only one might be specifically mentioned or depicted in the following description , different geometrical isomers ( which are usually denoted as cis / trans isomers or more generally as ( e ) and ( z ) isomers ) or different optical isomers as a result of one or more chiral carbon atoms ( which are usually nomenclatured under the cahn - ingold - prelog or r / s system ). all these tautomeric forms , geometrical or optical isomers ( as well as racemates and diastereomers ) and polymorphous forms are included in the invention . since the compounds of formula ( i ), ( ia ), ( ic ), ( id ), ( ie ) or ( if ) may contain asymmetric c - atoms , they may be present either as achiral compounds , mixtures of diastereomers , mixtures of enantiomers or as optically pure compounds . the present invention comprises both all pure enantiomers and all pure diastereomers , and also the mixtures thereof in any mixing ratio . the therapeutic use of compounds according to formula ( i ), ( ia ), ( ic ), ( id ), ( ie ) or ( if ), their pharmacologically acceptable salts , solvates and hydrates , respectively , as well as formulations and pharmaceutical compositions also lie within the scope of the present invention . the pharmaceutical compositions according to the present invention comprise at least one compound of formula ( i ), ( ia ), ( ic ), ( id ), ( ie ) or ( if ) as an active ingredient and , optionally , carrier substances and / or adjuvants . the present invention also relates to pro - drugs which are composed of a compound of formula ( i ), ( ia ), ( ic ), ( id ), ( ie ) or ( if ) and at least one pharmacologically acceptable protective group which will be cleaved off under physiological conditions , such as an alkoxy -, arylalkyloxy -, acyl -, acyloxymethyl group ( e . g . pivaloyloxymethyl ), an 2 - alkyl -, 2 - aryl - or 2 - arylalkyl - oxycarbonyl - 2 - alkylidene ethyl group or an acyloxy group as defined herein , e . g . ethoxy , benzyloxy , acetyl or acetyloxy or , especially for a compound of formula ( i ), ( ia ), ( ic ), ( id ), ( ie ) or ( if ), carrying a hydroxy group (— oh ): a sulfate , a phosphate (— opo 3 or — och 2 opo 3 ) or an ester of an amino acid . especially preferred are pro - drugs of the hydroxy group of a compound of formula ( i ), ( ia ), ( ic ), ( id ), ( ie ) or ( if ). as mentioned above , therapeutically useful agents that contain compounds of formula ( i ), ( ia ), ( ic ), ( id ), ( ie ) or ( if ), their solvates , salts or formulations are also comprised in the scope of the present invention . in general , compounds of formula ( i ), ( ia ), ( ic ), ( id ), ( ie ) or ( if ) will be administered by using the known and acceptable modes known in the art , either alone or in combination with any other therapeutic agent . for oral administration such therapeutically useful agents can be administered by one of the following routes : oral , e . g . as tablets , dragees , coated tablets , pills , semisolids , soft or hard capsules , for example soft and hard gelatine capsules , aqueous or oily solutions , emulsions , suspensions or syrups , parenteral including intravenous , intramuscular and subcutaneous injection , e . g . as an injectable solution or suspension , rectal as suppositories , by inhalation or insufflation , e . g . as a powder formulation , as microcrystals or as a spray ( e . g . liquid aerosol ), transdential , for example via an transdermal delivery system ( tds ) such as a plaster containing the active ingredient or intranasal . for the production of such tablets , pills , semisolids , coated tablets , dragees and hard , e . g . gelatine , capsules the therapeutically useful product may be mixed with pharmaceutically inert , inorganic or organic excipients as are e . g . lactose , sucrose , glucose , gelatine , malt , silica gel , starch or derivatives thereof , talc , stearinic acid or their salts , dried skim milk , and the like . for the production of soft capsules one may use excipients as are e . g . vegetable , petroleum , animal or synthetic oils , wax , fat , polyols . for the production of liquid solutions , emulsions or suspensions or syrups one may use as excipients e . g . water , alcohols , aqueous saline , aqueous dextrose , polyols , glycerin , lipids , phospholipids , cyclodextrins , vegetable , petroleum , animal or synthetic oils . especially preferred are lipids and more preferred are phospholipids ( preferred of natural origin ; especially preferred with a particle size between 300 to 350 nm ) preferred in phosphate buffered saline ( ph = 7 to 8 , preferred 7 . 4 ). for suppositories one may use excipients as are e . g . vegetable , petroleum , animal or synthetic oils , wax , fat and polyols . for aerosol formulations one may use compressed gases suitable for this purpose , as are e . g . oxygen , nitrogen and carbon dioxide . the pharmaceutically useful agents may also contain additives for conservation , stabilization , e . g . uv stabilizers , emulsifiers , sweetener , aromatizers , salts to change the osmotic pressure , buffers , coating additives and antioxidants . in general , in the case of oral or parenteral administration to adult humans weighing approximately 80 kg , a daily dosage of about 10 mg to about 10 , 000 mg , preferably from about 20 mg to about 1 , 000 mg , should be appropriate , although the upper limit may be exceeded when indicated . the daily dosage can be administered as a single dose or in divided doses , or for parenteral administration , it may be given as continuous infusion or subcutaneous injection . the compounds of the present invention can be prepared according to the following procedure : the synthesis of the 4 - sulfanyl - pyrrolidin - 2 - one scaffold is based on a four - component reaction ( 4cr ) between a primary amine ( h ), an aldehyde or ketone ( iii ) with maleic anhydride ( iv ), and a thiol ( v ). the reaction is preferably performed in toluene at reflux with a stoichiometric amount of the starting materials , according to j . wei , j . t . shaw org . lett 2007 , 9 , 4077 . the resulting 4 - sulfanyl - pyrrolidin - 2 - one ( vi ) is formed in acceptable to good yields as a diastereoisomeric mixture . generally , the two diastereoisomers are separated and isolated by preparative hplc - chromatography . the final 4 - sulfanyl - pyrrolidin - 2 - one amide of formula ( i ), ( ia ), ( ic ), ( id ), ( ie ) or ( 10 was obtained via aminolysis using amine ( viii ) of the corresponding pentafluorophenyl esters of formula ( vii ) that were synthesized according to m . bodanszky , a . bodanszky . the practice of peptide synthesis 2nd edition , p 102 , springer - verlag berlin heidelberg new york ( 1994 ). these compounds of formula ( i ), ( ia ), ( ic ), ( id ), ( ie ) or ( if ) can be further modified such as the conversion into esters or salts from acids , salts from amines or by cleaving off protecting groups found in substituents r 1 to r 6 . further compounds of formula ( i ) wherein n is 0 can be prepared following the procedures described in : 1 ) m . r , linder , j . podlech , organic letters 2001 , vol . 3 , no . 12 , 1849 - 1851 ; 2 ) j . podlech , m . r . linder , j . org . chem . 1997 , 62 , 5873 - 5883 ; 3 ) j . cesar , m . soliner dolene , tetrahedron letters 42 ( 2001 ) 7099 - 7102 . the reaction procedures described herein may also be carried out in the presence of a chiral catalyst like e . g . proline - derived catalysts ( as e . g . described in www . organic - chemistry . org / highlights / 2007 / 25march . shtm ) in order to obtain the corresponding enantiomerically pure compounds . maleic anhydride ( iv , 1 mmol ), a thiol ( v , 1 mmol ), aldehyde or ketone ( iii , 1 mmol ) and amine ( ii , 1 mmol ) in toluene ( 8 ml ) were heated to 150 ° c . in a sealed tube for 24 hours , after cooled to room temperature , the solution was concentrated in vacuo . purification on silica gel using an eluent ( ethyl acetate : methanol = 9 : 1 to 1 : 1 ) yielded compounds of formula ( vi ) as a diastereoisomeric mixture . afterwards , the two diastereoisomers were separated by preparative hplc chromatography . preparative separations were usually performed with an acetonitrile - water eluent (+ 0 . 1 % formic acid ) on a rp polaris c18 column ( length : 250 mm , diameter : 21 mm ; particle size : 5 μm ). generally , good separations were observed ( retention times of the two cis / trans diasteroisomers differed by 1 to 2 minutes ) by using isocratic systems ( 70 % acetonitrile : 30 % water ). to a suspension of 1 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropyl )- 3 - ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride edci ( 1 . 5 mmol ) in 8 ml ethyl acetate was added pentafluorophenol ( 3 mmol ) at 0 ° c . after 10 minutes , 5 - oxo - pyrrolidine - 3 - carboxylic acid vi ( 1 mmol ) was added at 0 ° c . and the reaction mixture was stirred for 1 hour at room temperature . after evaporation of the solvent , the crude product was purified by chromatography on silica gel ( ethyl acetate : hexane = 1 : 2 ) to yield the corresponding 5 - oxo - pyrrolidine - 3 - carboxylic acid pentafluorophenyl ester vii as a colourless oil . to a suspension of 5 - oxo - pyrrolidine - 3 - carboxylic acid pentafluorophenyl ester vii ( 0 . 5 mmol ) in 2 ml dry thf was added the desired amine viii ( 0 . 5 mmol ) at room temperature . the reaction mixture was stirred for 1 hour at room temperature . afterwards , 20 ml methylene chloride were added . the resulting organic layer was washed with 20 ml of a saturated aqueous solution of sodium hydrogencarbonate , dried over magnesium sulfate and the solvent was removed in vacuo . finally , the crude product was purified by chromatography on silica gel with a suitable eluent to afford the desired 5 - oxo - pyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide i as a white solid . according to the general procedure in example 1 , the following compounds were prepared : 2 . 1 cis - 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1 - methyl - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -[( 4 - chlorophenyl ) methyl ]- 3 -[( 4 - methylphenyl ) sulfanyl ]- 5 - oxo - n -( pyridin - 2 - ylmethyl ) pyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c34h30cl2n4o2s . molecular weight = 629 . 599 . [ m + h ] + observed = 629 . 1 . isolated yield 34 . 08 %. 2 . 2 trans - 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1 - methyl - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -[( 4 - chlorophenyl ) methyl ]- 3 -[( 4 - methylphenyl ) sulfanyl ]- 5 - oxo - n -( pyridin - 2 - ylmethyl ) pyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide , molecular formula = c34h30cl2n4o2s . molecular weight = 629 . 599 , [ m + h ] + observed = 629 . 1 . isolated yield 3 . 78 %. 2 . 3 trans - 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1 - methyl - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -[( 4 - chlorophenyl ) methyl ]- 3 -[( 4 - methylphenyl ) sulfanyl ]- 5 - oxo - n -( thiophen - 2 - ylmethyl ) pyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c33h29cl2n3o2s2 . molecular weight = 634 . 638 . [ m + h ] + observed = 656 . 0 . isolated yield 3 . 04 %. 2 . 4 cis - 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1 - methyl - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -[( 4 - chlorophenyl ) methyl ]- 3 -[( 4 - methylphenyl ) sulfanyl ]- 5 - oxo - n -( thiophen - 2 - ylmethyl ) pyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c33h29cl2n3o2s2 , molecular weight = 634 . 638 . [ m + na ] + observed = 656 . 0 . isolated yield 27 . 34 %. 2 . 5 trans - 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1 - methyl - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 3 -[( 4 - methylphenyl ) sulfanyl ]- 5 - oxo - n -( pyridin - 2 - ylmethyl ) pyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c33h28cl2n4o2s , molecular weight = 615 . 572 . [ m + h ] + observed = 615 . 1 . isolated yield 2 . 78 %. 2 . 6 cis - 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1 - methyl - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 3 -[( 4 - methylphenyl ) sulfanyl ]- 5 - oxo - n -( pyridin - 2 - ylmethyl ) pyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c33h28cl2n4o2s . molecular weight = 615 . 572 , [ m + h ] + observed = 615 . 1 . isolated yield 25 . 06 %. 2 . 7 cis - 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -[( 4 - chlorophenyl ) methyl ]- 3 -[( 4 - methylphenyl ) sulfanyl ]- 5 - oxo - n -( pyridin - 2 - ylmethyl ) pyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c33h28cl2n4o2s . molecular weight = 615 . 572 . [ m + h ] + observed = 615 . 2 . isolated yield 12 . 50 %. 2 . 8 trans - 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -[( 4 - chlorophenyl ) methyl ]- 3 -[( 4 - methylphenyl ) sulfanyl ]- 5 - oxo - n -( pyridin - 2 - ylmethyl ) pyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c33h28cl2n4o2s , molecular weight = 615 . 572 . [ m + h ] + observed = 615 . 2 , isolated yield 4 . 56 %. 2 . 9 trans - 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -[( 4 - chlorophenyl ) methyl ]- n -[ 3 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) propyl ]- 5 - oxo - 3 -( phenylsulfanyl ) pyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c33h34cl2n4o3s . molecular weight = 637 . 619 . [ m + h ] + observed = 637 . 2 . isolated yield 7 . 30 %. 2 . 10 cis - 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -[( 4 - chlorophenyl ) methyl ]- n -[ 3 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) propyl ]- 5 - oxo - 3 -( phenylsulfanyl ) pyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c33h34cl2n4o3s . molecular weight = 637 . 619 . [ m + h ] + observed = 637 . 2 . isolated yield 7 . 18 %. 2 . 11 trans - 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -[( 4 - chloro - 2 - methylphenyl ) methyl ]- n -[ 3 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) propyl ]- 5 - oxo - 3 -( phenylsulfanyl ) pyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide , molecular formula = c34h36o2n4o3s . molecular weight = 651 . 646 . [ m + h ] + observed = 651 . 2 . isolated yield 5 . 18 %. 2 . 12 cis - 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -[( 4 - chloro - 2 - methylphenyl ) methyl ]- n -[ 3 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) propyl ]- 5 - oxo - 3 -( phenylsulfanyl ) pyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c34h36cl2n4o3s . molecular weight = 651 . 646 . [ m + h ] + observed = 651 . 2 . isolated yield 7 . 74 %. 2 . 13 trans - 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -[( 3 - chlorophenyl ) methyl ]- n -[ 3 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) propyl ]- 5 - oxo - 3 -( phenylsulfanyl ) pyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c33h34cl2n4o3s . molecular weight = 637 . 619 . [ m + h ] + observed = 637 . 2 . isolated yield 2 . 82 %. 2 . 14 cis - 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -[( 3 - chlorophenyl ) methyl ]- n -[ 3 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) propyl ]- 5 - oxo - 3 -( phenylsulfanyl ) pyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c33h34cl2n4o3s . molecular weight 637 . 619 . [ m + h ] + observed = 637 . 2 . isolated yield 3 . 81 %. 2 . 15 trans - 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -[( 1r )- 1 -( 4 - chlorophenyl ) ethyl ]- n -[ 3 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) propyl ]- 5 - oxo - 3 -( phenylsulfanyl ) pyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula c34h 36 cl 2 n4o3s , molecular weight = 651 . 646 . [ m + h ] + observed = 651 . 2 . isolated yield 2 . 65 %. 2 . 16 cis - 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -[( 1r )- 1 -( 4 - chlorophenyl ) ethyl ]- n -[ 3 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) propyl ]- 5 - oxo - 3 -( phenylsulfanyl ) pyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c34h36cl2n4o3s . molecular weight = 651 . 646 . [ m + h ] + observed = 651 . 2 . isolated yield 1 . 36 %. 2 . 17 trans - 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -[( 4 - chlorophenyl ) triethyl ]- 3 -[( 4 - chlorophenyl ) sulfanyl ]- n -[ 3 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) propyl ]- 5 - oxopyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c33h33cl3n4o3s . molecular weight = 672 . 064 . [ m + h ] + observed = 671 . 1 . isolated yield 6 . 65 %. 2 . 18 cis - 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -[( 4 - chlorophenyl ) methyl ]- 3 -[( 4 - chlorophenyl ) sulfanyl ]- n -[ 3 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) propyl ]- 5 - oxopyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c33h 33 cl 3 n4o3s . molecular weight = 672 . 064 . [ m + h ] + observed = 673 . 1 . isolated yield 19 . 04 %. 2 . 19 trans - 1 - benzyl - 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- n -[ 3 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) propyl ]- 5 - oxo - 3 -( phenylsulfanyl ) pyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c33h35cln4o3s . molecular weight = 603 . 174 . [ m + h ] + observed = 603 . 0 , isolated yield 4 . 31 %. 2 . 20 cis - 1 - benzyl - 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- n -[ 3 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) propyl ]- 5 - oxo - 3 -( phenylsulfanyl ) pyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c33h35cln4o3s . molecular weight = 603 . 174 . [ m + h ] + observed = 603 . 0 . isolated yield 4 . 59 %. 2 . 21 trans - 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -[( 1s )- 1 -( 4 - chlorophenyl ) ethyl ]- n -[ 3 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) propyl ]- 5 - oxo - 3 -( phenylsulfanyl ) pyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c34h36cl2n4o3s . molecular weight = 651 . 646 . [ m + h ] + observed = 650 . 9 . isolated yield 4 . 91 %. 2 . 22 cis - 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -[( 1s )- 1 -( 4 - chlorophenyl ) ethyl ]- n -[ 3 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) propyl ]- 5 - oxo - 3 -( phenylsulfanyl ) pyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c34h36cl2n4o3s . molecular weight = 651 . 646 . [ m + h ] + observed = 651 . 0 . isolated yield 4 . 86 %. 2 . 23 trans - 2 -( 6 - bromo - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -[( 4 - chlorophenyl ) methyl ]- 3 -[( 4 - methylphenyl ) sulfanyl ]- n -[ 3 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) propyl ]- 5 - oxopyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c 34 h 36 brcln4o3s . molecular weight = 696 . 097 . [ m + h ] + observed = 697 . 1 . isolated yield 9 . 27 %. 2 . 24 cis - 2 -( 6 - bromo - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -[( 4 - chlorophenyl ) methyl ]- 3 -[( 4 - methylphenyl ) sulfanyl ]- n -[ 3 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) propyl ]- 5 - oxopyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c34h36brcln4o3s . molecular weight = 696 . 097 . [ m + h ] + observed = 697 . 0 . isolated yield 11 . 14 %. 2 . 25 trans - 2 -( 5 - bromo - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -[( 4 - chlorophenyl ) methyl ]- n -[ 3 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) propyl ]- 5 - oxo - 3 -( phenylsulfanyl ) pyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c33h34brcln4o3s . molecular weight = 682 . 07 . [ m + h ] + observed 682 . 9 . isolated yield 3 . 71 %. 2 . 26 cis - 2 -( 5 - bromo - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -[( 4 - chlorophenyl ) methyl ]- n -[ 3 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) propyl ]- 5 - oxo - 3 -( phenylsulfanyl ) pyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c33h34brcln4o3s , molecular weight = 682 . 07 . [ m + h ] + observed = 682 . 8 . isolated yield 4 . 65 %. 2 . 27 cis - 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -[( 6 - chloropyridin - 3 - yl ) methyl ]- n -[ 3 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) propyl ]- 5 - oxo - 3 -( phenylsulfanyl ) pyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c32h33cl2n5o3s . molecular weight = 638 . 607 , [ m + h ] + observed = 638 . 0 . isolated yield 3 . 76 %. 2 . 28 trans - 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -[( 6 - chloropyridin - 3 - yl ) methyl ]- n -[ 3 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) propyl ]- 5 - oxo - 3 -( phenylsulfanyl ) pyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula c32h33cl2n5o3s . molecular weight = 638 . 607 . isolated yield 2 . 29 trans - 4 -{[ 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -[( 1s )- 1 -( 4 - chlorophenyl ) ethyl ]- 5 - oxo - 3 -( phenylsulfanyl ) pyrrolidin - 3 - yl ] carbonyl } piperazin - 2 - one . molecular formula = c31h28cl2n4o3s . molecular weight = 607 . 55 . [ m + h ] + observed = 607 . 2 . isolated yield 4 . 44 %. 2 . 30 cis - 4 -{[ 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -[( 1s )- 1 -( 4 - chlorophenyl ) ethyl ]- 5 - oxo - 3 -( phenylsulfanyl ) pyrrolidin - 3 - yl ] carbonyl } piperazin - 2 - one . molecular formula = c31h28cl2n4o3s , molecular weight = 607 . 55 . [ m + h ] + observed = 607 . 2 . isolated yield 4 . 09 %. 2 . 31 trans - 4 -{[ 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -[( 1r )- 1 -( 4 - chlorophenyl ) ethyl ]- 5 - oxo - 3 -( phenylsulfanyl ) pyrrolidin - 3 - yl ] carbonyl } piperazin - 2 - one . molecular formula = c31h28cl2n4o3s . molecular weight = 607 . 55 . [ m + h ] + observed = 608 . 8 . isolated yield 2 . 62 %. 2 . 32 cis - 4 -{[ 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -[( 1r )- 1 -( 4 - chlorophenyl ) ethyl ]- 5 - oxo - 3 -( phenylsulfanyl ) pyrrolidin - 3 - yl ] carbonyl } piperazin - 2 - one . molecular formula = c33h34clfn4o3s . molecular weight = 607 . 55 . [ m + h ] + observed = 606 . 9 . isolated yield 1 . 89 %. 2 . 33 trans - 1 -[( 4 - chlorophenyl ) methyl ]- 2 -( 6 - fluoro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- n -[ 3 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) propyl ]- 5 - oxo - 3 -( phenylsulfanyl ) pyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c33h 34 clfn4o3s . molecular weight = 621 . 164 . [ m + h ] + observed = 621 . 0 . isolated yield 2 . 98 %. 2 . 34 cis - 1 -[( 4 - chlorophenyl ) methyl ]- 2 -( 6 - fluoro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- n -[ 3 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) propyl ]- 5 - oxo - 3 -( phenylsulfanyl ) pyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c33h 34 clfn4o3s . molecular weight = 621 . 164 . [ m + h ] + observed = 621 . 0 , isolated yield 4 . 72 %. 2 . 35 cis - 4 -{[ 2 -( 6 - bromo - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -[( 4 - chlorophenyl ) methyl ]- 3 -[( 4 - methylphenyl ) sulfanyl ]- 5 - oxopyrrolidin - 3 - yl ] carbonyl } piperazin - 2 - one . molecular formula = c31h28brcln4o3s . molecular weight = 652 . 001 . [ m + h ] + observed = 651 . 3 . isolated yield 8 . 00 %. 2 . 36 cis - 1 -[( 4 - bromophenyl ) methyl ]- 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 3 -[( 4 - methylphenyl ) sulfanyl ]- n -[ 3 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) propyl ]- 5 - oxopyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c34h36brcln4o3s . molecular weight = 696 . 097 . [ m + h ] + observed = 697 . 2 . isolated yield 8 . 39 %. 2 . 37 trans - 1 -[( 4 - bromophenyl ) methyl ]- 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 3 -[( 4 - methylphenyl ) sulfanyl ]- n -[ 3 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) propyl ]- 5 - oxopyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c34h36brcln4o3s . molecular weight = 696 . 097 . [ m + h ] + observed = 697 . 1 . isolated yield 3 . 45 %. 2 . 38 cis - 2 -( 6 - bromo - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -[( 4 - bromophenyl ) methyl ]- 3 -[( 4 - methylphenyl ) sulfanyl ]- n -[ 3 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) propyl ]- 5 - oxopyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c34h36br2n4o3s . molecular weight = 740 . 548 . [ m + h ] + observed = 740 . 5 . isolated yield 10 . 00 %. 2 . 39 cis - 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -[( 4 - chloro - 3 - fluorophenyl ) methyl ]- 3 -[( 4 - methylphenyl ) sulfanyl ]- n -[ 3 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) propyl ]- 5 - oxopyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c34h35cl2fn4o3s . molecular weight = 669 . 636 . [ m + h ] + observed = 669 . 1 . isolated yield 14 . 85 %. 2 . 40 trans - 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -[( 4 - chloro - 3 - fluorophenyl ) methyl ]- 3 -[( 4 - methylphenyl ) sulfanyl ]- n -[ 3 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) propyl ]- 5 - oxopyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c34h35cl2fn4o3s . molecular weight = 669 . 636 . [ m + h ] + observed = 669 . 0 . isolated yield 4 . 48 %. 2 . 41 cis - 2 -( 6 - chloro - 5 - fluoro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -[( 4 - chlorophenyl ) methyl ]- 3 -[( 4 - methylphenyl ) sulfanyl ]- n -[ 3 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) propyl ]- 5 - oxopyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c34h35cl2fn4o3s . molecular weight = 669 . 636 . [ m + h ] + observed = 669 . 1 . isolated yield 4 . 88 %. 2 . 42 trans - 2 -( 6 - chloro - 5 - fluoro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -[( 4 - chlorophenyl ) methyl ]- 3 -[( 4 - methylphenyl ) sulfanyl ]- n -[ 3 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) propyl ]- 5 - oxopyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c34h35cl2fn4o3s . molecular weight = 669 . 636 . [ m + h ] + observed = 669 . 1 . isolated yield 1 . 08 %. 2 . 43 cis - 5 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -[( 4 - chlorophenyl ) methyl ]- 4 -{[ 4 -( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - yl ] carbonyl }- 4 -[( 4 - methylphenyl ) sulfanyl ] pyrrolidin - 2 - one . molecular formula = c33h34cl2n4o3s . molecular weight = 637 . 619 . [ m + h ] + observed = 637 . 0 . isolated yield 7 . 67 %. 2 . 44 cis - 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indazol - 3 - yl )- 1 -[( 4 - chlorophenyl ) methyl ]- 3 -[( 4 - methylphenyl ) sulfanyl ]- n -[ 3 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) propyl ]- 5 - oxopyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula c33h35cl2n5o3s . molecular weight = 652 . 634 . [ m + h ] + observed = 652 . 0 . isolated yield 6 . 04 %. 2 . 45 cis - 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 1 -[( 4 - chlorophenyl ) methyl ]- 3 -[( 4 - methylphenyl ) sulfanyl ]-[ 3 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) propyl ]- 5 - oxopyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c34h36cl2n4o3s . molecular weight = 651 . 646 , [ m + h ] + observed = 651 . 1 . isolated yield 7 . 97 %. 2 . 46 cis - 1 -[( 4 - bromophenyl ) methyl ]- 5 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 4 -{[ 4 -( 2 - hydroxyethyl ) piperazin - 1 - yl ] carbonyl }- 4 -[( 4 - methylphenyl ) sulfanyl ] pyrrolidin - 2 - one . molecular formula = c33h34brcln4o3s . molecular weight = 682 . 07 , [ m + h ] + observed = 683 . 0 . isolated yield 5 . 35 %. 2 . 47 cis - 1 -[( 4 - bromophenyl ) methyl ]- 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- n -( 2 , 3 - dihydroxypropyl )- 3 -[( 4 - methylphenyl ) sulfanyl ]- 5 - oxopyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c30h29brcln3o4s , molecular weight ˜ 642 . 991 . [ m + na ] + observed = 668 . 1 . isolated yield 6 . 92 %. 2 . 48 cis - 4 -{[ 1 -[( 4 - bromophenyl ) methyl ]- 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 3 -[( 4 - methylphenyl ) sulfanyl ]- 5 - oxopyrrolidin - 3 - yl ] carbonyl } piperazin - 2 - one . molecular formula = c31h28brcln4o3s . molecular weight = 652 . 001 . [ m + h ] + observed = 653 . 1 . [ m + na ] + observed = 675 . 3 . isolated yield 3 . 39 %. 2 . 49 cis - 1 -[( 4 - bromophenyl ) methyl ]- 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 3 -[( 4 - methylphenyl ) sulfanyl ]- n -[ 2 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) ethyl ]- 5 - oxopyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide , molecular formula = c33h 34 brcln4o3s . molecular weight = 682 . 07 . [ m + h ] + observed = 683 . 1 . isolated yield 7 . 30 %. 2 . 50 cis - 1 -[( 4 - bromophenyl ) methyl ]- 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 3 -[( 4 - methylphenyl ) sulfanyl ]- n -[ 4 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) butyl ]- 5 - oxopyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c35h38brcln4o3s . molecular weight = 710 . 123 . [ m + h ] + observed = 711 . 0 . isolated yield 7 . 08 %. 2 . 50 cis - 1 -[( 4 - bromophenyl ) methyl ]- 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- n -( 4 - hydroxybutyl )- 3 -[( 4 - methylphenyl ) sulfanyl ]- 5 - oxopyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c31h31brcln3o3s . molecular weight = 641 . 018 . [ m + na ] + observed = 664 . 2 . isolated yield 7 . 32 %. 2 . 51 cis - 1 -[( 4 - bromophenyl ) methyl ]- 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 3 -[( 4 - methylphenyl ) sulfanyl ]- n -( 1 - methylpiperidin - 4 - yl )- 5 - oxopyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c33h34brcln4o 2 s . molecular weight = 666 . 071 . [ m + h ] + observed = 668 . 2 . isolated yield 7 . 51 %. 2 . 52 cis - 1 -[( 4 - bromophenyl ) methyl ]- 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 3 -[( 4 - ethylphenyl ) sulfanyl ]- n -[ 3 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) propyl ]- 5 - oxopyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c35h38brcln4o3s . molecular weight = 710 . 123 . [ m + h ] + observed = 711 . 1 . isolated yield 17 . 16 %. 2 . 53 cis - 1 -[( 4 - bromophenyl ) methyl ]- 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 3 -[( 3 , 4 - dimethylphenyl ) sulfanyl ]- n -[ 3 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) propyl ]- 5 - oxopyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c35h38brcln4o3s . molecular weight = 710 . 123 . [ m + h ] + observed = 711 . 0 . isolated yield 9 . 74 %. 2 . 52 cis - 1 -[( 4 - bromophenyl ) methyl ]- 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- 3 -[( 2 , 4 - dimethylphenyl ) sulfanyl ]- n -[ 3 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) propyl ]- 5 - oxopyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c35h38brcln4o3s . molecular weight = 710 . 123 . [ m + h ] + observed = 711 . 0 . isolated yield 6 . 38 %. 2 . 53 trans - 1 -[( 4 - bromophenyl ) methyl ]- 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- n -[ 3 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) propyl ]- 3 -[( 4 - nitrophenyl ) sulfanyl ]- 5 - oxopyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c33h33brcln5o5s . molecular weight = 727 . 068 . [ m + h ] + observed = 726 . 0 . isolated yield 3 . 00 %. 2 . 54 cis - 1 -[( 4 - bromophenyl ) methyl ]- 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- n -[ 3 -( morpholin - 4 - yl ) propyl ]- 3 -[( 4 - nitrophenyl ) sulfanyl ]- 5 - oxopyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c33h33brcln5o5s . molecular weight = 727 . 068 . [ m + h ] + observed 727 . 9 . isolated yield 0 . 41 %. 2 . 55 cis - 1 -[( 4 - bromophenyl ) methyl ]- 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- n -[( 2r )- 1 - hydroxypropan - 2 - yl ]- 3 -[( 4 - methylphenyl ) sulfanyl ]- 5 - oxopyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c30h29brcln3o3s . molecular weight = 626 . 992 . [ m + na ] + observed = 650 . 2 . isolated yield 8 . 04 %. 2 . 56 cis - 1 -[( 4 - bromophenyl ) methyl ]- 2 -( 6 - chloro - 1h - indol - 3 - yl )- n -[( 2s )- 1 - hydroxypropan - 2 - yl ]- 3 -[( 4 - methylphenyl ) sulfanyl ]- 5 - oxopyrrolidine - 3 - carboxamide . molecular formula = c30h29brcln3o3s . molecular weight = 626 . 992 . [ m + na ] + observed = 650 . 2 , isolated yield 8 . 04 %. maleic anhydride 2 ( 6 mmol ), thiol 4 ( 6 mmol ), aldehyde 3 ( 6 mmol ) and amine 1 ( 6 mmol ) in toluene ( 50 ml ) were heated to 150 ° c . under dean - stark conditions for 24 hours . after being cooled to room temperature , the solution was concentrated in vacuo . purification on silica gel ( ethyl acetate : methanol = 9 : 1 to 1 : 1 ) yielded 5 as a diastereoisomeric mixture ( 1 . 48 g , 46 %). literature : j . wei , j , t . shaw org . lett . 2007 , 9 , 4077 . the above described reaction sequence yielded two diastereoisomers d1 and d2 in a 50 : 50 ratio . they were separated by preparative hplc chromatography using the following conditions : column rp polaris c18 ( length : 250 mm , ø : 21 mm ; particle size : 5 μm ). isocratic elution ( 70 % acetonitrile : 30 % water , 0 . 1 % hcooh ), 21 ml / min , rt = 7 . 62 min . concentration of the solution in vacuo yielded the desired pure diastereoisomer 6 ( cis , d1 ) as a light yellow solid ( 528 . 9 mg , 33 . 6 %). overall yield for the preparation of 6 : 15 . 47 % ( mcr and isolation of the cis - isomer d1 ) to a suspension of 1 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropyl )- 3 - ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride edci ( 267 mg , 1 . 4 mmol ) in 8 ml ethyl acetate was added pentafluorophenol ( 512 mg , 2 . 8 mmol ) at 0 ° c . after 10 minutes , compound 6 ( 528 . 9 mg , 0 . 9 mmol ) was added at 0 ° c . and the reaction mixture was stirred for 1 hour at room temperature . after evaporation of the solvent , the crude product was purified by chromatography on silica gel ( ethyl acetate : hexane = 1 : 2 → 1 : 1 ) to yield the corresponding pentafluorophenyl ester 7 as a colourless oil ( 632 . 0 mg , 92 . 5 %). m . bodanszky , a . bodanszky , the practice of peptide synthesis 2nd edition , p 102 , springer - verlag berlin heidelberg new york ( 1994 ). to a suspension of pentafluorophenyl ester 7 ( 1 . 3 g , 1 . 8 mmol ) in 16 ml dry thf was added piperazine ( 7 . 2 mmol ) at room temperature . the reaction mixture was stirred for 20 hours at room temperature . afterwards , 20 ml methylene chloride were added . the resulting organic layer was washed with 20 ml of a saturated aqueous solution of sodium hydrogenocarbonate , dried over magnesium sulfate and the solvent was removed in vacuo . finally , the crude product was purified by chromatography on silica gel ( ethyl acetate : methanol 9 : 1 → 1 : 1 ) to afford the desired piperazine amide 8 as a white solid ( 977 . 8 mg , 84 . 20 %). to a solution of compound 8 ( 848 . 3 mg , 1 . 3 mmol ) in 15 ml thf extra dry was added ethyl isocyanate ( 283 . 6 mg , 4 mmol ) at − 30 ° c . after 1 h of stirring at − 30 ° c ., 20 ml methylene chloride were added . the resulting organic layer was washed with 20 ml of a saturated aqueous solution of sodium hydrogenocarbonate , dried over magnesium sulfate and the solvent was removed in vacuo . finally , the crude product was purified by chromatography on silica gel with the system ethyl acetate : methanol 19 : 1 to yield pxy727 - d1 as a white solid ( 853 . 4 mg , 90 . 5 %). 1 h - nmr ( 400 mhz , dmso ) δ 11 . 57 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 57 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 50 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 44 ( d , 2h , j = 6 . 70 hz ), 7 . 25 ( d , 1h , j = 7 . 39 hz ), 7 . 09 ( m , 5h ), 6 . 90 ( d , 2h , j = 7 . 39 hz ), 6 . 53 ( s , 1h ), 4 . 93 ( s , 1h ), 4 . 74 ( d , 1h , j = 15 . 29 hz ), 3 . 84 ( s , 2h ), 3 . 60 - 3 . 20 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 45 ( d , 1h , j = 15 . 29 ), 3 . 15 - 2 . 80 ( m , 4h ), 3 . 09 - 3 . 06 ( m , 2h ), 2 . 25 ( s , 3h ), 1 . 03 ( t , 3h , j = 7 . 05 hz ). ir : 3397 , 3174 , 2923 , 1674 , 1625 , 1535 , 1487 , 1401 , 1361 , 1241 , 1174 , 1118 , 1002 , 794 . 2 replacement of the sulfur s ( group x ) by methylene ch 2 the commercially available alpha - benzylsuccinic acid 9 ( 1 g , 4 . 8 mmol ) was refluxed for 1 h in 30 ml trifluoroacetic anhydride . afterwards , the solvent was removed in vacuo . the crude residue was washed with cold hexane to yield alpha - benzylsuccinic anhydride 10 as a white solid ( 858 . 2 mg , 93 . 95 %), alpha - benzylsuccinic anhydride 10 ( 850 mg , 4 . 5 mmol ), aldehyde 3 ( 1 mmol ) and amine 11 ( 1 mmol ) in toluene ( 16 ml ) were heated to 150 ° c . in a sealed tube for 24 hours . after cooled to room temperature , the solution was concentrated in vacuo . purification on silica gel ( ethyl acetate : methanol = 9 : 1 to 1 : 1 ) yielded mcr - product 12 as a diastereoisomeric mixture ( 210 . 3 mg , 9 . 20 %). to a suspension of 1 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropyl )- 3 - ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride eaci ( 118 . 2 mg , 0 . 617 mmol ) in 5 ml ethyl acetate was added pentafluorophenol ( 227 . 1 mg , 1 . 23 mmol ) at 0 ° c . after 10 minutes , 5 - oxo - pyrrolidine - 3 - carboxylic acid 12 ( 210 . 3 mg , 0 . 411 mmol ) was added at 0 ° c . and the reaction mixture was stirred for 1 hour at room temperature . after evaporation of the solvent , the crude product was purified by chromatography on silica gel ( ethyl acetate : hexane = 1 : 2 → 1 : 1 ) to yield the corresponding ( cis )- 5 - oxo - pyrrolidine - 3 - carboxylic acid pentafluorophenyl ester 13 as a colourless oil ( 78 . 2 mg , 28 . 9 %). to a suspension of ( cis )- 5 - oxo - pyrrolidine - 3 - carboxylic acid pentafluorophenyl ester 13 ( 78 . 2 mg , 0 . 1154 mmol ) in 2 ml thf extra dry was added piperazine ( 39 . 8 mg , 0 . 4616 mmol ) at room temperature . the reaction mixture was stirred for 10 hours at room temperature . afterwards , 20 ml methylene chloride were added . the resulting organic layer was washed with 20 ml of a saturated aqueous solution of sodium hydrogenocarbonate , dried over magnesium sulfate and the solvent was removed in vacuo . finally , the crude product was purified by chromatography on silica gel ( ethyl acetate : methanol 9 : 1 → 1 : 1 ) to afford the desired ( cis )- 4 -( piperazine - 1 - carbonyl )- pyrrolidin - 2 - one 14 as a white solid ( 38 . 5 mg , 57 . 55 %). to a solution of compound 14 ( 38 . 5 mg , 0 . 066 mmol ) in 3 ml thf extra dry was added ethyl isocyanate ( 14 . 2 mg , 0 . 199 mmol ) at − 30 ° c . after 1 h of stirring at − 30 ° c ., 20 ml methylene chloride were added . the resulting organic layer was washed with 20 ml of a saturated aqueous solution of sodium hydrogenocarbonate , dried over magnesium sulfate and the solvent was removed in vacuo . finally , the crude product was crystallized from ethyl acetate : methanol 19 : 1 to yield pxn790 - d1 as a white solid ( 26 . 9 mg , 62 . 24 %). 1 h - nmr ( 400 mhz , dmso ) δ 11 . 57 ( s , 1h ), 7 . 58 - 7 . 43 ( m , 3h ), 7 . 28 - 7 . 11 ( m , 5h ), 6 . 95 - 6 . 83 ( m , 4h ), 6 . 55 ( s , 1h ), 4 . 97 - 4 . 91 ( m , 1h ), 4 . 71 ( d , 1h , j = 15 . 24 hz ), 3 . 63 - 3 . 57 ( m , 5h ), 3 . 10 - 3 . 08 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 91 - 2 . 85 ( m , 3h ), 2 . 69 - 2 . 65 ( m , 1h ), 1 . 03 ( t , 3h , j = 7 . 02 hz ). ir : 3043 , 3165 , 3033 , 2964 , 2930 , 1677 , 1615 , 1538 , 1449 , 1401 , 1262 , 1240 , 1207 , 1119 , 796 , 698 . 1 - phenyl - 2 , 5 - dihydro - 1h - pyrrole - 2 , 5 - dione 19 ( 5 . 19 g , 3 mmol ), p - cresol 20 ( 3 . 24 g , 3 mmol ), and triethylamine ( 3 . 03 g , 3 mmol ) were added in 20 ml toluene extra dry and heated at 100 ° c . for 6 h . afterwards , the mixture was cooled to 0 ° c . the precipitated solid was filtered and washed with cold toluene and hexane to yield compound 21 as a purple solid ( 2 . 895 g , 34 . 30 %). 1 h nmr ( dmso , 399 . 83 mhz ): 2 . 26 ( s , 3h ), 2 . 89 - 2 . 94 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 31 - 3 . 46 ( m , 1h ), 5 . 44 - 5 . 47 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 97 ( d , 2h , j = 8 . 4 hz ), 7 . 14 ( d , 2h , j = 7 . 6 hz ), 7 . 33 ( d , 2h , j = 7 . 2 hz ), 7 . 44 - 7 . 53 ( m , 3h ). compound 21 ( 610 . 3 mg , 2 . 17 mmol ) was dissolved in 30 ml of a mixture of aqueous hcl 37 %: hcooh 1 : 1 . the mixture was heated for 3 h at 110 ° c . afterwards , the mixture was cooled to room temperature and the aqueous phase was washed 3 times with dcm and then evaporated . the resulting solid was washed 3 times with cold ether and the resulting ether phase evaporated to yield the succinic acid 22 as a white solid . finally , the succinic acid 22 was solved in 10 ml of trifluoroacetic anhydride ( tfaa ) and heated for 6 h at 100 ° c . then tfaa was evaporated and the resulting solid was washed with cold hexane to yield the corresponding succinic anhydride 15 as a white solid ( 170 . 4 mg , 95 . 56 %). 1 h nmr ( dmso , 399 . 43 mhz ): 2 . 25 ( s , 3h ), 3 . 21 - 3 . 27 ( m , 1h ), 3 . 52 - 3 . 59 ( m , 1h ), 5 . 57 - 5 . 61 ( m , 1h ), 6 . 92 ( d , 2h , j = 8 . 26 hz ), 7 . 14 ( d , 2h , j = 8 . 22 hz ). ir : 3001 , 2920 , 1865 , 1781 , 1608 , 1508 , 1396 , 1213 , 1178 , 1086 , 1021 , 903 , 806 . first , aldehyde 3 ( 646 . 6 mg , 3 . 6 mmol ) and amine 11 ( 478 . 8 mg , 3 mmol ) were condensed in 3 ml trimethylorthoformiate for 10 hours at room temperature . then , the solvent was removed in vacuo and the residue was solved in 25 ml o - xylene . afterwards , succinic anhydride 15 ( 850 mg , 4 . 5 mmol ) was added and the mixture was heated to 150 ° c . for 24 hours under dean - stark conditions . after cooled to room temperature , the solution was concentrated in vacuo . purification on silica gel ( ethyl acetate : methanol = 9 : 1 → 1 : 1 ) yielded mcr - product 16 as a diastereoisomeric mixture ( 33 . 9 mg , 2 . 11 %). to a suspension of 1 -( 3 - dimethylaminopropyl )- 3 - ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride edci ( 18 . 5 mg , 0 . 096 mmol ) in 2 ml ethyl acetate was added pentafluorophenol ( 35 . 6 mg , 0 . 193 mmol ) at 0 ° c . after 10 minutes , 5 - oxo - pyrrolidine - 3 - carboxylic acid 16 ( 33 . 9 mg , 0 . 064 mmol ) was added at 0 ° c . and the reaction mixture was stirred for 1 hour at room temperature . after evaporation of the solvent , the crude product was purified by chromatography on silica gel ( ethyl acetate : hexane = 1 : 2 ) to yield the corresponding 5 - oxo - pyrrolidine - 3 - carboxylic acid pentafluorophenyl ester 17 as a colourless oil ( 40 . 1 mg , 89 . 80 %). to a suspension of 5 - oxo - pyrrolidine - 3 - carboxylic acid pentafluorophenyl ester 17 ( 40 . 1 mg , 0 . 0578 mmol ) in 2 ml thf extra dry was added piperazine ( 19 . 9 mg , 0 . 231 mmol ) at room temperature . the reaction mixture was stirred for 10 hours at room temperature . afterwards , 20 ml methylene chloride were added . the resulting organic layer was washed with 20 ml of a saturated aqueous solution of sodium hydrogenocarbonate , dried over magnesium sulfate and the solvent was removed in vacuo . finally , the crude product was purified by chromatography on silica gel ( ethyl acetate : methanol 9 : 1 → 1 : 1 ) to afford the desired 4 -( piperazine - 1 - carbonyl )- pyrrolidin - 2 - one 18 as a white solid ( 12 . 2 mg , 45 . 91 %). to a solution of compound 18 ( 12 . 2 mg , 0 . 0204 mmol ) in 3 ml thf extra dry was added ethyl isocyanate ( 4 . 4 mg , 0 . 0612 mmol ) at − 30 ° c . after 1 h of stirring at − 30 ° c ., 20 ml methylene chloride were added . the resulting organic layer was washed with 20 ml of a saturated aqueous solution of sodium hydrogenocarbonate , dried over magnesium sulfate and the solvent was removed in vacuo . finally , the crude product was purified by chromatography on silica gel ( methylene chloride : methanol 95 : 5 ) to yield pxn789 - d1 as a yellow solid ( 9 . 6 mg , 70 . 60 %). further examples which have been prepared according to one of the procedures described above : all products were obtained and tested as racemates . the cellular activity was measured on p53 wild type ovarian teratocarcinoma cells ( pa - 1 ) and measured ic 50 are given in micromolar . cca is the abbreviation of cell cycle arrest . further modifications of the pyrrolidin - 2 - one scaffold are possible by using the following procedures : in the presence of nabh 4 , it is possible to reduce the carboxylic acid function of the mcr - product to the corresponding alcohol ( see pxn818 - d1 ). the isolated alcohol can be further converted to the corresponding ether ( alkylation with various halogens ) or to the corresponding ester ( acylation with acyl chloride ) ( scheme i ). furthermore , the obtained alcohol can be oxidized to the corresponding aldehyde ( swern oxidation ). alternatively , this aldehyde can also be obtained by selective reduction of the carboxylic acid . the aldehyde can be converted to numerous further compounds . as can be seen from scheme 2 , amines are accessible via a reductive amination process . further , a knoevenagel condensation is also possible for modification yielding new substituted pyrrolidin - 2 - ones as shown in scheme 3 . different amides have been synthesized by aminolysis of the pentafluorophenyl ester using various amines . other nucleophilic compounds are also suitable to attack the activated carbone of the pentafluorophenyl ester , leading to new pyrrolidin - 2 - one derivatives as shown in scheme 4 , pxn717 - d1 has been treated with bms ( dimethylsulfide borane ) yielding a mixture of the two compounds pxn723 - d1 and pxn724 - d1 . under the conditions of the arndt - eistert homologation reaction , formation of the desired product has been observed through hplc - ms analysis ( see pxn845 - d1 ), the obtained carboxylic acid can be further modified as described above . using a substituted succinic anhydride in the multicomponent reaction , compounds of formula ( i ) can be prepared wherein r 7 and / or r 8 are other than hydrogen ( see also org . lett . 2007 , 9 ( 20 ), 4077 - 4080 ). pxn736 - d1 has been treated with 1 . 1 eq of natrium hydride at room temperature . thereby , elimination product pxn847 - d1 has been isolated and characterized by hplc - ms . this product can be used for further modifications ( for example michael - addition ). in addition , compounds of formulas ( i ), ( ia ), ( ic ), ( id ), ( ie ) and ( if ) may be prepared following the procedures described e . g . in : synlett , ( 11 ), 1883 - 1885 , 2002 ; organic letters , 9 ( 20 ), 4077 - 4080 , 2007 ; organic letters , 8 ( 18 ), 3999 - 4002 , 2006 ; tetrahedron , 50 ( 36 ), 10701 - 8 , 1994 ; journal of the chemical society , chemical communications , ( 5 ), 386 - 7 , 1987 ; journal of the chemical society , chemical communications , ( 5 ), 386 - 7 , 1987 ; tetrahedron letters , 49 ( 35 ), 5217 - 5219 , 2008 and journal of organic chemistry , 73 ( 14 ), 5566 - 5569 , 2008 . this vilsmeyer reaction was performed according to h . g . o . becker , organikum , pp . 364 - 365 , johann ambrosius barth verlag , heidelberg - leipzig ( 1996 ). to 5 ml dmf in a three - necked flask equipped with a thermometer , 1 . 8 ml pocl 3 was added dropwise in a temperature range between 15 ° c . and 20 ° c . then , a solution of 1 g ( 6 . 6 mmol ) of 6 - chloro - 1h - indole in 2 ml dmf was added dropwise in a temperature range between 20 ° c . and 30 ° c . the reaction mixture was stirred for 45 minutes at 37 ° c . afterwards , the reaction mixture was poured in a mixture of 15 g ice in 10 ml water under stirring . 3 . 4 g naoh in 18 ml were added between in a temperature range between 20 and 30 ° c . the resulting mixture was then refluxed for 5 minutes . after cooling to room temperature , the precipitate was filtered off and washed with 10 ml cold water . crystallization from ethanol yielded 6 - chloro - 1h - indole - 3 - carbaldehyde as a white solid ( 1 . 04 g , 88 %). 5000 pa - 1 or pa - 1 / e6 cells were plated in each well of 96 - well flat bottom plates , and incubated overnight at 37 ° c . in 5 % co 2 . the growth of plated cells was measured by adding 7 . 5 micromol of wst - 1 reagent ( roche applied sciences , germany ) to 3 control wells and measuring the od 650 and od 450 absorbances with a spectramax250 plate reader . if the m 650 - od 450 values were above 0 . 5 , the remainder of the plate was used for incubation with the compounds of formula ( i ), ( ia ), ( ic ), ( id ), ( ie ) or ( if ), other pharmacological agents or solvent controls for 48 hours . after this incubation , the wst - 1 reagent was added to the wells of the plate and od 650 - od 450 values were calculated as before . triplicate wells were assayed for each conditions and standard deviation was determined : all experiments were performed at least three times independently . annexin v and brdu - incorporation levels were determined with guava nexin and guava tunel kits using a guava personal cell analysis system ( pcas , guava technologies , hayward , calif .) according to the manufacturer &# 39 ; s instruction . 1 × 10 6 pa - 1 and pa - 1 / e6 cells were cultured in bme media supplemented with 10 % fbs and various concentrations of the compounds of formula ( i ) or dmso for 24 h . nutlin - 3 , racemic ( calbiochem , roche ) at 10 μm was applied as positive control . for the guava nexin assay , cells were trypsinized and collected by centrifuging at 1000 rpm for 5 min at 4 ° c . after washing with ice - cold 1 × nexin buffer , cells were resuspended in the same buffer , labeled with annexin v - pe and 7 - aminoactinomycin d in the dark on ice for 20 min , and then analyzed with the pcas . according to the manufacturer protocol for guava tunel assay cells were resuspended in 1 % paraformaldehyde , incubated on ice for 60 min , washed in ice - cold pbs buffer . than cells were fixed in ice - cold 70 % ethanol for at least 16 h at − 20 ° c . after incubation , cells were labeled with brdu dna labeling mix for 60 min at 37 ° c ., collected by centrifugation at 1000 rpm for 5 min . cells were resuspended in anti - brdu staining mix and incubated at room temperature for 45 min in the dark , and then analyzed with the pcas . temperature - sensitive h1299 clones were seeded onto 6 - well plates at a density of 50 , 000 cells / well . saos2 cells were plated at 1 × 10 6 cells / 100 - mm plate . cells were shifted to 32 ° c . and harvested at the times indicated after temperature shift . control cells were maintained at 39 ° c . tunel and multi - caspase assays were conducted using the guava personal cytometer ( guava technologies ) using the guava tunel and multi - caspase detection kits , using protocols provided by the manufacturer ( guava technologies ) with the compounds of formula ( i ), ( ia ), ( ic ), ( id ), ( ie ) or ( if ), | 2 |
prior to describing the present invention , background information is herein provided in conjunction with fig1 which illustrates the general configuration of a typical pvd ( physical vapor deposition ) manufacturing tool 10 . the chamber illustrated , for purposes of the following discussion , is an endura 5500 pvd cluster tool manufactured by applied materials , inc . the tool 10 is equipped with a pair of degas modules or chambers 14 , 18 . typically , the above tool 10 includes a minimum of one and a maximum of two degas modules . the degas modules 14 , 18 are attached to a buffer chamber 26 , along with two load lock modules 30 , 34 and a pair of sputter etch modules 38 , 42 . there are typically four ( 4 ) wafer processing modules 46 which are connected to an adjacent transfer chamber 50 . the buffer chamber 26 and transfer chamber 50 are separated from one another by a pair of cool / pass - through modules 54 , 58 , at least one of the pass - through modules being set up for rapid cooling of processed wafers and which employs several torr of argon or other suitable gas as a heat transfer medium . each of the degas modules 14 , 18 have no pumps of their own . furthermore , each of the above modules 14 , 18 are also not isolated from the buffer chamber 26 . as a result , whenever valves ( not shown ) are actuated to any other module connected to the buffer chamber 26 , a gas burst is observed in the degas modules 14 , 18 . these bursts arise from the load lock modules 30 , 34 , which are only rough pumped , and from the cool / pass through modules 54 , 58 which are not pumped before being opened to the buffer chamber 26 . as detailed below in greater detail , these gas bursts , especially those bursts in which argon pressure is not often well controlled at a nominal value ( e . g ., two torr ), are sufficient to cause a momentary or transient over pressure condition in an attached mass sensor . the duration of these pressure bursts is typically less than five seconds , however , the presence of the above bursts is sufficient to occasionally cause an over - pressure trip out condition of the apparatus . in operation , the degassing within the degas modules 14 , 18 is accomplished by illuminating the front surface of a retained wafer with intense light from a plurality of quartz / halogen bulbs ( not shown ). the duration of a typical degas process is typically on the order of approximately 10 - 200 seconds . details regarding this portion of the operation are known to those of ordinary skill in the field and therefore require no further discussion . due to complex algorithms utilized by the manufacturing tool 10 to maximize wafer throughput , there is no guaranteed temporal relationship between the interfering gas bursts and the degas cycle . that is to say , several different operations can be occurring simultaneously , in different chambers of the manufacturing tool 10 . a typical sequence of semiconductor wafer processing is as follows : first , the manufacturing tool 10 takes a wafer ( not shown ) from a cassette ( also not shown ) in one of the load lock modules 30 , 34 and transfers the wafer into the buffer chamber 26 , after which it is placed in one of the degas modules 14 , 18 . after orienting and degassing in the manner described above , the wafer is brought back into the buffer chamber 26 and is then inserted into one of the sputter etch modules 38 , 42 . following this processing , the wafer is again sequentially transferred into the buffer chamber 26 , into a cool / pass through module 54 , 58 , and then into the transfer module 50 . the wafer is then placed into a succession of deposition and sputtering modules 46 , after which the wafer is reinserted into one of the cool / pass - through module 54 , 58 , followed by the buffer chamber 26 , and finally back into one of the load lock modules 30 , 34 where the wafer is removed from the manufacturing tool 10 . it should be pointed out that in a mass production setting several wafers are typically being processed simultaneously , and in an overlapping manner according to the above protocol , thereby adding to the overall complexity of the manufacturing process . if a wafer is contaminated with residual photoresist from a preceding processing step , this contamination will also contaminate the manufacturing tool 10 . contamination of either degas module 14 , 18 is a relatively minor problem , resulting in downtime of a few hours , since the base vacuum is typically in the e - 07 torr range . similar contamination of a process module , such as one of the sputtering and deposition module 46 , however , would require extensive downtime in that a total wet clean would be required , along with replacement of the sputtering target , shields , and associated equipment . the extent of this downtime could be several days . the most common photoresist problem occurs when a coated wafer is not completely ashed , i . e ., some of the photoresist remains . this misprocessing is estimated to be about one thousand times more common than the situation in which the wafer is not ashed at all . misprocessing of wafers happens frequently enough to be a significant impediment to fabrication throughout processing . the embodiment described herein utilizes a residual gas analyzer ( hereinafter referred to as an rga ) 62 , fig2 such as the tsp c100m quadrupole mass spectrometer manufactured by leybold inficon , inc . it should be readily apparent that other suitable instruments can be substituted employing the concepts described herein . the above rga 62 , shown partially in fig2 is described completely in the transpector gas analysis system manual , published by leybold inficon , inc . as revised march , 1997 , which is incorporated by reference in its entirety . referring to fig1 and 2 , the rga 62 , is preferably installed through known means to either a port on the buffer chamber 26 or directly to one of the orient / degas modules 14 , 18 , of the semiconductor processing tool 10 , all of which are pumped to high vacuum by a buffer cryo pump ( not shown ). according to the present embodiment , the mass spectrometer portion 64 , shown in part schematically in fig2 and the electronics portion ( not shown ) of the rga 62 are installed on the wall of one of the degas module 14 , using a 90 degree cf flange elbow ( not shown ) or other known means mounting thereon , preferably in a vertical position . in brief and referring to fig2 the mass spectrometer portion 64 of the rga 62 , fig3 includes an ion source 66 including an electron emitter ( not shown ) which emits electrons that pass through an opening in an ionization chamber having an ionization volume 68 containing rarified gas . the electrons interact with the gas molecules , and ionize with some of the molecules . the ions which are produced are accelerated by a focus plate or ion lens assembly 70 through an opening into an ion beam which is focussed through a quadrupole mass filter 74 . the mass filter 74 separates ions contained in the focussed ion beam ( not shown ) based on mass to charge ratios , permitting certain ions to pass therethrough onto an ion collector or detector 78 , such as an electron multiplier , which is interconnected by known means to an electrometer 80 . additional details relating to the ion source , the ion detector , electrometer and the electronics portion of the rga 62 are provided , for example , in the cross referenced transpector manual referred to above and do not form a specific part of the present invention , except as indicated herein the electronics portion ( not shown ) includes software which allows representations , such as mass spectra and other graphical output , such as those illustrated in fig5 - 9 , and described below based at least in part on masses which are selected to pass though the quadrupole mass filter 74 . referring to fig3 and 4 , a timing circuit 100 is attached to the rga 62 . according to the present embodiment , the timing circuit 100 includes a number of electrical relays 82 , 84 , 86 , each of which include a pair of selectable set points . in the present sensor device , three ( 3 ) electrical relays are provided , each having two set points to monitor output signals from the rga 62 . in this embodiment , a total of six ( 6 ) mass or amu settings of the atmosphere within the manufacturing tool 10 are monitored , though it should be readily apparent that incorporation of additional or fewer relays is acceptable , depending on the application . additionally , and though the present sensor includes individual relays 82 , 84 , 86 , it should be readily apparent that the relay conditions can be similarly duplicated through other signal devices or through software having sufficiently programmable logic elements to mimic the relay settings . a sample “ recipe ” is devised for certain identified masses which are suitably formed in photoresist pyrolysis . for purposes of the following chart , the following masses 15 , 28 , 31 , 44 , 64 and 86 amu have been identified and are defined for the following example recipe chart which constitute the masses of ions characteristic for degassed i - line photoresist . each of the units shown are in amps and are defined ion current values with the number in parentheses representing the number relay which is set to the particular trigger point based on the empirical data of the product wafer and 20 sec ash columns . the outputs of each of the electrical relays 82 , 84 , and 86 are “ added ” together according to this embodiment by placing jumper wires in the i / o connector 61 ( shown in phanton ) of the rga 62 as shown in fig3 and 4 through the connection of relay pin 81 to pin 83 and relay pin 85 to pin 88 , as shown . that is , all three relays 82 , 84 , and 86 must be activated for proper photoresist detection . in series with the three relays 82 , 84 , 86 is a power supply 87 having sufficient voltage ( in this instance + 24 volts ) to enable activation of a time delay relay 90 which is attached thereto . according to the present embodiment , the time delay relay 90 is a c10 series tdr sold by the amerpite corporation or other commercially available relay of an equivalent type . an algebraic boolean expression is therefore derived for use with the three relays 82 , 84 , 86 as follows : in which the bracketed values indicate those masses specified in the preceding chart . the bracketed values are represented by the set points in which binary logic dictates ; that is either 1 or 0 , whether the ion currents measured exceed the programmed set points . according to the present embodiment , and when all three relays 82 , 84 , 86 are tripped ; that is , the above boolean expression is satisfied , + 24 volts from the power supply 87 is placed on the input pins 95 of the time delay relay 90 . the application of voltage from the power supply 87 starts an adjustable timer 98 set for a predetermined interval . according to the present embodiment , the timer 98 is set for approximately 6 seconds . after this interval has been exceeded , the timer delay relay 90 will trip automatically , sending an appropriate signal as input to the manufacturing tool 10 to cause shutdown or , at a minimum , will trigger an audible or other suitable alarm ( not shown ), thereby indicating the presence of photoresist . more specifically , the present manufacturing tool 10 requires an open circuit for error detection . therefore , the connection of the manufacturing tool 10 is wired to the normally closed pins 97 , 99 of the time delay relay 90 . a multi - pin connector 94 is used to connect the time delay relay 90 to the manufacturing tool 10 , shown schematically in fig4 with pins 91 , 93 being used to make the connection to the multi - pin connector 94 according to the present embodiment . preferably , depending on the recipe and masses selected , the described rga 62 is able to detect the presence of either i - line or duv ( deep ultra violet ) residual photoresist during the degas process , and therefore positively identify the presence of contamination upon a degassed wafer by monitoring different signals which are specific to photoresist pyrolysis and employing a method that ignores brief high pressure events which produce false detection . preferably , the contamination signal is fed directly into the manufacturing tool 10 to halt further process , to allow rework of the contaminated wafer , and to assure that no contamination is spread to deposition modules . in summary , as to this embodiment , and by monitoring the intensities of specified masses ( depending on the type of photoresist present ) and setting alarm thresholds with logical or - ing and and - ing of the relay outputs using the above or other suitable boolean expression , along with a predetermined timer delay ( in this instance approximately six ( 6 ) seconds ), it is possible to detect the presence of photoresist with a high degree of accuracy and without false indications . reference is now made to fig5 - 9 which illustrates graphical representations as measured by the rga 62 , as attached to one of the degas modules 14 , fig1 . each of fig5 - 9 are defined along the x - axis by a series of chronological scan numbers presenting a timed sequence as read from left to right . the y - axis of each graph indicates ion current , measured in amps by the detector portion of the mass spectrometer and illustrated in specified ranges between figs . in order to clearly illustrate the effectiveness of the present invention . for purposes of the discussion which follows , it should be noted that each scan number represents approximately ⅔ of a second . in the present example , the characteristics of degas processing of two different wafers are monitored and compared . as most clearly shown in fig7 the degas operations are for a partially ashed wafer ( commencing at scan number 330 and ending at scan number 390 ) and a test wafer ( labeled teos ) having no photoresist present ( commencing at scan number 471 and ending at scan number 532 ). by sensitizing the mass spectrometer for particular mass to charge ratios , specific masses can be easily targeted . each of the degas procedures shown are approximately 40 in duration , though as noted above these periods can range between 10 - 200 seconds . specific mass settings are selected in each of the above graphs to illustrate comparatively the occurrence of other events in the manufacturing tool affecting the measured output , such as opening of either of the load lock modules or a cool argon burst are much shorter in duration than the degas process . on average , each of the preceding events occur over less than 6 scan numbers , or less than about 4 seconds . as clearly discernible from fig5 - 9 , each of the non - degas producing events will cause increases in the measured ion current , which , depending on the masses selected and shown by the appropriate legends of each chart , which are in excess of a predetermined trigger value . however , because the signal is not sustained for a sufficient duration ( less than 6 seconds ), the timer relay 90 does not send a signal to the manufacturing tool 10 . note that a load lock and a argon blast event occurs during each of the above degas processes , but that only the scan portion between about 360 and 390 has voltage values for an adequate time duration sufficient for triggering . as most clearly observed from fig6 and without the use of the above timer circuit , it would not be possible to use a mass spectrometer with the tool 10 using appropriate ion current limits without the regular occurrence of false indications . though the present embodiment utilizes a timer relay which is separately utilized with the electrical relays of the described mass spectrometer , alternate embodiments can include modifications to the logic of the software of the mass spectrometer to incorporate the above relay boolean logic ( or - ing and and - ing ) into timer functions . preferably , firmware between the manufacturing tool and the mass spectrometer can also be modified to detect the presence of residual photoresist , in the event of computer failure . in addition , and though the above embodiment relates specifically to the detection of photoresist without false negatives , it should be readily apparent to one of sufficient skill in the field that additional binary variables corresponding to a particular parameter or state of the processing tool , or any other processing variable in a two - state format ( e . g ., plasma power above or below a predetermined limit , the presence of absence of a wafer in a specified processing module , degas module lamp power being above or below a pre - specified value , the opening and closing of slit - valves , etc .) can be utilized into a boolean algebraic expression . the value of the output variable of the boolean algebraic expression selected can then be used to determine whether additional processing should be attempted . as in the preceding , this determination can be made automatically ( via a direct electrical input to the manufacturing tool or through a computer interface to the mass spectrometer and the tool ) or by a human operator . | 7 |
the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings . reference is first made to fig1 - 5 illustrating a liquid crystal display ( lcd ) 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention . the lcd 1 includes a first transparent plate 2 , a second transparent plate 3 and a liquid crystal layer ( not shown ) disposed between the first plate 2 and the second plate 3 . the first and the second plates 2 , 3 are rectangular and made of an insulating material . in fig1 the display area is shown by a rectangle depicted in double - dot chain lines . as shown in fig1 the first plate 2 is larger than the second plate 3 , whereby a rectangular portion 4 of the first plate 2 projects from the second plate 3 . the projecting portion 4 carries a semiconductor chip 5 for controlling image display and a capacitor array 8 for e . g . voltage - boosting . the projecting portion 4 is formed with a wiring pattern 6 for connecting the chip 5 to transparent electrodes ( not shown ) formed on the first and the second plates 2 , 3 . further , the projecting portion 4 is provided with a prescribed number of terminals 7 for connecting the chip 5 to an external unit ( not shown ). as shown in fig2 - 5 , the capacitor array 8 includes a chip substrate 8 ′( see fig3 in particular ) and four capacitors 9 provided on the substrate 8 ′. the substrate 8 ′ is made of a heat - resistant insulating material such as ceramic . each of the capacitors 9 is made up of a lower electrode 9 a ′ ( formed directly on the substrate 8 ′), an intermediate dielectric layer 9 c and an upper electrode 9 b ′. as shown in fig2 and 4 - 5 , each capacitor 9 is provided with first and second terminals 9 a - 9 b extending on one side surface 8 a of the substrate 8 ′ and further onto the bottom surface of the substrate 8 ′. the first terminal 9 a is connected to the lower electrode 9 a ′ ( fig4 ), while the second terminal 9 b is connected to the upper electrode 9 b ′ ( fig5 ). the capacitors 9 are covered by a protection coating 11 . as seen from fig2 the bottom surface of the semiconductor chip 5 is provided with four pairs of connection pads 5 a disposed adjacent to one side surface 5 b of the chip 5 . as illustrated , the side surface 5 b of the chip 5 is held in close facing relation to the above - mentioned side surface 8 a of the capacitor array 8 . the first and the second terminals 9 a - 9 b of each capacitor 9 are connected to one of the pairs of the pads 5 a via a wiring pattern 10 formed on the projecting portion 4 . in the illustrated embodiment , the wiring pattern 10 is composed of eight conductive strips having the common prescribed width and length . the above - mentioned two wiring patterns 6 ( fig1 ) and 10 ( fig2 ) are produced simultaneously with the non - illustrated transparent pixel - defining electrodes of the first transparent plate 2 with the use of the same conductive material . in this manner , the production of the wiring patterns 6 and the transparent electrodes can be performed efficiently . in the above embodiment , use is made of anisotropic conductive film ( not shown ) for bonding the wiring pattern 6 to the chip 5 and for bonding the wiring pattern 10 to the pads 5 a of the chip 5 and to the terminals 9 a , 9 b of the respective capacitors 9 . according to the above embodiment , the four capacitors 9 are integrated into a single unit ( capacitor array 8 ), and this unit is mounted onto the projecting portion 4 . in this manner , it is easy and does not take much time to incorporate the capacitors into the circuit of the lcd . further , the four capacitors 9 do not have an individual protection coating ( which tends to be rather bulky ) but only are coated with a common protection layer 11 . therefore , the integrated capacitors 9 ( i . e ., the capacitor array 8 ) do not take up much room on the projecting portion 4 in comparison with the instance where the four capacitors , each being coated with an individual protection layer , are mounted one by one onto the projecting portion 4 . still further , with the above - described arrangement , the wiring pattern 10 can be advantageously short due to the close facing relation between the side surface 5 b of the chip 5 ( adjacent to which the pads 5 a are provided ) and the side surface 8 a of the capacitor array 8 ( over which the terminals 9 a , 9 b extend ). reference is now made to fig6 showing a modified version of a capacitor array used for the lcd of the present invention . the illustrated capacitor array 12 includes an insulating chip substrate 12 ′ and five voltage - regulating capacitors 13 supported by the substrate 12 ′. each of the capacitors 13 has a terminal 13 a of its own that extends over one side surface 12 a of the substrate 12 ′. as the counterpart terminal , the respective capacitors 13 have a common terminal 13 b which also extends over the above side surface 12 a . ( thus , for the five capacitors 13 , five terminals 13 a and one terminal 13 b are provided .) the semiconductor chip 5 is formed with connection pads 5 a ′ at its bottom surface . in the illustrated embodiment again , the pads 5 a ′ are arranged adjacent to a side surface 5 b of the chip 5 that is held in close facing relation to the side surface 12 a of the substrate 12 ′. the pads 5 a ′ of the chip 5 are connected to the terminals 13 a or 13 b of the capacitor array 12 via a wiring pattern formed on the projecting portion 4 ( see fig1 ). as illustrated in fig6 the wiring pattern ( generally unnumbered ) includes five relatively narrow strips 14 connected to the individual terminals 13 a and one relatively wide strip 15 connected to the common terminal 13 b . in the above two examples shown in fig2 and 6 , all the terminals of the capacitor array ( 8 or 12 ) are collected at one side of the chip substrate ( 8 ′ or 12 ′). the present invention , however , is not limited to this particular arrangement . for instance , as shown in fig7 two terminals 9 a - 9 b ( or 13 a - 13 b ) of each capacitor 9 ( or 13 ) may be separately disposed at opposite side surfaces 8 a ′- 8 b ′ ( or 12 a ′- 12 b ′) of a capacitor array 8 ″ ( or 12 ″). further , according to the present invention , use may be made of dummy terminals 20 , as shown in fig8 and 9 . specifically , the illustrated capacitor array 18 includes a chip substrate 18 ′ and voltage - regulating or voltage - boosting capacitors 19 provided on the substrate 18 ′. as best shown in fig9 each capacitor 19 is provided with a pair of terminals 19 a ′ 19 b which extends over one side surface 18 a of the substrate 18 ′ and further onto the bottom surface of the substrate 18 ′. at the opposite side surface 18 b of the substrate 18 ′, the capacitor array 18 is provided with dummy terminals 20 . as best shown in fig9 each dummy terminal 20 extends onto the bottom and head surfaces of the substrate 18 ′. the dummy terminal 20 and the functional terminal 19 a ( 19 b ) are generally symmetrical in cross section ( fig9 ) with respect to the vertical center line ( not shown ) of the substrate 18 ′. with the above arrangement , it is possible to mount the capacitor array 18 on the projecting portion 4 in a parallel position relative to the mounting surface of the projecting portion 4 . accordingly , the functional terminals 19 a , 19 b of the respective capacitors 19 are properly connected to the wiring pattern . reference is now made to fig1 and 11 a - 11 b illustrating an lcd 1 ′ according to a second embodiment of the present invention . as in the first embodiment , the lcd 1 ′ includes a larger transparent plate 2 , a smaller transparent plate 3 , a semiconductor chip 5 and a plurality of terminals 7 for connecting the chip 5 to an external unit . a liquid crystal layer ( not shown ) is disposed between the first and the second plates 2 , 3 . the first plate 2 includes a projecting portion 4 upon which the chip 5 and the terminals 7 are provided . further , a wiring pattern 6 is formed on the projecting portion 4 for connecting the chip 5 to the non - illustrated transparent electrodes formed on the plates 2 and 3 . according to the second embodiment , a plurality of separate capacitors are mounted on the projecting portion 4 for e . g . applying required voltage to the chip 5 . in the illustrated example , four capacitors 8 a - 8 b and 8 a ′- 8 b ′ are depicted . as best shown in fig1 b , the four capacitors 8 a - 8 b and 8 a ′- 8 b ′ are not arranged in a single array ( as shown in fig2 for example ) but disposed in a grid - like pattern . specifically , the capacitors 8 a - 8 a ′ are aligned along a vertical line vl 1 , while the other capacitors 8 b - 8 b ′ are aligned along another vertical line vl 2 which is parallel to the line vl 1 . the capacitors 8 a - 8 a ′ are disposed closer to the chip 5 than the other capacitors 8 b - 8 b ′ are . in relation to the capacitor 8 a , the capacitor 8 b is offset upward as shown by a horizontal line hl 1 . the amount of the offset is smaller than half the length of the capacitor 8 b . likewise , the capacitor bb ′ is offset downward relative to the capacitor 8 a ′, as shown by a horizontal line hl 2 . as a result , the distance d 2 between the capacitors 8 b - 8 b ′ is smaller than the distance d 1 between the capacitors 8 a - 8 a ′. as shown in fig1 a , the semiconductor chip 5 is provided with seven connection pads 5 a for the four capacitors 8 a , 8 a ′, 8 b and 8 b ′. the pads 5 a are disposed at regular intervals p . to connect the four capacitors to the seven pads , use is made of a wiring pattern formed on the projecting portion 4 . this wiring pattern , as shown in fig1 a , includes four relatively short conductive strips 9 a - 9 a ′ and three relatively long conductive strips 9 b - 9 b ′. the four short strips 9 a - 9 a ′ are all identical , whereas the three long strips 9 b - 9 b ′ are not ( as shown in fig1 a , the center strip 9 b ′ is slightly different in configuration from the other two strips 9 b ). the wiring pattern including these seven strips is formed simultaneously with the pixel - defining transparent electrodes for the first transparent plate 2 with the use of the same conductive material . as shown in fig1 a , the shorter strips 9 a - 9 a ′ are used for connecting the capacitors 8 a - 8 a ′ to the relevant pads 5 a , while the longer strips 9 b - 9 b ′ are used for connecting the capacitors 8 b - 8 b ′ to the relevant pads 5 a . the shorter strips 9 a - 9 a ′ have a functional width wa , while the longer strips 9 b - 9 b ′ have a functional width wb which is greater than the width wa . the pad - connecting portion of each shorter or longer strip has a reference width w which is greater than the width wa but smaller than the width wb . the widths wa and wb are determined so that the electric resistance of the shorter strip 9 a or 9 a ′ is equal ( or substantially equal ) to the electric resistance of the longer strip 9 b or 9 b ′. in the illustrated example , any one of the longer strips 9 b - 9 b ′ is arranged between two adjacent shorter strips 9 a and 9 a ′. fig1 shows the diagram of the voltage - boosting circuit composed of the semiconductor chip 5 and the capacitors 8 a - 8 a ′ and 8 b - 8 b ′. as in the first embodiment , all the capacitors 8 a - a ′ and 8 b - 8 b ′ of the second embodiment may be packaged together . the advantage obtained from the capacitor layout shown in fig1 a will now be described below with reference to the comparative examples shown in fig1 and 15 . specifically , when the capacitor layout of fig1 is adopted , the projecting amount l of the portion 4 is unduly large . accordingly , the overall size and weight of the lcd tend to become large and heavy . when the capacitor layer of fig1 is adopted , the projecting amount l of the portion 4 can be small . in this example , however , the length of the conductive path from the capacitor 8 a to the chip 5 is much greater than the length of the conductive path from the capacitor 8 b ′ to the chip 5 . thus , the arrangement of fig1 will give rise to an unfavorably large difference between the voltage drop along the path for the capacitor 8 a and the voltage drop along the path for the capacitor 8 b ′. according to the second embodiment described above ( see fig1 a ), the four capacitors 8 a - 8 a ′ and 8 b - 8 b ′ are not arranged in a single array but in a grid - like pattern . thus , the projecting amount l of the portion 4 can be smaller than when the layout of fig1 is adopted . in addition , the shorter strips 9 a , 9 a ′ and the longer strips 9 b , 9 b ′ are rendered equal in resistance . thus , the voltage drops along these strips can be equalized . as a result , a proper voltage can be applied to the chip 5 from the capacitors 9 a , 9 a ′, 9 b and 9 b ′. according to the present invention , the usable wiring pattern is not limited to the example shown in fig1 a . for instance , it may be configured into the one shown in fig1 . in this example , two central . shorter strips 9 a - 9 a ′ are disposed together between an longer strip 9 b ( the uppermost one in fig1 ) and the central longer strip 9 b ′. in either case ( fig1 a or fig1 ), the central longer strip 9 b ′ is shared by two capacitors 8 b and 8 b ′. this is advantageous to reducing the number of the longer strips to be used . the present invention being thus described , it is obvious that the same may be varied in many ways . such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the present invention , and all such modifications as would be obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims . | 7 |
the embodiments of the present invention described below are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the particular embodiments disclosed in the following detailed description . rather , the embodiments are described so that others , particularly those skilled in the art , can understand the principles and practices of the present invention . the terms “ tactile sensor device ,” “ touch screen ,” “ touch pad ,” or “ touch panel ” as used herein , generally refer to a device having a touch sensitive surface that can detect contact with another tangible structure , object , entity , or the like . in particular , a touch sensitive surface can indicate not only that the surface is touched but also can provide positional information about where the surface is touched such as information with respect to a frame of reference or coordinate system or the like of the touch sensitive surface . such positional information can advantageously be used to determine the position of a robot within one or more frames of reference associated with the robot . such devices may comprise a single touch sensitive surface or may comprise plural touch sensitive surfaces or regions , which surfaces are preferably planar but may be non - planar or curved . these devices may incorporate touch screens , touch pads , touch sensitive input devices , etc . generally , a tactile sensor device , such as a touch screen , can provide an output into a frame of reference such an x - y coordinate frame or a polar frame . as an example , a touch screen that includes a 4096 × 4096 array of pixels , with x 1 , x 2 . . . x 4096 columns of pixels , and y 1 , y 2 . . . y 4096 rows of pixels may be provided . each individual pixel may be identified by a particular set of x i , y j coordinates , e . g . ( x 100 , y 2000 ). when the touch screen is touched , the touch screen can identify precisely which pixel or region of pixels was touched . as such , the touch data in this particular example is in the form of ( x , y ) data in the coordinate frame of reference of the touch screen . in other words , a touch sensitive surface can detect a touch as well as accurately determine precisely where a touch occurred on a touch sensitive surface . in contrast , a robot may have a different reference frame such as , x , y , z , r , θ , etc . this is generally because most touch screens are flat surfaces ( but may be curved ) and provide touch information in a two - dimensional or planar frame of reference . a frame of reference for a robot , however , may relate to three - dimensional space . thus , it is desirable to coordinate the frame reference of a touch screen with the frame of reference of the robot so that when a touch occurs , the robot knows where the touch is in the frame of reference of the robot . for certain applications , a tactile sensor device can accurately detect features ( such as the reference structure described below ) of a work environment ( sometimes called a work cell or work envelope ) by contacting such features and reporting positional information about the features , within a frame of reference of the tactile sensor device . the information may then be used in a suitable format and fashion , either directly or indirectly , to help determine positional information about the robot within a frame of reference of the robot . preferably , for instance , by causing the tactile sensor device to contact features of a work environment , and by coordinating frame of references of tactile sensor devices and robot , the robot can accurately learn the positions of desired locations of a work environment . [ 0035 ] fig1 schematically shows a representative tool cluster 10 , such as the polaris ® 2500 or polaris ® 3500 series cluster tools available from fsi international , inc ., chaska , minn ., and allen , tex . which , as shown , includes front 14 , sides 15 and 16 , and rear 17 . the front 14 of tool cluster 10 is preferably provided with one or more interfaces 20 through which batches of substrates or wafers , typically carried in a suitable holder such as industry - standard front opening unified pods ( foup &# 39 ; s ) 18 , may be transported into and taken from tool cluster 10 . for purposes of illustration , tool cluster 10 includes four such foup &# 39 ; s 18 . the tool cluster 10 also preferably includes modules 19 , which may comprise stacks of functional units that can be used to house processing stations , controls , plumbing , supplies , and the like . such modules 19 may also include for example , intro / exit stations , processing stations such as spin - coating stations , developing stations , thermal processing stations , stepper stations , wafer storage or staging stations , and the like . preferably , tool cluster 10 includes at least one robot 12 that utilizes an automatic calibration and teaching system embodying the principles of the present invention . as shown , the robot 12 is positioned within the tool cluster 10 such that an end effector 13 can reach the foup &# 39 ; s 18 and modules 19 so that the robot 12 can move wafers in and out of the foup &# 39 ; s 18 and to and from the modules 19 . thus , the robot 12 comprises many capabilities , including one or more of picking up wafers ; transferring a wafer from one locale to another ; releasing a wafer at a particular locale ; mapping batches of wafers held vertically , horizontally , or otherwise in a wafer carrier ; autoteaching or autocalibration of the robot 12 ; and the like . it is noted that the tool cluster 10 may include additional robots , which may interact with each other such as by transferring wafers from one robot to another robot as well as moving wafers between various locations . as shown in greater detail in fig2 the exemplary robot 12 has a first body section 24 rotatably attached to a fixed base support 26 . the robot 12 further includes a first link 28 pivotably attached to a second body section 30 . a second link 32 is also rotatably attached to the second body section 30 . positioned at an end of the second link 32 is a linkage 34 , which is pivotably attached to the second link 32 at a first end and which is further rotatably attached to an end effector 36 and a second end . also , a preferred tactile sensor device 38 , which is described in detail below , is shown positioned on the end effector 36 . it is noted that the robot 12 is of a type that is commercially available and other types of robots having various arrangements for controllably moving an end effector within a work environment may be used within the scope of the invention . as shown , the outer end of the preferred end effector 36 is generally y - shaped with spaced apart fingers 40 and 42 . end effector 36 is generally provided with any suitable mechanism ( s ) ( not shown ) that allow end effector 36 to releasably engage wafers for pick up , transfer , and drop off . any suitable mechanism that provides such releasable engagement may be used . examples include edge gripping mechanism ( s ), vacuum engaging mechanism ( s ), mechanism ( s ) that operate in whole or in part via the bernoulli effect , combinations of these , and the like . edge gripping mechanisms provide excellent control over wafer engagement in a wide range of wafer orientations and are preferred . the exemplary robot 12 has six degrees of movement in the x , y , z , yaw , pitch , and roll directions . preferably , the robot 12 includes one or more motors ( not shown ) that can independently control the movement of the robot in the x , y , z , yaw , pitch , and roll directions . the motor ( s ) of the robot 12 are preferably electrically connected to one or more machine controllers ( not shown ) for directing the motion of the robot . a tool control point is preferably defined mathematically in the robot controller ( s ) as the point to which all translation and rotation commands are applied . details of these motors and of the controller ( s ) are well known commercially . as mentioned above , the tactile sensor device 38 can be used to accurately detect features , such as a reference structure , of a work envelope of a robot by contacting such features . when contact occurs , a signal indicative of the location of the touch on the sensing surface is generated . in the meantime , the system is aware of the corresponding position of the robot . by coordinating the frame ( s ) of reference of the robot and sensor , the robot is taught the precise location of the touch . an exemplary reference structure 70 is illustrated in fig3 . the reference structure 70 comprises a platen 72 , which may actually be or may otherwise simulate a substrate or wafer processing station requiring delivery of wafers or substrates by robot 12 . the reference structure 70 also preferably includes pins 74 , 76 , and 78 , which may be utilized for calibration and / or teaching by touching the tactile sensor device 38 as described below . the reference structure 70 may be positioned at any desired location to be learned by the robot 12 . for example , the reference structure 70 may be attached or built into a substrate holder , cassette , foup , process station , storage location , pathway , or the like . alternatively , the reference structure 70 may be attached or built into the robot 12 such that it could be used with a tactile sensor device positioned within the work environment of the robot . in fig4 and 5 , the robot 12 is shown with the end effector 36 having the tactile sensor device 38 positioned thereon reaching into a process station 44 through an opening 46 . as illustrated , the process station 44 includes a process platen 48 . preferably , the process platen 48 includes lift pins 50 , 51 , and 52 , which lift pins are movable with respect to the process platen . the lift pins 50 , 51 , and 52 may be moved to a raised position by moving the lift pins 50 , 51 , and 52 and / or by moving the platen 48 . the lift pins 50 , 51 , and 52 function to support a wafer positioned on the lift pins 50 , 51 , and 52 at a desired location with respect to the process platen 48 . for example , a wafer ( not shown ) carried by the end effector 36 may be positioned on the lift pins 50 , 51 , and 52 while the lift pins 50 , 51 , and 52 are raised with respect to the process platen 48 . the raised lift pins allow the end effector 36 to be lowered so that the wafer can be placed on the lift pins 50 , 51 , and 52 accordingly . thus , the location of the lift pins 50 , 51 , and 52 within a work environment is desired and may be taught to the robot 12 by utilizing the inventive principles of the present invention . that is , lift pins themselves may serve as reference structures at this particular location and there is no need in this instance for separate reference structure 70 as shown in fig3 . [ 0043 ] fig6 and 7 show the preferred tactile sensor device 38 in more detail . preferably , the tactile sensor device 38 , as shown , is formed so as to have one or more , preferably plural touch sensitive zones formed on a substrate 54 preferably the number of zones corresponds to the number of desired features to be sensed such as the lift pins 50 , 51 , and 52 . accordingly , the preferred tactile sensor device 38 comprises first touch sensitive zone 56 , second touch sensitive zone 58 , and third touch sensitive zone 60 that may be used to sense sequentially and / or simultaneously contact with structures such as the lift pins 50 , 51 , and 52 respectively of fig3 or other reference structures , as the case may be . as shown , the touch sensitive zones are generally rectangular in shape and are arranged to be angularly disposed with respect to each other . it is contemplated the touch sensitive zones can be other shapes such as square , circular , triangular , etc . it is contemplated that the tactile sensor device 38 may comprise a single touch sensitive zone or may comprise multiple touch sensitive zones . multiple zones , when used , may be arranged in any desired way such as annularly , orthogonally , radially , etc . preferably , the touch sensitive zones 56 , 58 , and 60 are of a size and shape and are arranged with respect to each other such that differing arrangements of reference structures to be sensed , such as lift pins or the like , can be simultaneously sensed as desired , with the same sensor device . alternatively , the tactile sensor device 38 may be formed so as to have any number of touch sensitive zones having any shape and being positioned at any desired locations in order to sense one or more desired features within a work environment . the substrate 54 may be any one or more suitable materials such as tempered glass , plastic , ceramic , metal and / or metal alloy such as titanium or stainless steel or combinations thereof . preferably , the resolution of each of the touch sensitive zones is determined by considering factors such as , the desired precision and / or accuracy for a particular application . for example , an illustrative commercially available touch sensitive zone for the tactile sensor device 38 has a resolution of 4096 × 4096 pixels . preferably , the structure 55 includes a signal - based connector 57 so that signals can be transmitted to and from the touch sensitive zones 56 , 58 , and 60 either by cables or by wireless technology or the like . such touch sensitive structures , per se , are well known commercially . still referencing fig6 the tactile sensor device 38 includes optional vacuum grip areas 62 , 63 , and 64 . the areas 62 , 63 , and 64 may be used to attach the tactile sensor device 38 to the end effector 36 of the robot 22 such as with any suitable known or developed fasteners or the like . alternatively , the end effector 36 may include any suitable means for holding the tactile sensor device 38 on the end effector 36 . it is contemplated that the tactile sensor device 38 may be attached to the end effector 36 either permanently or releasably by any suitable means such that the functional aspects of the present invention , to accomplish teaching , are accomplished . the tactile sensor device 38 may be attached to the end effector 36 when needed such as by an operator or technician or may be attached in an automated manner by the robot itself or another robot . alternatively , the tactile sensor device 38 may permanently attached to the robot but moveable at least between a passive and active ( teaching or calibration ) position . preferably , teaching of the robot 12 can be accomplished by causing the robot 12 to first extend the end effector 36 with the tactile sensor device 38 so that the tactile sensor device 38 is positioned close to the desired structural feature ( s ) to be learned . for example , the robot 12 may be positioned so that the tactile sensor device 38 is positioned above the lift pins 50 , 51 , and 52 as shown in fig9 . the robot 12 maybe manually guided by a teach pendant , for example , and / or can be moved in an automatic or otherwise programmed move . next , the robot 12 moves until contact is made between at least one of the touch sensitive surfaces or touch pads and a reference structures . as mentioned above , a tool control point is defined mathematically in the robot controller as the point to which all translation and rotation commands are applied . the robot 12 moves the tool control point to be oriented with the frame definition of the touch pad contacted , then pitches , rolls , and / or yaws until contact is made between a second touch pad and a second reference structure . the tool control point is now moved to the midpoint between the two contact points , with the tool x - axis pointing on the line that joins the two contact points . the end effector 36 is then pitched , rolled , and / or yawed until contact is made between a third touch pad and a third reference structure . small moves may be made to verify that when the end effector 36 is lifted and dropped back down on the pins in small steps , contact is made with all three touch pads and pins within some predetermined δz tolerance value . the machine position is calculated as described below : once the robot has found the position where all three touch pads are lightly resting on the machine lift pins 50 , 51 , 52 , the robot has a p 50 , b p 5 , and c p 52 , where each i p j represents the x , y coordinate vector of lift pin j in reference frame i . in other words , these represent x , y contact locations for each of the three lift pins on their respective touch pads . the reference frames a , b , and c correspond with the touch pads 56 , 58 , and 60 respectively . in order to calculate machine positions , the x , y coordinates of the lift pin tips must be transformed into the world coordinates of the robot reference frame , referred to as just the world frame or { w }. the following relationships may be used : wherein w p 50 represents the x , y coordinates of lift pin 50 in the world frame of the robot and t a t represents the transform from the touch pad a to the robot tool frame ( this transform is calculated during the calibration phase described below ) and w t t represents the transform between the tool control point of the robot and the world reference frame of the robot . once the locations of the lift pins are known in world frame , the machine location can be determined from the data known about the pin configuration . fig8 shows the geometry of the process platen 48 and fig9 shows a top view of the tactile sensor device 38 positioned on the end effector 36 of the robot 22 and also showing an exemplary tool control point 90 . as shown in fig8 w p d is preferably defined as the midpoint between w p 52 and w p 51 ( labeled as reference numeral 80 between pins 51 and 52 ). a new frame can be defined as { pinframe }, having an origin at w p d and oriented as shown in fig8 and having positive x axis 82 , positive y axis 84 , and positive z axis 86 . in this example , the center of a wafer is desired to be placed at x = 17 . 72 mm within the { pinframe }. to find point e in { w } frame : p e w = pinframe w t · [ 17 . 72 0 0 1 ] where w p e is the machine location to store in robot memory ( labeled as reference numeral 88 ). there may be sources of error in the above - described procedure due to inaccuracies inherent in the touch sensitive surface ; the manner by which the tactile sensor device is positioned with respect to the robot , etc . as such , any errors that may exist can be minimized if desired . firstly , there may be a robot accuracy error . for example , the ability of the robot to move to a computed point is a measure of its accuracy . this error becomes larger when w p e is not the same position as the tool position of the robot . the robot must depend on its accuracy to move from where it is now , to w p e . to minimize this source of error , w p e can be determined through several iterations , each time starting with the tool control point of the robot at the previous w p e position . also , there can be an error due to mapping between the touch sensor frames and the tool control point . that is , t a t is dependent on both the accuracy of the manufacturing process used to make the tactile sensor device , and the how accurately the tactile sensor device is placed on the end effector of the robot . this source of error can be measured and compensated for in the calibration procedure as described below . an additional error may be caused by non - linearities that may exist in certain touch sensitive surfaces . that is , the touch pads are typically made of plastics with conductive coatings . they are prone to stretch during the manufacturing process . this stretching can result in a non - linear response . for example , the physical distance between pixel x 1000 and x 2000 may be 10 mm , while the physical distance between x 2000 and x 3000 may be 12 mm . to compensate for this non - linear response , bilinear interpolation can be used to map the surface of the touch pad . the calibration of t a t may be performed by touching several points on each touch pad as shown in fig1 . recall that the lift pin arrangement shown in fig8 has three pins , so a point such as point n is registered on all three touch pads at the same time . the points n , s , m can be reached by moving the end effector 36 along the ± xt axis and lowering the tactile sensor device 38 down onto the lift pins until contact is made . points e and w can be made in the same way by moving the tactile sensor device along the ± yt axis . points + r and − r can be obtained by moving the tactile sensor device through small rotations about the zt axis . a goal of the calibration phase is to define the elements of the t b t matrix and the scale values to convert touch pad counts to millimeters . calibration data for all three touch pads may be determined similarly . as such , the preferred calculations for touch pad b are described below and may be repeated for touch pads a and c . the transform consist of a rotation on the z axis , and a x , y translation . b t t = t - 1 t b = [ cos θ - sin θ 0 xcor sin θ cos θ 0 ycor 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 ] - 1 wherein θ represents the angle between the + x axis of the touch pad and the + x axis of the robot tool frame and xcor represents the distance from the origin of the touch pad to the center of rotation of the tool frame of the robot as measured along the + x axis of the touch pad and wherein ycor represents the distance from the origin of the touch pad to the center of rotation of the tool frame of the robot as measured along the + y axis of the touch pad . the scalar values for each axis on the touch pad are represented as bsx and bsy . these values are multiplied by the touch pad a / d values to convert them to millimeters . to calculate the angle of the touch pad to the tool frame , points n , s , e , w are compared to point m . since bsx and bsy have not been calculated yet , initial estimates will be used . the angle of the touch pad to the tool frame is measured as : δx = the difference between the x value of m , minus the x value of n in millimeters . δy = the difference between the y value of m , minus the y value of n in millimeters . the results of all four comparisons are averaged to get the final θ value . to refine the values of bsx and bsy , the tool control point of the robot is rotated by the angle found above and the 5 contact points ( n , s , e , w , m ) are repeated . this time , the n and s points will be 10 mm from point m and will be aligned with the y axis of the touch pad . the e and w points will also be 10 mm from point m and aligned with the x axis of the touch pad . the process of finding the angle then finding the scale factors may be repeated for a few iterations until changes become small . as mentioned earlier , an entire grid of points could now be collected to calibrate the touch screen with the method of bilinear interpolation . the center of the robot tool can be determined as follows . from the points m , r + and r −, a circle is defined . since the only difference between these three points is a rotation about the tool z axis , it is known that the center of the circle is at the origin of the tool . by calculating the center of the circle by utilizing a least squares circle fit , xcor and ycor are defined , and the calibration is completed . thus , the present invention provides a touch calibration method , which enables a multi - axis robot machine to automatically precisely locate physical , fixed objects within its working envelope . this method is particularly suited towards robotic applications where a multi - axis robot operates within a defined environment and moves to or interacts with various process station locations . it enables the robot to automatically locate these stations with high precision by touching known and distinct features on each station . numerous characteristics and advantages of representative embodiments of the invention have been set forth in the foregoing description . it is to be understood , however , that while particular forms or embodiments of the invention have been illustrated , various modifications , including modifications to shape , and arrangement of parts , and the like , can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 6 |
there are a great many possible implementations of the invention , too many to describe herein . some possible implementations that are presently preferred are described below . it cannot be emphasized too strongly , however , that these are descriptions of implementations of the invention , and not descriptions of the invention , which is not limited to the detailed implementations described in this section but is described in broader terms in the claims . one implementation is illustrated in fig2 and 15 - 17 . a front electrode 14 includes three monitoring electrodes 20 positioned equidistant from a central stimulation electrode 18 . all three monitoring electrodes 20 and the stimulation electrode 18 are supported on a common assembly . a back electrode 12 includes only a stimulation electrode 16 , but may optionally also include one or more integrated monitoring electrodes as well . the active area of the stimulation electrode is about 10 cm in diameter . the active area of each monitoring electrode is about 2 cm in diameter . the edge of each monitoring electrode active area is spaced about 1 cm from the edge of the adjacent stimulation electrode active area various constructions are possible for the electrode pad assemblies . fig1 - 17 show one possible construction . materials have been chosen that provide resiliency and compliance to the skin surface . fig1 shows the electrode assembly configured to be applied to the front of the chest . a foam cover ( or backing ) layer 24 ( e . g ., voltek volara ™) extends fully across the back of the electrode ( top surface facing up away from patient ). each of the three monitoring electrodes is formed by securing a nickel plated brass snap 21 to an agcl post 22 through an opening in the cover layer ( alternatively a lead wire may be connected to the monitoring electrodes ). below that is a foam frame layer 28 , which has an opening through which each of the agcl posts ( agcl plated glass filled abs ) contact a porous foam sponge 23 , which is impregnated with ecg gel 35 ( e . g ., pharmaceutical innovations ™ qr ). the stimulation electrode 18 is provided by a conductive plate 29 ( e . g ., tin ) in the center of the electrode assembly . the conductive plate is supported beneath the foam frame layer 28 . beneath the conductive plate , and making conductive contact with the patient , is a conductive layer 30 , e . g ., a solid gel such as a hydrogel ( e . g ., ludlow ™ 63t hydrogel ). at one edge , a portion 38 of the conductive plate extends through an opening in the foam frame layer , and is mechanically and electrically connected at 25 to a wire lead 26 . wire lead 26 extends to an electrical connector 40 , to which the wire lead 26 from the back electrode assembly is also connected . various alternatives may be used for the conductive , skin - contacting layers 23 , 30 . these include , but are not limited to , solid conductive gels ( e . g ., hydrogel ), a porous material filled with a liquid gel , and a porous material soaked in a conductive solution such as saline . fig1 shows the electrode assembly configured to be applied to the back of the chest . it has a similar construction to that of the front electrode , except that it lacks monitoring electrodes , and has a rectangular , rather than circular , stimulation electrode . conductive plate 33 is supported on the underside of a foam backing layer 32 . a conductive layer 34 , e . g ., solid gel such as the same hydrogel as used in the front stimulation electrode , makes contact with the patient . a portion 38 of the conductive plate extends through an opening in backing layer 32 , and is connected to wire lead 26 . an insulator foam backing layer 31 covers the portion 38 of the conductive plate that extends to the top of foam backing layer 32 . in the implementation of fig2 and 15 - 17 , the monitoring electrodes 20 are all positioned the same distance from the stimulation electrode 18 . if the electrical currents flowing between the stimulation electrodes are approximately equal in all directions then the artifact measured by each monitoring electrode will be similar and cancel when a potential difference is formed by subtracting the signals . but placing the monitoring electrodes at equal distances from the stimulation electrode is no guarantee that the measured stimulus artifact will be the same in all three monitoring electrodes . transmission factors , monitoring electrode impedance , the path of current flow , the shape of the electric field , and other variables can influence measured artifact . some of the transmission factors , e . g ., respiration and blood flow , may be time varying . current flow can be influenced by surface properties and anatomical structures in the body . however , positioning the monitoring electrodes equal distances from the stimulation electrode may be sufficient in many cases , as it may result in stimulus artifacts that are sufficiently closely matched as to reduce the level of artifact to an acceptable level in the differential signal ( the difference in potential between two monitoring electrodes ). and the remaining artifact can optionally be reduced further using other methods described below . alternatively , the monitoring electrode spacing can be adjusted based on modeling current flows , experimental results , or a priori knowledge of the transmission factors involved . circuitry in the electrode or in the medical device doing the monitoring may equalize the artifact measured at each electrode by changing a gain or impedance , or by using other known techniques . forming the sum of two monitoring electrodes with artifacts of similar magnitude but opposite polarity will also reduce artifact , e . g ., the sum of monitoring electrodes relative to a common reference where one is positioned near the positive and one near the negative stimulation electrodes . in the implementation of fig2 and 15 - 17 , three monitoring electrodes are provided for the front electrode assembly , which is positioned over the heart . the back electrode assembly does not have any monitoring electrodes . other implementations may use different numbers of monitoring electrodes on the front assembly , and monitoring electrodes could be included on the back assembly . measuring a potential difference requires at least two electrodes . integration of three monitoring electrode with the stimulation electrode over the heart has at least two benefits . first , many ecg monitors use a third electrode to drive common mode signals back to the patient , to improve signal quality in the presence of large common mode signals such as power line interference . if the third electrode is only used for this common mode rejection purpose , its location relative to the stimulation electrode is less important . second , ecg monitors for three - lead monitoring generally display the potential difference between a selected electrode pair . these differences are called lead i , lead ii , and lead iii when the electrodes are positioned in conventional locations on the right and left arms as well as the left leg . the monitoring electrodes in the invention do not represent the standard leads , but still provide three possible potential differences , from which the operator of the ecg monitor may select . the operator may select the view which is most clinically relevant or contains the least artifact during cardiac pacing . in implementations in which three potential differences between pairs of electrodes are sought , the locations of all three monitoring electrodes can be selected to improve artifact cancellation ( e . g ., each may be equidistant from the central stimulation electrode ), so that a choice can be made as to the best two electrodes to use for canceling the stimulus artifact . more than three monitoring electrodes may also be provided . the monitoring hardware may be configured to detect the artifact - reducing electrode assembly . if it recognizes such an electrode assembly , the hardware may process signals differently and / or change labeling on displays , strip chart recorders , storage devices and external interfaces . the change in labeling will prevent those reviewing the signals from trying to interpret them as a standard electrode configuration ( e . g ., standard 3 - lead ). the electrode assembly identification would typically be made through the monitoring portion of the assembly rather than through the stimulation portion , because in some implementations electrical stimulation is allowed to continue even if a switch is made to standard monitoring electrodes when time permits . various methods may be used to identify the electrode assembly , including , for example , the following : ( 1 ) specific resistances between connector pins are detected by the monitor ; ( 2 ) voltages , currents , or specific waveforms input to the monitor from the electrode assembly ; ( 3 ) interfaces to nonvolatile memory or a microprocessor contained within the electrode connector or assembly ; ( 4 ) pulling unused monitoring channels to specific voltages ( currents , or known waveforms ) that can be used to identify the cable . an example of the fourth option is connecting a three lead ecg cable to a 10 wire monitor with a special electrode connector so that certain unused inputs are shorted to ground while others are shorted to a specified voltage . any condition that is unlikely to occur without the connector in place can be used for identification . fig1 illustrates the physics underlying the ability of some implementations to cancel much of the stimulus artifact from the ecg signal . a stimulus is applied to the patient ( represented by the dashed line rectangle ) using a pair of stimulus electrodes ( therapy pads ). current flows from one therapy pad to another along varying current paths . the figure shows the overly simplified case of there being just three current paths , with one monitoring electrode positioned along each of two of the paths . resistors are shown along the current paths to represent the resistance experienced by current flowing along particular paths . the values of the resistors are dependent on the placement of the electrodes , and the physical properties of the patient , and the values of the resistors may be time varying ( e . g ., as the result of respiration ). each monitoring electrode records some potential owing to the current flowing during a therapy pulse . after the pulse , the therapy pads may remain polarized . the polarization equalizes over time , and the monitoring electrodes record the potential difference due to the polarization . if the polarization has an equal effect on both monitoring electrodes , then the effect of the polarization ( what we have called the stimulus artifact ) will cancel , and the differential signal will be due to the electrical activity within the body such as the ecg . another possible implementation is shown in fig3 . the monitoring electrodes 20 are supported on a common assembly separate from ( but , in this example , surrounding ) the stimulation electrode 18 . in fig3 the common assembly is an annular in shape to surround a circular stimulation electrode , but other shapes may be used . an advantage of the shapes used in fig3 is that they help guarantee that the monitoring electrodes are equally spaced from the stimulation electrode . two of the monitoring electrodes are positioned to be equidistant from the stimulation electrode . the third monitoring electrode ( at the top of the figure ) is shown in a position slightly away from an equidistant location . if the third electrode is not used to form an ecg signal , but is used only for common mode rejection purposes , then it is not necessary that it be equidistant . in other implementations , in which it was sometimes desirable to use the third electrode for forming an ecg signal , it may be decided to place it in an equidistant location just as the other two monitoring electrodes . other methods may also be suitable for positioning the electrodes . they may be positioned at set distances from the therapy pad using constant length cables or other physical connection to the therapy pad that allows easy placement at a pre - determined distance . fig4 illustrates one implementation in which placement of the monitoring electrodes around the stimulation electrode is regulated by the length of electrode lead wires extending from the central stimulation electrode . when the wires are fully extended in a radial direction , the electrode positions will be equidistant from the stimulation electrode . similarly , the wires may be slightly different lengths in order to equalize artifact based on a priori knowledge of the current flow . alternatively , the separation between monitoring and stimulation electrodes could be prescribed by a mechanical element ( e . g ., a mechanical cable ), rather than by the electrical leads . the electrodes might initially be affixed ( prior to their extension ) to the therapy pad by an adhesive or a mechanical device ( i . e . clip , velcro , etc ). another implementation is shown in fig6 . three groups of multiple monitoring electrodes — with the electrodes in each group being at different locations relative to the stimulation electrode — are shown . in fig6 , there are two monitoring electrodes 20 in each of group a , b and c . analog or digital signal processing may be used to produce a combination of the electrodes in a group , so that when the difference between the processed ( or weighted ) combinations from two groups is taken the artifact is better cancelled in the differential signal . this method provides compensation for irregularities in the current flow or electric field originating from the stimulation electrode , and may be time - varying to compensate for time - varying parameters such as respiration . more than two electrodes may be provided in each group . not all locations will require forming a weighted combination of a plurality of electrodes . good electrode placements for artifact rejection may not be ideal for analysis of monitored signals . e . g ., they may not provide a standard clinical ecg signal . signal processing may be used to derive or synthesize improved or more clinically standardized looking waveforms from the actual monitoring electrodes . this may be accomplished by , in effect , creating a derived ( or synthesized ) monitoring electrode from combinations of actual monitoring electrodes . a block diagram of one cardiac pacing implementation of this procedure is shown in fig7 . signals 90 from monitoring electrodes ( e . g ., ones of the type shown in fig2 ) may optionally be combined with signals from one ( or both ) stimulation electrode ( which during intervals between stimulation pulses can also serve as a monitoring electrode ). a signal processing block 92 produces estimates 94 of standard ecg vectors that are more familiar to the user than potential differences formed directly from the nonstandard electrode locations of fig2 . a preferred implementation is to transform the signals from the monitoring electrodes ( and optionally the stimulation electrode ) into ecg signals comparable to what would have been detected using the standard 3 - lead placement of ecg electrodes ( two near the arms , and one near a leg ). to perform the transformation , the coefficients of a linear transformation matrix are derived from a statistically meaningful population of patients , from whom ecg measurements have been taken at both the new monitoring electrode ( and stimulation electrode ) locations and the conventional 3 - lead locations . a least squares fit is done to derive coefficients of the linear transformation matrix . the prior art taught several methods of synthesizing leads from a reduced or alternate set of electrodes . for instance , dower &# 39 ; s easi system ( u . s . pat . no . 5 , 711 , 304 ) used five electrodes in non - standard locations on the body to synthesize an estimate of the 12 - lead ecg . dower placed the electrodes far apart on the body in locations selected for ease of placement and 12 - lead synthesis . the prior art also taught transformations from implanted leads to standardized leads . implanted electrodes are fixed in position . it is possible to attach standard surface electrodes to the patient and derive the optimal transform . fig1 and the following discussion provide one mathematical basis for the lead synthesis . the figure shows a round stimulation ( pacing / defibrillation ) electrode surrounded by three equidistant monitoring electrodes , each spaced from the others at 120 degree angles . the objective of lead synthesis is to convert the monitoring signals from these nonstandard locations to estimates of the standardized lead i , lead ii , and lead iii difference signals that would be derived from electrodes positioned at the standard right arm ( ra ), left arm ( la ), and left leg ( ll ) locations and also shown in the figure . the signals from the nonstandard monitoring locations can be represented by a matrix x containing samples from the monitored electrodes as column vectors . these signals are high pass filtered or processed so that their mean value is zero . in the example set out below , x is an n × 2 matrix where n represents the number of samples and two columns are formed from three ecg electrodes . since the electrodes need a reference voltage , two independent ecg vectors ( v n ) may be produced from these three monitoring electrodes ( e n ). the third vector may be derived from the other two as follows and is omitted from matrix x to avoid a singular or ill - conditioned system of equations below v 3 = v 1 − v 2 = e 1 − e 2 −( e 1 − e 3 )= e 1 − e 3 the desired standardized signals can be represented by a matrix y containing each of the output signals as column vectors with the mean removed , for instance an n × 3 matrix where columns 1 , 2 , and 3 represent leads i , ii , and iii respectively . the goal of lead synthesis is to find a transformation matrix c such that the squared error between measured ecg vectors y and estimated ecg vectors ŷ can be calculated as ŷ is the estimate of y and can be calculated using the following equation . the optimal transformation matrix c will generally vary from patient to patient and is based on the relative placement of the electrode assembly and the standard three lead electrodes . however , c can be estimated from a database of known ecg signals and used generically . the operator may have the ability to switch between the sampled ecg vectors and the synthesized leads so the most useful view may be selected . fig1 illustrates an example of monitoring signals . the signals in the column labeled “ custom leads ” are potential differences measured from a nonstandard electrode configuration such as fig2 . the column labeled “ standard leads i , ii , iii ” are measured by monitoring electrodes such as the ones in fig1 . the far right column includes estimates of the standard leads synthesized from the nonstandard signals by a matrix transformation . although not exactly the same as the signals from standardized locations , they are close enough in appearance for many clinical purposes such as calculation of heart rate . the monitoring and stimulation electrodes may vary in composition . rather than use a conductive polymer material ( sometimes called , “ solid gel ” or “ hydrogel ”) for both types of electrodes , liquid gel could be used for the monitoring electrodes , and conductive polymer material only for the stimulation electrodes . this has the advantage of better impedance and signal quality shortly after applying the monitoring electrodes to the skin . conductive polymer pads typically require time for the skin to warm the gel and reduce impedance , whereas liquid gel does not suffer from such delays . many situations including emergency cardiac pacing or defibrillation are time critical and there may be an advantage to using liquid gels . it may also be advantageous in some circumstances to use liquid gels ( or other conductive agents ) for the stimulation electrodes . for instance , a liquid gel may be beneficial if the stimulation electrode is intended for cardiac pacing only . other applications may require electrodes ( stimulation or monitoring ) with a conductive surface ( s ) but no gel . conductive gel or electrode paste may be applied to the conductive surface or to the skin as needed . this is generally the preferred method for re - usable ecg or eeg electrodes . electrode assemblies containing more than one electrode ( e . g ., a stimulation 18 and one or more monitoring electrodes 20 ) may include multiple conductors ( e . g ., tin layers ) that contact the skin through a common gel ( polymer pad or other ) layer . fig1 shows such an implementation . two therapy pad assemblies are used for stimulation . each pad assembly includes a stimulation electrode , and at least one of the pad assemblies includes one or more monitoring electrodes . electrical current is driven between the conductive plates of the stimulation electrodes ; the plates are in electrical contact with the skin through a conductive gel . during the electrical stimulus a potential difference exists between the plates . the polarization of the plates may persist for some time after the stimulus . measuring small changes in voltage between the plates of the stimulation electrodes may be difficult because of the relatively large potential differences . but the potential difference between the plate of a stimulation electrode and the plate of an adjacent monitoring electrode is less than the difference between the plates of two stimulation electrodes , and thus monitoring small voltage changes is more feasible . the relative positions of the stimulation and monitoring electrodes may be determined by the measurements of interest , for instance across the heart . if the same conductive gel sheet covers the plates of the stimulation electrode and the plate of the monitoring electrode then the polarization effect will be similar and the differential signal will be less contaminated with artifact . in some implementations in which the same electrode assembly has more than one type of gel , a vapor barrier may be provided to retard moisture transfer from one gel to another . the electrode assemblies are typically sealed within a package until use , but while this retards moisture from leaving the interior of the sealed package , it does not prevent moisture transfers within the assembly . a lower moisture gel such as a hydrogel may absorb water from a second ( e . g . liquid gel or different hydrogel ) electrode over the life of the packaged electrode . a vapor barrier inside the package may be used to seal one gel type from the other to increase shelf life . the vapor barrier may be implemented in a variety of ways including the method described by dupelle and white in u . s . pat . nos . 6 , 453 , 205 and 6 , 280 , 463 , in which a sealed cup is used to contain a liquid gel . the vapor barrier may be made from commonly used materials such as mylar and aluminum . an aluminum thin film layer may be deposited by the so - called thermal evaporation method whereby aluminum wire is evaporated onto a heated crucible in a vacuum chamber . some implementations may use an inert material that is non conductive , such as a thin film deposition of siox ( typically via sputter deposition ). other vapor barriers may also be used . an exploded cross - sectional view of an electrode with a vapor barrier 50 is shown in fig2 ( patient contact surface at top ). the outer surface of the electrode is made from a layer of adhesive backed closed cell foam 52 such as voltek volara . a second layer of insulating foam 54 creates recessed wells for the monitoring ( ecg ) electrodes . a thin vapor barrier 50 surrounds the ecg well and adheres to the surrounding foam . the ecg electrode wire may be riveted ( 56 ) through an insulated vapor barrier to maintain the seal . alternately , the vapor barrier may be a conductive metal such as tin and the wire may be soldered or otherwise connected directly to the vapor barrier . the entire electrode assembly is placed on a release liner 58 ( e . g ., silicon impregnated polyethylene ). peeling off the release liner also uncovers the ecg electrodes since the top of the vapor barrier has a stronger bond to the liner than it does to the bottom part of the vapor barrier . the vapor barrier may be constructed in various ways , but one possibility is shown in fig2 , wherein two layers of polyester ( e . g ., mylar ) and aluminum are bonded face to face . fig9 shows one possible analog electrical circuit that can be used to implement artifact rejection . the signal from each of two monitoring electrodes ( electrode 1 and electrode 2 ) is buffered through inverting amplifiers a1 and a3 , respectively . the buffered signal is fed through a low pass filter , which may be tuned using a variable capacitor to change the time constant . although a variable capacitor 60 is shown in the circuit , a variable resistor or some other combination of tunable circuit elements may be used . the filters may be set to adjust for different delays in the two input signals so that most of the energy from the artifact will cancel when the signals are subtracted . fig9 also shows variable gain amplifiers a2 and a4 , which allow the signal from each electrode to be scaled so that the magnitude of the artifact is similar in both signals and will cancel when subtracted in the output amplifier a5 . with sufficient signal to noise ratio ( snr ), only one programmable gain amplifier is needed , provided it can attenuate the signal as well as amplify it . one example of scaling is an implementation in which two monitoring vectors p1 and p2 are calculated from the signals detected at three electrodes , as follows . the constants c1 and c2 may be selected in some implementations so that the magnitude of the artifact in the two monitoring vectors p1 , p2 are approximately equal so that the artifact cancels in the scaled output y . in other implementations , one of the vectors is used without being scaled ( so that no constant is necessary ). fig2 shows an example of how the artifact may be reduced in some implementations with a 100 ma stimulus . the unscaled difference signals ( vectors ) p1 and p2 ( the top two signals ) both contain appreciable artifact . but the scaled difference signal ( bottom signal ) has a substantially reduced artifact , less than in either of the original difference signals . the constants c1 and / or c2 may be derived mathematically by comparing the artifact or may be tuned by the operator ( e . g . by twisting a dial ) to minimize artifact . the scaling may affect the shape of the resultant monitoring signal ( e . g ., it may not have magnitudes relevant for diagnostic purposes ), but it may be useful for determining heart rate or the general shape of the ecg . the scaling may be implemented in hardware or software , and the constants may be positive or negative depending on the direction of the artifact in each monitored difference signal ( vector ). to make it possible for the circuitry to adapt quickly to new patients and new electrodes , some implementations would use digitally controlled components such as ( but not limited to ) programmable gain amplifiers , digitally controlled variable resistors , and capacitors or inductors that can be switched in or out of the circuit ( e . g ., with analog switches ). manually adjustable components may also be used , and set by the operator . the signal processing shown in fig9 may alternatively be implemented using digital or software processing of the sampled signal , or with a combination of analog and digital signal processing . the circuit is preferably designed so that the artifact will not saturate the input amplifiers or converters during periods of interest for monitoring . digital signal processing may allow for more flexibility in delaying or processing the signals . digital processing requires sampling the raw signals from each electrode relative to a common reference . complex filters and / or adaptive gain estimates may also be used in either a digital or analog implementation . another technique for reducing the artifact in the differential signal acquired from two monitoring electrodes is adjusting the input impedance in the electrical circuit that detects the potential at the monitoring electrodes . the artifact will be minimized if the impedance of each monitoring electrode is equal . electrode impedance can be directly measured or estimated from the artifact . the impedance can be measured by applying a therapy pulse at low or full power , or by using sine waves , chirps , or other arbitrary waveforms suitable for this purpose . the resulting voltage or current waveform measured at each monitoring electrode ( or between the two electrodes ) can be used to estimate the impedance ( or impedance mismatch ). one implementation of an impedance balancing circuit is shown in fig5 , in which the level of the stimulus artifact at the two electrodes is better equalized , thereby reducing the level of artifact in the differential signal . by balancing the impedance of the monitoring electrodes , it may not be necessary to connect a patient drive electrode to assist in common mode rejection . the circuit in fig5 shows two monitoring electrodes 70 , 72 ( upper left ) and a patient drive electrode 74 ( lower left ). each electrode is shown as an rc element , and it should be noted that these values may vary over time ( e . g ., from respiration ). the conductive gel &# 39 ; s contact with the skin may be different at each electrode , resulting in an impedance imbalance between electrodes . the monitored signal is typically of small magnitude compared to the stimulus artifact and other common mode signals such as power line interference . during or shortly after a stimulation pulse , two monitoring electrodes positioned at the same potential in the electric field between the two stimulation electrodes will measure a very large common mode signal as the result of the polarization on the two stimulation electrodes , i . e ., the stimulus artifact . but the circuit measuring the difference between the two monitoring electrodes may not reject the large stimulus artifact if the impedances are not properly balanced . several methods are known in the art for canceling common mode signals , and these may be applied to improve cancellation of the stimulus artifact . each of the leads running to the stimulation and monitoring electrodes has a cable shield 76 surrounding it . the circuit drives the cable shield with the common mode signal through amplifier a1 . this reduces the effect of cable capacitance by maintaining signal and shield at similar potentials . the shield drive is also integrated and inverted by a2 and driven back to the patient . this has the effect of reducing common mode signals by moving the reference level of the circuit close to the common mode of the patient . currents due to common mode signals may flow from the patient through various return paths including the patient or shield drive . circuit elements may be adjusted to correct for imbalances in electrode impedance to reduce common mode signals . the figure shows variable resistors and capacitors controlled by an impedance compensation circuit 78 . the impedance matching circuit may be simpler to implement if placed directly between the two monitoring electrodes , but this may require complex cabling and not be as practical . impedance matching elements may include components commonly used in the art , including ( but is not limited to ) trim pots , manually - adjustable capacitors , digitally - controlled variable resistors or capacitors , or one or more rc elements with analog switches . inductors or other passive components may also be used . the impedance compensation controller may include a mix of analog and / or digital processing . the impedance may be measured directly by applying a current to the patient in the form of sine waves , chirps , or therapy pulses at full or reduced intensity . there are other methods well known in the state of the art . it may also be measured indirectly by estimating the imbalance from power line interference or artifact from pulses delivered during therapy . the controller adjusts the digitally controller circuit elements and may monitor changes in common mode artifact . alternately , the impedance may be adjusted manually by the operator of the device , but this may be time consuming and require some expertise not shared by all device operators . various arrangements of cables and connectors can be used for connecting the stimulation ( therapy pads ) and monitoring electrodes to their associated medical device ( e . g ., a combined cpr prompting , defibrillation , and pacing device ). for example , the therapy electrodes may be wired to a therapy connector . the wires may be made from any electrically conductive material and may be permanently attached to the electrodes or may attach to some or all of the electrodes using a connector . a connector allows the wires to be reused but may be less reliable and takes time for connection . it has the disadvantage of allowing the operator to make a mistake by forgetting to connect a wire or by connecting a wire to the wrong electrode . the monitoring electrodes may be wired to a monitoring connector . the therapy and monitoring connectors may be physically separate or combined into a unified connector . the unified connector may be one piece or made up of a monitoring connector and therapy connector that can come apart or move in such a way that one or both of the connectors will be attached to the medical device . this may be accomplished with wires permanently attached to the electrodes and running individually , or attached together in a single cable , to a connector . attaching the single connector to the medical devices ensures that all connections are properly made . however , this requires a separate input on the medical device for standard leads to be connected , and an internal switching mechanism capable of selecting between electrodes or displaying both sets of leads . alternatively , separate connectors may be used for the therapy pad and monitoring electrodes . this has the advantage of allowing the operator to replace one or both of these cables with other monitoring electrodes or pads , and eliminates the need for a switching mechanism . this type of cabling may allow the electrodes to be used on devices not originally designed for this purpose . some of the multi - lead cable constructions shown in the application of peter a . lund et al ., entitled , “ medical cable ”, filed on even date herewith ( and herein incorporated by reference ), may be used in some implementations . to simplify cabling and reduce cost , therapy pad wires may be shared with the monitoring electrodes in certain applications . this is especially relevant where pulses are applied to the therapy pads for short durations , and monitoring is not required during this time . switching circuitry or non - linear circuit elements including but not limited to , diodes or gas discharge tubes may be used for this purpose . a possible implementation of a shared wire electrode assembly is shown in fig8 . diodes 81 , 82 allow the flow of current to the stimulation electrode 85 ( which conducts to the patient through gel layer 86 ) but block a reverse flow of current back to the monitoring channel during the monitoring phase following stimulation . using diodes oriented in both directions allows the delivery of biphasic stimulation waveforms while preventing polarizations ( e . g . of less than a diode drop ) from being measured by the monitoring circuit . more than one diode may be used in either direction to split high currents or for fault tolerance . optionally , a resistor 83 or high impedance monitoring electrode 84 may reduce current flow through the monitoring electrode 84 during therapy . implementations such as that of fig8 , as well as other shared wire implementations , have the advantages of reduced clutter and reduced chance of wrong connections . in some implementations , the elimination of additional cables may also reduce overall manufacturing cost . the configuration shown in fig1 uses a plurality ( two shown ) of stimulation electrodes 18 of one polarity . current flows from one positive stimulation electrode 16 to two negative stimulation electrodes 18 . in other implementations both the positive and negative stimulation electrodes could be divided into two or more electrodes . a monitoring electrode 20 is positioned in the center ( but not in contact with ) each negative stimulation electrode . if both of the negative stimulation electrodes are positioned so that each receives ( sinks ) approximately the same current , the artifact measured by the two monitoring electrodes will be approximately equal and will thus cancel when the difference is taken between the two electrodes . another configuration using a plurality of stimulation electrodes 18 of the same polarity is shown in fig1 . in this implementation , an electrode of one polarity is divided into three stimulation electrodes 18 ( even more separate electrodes could be used ), and the other polarity is handled by just a single electrode 16 ( but alternatively this polarity could , also , be handled by a plurality of electrodes ). the multiple stimulation electrodes of the same polarity have separate conductive plates ( e . g ., tin ), and may have a common conductive gel underlying them , or separate gel areas . all three of the stimulation electrodes are used together during stimulation , and two of the stimulation electrodes are also used for monitoring ( as shown by the left and right electrodes leading to the differential amplifier ). the two electrodes used for monitoring are positioned across the heart and aligned to produce an ecg vector of interest . these two electrodes may be smaller than the central electrode . using the two stimulation electrodes for monitoring is possible because the polarization on the two electrodes is approximately equal and of the same polarity . the three electrodes may be part of one assembly , or be split into two or three assemblies for flexibility in placement . the combined area of the three electrodes is made sufficient for the therapy being delivered ( e . g ., defibrillation or pacing ). still another implementation is shown in fig1 . here the central electrode has been eliminated , and one stimulation polarity is divided into two electrodes 18 positioned at two sides of the heart , and aligned to produce an ecg vector of interest . both electrodes are using during stimulation , and monitoring is done by forming the difference between the two electrodes . the stimulus artifact may be mitigated further using analog or digital signal processing . such processing may include adaptive blanking of the artifact where filter inputs , displays , or strip chart recorders are blanked , zeroed , or otherwise modified during the artifact . an algorithm or adaptive method may be used to adjust the blanking time based on the measured signals . this may allow the operator to view more of the monitored signal if the artifact is cancelled quickly and to prevent confusing artifacts from being displayed if the artifact takes longer to dissipate . many other implementations other than those described above are within the invention , which is defined by the following claims . | 0 |
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